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Citing resources in your research papers acknowledges that other people have influenced your ideas. Citations are also used to support your own ideas and arguments and to place your research in the larger context of a field of study (for instance, in a literature review or an annotated bibliography).
Citing work is essential to avoid accusations of plagiarism.
A citation management tool (also known as a reference manager application or a bibliographic manager) can be a useful tool for anyone doing research. Reference managers allow you to:
Create bibliographies quickly and automatically format in-text citations with word processing software (Word, Google Docs, Open Office).
Collect citations as you research, and save them in a personal account.
Add citations automatically certain sources without having to cut and paste or retype the information.
Annotate citations and link them to full-text documents.
Organize citations into folders.
While a number of reference manager applications exist, the most popular ones among researchers are: Zotero, Endnote, Mendeley, and RefWorks.
Please use the tabs to decide which is best for you. One thing to keep in mind is that it can be hard to switch from one platform to another. You can export your citations, but transferring tags or folders will be difficult.
How it works:
A FREE tool available to everyone. Software application available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and iOS devices. Also available via a web interface.
How to get it:
Download at Mendeley.com.
Manages not only citations, but also creates a well-managed library of your imported papers.
Regularly syncs content between machines and with the web version, keeping you always up to date.
Mendeley is the most social of citation managers. You can form groups to share resources and citations within your lab/study group/cohort.
Integrates with MS Word for easy inserting of citations/bibliographies.
Mendeley is owned by Elsevier, a for-profit company with a history of monetizing scholarship in ways that some consider harmful to the academy. Like other "free" platforms operated by for-profit companies, Mendeley provides Elsevier with data about users' research habits, which it then uses to market its services and metrics to universities. This is part of an overall trend toward vendors serving and monetizing every step in the research workflow. Researchers concerned about privacy or excessive monetization of research might prefer non-profit alternatives.
How to get help:
See the Mendeley website
EndNote Web: a Web-based service designed to help students and researchers through the process of writing a research paper. Undergraduate students can organize their references for citing in papers. Professional researchers and graduate students can use EndNote Web as the perfect complement to EndNote and other desktop writing tools, as well as storing references between ISI Web of Knowledge search sessions.
Zotero: an easy-to-use yet powerful research tool that helps you gather, organize, and analyze sources (citations, full texts, web pages, images, and other objects), and lets you share the results of your research in a variety of ways. It has the ability to store author, title, and publication fields and to export that information as formatted references and the best parts of modern software and web applications (like iTunes and del.icio.us), such as the ability to interact, tag, and search in advanced ways. Zotero integrates tightly with online resources; it can sense when users are viewing a book, article, or other object on the web, and on many major research and library sites find and automatically save the full reference information for the item in the correct fields.
EasyBib (Write Smart): The free version of EasyBib formats citations in the latest edition of the MLA format (currently the 7th edition). To use EasyBib's APA formatting services, sign up for MyBib Pro by clicking here: https://www.mybib.com/#/projects/ZeOY99/citations.
KnightCite: an online citation generator service provided by the Hekman Library of Calvin College. This service simplifies the often tedious task of compiling an accurate bibliography in the appropriate style by formatting the given data on a source into a reliable citation, eliminating the need to memorize minute details of style for multiple kinds of sources. The service is provided free of charge by the college, and is available to members both within and outside of the Calvin community.
JabRef: an open source bibliography reference manager. The native file format used by JabRef is BibTeX, the standard LaTeX bibliography format. JabRef runs on the Java VM (version 1.5 or newer), and should work equally well on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.
Son of Citation Machine: Professional researchers to properly credit the information that they use. Its primary goal is to make it so easy for student researchers to cite their information sources, that there is virtually no reason not to -- because Someday The Information That Someone Else Wants To Use -- Will Be Yours!
refbase: This web database lets you manage your academic references online, and share them with your colleagues. Using this free web service you can upload your references and see what others are reading, the database currently features 24047 records, organize and group your references, and assign keywords to them, so it's easy to get back to a reference, generate a formatted list of citations for your academic paper or CV (as HTML, RTF, PDF, or LaTeX), export references to desktop reference managers (such as Endnote, or Reference Manager) or BibTeX, and import records from common bibliographic formats and online databases.
We're a small, distributed team working on a variety of products that make teachers' and students life's easier. We're focusing on writing and productivity tools. We are starting off supporting the APA, MLA, and Chicago citation format. Over the next months, we'll add more formats and expand on features.


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DURANT, Okla. - A man launched a racist tirade at a Mexican-American woman in an Oklahoma Goodwill store, and she responded by turning on her phone's camera.
It happened while Maty Roberts, her daughter, and her daughter's boyfriend were at the Goodwill in Durant, Oklahoma.
Roberts said the man first directed his verbal assault on her daughter.
"Like, 'I hate wetbacks, why don't you go back to Mexico, speak English,'" Roberts told KFOR.
She was outraged and confronted the man with her phone camera rolling.
"Sir, are you the one who hates wetbacks?" she's heard asking on the video. "I am an American citizen."
"Yeah," he answers. "Wetbacks, wetbacks, 'cause you're an immigrant."
Roberts said she was shocked.
"You only see this on television, that happens somewhere else in a different state, bigger cities. Not here in Durant," she said.
The video goes on to show him taunting her.
"No speak English, I no speak English. No comprende," he is seen saying. "Lousy speaking immigrant."
Roberts was born in Mexico and moved to the U.S. in 1979. Then in 2008, she finally was granted citizenship.
Roberts said she was never so disrespected in Mexico or the U.S.
"I came here legally and I pay my taxes," she said.
When police arrived at the Goodwill, the man refused to hand over his I.D. Roberts continued to record the exchange he had with the officer.
"We speak English. English only," he said before closing the car door.
Roberts said she knows his arrest will not change the way he thinks, but she wants an apology. While she acknowledges the attack on her racial background, she doesn't want to be political. Instead, she condemns anyone who is a bully.
"Hopefully by seeing this video and by the comments, they understand that it's not acceptable," Roberts said. "It's not acceptable."

subset: commoncrawl


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Product Description
Full Grain Semi-Aniline Cow Hide
Size: 4.00 – 5.00 m2 approx. per average hide
Thickness: 1.0 mm – 1.10 mm
- This leather passes the Flammability Test Res.A652 (16) required by the International Maritime Organisation.
- This leather passes all applicable EEC Standards.
Note: To convert textile fabric to the equivalent leather requirements, as a guide, add 60% to the textile meterage e.g. 20 metres of textile converts to 32m2 of leather.


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The IBIX and IBIX H20 Eco-blasters and the HELIX equipment (micro-air-abrasion system with helical vortex nozzle) are suitable for cleaning cement or concrete structures efficiently in terms of hours of work and quality.
In particular, the IBIX eco blasting method is especially useful for restoring reinforced concrete, degraded, peeled, and corroded concrete, and for removing rust from metal reinforcement rods exposed to weather agents before concrete is treated and restored.
The technology developed by IBIX is particularly valued by operators specialised in the recovery of modern buildings and urban construction style.


text: When the occasion calls for a joyful burst of sunshine, this thrilling mixed bouquet is all ready to chase any trace of a cloudy day away. Big, happy sunflowers set the tone and pop beautifully among contrasting pink roses and alstroemeria along with burgundy mini-carnations arranged in a ceramic illusion vase that convincingly replicates the look of a leaf-lined glass pillar. Its an arrangement guaranteed to deliver a fresh outlook for making any day, extra special.


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Take a look to the official track list of the soundtrack of Lone Survivor, the upcoming action drama thriller movie written and directed by Peter Berg and starring Mark Wahlberg:
Plot Synopsis:
"Based on the failed June 28, 2005 mission 'Operation Red Wings'. Four members of SEAL Team 10 were tasked with the mission to capture or kill notorious Taliban leader Ahmad Shahd (Yousuf Azami). Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg) was the only member of his team to survive."
The soundtrack of Lone Survivor will be released on December 20, 2013.


