text:
By Todd Lappin
|The Special Master
The court has ruled that Lawrence Lessig holds no anti-Microsoft bias. But that doesn't mean Bill Gates should rest easy.
Last December, when Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson appointed Lawrence Lessig to serve as a "special master" in the antitrust case of US v. Microsoft, the news immediately plunged the quiet, 36-year-old Harvard University law professor into the spotlight. The San Jose Mercury News called him "techno-savvy." The New York Times deemed him "one of the leading intellectuals of his generation in American law." Microsoft's lawyers were less generous, arguing that Lessig should be removed from the case for having shown "clear bias" against the company.
Judge Jackson flatly rejected Microsoft's bias claim, giving Lessig until May 31 to investigate Microsoft's business practices and report "findings of fact and conclusions of law" that the court will consider in making a final ruling in the antitrust case. As special master, Lessig has been invested with much of the authority of a federal judge – including the power to issue subpoenas, gather testimony, and find parties in contempt.
This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Contact email@example.com to report an issue.
Lessig's report is likely to have a significant impact on the destiny of Bill Gates's US$150 billion software empire. The philosophical differences between the two men are noteworthy – while Gates is famous for his single-minded determination to consolidate Microsoft's market dominance, Lessig is best known for his efforts to protect individual liberty by preserving the Internet's open architecture.
In his academic work, Lessig has considered three types of regulation that govern life in cyberspace. The first is law, "the most obvious regulatory constraint." The second is social norms – the informal rules of netiquette that guide the Internet's complex sociology. Lessig believes these forms of regulation are optional because they function as directives that one can choose not to obey. But the same cannot be said for the third type of regulation – technological constraints inscribed into the Internet's software architecture. As he wrote in this magazine last year, "Software code – more than law – defines the true parameters of freedom in cyberspace." (See "Tyranny in the Infrastructure," Wired 5.07, page 96.)
During the months ahead, Lessig may bring these theories to bear in the Microsoft case. As a law professor, he proposed that "the question of what the architecture of cyberspace should be is not a neutral question. We need to think about it in political terms." Now, as special master, he has been asked to resolve a thorny political controversy: Which system of regulation best serves the interests of cyberspace – Uncle Sam's antitrust laws, or Bill Gates's operating-system code?
By Robert Ellis Smith
| The Special Master
Privacy Imperfect
In the summer of 1996 Internet users raised a ruckus after learning that the P-Trak service run by Lexis-Nexis was selling individuals' Social Security numbers, addresses, and unlisted phone numbers. The outcry prompted members of Congress to consider legislation that would prevent credit bureaus from selling such information to lookup services such as P-Trak. Instead, Federal Trade Commission chair Robert Pitofsky persuaded a few key senators to accept his mantra that "voluntary regulation by industries works best."
In December Pitofsky unveiled an agreement among the government, lookup services, and credit bureaus. Among the 14 parties to the agreement, three major credit bureaus and two "information brokers" have been previously cited by the FTC for violating consumer regulations, while three of the lookup service operators have been caught violating the ethical guidelines of the Direct Marketing Association. The new plan establishes a set of self-regulation principles that will be monitored by independent auditors.
Critics charge that the proposals don't go nearly far enough to protect individual privacy. Credit bureaus can still sell personal information obtained from credit reports. On the other hand, the plan requires the services to provide marketers only limited access to sensitive information, to certify that certain "qualified subscribers" – like law enforcement agencies and private investigators – use the information only for "appropriate uses," and to deny the general public access. The agreement also gives consumers the opportunity to have personal data removed from the databases, although in practice it provides no way to find out which services maintain the information, or how to get in touch with them.
By Ben Greenman
| The Special Master
The Hacker Safe House
On the sixth floor of an office building in midtown Manhattan, the studio space of Notwork Development Labs serves as an after-hours playpen for 11 hackers who have banded together to split the cost of rent, utilities, and a T1 Internet connection. Notwork also serves as a sort of safe house – hackers from Amsterdam and London have bedded down in the studio, which has also been host to underground luminaries Phiber Optik and Bernie S. "It's not a hostel," says Notwork member Ryan Nelson. "But we've got lots of friends from other places who prefer a crash pad with a T1 to a US$140 hotel."
By Mark Lewyn
| The Special Master
Fixing the Numbers
The Federal Communications Commission is taking steps to stamp out fun and games – and perhaps illegal collusion – during spectrum auctions. In the past, bidders occasionally signaled one another by submitting bids for extremely specific amounts that could be decoded by matching each number with a corresponding letter on a telephone keypad. In most cases the messages were harmless. During a 1995 auction for 99 wireless phone licenses – which raised US$7.7 billion for the US Treasury – GTE was in a particularly tough battle with Sprint. During one round GTE bid $47,248,363 – the last six digits of which spell "Bite Me."
The FCC has long known that these messages were flying around, but the agency never gave them much attention until it received a complaint last year from a losing bidder, High Plains Wireless, that claimed some bids contained secret messages that amounted to illegal collusion. The complaint prompted a formal investigation by the FCC, which, in turn, prompted the Justice Department to open its own investigation. Both inquiries are ongoing.
If the Feds adopt a strict interpretation of the law – which seems unlikely – any coded message could be deemed illegal, forcing the government to reauction dozens of licenses and delaying the delivery of wireless services to the public. But while the investigation continues, the FCC hopes to head off any future problems by simply changing the rules of the game – players in all future spectrum auctions must submit bids in nice round numbers.
After helping to defeat the CDA, grassroots activists may become victims of their own success. By Rebecca Vesely
According to Jon Lebkowsky, cofounder of EFF-Austin, the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the Communications Decency Act was great for the Internet, but horrible for his seven-year-old activist organization. "After the CDA decision, there wasn't a lot of energy for EFF-Austin," Lebkowsky says. "Grassroots organizations are strongest when there is a demon defined."
The CDA challenge marked the first time that civil liberties activists used the Internet to reach the public, and their success provided an impressive demonstration of the medium's political potential. Online demonstrations, such as the Paint the Web Black effort of 1995, were simple, cheap, and extremely effective. But today, as Internet issues like privacy, security, and content control move into the mainstream, many small online groups feel that large organizations like the ACLU have taken over their niche. "In the post-CDA world, our role is to gather information and do research, which can then be used by larger groups that can afford to file expensive legal cases," says Bennett Haselton, founder of Peacefire, an online activist group for minors.
Last year Haselton, a Vanderbilt University student, revealed that Cybersitter, a popular Internet filtering program, blocked access to such sites as Mother Jones magazine, the National Organization for Women, and organizations for gay and lesbian youths. "Bennett is a good example of the effectiveness of grassroots organizing," says Jonah Seiger, an Internet consultant and former communications director for the well-heeled Center for Democracy and Technology in Washington, DC. "We wouldn't be having a debate over blocking software if it wasn't for Bennett."
The White House's new hands-off approach to the Net has only made things worse for small groups by intensifying the struggle to garner support. "Apathy is rampant," says Scott Brower, executive director of EFFlorida, which, like EFF-Austin, is not affiliated with the better-known San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation. "People are happy to hear we are doing this work, but when it comes to getting them to volunteer, it's difficult to get anyone to commit."
The groups that have done the best in the post-CDA climate are those that have honed in on a single, high-profile topic. NetAction, a two-person activist shop in Northern California, now focuses primarily on its campaign to "stop Microsoft from seizing control of cyberspace." Sun Microsystems, one of Microsoft's chief nemeses, gave NetAction an undisclosed sum of money last fall.
But most other grassroots groups do not have corporate sponsors. "We chose not to seek corporate dollars, because we did not feel we could compete with Washington insiders," says Shabbir J. Safdar, founder and advisory board member of the New York-based Voters Telecommunications Watch. In December Safdar stepped down as head of VTW to start an Internet consulting firm in Washington, DC, leaving the future of VTW hanging in the balance. And some activists complain that foundations consistently reject funding proposals from small groups and that most grant money for online activism is directed toward projects that help disseminate Internet technology.
Although money is definitely an issue for the small groups, the nature of online activism keeps costs low. "The Web server is our only expense, and that costs about a dollar a day," says Peacefire's Haselton. EFF-Austin supported itself for years on T-shirt sales and special book-signing parties by cofounder and SF author Bruce Sterling. And, as for all the paperwork needed to get nonprofit status for tax deductions, most haven't gotten around to it.
When another big free-speech fight comes around, grassroots groups say they will be ready. But for now, many are looking for ways to consolidate resources. In January, EFF-Austin decided to change its name to EF-Texas, in hopes of attracting activists from other parts of the Lone Star State. "It's tough," says Lebkowsky. "Getting these guys together is like trying to organize anarchists."
(firstname.lastname@example.com) wrote "The Generation Gap" in Wired 5.10.
By David Lazarus
| The Special Master
Mr. O'Connell Goes to Concord
To understand who really has clout in the political world, follow the money. Marcus O'Connell, a financial analyst in Concord, California, heard rumors that property developers were giving large sums of cash to members of the city council, but when he visited city hall to check the contribution records, he found a handful of documents stuffed in a binder. "We needed a database," O'Connell says. "It's the only way to make sense of all the different entries."
Inspired, O'Connell became the first private citizen in the United States to compile a database of local campaign contributions and post it on the Web (pwp.value.net/marcus/campfin/). Other such resources exist in cyberspace, but they mostly concern state and federal campaigns and are produced by experts at nonprofit organizations. O'Connell's effort was a one-man job, created with Excel spreadsheet software to shed a little light on politics in his hometown.
O'Connell's number crunching has shown that members of the Concord City Council have long been accepting heavy-duty contributions from local developers, sanitation companies, and lawyers. His most eye-opening revelation was the disclosure that since 1993, Bill Graham Presents, a national concert promoter, has sidestepped contribution caps and funneled more than US$11,000 to council members through company employees who made some 27 separate donations. Coincidentally, the council recently approved a costly overhaul of the Concord Pavilion, a lavish, city-owned outdoor amphitheater and concert venue.
O'Connell hopes the Net can put voters back in the game by giving them unfiltered access to information. "We have the capability now," O'Connell points out. "It's in our hands."
By Todd Lappin
| The Special Master
Pirates Beware
Next time, think twice before you copy that floppy. On December 16, President Clinton signed the No Electronic Theft Act, a measure sponsored by Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia) that criminalizes the unauthorized "reproduction or distribution" of computer software, books, musical recordings, or videos worth at least US$1,000. Designed to close a loophole that may have legalized noncommercial duplication of copyrighted material, the new law targets "any person who infringes copyright willfully," with criminal penalties that range from fines to six years in prison.
By Pamela Samuelson
| The Special Master
Maximum Copyright, Minimum Use
Overprotective digital-copyright rules, much like the ones that were proposed and rejected at a December 1996 diplomatic conference in Geneva, have resurfaced in the European Community's latest plan to implement the World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright Treaty. Under the proposals, nations of the European Union would be required to treat almost all temporary and indirect copies of copyrighted works in digital form as "reproductions" subject to copyright regulation. In addition, the legislation would curtail the authority of EU nations to enact or maintain fair or private-use privileges in their national laws. The measure also contains a byzantine provision that would outlaw many legitimate technologies that have incidental infringement-enabling uses.
This may be good news for US high tech companies, as the EC's overzealous copyright proposals could strangle Europe's nascent high technology industry. On the other hand, if copyright maximalism prevails in Europe, Clinton administration officials may try to resurrect similar legislation that has been stalled in Congress for the last two years. Fortunately, Senator John Ashcroft (R-Missouri) and Representatives Rick Boucher (D-Virginia) and Tom Campbell (R-California) have introduced legislation in Congress that is far more enlightened and balanced – in the form of S 1146 and HR 3048. Meanwhile, the European proposal may improve when it's reviewed by the European Parliament and the European Council of Ministers, particularly if opponents lobby for changes along the lines of the Ashcroft-Boucher-Campbell bills.Go Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.


