text:
Found 1 results
Author Title [ Type] Year Filters: Keyword is solute potential and Author is Richards, J. H. [Clear All Filters]
"High apoplastic solute concentrations in leaves alter water relations of the halophytic shrub, Sarcobatus vermiculatus", Journal of Experimental Botany, vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 139 - 147, 2005.


text:
Transfers Ibiza
Tourist transfers imply traveling from one place to another, it is often the departure from home to the desired tourist destination. Travel agencies offer various deals related to transport tourists, but their offer expanded tourist offers that are often beyond the borders of their normal areas of transfer. Tourist transfers often last longer than a day, but the goal is to satisfy travelers in the field of entertainment, food and beverage, and general benefits while traveling.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
Looking to keep track of all the various projects in development? Click here to visit our newly revamped "Series in Development" charts. Visitors can now filter our listings by network, genre and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!
AMERICAN CRIME (CBS) - Kimberly Elise ("Diary of a Mad Black Woman") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about a female prosecutor (Jennifer Finnigan) who juggles the world of suburban crime with the challenges of being a new mother. She'll play Maureen Dobie in the Warner Bros. Television/Bruckheimer Television-based project, which comes from executive producers Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and Jim Leonard. John Carroll Lynch, David Starzyk and Christian Kane also star.
CITY HALL (HBO, New!) - Emmy-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development") have booked a second drama project at the pay channel. This new, semi-autobiographical project tracks a family of politicians who essentially run the city of Cleveland, Ohio. The real life Russo family has reportedly been steeped in Cleveland politics since the 1960s and continues to remain a force in the city. The pair's sister Angela Russo and their childhood friend John Hlavin are writing the pilot script, which is understood to revolve around the conflict between capitalism and democracy in the city and how that plays out in the dreams and aspirations of the various family members, and will also serve as co-executive producers. "City Hall" joins "Motel Novella" as the Russo brothers second project in the works at the pay channel, with the pair also developing "Arthur Avenue" (formerly "Behind the Counter With Mussolini") at Showtime and directing the pilot "What About Brian?" at ABC.
FILMORE MIDDLE (NBC) - Radio personality and frequent voice actor Phil Hendrie ("King of the Hill") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about disillusioned teachers at a rundown public junior high school. No details were given about his character in the project, which also stars Justin Bartha and Sarah Alexander. Matt Tarses is behind the pilot, which is set up at NBC Universal Television.
LOVE LIFE (ABC) - Henry Simmons ("N.Y.P.D. Blue") has joined the cast of the single-camera comedy pilot, about two groups of Philadelphia-based thirtysomething men and women who become friends when two of them (Julie Bowen, Tom Everett Scott) start dating. Simmons is believed to be playing Dr. Steven in the Touchstone Television-based project, which also stars Michael Landes, Alan Tudyk, Lucy Davis and Sophina Brown. While not fully described in the casting notice, a note in Bowen's character description mentions: "She was dating a handsome doctor before she hit it off big time with Sam [Tom Everett Scott]. That was six weeks ago. Jane still hasn't gotten around to dumping Dr. Steven - but that's because she's not quote sure where she stands with Sam." Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont, Jamie Tarses and Karey Burke are the executive producers.
LOST (ABC) - (Highlight the following text to read only if you've seen this week's episode.) Actor Ian Somerhalder, whose character was killed off in this week's installment, has signed a one-year talent holding deal with ABC and Touchstone Television. The pact calls for the network and studio to cast the actor in one of their projects next year.
ROCK SCHOOL (VH1, New!) - RDF Media ("Wife Swap") has scored a six-episode order for what's being described as a reality series version of the Jack Black feature "School of Rock." The British-based project tracks Kiss bass player Gene Simmons as he educates the classically trained pupils of Christ's Hospital in Horsham, Surrey, on the ways of rock. Production has already been completed on the series, which will likely debut in the late spring or early summer on VH1. The network is also reportedly in talks with other musicians for future editions, however no deals have been reached.
UNTITLED CAMRYN MANHEIM PROJECT (The WB) - Lauren Holly ("Chicago Hope") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about an eccentric hippie-type single mother (Camryn Manheim) with three kids who moves into a new neighborhood filled with trendy soccer moms. Holly, who spent the past development season as part of the Frog's drama pilot "Rocky Point," will play Andrea in the project, which also stars Heather Paige Kent, Evan Ellingson and Spencer Locke. Anne Flett Giordano, Chuck Ranberg, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum are the executive producers of the pilot, which is set up at Warner Bros. Television and the Tannenbaum Co.
UNTITLED CHRISTOPHER LLOYD/JOE KEENAN PROJECT (CBS) - Christopher Gorham ("Medical Investigation") and Paula Marshall ("Veronica Mars") have both joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about a family of single doctors. Gorham will play the lead role of Benjamin Chase, who's described in the casting notice as: "Late 20�s-early 30�s. An attractive and earnest couples counselor. While Ben has a fun-loving side, he is preoccupied by his desire to do the right thing. This is further aggravated by the nagging feeling that he is a failure, owing to the fact that he�s the only person in his family who is not a doctor � or a "real doctor", as his relatives might put it." Marshall then is set as Regina Chase: "Late 20�s-30�s. Ben�s sister. An attractive, lesbian, emergency room doctor. A bit of a cowboy and hothead at times, she does not suffer fools or judgmental mothers gladly. She�s a better athlete than her brothers and has probably slept with more women than both of them combined." They'll join the previously cast Stockard Channing and Henry Winkler as their divorced parents Lydia and Stewart. Christopher Lloyd and Joe Keenan are behind the project, which is set up at Paramount Network Television.
UNTITLED JONATHAN BAKER/VICTORIA FULLER PROJECT (VH1, New!) - Much-ballyhooed "Amazing Race 6" contestants Jonathan Baker and Victoria Fuller have reportedly completed filming a pilot for a potential reality series at the cable channel. Said project, which is under consideration for as early as the fall, will track the pair through their post-"Race" fame including their home life. "Basically it's John and I, and the arc of fame, from going on a reality show, being dumped off on the end, and what happens when you come out on the other side," Fuller told The New York Daily News. No other details were specified.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters


text:
Return to: Academic Department, Degree and Program Information
Course requirements for the MS in Mechanical Engineering are suited to the applicant's specialty, which is specified by the student in the admissions process or during the first advising session. Students must take at least 21 credits out of the 30 credits needed for the degree at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. No more than 6 credits in "Guided Reading" courses are allowed. Validation credit is not allowed, but the graduate adviser may waive specific requirements (and substitute designated ones), based upon the student's prior studies or experience. Transfer credits are not granted for:
If students decide to do a ME-GY 997X MS Thesis (9 credits) as part of their work for the degree, these 9 credits will be counted against 6 credits out of the 6 credits in ME Required for the Specialty Area credits and 3 credits out of the 3 credits of Free Electives. Students are not allowed to submit more than three courses (9 credits) starting with a 5 for MS degree requirements satisfaction. All courses and program details are subject to adviser approval.
Two Energy Related Electives (6 Credits) from
Departmental Adviser: Iskender Sahin email@example.com
Please note that the adviser (or lead faculty in specializations) also has some latitude for approving specialty courses.


text:
Grace your ears with the daring elegance of our Infinite Thorns Earrings. With French hook closures for comfort and secure wear, these 40mm drops are as practical as they are stylish.
The stainless steel design ensures a hypoallergenic experience, while the subtle sparkle adds a touch of understated glamour.
Crafted in hypoallergenic surgical stainless steel and PVD plating.
FAQs and FYIs
Product Images
Please note that the images on our website may be enhanced to show detail for illustrative purposes only, and may not represent the actual size of the products. We recommend referring to any product dimensions provided for accurate product specifications.
Not sure about your size? No problem! Check out our detailed sizing guide here.
Cleaning & Care
Keep your jewelry looking its best! Learn more about proper care and maintenance here.
Returns & Warranty
We're confident you'll adore your new purchase and find it perfectly suits your style and needs. However, if for any reason you're not completely satisfied, rest assured that we offer a hassle-free return policy and a comprehensive warranty. We want you to love your choices and enjoy the utmost peace of mind knowing that we're here to support you if any issues arise. Your happiness and satisfaction are our top priorities!


text:
Do you ever get up in the morning and wonder if it would be okay for you to take a mental health day? If so, you're definitely not alone. In fact, research from the American Psychological Association shows that today's workforce is experiencing job burnout at alarming rates.
What are Mental Health Days Exactly?
The good news is that taking a mental health day every once in a while can absolutely help you cope with work-related stress. But mental health days should not be confused with sick days.
Mental health days are simply those times when you need to take a break from anything work related. These personal days are used to reset your mind by focusing on activities that rejuvenate and reenergize you.
Signs it's Time for a Mental Health Day
The following are some red flags that are letting you know you need to put your mental health first:
You Feel Run Down
Being stressed and overworked can take a toll on your mind and body. If you've been feeling run down for a period of time, take a break.
You Feel Angry More Often
When we feel stressed and burned out, we become angry far more easily and far more often. If you find you have been getting easily irritated, this is a sign it may be time for a mental health day.
You're Having a Hard Time Focusing
When we're stressed, our mental faculties take a hit and we can't focus as easily. This makes it incredibly hard to get any work done. Which of course just makes us feel more stressed.
If you notice your cognitive abilities have declined a bit, may be time to call off work for a day of destressing.
If you have been experiencing any of these signs, I encourage you to put your mental health first and take a mental health day. And if you would like to speak to someone about how you're feeling, please reach out to me. I'm a great listener and have numerous tools for coping with stress that I can share with you.