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Welcome in the forum. Here you can discuss toy animal figures of Schleich, Bullyland, Papo, Safari Ltd, CollectA, Mojo Fun as well as innumerable other manufacturers.
schleich, animal, collection, safari, collecta, papo, bullyland, laughing, giraffe, starlux, animals, replicas, collector, playvisions, mojö, #breyer
An online forum for New England model horse collectors.
#breyer, horses, england, model, horse, collectors
This is a place where model horse lovers can come and discuss anything model horse related and make new friends!
model, horse, shenanigans, place, lovers, discuss, #breyer, stone, peter, horses, resins, artist


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Counting Applications
In the field of manufacturing, commerce and automation the need for accurate applications that can count, detect and identify with precision are in growing demand.
From compiling and recognising large amounts of data, to counting production lines and unit lines, counting automation applications not only save time and money, they can also ensure that you can track and trace the exact quantities of production.
If you have a counting automation application that you wish to have designed or developed, feel free to contact us and one of our technical engineers will provide the ideal counting solution to your automation needs.
Remote Monitoring System
- The customer requested a system to allow the remote data collection of a Filling, Labelling and Cartoning machine. The machines status was needed to be logged for the duration of the shift.
Production Counter Box
- The customers wanted to install a simple production counter which was mounted into an enclosure, to be used in a rugged environment. A reset button was added to avoid the counters own button being used to destruction.
Automated Tablet Counter
- More Control were asked to develop an automatic tablet counting machine which could dispense high levels of tablets / pills and be easily programmed, adjusted and integrated into a fully automated production line.
People Counter
- Automation Application designed and developed for the Kew Gardens Tree Top walkway to accurately measure and detect the number of people and their directions of movement at any given part of the walkway. By using this people counting application, the Kew Gardens could regulate the number of people on the Tree Top walkway to optimise their comfort and to ensure safety on the walkway.
Filling Machine
- Working in conjunction with KBW Packaging, More Control has designed a new range of tablet counting and liquid filling machines and automation applications, suitable for a range of counting products.


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Earlier this month, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was presented with the report of the Commission to Examine the Status of Building in Judea and Samaria, headed by former Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy (the "Levy report").The report has drawn a flurry of overwrought criticism due to its inclusion of a section concerning the lawfulness of Israeli settlement activity.
In contrast with the misinformed and sometimes outright disingenuous criticism, the report's discussion of the lawfulness of settlements is surprisingly modest in substance. The report does little more than endorse the traditional official Israeli position that the Fourth Geneva Convention does not apply de jure to the "West Bank", and in any event does not bar Israeli settlements.
While the report's analysis is far from comprehensive, it is more detailed and more persuasive than that usually offered by anti-settlement activists.
The Levy report adduces one of two fairly compelling reasons for concluding that the laws of belligerent occupation do not apply de jure to Israel's presence in the "West Bank". One of the sine quibus non of belligerent occupation, as reaffirmed recently in an expert conference organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross, is that the occupation take place on foreign territory. While recent years have seen some debate on the meaning of foreign territory, considerable state practice supports the traditional view that captured territory is "foreign" only when another state has sovereignty.
Indeed, had the Levy Commission chosen to so argue, it could have argued cogently that Israel itself was already the lawful sovereign over the "West Bank" in 1967.
The Levy Commission is on solid ground in observing that neither Jordan nor any other foreign state had territorial sovereignty over the "West Bank" in 1967 and that the territory cannot therefore be "foreign" for purposes of the law of belligerent occupation. Indeed, had the Levy Commission chosen to so argue, it could have argued cogently that Israel itself was already the lawful sovereign over the "West Bank" in 1967.
Unmentioned by the report, Israel's peace agreement with Jordan constitutes a second reason for questioning the de jure application of the laws of belligerent occupation to the "West Bank". As Yoram Dinstein wrote some time ago, the rules of belligerent occupation cannot be applied to Israel's presence there "inlight of the combined effect of ... the Jordanian-Israeli Treaty of Peace of 1994 and the series of agreements with the Palestinians. There is simply no room for belligerent occupation in the absence of belligerence, namely, war."
While Dinstein qualified his observation by holding several idiosyncratic views regarding the definition of occupation and the status of the Palestinians, as well as by joining a small group of legal scholars who believe in a"post-belligerent occupation" that shares many of the rules of belligerent occupation, the majority position is still clearly that the rules of belligerent occupation do not apply to an agreed-upon peacetime presence.
On settlements, the Levy report likewise adduces several strong arguments to the effect that even if the laws of belligerent occupation applied to Israel's presence in the "West Bank", the Fourth Geneva Convention poses no bar to the kinds of actions that are subsumed under the term "settlement activities."
The Fourth Geneva Convention forbids "transfers" and "deportations" by the occupying state of parts of its population into occupied territory, but not "settlements." Officials of the state of Israel have provided services to settlers and sometimes encouraged them, but the state of Israel has not transferred any Israeli to the "West Bank" against his or her will.
In fact, as even anti-settlement activists like Talia Sasson acknowledge,"there was never a considered, ordered decision by the state of Israel, by any Israeli government" on settlements. While some governments of Israel have favored the physical expansion of settlements or the increase of their population, settlement growth has been driven by the preferences of private citizens, not by official Israeli population transfers.
The Fourth Geneva Convention forbids "transfers" and "deportations" by the occupying state...the state of Israel has not transferred any Israeli to the "West Bank" against his or her will.
There is no precedent for any other state being adjudged to have violated the Fourth Geneva Convention simply on the basis of permitting or facilitating private preferences in the way Israel has done. Indeed, this is the reason that the Arab states sought to redefine the bar on "transfers" in international law by including a crime of "indirect" transfers in the Rome Statute creating the International Criminal Court. However, Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute and it is therefore not bound by the alternative, more restrictive standard.
The Levy Commission notes that even if facilitating private Jewish residential preferences in the West Bank were otherwise suspect "transfers," sui generis rules apply to the area.
Article 6 of the Mandate of Palestine demands "encourage[ment], in cooperation with the Jewish Agency … [of] close settlement by Jews on the land, including State lands..."
As the late Eugene Rostow, one-time dean of Yale Law School, noted, this command is preserved by article 80 of the U.N. Charter, and, if the "West Bank is under belligerent occupation,by article 43 of the Hague Regulations. Additionally, if, as Israel'scritics contend, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rightsapplies to Israeli actions in the West Bank, articles 3, 12 and 26 of theCovenant lend urgency to Israeli efforts to protect Jewish housing rightsin the West Bank in light of the Palestinian Authority death penalty forland sales to Jews coupled with senior Palestinian officials' open callfor a Jew-free state of Palestine.
Talia Sasson, author of her own controversial 2005 report on outposts, has criticized the Commission on the grounds that its conclusions are contradicted by Israeli Supreme Court rulings. But contrary to Sasson's assertions, while the Supreme Court has adjudicated cases on the basis of Israel's voluntary assumption of selected duties of a belligerent occupant, the Court has never ruled that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies dejure to the "West Bank".
In opposing the Levy report, Aeyal Grossand David Kretzmer have claimed that if the laws of belligerent occupation do not apply de jure to the" West Bank", Israel lacked the authority to empower a military commander to undertake actions such as seizing property in the territory. However, Gross and Kretzmer err. Israel's administrative law determines the powers given to an Israeli military commander, not international law, and there is nothing to prevent Israel granting various powers to its commander in the "West Bank", in the absence of a de jure belligerent occupation.
History supplies more extreme examples: the United States applied full military regimes to defeated Confederate states after the civil war, and to Puerto Rico following a peace treaty with Spain, even though the states were American territory and there was clearly no de jure belligerent occupation.
Some have argued that the Levy report is foolish politically, arguing that by asserting its legal rights, Israel will signal that it is unwilling to entertain "land for peace" compromises. This seems a doubtful thesis. Israel has asserted its legal rights to Jerusalem for decades, but yet repeatedly offered compromises on its rights in the city.
Others have objected that the Levy report's conclusions can be disputed by international jurists, including by a controversial and non-binding advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. It is true that like many legal controversies, the questions addressed by the Levy Commission are capable of being analyzed in a numberof ways. The Levy Commission's conclusions are logical applications of reasonable understandings of the rules in an area where no authoritative resolution of the dispute has yet been rendered.
The Levy report has reinvigorated the discussion of the legitimacy of Israel's position under international law after many years in which Israel has been silent about its legal rights.That is a welcome development
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 176, July 31, 2012, BESA Perspectives is publishedthrough the generosity of the Greg Rosshandler Family.


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A sense of humour is required because this is the gift that keeps on giving!
This listing is for one darn funny keychain. The key chain is made from brass with an antique colour finish and the image area measures 25mm. Even better, the keychain will arrive in a kraft gift box.
PURCHASING MORE THAN ONE ITEM? The shipping difference will be refunded after the order has been placed.
INSTAGRAM: @nostalgiclinks
Tags: #wearyourpersonality #nostalgiclinks
Nostalgic Links would be happy to do custom wedding party orders. For all inquiries, please send a message via conversation options.