text:
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Heidi Klum moved to formally end her marriage Friday from singer Seal a little over two months after they separated.
The supermodel's divorce filing in a Los Angeles court draws to a close a storybook romance that included numerous testaments to their affection for one another, including renewing their wedding vows annually and throwing elaborate Halloween costume parties.
The couple has four children together, including Klum's daughter from a previous relationship. They had been married for more than six and a half years when they announced their separation in January, vowing to keep their breakup amicable.
Klum's filing, which she signed Thursday, cites irreconcilable differences. It provides no details about their split, other than that they entered into a financial agreement after they were married on how to divide their assets.
The model and star of the TV competition series "Project Runway" is asking for sole physical custody of the children, with Seal getting visitation and joint legal custody.
The Grammy-winning soul and R&B singer's real name Henry Samuel. He released an album days after the couple announced their breakup and told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres that their split didn't mean a total end to their relationship.
"We will be connected in many ways `til the rest of our lives," the singer said, "through our children and also through this tremendous admiration, respect and love that we have for each other."
© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This is just placeholder content, please do not read. This is just placeholder content, please do not read.
In an effort to reflect its growth as a charitable organization, Harrison County Endowment Fund (HCEF) announced that it's changing its name to the Harrison County Community Foundation (HCCF).
The Harrison County Community Foundation, which originated in 1997, reflects the diversity of the communities it serves in its planning, decision-making and grant making. Over the past decade, The HCCF has broadened its scope. The new name will reflect on the work the Foundation is doing throughout Harrison County. In addition to providing mission clarity, the new name will allow the HCCF to highlight how it benefits grant recipients, donors and the county at large. Moreover, The Harrison County Community Foundation will continue to function as one of the nine regional foundations affiliated with the Omaha Community Foundation.
"As the community foundation in Harrison County, the Harrison County Community Foundation is more relevant to our county than ever before," said Greg Christiansen, former Chair. "We are a leader in working with individuals, businesses, governmental bodies, and nonprofit organizations, helping them to achieve their philanthropic goals with confidence and sophistication."
HCCF stimulates philanthropy and enhances the quality of life in the county through accumulating, managing and disbursing grant funds. Geographically focused community foundations formerly known as The Endowment Funds of Southwest Iowa are now the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa, consisting of the Audubon County Community Foundation, the Cass County Community Foundation, the Crawford County Community Foundation, the Fremont County Community Foundation, the Harrison County Community Foundation, the Mills County Community Foundation, the Montgomery County Community Foundation, the Page County Community Foundation, and the Shelby County Community Foundation.
"I am very excited that the HCCF is positioned for great growth for the future through the formation of our new name," said Christiansen. "The Harrison County Community Foundation enables donors of all types to achieve the essence of community impact more quickly through our flexible approach for building stronger communities."
HCCF offers a wide array of charitable products and services. They include:
The foundation's expertise in managing charitable funds has helped its assets grow from a $50,000 challenge grant from the Southwest Iowa Foundation in 1997 to almost $2 million today, all for charitable benefit of the county. In 2008, more than $170,000 in grants and scholarships was made in support of charitable programs. Eleven named funds have been established within The Harrison County Community Foundation since 1997.
Support a cause you care about with a gift to one of the HCCF's many charitable funds or by starting a fund of your own. To learn more information about the Harrison County Community Foundation, contact any of the board members Chair, Bill Cunard of Missouri Valley; Vice Chair, Roger Kenkel of Woodbine; Secretary/Treasurer; Ragene Darling of Logan; Treva Block of Dunlap; Mike Carson of Pisgah; Judson Frisk, Esq. of Logan; Judy Holcombe of Missouri Valley, or Dennis N. Nissen, Iowa Foundations Director, at email@example.com or 800-794-3458.


text:
We start with an initial meeting and free consultation at our offices or by phone.'
Search results
At TopBorn we help you with keyword advertising in London, for example Google AdWords. We Help companies in London to streamline and clarify their presence. Through extensive knowledge and good practice, we can make you visible for the right consumer at the right time and thus increase your profitability and expand your existing customer network. With committed staff, a big interest in the digital world and thousands of satisfied customers, we're now one of the leading agencies. We help companies with sharp and optimized AdWords campaigns in London.
If you're based in London and need help to reach out to more customers in an accurate and competent way, we can help you thanks to our tools and expertise. Check out our website and learn more about what we have to offer your business in terms of keyword advertising. Then get back to us and together we can make the internet a better place.
We start with an initial meeting and free consultation at our offices or by phone.'
Together we analyze how your situation looks today regarding your current solution.
We then go on to focus on your needs and presents you with a new approach.


