text:
MACC counsel Datuk Abdul Razak Musa then stood up to protest Karpal's continued use of the word "murder" in pertaining to Teoh's death.
When Karpal, who is in a wheelchair, told Abdul Razak to "sit down", the latter replied: "I will sit down but you cannot stand up."
The Star – January 15, 2010
Abdul Razak must have thought that his shooting from the hip was the perfect rebuttal to Karpal. Although the remark was pointed at Karpal, it has, in one fell swoop, affronted all wheelchair users. This is a blatant disregard for the dignity of disabled people.
Of all people, I would least expect a lawyer to say something as disrespectful as this. Ridiculing a disabled person's condition is bigotry just like how making deprecating remarks along racial lines is considered racism. Let there not be a doubt regarding this.
This is also an indication of how little the government has done to promote disability equality in the country. When Parlimentarians and government officers have no qualms with throwing insults at disabled people, they set a bad precedent to society at large on how disabled people should be treated. Thankfully, people like these are a minority. Such attitudes are still disconcerting nonetheless.
If the government is serious in protecting the rights and dignity of disabled people in Malaysia, they should come out with an anti-discrimination law. The Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 does nothing to that effect. Disabled people in Malaysia still face attitudinal and environmental barriers in every aspect of their lives.
The Star Online
Published: Friday January 15, 2010 MYT 11:38:00 AM
Updated: Friday January 15, 2010 MYT 1:36:58 PMTeoh Beng Hock's inquest takes a further turn (Update)
By WANI MUTHIAHSHAH ALAM: The inquest into the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock took a further turn when a hearing on an application to cite a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer for contempt targeted its counsel instead.
Counsel for the Government Tan Hock Chuan had earlier given the court the Attorney-General's assurance that no action would be taken against Thai forensic pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand.
He said the A-G was also of the opinion that Dr Pornthip had not leaked any information to Suara Keadilan, which had carried an article "confirming" that Teoh had been murdered.
Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas then said that given the A-G's opinion, there was no longer any need to proceed with contempt proceedings against Raub Ghani, who had lodged a police report against Dr Pornthip alleging that she had leaked information from the results of the second post-mortem performed on Teoh to "unauthorised" parties.
Raub, 41, who is attached to the Putrajaya MACC investigation unit, had lodged the report at the Shah Alam district police headquarters on Jan 1.
However, the counsel representing Teoh's family, Karpal Singh argued for contempt proceedings to continue against Raub as going by the A-G's opinion, it would seem to indicate that the MACC officer had lodged a false police report and thus, should be "duly dealt with".
MACC counsel Datuk Abdul Razak Musa then stood up to protest Karpal's continued use of the word "murder" in pertaining to Teoh's death.
When Karpal, who is in a wheelchair, told Abdul Razak to "sit down", the latter replied: "I will sit down but you cannot stand up."
The court was thrown into further chaos when at one point, Gobind Singh Deo called Abdul Razak a "scoundrel" for insulting Karpal Singh's disability, and wanted contempt proceedings initiated against Abdul Razak.
The court has momentarily stood down for both Karpal and Gobind to refer to grounds to initiate proceedings against Abdul Razak.
Coroner Azmil Muntapha fixed Jan 22 to hear submissions in the contempt proceedings against Raub.
He agreed there were elements of contempt in Abdul Razak's remarks against Karpal, but only cautioned him.


text: The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) Education Division released their report, the 2010 U.S. Educational Technology Industry Market: PreK-12. First in a series of market reports, the survey values the overall market PreK-12 non-hardware educational technology at $7.5 billion dollars. Content-related products represent 42 percent of that revenue. The report will be highlighted at SIIA's Ed Tech Business Forum today in New York. The products were divided into four segments: content; instructional support; platforms and administrative tools; and a special segment that includes advanced placement, special education, and English language learner materials. The study focuses only on revenues for software and digital content or resources (no print, hardware, or analog products), and institutional sales to paint a picture of the overall revenue of educational technology companies. "The inaugural report comes at a time when the national conversation around 'ed-tech' has unprecedented attention, and when our educational system is aggressively making the transition to digital," says report author John Richards. "Now is the time to provide industry stakeholders a focused look at this promising subsection of a sprawling and complicated market." Have a look for yourself, and check out the Ed Tech Business Forum.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
911-strike.com A wakeup call for non-violent political action
New Blog! www.crookedshepherds.wordpress.com New pentagon overflight evidence: www.thepentacon.com The Five Sided Fantasy Island -- an analysis of the Pentagon explosion |
Psychopaths, Secret Societies and the New World Order By Jerry Russell and Richard Stanley 1. Psychopaths and the science of personality: For many years, psychologists have studied the frightening reality of psychopathic or sociopathic personalities -- the serial killers, the child abusers, the pathologically consistent liars and incorrigible thieves. The scientific study of these individuals was systemically organized by Hervey Cleckley and his 1941 classic "The Mask of Sanity", and today the specialist Robert Hare is one of the foremost authorities in the field. According to Hare, the key emotional and interpersonal traits defining the psychopathic personality syndrome are: a smooth, glib capability to lie, manipulate and dissemble; a completely callous lack of empathy or concern for others; shallow emotional affect and lack of remorse; and egocentric grandiosity. [continue...] 2. Government, Religion, Psychopathy: A theory of how the world works. Sometimes (and seldom more than today) it seems impossible to escape the conclusion that the whole world is going insane with war and preparation for war. However, the situation is merely a manifestation of a psychopathic tendency in politics, a sinister undercurrent which is always present and sometimes erupts into ugly prominence. [continue...] 3. The Historical Continuity of Empire: While elite antisocial behavior is part of all human history across all societies and cultures, we also believe that there is a single elite clique that has been uniquely successful in the art of empire-building. Their omnipresent power bridges across the millennia, from at least the days of the first recorded empire (the Acheamenid Persians), if not further back in time, to the present. Orthodox historians present the story of our species as a patchwork of nations, peoples, rulers and religions, parading across the stage of time and leaving only archaeological remnants and books behind. We think we have a much more interesting way of looking at history, as a repeating yet ever-changing story of the class struggle, and the development of diverse mechanisms by which the elite maintain their power. [continue...] 4. Secret societies in government, business and religion: From the earliest times of recorded history, we find that secret societies are a natural and integral part of human civilization. What we mean by a "secret society" is one whose meetings are not open to the general public, and whose written documents are kept confidential to some extent. Secret societies are often organized hierarchically, with ultimate decision-making power vested in a single individual. Outside of a secretive core group, a secret society may have a much larger hierarchical structure which operates very openly and which produces abundant documentation of its broader operations. Our hypothesis is that these secret societies can operate as a mechanism for filtering and selecting psychopathic individuals to carry out the conspiratorial goals of a society and its leadership. [continue...] Creation and Manipulation of Popular Religion: the case of Christian Zionism. Christianity as taught by televangelists such as Billy Graham, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, is one of America's most widely held religions. It is also as close as Constitutional decorum will permit, to becoming an official state religion. Yet this fundamentalist, pentacostal, pre-millenialist, dispensationalist version of Christianity (referred to in this article as Christian Zionism because of its political affinity to Judaic Zionism) has almost no resemblance to the religion of the Protestant Reformation, much less the Roman church, or the mysterious Christianity of the first century AD. At every step to the creation of this potent new religion, we can see the psychopathic hand of secret societies. [continue...] The Roots of Conspiracy Denial: A review of Daniel Pipes' "Conspiracy: how the paranoid style flourishes and where it comes from". Many historical conspiracies (starting with the murder of Julius Caesar) are widely accepted facts. When it comes to current or ongoing conspiracies, however, we are much more likely to find that the predominant view is set by the conspiracy naysayers. These are social commentators of various ilk, ranging from network news anchors to public relations spin doctors to bar stool jockeys. Daniel Pipes' 1997 book "Conspiracy: how the paranoid style flourishes and where it comes from" is a prime example of the naysayer's art, and yet (as we shall see) Pipes is also very good at promoting "conspiracy theories" when it suits his purposes. [continue...] The 911 Wakeup Call 911-Deception: "Your enemy is not surrounding your country. Your enemy is ruling your country." This Orwellian paradox from George Bush reveals our true predicament. The Federal government is fully complicit with the perpetrators of the atrocity at the World Trade Center. [continue...] 911-War: Most Americans are expecting the new war in Iraq to be a re-run of the Afghan war and Gulf War I: a quick victory with minimal American fatalities. But world-wide, resistance to the American move is building more quickly than anyone could have imagined. How realistic is it to expect the world to respond passively to American aggression? [continue...] 911-Treason: With the Patriot Act, the Homeland Security Act and now the proposed Patriot Act II, the establishment has revealed their intent to destroy the Constitution which all government officers are sworn to defend. In response, the movement to impeach George Bush is underway. [continue...] 911-Strike! The fraudulent elections of 2002 proved that democracy in America is stone dead. Those who are praying for a miraculous resurrection, will be disappointed. Non-violent direct action is the only remaining avenue to save ourselves. [continue...] served by siteground.com |