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Adjustable Cross Bar – Toyota
· [No Drilling Required] – One of the most popular and commonly used accessories, the Adjustable Cross Bar – Toyota is perfect for safely and securely locking down cargo or keeping roof top items in place with no drilling required. Each cross bar is hand crafted in our Colorado facility and comes with includes stainless steel and Grade 8 hardware.
· [Easy to Install] – the Adjustable Cross Bar can be installed, removed, or adjusted quickly and easily by one person when needed. With a 165lb. static load limit per cross bar it's sure to come in handy with any roof top cargo.
· [Durable & Long-lasting] – The black thermal plastic coating finish and anti-rust undercoat provides years of on & off-road heavy duty utility. Each cross bar is pressure tested to eliminate open welds or rust. In addition, the GOBI Adjustable Cross Bar uses only the hardware needed to secure the cross bar to the roof rack for a noise-free system.


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CASIA Communications Sdn. Bhd. is a Malaysian-based network consultancy, design, implementation & maintenance services provider. Our company provides solutions relating to LAN, WAN, Metro Networks, Wired and Wireless Last Mile Access, xDSL, ISDN Backup, Data compression, Internet Subscriber Gateway, TDM, IP based networking and Frame Relay/ ATM, Fiber Optic network Infrastructure and is also proud distributor and reseller for many famous brands providing all sorts of hardware in the field.
- For more information on the company, please visit our About page.
- For latest news regarding the company, please visit our News page.
- For more information about the products we carry, please visit our Products page.
- For detailed descriptions and a list of services provided, please visit our Services page.
- To contact us, and for detailed contact information, please visit our Contact Us page.


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An Epic 2014!!
So much has happened in 2014 and in celebrating the new year I had time to reflect on what an amazing journey 2014 has been for me! To name a few events: my parents moved to CA, my brother moved in with me, my husband and I bought our first house, and found out we were pregnant with our first child!!