text:
- "The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls, to be perused by any invader. The mind is a complex and many-layered thing... It is true, however, that those who have mastered Legilimency are able, under certain conditions, to delve into the minds of their victims and to interpret their findings correctly."
- —Severus Snape on Legilimency[src]
Legilimency is the act of magically navigating through the many layers of a person's mind and correctly interpreting one's findings. A person who practises this art is known as a Legilimens. Muggles might call this "mind-reading," but practitioners disdain the term as naive. The opposite of Legilimency is Occlumency, which may be used to shield one's mind from the invasion and influence of a Legilimens.
- Severus Snape: "It appears there is a connection between the Dark Lord's mind and your own. Whether or not he is aware of this connection is for the moment unclear. Pray he remains ignorant."
- Harry Potter: "You mean if he knows about it, then he'll be able to read my mind?"
- Severus Snape: "Read it, control it, unhinge it. In the past it was often the Dark Lord's pleasure to invade the minds of his victims, creating visions designed to torture them into madness. Only after extracting the last exquisite ounce of agony, only when he had them literally begging for death would he finally...kill them."
- — Severus Snape explains Voldemort's abilities as a Legilimens to Harry Potter[src]
The most advanced Legilimens can perform Legilimency nonverbally and wandlessly, but less talented practitioners must use the incantation Legilimens to enter their victim's mind. If a target is not skilled in Occlumency, a Legilimens will be able to detect if the person is lying, as well as delve into their thoughts, emotions, and memories. Highly skilled Legilimens can also influence a mind that they invade; for example, Lord Voldemort, considered perhaps the most skilled Legilimens of his time, was able to send Harry Potter incredibly realistic visions of the Department of Mysteries and his godfather, and later to temporarily possess him (the latter of which was extremely painful to Harry, to the point where he begged Dumbledore to kill him, just to relieve him of the pain). It is easier to perform Legilimency when the target and practitioners' eyes meet.[1]
Severus Snape was able to see one of Voldemort's memories of the Department of Mysteries that Harry Potter himself had not experienced because of the unintentional Horcrux that linked them.[2]
Like Occlumency, Legilimency is not taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Considering that it invades people's privacy, Legilimency may be a legally restricted magical practise, just as the use of Veritaserum is strictly regulated by the Ministry of Magic.
Known practicersEdit
The word Legilimency is probably derived from the Latin legere, "to read", and mens, "mind".
Behind the scenesEdit
- Bellatrix Lestrange may have been a Legilimens as she is known to have trained Draco Malfoy in Occlumency; presumably she had to be able to penetrate his mind with Legilimency in order to teach him how to repel such an attack. However, it is also possible that she simply coached him on repelling mental assault whilst having someone else attempt Legilimency on him during practice.[5]
- Whilst Snape chides Harry for assuming that Legilimency and mind-reading are the same, he does not elaborate on the differences at all (save for saying that Legilimency is much subtler and more complicated than that). In fact, he even states that it would be possible for an advanced Legilimens like Voldemort to read another's mind. However, given all the canonical information one can work out a reasonable distinction between the two; mind-reading assumes that one is simply eavesdropping on the thoughts currently running through the head of another. Legilimency, however, appears to actually require the wizard to navigate and move through the various areas of the brain. Whilst it would therefore be theoretically possible then, for one to access the area controlling conscious thought (and hence "read another's mind") other areas of the brain are open to the Legilimens too, such as the area housing memory and the part of the mind controlling the voluntary muscles. This would fit with Snape's description of the mind being a many layered thing, as well as Voldemort's ability to possess Harry Potter in this way and how Harry is seen delving through Snape's memories using Legilimency (As opposed to just hearing his current thoughts like a stream of consciousness). It would also support Snape's assertation that equating Legilimency to mind-reading would be a fallacious, reductionist attitude towards such a skill.
- Ironically, in earlier books, Harry suspected Snape was capable of reading minds (though Snape does not care for the term "mind reading," considering it an oversimplification).
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Possible appearance)[6]
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Possible appearance)[6]
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Possible appearance)[6]
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Possible appearance)[6]
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- J. K. Rowling Official Site
- Pottermore (Mentioned only)
See alsoEdit
Notes and referencesEdit
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Chapter 26
- ↑ J.K.Rowling Official Site
- ↑ Pottermore information on the Sorting Hat, transcript available here
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 In each of the books, Harry states that he gets the feeling Snape can read minds, when Snape is looking right at him, and when Snape knows things Snape wouldn't know unless Snape was reading Harry's mind.


text:
What's on the mind of the small-to-medium sized business owner when asked to forecast business conditions in 2014? Health coverage, above all else.
Research by Principal Financial drew a picture of these business owners as fairly optimistic about 2014, but concerned about health insurance. Asked to rank what they felt would be the issues that would have the greatest effect on their businesses next year, 36 percent listed either health care costs or health care reform as the No. 1 factor. Second? The impact of economic growth on their business.
Principal found that about a third of the business owners are feeling optimistic about business conditions overall for 2014, and 55 percent said they thought their financials would be better a year from now as the economy continues to rebound.
They aren't spending much yet in anticipation of more business, however. While two-thirds said they have surplus capital, three-quarters said they're keeping their powder dry until they're convinced they need to start spending on their businesses again.
While last year 42 percent told Principal they planned to add to their staff, now, just 35 percent see themselves hiring in the next year.
They survey delved further into the health coverage issue. Asked about healthcare reform, three-quarters reported that they completely understand or understand some parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Asked what actions they were planning to take as healthcare reform kicks in, here are some of the responses:
- Take no action: 17 percent
- Don't know what action they will take: 20 percent
- Plan to keep their workforce under 50 employees: 22 percent
- Will start offering health care benefits: 8 percent.
See also:


text:
William Chester Jordan. The Great Famine: Northern Europe in the Early Fourteenth Century. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996. 327 S. $39.50 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-691-01134-9.
Reviewed by Janice M. Archer
Published on H-Soz-u-Kult (February, 1998)
W. C. Jordan: The Great Famine
In the late twentieth century, we are accustomed to photographs of starving children, bellies distended, accompanied by tales of famine from around the globe. We accept the explanations of commentators--that famine is caused not by insufficient production, but by a breakdown in distribution, often a deliberate tool of government strongmen attempting to obtain or maintain political power by demonstrating their control over the essence of life itself. Historical famines, on the other hand, have traditionally been seen in Malthusian terms as the obvious effects of overpopulation combined with inefficient farming methods, brought to a head by the happenstance of several years of bad weather following one upon the other.
William Chester Jordan of Princeton University brings to his study of the Great Famine of the fourteenth century a many-faceted lens which reveals a complexity rivalling that of the famines of our own times. Diminution of the food supply was not limited to a drop in grain production, but extended to epidemics in herds and flocks and an acute drop in the supply of salt needed to cure meats and fish that might have supplemented the reduced supply of grain. Wars diverted resources to military needs that might otherwise have been used to feed the hungry. A century of benign weather had lulled individuals and communities into a state of unreadiness for such an extended drop in production.
Jordan's description of the mechanism of famine is fascinating. Seven years of rainy summers and cold winters brought one disaster on top of another. Foremost, of course, was low productivity in grain crops. Jordan argues that, already in the late thirteenth century, yields in the colder parts of northern Europe and on "marginal" lands were as low as 2:1 (2 bushels for each bushel sown) and probably nowhere higher than about 7:1. Some studies for individual manors show these already low harvests reduced by as much as fifty per cent in 1316 and 1317. Production of wine in France was down by as much as eighty per cent in these years.
The crops that did grow were not of the same quality as in previous years. The rain leeched nitrates from the soil, leaving plants susceptible to disease, particularly to rusts, smuts, mildews, and molds. In better times, the small number of plants affected by these diseases would have been thrown away. In the early fourteenth century, hunger drove people to eat them.
Eating the diseased plants led to illness and "irrationality". Although Jordan does not mention her work, Mary Kilbourne Matossian, in 'Poisons of the Past' (New Haven, Conn., 1989), explains in detail how mycotoxins found in plants infested with mold and fungi can cause suppression of the immune system and mental disturbances (Lysergic acid, a component of LSD, is a basic alkaloid of ergot, the commonest form of fungal poisoning).
The rain and cold created a parallel crisis in flocks and herds. Sheep, cows, and oxen died in unprecedented numbers from various diseases. Meat that might have substituted for the reduced grain supply was thus not available. Lack of manure further reduced the fertility of the soil. The loss of oxen reduced the amount of land which could be plowed. No wonder people thought that God's wrath had descended on them! They seemed besieged on every side.
In Flanders, unlike the rest of northern Europe, nearly half the population was urban. Nearly all were dependent on the wool industry. The sudden and drastic decrease in the supply of wool caused a tremendous economic upheaval in Flanders, and a higher death rate than in the rest of the affected area.
Heavy rains and cloudy skies also curtailed the production of salt. In England, France, and Flanders, most salt came from evaporation of sea water, which was trapped between high tides in shallow, fire-hardened depressions of sand and clay. On overcast, rainy days, the sun alone could not effect evaporation before the next tide brought a new supply of brine. Stoking fires along the sides of the salt pan quickened evaporation, but this technique was largely ineffective in the drenching rains of the famine years. As an alternative, brine from the sea was boiled in shallow metal pans, but this method was fuel intensive and caused a sharp rise in salt prices. Thus, meat and fish, even where it was available, could not be preserved in their usual quantities and could not be relied on to replace calories lost because of the reduced grain supply.
Medieval people were accustomed to the vagaries of weather and resultant poor harvests. No town or manor was without some infrastructure for storing excess grain from bountiful harvests in anticipation of the occasional bad one. But Jordan supplies evidence that the thirteenth century had been an extended period of balmy weather and relative plenty. Barns and drying ovens were too few and too small to store grain to last through more than one bad harvest. Indeed, Europe weathered the crisis of 1315 relatively well. It was the continued bad harvests of 1316 and 1317 which brought widespread death and disaster.
War played its part in exacerbating the situation. In Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, dynastic struggles kept the north country in constant turmoil until 1319. German-speaking towns on the southern rim of the Baltic feared the military might of their northern neighbors. Military activities such as castle-building used scarce resources which might have been used to feed the hungry. English and Scottish troops devastated fields on both sides of their border as well as in Ireland, where the Scots tried to enlist Irish support for their war against England. The French king, Louis X, who was trying to bring Flanders under his suzerainty, diverted grain supplies to his troops and tried to prevent exports of grain to both the Flemish and the English.
Jordan's analysis of the economic effects of the famine is far too nuanced to allow even an attempt at a summary here. Townspeople suffered more, and for a longer time, than those in the countryside. The very rich got richer. The fatal animal diseases were selective; they did not affect horses and pigs. Areas ploughed primarily with horses were thus less affected than those which used oxen. Interior areas, where the salt supply came from brine springs or wells, did not suffer the drastic rise in salt prices of the coastal areas.
In his exposition of the famine itself, ist mechanisms, and its economic effects, Jordan's scholarship is impeccable and his analysis both sweeping and clear. When he turns to the social effects, he whets our appetites only to leave them unsatisfied. People assumed that the famine was God's punishment for sin. They turned to prayers, almsgiving, and processions to appease His wrath. Bakers sold bread filled with disgusting ingredients-- "the dregs of wine, pig droppings, and several other things" (p. 162). Thievery increased. Heresy and "irrationality" bordered on revolution. Bread riots brought violence within and between social classes. All of this in ten pages. Perhaps a real history of the social effects of the famine will be Jordan's next book.
Jordan's evidence is necessarily sketchy and uneven, given the spottiness of fiscal records for the period. To make his story as complete as possible, he leaves few stones unturned, combining studies of skeletons, tree-ring-growth, and analyses of infrastructure with accounts in chronicles and records of taxes, rents, and the admission of new burghers to town institutions. In order to give an overview of the famine on a grand scaleuacross northern Europe, in towns and cities, and in the countryside-- Jordan must rely on secondary sources. He does this with care, closely critiquing both the arguments and the evidence of his sources. For instance, in citing the 1896 work of W. Naude on English imports of grain from the Baltic ('Die Getreidehandelspolitik der europaischen Staaten vom 13. bis zum 18. Jahrhundert, als Einleitung in die preussische Getreidehandelspolitik', vol. 1, Berlin), Jordan warns that "Naude .... cited in his support a manuscript that I have not been able to verify" (p. 179). His bibliography is impressive. Neither political boundaries nor languages hem him in. It is annoying that complete bibliographic information for primary sources in manuscript form is found only in the notes. The index is extensive and helpful.
Jordan's book is gracefully written. Much of his information is conveyed in numbers: dates, grain yields, weather data, prices. He bounces around from an account of a chronicler in Yorkshire to mortality figures for Ypres. Yet the book engages the reader because Jordan cares about these people. He never loses sight of the hungry people at the heart of his story. Their movements become slow, their voices still. Their skin grows pale. Lacking their usual food, they give themselves over to "strange diets" (pp. 115-16). They graze like cattle. And, eventually, they are buried in mass graves without benefit of the rites of the Church.
Janice Archer
Portland, Oregon
If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the network, at: http://hsozkult.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/.
Janice M. Archer. Review of Jordan, William Chester, The Great Famine: Northern Europe in the Early Fourteenth Century.
H-Soz-u-Kult, H-Net Reviews.
February, 1998.
URL: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=16031
Copyright © 1998 by H-Net, Clio-online, and the author, all rights reserved. This work may be copied and redistributed for non-commercial, educational purposes, if permission is granted by the author and usage right holders. For permission please contact email@example.com.


text:
The Culture of John Paul II
The man from Krakow changed the world's conversation.
"You're confusing a modern man with an American liberal. An American liberal isn't necessarily a modern man." The words date from 1983, spoken by the Jewish-born archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, to a New York Times reporter. They might better serve as an enchiridion for appreciating Pope John Paul II's relationship to the century in which he was born and bore witness.
In all the ways that we typically understand "modern," the humble priest from Krakow cut an unlikely modern figure. Notwithstanding his learning and his early experience with Nazism, he languished under the communist shadow in what many in the West regarded as the most backwards branch of the Catholic Church in the world. Among ordinary people he was popular, and had none of the disdain for their favorite saints and folk ceremonies and communal feasts. And, of course, he became a bishop in a land where it was held as an article of science that religion was a relic of the past. Yet it was this man who would challenge the world, a shepherd tracing his authority to a first-century fisherman who would master — as no man in his lifetime matched — all the elements of media to remind us of something we had too often forgotten this century past: what it means to be human.
By the time he took his place on the chair of St. Peter, of course, the economic catastrophe that was communism had long been apparent. Notwithstanding that economic failure, there remained a sense that communism did understand power, a feeling augmented by the uneasy feeling that that communist insurgencies from Asia to Latin America in the end tended to prevail — and cemented by Brezhnev's famous doctrine that "once communist, always communist."
Many would have said the same of secularism. Where communism held sway, its harsh rule may have hardened rather than stifled religious resistance. In the West, where people were free to choose or reject, it was another story. Secularization — and the sense that faith was increasingly irrelevant — seemed increasingly attractive and religion correspondingly irrelevant. And nowhere did religion seem less modern than where it came up against the fun and promises of the sexual revolution.
In the end, John Paul did not triumph over these pressures the way he did over Soviet Communism. Yet he did something even more compelling: He challenged secularism's most debilitating assumptions. In his person, in his writings, in the barbed-wire pastoral cross he carried, he confounded his critics by insisting that the God-given dignity of the human person must be front and foremost.
He did this in the first moments of his papacy, when he appeared on the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica and set that magnificent Polish jaw against the prevailing winds. "Be not afraid," he told us, and when they saw he wasn't afraid, people took heart.
He did this on his first visit to his beloved Poland as pope. "Let thy spirit descend and renew this holy land, this land!" the new Pope told his fellow Poles on Warsaw's Victory Square. When the Berlin Wall came down 10 years later, it was in good part because John Paul II had exposed the many lies about the human person that had kept it propped up.
He did this also on his trips to the more affluent parts of the world, like America. You didn't need Madison Avenue to tell you that "Pick up your cross" is going to be a much harder sell than "Do what makes you feel good."
Yet it was this man who attracted immense crowds to World Youth Day in Denver, where a half million people turned out. He told them: "The challenge is to make the Church's Yes to life concrete and effective. The struggle will be long, and it needs each one of you. Place your intelligence, your talents, your enthusiasm, your compassion and your fortitude at the service of life!"
That vision would reach its apex in the seminal contribution of his papacy: the encyclical Evangelium Vitae. In many ways, it expressed the heart of John Paul's vision: that the Gospel is life itself. Even those who could not follow all the arguments understood the powerful new terms he introduced into our world's vocabulary: "the culture of life" and the "culture of death."
And then a funny thing happened. People responded. The culture of death was something people understood, maybe especially the people who were part of it. Instead of the "No" they were accustomed to, this pope became what his main biographer, George Weigel, called "a witness to hope." And the world saw that it was real — in the lit-up face of a handicapped girl that he touched, in the happy tears of the mother of a son with Down syndrome whom he met, in the sick and old whom he came and saw and loved. The message and the man were one.
The "Yes" to life and the freedom we find in Christ. At the heart of John Paul's modernity was his understanding that none of the "isms" heralded as the key to happiness — communism, capitalism, sexual liberation, abortion — could offer people what modernity so often leaves them wanting: the simple surety that we are loved. In his life, Pope John Paul II confounded his critics more than he persuaded them. By the time he went home to the Lord, however, even they found themselves answering on what were largely his terms.
Bill McGurn was the chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush from June 2006 until February 2008. He now writes "Main Street" at the Wall Street Journal.