text:
Download the required submittal form. Complete the form and send it with your document to the Secretary of State.
The Authentication Division of the Alabama Office of the Secretary of State is responsible for providing authentication services for Alabama public documents that will be used in foreign countries. These documents include birth certificates, marriage certificates, statements of marital status, articles of incorporation, corporate bylaws, certificates of merger, powers of attorney, diplomas, school transcripts, deeds and ABI background checks.
There are two types of authentications. The type of authentication your Alabama document requires for foreign use is based upon the country in which the document will be used. If the country in which the document(s) will be used is party to the Hague Convention, an Apostille is affixed to documents. If the country in which the document(s) is to be used is not part of the Hague Convention, a Certification is affixed to document(s). Please note that there is a difference between Members of the Hague Conference and Parties to the Hague Convention.
Apostilles The Apostille may be affixed to documents bearing the official signature and seal of a currently commissioned Alabama notary public, probate judge, or the current Alabama State Registrar. Please Note: All birth certificates and death certificates requiring an Apostille must bear the signature of the current Alabama State Registrar.
Certifications The Certification may be affixed to documents bearing the official signature and seal of a currently commissioned Alabama probate judge, circuit clerk or the current Alabama State Registrar. Please note:Each notarized document requiring a Certification must have an additional county authentication of the notary commission. County authentications are issued by the office of the probate judge in the county of the notary's commission. For county information, please see our public official database.
How much is an authentication? The authentication fee is $5.00 per document.
What does my document need to be authenticated by your office? Your document must have an original signature and embossed (raised) seal of a currently commissioned Alabama public official. See the information above to determine which signatures should be applied to receive the authentication type you require.
Will you authenticate my document if it is in a foreign language? All documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by a notarized English translation.
Should my school documents be notarized before I mail them to your office to be authenticated? Yes. Documents with the signature of a school official and the school seal applied by the school registrar are not acceptable. Documents must be notarized by an Alabama Notary Public before the Apostille can be affixed to the document. If the document requires the Certification, it must be notarized and county authenticated before the document can be authenticated for foreign use.
May I send my federal documents to your office to be authenticated? No. Federal documents are not authenticated at the state level. Please contact the United States Department of State Authentications Office.
Can my document be sent to a third party by your office after it has been authenticated? Yes. Documents may be directed to a third party when the sender encloses a pre-addressed, pre-paid carrier envelope when mailing the documents to our office for authentication. Any documents received without a paid return envelope will be delivered to the original sender via United States Postal Service.


text:
Biofuel research boosted by discovery of how cyanobacteria make energy
- Date:
- December 15, 2011
- Source:
- Penn State
- Summary:
- Research expected to help scientists to discover new ways of genetically engineering bacteria to manufacture biofuels overturns a generally accepted 44-year-old assumption about how certain kinds of bacteria make energy and synthesize cell materials. With this better understanding of how cyanobacteria make energy, it might be possible to genetically engineer a cyanobacterial strain to synthesize 1,3-butanediol -- an organic compound that is the precursor for making not only biofuels but also plastics.
- Share:
A generally accepted, 44-year-old assumption about how certain kinds of bacteria make energy and synthesize cell materials has been shown to be incorrect by a team of scientists led by Donald Bryant, the Ernest C. Pollard Professor of Biotechnology at Penn State and a research professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Montana State University. The research, which will be published in the journal Science on Dec. 16, is expected to help scientists discover new ways of genetically engineering bacteria to manufacture biofuels -- energy-rich compounds derived from biological sources. Many textbooks, which cite the 44-year-old interpretation as fact, likely will be revised as a result of the new discovery.
Bryant explained that, in 1967, two groups of researchers concluded that an important energy-making cycle was incomplete in cyanobacteria -- photosynthetic bacteria formerly known as blue-green algae. This energy-producing cycle -- known as the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle or the Krebs cycle -- includes a series of chemical reactions that are used for metabolism by most forms of life, including bacteria, molds, protozoa and animals. This series of chemical reactions eventually leads to the production of ATP -- molecules responsible for providing energy for cell metabolism.
"During studies 44 years ago, researchers concluded that cyanobacteria were missing an essential enzyme of the metabolic pathway that is found in most other life forms," Bryant explained. "They concluded that cyanobacteria lacked the ability to make one enzyme, called 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase, and that this missing enzyme rendered the bacteria unable to produce a compound -- called succinyl-coenzyme A -- for the next step in the TCA cycle. The absence of this reaction was assumed to render the organisms unable to oxidize metabolites for energy production, although they could still use the remaining TCA-cycle reactions to produce substrates for biosynthetic reactions. As it turns out, the researchers just weren't looking hard enough, so there was more work to be done."
Bryant suspected that the decades-old finding needed to be re-evaluated with a fresh set of eyes and new scientific tools. He explained that, after researchers in the 1960s concluded that cyanobacteria had an incomplete TCA cycle, that false assumption was compounded by later researchers who used modern genomics-research methods to confirm it.
"One idea we had was that the 1967 hypothesis never was corrected because modern genome-annotation methods were partly to blame," Bryant said. "Computer algorithms are used to search for strings of genetic code to identify genes. Sometimes important genes simply can be missed because of matching errors, which occur when very similar genes have very different functions. So if researchers don't use biochemical methods to validate computer-identified gene functions, they run the risk of making premature and often incorrect conclusions about what's there and what's not there."
To re-test the 1967 hypothesis, the team performed new biochemical and genetic analyses on a cyanobacterium called Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, scouring its genome for genes that might be responsible for making alternative energy-cycle enzymes. The scientists discovered that Synechococcus indeed had genes that coded for one important alternative enzyme, succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, and that adjacent to the gene for this enzyme was a misidentified gene that subsequently was shown to encode a novel enzyme, 2-oxo-glutarate decarboxylase.
"As it turns out, these two enzymes work together to complete the TCA cycle in a slightly different way," Bryant said. "That is, rather than making 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase, these bacteria produce both 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylase and succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase. That combination of enzymes allows these organisms to move to the next intermediate -- succinate -- and to complete the TCA cycle." Bryant also said that his team found that the genes coding for the two enzymes are present in all cyanobacterial genomes except those of a few marine species. Bryant's co-author on the Science paper is Shuyi Zhang, a graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State.
Bryant hopes to use the findings of his research to investigate new ways of producing biofuels. "Now that we understand better how cyanobacteria make energy, it might be possible to genetically engineer a cyanobacterial strain to synthesize 1,3-butanediol -- an organic compound that is the precursor for making not just biofuels but also plastics," Bryant said.
Bryant also said that his team's discoveries about cyanobacteria show how science is an ever-evolving process, and that firm conclusions never should be drawn from studies with negative results.
"Sadly, the conclusion that cyanobacteria have an incomplete TCA cycle is written into many textbooks as fact, simply because the research teams in 1967 misinterpreted their failure to find a particular enzyme," Bryant said. "But in science there is never really an end. There always is something new to discover."
The research was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Genomic Science Program of the U.S. Department of Energy.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Penn State. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- S. Zhang, D. A. Bryant. The Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle in Cyanobacteria. Science, 2011; 334 (6062): 1551 DOI: 10.1126/science.1210858
Cite This Page:


text:
I need to take a trip that would be either a few hours flying or multiple days driving. Which is safer?
As lockdown orders are relaxed to some capacity in countries around the world, travel is starting to see an uptick for the first time since mid-March. But when it comes to taking a longer trip, is it better to travel by car or by plane?
Dr. Henry Wu, a professor of infectious disease medicine at Emory University and director of its TravelWell Center, says there is no definite answer — but it all comes down to planning ahead.
Regardless of whether you fly or drive, Wu says that the first thing to keep in mind is that until a vaccine is developed and proven effective, it's impossible to fully mitigate all the coronavirus risks, including those associated with traveling.
That means that in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance, travel should still be limited to circumstances in which it's absolutely necessary. And for people who are immunocompromised or at high risk of developing severe illnesses, it should be avoided as much as possible.
If you feel you need to take a trip, one main benefit of driving is that it gives you a greater sense of control over your surroundings — although that doesn't mean it's necessarily safer than flying.
Lawrence Gostin, director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, says the key to staying safe is taking measures like wearing a mask and carrying hand sanitizer when in public spaces. He worries, from a behavioral point of view, that people are less likely to follow hygiene protocols over the course of several stops on a long drive.
Here are some essential steps Wu and Gostin suggest to prepare for a road trip:
However, both Wu and Gostin point out that there are certain unavoidable risks that come with driving — like the chances of getting in an accident or having car trouble. And you should always consider your own comfort level with long road trips and unknown highways.
If I decide to take an overnight road trip, how should I choose my lodging?
Gostin says the safest option would be camping — sleeping in your car or on camping grounds with your own tent and supplies. That eliminates the risks of staying in an indoor space where you could come into contact with others. If camping isn't an option, there are other steps to lower the risks of an overnight stay.
Wu and Gostin recommend choosing a hotel or motel option without elevators or other confined spaces — like a crowded breakfast buffet — that could force you to come in close contact with employees and other guests.
"The more people, the smaller the space, the less [air] circulation and the longer you're there, your risk goes up," says Gostin.
Ask ahead of time that the hotel or Airbnb is using EPA-approved disinfectants to clean all surfaces in the room between guests, and, if possible, try to request rooms that have been unoccupied for several days — although there's no way to know for sure that you're getting an honest answer.
"We know that COVID-19 virus viability on environmental surfaces is limited, and it really depends on the type of surface, the temperature and the humidity. But in most situations, [the virus] is not viable after several days," says Wu. "So if you have a room that's been empty for four or five days or even more, [that's] better."
It's also a good idea to bring your own alcohol wipes for the road and, once inside the room, to wipe down areas that could have been touched by prior occupants: door knobs, tabletops and the TV remote. Or just avoid touching these whenever you can.
Gostin also suggests staying in your room as much as possible. If you have a room with windows that can open, wipe them down before opening them to let in fresh air.
What if I'd rather travel by plane?
If driving for several days seems daunting, taking a flight might be preferable.
"Air circulation systems on planes are quite good. They have high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and high rates of air exchange," says Wu. "But that still doesn't protect you from what is happening immediately around you."
One of the biggest risks of flying is that it's hard to predict how full a flight might be or how much you'll be able to socially distance from other passengers and employees, even as airlines make efforts to minimize close contact.
Read more about the risks of flying — and safety precautions you can take — here.
Could I take a bus or train instead?
Like airplanes, buses and trains both mean traveling in an enclosed environment. One of Wu's main concerns is the type of air filters used, which may vary from vehicle to vehicle. It might not be possible to find out what type of filter is used in the particular bus or train you are riding or whether it's effectively circulating the air.
Additionally, not all bus and train companies might be able to exert as much environmental controls as airlines in terms of requiring empty seats between passengers and notifying you if your vehicle is expected to be at full capacity.
Greyhound currently requires all passengers and employees — except children under two and people with breathing difficulties — to wear masks on buses. In addition to requiring face covering, Amtrak is limiting seat capacity to 50% on each train. All café seating is closed.
The same prevention tactics apply to train or bus travel as flying — wash hands often, wipe down surfaces before you touch them and avoid removing your mask.
And when deciding between a train or plane ride, keep in mind the matter of time spent in potentially crowded travel situations matters.
"I would pick whatever's shortest," says Wu.
I live in an apartment building. Could I get the coronavirus through the air conditioning system?
We know that the coronavirus is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets — if an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks near other people, they expel droplets that could get someone else sick.
Could the droplets travel through the air-handling system in an apartment or condo building and into another unit, potentially infecting the neighbors?
There is still no definite answer. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that "the contribution of small respirable particles, sometimes called aerosols or droplet nuclei, to close proximity transmission is currently uncertain. However, airborne transmission from person-to-person over long distances is unlikely."
That's not to dismiss the risks of aerosol transmission. One study focused on a case in Guangzhou, China, in which three families contracted COVID-19 from eating in the same restaurant. This infection has been primarily attributed to poor ventilation within that particular restaurant.
But Dr. Abraar Karan, physician at Harvard Medical School, says the chances of getting sick from particles being spread from one room to another through the air conditioning system seems unlikely.
William Bahnfleth, engineering professor at Penn State University and chair of the Epidemic Task Force for American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, says it does not seem likely that you could get sick from the AC in your building.
"If they're small enough, [viral particles] can move through the air. They can move from place to place in a building, either through the air conditioning system or just on air currents under the influence of pressure differences in the building," he says. "But the real important question is, is there enough of that happening that anyone gets an infection from that? And so far, there doesn't seem to be evidence that that has happened."
Dr. Emily Landon, hospital epidemiologist and infectious diseases specialist at University of Chicago Medicine, agrees. She points to places like Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea, where many people live in high-rises, and there have been no documented reports of infection due to air conditioning between apartments.
What's more, if you live in a building with what's called "once-through ventilation air supply," then the air comes in from the outside, is cooled or heated — and does not "intentionally circulate air between units," Bahnfleth says.
If you're still concerned about airflow in your apartment, Bahnfleth suggests opening your windows if possible to bring in fresh air, although this might not be the best option in a high-rise. And although an air purifier or cleaner cannot fully protect you from COVID-19, the Environmental Protection Agency says having one in your home can be a part of your prevention strategy.
"When used along with other best practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, operating an air cleaner can be part of a plan to protect yourself and your family," the agency said in a statement.
As we learn more about the virus, it's possible that the guidance related to air conditioning systems will change. But for now, Landon says it's not a primary concern for the spread of COVID-19.
"The preponderance of the evidence suggests that [getting infected through air conditioning systems] should not be a problem, but it's a new virus," says Landon. "We don't know everything that there is to know."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
A vision of Britain from 1801 to now.
Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions.
This ad hoc reporting unit was defined by the 1841 census report as consisting of "CLACKMANNAN TOWN AND PARISH".
We know of no alternate names.
We know of no associations with other units.
This unit was part of the following units:
Name | Type | Start | End | Authority |
CLACKMANNANSHIRE | Scottish County | 1841 Census of Great Britain, Table [1], 'Occupation Abstract'. |
We know of no boundary changes affecting this unit.
We know of no units which were contained within this unit.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Clackmannan O41area through time | Census tables with data for the 1841 Occupation reporting area, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/12782056
Date accessed: 25th July 2024


text:
Understanding Professional Occupational Certificates for Realtors
In this article, we review how employers can lookup Nevada (NV) state licenses for staff working as a Realtor. Employers must ensure that each of these licensed workers are up to date with their licenses and follow the necessary regulations that are put forth by the State of Nevada. This can be risky as even a minor violation could result in penalties for the employers or individual workers. Employers also need to be aware of any changes in the regulations brought about by the state board, and should work to keep their workers informed.
Real estate agents, commonly known as Realtors, require specific occupational certificates in order to conduct business legally and professionally. Certificates are a necessary part of the job, and for many agents a substantial investment of time and money. The primary occupational certificates required to work as a Realtor are a real estate license, a broker's license, and continuing education credits.
Real estate license. Most states require real estate agents to have a license in order to represent buyers and sellers in a real estate transaction. Obtaining a license usually involves passing a written exam, and often completing an educational course. The exam generally covers local and federal government regulations, contracts, appraisals, principles of finance and more. Depending on the state, the timeframe can range from a few days to several weeks before a license is issued.
Broker's license. In most states, it is necessary for a real estate agent to gain a broker's license in order to practice real estate. Becoming a broker requires a significantly higher level of education and experience than that of a real estate license. Programs range from as little as two courses and a state exam to multiple courses and supervised practice.
Continuing education credits. Most states require a real estate agent to take a certain number of continuing education credits each year to ensure they remain knowledgeable of the industry and government regulations. The type and number of credits can vary, but usually include classes related to fair housing, agency law, contracts, licensing and ethics. Agents must have the proper number of credits by a designated date; failure to do so can result in suspension of the professional license.
These occupational certificates provide real estate agents with an essential foundation of knowledge to practice real estate. It is important for Realtors to research their state's specific requirements for each certificate, to ensure they are legally compliant. With the proper knowledge and application of these professional certificates, a real estate agent can increase their proficiency and help buyers and sellers to a successful closing.
How to Lookup Licenses & Manage Certification with Software for a Realtor
Realtors handle complex processes related to buying, selling, and renting property. To maintain legal compliance and carry out their work, Realtors must obtain occupational licenses from the individualities where they plan to practice. Looking up and managing occupational licenses for Realtors requires following certain steps.First, access the database for each individual state. Different states have different searchable databases for occupational licenses. Research the applicable regulations for the particular state. Some states refer to occupational licenses as professional licenses.
Second, use search terms that relate to real estate professions to narrow down the choices. Realtors might enter the category of "real estate broker," or they could search through the list of all licenses.
Third, examine the license details to determine required qualification criteria. Review all components including educational requirements, experience, exam scores, and fees. Some states also require applicants to submit to a background check.
Fourth, submit the necessary paperwork and fees. Necessary items may include education and experience information, fees, a valid proof of identity, and a completed application.
Fifth, participate in the required training. The amount of required training varies by state. In some states, Realtors must complete coursework from an accredited institution such as a university.
Sixth, pass the test. In some cases, Realtors might need to pass a written test as well as a physical test in order to obtain the license.
Once acquired, Realtors must manage their occupational license. Make sure to keep valid proof of identity such as a current driver's license. Licenses must be renewed every two years or whenever relevant information changes. Fees and qualifications may also need to be updated.
By closely following these steps, Realtors can look up and manage occupational licenses to carry out their work legally.