text:
Will Your Smartphone Be the Next Doctor's Office?
The same devices used to take selfies and type out tweets are being repurposed and commercialized for quick access to information needed for monitoring a patient's health. A fingertip pressed against a phone's camera lens can measure a heart rate. The microphone, kept by the bedside, can screen for sleep apnea. Even the speaker is being tapped, to monitor breathing using sonar technology.
In the best of this new world, the data is conveyed remotely to a medical professional for the convenience and comfort of the patient or, in some cases, to support a clinician without the need for costly hardware.
But using smartphones as diagnostic tools is a work in progress, experts say. Although doctors and their patients have found some real-world success in deploying the phone as a medical device, the overall potential remains unfulfilled and uncertain.
Smartphones come packed with sensors capable of monitoring a patient's vital signs. They can help assess people for concussions, watch for atrial fibrillation, and conduct mental health wellness checks, to name the uses of a few nascent applications.
Companies and researchers eager to find medical applications for smartphone technology are tapping into modern phones' built-in cameras and light sensors; microphones; accelerometers, which detect body movements; gyroscopes; and even speakers. The apps then use artificial intelligence software to analyze the collected sights and sounds to create an easy connection between patients and physicians. Earning potential and marketability are evidenced by the more than 350,000 digital health products available in app stores, according to a Grand View Research report.
"It's very hard to put devices into the patient home or in the hospital, but everybody is just walking around with a cellphone that has a network connection," said Dr. Andrew Gostine, CEO of the sensor network company Artisight. Most Americans own a smartphone, including more than 60% of people 65 and over, an increase from just 13% a decade ago, according the Pew Research Center. The covid-19 pandemic has also pushed people to become more comfortable with virtual care.
Some of these products have sought FDA clearance to be marketed as a medical device. That way, if patients must pay to use the software, health insurers are more likely to cover at least part of the cost. Other products are designated as exempt from this regulatory process, placed in the same clinical classification as a Band-Aid. But how the agency handles AI and machine learning-based medical devices is still being adjusted to reflect software's adaptive nature.
Ensuring accuracy and clinical validation is crucial to securing buy-in from health care providers. And many tools still need fine-tuning, said Dr. Eugene Yang, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington. Currently, Yang is testing contactless measurement of blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation gleaned remotely via Zoom camera footage of a patient's face.
Judging these new technologies is difficult because they rely on algorithms built by machine learning and artificial intelligence to collect data, rather than the physical tools typically used in hospitals. So researchers cannot "compare apples to apples" with medical industry standards, Yang said. Failure to build in such assurances undermines the technology's ultimate goals of easing costs and access because a doctor still must verify results.
"False positives and false negatives lead to more testing and more cost to the health care system," he said.
Big tech companies like Google have heavily invested in researching this kind of technology, catering to clinicians and in-home caregivers, as well as consumers. Currently, in the Google Fit app, users can check their heart rate by placing their finger on the rear-facing camera lens or track their breathing rate using the front-facing camera.
"If you took the sensor out of the phone and out of a clinical device, they are probably the same thing," said Shwetak Patel, director of health technologies at Google and a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Washington.
Google's research uses machine learning and computer vision, a field within AI based on information from visual inputs like videos or images. So instead of using a blood pressure cuff, for example, the algorithm can interpret slight visual changes to the body that serve as proxies and biosignals for a patient's blood pressure, Patel said.
Google is also investigating the effectiveness of the built-in microphone for detecting heartbeats and murmurs and using the camera to preserve eyesight by screening for diabetic eye disease, according to information the company published last year.
The tech giant recently purchased Sound Life Sciences, a Seattle startup with an FDA-cleared sonar technology app. It uses a smart device's speaker to bounce inaudible pulses off a patient's body to identify movement and monitor breathing.
Binah.ai, based in Israel, is another company using the smartphone camera to calculate vital signs. Its software looks at the region around the eyes, where the skin is a bit thinner, and analyzes the light reflecting off blood vessels back to the lens. The company is wrapping up a U.S. clinical trial and marketing its wellness app directly to insurers and other health companies, said company spokesperson Mona Popilian-Yona.
The applications even reach into disciplines such as optometry and mental health:
- With the microphone, Canary Speech uses the same underlying technology as Amazon's Alexa to analyze patients' voices for mental health conditions. The software can integrate with telemedicine appointments and allow clinicians to screen for anxiety and depression using a library of vocal biomarkers and predictive analytics, said Henry O'Connell, the company's CEO.
- Australia-based ResApp Health got FDA clearance last year for its iPhone app that screens for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea by listening to breathing and snoring. SleepCheckRx, which will require a prescription, is minimally invasive compared with sleep studies currently used to diagnose sleep apnea. Those can cost thousands of dollars and require an array of tests.
- Brightlamp's Reflex app is a clinical decision support tool for helping manage concussions and vision rehabilitation, among other things. Using an iPad's or iPhone's camera, the mobile app measures how a person's pupils react to changes in light. Through machine learning analysis, the imagery gives practitioners data points for evaluating patients. Brightlamp sells directly to health care providers and is being used in more than 230 clinics. Clinicians pay a $400 standard annual fee per account, which is currently not covered by insurance. The Department of Defense has an ongoing clinical trial using Reflex.
In some cases, such as with the Reflex app, the data is processed directly on the phone — rather than in the cloud, Brightlamp CEO Kurtis Sluss said. By processing everything on the device, the app avoids running into privacy issues, as streaming data elsewhere requires patient consent.
But algorithms need to be trained and tested by collecting reams of data, and that is an ongoing process.
Researchers, for example, have found that some computer vision applications, like heart rate or blood pressure monitoring, can be less accurate for darker skin. Studies are underway to find better solutions.
Small algorithm glitches can also produce false alarms and frighten patients enough to keep widespread adoption out of reach. For example, Apple's new car-crash detection feature, available on both the latest iPhone and Apple Watch, was set off when people were riding roller coasters and automatically dialed 911.
"We're not there yet," Yang said. "That's the bottom line."


text:
Hartford Symphony Orchestra
through December 7, 2014
by Michael J. Moran
Though HSO Maestra Carolyn Kuan is a multi-talented
musician, guest conductor William Eddins did something in the third program of
this season's Masterworks series that Kuan hasn't done yet in Hartford (but
give her time): performed as featured soloist and conductor in the same
concert. He also did something Kuan does regularly and well: spoke to the
He opened by leading ten wind instruments from the piano in
the HSO premiere of the nine-minute "Homage to Friendly Papageno" written in
1984 by Jean Francaix as "a hymn of gratitude to Mozart." Sounding like a
sprightly mash up of Mozart and Poulenc, it was played with charm and bite, and
it led nicely into Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 17 in G, K. 453, in which Eddins
led a larger ensemble of winds and strings again from the piano as soloist.
William Eddins |
Not rising from the bench or leaving the stage between these
pieces, he engagingly discussed the themes from Mozart's "Magic Flute" quoted
by Francaix and Mozart's pet starling, which loved quoting the main theme of
this concerto's coda but could never get all the notes quite right. From its
lively opening Allegro through a flowing Andante and vigorous romp of a finale,
the affectionate performance showed why this was one of Mozart's own favorites
among his concertos. The conductor's clear and decisive head motions
complemented the dexterity of his fingers.
A white-hot reading of Dvorak's Symphony No. 7 by the full
orchestra followed intermission. The dark color of the opening cello chords
made clear that this would be a powerfully dramatic interpretation. A warm,
loving Poco Adagio, a stately, Czech-flavored Scherzo, and a passionate,
intense finale brought the audience to its feet. Here Eddins was a full-body
and high-energy conductor (think Leonard Bernstein), who led without a baton or
score all evening but with obvious communication skill.
Music Director of Canada's Edmonton Symphony Orchestra,
guest conductor of major orchestras throughout the world, and at 18 the
youngest graduate ever of the Eastman School of Music, this gifted and
charismatic musician can't be invited back to Hartford soon enough.