text:
Aug 6&7 and continuing through August. Celebrating 60 kinds of sunflowers – Perfect opportunity to paint, cut, take photos and enjoy the many colors of summer. Reservations suggested for photo clubs or art groups. Kick-off weekend features live music, wine tasting from Hood River Vineyards, vegetable games, and a treasure hunt. Quilt show and sale, art show and sale. Come paint, take photos, cut bouquets, and enjoy through the whole month of August. Covered picnic area.
Gravenstein Apple Days August 20 & 21. Kick-off the fall fruit season with our favorite pie apple. At Rasmussen Farms, fresh cider, Gravenstein Apple Pie, and recipes. Also, family activities, featuring a Pie Walk, Chicken Dance, and live music in the afternoons. Opening of the Corn Maze.
Gravenstein season is short and the Hood River Valley Fruit Loop celebrates the harvest each year with a weekend full of special activities. Come enjoy family activities including BBQs, U-pick, baby alpacas, apple dumplings, apple jam and more. Visit the Fruit Loop website for a complete list of harvest events and begin planning your adventure today.
Apple Valley's Huckleberry Jam & Country BBQ ~ August 13 & 14 Huckleberry and music lovers come together to celebrate the wild huckleberry harvest. Listen to live music Saturday Aug 15 from 12–5 while enjoying a BBQ lunch (cherry-wood smoked ribs, pulled pork and chicken sandwiches, all served with cider baked beans and pear coleslaw). Huckleberry cobbler, crisps, turnovers, milkshakes, pies, and more.
From August till the snow flys in November, the fruit stands of the Hood River Valley will be open with over 30 varieties of apples and pears to purchase and sample. The Hood River Valley is just an hour away from Portland. Located in the national scenic area of the Columbia River Gorge, and the nation's largest pear-growing region, this is one of the few places that offers the complete experience of growing, producing, and then enjoying fruit and wine.
Fall is an amazing season to visit. Warm days and cool nights make for perfect weather to taste the harvest and enjoy the fall foliage. Why not stay a few days to take it all in? The Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild has 13 member inns ready to provide the perfect Mt Hood Bed and Breakfast.


text:
Because the last US built Rambler rolled off the assembly line in Kenosha, WI on June 30, 1969 they are largely forgotten by the non automotive obsessed public at large.
There was however a time when you could go to a dealer that dealt exclusively in the odd cars and we recently came across a picture to prove it. Grove Rambler Sales, formerly located at 12222 Garden Grove Boulevard in Garden Grove, California had nothing but Ramblers for sale on their lot (besides a lone Metropolitan) when this photo was taken.
We aren't sure exactly the date this picture was taken but judging from the selection of cars it was sometime between 1958 and 1960. It seems likely the last time that such a large collection of Rambler Americans and Rambler Ambassadors were together in one place was also somewhere right in this time period.
These days there is a strip mall where Grove Rambler Sales once sat and we can only guess where the selection of Ramblers and the Nash pictured here ended up. Luckily we still have vintage photographs like this one to remind the world there was a time you could find a dealership devoted exclusively to the quirky cars from Kenosha.
Photo Credit: aldenjewell


text:
Jonathan Benson
Natural News
January 19, 2012
(NaturalNews) The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued an apology in response to two elderly women who were allegedly molested by TSA airport screeners at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York just before Christmas. But the apology only addresses the fact that TSA screeners violated protocol with regards to scanning the ladies' private medical devices, and denies any further misconduct on behalf of the screeners, which the two victims say is a lie.
In December, 85-year-old Lenore Zimmerman, who uses a wheelchair, came out saying that TSA screeners forced her to take off her clothes in a private room as part of a strip search-type screening protocol. The screeners apparently took issue with Zimmerman's back brace and an internal defibrillator, which led to their order that she disrobe (http://www.naturalnews.com/034323_National_Organization_for_Women_TSA_illegal_searches.html).
Around the same time, 88-year-old Ruth Sherman came forward and said TSA screeners essentially did the same thing to her by taking her into a private room for an "enhanced" screening. In Sherman's case, screeners allegedly told her to drop her pants and underwear in order to inspect her colostomy bag (http://www.naturalnews.com/034415_TSA_elderly_women_strip_search.html).
In both of these incidents, the victims appear to have been personally violated by TSA agents who not only broke their own protocol by improperly handling the medical device screenings, but also by sexually molesting the women. But TSA officials are only "sorry" for the medical device protocol violations, and insist that neither Zimmerman or Sherman was strip-searched, molested, or violated in any other way.
"They asked me to pull my sweatpants down, and now they're not telling you the truth," said an outraged Sherman to reporters after Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Betsy Markey issued a written apology about the medical device issue, but denied the other charges.
"They're lying," said Zimmerman, also extremely upset about the TSA's denial. "I don't have a problem with [screeners checking] the back brace. I have a problem with being strip searched."
Zimmerman is reportedly still moving forward with a lawsuit against the TSA for sexual assault, despite the agency's denial of her claims. Sherman has not indicated whether or not she will press charges against the TSA.
Sources for this article include:
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!


text:
You may recall that I spent some time with the developers at the redgate offices in Cambridge (UK) a little while ago, looking at their Source Control for Oracle package. The product is about to go live, with a launch date of 12th March.
Because of the help I've given them they've offered my readers the chance of winning one of two 5-user licences for the product – provided I devise a strategy for picking the recipients.
So, to make it easy, all you have to do is persuade me that you really need or really deserve a copy. Write up a short description in the comments of the worst problem you've had to face because you didn't have a decent source control system, or the best use you think you could make of a source control system for Oracle.
I'll get the redgate developers to read what you wrote, and they will be the final judges of the two most interesting, or possibly most horrifying, or maybe even the most entertaining, cases.
Entries to be in by 23:59 GMT on 11th March.
The product has launched early !
You can find out more and see screenshots on this web page.
And there's an online demo of the tool on March 14 at 16:00 GMT (17:00 CET / 11:00 EST / 10:00 CST / 08:00 PST), where you will be able to ask any questions. If you're interesting in seeing it you'll have to register at this "go to meeting" URL.
The closing date for entries is still 11th March, 23:59 GMT.
Full name
Jonathan Lewis


text:
The Central Connecticut women's basketball team fell to the Broncs of Rider by a score of 61-58 on Saturday afternoon in Lawerenceville, NJ. The Blue Devils (5-4) were led by senior Jessica Babe who recorded the CCSU women's basketball program's first triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The Broncs (4-5) were led by 23 points and 12 rebounds from MyNeshia McKenzie.
Babe posted five points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead CCSU to a 31-22 lead at the half. Offensively, the Blue Devils featured a balanced attack in the first period with senior Brooke Bailey's six points leading the squad. Senior Lauren Arbogast (5), junior Kaley Watras (4) and sophomore Amanda Harrington (4) also made multiple baskets in the half.
The Blue Devils out rebounded the Broncs 22-20 in the period. CCSU was extremely effective on the offensive glass with seven boards and six second chance points.
The momentum swung in the second half as Rider opened the period with an 11-5 run over the first four minutes. The Blue Devils were able to hold the lead until the 11:13 mark as the Broncs tied the score at 40-40 on a jumper by Lashay Banks. Rider grabbed the lead seconds later on a pair of free throws by Mikal Johnson.
Down 47-41, with eight minutes left to play, Babe took over the game by scoring nine of CCSU's next 11 points to cut the deficit to 53-52. Harrington scored CCSU's other basket during the stretch with Babe registering her 10th assist of the game on the play.
Harrington finished the game with 13 points and eight rebounds. Bailey also grabbed eight boards and finished with seven points.
Needing one more rebound to record the program's first triple-double, Babe grabbed a defensive rebound, dribbled the length of the court and scored on a layup.
A three-pointer by Shereen Lightbourne put the Broncs back up by four points with 3:28 left to play. The Blue Devils made it a one possession game over the final minutes, but CCSU was unable to complete the comeback.
Babe becomes the first Blue Devil to record a tripe-double during the Division I era. Her 10 assist matched her career-high, which she set last season.
"I felt like I had a good idea of where I needed to be on the floor today," Babe said following the game. "I battled for some rebounds, but it was my teammates that made the shots."
The Blue Devils held a 34-22 advantage on points in the paint, but CCSU connected on just 3-of-18 three point attempts. Rider capitalized on a 6-of-12 shooting day from behind the three point arc with a 3-of-5 performance in the second half.
Defensivly, the Blue Devils posted 12 steals with Babe (4) and Harrington (3) leading the way.
Babe also passed 300 career assists and 750 career points in the game. She finished the day with 307 assists and 751 points. Babe is the 10th CCSU women's player to reach 300 career assists.
CCSU returns to aciton on Dec. 30 against Hofstra. The Blue Devils will host the Pride for a 12 p.m. tip-off at Detrick Gym.