text:
International Conference of Sports Car Clubs
The International Conference of Sports Car Clubs ("Conference") is an association of independent sports car clubs in the United States and Canada. It was founded in 1957 and is the largest sports car racing sanctioning body in the Pacific Northwest. It consists of Member and Affiliate Clubs in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.
Every Conference driver is represented in the affairs of ICSCC through his/her club's representative on the Contest Board. Drivers are involved at the club level in formation of the meeting agenda and representatives participate in Contest Board meetings under specific instructions which assure that their drivers' opinions are reflected in discussion and voting. Each club has one vote on the Contest Board for every driver in the club.
Recently updated
When | What | |
July 12 | Race Results | |
July 5 | Memo | |
June 28 | Race announcement |
Conference and its clubs are dedicated to keeping racing affordable and accessible for the amateur. Car classifications and preparation rules are structured to allow participation of the widest possible range of cars, from formula cars to custom-built sports racers to production based or even showroom stock cars. There is something to appeal to every taste and every budget!
The following short video is an example of one of our closed-wheel, multi-class race groups in ICSCC.


text:
Friday, July 1, 2011
4 comments:
- Wendy said...
Happy Canada Day to you. Have a wonderful weekend.
- July 1, 2011 at 2:02 PM
- Needled Mom said...
Happy Canada Day.
- July 1, 2011 at 6:22 PM
- antique quilter said...
have a wonderful weekend and Happy 4th of July too!
can't wait to hear about your Vermont Quilt Festival trip...what did you think of the show this year?
Kathie - July 2, 2011 at 4:35 AM
- Janet O. said...
Carole, Happy Canada Day to you--better late than never, right? I actually just returned Tuesday from a week in Canada. My MIL was born and raised in Canada, but has spent most of her life in the States. We had a family reunion in Canada on Canada Day, and we spent some time before and after in the National Parks of the Canadian Rockies. It was a great trip, but the wrong weekend to be in the parks!
I have sung "Oh Canada" twice now and can hum the tune pretty well. - July 6, 2011 at 5:28 AM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Simon Russell Beale returns to the RSC after 20 years to play Prospero in this groundbreaking production directed by Artistic Director Gregory Doran.
On a distant island a man waits. Robbed of his position, power and wealth, his enemies have left him in isolation. But this is no ordinary man, and this no ordinary island. Prospero is a magician, able to control the very elements and bend nature to his will. When a sail appears on the horizon, he reaches out across the ocean to the ship that carries the men who wronged him. Creating a vast magical storm he wrecks the ship and washes his enemies up on the shore. When they wake they find themselves lost on a fantastical island where nothing is as it seems.
In a unique partnership with Intel, the production will be using today's most advanced technology in a bold reimagining of Shakespeare's magical play, creating an unforgettable theatrical experience.
Please note that the screening begins at 6.30pm but the performance itself starts at 7pm


text:
Coffee Glasses
Classic Coffee Glasses | Irish Coffee Glasses | Espresso Glasses | Double Walled Coffee Cups |
Glass Coffee Cups
To keep you warm on a cold evening, our range of coffee glasses lets you serve warm drinks in style. With a broad range covering Irish coffee glasses, latte glasses, mocha glasses, cappuccino glasses and hot chocolate glasses, our glass coffee mugs has something for everyone.
Available on our usual fast UK delivery service, our coffee glassware range lets you entertain guests with a round of warm drinks served in handled coffee glasses. If you're looking for Irish coffee glasses for sale, our range of glass coffee cups includes coffee liqueur glasses for you to add a drop of something stronger. Our Irish coffee gift sets are ideal as presents for anyone that enjoys drinking from liqueur coffee glasses, and with everything available on next day delivery, you can get your Irish coffee glasses in no time.


text:
A hundred and fifty years ago 'guttural' was in use as a technical term in phonetics, as a descriptor for a place of articulation. In 1869 A.J. Ellis wrote
The guttural nasal seems to have been the regular pronunciation of ng in English.
A helpful note in the OED tells us:
By non-phoneticians any mode of pronunciation which is harsh or grating in effect is often supposed to be 'guttural'; with this notion the designation is popularly applied by English-speakers to the German ch, but not to k or g, though technically it belongs equally to them. As a technical term of phonetics, the word was first used to denote the Hebrew spirant consonants א, ה, ח, ע; it is now commonly applied (inaccurately, if its etymological sense be regarded) to the sounds formed by the back of the tongue and the palate, as /k/ /g/ /x/ /ɣ/ /ŋ/.(I have supplied the OED's missing closing bracket in the last sentence, and replaced its wrong symbol ɤ by the correct ɣ. O tempora, o mores!)
As a phonetic term 'guttural' has now been entirely supplanted by more precise terms: mainly 'velar', but also 'uvular', 'pharyngeal' and 'glottal', as appropriate. The non-technical use of 'guttural' has declined in parallel, and has not been replaced by 'velar' or anything other phonetic term.
The OED's first citation for 'velar' in the phonetic sense is dated 1876. (Its definition for the noun sense of this word, though, still reads 'a velar guttural'.)
Here is part of the Google ngram for 'guttural' (blue) and 'velar' (red). Follow the link to view the whole graph. As you see, the crossover point at which 'velar' became more frequent than 'guttural' was as recent as the late 1960s. But if we follow the trend lines for 1990-2000 and extrapolate for 2000-2010 we might well find that it has now lost that lead.


text:
On July 13, over at By Common Consent Taryn Nelson-Seawright posted about the nature of economic and political liberalism and leftism amongst Mormons. The post and the related 127 comments can be found here.
I am not going to comment directly on the post, though I agree with much of its sentiment and the author's frustrations. The comment stream seemed to focus on whether the Book of Mormon supports socialism or not. This is my concern.
The Book of Mormon does not support socialism. It also does not support capitalism. I say this because the civilizations discussed in the Book of Mormon are primitive societies where the modern/contemporary theories of socialism and/or capitalism would be completely foreign.
However, I do think that the Book of Mormon can be useful in gleaning principles of political economy that should or could be useful to us today. I argue this from a perspective of social justice which is more concerned about principles of justice rather than specific forms or institution of politics and economics.
What are the principles of just political economy found in the Book of Mormon?
Equality: Jacob 2:17 exhorts us to think "of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you." I take the idea of making our brethren as rich as we are as being a strong call for a type of equality that would require redistribution of the wealth beyond tithes and fast offerings. This verse also introduces the philosophical idea of reciprocity.
Human Dignity: Alma 1:30 supports the concept of universal respect for the human dignity of all human beings. It also teaches that such a respect requires caring for the poor.
Popular Sovereignty: Mosiah 29 includes the beautiful introduction of representative democracy to the Nephites. It includes a hopeful disposition towards the ability of the people to govern (verse 26). It also provides a well reasoned argument against monarchy (made by a king no less) which stands along side with similar arguments made by the likes of Thomas Paine.
Social Unity: 4 Nephi provides the ideal of Zion in clear form. Here we see the principles of equality and a respect for human dignity in perfect form.
There is obviously more to say about each of these principles and there is surely more principles that could be outlined.
The key in evaluating political economy today is not whether it is liberal or socialist, libertarian or conservative, but whether it lives up to such principles. The United States surely does not.


text:
Make the most of your home now more than ever! Our craftsmen are here for you.
We offer a wide range of services for that fresh look, or just maintenance or updates to keep your home functioning and safe. Regardless of the size of the job, we have a craftsman that can tackle it.
Home > Blog > Tag: house foundation
Home Maintenance