text:
EFF, joined by Public Knowledge, filed an amicus brief today asking the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to revisit one of its worst decisions ever. Three years ago this month, in Oracle v. Google, the Federal Circuit held that the Java Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) could be copyrighted. APIs are, generally speaking, specifications that allow computer programs to communicate with each other and with human users, and are different than the code that implements a program. The Federal Circuit's decision was every bit as bad as some of its oft-criticized patent law decisions. Treating APIs as copyrightable has a profound negative impact on interoperability and innovation. And it goes against decades of tradition and common practice in the software world.
Fortunately for technologists and innovation, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a significant ruling that undermines the Federal Circuit's decision about whether processes and methods of operation like APIs can be copyrighted. In a case about Bikram yoga poses, the Ninth Circuit applied a section of the Copyright Act that forbids copyright protection of ideas, processes, systems, and similar concepts. The court said that a "sequence" of 26 yoga poses and two breathing exercises, performed in a particular order, was not subject to copyright protection. If a system of yoga poses isn't copyrightable, then a system of APIs for operating a computer program definitely isn't.
In reviewing Oracle v. Google, the Federal Circuit was supposed to apply the laws of the place where the case was tried: California, which is in the Ninth Circuit. But it didn't—the court disregarded both Ninth Circuit copyright law holding that APIs aren't copyrightable, as well as law from other circuits.
This is wrong and, if not corrected, will have devastating consequences for innovation. The freedom to reimplement and extend existing APIs has been crucial to competition and progress in both hardware and software. Simply put, excluding APIs from copyright has been essential to the development of modern computers and the Internet. EFF isn't alone in sounding the alarm about the Federal Circuit's decision. Other commentators have harshly criticized the Federal Circuit's decision for its misunderstanding of both computer science and copyright law.
It's confounding how the case got to this point in the first place. The Federal Circuit usually doesn't hear copyright appeals. However, it heard Oracle v. Google because of a quirk in federal appellate procedure rules. Oracle had originally sued Google for both patent infringement and copyright infringement, but a jury found the patents were not infringed and the trial judge ruled that the APIs were not copyrightable. Even though Oracle didn't appeal its trial court loss on its patents, its appeal of the copyright ruling went to the Federal Circuit, which hears all patent appeals. After the Federal Circuit reversed the trial judge, Oracle v. Google returned to the district court last year for a trial on Google's fair use defense. The jury unanimously found that Google's use of the Java APIs was a lawful fair use. Oracle again appealed to the Federal Circuit.
EFF's amicus brief (filed along with Public Knowledge) asks the court to reject Oracle's latest appeal. EFF first asks the court to revisit its previous 2014 decision in view of the 2015 Ninth Circuit opinion, and hold that the Java APIs aren't copyrightable. This will fix at least some of the harms caused by the Federal Circuit's opinion. And if the court isn't willing to reverse its earlier decision, we also explain why the jury's fair use verdict was proper. Fair use should permit copying of functional computer elements and their expression for purposes of efficiency, compatibility, or industry demands.
It's no understatement to say that much hangs on the Federal Circuit's decision to follow the rules and apply Ninth Circuit law, and uphold the fair use ruling. Innovation, healthy competition and, ultimately, more and better technology choices for users all hang in the balance.


text:
I'm trying to use the new feature of lightroom 4.1 that allows us to edit 32bits floating point tif directly within Lightroom. The workflow seems easy enough when you have Photoshop but I do not.
I tried creating a 32bits floating point image using Luminance HDR but to no success Lightroom 4.1 does not recognize the file: "Preview not available for this file".
Is there any OpenSource software that can generate a 32bits tif file that would be compatible with Lightroom 4.1?
(Btw, I went into Luminance preferences and changed output type to 32bits floating point, it's also possible that Luminance works but I need to set some other option, if it's the case, I would appreciate if you can point me to the important settings).


text:
I was
excited to hear about the advent of Google
App Inventor for Android—an environment that
makes it easy for non-programmers to create apps for their
mobile phones. I'm still waiting to get my hands on it since
it's being rolled out for educators and students only.
Since the mid-1970s I've been a fan of application development
tools that end-users can use to roll their own applications. I
have long contended that if you really want your application
environment to take off, you need to empower end-users
to invent and create their own applications. I learned this
from watching the evolution of early word processing systems
in the mid-70s. CPT was one of the first companies to make it
easy for users to automate processes by storing a complicated
series of keystrokes, recording these as macros, and then letting the
user abstract that recorded code into reusable chunks of logic
with if/then logic.
Wang Labs and Digital Equipment also
implemented similar capabilities in their word processing
systems. Power users—the smart people (mostly women) who
produced most of the documents for their companies at that
time—quickly developed lots of time-saving and ingenious
programs that both automated and transformed their work.
Google App Inventor uses a different approach—a set of graphical
building blocks, based on the evolution of the work of
Seymour Papert's Logo language at MIT. [Another evolution of
Papert's work led to the LEGO Mindstorms' NXT User Interface
by National Instruments for a child-friendly and
scientist-friendly version of LabView—a sophisticated parallel
programming environment designed for sensing and controlling
inputs and outputs—which I describe in this
chapter of Outside Innovation.]
Here's the KittyPurr video demo of App Inventor for Android:
I am bullish about the Android App Inventor—not because I think
that it will generate tens of thousands of killer apps that
will give the iPhone app ecosystem a run for their money, but
because I like the end-user empowerment that it unleashes.
What I wish is that someone would also create a "do what I do"
keystroke capture/macro creator for Android (and iPhone) apps
that you could then edit and refine using either this
building block approach and/or a simple scripting language, as
with the word processors of yore.
Here's a video from Google's visiting professors who apparently contributed to the genesis of App Inventor for Android with a bit more background on their thinking.


text:
Source: Daniel Botz, 785-826-2619, firstname.lastname@example.com
News release prepared by: Natalie Blair, 785-826-2642, firstname.lastname@example.com
Friday, Jan. 18, 2013
Just another manic Monday? Not if you start budgeting, says K-State-Salina personal financial planning expert
SALINA -- It's not just your imagination if you're feeling a little down, thinking about the winter weather, broken resolutions and holiday bills. According to a mathematical formula by U.K. psychologist Cliff Arnall, the third Monday of January is the most depressing day of the year. This year, that day will be Monday, Jan. 21.
Arnall's theory, it should be noted, was created as part of a travel company's marketing campaign in 2005. Regardless of whether there is any truth to the theory, Monday is a good day to get your finances in order according to Daniel Botz, assistant professor of personal financial planning at Kansas State University Salina.
"It's never too early to start planning for the holidays, at least financially speaking," Botz said. "Efficiently and effectively paying off debt and saving both require a budget. Budgets really are not scary things, but they do require time and commitment to work."
Botz says to sit down with all of your expense records, such as checkbooks, credit card statements and bank statements from the past year. If you don't have these records, then take one to three months to carefully track all of your expenses and add in important expenses that occur infrequently, such as insurance payments, car tags and taxes, and school fees.
"If you never seem to have enough money, your expenses are probably too high," he said. "If you would like to save for something, like a car, home, retirement or to pay off debt, use your budget to find expenses you can reduce and reallocate that money to your savings goal. Most important is that the budget be in writing. Many people are surprised about where large amounts of their money actually go."
Like diets, budgets are very common New Year's resolutions, but they are subject the same problem: not being realistic, Botz said.
"It is not possible to afford extravagant vacations, expensive cars and large houses if you are making minimum wage," he said. "However, fun is also a required expense in a budget, one that many people forget to include. It is OK to eat out, see a movie or take a vacation, but those expenses must be in your budget. Like a diet without an occasional bowl of ice cream, a budget without entertainment expenses will fail."
Botz also cautions that budgets should incorporate savings for unexpected expenses, such as replacing an appliance or losing income.
"Establishing and funding an emergency fund -- money for unexpected expenses -- is usually a priority over paying off debt," he said.
Once you have that emergency fund, Botz said it almost always makes more sense to pay off debt before saving because interest rates on debt are usually higher than those for saving. But he said there are some exceptions to this general rule.
"Always take advantage of tax deductible IRAs and employer retirement plans, especially those with matching contributions," he said. "Home loans, which carry lower interest rates that are also tax deductible, are usually the lowest priority debts to be paid off."
Some free or low-cost options Botz recommends for help with creating a budget include borrowing books on the subject from the library, searching online for articles and budget-building tools, and finding a credit counselor or financial planner, who is usually available locally for no or low out-of-pocket cost.
"You can work in a factory for your money, or you can have a factory of money working for you," Botz said. "Using a budget to pay off debts and to save, you can create that factory of money working for you."
Photo credit: RambergMediaImages via photopin cc


text:
New frontiers in monetization and an innovative approach has become crucial for companies seeking to transform their operations. However, to achieve this, they must break down the traditional barriers between online charging and billing.
Charging and monetizing vendors' businesses have increasingly shifted toward a customized services-led model. Here are 10 reasons why this is bad for services providers.
The pod is delighted to welcome back special guest Jennifer Kyriakakis of MATRIXX. The dominant theme of DTW this year was AI, so they discuss its implications for the industry, before concluding with a look at Germany's hardening stance towards Chinese kit vendors.
Join MATRIXX Founder & VP Marketing Jennifer Kyriakakis with Celfocus in this TM Forum webinar, September 14, 2023
Kevin Susman, MATRIXX, and Jeremy Bolton, Visible, discuss: Reimagining Product Strategy for a Digital-First World.
July 26, 2023
Geopolitical and regulatory directives are mandating that telcos in certain parts of the world migrate to new converged charging suppliers. The deployment proven MATRIXX/Tallence migration framework can mitigate the risk and cost of that migration by approximately 40%.
See how we have successfully consulted with clients from Fortune 100 firms to early-stage start-ups and demonstrated the art of the possible.
A Connectivity Marketplace is a hub where various stakeholders can purchase, manage and integrate connectivity for a diverse array of devices. It operates in symbiosis with 5G's speed, low latency and expanded capacity, facilitating a proliferation of opportunities for businesses to capitalize on the Internet of Things (IoT) and other cutting-edge technologies.
If CSPs are to capitalize on the overall edge opportunity, they must pivot from the "network-out" model of service delivery that has served them for the last 20+ years to a customer-focused, "value-in" model. New edge services are driven by a new monetization model.
Join CTO Marc Price in this TM Forum webinar to understand how CSPs are moving beyond selling traditional connectivity to providing customers with platform-based products and services as part of a wide digital ecosystem.
October 20, 2022
Glo talks to us about the power of leadership, and leading an organization through its transformation phase, even during a difficult time during the pandemic.
What was it like starting as CEO of a company right before COVID-19 shut everything down? According to MATRIXX Software's CEO Glo Gordon, it presented several business challenges and opportunities.
Jennifer Kyriakakis, MATRIXX founder & CMO, defines the modern telco and lays out why 5G is a catalyst for the changes they are undergoing. She also explains why things like cloud native and agnostic architecture should be at the heart of this transformation.
MATRIXX and Cardinality.io are addressing the challenges faced by CSPs in harnessing complex data. Learn how CSPs can use data to create advanced customer experiences, offer personalized products and plans to their customers and further optimize their operations.
Join MATRIXX Founder & CMO Jennifer Kyriakakis and MATRIXX CTO Marc Price in conversation with Cardinality.io CMO Anton Prenneis.
They discuss how numerous telecom business processes and operations that can be improved through data-driven, real-time insights as well as the real-time AI, analytics and monetization solutions that can make all this happen.