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This information is intended for personnel "Resource Ordered" by the State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection.
- Alaska Wildland Fire Guide (PDF)
- Click HERE to view the Alaska Fire Orientation
So, you've been "resource ordered" by the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection. You're wondering; What can I expect? What should I bring? We've put together some information to help you plan and pack for your assignment.
Everyone has the right to a safe assignment.
There will be NO compromise of public or fire fighter safety!
Wildland fire can occur across Alaska's 375 million acres as early as March and as late as October but the potential for "problem" fires begins in early May and runs into mid-August. Alaska experiences the typical human-caused fire problems in the populated areas while lightning accounts for most of the remote fires.
Three agencies provide fire protection in Alaska; the State's Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DOF), the Bureau of Land Management's Alaska Fire Service (AFS), and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The Division of Forestry & Fire Protection protects the interior and southern portions of the state (the DOF has protection responsibility in most of the high population areas). The Alaska Fire Service protects the northern portion. The USFS protects the southern/southeast portion (see map below).
Each agency manages fires on all ownerships within their protection area. This innovative approach provides relatively quick and less costly responses given Alaska's checkerboard of individual land ownership. All three agencies share resources. Re-assignments to another agency's incidents or support offices are common and may occur even before your arrival.
In the early 1980s, Alaska's landowners, land managers and suppression agencies developed the most progressive and innovative fire management plans in the nation. These plans designated four protection levels that range from aggressive initial attack and suppression to simple monitoring actions. Determined by factors such as values at risk, wildlife habitat and suppression costs to name a few, these plans continue to provide clear and concise direction to Alaska's suppression agencies.
For more information on Wildland Fire Management in Alaska, read the document "The Basics" (pdf).
Assignment Duration
The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection expects a 14-day commitment from all who fill Alaska overhead orders. If your original assignment runs short of 14 days, expect reassignment to another incident, support office, or an overhead pool.
Alaska has terrific sightseeing opportunities so many individuals choose to tour portions of the state upon completion or their assignment. Check with the locals for recommendations. The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection will arrange your return travel based on your release date and time. If desired, it is up to the individual to change his or her return ticket and contact the home unit for approval to do so.
What is an Overhead Pool?
Consider an overhead pool as resources in a staging area, available for quick deployment where needed. During portions of active fire seasons, Alaska will occasionally request overhead through the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) to establish a pool of initial attack and suppression resources as well as some support personnel. Whether ordered by the DOF or AFS, Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks is the most common location for these pools.
The Alaska Briefing
The Division of Forestry & Fire Protection makes every effort to ensure that everyone "resource ordered" to Alaska attends the 2-hour Alaska briefing from either DOF or the Alaska Fire Service. The briefing goes into more detail on many subjects, including Alaska fire behavior.
What to Bring
Alaska adheres to the national standard of 65 pounds maximum for personal gear (PG). Alaska's weather changes rapidly so, chances are, you will experience cool, rainy conditions at some point during your assignment. Rain usually won't put out Alaska fires so don't count on going home because you've seen a couple of days of wet weather. Pack accordingly! We suggest warm thermal underwear, a jacket or wool sweater, 8-inch top boots, and rain gear. Many Alaska fires occur far from road systems so camps are usually remote with limited facilities. Tents are rarely available so bring your own.
Once in Alaska, an EFF pack (weight 20 pounds) is available upon request but the pack weight counts towards the 65-pound maximum.
EFF pack contents:- 1 Sleeping Bag
- 1 pr. ear plugs
- 1 pr. leather work gloves
- 2 ea. 1 qt. canteen with cover
- 1 mosquito net (not a head net)
- 1 insect repellent
- 1 hand towel
- 1 personal first aid kit
- 1 10" file with handle
- 1 hard hat
- 1 bar soap
- 1 foot powder
- 1 pair goggles
- 1 black plastic sheeting
- 1 burlap bag
- 1 nylon cord
- 1 plastic or metal cup
- 1 duffel bag (holds above items)
Living Conditions
Alaska accommodations vary from modern hotels or barracks style quarters to remote fire camps.
Most fire camp situations will require tent living and sleeping on the ground (remember to bring your own tent). Fire camp food consists of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) or "Fresh Food Boxes". Each fresh food box provides food for 4 people for 3 days. In any case, you will be doing your own cooking over an open fire. Basic cooking utensils are available. Coleman two-burner stoves are sometimes, but not always, available. Virtually all Alaska fire camps are without telephones, indoor toilets, showers, laundry service, or other amenities that are common to "lower-48 camps.
Alaska fire camp living often means bugs, namely mosquitoes along with a couple of other annoying insects. Bug dope (Alaska jargon for insect repellent) is essential to your "quality of life". Do not leave home without it!
Food and garbage are bear magnets and sightings are quite common. Keep eating and sleeping areas separate and don't take food to your tent. Upon arrival in Alaska, you will be given an Alaska briefing that covers bears in more detail.
Support Office Assignments
Of the nine Division of Forestry & Fire Protection offices, only the McGrath Field Office has a mess/dining hall. If assigned to any other Forestry office, plan on either being placed in meal per-diem status or using locally issued meal chits. Per-diem requires you to cover your meal expenses while in Alaska and claim reimbursement after you return home. The DOF will provide lodging. Please refer to map below for more specific information on the 7 DOF area/district offices.
If you have any burning questions that cannot wait until your arrival call:
- State Logistics Center (907) 451-2680
Fairbanks Area Forestry (FAS)
Fairbanks, the state's second largest city, is in the center of Alaska's interior. Fairbanks Area is the division's most northern office. Both the Richardson and Parks Highways terminate in Fairbanks. The Steese and Elliot Highways originate in Fairbanks and extend northward. The surrounding area is generally rolling hills to the north and somewhat flat between Fairbanks and the Alaska Range.
The Fairbanks Area has a significant human-caused fire problem in town and the outlying areas. Urban/interface fire situations are common. Lightning fires also occur with some frequency during summer months. The Fairbanks Area relies upon a Bell-212 helitack load and engine crews for initial attack responses in and around Fairbanks. Mutual aid responses with any of several local Structure Fire Departments are frequent.
For those on temporary assignment in the Fairbanks Area, the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection will provide lodging and meals at local hotels and restaurants.
Delta Area Forestry (DAS)
The Delta Area Office in the town of Delta Junction is just north of the Alaska Range about 95 highway miles southeast of Fairbanks. The Alaska Highway runs southeast from Delta Junction and enters the Tok protection area before reaching the Canadian border. The Richardson Highway links Delta Junction with Fairbanks to the northwest and Glennallen to the south. The protection area encompasses some 3.8 million acres.
Known for its fierce southern winds off the Alaska Range, the Delta Area experiences a season-long fire problem beginning in early May. Agricultural activities add significantly to the human-caused fire risk. Lightning is also prevalent in the Delta Area during the summer months
The Delta Area initial attack staff can respond in engines or as part of a Bell-212 helitack crew. The retardant base at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks is about 75 air miles from Delta. The Delta Area retardant site is activated on an as-needed basis.
For those on temporary assignment in the Delta Area the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection will provide lodging and meals at local motels and restaurants.
Tok Area Forestry (TAS)
The Tok Area protection boundaries encompass 8.5 million acres from the Johnson River in the west to the Canadian border in the east; and from the village of Mentasta in the Alaska Range south of Tok to the community of Chicken in the north. The Alaska/Canada Highway, or Alcan, runs through Tok in a southeast/northwest direction. Extending from Tetlin Junction on the Alcan, the Taylor Highway heads northwards and ties in with the "Top of the World Highway" which extends to Dawson in the Yukon Territory.
The Tok Area experiences the typical eastern interior dry summers and lighting is frequent in June and July. The area has a four-person initial attack engine staff and shares a Bell-206L helicopter with one of its southern neighbors, the Valdez/Copper River Area. Operational in May, the Tanacross retardant site lies 20 miles east of Tok. Occasional large fires are a routine part of the Tok Area's fire history.
For those on temporary assignment in the Tok Area, the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection will provide lodging and meals at local motel and restaurant establishments.
Anchorage/Mat-Su Area Office (MSS)
The Anchorage/Mat-Su Area Office at Palmer is approximately 50 road miles northeast of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. The Area encompasses about 14.5 million acres from Girdwood to the south, the Alaska Range to the north (mile 218 of the Parks Highway), from Rainy Pass in the west to Talkeetna Mountains in the east.
Starting as early as mid-April, the Area experiences an urban/interface fire problem that does not begin to diminish until "green up" in June. Although lightning fires are not uncommon, most of the District's fires are human caused.
The Area has 10 seasonal initial attack firefighters that can respond in engines or as part of a Bell-212 helitack crew. Mutual aid engine responses with local structure fire departments are routine. The Air Attack Base provides an airstrip and facilities for retardant, air attack, smokejumpers, cargo and other fixed or rotor wing aircraft operations.
For those on temporary assignment in the Mat-Su Area, the Division will provide meals and lodging at local motel and restaurant establishments.
Valdez/Copper River Area Office (CRS)
The Valdez/Copper River Area Office covers 26 million acres of the southeast portion of the Alaska mainland. The Alaska, Chugach, Talkeetna, and Wrangell Mountain Ranges all converge in the Copper River Valley. Valdez, in the extreme southern portion of the protection area, is the largest city in this sparsely populated area. The Richardson and Glenn Highways span the valley in all directions. The Valdez/Copper River Area Office is 5 miles south of Glennallen at Mile 110 of the Richardson Highway.
Alaska's most volatile forest fuel, black spruce, covers most of the area but the relatively small population base results in a somewhat lower human-caused fire risk in comparison to the state's major population centers. The Copper River Valley also experiences slightly less lightning activity than Alaska's interior.
The area has a four-person initial attack engine staff and shares a Bell-206L helicopter with one of its northern neighbors, the Tok Area. The Gulkana airport, 8 miles north of the office, is the center of the valley's aviation activities.
For those on temporary assignment in the Valdez/Copper River Area, the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection will provide lodging and meals at local motel and restaurant establishments.
Kenai/Kodiak Area Office (KKS)
The Kenai/Kodiak Area Office is two miles north of Soldotna at mile 92.5 of the Sterling highway. The protection area encompasses 11.8 million acres. Probably the most popular recreational area in Alaska, the Kenai Peninsula itself is a generally flat broad plain, bordered by the Kenai Mountains to the east and Cook Inlet to the west, north, and south. Kodiak, home of the famous brown bear, and its adjoining islands are mostly mountainous, rugged country.
Resulting from the extensive settlements and the numerous recreational activities in the area, wildland/urban interface incidents are routine. A coastal influence produces a relatively mild climate in this high land and resource value area. Lightning fires are rare but not unheard of.
For those on temporary assignment in the Kenai/Kodiak Area, the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection will provide lodging and meals at local motel and restaurant establishments.
Southwest District Office (SWS)]
The Southwest Area Office in McGrath, 195 miles west of Anchorage, is accessible by air only. Numerous Alaska villages, mostly situated along rivers, are spread throughout the 66.6 million acre protection. The terrain varies from mountainous uplands to lowland flats. The Alaska Range serves as the protection area's eastern boundary, the Bering Sea the western. The Southwest Area extends southward to the coast and northward to the Galena protection boundary.
Lightning accounts for about 80% of the Southwest Area ignitions. During peak activity periods, the office situation unit may track and monitor anywhere from a few to as many as 50 fires daily. In a remote, road-less area of this size, daily aerial reconnaissance is essential. Whether it's smokejumper or helitack activities, air tankers, or detection and mapping aircraft, the Southwest Area is all about air operations.
Those on temporary assignment at McGrath will have meals provided at the mess hall. Housing will be in the form of an assigned bunk on the office compound.
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As libertarian populist moments go, this one has everything: crying kids, pissed-off passengers, grabby agents, genital encroachment, and an all-purpose bit of slang that became a slogan overnight.
"Don't touch my junk": one could hardly devise a more libertarian sentiment, at least in the modern register. It's a bit disappointing that it took federally-mandated molestation to finally get people to the point of saying, "Enough!", but there is certainly some comfort in knowing that such a point still exists. While Americans on the whole have been prepared to trade many of their liberties for security; while they have with only mild grumbling stripped off shoes and belts, dumped out shampoo and baby formula, and tossed away fabric scissors and Zippo lighters, yet there remains something up with which they will not put: the touching of the aforementioned "junk."
What's more depressing is that this fight even needed to be fought. It's hard to find anyone willing to defend the high-school hernia-check approach, and harder still if you exclude those people—i.e., Congressmen — who don't have to be subject to such treatment. Many even among the TSA staffers find all this cupping and diddling "disgusting and morale breaking" — not really surprising when you think about a job experience that's gone from mildly berating herds of travelers to trying to distinguish the right folds on the type of passenger that Southwest requires two tickets for.
With the high-volume holiday travel weekends coming up soon, it's clear that this policy is going to have to change; mounting stress on both sides of the plexiglass will lead eventually to either a boycott among passengers, a walkout among TSA staff, or some combination of the two. My worry is that, with concern so squarely focused on crotches, any compromise that gets TSA hands back out of passenger pants will defuse the issue, leaving the wider import of "junk touching" — invasive searches not only of person, but also of property — unchallenged.
Certainly we all would prefer to complete our plane flights without submitting our genitals to inspection. But concentrating on that "junk" alone means that outrageous stories of "touching" such as the harassment of Jacob Appelbaum will continue to be underreported. Appelbaum, a spokesman for Wikileaks, was returning from international travel when he was pulled aside and had his laptop and cellphone seized without a warrant or charge of any sort. Whatever your thoughts on Wikileaks, it should be sobering that the government claims the right at re-entry checkpoints to carry out searches that would be blatantly unconstitutional in any other context.
If you fly internationally, your electronic devices and data are subject to government search and seizure. For many people, this would be a far more invasive procedure than even a full cavity search, yet as it lacks the immediacy of a uniformed stooge grabbing for the short and curlies, it is not perceived as a threat. Additionally, many people still seem to buy the line that if the government is seizing someone's computer, then there must be some reason for it, rather than a petty grudge, a political vendetta, or merely a mistaken identity, whereas every person in line at the airport can see there is no reason for a TSA agent to fondle a terrified 3-year-old or drench a cancer survivor in his own urine.
The outpouring of TSA jokes (check the Twitter hashtag #TSApickuplines for one rich vein) shows both the opportunity and the danger of this moment. There is a very clear and attainable victory to be won by channeling populist anger and pushing back against the most obviously invasive practices of our security statists. But if in freeing ourselves physically from the government's icy grip their more insidious abuses of privacy are not likewise exposed and repudiated, we will have gained nothing: they'll still have us by the balls.