text:
Richland County, South Carolina Process Server, CHEAP FEES, NOPE!
Author: Jax Taylor
Published: March 16, 2020
At a time when everyone is seeking the lowest fee in Richland County, South Carolina for service of process, we first offer you the best process serving services and guarantee results. The focus on obtaining the best or lowest fee is fully justified but we all know you get what you pay for.
We have been providing process serving services in Richland County, South Carolina for more than twenty years. We have seen many smaller companies offer lower fees and most don't have longevity, expertise or hang around long enough to assist you in the months ahead.
Generally, best fees amount to a relatively small amount of money. When you experience problems with a process server its usually due to inexperience, lack of understanding, poorly drafted or no proof of service affidavit and seriously delayed communications. What you save in lower fees you ultimately spend more time trying to communicate with your process server and dealing with correcting issues associated with a poor performance due to lower fees.
Rarely, if ever do lower fees mean better services. This is not to say, you should not research lower fees and seek out the best deal for your client, but you should also try hire a process server who has the reputation for providing the best services. We are the best process servers in Richland County. In our view, if saving 5.00 or 10.00 is your primary concern, then move on from this page to another process server. Lower fees are not what we offer. We are reasonably competitive with our fees, but what are best known for are excellent services and best practices compliance. If you are seeking reliability, experience, getting it right the first time and accuracy, than please read on.
We are competitive with our Richland County, South Carolina process fees, but our main focus is to associate with clients who are in need of quality-oriented assistance. Quality of service, excellent follow ups, timely updates and guaranteed compliant paperwork is what offer you. For over twenty years, we have maintained fair pricing and our competitors, not knowing how to compete on our level of expertise, have resorted to offering lower fees as their only option. Lower fees usually mean lower quality of work. Lower fees place you into the abyss of bargain-based paralegals and attorneys very much like going to a dollar store or a close out store to buy products.
It is noteworthy, not all process servers in Richland County, South Carolina are alike, but most are. You can use the food service industry as an analogy for the process serving industry. You know you can buy a burger at a local fast food restaurant and pay less, but will have to wait longer and usually get lower grade ingredients than many of its competitors. When you decide to buy cheap fast food, do you take the time to compare the ingredients of other food? Do you actual care what you put into your body? Is good quality food part of your daily personal goals? If not, than you are probably the same person shopping around for lower fees for services for your clients and office. Admit it, you want cheap (some say inexpensive) and you want expeditious service. Go ahead, buy fast, eat fast and don't care about quality, see where that gets you. Perhaps a quick stop at a local drug store for tums or gas X? Maybe even a long experience in the bathroom? All because the decision you made was to buy cheap ….. Alternatively, if you care about what you eat, don't want to experience long lines, prefer personalized service and quality products, start thinking differently. Don't look for the easiest and cheapest way to handle your precious time and responsibilities.
Lower fees will place you on a long line, working with people who will not know who you are, may not understand your needs or applicable laws and when you call or email them they most likely will not answer their telephones or email in a timely manner. A more established and successful business will. We will, you get what you pay for! Rest assured, we will there for you and guarantee our availability. There are significant differences in the legal support services and process serving business and the primary one is YOU. YES YOU, you can make a difference, a big difference when you make the right choice. The decision you make separates you from everyone else. Your choice of who you select to as your process server will be is a direct reflection on your abilities, your office management and ultimately whether your clients' best interests are property served.
At a time when we are all faced with the challenges of dealing with the Corona - 19 virus, family issues, short supply of products in our stores, supply chain disruptions and a worsening business environment, we urge you to take an extra few minutes to get to know who you contract to handle your important process service. We suggest you focus on the most important aspects of your needs; that is, what your end game is and who can facilitate your needs with less stress and more efficiency. What is it you need and in the time frame you require is essential to your success. Ask who will be handling your service, how much experience does the person responsible for handling your service have? Maybe create a check list? Hopefully, the people you speak with, interviewing if you will, if honest will answer all your questions accurately. Maybe you will realize there is more to hiring a process servers than the "cheapest fee." Hopefully, you will.
Your check list obviously must include a quote, but it should also incorporate most of which was suggested above. Comparing service providers is part of your job, its your responsibility. Nobody has a crystal ball and can predict or see if the person or office you choose to assist you will perform but you can certainly increase your success rate by selecting a person or office that can offer you more checks on your list. Look for credibility, unique experience, superb follow up systems and produces professional paperwork.
If you call or email us and your first question is "what is your fee" without taking the time to know who you are calling is wasting your time and possibility the beginning of creating a problem. Do you really want to be the cause of the problem or be responsible for the a successful accomplishment? If you focus on quality and dependability before considering the lowest fee, you will certainly experience a productive and successful result. Call or email us when you need service of process assistance in Richland County, South Carolina, experience the difference and get to know who you can depend upon. We are here to assist you and most of our Richland County, South Carolina process servers are only minutes away from most addresses in the state. Be safe, stay healthy, eat well and choose your process server in Richland County, South Carolina wisely! Tags: Process Server, Richland County, South Carolina Process Server, Service of Process, Low fees, Best Fees, services, Process Serving services in Richland County, South Carolina
View additional listings of Process Servers in Richland County, South Carolina


text:
Romanian Court Victory – Forced Eviction of Roma to Pata-Rât was Illegal
07 January 2014
Budapest, Cluj-Napoca, London, 7 January 2014: The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and Amnesty International welcome the decision of the Cluj-Napoca County Court (Tribunal) that the Mayor's decision to forcibly evict around 300 Roma in December 2010, to a site adjacent to a waste dump, was illegal.
The court ordered the city authorities to pay damages to the Romani applicants for their eviction and relocation to Pata-Rât, and for the inadequate conditions of that housing. The Court also required the city to provide the applicants with adequate housing in line with the minimum standards set out in Romanian law. The decision is not final.
The ERRC supported a local law firm, Podaru, Buciuman and Associates, to take the case on behalf of approximately 200 Romani applicants, and previously helped the community to set up an association to fight for their rights.
"As director of the association that represents the interests of the evicted community from Coastei, I express my gratitude to the Romanian justice system because they examined the evidence and didn't just consider political interests," said Florin Stancu Executive Director, Community Association of Roma from Coastei.
Claudia Greta is a Roma rights activist and member of the Community Association of Roma from Coastei. She said, "This decision is very important as we have been continuously fighting for three years now. We finally got a favourable result and we see that justice can be fair in Romania. Despite the traumatic effect of the eviction, this judgment gives us the strength to continue advocating for our rights, which were violated in December 2010. We will keep fighting until we can return to the city, where we belong."
The ERRC and Amnesty International are now calling on the city authorities to implement the judgment as a matter of urgency.
"We welcome the court's decision that this forced eviction was illegal," said Dezideriu Gergely, executive director of the ERRC. "The Roma evicted to Pata-Rât have spent three years pushed literally to the edge of a waste dump, finding it much harder to access school, work and healthcare. We ask the authorities not to appeal this sound decision, to find alternative suitable housing and to engage in dialogue with the community, allowing the Roma to live and work as part of the city".
While the ERRC and Amnesty International welcome the decision, the fact remains that the Coastei Street community is starting its fourth year living in Pata-Rât. The evicted families continue to live in polluted, overcrowded and dangerous conditions. It is imperative that the local authorities act on this judgment immediately.
"The decision of the Cluj-Napoca County Court sends a strong signal to the local authorities throughout Romania, that forced evictions and relocations of people into inadequate housing conditions is unacceptable. It also sends a signal to the government of Romania that there is a need to adopt regulation that would clearly outlaw forced evictions," said Jezerca Tigani, the deputy director of Europe and Central Asia Programme of Amnesty International.
The situation in Pata-Rât is not unique, and reflects a worrying trend affecting Roma across Romania. As recently as September 2013 in Eforie Sud, 101 people, including 55 children, were made homeless in severe weather conditions after their houses were demolished ostensibly due to lack of building permits. No remedy was made available to suspend the eviction, pending judicial review.
The ERRC and Amnesty International call on all Romanian authorities to take note of the decision of the Court in relation to the illegal eviction from Coastei Street and to cease all evictions which target Romani communities in this way.
This press release is also available in Romanian.
For more information, contact:
Sinan Gökçen
Media and Communications Officer
European Roma Rights Centre
Tel. +36.30.500.1324
Lydia Aroyo
Europe and Central Asia Press Officer
Amnesty International
Tel. +44 20 7413 5599
Mobile +44 (0)7771 796 350


text:
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago Prague was treated to a light dusting of snow. Immediately I went for a walk. The webcams indicated the city center wasn't amazingly snowy, so I stuck with the less-picturesque local area where the snow was pretty heavy.
Nothing particularly special, although to be in a country where snow just magically freakin' falls out of the sky every single year ! as opposed to somewhere where such an event would be nothing less than apocalyptic is rather gratifying. Much more interesting, though, was the effect caused by two spotlights illuminating a billboard. This is in fact a giant glowing snowcone.
The next day I willingly dragged myself out of bed by 6:30 and was in the center of town by 7:30. It was still dark as I left the Institute, but unfortunately it was more or less full daylight by the time I got to the center. This time I at least had the good sense to check the webcam beforehand, just in case everyone else had the same idea and already trampled the snow into mush.
They hadn't, though the snow was not quite as thick as in the exotic mountain land of Roztyly. But it was enough. Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square are both lined with stalls for the Christmas market. While this is quite famous, it's surprisingly small. Actually it probably consists of no more than half a dozen small stalls, but someone accidentally hit CTRL+V a bunch of times, so it looks a lot larger than it is.
More annoyingly, they don't sell anything you couldn't buy in the shops anyway (apart from maybe the one selling swords and medieval armour). It's quite pretty, but actually as a functioning market where you'd buy things, it's rubbish. Don't go. Even if you like tourist tat, and I do, the selection is poor and the prices high. You're much, much better off staying at home.
Somewhat surprisingly, Prague isn't big on Christmas decorations. I suppose they're probably unnecessary. Wenceslas and Old Town Squares are very nice at night though, with the trees covered in thousands of white lights. The Christmas tree in Old Town Square is particularly impressive. The surrounding market may be useless, but it does look nice.
Convinced that the snow might suddenly disappear at any moment for no reason (it was -3 C and there were still occasional small flurries) I happily walked up to Prague Castle. The snow wasn't really heavy enough to make this look any more extraordinary than usual, but the view down the hill was worth it.
By the time I returned to the town center the hours of tourism were fast approaching so I headed up to Vysherad, fast becoming one of my favourite spots. I mean really, could it be any more gothic ? It was busier than normal, but it's quite a large space so this didn't really matter.
There is one thing, though, that I must admit. The pool at the Astronomical Institute just isn't as good as the one at Arecibo (except maybe as an ice rink, if it got even colder).
Identifying which is which is left as an exercise for the reader. |
Well, that's all for 2013. Tune in again next year when anything could happen... but it probably won't.