text:
This Stole is made of Damask Fabric with cross designs. The Stole is embroidered with a cross embroidery on both sides and is lined with satin fabric. The ends are closed with golden coloured rayon fringes
Stole: is a liturgical vestment composed of a strip of material around four inches wide and usually seven and a half to nine feet long. It has either a uniform width throughout, or is somewhat narrower towards the middle, widening at the ends in the shape of a trapezium or spade. A small cross is generally sewed or embroidered on the stole at both ends and in the middle; the cross, however, is prescribed only for the middle, where the priest kisses the stole before putting it on. There are no express precepts concerning the material of the stole, but silk, or at least a half-silk fabric, is most appropriate. (source: www.newadvent.org)


text: He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge, his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4. It Is Well With My Soul... It Is Well... These words from an old hymn resinate with me, much like a healing salve on a wound, or a drink when very thirsty... .satisfying. The words are part of an old hymn by Horatio G. Stafford, written in 1873.


text:
Automatic Email Processor is a powerful addition to Outlook for storing and printing incoming emails and their attachments automatically. For this, various filters, flexible configuration options, such as individually definable storage folders and the possibility of subsequent processing are available.
Automatic PDF Processor allows automated processing of PDF files. Any number of folders can be monitored and newly filed PDF files can be automatically printed, renamed, copied, moved, and more. All settings (filter settings, storage location, printer etc.) can be made profile-specific.
AutoText Master allows the use of text modules in almost all applications. The software helps in typing of frequently used text passages, complicated terminology or text blocks in which only one value, such as a date or name is to be entered via an input mask and represents a sophisticated alternative to the rather rudimentary Word Autotext.
With Batch Text Replacer, you have a powerful tool at hand to edit multiple text files simultaneously. The program contains a variety of powerful features to adjust the contents of text files as needed.
With Folder2List you can quickly and easily create folder and file lists. Select the data to be displayed from numerous properties and format the data with various setting options.
With Rename Expert you can quickly and easily rename files and folders. The program offers a variety of innovative features to create consistent and, above all, meaningful names.
Word Text Replacer enables you to comfortable perform text substitutions in multiple Word files at once. For example, an address, phone number or the like can thus be replaced in an already extensive portfolio of Word documents.


text:
"All of my life l've been oddly fascinated by power line towers, among other things. These dormant, tall standing structures that guard the outskirts of our towns and cities and hold in their metallic limbs the very life blood of modern existence. Electricity. Such a thing to protect, the veins that deliver life to our cities. As a young boy I would imagine these structures as fearsome metallic creatures, waiting patiently for their metal and wooden limbs to animate to life into War of the Worlds-like beasts, using against us the very electricity we entrusted them with. Later, when in my late teens I acquired my first camera, I was drawn to photograph them. I began to understand these structures as modern day aquifer-like structures that, like the Roman relics, have become our symbol of progress. Will these structures be revered as relics too one day?
Segments, explores this intersection of the natural environment and humanity. The human mark and our ability to completely transform the serene to something somewhat science fiction. This is somewhat a celebration of these monuments that create futuristic landscapes. These metal giants, standing guard in the landscape, carrying humanities most dependent resource of this age. Strangely these structures are keeping us alive. My use of colour is pronounced. The florescent hues and colour manipulation electrify these structures to another fictional place, taking what could be bleak and making something beautiful, something alive." - Dael Oates
Edition Size 20 (total)
Email us for any framing requests: email@example.com


text:
Connie Lindsey
Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Connie L. Lindsey is Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Northern Trust, Chicago. She is responsible for the design and implementation of the global Corporate Social Responsibility, Community Development and Investments, and Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy for Northern Trust and the development of goals, policies, and programs appropriate to the brand and business unit strategies. In addition, Ms. Lindsey provides oversight and leadership to the firm's response to environmental matters as well as social issues, within the marketplace, workplace, and the community.
Prior to becoming the Head of CSR, Ms. Lindsey led the client servicing teams in the Public Entities and Institutions segment in the Corporate & Institutional Services business, serving public fund and not-for-profit clients. Over the course of her Northern Trust career, she has held a number of leadership roles, including Deputy Business Head in Operations and Technology, Group Head in Northern Trust's Wealth Management business, Director of Enterprise Relationship Management, and Manager in Treasury Management Consulting and Product Management and holds the Certified Treasury Professional designation.
Ms. Lindsey is a former National Board President of Girl Scouts of the USA. She joined the Girl Scouts board in 2005 and was elected National Board President, the highest-ranking volunteer of this 2.5 million-member organization, in 2008 and 2011 for three-year terms. In this role she provided guidance in three vital areas—policy, fund-raising, and leadership. She was an integral part of the Girl Scout transformation, committed to building and sustaining membership growth and ensuring girls receive a premier leadership development experience.
Ms. Lindsey serves on several civic and charitable boards to include Leadership Greater Chicago (Board President, 2001 Fellow); McCormick Theological Seminary (Chair of the Board of Trustees); Obama Foundation Inclusion Council (Co-Chair); Chicago Urban League; Executives' Club of Chicago; and YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.
Ms. Lindsey received her BA in Finance at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has completed the Harvard Business School Executive Education Corporate Social Responsibility program, and is also a licensed Qualified Administrator of The Intercultural Development Inventory®. She is a public and motivational speaker on topics of diversity and inclusion, corporate responsibility, leadership, and personal and professional empowerment.
Ms. Lindsey has been profiled on national television on PBS' 30GoodMinutes and ABC's Heart and Soul. She has been recognized for her leadership professionally and in the community by the Anti-Defamation League's Woman of Achievement Award, Chicago Defender Women of Excellence Award, Chicago United's Business Leaders of Color Award, Leadership Greater Chicago's Distinguished Fellow Award, Life Directions-Guiding Light Award, National Diversity Council's Most Powerful and Influential Women Award, Women's Bar Association of Illinois-Advocacy Award, and YWCA's Outstanding Leader Award in Community Leadership. In 2011 Ms. Lindsey was honored with the Spirit of Achievement award by Loretto Hospital Foundation. She was the first woman to receive the award in its history. The recognition established the Connie L. Lindsey, Cancer Resource Center at Loretto Hospital in Chicago. She is an Inroads, Inc. Alumna and has been inducted into the Inroads Alumni Hall of Fame.


text:
For PRSA members who are interested in international public relations, the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management (or "GA") is an important resource that offers valuable networking, information and learning opportunities.
The Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management (GA) was formed in Chicago on October 25, 2000, after a Public Relations World Congress sponsored by PRSA and the International Public Relations Association. Its main purpose is to serve as an umbrella for the collaboration of organizations public relations organizations, and has "a mission to enhance the public relations profession and its practitioners throughout the world." PRSA was a founding member of the GA and has remained active ever since, currently serving as Treasurer of the GA.
At present, the Global Alliance is a confederation of many of the world's major PR and communication management associations and institutions, representing 160,000 practitioners and educators in approximately 50 member organizations, an impressive reach given the Global Alliance's resources. In addition to a modest cash budget of about $85,000 from membership fees and sponsorship, the GA also receives valuable "in-kind" support from USI (Università della Svizzera italiana), which has an executive MBA program in communications and contributes much needed staff and infrastructure to the GA.
As a practical matter, the GA provides a forum for the sharing of ideas and best practices, providing information, networking, and opportunities for research and inquiry, for example, into ethical standards and accreditation practices worldwide. In addition, members of one GA member organization benefit from being able to purchase services and benefits from other member organizations at the member rate.
Although over 98% of PRSA's members reside in the United States, global issues affect all of PRSA's members, regardless of their place of residence. As a result, PRSA has found that the GA is a very cost effective way to assist PRSA in carrying out four objectives:
- For U.S.-based members, providing them with worldwide resources that make them more effective professionals;
- For U.S.-members working abroad, keeping them connected to their profession and to their respective international markets;
- For non-U.S. practitioners, offering a connection to the U.S. profession while understanding cultural differences;
- Finally, to have a hand in shaping the global profession.
The Global Alliance's leadership meets periodically, as it did last month in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to hold board meetings, seminars and symposia. Programming last month, which was hosted by Aberje, the Brazilian Association of Business Communications, included:
- A one-day seminar for GA members focused on managing public relations associations, where members had an opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss best practices. PRSA presented to the group on the topic of association finance and fundraising.
- A one-day seminar on public relations in Brazil, with over 100 attendees and presentations from leading Brazilian companies such as Petrobras, the State-owned oil company, and Natura, the leading Brazilian manufacturer and marketer of skin care, cosmetics, perfume and hair care products, which uses a direct sales approach, similar to Avon.
Over two subsequent days of board meetings, the Global Alliance board discussed business old and new, including:
- A review of the GA's finances, which remain modest and lean;
- A half day strategic discussion of the organization's value proposition and programming for the months and years ahead;
- The possible creation of an international awards program, as well as an educational travel program for GA members, so that they could travel internationally under GA auspices on a pay-as-you-go basis through packaged tours to learn about PR in other countries;
- The launch of a program of "snap" research sponsored by Grayling, intended to provide a quick look into current issues and trends;
- The admission of a new member from Bangladesh;
- Planning for future GA meetings and events.
In addition, the board discussed the state of planning for the World Public Relations Forum which will be held over November 18–20 in Melbourne, Australia. With a theme of "Communication Without Borders," the Forum will bring together communicators and academics from around the globe, with a special emphasis on the Pacific/Australasia region, and will be an exciting opportunity for practitioners with an interest in that part of the world to learn and network while visiting a vibrant and exciting city.
The world is more interconnected than ever before—financial crises, health concerns, and security issues cross borders continually. The Global Alliance is an important and cost-effective way for PRSA members to be connected to the places and people that are shaping the international public relations profession.
William M. Murray is president and chief operating officer of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).