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This is a really easy fight ... Holy fucking crap! That really hurt!
So what's the deal with Astraea and Garl Vinland? That sounds like an interesting story behind all that.
So what's the deal with Astraea and Garl Vinland? That sounds like an interesting story behind all that.
I think it's that Astraea and Vinland went into the colorless fog and into the valley of defilement and were so dismayed by how crappy the place was that they fell into darkness? Astraea wanted to save the wretched souls and ended up as a demon because of it?
I really didn't clarify to well in that last set and I'm really regretting that
In gameplay news... is Firestorm worth picking up even if I'm not much of a caster? My guy is mostly dexterity based--a Sharp Kilij being my goto weapon. Also related to a dex build, what's a good sink for my Colorless souls?
ShinyRedKnight wrote: »I recently started playing and was wondering about when to use two handed mode versus one handed.
Does it depend on the enemy or more so on what you feel comfortable with?
If it matters, I'm playing a priest and temple knight, until I pick one of them.
Shorn Scrotum Man wrote: »Hahaha, love how you finished the Tower Knight.
Your horrible horrible lp made me finally pull the trigger on buying this game
Thanks, JERK
come on Trynant, slaying scores and scores of demons is fine but a meat cleaver to the balls? that just ain't cool man
Snowblindvictim wrote: »WHAT?! You can bypass the Tower Knight?!
The reason I stopped playing was because I couldn't beat him!
I died hundreds of times and just altogether shelved the game.
Time to give it a go again
I don't have a vote on when you do PBWT. I just wanted to say thanks for doing this LP. Before I watched you play, I had only progressed through 1-1 at a snail's pace, worried that any shadow would jump out and kill me. Watching your first video showed me just how Wrong I was Doing It.
I have a question that's been nagging at me for a while. Did you ever pick up the Dragon Long Sword +1 in 2-2? I know that the Dragon upgrade is said not to scale well past NG (I wouldn't know) but it has been extremely dominant in NG.
So what's the deal with Astraea and Garl Vinland? That sounds like an interesting story behind all that.


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Bible Study Downloads
These Bible Studies represent our best effort to describe what the Church Fathers have had to say about the Church Lectionary, which has its roots in Apostolic times, and which has a topic prescribed for each given day. It is a work in process; some Studies have been updated recently, while others are on the list for an update. While the Studies are listed by date, you may search for topics or Scripture References using our Search Page. For example, a search on "Joshua" will uncover a number of references somewhere in the Studies. If there is a topic that you would like more information on, please contact Mark Kern at firstname.lastname@example.com or write to Mark Kern c/o St. Athanasius Orthodox Church.


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IBEX spacecraft detects fast neutral hydrogen coming from the moon
NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft has made the first observations of very fast hydrogen atoms coming from the moon, following decades of speculation and searching for their existence.
During spacecraft commissioning, the IBEX team turned on the IBEX-Hi instrument, built primarily by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which measures atoms with speeds from about half a million to 2.5 million miles per hour. Its companion sensor, IBEX-Lo, built by Lockheed Martin, the University of New Hampshire, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the University of Bern in Switzerland, measures atoms with speeds from about one hundred thousand to 1.5 million mph.
"Just after we got IBEX-Hi turned on, the moon happened to pass right through its field of view, and there they were," says Dr. David J. McComas, IBEX principal investigator and assistant vice president of the SwRI Space Science and Engineering Division. "The instrument lit up with a clear signal of the neutral atoms being detected as they backscattered from the moon."
The solar wind, the supersonic stream of charged particles that flows out from the sun, moves out into space in every direction at speeds of about a million mph. The Earth's strong magnetic field shields our planet from the solar wind. The moon, with its relatively weak magnetic field, has no such protection, causing the solar wind to slam onto the moon's sunward side.
From its vantage point in space, IBEX sees about half of the moon -- one quarter of it is dark and faces the nightside (away from the sun), while the other quarter faces the dayside (toward the sun). Solar wind particles impact only the dayside, where most of them are embedded in the lunar surface, while some scatter off in different directions. The scattered ones mostly become neutral atoms in this reflection process by picking up electrons from the lunar surface.
The IBEX team estimates that only about 10 percent of the solar wind ions reflect off the sunward side of the moon as neutral atoms, while the remaining 90 percent are embedded in the lunar surface. Characteristics of the lunar surface, such as dust, craters and rocks, play a role in determining the percentage of particles that become embedded and the percentage of neutral particles, as well as their direction of travel, that scatter.
McComas says the results also shed light on the "recycling" process undertaken by particles throughout the solar system and beyond. The solar wind and other charged particles impact dust and larger objects as they travel through space, where they backscatter and are reprocessed as neutral atoms. These atoms can travel long distances before they are stripped of their electrons and become ions and the complicated process begins again.
The combined scattering and neutralization processes now observed at the moon have implications for interactions with objects across the solar system, such as asteroids, Kuiper Belt objects and other moons. The plasma-surface interactions occurring within protostellar nebula, the region of space that forms around planets and stars -- as well as exoplanets, planets around other stars -- also can be inferred.
IBEX's primary mission is to observe and map the complex interactions occurring at the edge of the solar system, where the million miles per hour solar wind runs into the interstellar material from the rest of the galaxy. The spacecraft carries the most sensitive neutral atom detectors ever flown in space, enabling researchers to not only measure particle energy, but also to make precise images of where they are coming from.
Around the end of the summer, the team will release the spacecraft's first all-sky map showing the energetic processes occurring at the edge of the solar system. The team will not comment until the image is complete, but McComas hints, "It doesn't look like any of the models."
Source: Southwest Research Institute (news : web)


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Author:Cassie Alexander
Release Date: November 27, 2012
Publisher: St. Martins
Edie Spence Book #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher/Netgalley
After surviving a brutal vampire attack, Nurse Edie Spence is ready to get back to work—attending to supernatural creatures in need of medical help. But her nursing skills are put to the test when she witnesses a hit-and-run on her lunch break. The injured pedestrian is not only a werewolf, he's the pack leader. And now Edie's stuck in the middle of an all-out were-war…
With two rival packs fighting tooth and nail, Edie has no intention of crossing enemy lines. But when she meets her patient's nephew—a tattooed werewolf named Lucas with a predatory gleam in his eye that's hard to resist—Edie can't help but choose sides. The question is: can she trust this dangerous new ally? And can she trust her own instincts when she's near him? Either way, Edie can't seem to pull away—even if getting involved makes her easy prey…
Edie would do anything for those she cares about and that is how she ended up being a nurse in Y4. MOONSHIFTED picks up right where NIGHTSHIFTED ended and is full of action, fantastic characters and situations that will make you want to kick some bad guys were it counts.
When Edie and her coworker witness a hit and run outside of the hospital while on lunch break they jump in to help. Not only does the patient end up being someone that belongs on Y4 but his presence is the cause of most of the problems in MOONSHIFTED. This series has been really easy to fall into. The world is fun and full of interesting characters and situations. The heroine Edie is not only human but is new to the paranormal world. She makes friends easily and is really easy to like. After her zombie boyfriend left to save his own butt Edie is feeling alone and left behind. She has a few different romantic interests in book 2 and I honestly liked both but I don't see anything major happening between any of them anytime soon. I really hope zombie man doesn't return though. I would have to rip off one of his arms and beat him over the head with it or something. I was truly shocked with some of the situations that were thrown at Edie in MOONSHIFTED. She tends to handle things with her head held high with her allies by her side.
What is up with the ending? What a twist and what a mess after all Edie has been through and sacrificed. We all know that something will happen in book 3 to bring her back into the fold but I cant imagine what that will be. This is a great series to get lost in.
I gave it 4/5 stars


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Today I ran into an interesting article from my daily feed of Online Media Daily. If you are curious how it would look in your mailbox, it would be something like this:
Nicholas Carlson wrote an eye-catching article titled "NYTimes.com Needs 7X More Traffic To Survive (NYT)", which summarizes the findings of an advertising study of contentNetxt. Basically contentNext states that news-oriented web sites operations can be sustainable at the 200 million pageviews mark.
Carlson explains further:
"Based on our research, the conversation [with advertisers] gets interesting at 200 million page views plus a month, but much more so around 800 million," ContentNext's Lauren Rich Fine writes in a report.
For big operations, like at Yahoo (YHOO), AOL (TWS) or the New York Times (NYT), that bar needs to be even higher. In order to survive as a Web-only news product, for example, Fine says the New York Times needs about 1.3 billion pageviews a month.
That's about 1.1 billion more pageviews than the 173 million ComScore says NYTimes.com saw in October.
Here's a bit of a problem that I have with these numbers. If you go to Google Ad Planner and take a look at the numbers for the New York Times, this is what you get: 490 million pageviews in a 30-day period.
I might sound a bit picky but I wish there was more consistency in reporting a web metric such as pageviews. As a web analytics consultant, if I was to try to understand how to increase traffic at NYTimes.com, I would start by taking a look at the trends in daily unique visitors as to segment (or slice like a ninja, as Avinash Kaushik would say) the audience into customer experiences. Given that I am cheap, I try to work with free data as much as possible, so free tools such as Google Trends and Google Ad Planner are my best friends.
Going back to the cited article, contentNext mentions that for news-oriented online operations, the bar needs to be set really high at more than 1 billion pageviews. Yahoo! and AOL are cited as examples.
Let's take a macro view of the audience demographics of Yahoo!, AOL and NYtimes.com.
My conclusion is that NYTimes.com should target more its female readers (notice how Yahoo! and AOL have a bigger percentage of female visitors) and its younger readers (notice how Yahoo! and AOL have a high number of visitors on the under 18 category, that is the first bar on the age graph).
This is just a general suggestion, but it's a start. Besides, it's free advice, unless of course they would like to hire a new web analytics expert. : )