text:
The tour begins in the Washington, DC area in early October, and visits nine major US cities, one event per city. In addition, the seminar will be offered once a month at Red Hat Headquarters in Raleigh, NC.
Monthly Seminar schedule:
- Raleigh, NC (October 2002-September 2003)
- Washington, DC (Oct., 2002)
- Mountain View, CA (Nov., 2002)
- New York, NY (Dec., 2002)
- Irvine, CA (Jan., 2003)
- Atlanta, GA (Feb., 2003)
- Chicago, IL (March, 2003)
- Philadelphia, PA (April, 2003)
- Boston, MA (May, 2003)
- Austin, TX (June, 2003)
- Mountain View, CA (July, 2003)
- Washington, DC (Aug., 2003)
Participants will learn how companies are deploying and using Linux, explore Linux and open source career options, and experience Red Hat Linux hands-on. They will also be offered special discounts on Red Hat's RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer) training and certification program, as well as pre-assessment, advice on Linux careers, and orientation on Red Hat training classes.
High-quality IT training and certification with proven value are essential to technical professionals and employers. Red Hat's intensive hands-on training with Linux, the world's fastest-growing operating system (IDC Report, January 2002), can give IT professionals the edge they need in this tight market, and provide needed expertise to organizations wanting to migrate to Red Hat Linux.
"A broader audience is seeking information on what Linux is and how it can benefit organizations." said Peter Childers, vice president of Learning Services at Red Hat. "The price-performance advantage makes Linux the clear choice for companies and governments looking to do more with less. CIOs, CTOs and IT managers are already starting to see this, and many others want to get ready to support new Linux-based environments. These seminars provide a helpful roadmap."
The "Empowered by Red Hat" seminar is open to the public but seats and enrollments are limited. Special "Empowered by Red Hat" webcast seminars will be available to those unable to attend in person.
For complete details on Red Hat's free seminars and special bundle offers visit http://www.redhat.com/mktg/empowered/
About Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)
RHCE is a performance-based certification and the de facto standard Linux certification, with over 11,000 RHCE exams taken and 6,600 RHCEs certified. RHCE is the top-rated IT certification overall for quality, and also chosen number one in several categories including overall quality of education and tests and exams. (Certification Magazine/Fairfield Research, Jan. 2002)
About Red Hat, Inc.
Red Hat, the world's leading open source and Linux provider, is headquartered in Raleigh, NC with satellite offices spanning the globe. Red Hat is leading Linux and open source solutions into the mainstream by making high quality, low cost technology accessible. Red Hat provides operating system software along with middleware, applications and management solutions. Red Hat also offers support, training and consulting services to its customers worldwide and through top-tier partnerships. Red Hat's open source strategy offers customers a long term plan for building infrastructures that are based on and leverage open source technologies with focus on security and ease of management. Learn more: http://www.redhat.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-looking statements in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release that are not strictly historical statements, including, without limitation, management's plans and objectives for future operations, and management's assessment of market factors, constitute forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, reliance upon strategic relationships, management of growth, the possibility of undetected software errors, the risks of economic downturns generally, and in Red Hat's industry specifically, the risks associated with competition and competitive pricing pressures, the viability of the Internet, and other risks detailed in Red Hat's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which may be accessed through the SEC's Web site at http://www.sec.gov.
LINUX is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. RED HAT is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
- About Red Hat
Red Hat is the world's leading provider of open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to reliable and high-performing cloud, Linux, middleware, storage and virtualization technologies. Red Hat also offers award-winning support, training, and consulting services. As the connective hub in a global network of enterprises, partners, and open source communities, Red Hat helps create relevant, innovative technologies that liberate resources for growth and prepare customers for the future of IT. Learn more at http://www.redhat.com.
- Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: risks related to delays or reductions in information technology spending; the effects of industry consolidation; the ability of the Company to compete effectively; the integration of acquisitions and the ability to market successfully acquired technologies and products; uncertainty and adverse results in litigation and related settlements; the inability to adequately protect Company intellectual property and the potential for infringement or breach of license claims of or relating to third party intellectual property; the ability to deliver and stimulate demand for new products and technological innovations on a timely basis; risks related to data and information security vulnerabilities; ineffective management of, and control over, the Company's growth and international operations; fluctuations in exchange rates; and changes in and a dependence on key personnel, as well as other factors contained in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (copies of which may be accessed through the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at http://www.sec.gov), including those found therein under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic and political conditions, governmental and public policy changes and the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.


text:
Richard Teitelbaum was born on May 19th, 1939 in New York, USA. His father, a lawyer and amateur pianist, gave him his first piano lessons, before Richard went to study with Mark Goldin, an European piano teacher living in NY. In the late '50s Richard Teitelbaum became interested in electronic music, after attending a lecture by German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. Soon he also had access to the works of composer John Cage, who became another influential artist to Richard.
In 1964, Richard received his Master's Degree in music theory and composition at Yale University, and then he went to Italy on a Fulbright. There he met composers Goffredo Petrasi and Luigi Nono, with whom Richard has studied and worked for some time. Also in the mid-sixties, he co-founded the live electronic music group Musica Elettronica Viva, in Rome. In 1967, interested in using brainwaves in his music, he became aware that american engineer Robert Moog had recently developed the Moog synthesizer and was putting on market his new invention. Richard contacted him and soon became the first person to bring a Moog synthesizer to Europe, in 1967.
In 1970, he returned to the USA and kept on his experiments with live electronic music and acoustic instruments. A collaboration with jazz saxophonist Anthony Braxton began in 1976 and in the following year Richard Teitelbaum spent a year in Tokyo, where he studied the shakuhachi (a traditional japanese bamboo flute) with Katsuya Yokoyama whom recorded with Mr. Teitelbaum some years later. For more than 20 years, Richard Teitelbaum has taught in the undergraduate and graduate programs at Bard College, in New York.
I've contacted Richard Teitelbaum some months ago. A very nice and gentle person, Mr. Teitelbaum has found some time in his busy schedule and gave me the honor and pleasure to interview him to my blog. I'd like to thank him very much. So, here's the interview with Richard Teitelbaum, electronic music pioneer!
ASTRONAUTA - How did you discover music in your life and what were your first steps into the musical world?
RICHARD - My father, a lawyer by trade, was an excellent amateur classical pianist, so I heard him playing frequently from an very early age. I started studying with him when I was about six, and then went on to study with a fine European piano teacher living in New York named Mark Goldin. I also started going to concerts at Carnegie Hall and elsewhere when quite young, and played in recitals that Mark gave with his students each year - pieces by Mozart, Mendelsohn, Brahms, etc. that included the piano part of several piano concertos that I played with him on two pianos.
ASTRONAUTA - How and when did you become interested in electronic music and synthesizers?
RICHARD - I heard a lecture by Stockhausen while I was at college near Philadelphia around 1958. He played a number of his early electronic pieces from that period and I was fascinated by the music. In graduate school at Yale I invited him to lecture there as well. I also invited John Cage and Mauricio Kagel to lecture. Cage was particularly stimulating and controversial. He did his simultaneous lecture "Where are we going, What are we doing" that is published in 'Silence' with three tape recorders and his own amplified voice. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I knew that something changed in my consciousness in a mysterious way.
ASTRONAUTA - In the sixties you studied and worked in Italy with Luigi Nono, and you're also responsible for bringing the first Moog synthesizer to Europe, when you co-founded the live electronic music group Musica Elettronica Viva. What are your memories about that time?
RICHARD - I went to Italy on a Fulbright in 1964 and studied for the first year in Rome with Goffreddo Petrasi. Then I got the Fulbright renewed and moved to Venice to work with Nono, whom I had met and liked very much, and whose music interested me much more. I wrote a post-serial piece for chamber orchestra piece which I have never had played (I still have it in pencil score) which reflected the changes my music was going through at the time. It starts out very strictly and gradually introduces freely improvised sections. I was reading Cage's recently published 'Silence' at the time, and hanging out with The Living Theater and jazz musicians like Steve Lacy and Ornette Coleman, and the beginnings of Musica Elettronica Viva. Finally Nono and I had a friendly argument about getting more of a immediate experience from my musical efforts, and I went back to Rome to join up with MEV as a composer-performer. We played several hundred concerts in the next few years.
ASTRONAUTA - How did you meet Robert Moog and what are your memories about him?
RICHARD - One night in Rome I had a kind of vision about making music using brainwaves in some way. Frederic Rzewski told me about a man named Robert Moog who had created a new synthesizer in upstate New York. I started researching about brainwaves and wrote to ask Moog if his synthesizer could be used to somehow turn brainwaves into sound, and he quickly responded that it could, by amplifying and using the brainwaves as control signals for the synthesizer. I went back to New York and found Lloyd Gilden, a psychologist at Queens College who was doing similar work with brainwaves and biofeedback. He hired me to work both as lab technician and subject for his experiments and I worked there for almost a year, making money to buy a used Moog synthesizer the following fall. With the help of my old friend composer David Behrman I also learned to construct simple voltage controlled circuits such as voltage controlled amplifiers, etc. Moog built me a high gain differential amplifier to raise the level of the brainwaves to those needed as control signals, and I returned with that and the Moog to re-join MEV in the fall of 1967.
My memories of Bob Moog are very positive. He was a very warm and friendly man - totally unpretentious and very helpful. It is a great loss that he is gone.
ASTRONAUTA - Some of your early works included biofeedback techniques, brainwaves, heartbeats and other signals from human body. What were those techniques and how was the process you used to create it?
RICHARD - The first piece I did with those techniques was called 'In Tune' (1967). It was premiered at the American Academy in Rome and the American Church there as well. At the Church I had one "subject" performer whose heartbeats, breath and brainwaves were amplified. I controlled the levels and orchestrated the Moog sounds using the brainwaves as control signals. They supplied the rhythmic impulses giving intermittent beats around ten times per second which gradually increased in consistency and continuity as the positive feedback effected the subject, who also controlled them by opening and closing her eyes and changing her internal attention states. At the Academy I had two subjects who performed similar tasks. I also used these signals in the collective improvisations that MEV did together, and gradually added other pieces. In Toronto a few years later I added video synthesis controlled by brainwaves which modulated the image of a Tai Chi performer in real time, accompanied by South Indian Mridangam player Trichy Sankaran. For most of these pieces, Barbara Mayfield was the brainwave performer. Sometimes we also employed several members of the MEV group with different peoples heart, breath and brain signals, exploring non-verbal communication through these channels.
ASTRONAUTA - Do you still have some of the analog synthesizers you used in the sixties and seventies?
RICHARD - Yes, I still have my original Moog, as well as a number of additional Moog modules I added over the years, several Micro Moogs (at least one of them quite modified with an additional synth built in, etc.). I have sampled the big Moog and use those samples in Ableton Live, not being up to dragging the whole apparatus around these days.
ASTRONAUTA - What are your plans to the future, new recordings, next concerts? Any plans to come to Brazil? (By the way, have you ever been in Brazil?)
RICHARD - In the last couple of years I have released a recording of a recent live solo concert at performance space An Die Musik in Baltimore on the Mutable label, available by download on the web, and also a CD called Piano Plus of music for piano solo played by Frederic Rzewski, piano, piano, computer and interactive Disklavier, played by Ursula Oppens, piano, computer and sampler/synthesizer played by Aki Takahashi and myself, and three pieces for three computer enhanced player pianos played by myself, released on the New World Records label. Some new CDs should be forthcoming as well.
Yes, I have been to Rio for a few days en route back from a concert with my friend Carlos Zingano in Buenos Aires some years ago, but have never played in Brazil. I had a great time going to a samba school and a Candomble ceremony and would be delighted to come back and do a concert or an opera there.
Richard Teitelbaum's website: http://inside.bard.edu/teitelbaum/