text:
UK's largest pub company hit with £24k fine after family's Baked Alaska horror
The 11-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was left choking for breath and suffering in agony after eating the dessert at Greene King pub, The Globe Inn, in Linslade, Bedfordshire last year.
On Friday, Bury St Edmunds-based pub giant Greene King - which runs 3,116 pub venues across 14 brands in the UK - pleaded guilty at Luton Magistrates Court to mis-selling the product and was fined £24,000.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdGreene King's defence issued an unreserved apology and told the court that the company's procedures had been overhauled, with area chefs regularly visiting pubs to ensure they had the latest allergen sheets.
The company had also co-operated fully with the investigation launched by Central Bedfordshire Council and spent "considerable" sums of money improving its IT systems.
The modified Baked Alaska dessert had been introduced by the company in October 2015, however it wasn't until a month later that the pub giant's nutritionist discovered the recipe was no longer egg-free – with claims that the wrong information was given by the supplier.
Although an email was sent to a staff member requesting all pubs download a revised allergen sheet, the member of staff in question had departed the company that day.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdProsecutor Tom Horder said: "The boy told his mother he thought he was going to die."
Mr Horder said the youngster had been enjoying Sunday lunch with his family and his parents chose a Greene King pub feeling confident the well-known chain catered for customers with allergies.
He said: "Given the knowledge of her son's egg allergy, his mother was very conscious of what he ordered.
"There was no issue with the first course.
"When it came to pudding, a question was asked to a staff member, 'what's available for my son to eat?'
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"The response was that in fact they'd recently had a customer with an egg allergy and there was a Baked Alaska that didn't have any egg in it.
"This surprised the boy's mother, as Baked Alaska normally contains meringue."
Made popular on BBC's Great British Bake-off, Baked Alaska is usually made up of ice-cream filled inside a meringue shell subtly burned with a blowtorch.
It has a reputation as one of the world's toughest dessert recipes.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMr Horder said The Globe Inn manager explained to the boy's mother that their
Baked Alaska was made with marshmallow instead of meringue.
The woman then asked to see the pub's allergen sheet which listed the dessert as egg-free although an investigation later found this sheet to be out-of-date.
The Baked Alaska recipe had been revised in October 2015 to include a sponge-cake base.
After seeing the sheet, the boy's mother "tentatively" ordered it for him.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMr Horder said: "She watched her son carefully. There was no obvious problem while he was eating but a little bit later he looked panicked and said something was stuck in his throat.
"She noticed his mouth was open and he went to the toilet and had diarrhea... he collapsed and his lips began to swell."
The boy's father stayed with him while his mother went to the kitchen to investigate.
The youngster was described as being very frightened, suffering agonizing stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting along with breathing problems.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdOn the way to hospital, his skin began to turn bright red. Once there, he was treated with antihistamines and steroids, and given gas.
The boy's mother described him as "traumatised" in the aftermath of the incident and he spent the following week curled up in bed.
The defence added that around 2% of children suffer an egg allergy, and most grow out of it with just 0.01% of adults affected. Few allergic reactions require hospital treatment.
Passing sentence, District Judge Nicholas Leigh Smith said: "This Baked Alaska had previously been egg-free but the change was not effectively communicated.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"The system did not work, the information was not collected and the boy's mother was given dangerously inaccurate information five months later."
Greene King was fined £24,000 alongside a £120 victim surcharge.


text:
Guns N' Roses to 'Focus' on New Album After October Tour
Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash said the band was planning to "focus" on a new album after it completes a brief tour in October of this year.
Speculation has mounted that the lineup featuring classic-era members Axl Rose, Duff McKagan and Slash are aiming to record new music after several comments since they completed their Not in This Lifetime world tour in December. Earlier this year, McKagan described the planned LP as "real" and "magnificent" after guitarist Richard Fortus said it would arrive "faster than you think."
Following his own confirmation in February that "there's material and stuff going on," Slash offered a further update in a new interview with Futuro 88.9 FM in Chile (via Blabbermouth), where he's currently touring with his band Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators.
"After [we play in] South America, we go straight to Europe and do the festivals over there," he said. "And then from Europe, we go back to the States and Canada and do our first Canadian tour, plus some U.S. dates. And that goes until August. And then after that, I'm gonna hook up with Guns N' Roses."
He noted that GNR have a "small tour in October. And then … there's been so much talk about this Guns N' Roses record, which we haven't actually done anything with. So we're gonna sort of focus on that. And then the Conspirators will be [returning] some time coming up, depending on what Guns N' Roses is doing. But I've already started putting together material for the new Conspirators record."
In a separate interview with Guitar, Slash revealed that he still writes songs using en electric guitar that's not plugged into an amplifier. "My go-to guitar writing is just a non-amplified Les Paul, because I don't like anyone to hear what I'm working on – I'm very self-conscious that way," he said. "The electric guitar played acoustic is great if you don't want people to pay attention to what you're working on. I haven't really grown out of that. I'm still a very self-conscious and insecure guitar player!"
He reflected that he played a similar role in both his bands. "Axl of course is the focus point of Guns, and I just sort of run around doing my thing," he said. "With the Conspirators … I leave it up to Myles to be the front guy. I don't talk to the audience or anything, I just again just run around doing my own thing."
Last week, Guns N' Roses confirmed their first live date of the year at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville on Sept. 27-29.


text:
An Incubator Dominated By Boomers, Minorities, Hopes to Turn Detroit Around
In a 120,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Detroit where the first Corvette was built, a new type of innovation is being hatched.
TechTown, an entrepreneurial incubator run by Wayne State University, launched in 2007 and, according to its founders, has since created more than 650 companies—hoping to turnaround one of the hardest–hit cities in America post-recession. In 2011 alone its companies generated $52 million in revenue.
Leslie Smith, CEO of TechTown, said the incubator has reinvented itself to help the city rebuild. TechTown's original mission was capitalizing on intellectual property coming out of the university, particularly in the bioscience field, Smith said.
"Then in 2008, the automotive industry collapsed, and we started to look at entrepreneurship differently," she said. "Not just forscientific and intellectual property from the university, but as support for entrepreneurs displaced by the collapse. We had to figure out how to expose Detroiters to entrepreneurship as a vehicle to change their economic reality."
They were up against massive job loss and a population exodus unrivaled in recent history. According to the Census Bureau over the past decade the city's population has declined by 25% to 713,777—the fastest drop in the history of Detroit.
Smith said TechTown began outreach and networking to gain exposure in the community, and also partnered with organizations like the Michigan Economic Development Council (MEDC). The incubator has both mentors and acceleration advisors for entrepreneurs, as well as pipelines for capital, she said.
The companies involved have raised more than $84 million in the past five years, she said. The incubator is supported through a mix of public and private funds, but is not utilizing Federal stimulus money. It is a registered 501(c)3, and Smith said a good bulk of funding is from philanthropic contributions.
In addition, more than 60% of the entrepreneurs in TechTown are women, 66% are minorities, and nearly half (46%) are 47 or older—a far cry from its original inhabitants coming straight out of the Wayne State community.
"These [numbers] demonstrate we are actually serving the community we are in," Smith said. "We don't want to provide jobs that Detroiters can't fill or benefit from."
One such Detroiter is 54-year-old Paul Chapman, president and CEO of Cargo Solutions Group, LLC, which has developed a two-panel cargo management system for pickup trucks.
Chapman spent years in the auto industry and left to start up his own company in the second half of 2007, nearly a year before the industry collapsed. The business faced major headwinds, he said, and participated in the Fast Track and Smart Start business accelerator programs through TechTown.
The incubator helped integrate Cargo Solutions into the investment community, Chapman said. The company raised $250,000 through TechTown's guidance from Automation Alley, the state's largest technology business association.
"The big element was networking and trying to understand who was who and how to be successful in the space in terms of raising capital," he said. "Deal making as well—it's a unique environment of its own."
Since 2010, the company has slowly but surely gained momentum, he said. It now has three full-time employees.
Oro Entertainment founders Francisco Segovia and Maria Costa, both 35, relocated to Detroit from Los Angeles in 2011, and came across TechTown while researching incentives for film and entertainment companies within Michigan. The company produces entertainment with a "positive portrayal of Hispanics and communities with strong cultural ties."
Through the MEDC, they learned they could receive 40% back on their investments for film and television in 2011. The duo's latest project, "Macho Men and the Women Who Love Them" sold out shows across the West Coast, one of which was filmed at the Kodak Theater, and is being distributed on DVD worldwide.
TechTown helped Oro to partner with PBS for a national airing to build up an audience for its upcoming projects, Costa said.
"We feel the support here," she said. "LA is a great market, but pretty saturated in regards to our industry. Here we feel we are part of a business community."
Segovia said TechTown also awarded the company a starter grant of $3,000 to make a film version of the "Macho Men" theatrical production. After this round of funding, they hope to be in the running for a larger grant of $37,000 to get off the ground.
Once their business plan is complete, TechTown will also support the company in meeting with venture capitalists and angel investors, Costa, a native Detroiter, said.
"Detroit's economy has suffered tremendously, but they are looking for small business and entrepreneurship to bring back the city," she said. "If you don't have support and funding, it's very hard because the entrepreneur takes on all the risk. But at a place like TechTown, you feel you have people there for you and resources—it's opened doors for us."