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By Martin Zwilling
Time is too precious to waste trying to close a deal with the wrong investors at the wrong time. Luckily, not all investors are looking for the same thing, so it pays to know what type of investors are most interested in what your startup brings to the table.
The key is understanding how potential investors see you, and especially how they view the maturity stage of your startup. For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue).
Thus your startup maturity and growth stage is the primary key to success with potential funding sources. Different types of investors tend to specialize in capitalizing on businesses at different stages. Venture capital firms look for the most mature companies they can find, Angel investors typically deal a tier lower, while friends and family are most likely to help you get started.
It never hurts to start networking personally with all levels of investors early, but sending out teasers and business plans to every name you can find on the Internet is a waste of your time and theirs. It will be much more productive to categorize your startup in one of the following five stages, and limit your investor focus accordingly:
"I have a great idea and I need money to turn it into a business." For investors, this is the idea stage, where you may have a great idea, but no plan, product, or customers, and probably no success record in this business domain. No professional investor will be interested at this point, so count only on yourself, friends, family, and fools for money.
"My invention and prototype works, but I need funding to continue." Investors call this the seed stage, where money is required to build a market and a real product. Government grants and industry partners are you best bet here, but Angel investors might give you $250,000 to $1 million, if you have the right business case and credentials.
"The final product works great, and all the early users love it." You are now entering the rollout stage, with money required for marketing, hiring a full-time team, and a production process. At this point, most Angel investors and a few early-stage VCs will be happy to talk, assuming you have the business model validated, and a large opportunity.
"It's time to scale up and I need money to keep up with demand." Congratulations! Every investor wants to be part of your growth stage, after your first $1 million in revenue. They call first investments at this stage the "A-round," and often follow with a B-round through G-round. Growth stage investments from VCs are usually $5 million and up.
"The ride has been fun, but I need my money out to start the next big thing." This is the exit stage for the entrepreneur, and for all earlier investors. The new investors you need at this stage are investment bankers, private equity, or competitors, to buy you out via merger or acquisition (M&A), or to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO).
Obviously, maturity and growth are a continuum, so the rules are never absolute. My message is that your startup will attract a different class of investors, as it passes through each stage, just as it has to supplement and tune the team, process, and product to keep up with the needs of a growing company and customer base. Tune your investor pitch and funding expectations accordingly.
Another good indicator of your real stage is the valuation you can set for your company at any given moment, to determine what portion of your equity an investor will expect of his money. Prior to the growth stage, your company valuation is limited to goodwill based on intellectual property and team experience, since you have no revenue. Future opportunity size doesn't count in the early stages.
Contrary to popular opinion, all investor money is not the same. Friends and family believe in you, and only want to see you achieve success. Angel investors probably will know your business, and want to be mentors along the way. VCs normally come with the highest expectations of board seats, controlling votes, and milestones to meet.
Don't sign up for one, expecting the other. If you want to avoid all these stage and investment considerations, you can always bootstrap the business (fund it yourself, and grow organically). Otherwise, be sensitive to first impression you leave on every investor, and the efficiency of your time spent on funding. You will enjoy the lifestyle a lot more when you find the right investor.
The Writer is a veteran startup mentor, executive, blogger, author, tech professional, and Angel investor. Published on Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc.


text: He piloted a B-24 bomber in a one-plane strike against a Japanese convoy in the South China Sea on the night of 26 October 1944. Taking the enemy force of 12 ships escorted by at least 2 destroyers by surprise, he made 1 bombing run at 600 feet, scoring a near miss on 1 warship and escaping without drawing fire. He circled. and fully realizing that the convoy was thoroughly alerted and would meet his next attack with a barrage of antiaircraft fire, began a second low-level run which culminated in 2 direct hits on a large tanker. A hail of steel from Japanese guns, riddled the bomber, knocking out 2 engines, damaging a third, crippling the hydraulic system, puncturing 1 gasoline tank, ripping uncounted holes in the aircraft, and wounding the copilot; but by magnificent display of flying skill, Maj. Carswell controlled the plane's plunge toward the sea and carefully forced it into a halting climb in the direction of the China shore. On reaching land, where it would have been possible to abandon the staggering bomber, one of the crew discovered that his parachute had been ripped by flak and rendered useless; the pilot, hoping to cross mountainous terrain and reach a base. continued onward until the third engine failed. He ordered the crew to bail out while he struggled to maintain altitude. and, refusing to save himself, chose to remain with his comrade and attempt a crash landing. He died when the airplane struck a mountainside and burned. With consummate gallantry and intrepidity, Maj. Carswell gave his life in a supreme effort to save all members of his crew. His sacrifice. far beyond that required of him, was in keeping with the traditional bravery of America's war heroes.


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DIY enhancement: morphological freedom or self-harm?
by Anders Sandberg
Lepht Anonym is a DIY biohacker, extending her body and senses through implantation of home-made cybernetics in her own kitchen. (YouTube video of her lecture) Most of her work is about extending the sense of touch, using implanted magnets to acquire "magnetic vision" and (hopefully) an implanted version of the northpaw magnetic sense system besides the "usual stuff" of RFID implants.
She is critical of regular transhumanism, which she thinks is all talk. This is the real deal: "You just have to get deep enough to open a hole and put something in," she says. "It's that simple." Of course, she has ended up in the hospital a few times. A new kind of self-harm all right-thinking people ought to save her from, or a valid form of self-expression that should be protected?
Read More »DIY enhancement: morphological freedom or self-harm?


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text:
The WIZZY books by Anthony Ridgway and
Slime by David Walliams
both about a boy in a wheelchair.
Slime started as an idea planted by 11-year-old Dante Marvin, who asked David Walliams to write a book about a boy in a wheelchair. David Walliams has dedicated the book, 'For Dante, the coolest kid on wheels'. . ….. (To buy Slime go to the end of this post.)
Anthony Ridgway started writing about his own wheelchair, WIZZY, when he was himself 'the coolest kid on wheels'.
Anthony has cerebral palsy with sight impairment. When he was a boy, his dad would transcribe his stories to paper while he dictated. But since his dad passed away, Anthony uses a special computer programme to write the stories himself.
This was the start of Anthony's wonderfully imaginative stories about Dan, James, Sophie and WIZZY, the irascible, funny and amazingly clever wheelchair.
Anthony's first published story, WIZZY's Worm, is available as an audiobook from Calibre Audio, a national charity lending free audiobooks for anyone who is print disabled.
Author Anthony Ridgway's next published story, WIZZY the Animal Whisperer, followed as a large paperback book. The beautiful illustrations by Suzan Houching tell the story too, allowing children who can't read or who are learning to read to enjoy all the exciting twists and turns of the plot.
At the book launch for WIZZY the Animal Whisperer, actor David Suchet had the guests in fits of laughter when he read a passage from the book.
A few months later, David Suchet and his wife, Sheila Suchet, recorded the whole story, giving voices to all the characters and inimitable timing to Anthony's amusing dialogue.
The audiobook of WIZZY the Animal Whisperer faithfully follows the words in the paperback books so that early readers can use the audio alongside the book when learning to read.
WIZZY and the Seaside Adventure, Anthony's second paperback book takes Dan, James, Sophie and WIZZY to the coast, along with their dog, Honey, and as you can guess, an ordinary day becomes another crime busting adventure.
Listen to Dante's version of his meeting with David Walliams:


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Social justice, when it occurs on the Internet, is often defined less by words and more often implicitly by the direct actions and work of those that strive for it. As Innosanto Nagara from DesignAction Collective replied, "I'm usually consulted for my visuals, not my words!" Nevertheless, here are some of the definitions that a variety of leaders in peace and social justice work were willing to share with me.
In my experience as a journalist I once believed that service in feeding the hungry and working to change policies causing hunger are two largely separate things. And there is some truth to that. But it is also highly subversive to do work. It is not possible to do justice in the abstract — you must touch real people. God's work in the world is for all to have enough to eat and to not be afraid.
- Sara Miles, Journalist, Author of Take This Bread, and Director of St. Gregory's Food Pantry
Social justice means moving towards a society where all hungry are fed, all sick are cared for, the environment is treasured, and we treat each other with love and compassion. Not an easy goal, for sure, but certainly one worth giving our lives for!
- Medea Benjamin, co-founder Global Exchange and Code Pink
Social justice means complete and genuine equality of all people. Not exactly stuff for Bartlett's, but there you go.
- Paul George, executive director Pennisula Peace and Justice Center
Social justice provides the foundation for a healthy community. It grows out of our sense that each person — each created being — has value. Only as we recognize the value and dignity of each person can we build a healthy community, so it's a slow, painful process of learning and growing. To help the process along we develop attitudes of respect for one another. We also shape policies and patterns of behavior to protect and enhance the worth of each person. We do this by building governmental and economic structures, educational and religious institutions, and all the other systems that provide for health and social welfare. This justice is not a goal that we'll ever reach, but a process, a struggle in which we can be engaged through all the pain and all the joy.
- Doug King, editor and WebWeaver, The Witherspoon Society of the Presbyterian Church USA
By social justice I mean the creation of a society which treats human beings as embodiments of the sacred, supports them to realize their fullest human potential, and promotes and rewards people to the extent that they are loving and caring, kind and generous, open-hearted and playful, ethically and ecologically sensitive, and tend to respond to the universe with awe, wonder and radical amazement at the grandeur of creation.
- Rabbi Michael Lerner, co-founder of the Tikkun Community
Social Justice means no kids going to bed hungry, no one without shelter or healthcare and a free and lively discussion and participation by all people in the political direction and organization of our communities and nation.
- Kirsten Moller, executive director and co-founder, Global Exchange
A long and mysterious historical process in which those who are excluded and exploited by social forces of privilege and power attempt to consociate into movements that struggle for: a more equitable distribution of social and economic goods; for greater personal and political dignity; and for a deeper moral vision of their society. Social justice is a goal toward which we move, always imperfectly, and persons and groups are motivated to realize it by their deepest spiritual and political traditions. Justice is only meaningful when it is historically specific and embodied (as opposed to theoretical or abstract).
The degree to which social justice is achieved in a given time and place should be measured by two (seemingly contradictory) notions: 1) the greatest good for the greatest number, and 2) how the least powerful and the smallest minorities in a society are faring. The vision of social justice is best articulated through stories that have the marginalized as their subject and that present hard questions to those at the center of power — stories like the ones Jesus of Nazareth told.
- Ched Myers, ecumenical activist, Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries
"Social Justice Work"' is work that we do in the interest of securing human rights, an equitable distribution of resources, a healthy planet, democracy, and a space for the human spirit to thrive (read: arts/culture/entertainment). We do the work to achieve these goals on both a local and a global scale. Of course, except for those who require we follow the alleged dictates of one god or another, almost everyone could probably agree to such a broad definition of social justice. So, I would also want to articulate the specific systems that I believe we should be working to implement.
- Innosanto Nagara, co-founder DesignAction Collective
"Social Justice" — I love this term because it's a big enough umbrella for all of us. It brings together people of many different faith traditions, human rights and environmental activists, labor organizers, young people who want to make the world a better place, and on and on. When I speak of working for social justice, I begin with the teachings of Jesus, and his commitment to basic fairness and a life of dignity for the poorest of the poor. In our world today, that means we walk with the majority of the world's population that works hard every day with no expectation that life will ever get better. It means we cannot rest until everyone, everywhere, is paid a wage with which he or she can provide for the basic needs of his or her family. It means that those of us who have privilege must be willing to give up those things that cannot be sustained in a fair world — especially those things that use an unfair percentage of the world's environmental resources.
Social Justice isn't something I expect we'll attain in my lifetime. Fortunately, nothing could be more fulfilling than working to make it happen.
- Rick Ufford-Chase, international director, BorderLinks and moderator of the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA)


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Kelly Ventura is a Michigan-based watercolor artist who brings her love of nature into the home with the expressive strokes of her paint brush. Color, texture, light, flowers and leaves are reoccurring themes in Kelly's work, which she brings to life through her well-known gestural style. With natural motifs and earthy color schemes, the artist's watercolor images translate beautifully to decor, fabrics and wallpapers for the home. In her spare time, the artist paints, thrifts, collects chairs, and enjoys spending time with her husband and three young boys.