text:
Japan, Mexico, Desalination, Wastewater Treatment, Recovery, Cyprus, Oil & Gas, Hawaii
Related content
Desalitech and Veolia tie up Mexican MoU
Desalitech Inc has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies to bring advanced cost‑effective high‑recovery water solutions to Mexico and additional countries worldwide.
Desalitech ties up with Toyo for international market
Innovative reverse-osmosis (RO) developer Desalitech and Japan's Toyo Engineering Corporation announced on 11 December 2013 the formation of a strategic partnership to introduce water and wastewater treatment solutions to Japanese, East Asian and international markets.
Sumitomo allies with VA Tech Wabag
Japan's Sumitomo Corp announced on 7 December 2010 an alliance agreement with India-based VA Tech Wabag Ltd, under which the two companies will strategically cooperate in multiple areas within the water infrastructure industry
Second Isobarix ER unit installed in Mexico
Isobarix has installed its second commercial XPR energy-recovery unit for Memco Sistemas de Separacion SA de CV, who operate several seawater reverse-osmosis plants at resorts in Cancun and Los Cabos, Mexico.
Desalination and reuse in Mexico-Israel water agreement
Desalination and wastewater treatment and reuse were part of an agreement signed on 14 November 2011 between the Mexican national water agency, Conagua, and Israel's Ministry of Industry, Trade & Labor.
Interview: Juan Miguel Pinto, ALADYR president
The new president of ALADYR, the Latin America desalination and water reuse association, sees his organisation as a window onto the region for international companies. His big aim is to step up events during 2018, taking knowledge of desalination and reuse out to the market.
Giant Mexican tuna cannery chooses MBR after pilot test
One of the world's largest tuna canneries in Mexico is installing a full-scale MeurerMBR membrane bioreactor following a successful pilot test.
Texas treatment company spins off frac water firm
A company called Green Hydro LLC has been spun off by Texas-based Advanced Hydro Inc to use desalination to address increasing demand for water use in hydraulic fracturing.
LG Electronics forms water treatment JV with Hitachi
South Korea's LG Electronics and Japan's Hitachi are to establish a joint venture in October 2011 to expand into the water and wastewater treatment industries initially in Korea.
IDE in talks with Hawaii desalination plant proposer
Desalination designer and builder IDE Technologies has confirmed to D&WR that it has been talking with billionaire Larry Ellison, who is proposing to build a 2.5 MGD (9,500 m³/d) seawater desalination plant on the island of Lanai.
Japanese pump maker buys 50% of FEDCO
Torishima Pump Mfg Co Ltd of Japan has acquired a 50% stake in Fluid Equipment Development Company (FEDCO), the US manufacturer of high- and low‑pressure pumps and energy-recovery equipment for desalination.
LACSD signs up Desalitech for chloride‑removal test
Desalination system developer Desalitech is to support a pilot project with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD) to upgrade two Santa Clarita Valley wastewater treatment plants in order to meet state‑mandated chloride limits, the company announced on 2 October 2013.
Water Standard finds its shipbuilder in Samsung
Texas-based Water Standard and Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries announced an agreement on 28 June 2011 to collaborate on the design and development of vessels to deliver water treatment solutions to the offshore oil and gas sector.
Flowserve wins pumps and ERDs for Larnaca desalination
DWEER energy-recovery units and Flowserve DMX high-pressure pumps are to be supplied for the 60,000 m³/d Larnaca seawater reverse-osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant currently being rebuilt in Cyprus.
Speakers announced for IDA conference in Banff
Speakers and sessions for the May conference on Water Recycling and Desalination for the Oil & Gas Industry have been announced by the organizers, the International Desalination Association (IDA).
Hawaiian venue for AMTA/SWMOA workshop
The American Membrane Technology Association and the Southwest Membrane Operator Association are to hold a joint technology transfer workshop in Hawaii.
US$ 6.25 million equity investment for Desalitech
Reverse-osmosis (RO) innovator Desalitech Inc has secured an equity investment of U$$ 6.25 million led by Liberation Capital LLC, which will be used for business expansion and working capital.
Ozwater '12 abstracts required before 1 September
The Australian Water Association (AWA) has issued a call for papers for Ozwater '12 to be held on 8-10 May 2012 in Sydney.
China's Tri-Tech acquires Wisconsin desalination provider
Desalination and wastewater treatment provider J&Y International Inc, based in Wisconsin, USA, was acquired by subsidiaries of Tri-Tech Holding Inc of China on 9 June 2011.
Nirosoft selects ERI PXs for Limassol desalination
The 50,000 m³/d seawater desalination plant currently under construction in Limassol, Cyprus, will use PX-260 pressure-exchangers from Energy Recovery Inc (ERI).
Oasys deal to treat Texas produced water with FO
Oasys Water has struck an agreement with Houston-based Select Energy Services, LLC (SES), a leading provider of engineered water solutions to the oil and gas industry, for exclusive use of its forward osmosis (FO) technology in the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico, USA.
RWL consortium wins Baja California desalination deal
Mid market water treatment firm, RWL Water, in a consortium with Mexican partners, Libra Ingenieros and RJ Ingenieria, has won a contract to build a 22,000 m³/d seawater desalination plant in San Quintín, Baja California.
Koreans purchase Spanish desalination company
Spanish desalination and water treatment company Inima OHL Medio Ambiente has been bought by GS Engineering & Construction, a South Korean company based in Seoul.
Consolidated seeks to sell Mexican desalination stake
Caribbean-based Consolidated Water Co is looking to sell its 50% stake in the 100 MGD (378,500 m³/d) Rosarito desalination project in Baja California, Mexico.
Gold miner opts for desalination to supply planned Mexican mine
The gold mining arm of energy firm, Chesapeake, has opted to use desalinated seawater to supply water for its proposed Metates gold and silver mining project in Durango state, Mexico. It has tendered for proposals to build and operate a 55Ml/d desalination facility to supply the mine with fresh water.
Inima wins Mexico's El Salitral desalination plant
Spain's OHL Medio Ambiente Inima (Inima) has been awarded a contract for the design, construction, finance and operation and maintenance of a seawater desalination plant in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.
Australians win Cape Verde desalination agreement
A letter of intent involving a desalination plant with an initial capacity of 4,000 m³/d has been given to Water Resources Group (WRG) of Perth, Australia, from the Municipality of Santa Caterina in Cape Verde.
El Salitral desalination bids to close in July
The Comisión Estatal del Agua (CEA) in the state of Baja California, Mexico, is expecting between five and eight firm offers when tenders close on 22 July 2011 for the El Salitral seawater desalination plant in Ensenada.
Consolidated bidding for Mexican SWRO desalination
Consolidated Water Co (CWCO) has declared itself to be one of the tenderers for the El Salitral desalination plant in Baja California, Mexico. Bids are due by June.
Woongjin opens all-Americas headquarters and factory
A new American headquarters and membrane manufacturing facility was opened on 5 April 2011 in Anaheim, California, by Woongjin Chemical America Inc, manufacturer of CSM reverse-osmosis and nanofiltration membranes for desalination and water treatment.
Desalination plant needed for Mexican mine
Denver-based Vista Gold Corp is planning to build a desalination plant to meet the needs of its planned Concordia mine in Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Desalination promotion part of Colorado river agreement
Mexico and the USA agreed to promote cooperation on desalination technology through the construction of more competitive desalination plants as part of an agreement on the use of the Colorado river signed on 20 December 2010.
Mexican desalination plant could be funded in 2011
Resources could be assigned in 2011 for a 17,280 m³/d desalination plant at Guaymas on the Gulf of California in Mexico.
Mexican desalination plant to tender soon
Comision Estadal Del Agua De Baja California (CEA) in Mexico is to build a 21,600 m³/d desalination plant in the city of Ensenada, to be tendered with a 40% federal contribution towards its estimated cost of Peso 351.900 million (US$ 28.8 million). The successful tenderer will contribute the remaining 60%.
Mexican desalination tender reported set for April
Conagua, the national water authority of Mexico, is reported to be set to launch a tender in April for a 21,500 m³/d desalination plant in Baja California.
Mexico seeks investment for Ensenada desalination plant
Mexico is looking for funding to build a desalination plant in Ensenada, Baja California, to supply drinking water to 96,000 people.
Mexico invests heavily in six new desalination projects
Mexico is investing more than one billion pesos in six initiatives to construct seawater reverse osmosis desalination plants on the country's coast where, according to national water authority Conagua, water availability is low while there is high potential for development.
Bank lends US$ 22 million to Korean firm to fund Mexican desalination project
The North American Development Bank has provided a U$ 22 million loan to South Korean company GS Inima Environment which is building a US$ 48 million, 28.5 Ml/d reverse osmosis desalination plant in Ensenada, Mexico.
Degrémont eyes desalination contracts in Mexico
French water services company Degrémont is seeking to participate in a public tender to construct a desalination plant in three Mexican states according to a Mexican state news outlet.
Land-purchase brings Consolidated's Mexican SWRO nearer
The planned Rosarito seawater desalination project in Mexico close to the US border took a step nearer on 22 May 2014 when Consolidated Water Co Ltd announced that it had completed the land purchase for the project.
RWL-led Mexico seawater desalination project starts construction
A consortium of RWL Water Group and Mexico's, Libra Ingenieros Civiles and RJ Ingenieria has begun construction of 22,000 m3/d reverse osmosis (RO) seawater desalination plant in Mexico's Baja California.
H2O Innovation to grow in Mexico
Canada-based water treatment specialist, H2O Innovation, is expanding its business activities in Mexico.
Papers invited for 2013 AWWA/AMTA event
With the 2012 AWWA/AMTA Membrane Technology Conference under way this week in Phoenix, Arizona, a call for papers has been issued for next year's event in Texas.
Consolidated expects more desalination in Mexico and Bali
Desalination supplier Consolidated Water Co, based in the Cayman Islands, says that its Rosarito project in Mexico has presented an opportunity for two other potential Mexican projects similar in size to its larger Caribbean operations.
Texas loan boosts Gulf of Mexico project
Texas has agreed a US$ 2 million loan for the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) to fund a study into site and transport options for a power and water project including a seawater desalination plant on the Texas Gulf coast. The project will provide additional water supplies and add diversity to the region's water sources.
Consolidated back with Rosarito desalination project
Cayman Islands company Consolidated Water Co is back on board the Rosarito desalination project in Baja California, Mexico. The 100 MGD (375,000 m³/d) seawater plant is designed to supply drinking water demand on both sides of the US/Mexico border.
Reclamation Bureau's water recycling and reuse funding criteria published
The US government's Bureau of Reclamation published on 15 October 2010 the funding criteria under its Title XVI - Water Recycling & Reuse Program for two new funding opportunity announcements in fiscal year 2011.
1,100 US counties face water supply crisis by 2050, says report
A new analysis for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), examining the effects of global warming on water supply and demand in the contiguous United States, has found that more than 1,100 counties will face higher risks of water shortages by mid-century as the result of global warming.
Nine water purification projects bag US$ 1.49 million in funding
The US Bureau of Reclamation has selected nine projects to receive US$ 1.49 million under its Desalination and Water Purification Research programme.
Arizona wants DPR/seawater desalination plan to start now
An immediate start on work to prepare for direct potable water reuse and seawater desalination is proposed by the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) in a report recently published by the US state's government.
Desalination and reuse in California/New Mexico get funding