text:
Shadow Dagwon
Review by Shogundan
A very brief description of Shadow Dagwon from Wikipedia:
The shadow warrior. Calm, mysterious and a puzzle even to his team members. He's the only one to have "subordinates", animal robots stored in the form of cards.
Today's review will be centered around the re-issue of Shadow Dagwon manufactured by Sonokong/Takara. This toy can be purchased from eBay using the links provided below the review.
Shadow Dagwon DX comes to you in a beautifully illustrated, heavy corrugated cardboard box shown below. Once again, I have to say that I am a fan of the packaging used on these Sonokong re-issues so far.
I decided to do this review in the order of Robot mode, Beast mode then finally the combined mode. The first photo is the group shot so that you can see all the players on the Shadow Dagwon team in Robot mode. As you can see, the team is made up of Shadow Dag (Purple robot), Guard Hawk (Blue Robot), Guard Wolf (Green Robot), and finally Guard Lion (Yellow Robot).
Lets start off with the big guy, known as Shadow Dag. Shadow Dag comes with a sword, sheath that becomes a ninja star launcher and 6 yellow ninja stars (shown below). The figure stands approximately 6" tall and is mainly comprised of quality plastics. Articulation is limited to the shoulders and elbows. Shadow Dag is the main robot that becomes the chest of Shadow Dagwon.
Shadow Dag in robot mode
Shadow Dag is the only figure in the bunch that actually can transform into 3 modes. This second mode is called Shadow Jet.
Shadow Dag in Shadow Jet mode
Shadow Dags final mode is Shadow Dragon. Shadow Dragon it the fierce looking robotic Dragon shown below. Articulation can be found it Shadow Dragons front legs and the wings.
Shadow Dag in Shadow Dragon Beast mode
Now on to the 3 Shadow Guards, Wolf and Lion are up first in robot mode. Wolf and Lion are basically the same robot with slightly different molds as well as the obvious green and yellow color difference. Both figures include a hand gun as well as a back mounted cannon that can fire one of the 12 included missiles (6 yellow and 6 green). Both figures are able to transform from robot into beast forms. In robot form articulation is very limited. Only the elbows are really movable. You can move the shoulders but this will make the backpack cannon fall of easily. When in Beast mode, both figure can move all four legs and the cannon can be raised or lowered. Also note that the hand guns from robot mode can be attached to the side of the cannon mount, Guard Wolf and Guard Lion become the arms as well as the feet of Shadow Dagwon
Guard Wolf and Tiger in robot mode.
Guard Wolf in Beast mode
Guard Lion in Beast mode
Now, the last part of the puzzle is Guard Hawk. Guard Hawk utilizes a three bladed star like weapon that also becomes its tail feathers when in Beast mode. Guard Hawks wings can be opened or closed as well as move up and down. Articulation is limited to the shoulders in robot mode and wings in Beast mode. Guard Hawk becomes the head and winged backpack of Shadow Dagwon.
Guard Hawk in Robot mode
Guard Hawk in Beast Mode
Here is the whole team together in Beast mode.
Now on to Shadow Dagwon! Below in a picture of Shadow Dagwon from the anime and the transformation sequence from the TV show.
Shadow Dagwon is very impressive at nearly 10" tall. When all the figures are combined into Shadow Dagwon, they are extremely sturdy. Articulation is limited to the shoulders, elbows and wings. In this mode all of the weapons can be utilized or stored. Note the Sword sheath mounted to Shadow Dagwon's back and the hand guns mounted to the top of what was Guard Hawks talon's. Very cool looking indeed! The back almost reminds me of the Soul of Chogokin GX-13 Dancouga.
To sum it up, I really like this toy. It is a quality item that has a ton of play value. I love all the firing gimmicks and the fact that it is relatively easy to transform into the different modes. I also like the way the weapons all seem to have a place in all modes. In my opinion it is a very well thought out toy.
10 comments posted...they're not called 'ninja throwing stars'; that's an American-ism. They're actually called "shurikens".
Good review. Kinda makes me wanna get one.
CollectionDX Staff
Um...actually, they're called shaken (pronounced shah-ken...not how James Bond has his martini's!). And you don't put an "s" at the end of Japanese words to pluralize them. But seeing as how they actually are ninja throwing stars, why would it be wrong to refer to them that way in English?
I'm on a roll today! ;P
Anyway, I've never handled this toy, but from the review, I can tell that I'd love the playability of it. Classic sentai-esque combo...but the one thing I don't like is the color scheme...just don't appeal to me that much...
Eva, I grew up in the US of A and I call them Ninja Stars, sorry for not using the correct term but I think everyone will know what I'm talking about...LOL
Thank you for the support Sanjeev!
CollectionDX LLC
Vice President/Co-Owner
Since we're already being pedantic, shaken are a TYPE of shuriken. Shuriken just means a thrown weapon. Shaken are also called hira shuriken. These are not to be confused with bo shuriken, the long spike ones!
More than you ever wanted to know about shuriken: http://www.geocities.jp/meifuenglish/1p.html
This is dumber and more American but corroborates the info: http://www.ninja-weapons.com/newsletters/2003_7_17_9_45_37.shtml
And as a last resort, wikipedia! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuriken
I'm sure the peasants didn't care what they were called when they were being thrown at their throats!
Leonardo Flores
CollectionDX Staff Writer-West Coast Bureau
There used to be a bootleg version of this when I was a kid...that would be around 1997. It functions the same way as the original, only the materials used are cheap plastic and the colors are wrong.
Daishinken: Samurai Giri !!!
I can definitely see how this guy's design went into Volfog, especially with the arms. Although I just have this horrible image in my head of Shadow Dagwon shooting himself in the face with those cannon missiles.
Also for those of you who may be interested, the Koreans pronounce this as "Shod Da Gu Own".
Nice to see there are reviews of Brave toys here but I just wanted to say that the Purple robot is called Dag Shadow (not Shadow Dag) and the yellow robot is Guard Tiger (not Guard Lion).
Fantastic. Utterly fantastic! Already one of my favorite Brave toys. Toys of play value, and pretty decent looking modes all around.
A nice review. I had actually forgotten that the guard beasts had robot modes too. You'll defenatily get your moneys worth with this guy. BTW the main robot is called DagShadow, not ShadowDag, but you were close. :) Cool review.