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Vitamin D, also known as the "sunshine vitamin," was identified in the 17th century by Dr. Daniel Whistler and Professor Francis Glisson when they discovered the causative factors of rickets.
Circa 1920, Sir Edward Mellanby worked with dogs raised exclusively indoors. He devised a diet that allowed him to unequivocally establish that rickets was caused by a deficiency of a trace component present in the diet and that cod liver oil (an excellent source of vitamin D) was an effective antirachitic agent.24
Along with vitamins A, E and K, vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin D actually refers to several different forms. Two forms that are important in humans include:
- Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol)- derived from plants
- Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)- derived from animal products and made in the skin when exposed to sunlight
In addition vitamin D has three analogs, each with different potencies13:
- Cholecalciferol – 1x
- 25 hydroxycholecalciferol – 5x
- 1, 25 dihydroxycholecalciferol – 10x
Vitamin D can be synthesized in the skin after exposure to ultraviolet light or obtained from the diet either from unfortified or fortified food sources or supplements. Unfortified sources include animal products such as cod liver oil, sardines, mackerel, herring, tuna, salmon, and shrimp. Fortified sources include milk and some brands of alternative milks (rice, soy, almond, etc.).13
Some vitamin D researchers suggest that approximately 5–30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at least twice a week to the face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen usually leads to sufficient vitamin D synthesis and that the moderate use of commercial tanning beds that emit 2%–6% UVB radiation is also effective.
Individuals with limited sun exposure need to include good sources of vitamin D in their diets or consider supplements to achieve recommended intake levels.19
As with many nutrients, vitamin D is absorbed in the small intestine. It is transported through the lymphatic system by chylomicrons and stored in the liver, bone, brain, and skin.
Vitamin D obtained from sun exposure, food, and supplements is inactive and must undergo two hydroxylations in the body for activation. The first hydroxylation occurs in the liver, where vitamin D is converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], also known as calcidiol. The second hydroxylation takes place in the kidneys, where it forms the physiologically active 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], also known as calcitriol.13
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D ranges from 400-800 IU, depending on age, pregnancy/lactation status, skin color, sun exposure, diseases affecting nutrient absorption, and health status. This RDA is considered a daily intake that is sufficient to maintain bone health and normal calcium metabolism in 97-98% of healthy people.19
It is important to note that numerous studies support much higher intakes for the prevention and/or management of a number of diseases, some of which will be mentioned later. These intakes can be as high as 10,000 IU/d, or >10 times the current recommended intakes.22
Serum concentration of 25(OH)D is the best indicator of vitamin D status. It reflects vitamin D produced in the skin and that obtained from food and/or supplements.
Based on a review of the data on vitamin D needs, a committee of the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) concluded that people are at risk for vitamin D deficiency at serum 25(OH)D concentrations <30 30="" addition="" are="" at="" for="" from="" general="" in="" inadequacy="" is="" levels="" ml="" ng="" nmol="" potentially="" range="" ranging="" recommended="" risk="" some="" span="" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;" the="">1930>
There are two primary diseases caused by vitamin D deficiency13:
- Rickets – a malformation of the bones seen in children
- Osteomalacia – skeletal demineralization seen in adults
A primary function of vitamin D includes calcium absorption in the gut for normal mineralization of bone and to prevent hypocalcemic tetany. In addition, vitamin D modulates cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and inflammation.
Vitamin D has been extensively reviewed for potential health relationships warranting supplementation. Some of these include resistance to chronic diseases (such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases), physiological parameters (such as immune response or levels of parathyroid hormone), and functional measures (such as skeletal health, physical performance and falls).21, 23
Low 25(OH) D levels have been associated with all-cause mortality and even more pronounced with cardiovascular mortality. It is still unclear whether vitamin D deficiency is a cause or a consequence of a poor health status, though vitamin D supplementation could perhaps be an approach to consider in reducing mortality and cardiovascular disease.18
Vitamin D plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy mineralized skeleton. Sunlight causes the photoproduction of vitamin D3 in the skin. Once formed, vitamin D3 is metabolized sequentially in the liver and kidneys to 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D. The major biological function of 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D is to keep the serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations within the normal range to maintain essential cellular functions and to promote mineralization of the skeleton. It is generally accepted that an increase in calcium intake to 1000-1500 mg/day, along with an adequate source of vitamin D of at least 400 IU/day, is important for maintaining good bone health.8
1, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D [1, 25-(OH)2 D] exerts its effects via the vitamin D receptor that belongs to the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily leading to gene regulation and a number of biological responses. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that 1, 25(OH)2 D can induce differentiation and inhibit proliferation of a wide variety of cell types. The anti-proliferative action makes 1, 25-(OH)2 D and its analogs a possible therapeutic tool to treat hyperproliferative disorders, such as certain forms of cancer.2
1, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D (1, 25[OH]2 D) or calcitriol, has been implicated in many physiologic processes beyond calcium and phosphorus homeostasis, and likely plays a role in several chronic disease states, including cardiovascular disease.
Experimental data suggest that 1, 25(OH)2 D affects cardiac muscle directly, controls parathyroid hormone secretion, regulates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and modulates the immune system.
Treatment with vitamin D has been shown to lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension and modify the cytokine profile in patients with heart failure.15
Some cross-sectional clinical and epidemiological studies have found that low levels of vitamin D are significantly associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. While cross-sectional studies cannot establish causality, vitamin D supplementation for depression in those who are deficient warrants further investigation.11
A review of thirty-seven studies suggests that lower vitamin D concentrations are associated with lower cognitive function and a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. Further studies are required to determine the significance and potential public health effect of this association.1
Vitamin D appears to play a role in the prevention of type 1 diabetes in genetically predisposed individuals, as well as type 2 diabetes, by affecting insulin secretion and glucose tolerance.14, 16
Recent studies have shown that the hormonal form of calcitriol can act as a regulator of immune cell differentiation and proliferation, specifically in T cells and activated macrophages. Vitamin D may have a similar role to that of other immune regulatory molecules such as cytokines, by modulating the inflammatory process.6
Vitamin D plays a role in the synthesis of antibacterial peptides (short chains of amino acids) and in autophagy (cell degradation of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components). Several studies have shown that low levels of vitamin D are associated with the susceptibility and the severity of acute infections and with an unfavorable outcome of some chronic infections including the HIV infection. Vitamin D supplementation improves response to treatment of some viral and bacterial infections.5
Vitamin D is an important component in the interaction between the kidney, bone, parathyroid hormone, and the intestine, which maintains extracellular calcium levels within normal limits in order to maintain physiologic processes and skeletal integrity. Vitamin D is also associated with hypertension, muscular function, immunity, and one's ability to deal with an infection, autoimmune disease (including multiple sclerosis), and cancer.4
Vitamin D influences immunity via CD4 T cell differentiation as well as increasing the function of T suppressor cells. The active form of vitamin D produces and maintains self-immunologic tolerance. Some studies show that 1, 25(OH)2 D inhibits induction of disease such as thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, collagen-induced arthritis and Lyme disease.20
Vitamin D status has been hypothesized to play a role in musculoskeletal function. In a study by Houston et al, 2007, vitamin D status was inversely associated with poor physical performance. Given the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in older populations, additional studies examining the association between vitamin D status and physical function are warranted.
Brain serotonin is synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan and is activated by vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids. Inadequate levels of vitamin D (∼70% of the population) and omega-3 fatty acids can result in suboptimal brain serotonin synthesis, leading to a number of cognitive and behavioral disorders.17
Gloth et al, 1991, identified a pain syndrome associated with vitamin D depletion that is worsened by light, superficial pressure, as well as movement. This pain restricts mobility and function.
Faraj & Mutairi, 2003, evaluated 360 patients attending spinal and internal medicine clinics over a 6-year period who had experienced low back pain. They found that a vitamin D deficiency was a major contributor to chronic low back pain in areas where vitamin D deficiency is endemic.
Screening for vitamin D deficiency and treatment with supplements should be mandatory in this setting. Measurement of serum 25-OH cholecalciferol is sensitive and specific for detection of vitamin D deficiency and could be a useful assessment in patients with chronic low back pain.
Because vitamin D is fat soluble and can be stored in the body, excessive amounts can be toxic and cause a constellation of symptoms, including: Hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, kidney stones, hyperphosphatemia, polyuria, polydipsia, ectopic calcification of soft tissues, nausea & vomiting, anorexia, constipation, headache and hypertension.12
It is generally accepted that vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide health problem affecting a wide range of acute and chronic diseases. Individuals should try to achieve optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations from dietary sources, supplements, and sun exposure.
The effect of vitamin D on epigenetics and gene regulation could potentially explain why vitamin D has been reported to have such wide-ranging health benefits throughout life. Increasing the vitamin D status of children and adults worldwide is an imperative strategy for improving musculoskeletal health and reducing the risk of chronic illnesses, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, diabetes (both type 1 and type 2), neurocognitive disorders, and mortality.9
- Balion, C., Griffith, L. E., Strifler, L., Henderson, M., Patterson, C., Heckman, G., … & Raina, P. (2012). Vitamin D, cognition, and dementia A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurology, 79(13), 1397-1405.
- Bouillon, R., Eelen, G., Verlinden, L., Mathieu, C., Carmeliet, G., & Verstuyf, A. (2006). Vitamin D and cancer. The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology, 102(1), 156-162.
- Faraj,A & Mutairi,A. (2003). Vitamin D deficiency and chronic low back pain in Saudi Arabia. Spine, 28(2), 177-179.
- Ginanjar, E., Setiati, S., & Setiyohadi, B. (2006). Vitamin D and autoimmune disease. Acta Medica Indonesiana, 39(3), 133-141.
- Ghosn, J., & Viard, J. P. (2013). [Vitamin D and infectious diseases]. Presse medicale (Paris, France: 1983), 42(10), 1371-1376.
- Hewison, M. (1992). Vitamin D and the immune system. Journal of endocrinology, 132(2), 173-175.
- Gloth, F. M., Lindsay, J. M., Zelesnick, L. B., & Greenough, W. B. (1991). Can vitamin D deficiency produce an unusual pain syndrome?. Archives of internal medicine, 151(8), 1662-1664.
- Holick, M. F. (1996). Vitamin D and bone health. The Journal of nutrition, 126(4 Suppl), 1159S-64S.
- Hossein-nezhad, A., & Holick, M. F. (2013, July). Vitamin D for health: a global perspective. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 88, No. 7, pp. 720-755). Elsevier.
- Houston, D. K., Cesari, M., Ferrucci, L., Cherubini, A., Maggio, D., Bartali, B., & Kritchevsky, S. B. (2007). Association between vitamin D status and physical performance: the InCHIANTI study. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 62(4), 440-446.
- Howland, R. H. (2011). Vitamin D and depression. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv, 49(2), 15-18.
- Maji, D. (2012). Vitamin D toxicity. Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism, 16(2), 295.
- Marz, R. (1999). Medical Nutrition from Marz, 2nd Edition. Omni Press. Portland, Oregon.
- Mathieu, C., Gysemans, C., Giulietti, A., Bouillon, R. (2005). Vitamin D and diabetes. Diabetologia, 48(7), 1247-57.
- Nemerovski, C. W., Dorsch, M. P., Simpson, R. U., Bone, H. G., Aaronson, K. D., & Bleske, B. E. (2009). Vitamin D and cardiovascular disease. Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy,29(6), 691-708.
- Palomer, X., Gonzalez-Clemente, J., Blanco-Vaca, F., Mauricio, D. (2008). Role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism. 10(3), 185-97.
- Patrick, R. P., & Ames, B. N. (2015). Vitamin D and the omega-3 fatty acids control serotonin synthesis and action, part 2: relevance for ADHD, bipolar, schizophrenia, and impulsive behavior. The FASEB Journal, fj-14.
- Pilz, S., Dobnig, H., Nijpels, G., Heine, R. J., Stehouwer, C. D., Snijder, M. B. & Dekker, J. M. (2009). Vitamin D and mortality in older men and women.Clinical endocrinology, 71(5), 666-672.
- Rizwan, M. (2013). Defeat the 'D' deficiency–be sun smart. Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatologists, 23(4), 357-359.
- Solomon, A. J. (2011). Multiple sclerosis and vitamin D. Neurology, 77(17), e99-e100.
- Venkataraman, R. (2008). Functions of Vitamin D. Journal of Young Investigators. Carnegie Mellon University.
- Vieth, R., Bischoff-Ferrari, H., Boucher, B. J., Dawson-Hughes, B., Garland, C. F., Heaney, R. P. & Zittermann, A. (2007). The urgent need to recommend an intake of vitamin D that is effective. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 85(3), 649-650.
- http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
- http://vitamind.ucr.edu/about/