US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced on 1 July 2009 27 water reclamation and reuse projects in California and New Mexico identified by the Bureau of Reclamation to share in a total of US$ 134.3 million under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Food for thought for delegates at EDS conference
The continuously queuing water tankers in the road servicing the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre and its four adjacent hotels leave visitors in no doubt that Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world.
Planned Mexican desalination plant to serve US utility
Reverse osmosis desalination company, Consolidated Water, has reported progress in its plan to build a seawater desalination plant in Mexico to supply a US water utility.
Doyen of Japanese desalination retiring
Dr Totaro Goto, former managing director of the Water Re-use Desalination Center (WDRC) in Japan and a former member of the D&WR Editorial Board, is to retire from the center at the end of March.
Aquatech increases Pennsylvania oil & gas resources
Aquatech has increased its oil & gas water management services in the Marcellus and Utica Shale regions of Pennsylvania with the acquisition of Fluid Recovery Services (FRS), based in Creekside.
Queensland legislates for centralised CSG brine disposal
The Queensland state government in Australia is introducing legislation to bring about centralised treatment and disposal of water and brine produced from the coal-seam gas (CSG) industry.
Another oil-sands evaporation contract for GE in Alberta
GE has won its fifth contract in the Alberta oil sands of Canada for use of its evaporation technologies for recycling the blowdown from once-through steam generators (OSTGs).
Agnihotri elected to board of ThermoEnergy Corp
Dr Dileep Agnihotri, the CEO and president of Advanced Hydro Inc, a company set up to commercialise a novel antifouling membrane coating technology at the University of Texas - Austin, has joined the board of ThermoEnergy Corp, a Massachusetts-based company engaged in development and sales of municipal and industrial wastewater-recovery and clean power-generation technologies.
Mitsui acquires minority stake in Water Standard
Houston-based Water Standard Management (US) Inc, which focuses on water treatment for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), announced on 30 May 2012 that Japan's Mitsui & Co Ltd has acquired a minority interest in the company.
Multi-technology GE upgrade for Russian refinery treatment
Membrane bioreactor (MBR), electrodialysis reversal (EDR) and reverse osmosis (RO) technology will all feature in a major upgrade for the wastewater treatment at one of Russia's biggest oil refineries.
Colgate Palmolive joins Mexico's water reuse initiative
The Mexican national water agency Conagua has signed an agreement with Colgate Palmolive for the manufacturer to join the country's Initiative for Saving and Efficient Use of Water.
New headquarters for Kurita Water Industries
Japanese water-treatment chemical supplier Kurita Water Industries has moved to a new headquarters in Tokyo.
Study starts on salinity reclamation of W Australian river
Mitigation measures such as desalination and diversion could be proposed for the Collie river basin in Western Australia as a result of an independent review of possible strategies for salinity recovery, which has just been started by consultants KPMG and Worley Parsons.
The experts' pick of the panels at IDA World Congress 2017
The crack team behind the technical program at IDA World Congress 2017 in Sau Paulo, Brazil, have selected their personal not-be-missed favourite sessions from a packed line-up.
AMTA's Hall of Fame honours industry pioneers
A raft of industry awards was unveiled at the Membrane Technology Conference 2017, including AMTA's four-strong Hall of Fame 2017, which recognises pioneering careers in membrane technology.
Consolidated Water lines up Mexican mega-project
The Playas de Rosarito seawater RO desalination mega-plant project has been six years in the making. It began as a twinkle in Consolidated Water's eye even before Mexico had introduced its new public-private partnerships law, but the act's introduction in 2012 gave the project a clear structure for moving ahead.
Rochem and APTwater announce merger
A merger was announced on 9 November 2011 between APTwater Inc of California, USA, and Rochem AG of Switzerland.
Aquarion in tie with mining cleantech player
Ottawa-based cleantech company, BluMetric Environmental, has teamed up with Swiss water technology firm, Aquarion, in a technology, business, and project development agreement with an industrial wastewater focus.
B&V puts forward four water-reuse recommendations
Four key recommendations have been put forward by Dan McCarthy, president and CEO of Black & Veatch's global water business, for overcoming global barriers to reuse of water as part of an integrated water industry portfolio.
Aquatech shale-gas treatment center opened
The formal opening of a central water treatment center set up for shale gas producers in Pennsylvania by local company Aquatech took place on 18 April 2013.
Ceramic MBR demonstration project agreed in Singapore
A ceramic membrane bioreactor (MBR) demonstration plant is to be built at Singapore's Jurong Water Reclamation Plant following the signing of an agreement between the country's water agency, PUB, and Meiden Singapore (MSL), a subsidiary of Meidensha of Japan.
PUB and Mitsubishi join to test water recycling technology
Singapore's national water agency, PUB. has contracted Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation to build a demonstration-scale plant to test energy saving technologies that may be deployed at the proposed Tuas Water Reclamation Plant (WRP).
Oil/gas sector MBR leads new H2O Innovation jobs
Supply of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) wastewater treatment and reuse system to an industrial user in the oil and gas industry in Alberta, Canada, was announced by H2 O Innovation Inc on 8 March 2012.
Pressure-exchanger court case goes to Hauge
The latest round of the "pressure-exchanger wars" between inventor Leif J Hauge, his company Isobarix Inc and energy-recovery equipment manufacturer Energy Recovery Inc (ERI) has gone in favour of Hauge.
Aquarion sets up in Russia
Swizerland-based water systems company, Aquarion Group, has established a Russian operation, Aquarion Russia, to focus on providing water and wastewater treatment to industrial customers in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
IDA announces May 2013 oil and gas conference
The International Desalination Association (IDA) is to organize its first technical conference focused on water treatment strategies for the oil & gas industry.
Nirosoft wins large Colombian desalination plant
Nirosoft Industries Ltd has been awarded a contract by Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp (PREC) for design and construction of a produced-water desalination plant in Colombia.
Metito lands Bechtel SWRO desalination in Australia
Dubai-based Metito has landed two new seawater reverse-osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants in Australia and is currently nearing completion of one in Qatar.
Jersey contracts ACWA to upgrade desalination plant
Utility, Jersey Water, has contracted international water and wastewater treatment firm, ACWA Services, to carry a out a £6 million (US$ 9 million) upgrade of the Channel Island's La Rosière desalination plant in a bid to cut operating costs and meet rising demand.
Q&A: Fisia's Silvio Oliva on why the Italian firm is expanding into Latin America
Fisia Italimpianti managing director Silvio Oliva says that the combination of demand for water treatment and desalination in Latin America makes the region a interesting prospect for investment.
Adionics launches liquid-to-liquid desalination system
France-based Adionics has launched a smart desalination solution that is able to remove specific salts to address the growing demand coming from oil and gas, food and beverages as well as mining.
EDS and SPE host joint oil/gas desalination workshop
The European Desalination Society is joining the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) to present a joint workshop on Desalination in the Oil and Gas Industry.
Energy Recovery bags US$ 1 million in desalination orders in India and Ghana
Fluid flow energy efficiency firm Energy Recovery has won desalination orders totalling US$ 1 million for original manufacturer projects using its technology in India and Ghana. The company said the deals were among a continuing revenue stream from small-to-medium sized projects.
Energy Recovery chief to quit
Chief executive officer (CEO) of pressure technology specialist Energy Recovery, Thomas Rooney, has resigned as the company increases its focus on the oil and gas sector.
ACWA wins two membrane-based projects in Saudi
Two separate contracts for membrane-based water and wastewater projects in Saudi Arabia have been awarded to ACWA Emirates LLC of Dubai.
Desalitech closed-circuit technology set for BWRO project
Israel-based Desalitech Ltd announced on 7 April 2011 that it had been awarded a contract to design and build a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination system for Environmental Protection Technologies (EPT), a global company that leads the industrial wastewater treatment market in Israel.
Biwater completes Virgin Islands desalination plant
Water technology company, Biwater, has started full commercial operation of a new 10,400 m³/day reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant constructed by the firm on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.
Severn-Trent wins Chilean mining desalination contract
US water and wastewater treatment company Severn Trent Services has been awarded a contract to provide a seawater desalination plant that will serve the potable and process water needs of the Minera Esperanza copper and gold mine in Antofagasta, Chile.
Electrochemical desalination MoU signed in Singapore
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Singapore's national water agency, PUB, and Evoqua Water Technologies to further develop electrochemical desalination technology was one of five MoUs signed during Singapore International Water Week, which ended on 5 June 2014.
Mitsui and Tedagua win Spence copper mine desalination project, Chile
Japan's Mitsui & Co and Tedagua of Spain have formed special purpose company Caitan to deliver a desalination project at Spence copper mine in Chile.
Funding for reuse offered by Bureau of Reclamation
The US government's Bureau of Reclamation has announced a funding opportunity for feasibility studies of water reclamation and reuse for non-federal government entities, indian tribes, water districts, wastewater districts or rural water districts in the 17 western US states and Hawaii.
STW puts zero liquid system on show
STW Water Process and Technologies, this week will hold demonstrations in the Texas state capital, Austin, of a zero liquid discharge (ZLD) thermal water processing technology it licences from Salttech under an exclusive agreement.
STW joins HFEIS developer to target power/desalination
STW Resources Holding Corp of Texas, USA, announced on 18 September 2013 a mutual strategic relationship with Colorado‑based Tat‑Tech Inc to remediate oil-sands waste, brackish groundwater and seawater via the construction and operation of proprietary systems developed by Tat‑Tech.
Interview: Henry Charrabe, Fluence Corp
Henry Charrabe, newly appointed chief executive of Fluence Corporation, the company formed in July by the merger of RWL Water and Emefcy, has worked for the business' major investor Ronald Lauder for 16 years.
North Sea gas RO package supplied by UK company
A containerised reverse‑osmosis (RO) desalination package is to be supplied for an unmanned gas platform in the North Sea by Salt Separation Services of Rochdale, UK.
Veolia in mineral recovery partnership at inland desalination plant
Texas-based company, Enviro Water Minerals (EWM), is to deploy its novel mineral recovery technology in a partnership with water and waste giant, Veolia, to produce potable water from brackish water desalination effluent.
Osmoflo to supply two ship-mounted ROs to gas field
Potable and process water is to be supplied to a gas field north of Australia by ship-mounted seawater reverse-osmosis (RO) plants supplied by Adelaide-based desalination specialist Osmosflo.
Energy Recovery announces deal duo
Industrial fluid pressure technology company, Energy Recovery, has announced its second US$ 1.8 million deal in recent weeks at sites in the Middle East and North Africa region. The latest win to supply its PX Pressure Exchanger system was for a 68 Ml/d desalination plant at an undisclosed site in the Middle East. It closed an earlier, similar deal in Morocco.
Mega-ton project symposium set for Tokyo in November
A symposium is to be held in Japan in November 2013 centred on the Mega-Ton Water System, a national research program to develop sustainable water treatment technologies, including large-scale desalination, that have a low environmental load and are energy-saving and low in cost.
ERI hires oil expert from Schlumberger
Energy Recovery Inc has hired seasoned oil and gas expert Ismail Nawaz as its vice president, oil and gas product development.