text:
For Gloria Majiga-Kamoto, her great awakening to plastic pollution started with goats.
She was working for a local environmental nongovernmental organization in her native Malawi with a program that gave goats to rural farmers. The farmers would use the goats' dung to produce low-cost, high-quality organic fertilizer.
The problem? The thin plastic bags covering the Malawian countryside.
"We have this very common street food. It's called chiwaya, and it's just really potato fried on the side of the road, and it's served in these little blue plastics," Majiga-Kamoto says. "So because it's salty, once the goats get a taste of the salt, they just eat the plastic because they can't really tell that it's inedible. And they die because it blocks the ingestion system — there's no way to survive."
The goats were supposed to reproduce for the program, with the goat kids going on to new farmers. But because of plastic deaths, the whole goat chain started falling apart.
"It was a lot of expectation from the farmers waiting to benefit. So you had this farmer who had this one goat, and then they lost it. And that means that in that chain of farmers, that's obviously affected quite a number of farmers who won't get their turn."
For Majiga-Kamoto, her experience at the NGO with the plastic-eating goats was the moment it all changed. All of a sudden, she started noticing how plastics were everywhere in the Malawian environment and food system — affecting people's livelihoods and health.
The fish in Lake Malawi were eating plastic trash. The country's cows were eating plastic. Researchers found that in one Malawian town, 40% of the livestock had plastic in their intestines.
"We're choking in plastics," Majiga-Kamoto says. "And so what it means is that in one way or the other, we as humans are consuming these plastics."
Majiga-Kamoto was also seeing how plastics contributed to the growth of disease. Huge piles of plastic trash were blocking off Malawi's many waterways, creating pungent breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry malaria and for bacteria that cause cholera.
The 30-year-old says she remembers a time when Malawians didn't rely so much on thin, single-use plastic. "I remember back in the day when we'd go to the market and buy things like fish, like dried fish, you'd get it in newspapers."
But thin plastics took off in the last decade or so as new manufacturers sprung up in Malawi, selling products like thin plastic bags at cheap prices that made them affordable and accessible even in the most undeveloped parts of the country. A 2019 report funded by the U.N. Development Programme found that Malawi produces an estimated 75,000 metric tons of plastic a year, with 80% reportedly single-use plastic. Single-use plastic refers to bags, straws and bottles that can't be recycled, and thin plastic refers to plastic that's under 60 microns in thickness.
The proliferation of this thin-plastic waste led to the Malawian government's 2015 decision to ban the production, distribution and importation of single-use thin plastic. But before the ban could go into full effect, Malawi's plastics-manufacturing industry filed an injunction at the country's High Court. The ban stalled.
When Majiga-Kamoto and a group of her fellow environmental-NGO workers and activists heard about the injunction, they were angry and frustrated. "It sort of caught our interest to say, 'Wait a minute. You mean that there's actually people in our society who think that this is not a problem and that we should actually continue to live this way?' "
Galvanized, Majiga-Kamoto led a group of local environmental activists and NGOs to actually get the single-use thin-plastics ban implemented, organizing marches on the judiciary where the decision would be decided. She kept her job at the NGO, the Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy, and did this work on her own time.
She rejected the plastic industry's argument that the ban would hurt Malawi's economy — and even debated an industry lobbyist on TV.
Finally in 2019, after multiple injunctions filed by the plastics industry, the High Court ruled in favor of the single-use thin-plastics ban. The following year, the Malawian government began closing down illegal plastic manufacturers.
Last week, Majiga-Kamoto was named one of the six winners of the 2021 Goldman Environmental Prize for her work on this issue. Michael Sutton, executive director of the Goldman Environmental Foundation, says Majiga-Kamoto's fight with the plastics lobby epitomizes the spirit of the prize. "She mustered the troops, the grassroots communities, to take on the government and big industry and won several times," Sutton says. "She not only won the ban in law but is now holding the government's feet to the fire to enforce it."
And Majiga-Kamoto isn't letting up her pressure to uphold the single-use thin-plastics ban anytime soon, although she is trying to get some summer vacation time with her family — that is, if she isn't interrupted.
"I was just at the lake a couple of weeks ago, and we were there just enjoying the beautiful lake, and along come these pieces of plastic." Three plastic bags floated up closer to her, her son and her niece as they played in the water.
Majiga-Kamoto grabbed for the bags.
"My family was laughing to say, 'You shouldn't be working! You're at the lake!' And I'm like, 'But I can't just leave them in there!' "
Julia Simon is a regular contributor to NPR's podcasts and news desks, focusing on climate change, energy and business news.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
One of the main ideas Carol and I have discussed concerning Denver Snuffer is the necessity of the message he has delivered. Carol has made it clear she did not and does not feel there was or is any need for someone like Denver Snuffer to remind us how important it is to literally come unto Christ. The discussion always ends with her pointing out enduring to the end is sufficient.
Endure to the End is Sufficient
"We've been baptized. We've received the Holy Ghost. We've both served missions. We've been endowed and sealed in the temple. We try to live faithfully, accept callings and pay tithing. We try to do our home and visiting teaching although we can do better. Now all we need to do is endure to the end. That means keep going to church as long as our health permits. Right, Tim?"
An Investment in Understanding
That's almost a direct quote. After two years I have learned to simply say, "Yes, dear." Actually, I learned to say that a long time ago, but particularly in this situation. I'm grateful she doesn't begrudge the money I've spent purchasing his books, the time I've spent studying what he has written or the effort I've put into sharing this journey on my blog. After all, she's a writer too.
More than a Casual Reader
I suppose I'm more than a casual reader of Denver's material. In addition to the books, some of which I've read two or three times, I've read most of his blog, bought every recorded lecture and printed them so I could study them. So that's hundreds of hours? I suppose so. Is it time wasted? Could it have been better spent in scripture reading? Trust me, it includes that and gospel study.
Attending the Lectures
I was this close to flying up to Boise for the opening lecture. I have not been able to attend any of the five talks given so far on his current lecture tour due to conflicts with my work commitments. Carol and I have already agreed to travel up to St. George next year to hear that one in person. Well, it's agreed we're going, but it's anyone's guess if she actually goes to the lecture with me.
Denver's Message Not For Everyone
Maybe it's different for men. I feel driven to understand Denver's message and to be received by the Savior in a literal, physical way while yet mortal. Carol does not. I think I've shared on my blog previously how I fasted before my mission for three days and the results of that fast. The Lord answered my prayer and spoke peace to my mind that my efforts were sufficient for then.
The Maturing Process of Life
I heard his voice in my mind, but He made it clear I was not ready. I had not yet been endowed. After my mission I got involved in my career and somehow the desire to receive the Second Comforter left me. I began to say to myself, as I heard in so many talks and lessons, "Enduring to the end is sufficient. Just live a good life, remain temple worthy and magnify your callings."
The Return of Divine Discontent
I lived with that belief for over thirty years. Then I read Denver Snuffer's books and everything changed. The feelings I had from before my mission that I should seek to enter into the presence of the Lord in this life returned. I call it Divine Discontent. I think I first heard that phrase in a talk by Neal Maxwell from October 1976 General Conference: Notwithstanding my Weakness.
Accused of Being Divisive
I suspect the scenario I just described is why some of my readers have left comments either here or on Facebook that Denver is divisive and wrong. Carol has said that his writing frightens her. I continue to do all I can to show, by my actions, there is no threat in Denver's messages, which I now put into two categories: 1) Receive the Second Comforter, 2) Understand our history better.
Not Asked to Gather Anywhere
When I have responded to her, and some of you on this blog who have raised the same point that Denver is not asking us to do anything other than items one and two above, the response I get is, "not yet," or as some of you have said, "this isn't over yet," referring, I'm sure, to the fact that he has not completed his lecture tour. "Who's to say what he is then going to ask of his followers?"
Come Unto Christ, not Denver Snuffer
She knows I like to counter with "We're not followers, we're readers." I've also made the point in my writings I'm not a Snufferite. My standard response is I simply want to come unto Christ. I enjoy Denver's style of writing. I understand Carol's point what he writes frightens some people. It means change. I've already addressed the idea of unity in marriage. "If ye are not one…"
Voicing that Divine Discontent
Depending on what blogs or forums you like to read, there seems to be much discontent with the way things are going in our nation, and in some cases, in the church. Some promote the idea we take a more active role in voicing discontent through dissent. Some have even suggested we go to the Conference Center as a block to cast an opposing vote in the annual sustaining process.
Investment in City Creek Mall
I never could or would do something like that. First of all, I do sustain the Brethren, meaning, I am happy with their efforts to lead this church. Maybe it's a Utah thing, but I wasn't upset with the church's explanation for where the money came from to build the City Creek Center. I accept that it came from interest earned on our tithing money. For some reason, that doesn't bother me.
Prepare for Collapse of United States
Other popular LDS-related forums seem to be advocating we get prepared for more than a natural catastrophe. There's talk of what we should do when the government is overthrown or fails of its own accord. These people are deceiving themselves. It's good to be involved in the political process. We know it's prophesied the United States government will collapse.
Spreading rumors of massive violence
Some of the private emails I receive from readers are repeating a rumor that we've got until just shortly after Denver finishes his lecture tour before things start to get really dicey here in the United States, meaning they fear economic collapse will soon turn our nation into a land of roving gangs with no central government or police presence to control the violence. What?
Visions of Glory – One Man's Opinion
One of the most-read posts here on Latter-day Commentary is still my book review of Visions of Glory written by John Pontius. If you read my review (Jan 2013), you know I gave it a mixed response, meaning I agreed with many things in it, especially views of the spirit world found in the first third of the book. As I wrote there, I had problems with the latter parts of the book.
God Will Fight His Own Battles
I didn't and still don't object to Spencer's idea that we will experience great natural catastrophes. If there is anything I find in common with messages from the prophets, it is the prediction of global destruction to occur in the last days. That's how the nations will be overthrown, not by any act of man. God will take care of things. He has warned us this has long been on its way.
Israel is Central to Events of Last Days
I've already expressed my opinion that the world, including the United States will soon turn against Israel to the point of war. I have no doubt Israel will soon act to remove the nuclear threat it sees from Iran. Because Israel will have to act alone with no support from the United States – not politically correct anymore – every nation will gather to fight against them. It's in prophecy.
Be Prepared For These Events
When the prophesied events of the last days happen, they will be rapid. Things will dramatically change around the world in the period of just a few years. What bothers me is that most people, including most LDS, have not been listening to the message of the prophets, ancient and modern, that the best and most needed preparation we can make for the coming destruction is spiritual.
Don't Forget Cosmological Signs
That's why I feel that Divine Discontent is a good thing. It's driving me to understand better what the Lord will do in these last days. If you want to say that it's all going to start as soon as Denver finishes his current lecture tour next year, fine. I can accept that. I wonder why so many good LDS writers and bloggers exclude the writings of Anthony Larson in their pontifications.
Writings of Anthony Larson
I can understand if you don't like the predictions found in Anthony's books. After all, he has taken the writings of a man rejected by the scientific community and combined them with the scriptures to come up with his unique combination of what is about to come upon us. The word most commonly used by his critics is pseudoscience or ideas of man mingled with scripture.
Signs of the Times Explained
My long-time readers know I disagree. Just like I have gone out on a limb in my claims that Denver Snuffer is a prophet because he is delivering a message he says the Lord asked him to deliver, I have long advocated that LDS folks read Anthony Larson's prophecy trilogy. It was in Deseret Book stores for years. If you really want to understand the last days, Anthony can help.
One More Writer I Recommend
I know both writers are unorthodox. I know they both have their critics, some very vocal. I might as well add to the list one other LDS writer who can best help you prepare for the last days. I've written about him before: Mel Fish. Mel is not the only one who teaches what he does about how to remove the influence of the adversary from your life, but he has published more than others.
How I Have Tried to Prepare
So there you have it. If I were asked whose books should I read to be best prepared for the last days and the eminent destruction which is prophesied to shortly come to pass, these are the three men I would recommend. Their writings have done more to help me understand what the Lord is about to do very soon than those of any other LDS writer. "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear."
Promptings of the Holy Ghost
The basis for everything these men teach is found in the scriptures. In other words, if you have the gift of the Holy Ghost and the scriptures, you don't need what these men have written. There is much disagreement about their interpretations of the scriptures. I have chosen the Holy Ghost as my guide. He has led me to the writings of these men. The spirit may lead you elsewhere.
Perhaps Only Philosophies of Men
I confess I am a weak man when it comes to understanding what I read in the Bible and other standard works. The language of the scriptures is different from the way we speak and write today. That's why I'm grateful for what I have learned from these men who have studied and written much of what they felt the Lord wanted them to share. I feel forewarned and prepared.
Inspired Writings From Many Sources
Maybe you don't need the interpretations of others to understand the Lord's strange act of the Last Days. I do. I appreciate the words of our living prophets and apostles. I simply ask myself, why has the spirit led me to the writings of these particular men? The answer always comes, after years and years of reading, studying and praying: "These men were also inspired of the Lord."
Wrapping it Up
You may say this post is all over the place. You're probably right. What was my point? It had something to do with Divine Discontent, right? My point is the Lord may inspire you to study the teachings of other men and women besides those we sustain as prophets, seers and revelators. My point is that the writings of these men have helped me in dealing with Divine Discontent.
What Drives You May Be Different
Maybe you don't suffer from Divine Discontent. Carol doesn't. She is perfectly happy with her life as a writer of romance novels – or whatever genre she decides to tackle. Please don't take this as a sexist remark: Maybe Divine Discontent is a malady that only strikes men. Maybe I'm unique in that I feel so driven and have felt driven by the Lord to read the writings of these men.
My Blog feels Completed
If this ends up being the last post I ever write on my blog, I will be happy. I have shared what I intended to share when I started blogging six years ago. I have introduced you to the writings of three men whose messages I felt the Lord wanted me to receive. I have tried to explain them and in many cases, to defend them. I feel I have done what the Lord wanted me to do with this blog.
Enduring to the End
Starting tomorrow I'm back to work. My week of vacation was well spent. I re-read Come, Let Us Adore Him and made good progress on my third reading of The Second Comforter. While I'm not there yet, meaning I have not received the Second Comforter, I feel my time was well spent. I've appreciated everyone's comments on my last few posts. Thanks for stopping by. God Bless.