text:
What is VPN?
Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates a secure network connection over a public network such as the internet. It allows devices to exchange data through a secure virtual tunnel. It uses a combination of security features like encryption, authentication, tunneling protocols, and data in…
Blog posts : "cryptomap"
VPN Interview Questions and Answers
1 blog post


text:
The Milan Swim Club offers training and practice groups for swimmers of all ages and ability levels. It is the goal of the Milan Swim Club to offer practices with age specific training for all of our athletes geared towards challenging each individual and developing each individual to the best of THEIR abilities.
Please call us at 734-646-5819 to schedule a tryout, or Click Here to send us an email request for more information.


text:
Thursday 29 November 2012
Islands In The Mainstream
14 comments:
- Pete George said...
Chris, do you really think this is all good anonymous bloggers versus evil MSM?
Do you know for a fact all the bloggers are always telling all the whole truth and nothing but the truth and the MSM are the only ones manipulating and distorting and being fed lines to publish?
If so I'd like to ask how you know all the bloggers are authentic. - 29 November 2012 at 19:16
- Pete George said...
"The tone of these attacks leaves little doubt that not only do these political journalists consider bloggers to be unwelcome and illegitimate contributors to the nation's political discourse, but that nothing would make them happier than to see them tightly regulated and controlled"
That's a huge claim. Which journalists are you referring to? All of them? Or specific ones. - 29 November 2012 at 19:20
- Chris Trotter said...
The lack of specificity is deliberate, Pete.
A quick search through the back files of the MSM will identify the men and women of whom I speak.
And, no, of course all MSM journalists aren't bad - just as all bloggers aren't good.
What I am attempting to show is the growing power of citizen journalism to expose the cosy relationship that has grown up between the newsmakers and the news media - and how the news media will fight to protect that relationship.
What was once the right arm of Democracy has become the principal defender of the powerful.
This is not a communications studies exercise, Pete. It affects us all. - 29 November 2012 at 20:09
- Jigsaw said...
I can't for the life of me see why you are surprised about the bias in the MSM - in all sorts of areas from 'climate change'to Maori 'rights' they have been slanting events by omission and in countless other ways for a very long time. Good debate on all sorts of issues is essential but simply not happening.
- 29 November 2012 at 20:24
- Pete George said...
I think it's a good thing if so-called "citizen journalism" holds traditional media to account and puts pressure on them to adapt and improve.
But traditional media should be able to question and hold to account bloggers shouldn't they? There seems to be offence taken by some bloggers that their veracity, accuracy and motives might be questioned.
And as you acknowledge that there are bad bloggers, how can they be identified if they are anonymous? You must be aware how easy it is to change pseudonyms and continuing being bad.
At least the strength and weaknesses and track records of traditional media are known.
Anonymous loggers could be anyone with any sort of motive. How do you know that traditional journalists aren't secretly blogging under pseudonyms in a great conspiracy to discredit?
A lot of good can be done by 'citizen journalists' and bloggers. But there's a lot of unknowns, making it very difficult to evaluate their honesty and worth in the great mixed media melee. - 29 November 2012 at 20:24
Well done Chris, you have summed up the situation perfectly.
I was at the conference, the reporting angle that the media become obsessed with was unfortunate and sad. The Herald, TVNZ, TV3,etc were not interested in supplying their readers with the actual facts of the conference, which in all honesty would have made good reading for anyone iterested in politics. - 29 November 2012 at 20:45
- peterpeasant said...
Surely the blogosphere is the forum (literally). the market place, the corner soap box, the town hall meeting, the marae where free and frank discussion happens.
Public meetings invite public comments, interjections and heckles.
Since the disappearance of real people at real meetings (how real politicians are is, of course, a separate question.)
Assorted media types have donned the mantle of guru.
Like academics and assorted "professionals" they resent unwashed unanointed hoi polloi asking questions.
Goddammit someone is questioning their credibility! How dare they!
Anonymous bloggers are to be shot.
Their messages are not worth considering.
Anonymous bloggers do not have to sell advertising space/time/self promotion. Media types and gurus do.
Methinks some people protest too much.
I have always thought that what is said is more important than who said it.
Import matters, personality is irrelevant except to the egoistical. - 29 November 2012 at 20:58
This is arguably the best blog post I have seen in ages. The gallery suffer group think,the public are sick to death of Banks, Dotcom,whatever the Greens scream du joir and that is why kiwiblog, whaleoil,standard are so popular.
The MSM decide a line to take and they run with it despite any person with half a brain wonde why they have just lost a half hour of their life watching the news. - 29 November 2012 at 20:59
I read your post three times Chris. I routinely surf blogposts in search of commentary on daily events & I subscribe to The Press!
NZ's MSM is now, more than any time I can remember since the early 80's, focused on manufacturing you know what. - 30 November 2012 at 00:14
The quality of reporting in the MSM has been weakening for a long time. Emotionally charged adjectives that are not backed up by facts are the standard fare of National Radio news headlines. Radio and TV reporters seem to think it's more important to connect with the audience than to think and probe. Mainstream web news like stuff.co.nz is very lightweight. When I want some analysis and behind the scenes insight into NZ politics I can find no better place than bowalleyroad.
- 30 November 2012 at 07:29
A post that will ripple out there for some time to come. The "background radiation" has been observed. Watch your backs all right citizen journalists and maintain our efforts.
- 30 November 2012 at 09:04
A few years back I had dinner with a then-cabinet minister who was coming to the end of his third term in the House. He was a quick thinker, a fast talker, and good on his feet – and, as a representative of his constituency, he had done a pretty good job. But he was also the first to admit that, after eight-and-a-half years with the initials MP after his name, he was way out of touch with what it was like to be 'an ordinary Kiwi bloke'.
Also dining with us that evening was a senior and influential journo. Two or three times a week – week in and week out – she told the nation what it needed to know. But, that night, after several glasses of wine, she openly acknowledged that her most important audience was a small bunch of politicians (from both sides) and a small handful of publicly-paid policy advisers. 'The electorate only gets to have a say once every three years,' she said. 'My colleagues and I get to have a say every day.'
You can see why the MSM might regard bloggers as barbarians at the gate. - 30 November 2012 at 09:29
You may be interested to know that the there is some philosophical support for your views in this post. See David Coady WHAT TO BELIEVE NOW (a text in applied epistemology) especially ch. 6.
Charles - 30 November 2012 at 11:18
- venezia said...
It was so good to read this post Chris. It was obvious to intelligent observers that the Labour Party Conference was being reported with an agenda which had nothing to do with what actually happened.
- 30 November 2012 at 14:37


text:
§ 416.2005. Administration agreements with SSA.
(a) Agreement-mandatory only. Subject to the provisions of paragraph (d) of this section, any State having an agreement with the Social Security Administration (SSA) under § 416.2001(c) may enter into an administration agreement with SSA under which SSA will make the mandatory minimum supplementary payments on behalf of such State. An agreement under § 416.2001(c) and an administration agreement under this paragraph may be consolidated into one agreement.
(b) Agreement—mandatory and optional payments. Subject to the provisions of paragraph (d) of this section, any State may enter into an agreement with SSA under which the State will provide both mandatory and optional State supplementary payments and elect Federal administration of such State supplementary payment programs. If SSA agrees to administer such State's optional supplementary payments, the State must also have SSA administer its mandatory minimum supplementary payments unless the State is able to provide sufficient justification for exemption from this requirement.
(c) Administration—combination. Any State may enter into an agreement with SSA under which the State will provide mandatory minimum supplementary payments and elect Federal administration of such payments while providing optional State supplementary payments which it shall administer itself. If the State chooses to administer such payment itself, it may establish its own criteria for determining eligibility requirements as well as the amounts.
(d) Conditions of administration agreement. The State and SSA may, subject to the provisions of this subpart, enter into a written agreement, in such form and containing such provisions not inconsistent with this part as are found necessary by SSA, under which SSA will administer the State supplementary payments on behalf of a State (or political subdivision). Under such an agreement between SSA and a State, specific Federal and State responsibilities for administration and fiscal responsibilities will be stipulated. The regulations in effect for the supplemental security income program shall be applicable in the Federal administration of State supplementary payments except as may otherwise be provided in this subpart as found by SSA to be necessary for the effective and efficient administration of both the basic Federal benefit and the State supplementary payment. If the State elects options available under this subpart (specified in §§ 416.2015–416.2035), such options must be specified in the administration agreement.
[40 FR 7640, Feb. 21, 1975, as amended at 62 FR 312, Jan. 3, 1997]