text:
Miyuki-chan in Wonderland
Why I chose to make this costume:
This costume was created for a skit based on Moulin Rouge-style costumes. After seeing the movie, 6 other girls and I began designing our own versions of the Wonderland Girls. The challenge was to take the original CLAMP designs, elaborate them and alter them with typical late 1800's Showgirl elements as seen in "Moulin Rouge," but still retain the key elements of the original characters.
How I made this costume:
I don't think I have ever made a costume with more bits and parts before... The fluffy blue dress Miyuki wears was altered into two entities. A see-through undershirt with puffy sleeves and a corset with shoulder ruffles and flowers, and a rip-away can-can skirt with the apron attached to it. The skirt has a lining with the traditional can-can ruffles, alternating between blue and white. I also created various accessories for this detailed outfit—gloves, bows, bloomers... and embellished other parts like the garters, garter belt, shoes... Practically every part of the costume has been hand-decorated with sequins, ribbons, flowers, rhinestones etc. in the colors of white, iridescent and blue.
Thoughts on this costume:
I am very happy with the turnout of the outfit as well as the entire group. We all managed to complete our costumes in time and everyone looked great and very close to the CLAMP character designs. I enjoy wearing this one very much and hope to get a lot of use out of it before the year is over.


text:
Mathematicians awarded prizes for work on fluid mechanics, interface dynamics
BERKELEY — The world's largest applied mathematics society, the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM), has awarded two of its five quadrennial prizes to two University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) mathematicians.
Alexandre J. Chorin, University Professor of Mathematics and a senior scientist in LBNL's Mathematics Group, will be honored with the 2011 Lagrange Prize, established "to provide international recognition to individual mathematicians who have made an exceptional contribution to applied mathematics throughout their career."
James A. Sethian, professor of mathematics at UC Berkeley and head of LBNL's Mathematics Group, will receive the 2011 Pioneer Prize "for pioneering work introducing applied mathematical methods and scientific computing techniques to an industrial problem area or a new scientific field of applications."
The prizes, announced Monday, Sept. 20, are awarded every four years, and will be presented at the council's meeting July 18-22, 2011, in Vancouver, Canada.
Chorin, 72, introduced powerful new computational methods for the solution of problems in fluid mechanics, covering the spectrum from practical software to rigorous error bounds.
His methods are widely used to model airflow over aircraft wings and in turbines and engines, water flow in oceans and lakes, combustion in engines, and blood flow in hearts and veins. His methods have also contributed to the theoretical understanding of turbulent flow.
"Beginning with his pioneering work 40 years ago, Chorin developed some of the key mathematical and algorithmic ideas that underlie many of the most powerful computer codes in computational fluid dynamics," according to Chorin's citation from ICIAM. "By performing careful numerical experiments along with theoretical convergence studies, Chorin has placed the numerical solution of complex flow on a solid mathematical foundation for the first time."
A native of Poland, Chorin graduated from the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne, Switzerland, and received his M.S. and Ph.D. (1966) from the Courant Institute of New York University. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Among his honors is the National Academy of Sciences' Award in Applied Mathematics and Numerical Analysis and the 2000 Norbert Wiener Prize.
Sethian, 56, introduced mathematical and computational frameworks to track moving interfaces, and has carried these techniques into diverse areas throughout science and engineering.
His methods have been applied to understanding how to manufacture semiconductors, detect anatomical structures in medical images, accurately model combustion processes, improve industrial inkjet printing, and reconstruct geological structures from reflected waves.
"This extraordinary range of successes is made possible by Sethian's unparalleled eagerness to learn thoroughly the engineering aspects of problems he works on, the accuracy and depth of his feeling for mathematical structure, and his broad mathematical knowledge," according to his prize citation. "His body of work is emblematic of what an applied mathematician should aspire to achieve."
Sethian received his B.A. in mathematics from Princeton University in 1976 and earned his Ph.D. in applied mathematics from UC Berkeley in 1982. A member of the mathematics faculty since 1983, he is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the recipient of the 2004 Norbert Wiener Prize in Applied Mathematics.
ICIAM also awarded the Collatz Prize to Emmanuel J. Candès of Stanford University and Caltech; the Maxwell Prize to Vladimir Rokhlin of Yale University; and the Su Buchin Prize to Edward Lungu of the University of Botswana in Gabarone.


text:
Plagiarism Policy
Originality and Plagiarism Medpulse International Journal of Microbiology states that Authors should ensure that submitted work is original and has not been published elsewhere in any language, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited or quoted. Applicable copyright laws and conventions should be followed. Plagiarism in any form, including the touting of material contained in another paper (of the same authors or some other author) with cosmetic changes as a new paper; copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another's paper (without attribution), and claiming results from research conducted by others are among the numerous forms of plagiarism. In all its forms plagiarism constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication An author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable. In general, an author should not submit for consideration to another journal a previously published paper, or the one under consideration with another journal, without the written consent of the two journals involved. Acknowledgement of Sources Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work. Information obtained privately, as in conversation, correspondence, or discussion with third parties, must not be used or reported without explicit, written, permission from the source. Authorship of the Paper Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication. If the work involves chemicals, procedures or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed. Fundamental errors in published works When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author's obligation to promptly notify the journal Editor-in-Chief/Editor or publisher and cooperate to retract or correct the paper. If the Editor-in-Chief/Editor or the publisher learns from a third party that a published work contains a significant error, it is the obligation of the author to promptly retract or correct the paper or provide evidence to the Editor-in-Chief/Editor of the correctness of the original paper. |


text:
It's that time of the week when real foodies come together for a food festival! Fat Tuesday is the official end of Mardi Gras and here at Real Food Forager we are having our own Fat Tuesday Forager Festival!
Share your special holiday meal! Every Tuesday come join in this Real Food Free For All!
Link up your great real food recipes, natural remedies, posts, articles and book reviews about real food, food politics, green living and our food supply. Special diet recipes are welcome such as SCD, GAPS, gluten free, dairy free, sugar-free, Paleo, Primal, all are welcome as long as they involve REAL FOOD. Please feel free to post your recipe in the comments section if you are not a blogger.
Giveaways are welcome as long as they involve only real food items or cool kitchen tools. Pretty much anything goes — it's party time!
The Rules are simple:
1 — No artificial ingredients. Nothing commercially canned, packaged or processed. No fake foods. No soy or tofu, no artificial sweeteners like Splenda, no bad fats like margarine, soybean or corn oil. You get the idea.
2 — Provide a link back to this post on your site (a common courtesy).
3 — Please do not make me delete any non real food linkups. Please don't link them here. This is a place for real food recipes and issues.
4 — Please link the URL of your actual blog post and not your blog's home page.
5 — Be kind and come back and leave a comment after linking up. And check out some of the links. There is a wealth of knowledge here.
Be sure to visit on Sunday for Sunday Snippets, a weekly post that features recipes and articles from the previous Fat Tuesday. The next feature could be yours so be sure to check back! You must link back in order to be featured.


text:
The Wholemeal Cafe
Cafe Timor Leste 1kg
Sale price
Regular price
Medium roast coffee beans from East Timor.
Our single origin Arabica coffee is grown in the high altitude villages of East timor then roasted in Golden Bay, New Zealand.
The Wholemeal Cafe has created a personal connection with a small group of farmers to directly source their Arabica coffee. This ensures a high quality product for you, while providing higher returns for them and their families.
Online ordering is limited too:
2x 1KG per order due to NZ shipping costs.
Please email aydee@wholemealcafe for larger orders


text:
Fess Little Noses Spray 15ml
A young baby's natural instinct is to breathe through their nose - even when it is blocked. This can make their life very frustrating, disrupting sleep, nursing and bottle-feeding. That's why it's so important to keep your baby's nose clear.
FESS Little Noses is a non-medicated saline solution that provides relief of dry or blocked noses due to colds, allergies, sinusitis or dry air. The gentle alcohol free saline solution will not sting your baby's delicate nasal membranes and being non-medicated it can be used as often as needed without the worry of harmful side-effects.
How does FESS Little Noses work?
FESS Little Noses works by loosening and thinning nasal mucus and moisturising dry nasal passages. This helps to clear stuffy noses, allowing your baby to breathe easier. As babies insist on breathing through their nose, a clear nose is essential prior to feeding and sleeping.
FESS Little Noses is available in a spray and drops.
Non-medicated, so can be used as often as required.
Preservative free
Active Ingredients:
Purified seawater nasal spray
equiv. 9mg/ml Sodium Chloride
How to Use FESS Little Noses Saline Nasal Spray:
The easy to use spray pump has been specifically designed to produce a soft spray ideal for little noses.
1) Hold your baby upright, place the nozzle at the entrance of each nostril.
2) Depress the spray pump. Apply 1 to 3 sprays per nostril.
3) Gently wipe mucus from the baby's nose to prevent skin irritation. Alternatively, a nasal aspirator (hyperlink to how to use aspirator) can be used to gently clear loosened mucus without the harshness of tissues
This process should be done before you put your baby to sleep and at least 15 minutes before a feed so that your baby can breathe and suck at the same time.
Remember to always use as directed and consult your healthcare professional if symptoms persist.


text:
Skip to main content
Communities & Collections
All of Knowledge Core
Log In
USG Warning and Consent Banner
You are accessing a U.S. Government (USG) Information System (IS) that is provided for USG-authorized use only. By using this IS (which includes any device attached to this IS), you consent to the following conditions:
The USG routinely intercepts and monitors communications on this IS for purposes including, but not limited to, penetration testing, COMSEC monitoring, network operations and defense, personnel misconduct (PM), law enforcement (LE), and counterintelligence (CI) investigations.
At any time, the USG may inspect and seize data stored on this IS.
Communications using, or data stored on, this IS are not private, are subject to routine monitoring, interception, and search, and may be disclosed or used for any USG authorized purpose.
This IS includes security measures (e.g., authentication and access controls) to protect USG interests--not for your personal benefit or privacy.
Notwithstanding the above, using this IS does not constitute consent to PM, LE or CI investigative searching or monitoring of the content of privileged communications, or work product, related to personal representation or services by attorneys, psychotherapists, or clergy, and their assistants. Such communications and work product are private and confidential. See User Agreement for details.
Department Of Defence (DOD) Common Access Card (CAC) Required
United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
Mississippi Valley Division
Vicksburg District
Vicksburg District
Subcommunities and Collections
By Issue Date
By Author
By Title
By Subject
By Subject Category
Subcommunities and Collections
By Issue Date
By Author
By Title
By Subject
By Subject Category
Collections in this Community
Now showing
1 - 1 of 1
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Environmental Documents
chat loading...


text:
One striking thing about the Obama administration is the extent to which it has modeled itself after the television series The West Wing — right down to picking silly fights with talk-show hosts.
Obama could do it again. The fictional President Bartlet, faced with the political problem of two Supreme Court vacancies, picks someone Republicans would like in addition to his conventionally liberal choice. Having already nominated a conventional liberal in Justice Sotomayor, Obama could demonstrate his bipartisan chops by nominating the greatest living jurist — his fellow Chicagoan, Reagan appointee Judge Frank Easterbrook.
Judge Easterbrook is 61, older than any Supreme Court nominee since 1972, and, in his 25 years on the bench, he has become famous for such principled stands as upholding the constitutionality of a Chicago ban on spray paint even as he ridiculed it as a ludicrous law. If Obama forces swing-state Democrats in the Senate to vote for the confirmation of a judicial activist out of the popular mainstream, he'll make the 2010 midterms even more painful for his party than they're already expected to be. On the other hand, Obama can recapture independents for an increasingly marginalized Democratic party by proving that he values merit more than politics (including identity politics) in the nomination process. Think how relieved Senators Specter, Reid, Lincoln, and Bennet would be.
Aside from getting the West Wing plot wrong (Bartlet nominated a liberal and conservative because the two justices leaving the Court were a liberal and a conservative. That hardly applies when the anchor of the Supreme Court's left flank is the one retiring), I can only say come on. Even if we narrow the field to conservative 7th Circuit judges affiliated with the University of Chicago who are already living legends, Obama still would nominate Richard Posner over Frank Easterbrook (no slight intended on the latter -- Posner's just more iconoclastic).