text:
This includes but is not limited to: Losing consciousness, pregnancy bleeding/complications, severe burns, severe abdominal pain, signs/symptoms of stroke or heart attack, open fractures, and infants under 6 months with a fever over 103 degrees.
Get immediate attention for most non-life-threatening health issues by checking-in at Peachtree Immediate Care - Lithonia. We help patients with common illnesses and injuries recover while saving them a trip to the emergency room. Avoid long waits and high premiums by checking-in online or in-person today!
Getting a physical is quick and easy at Peachtree Immediate Care. Whether you need a physical done for your employer, school, camp, or sports team, we can help. Get your physical today!
Our care center also provides diagnostic testing including drug screenings, alcohol breath testing, HIV testing, pregnancy testing, STD testing, and more. When you get testing done at Peachtree Immediate Care - Lithonia, we can help you catch things early to best plan for the future.
Your organization is only as healthy as your people. As Lithonia's preferred urgent care center, we strive for your employees to be healthy and strong with pre-employment physicals, drug testing, worker's compensation services, and more. We can even perform our services on-site at your location.
Learn how we can help your employees thrive by contacting us today!
Come visit us online @
Accepted Payment Methods:


text:
Where was Jared's wolfpack when he needed them?
Bronson Pelletier (who plays werewolf Jared in "The Twilight Saga" franchise films) was allegedly assaulted in the men's room of a Birmingham, England, hotel during the "Eternal Twilight 4" convention, according to WENN.
U.S. & World
The 23-year-old Canadian actor's nose was reportedly broken after he was allegedly attacked by a group of four men in the restroom of the Hilton Metropole Hotel, where he was the main attraction for the "Twilight" fan expo.
The four alleged attackers – who were at the hotel for a wedding reception – allegedly hit Bronson over the head, headbutted the actor, and held him "in a headlock" before he was able to fight his way to freedom. The men were reportedly chased by police officers, with one man being subdued via Taser gun.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'Twilight Saga's' Chiseled Charmer Kellan Lutz!
A spokesman for the West Midlands Police reportedly confirmed that four men were arrested on suspicion of assault, according to the site.
A source told the UK's Daily Telegraph, according to WENN, "Bronson was really angry and upset. These guys were very nasty. They were so drunk, they probably didn't even realize they were picking on a Hollywood actor."
Reps for Summit Entertainment were not immediately available for comment regarding the alleged assault when contacted by Access Hollywood. Access was not able to reach reps for Bronson.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Stars Declare Themselves 'Team Edward' Or 'Team Jacob'
Copyright 2010 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'Twilight' Heartthrob: Taylor Lautner
PLAY IT NOW: Access Extended: 'New Moon' Werewolves Rip Into Vampires
PLAY IT NOW: Michael Sheen Can't Wait To Film 'Breaking Dawn'
More from Access: [ Bronson Pelletier The Twilight Saga Twilight ]


text:
A biopsy is a test of tissue from the body. A lab will check the sample to see if there is something unusual about it.
Reasons for Procedure
Biopsies look for the cause of:
- Infection
- Swelling
- Growth
You may need this done to diagnose or find out more about a problem. It may also be done to find out if there is cancer.
A biopsy can also diagnose:
Possible Complications
Problems are rare, but there is some risk. Problems may be:
- Excessive bleeding
- Pain
- Infection
- Scarring
Smoking may raise the risk of problems.
Be sure to talk with your doctor about these risks.
What to Expect
Prior to Procedure
Talk to your doctor about your medicines. You may be asked to stop taking some medicine.
Do not eat or drink after midnight if you will have general anesthesia.
There are different types of anesthesia. The choice will depend on where the sample is on the body. You may have:
- General anesthesia —given through an IV to block pain and keep you asleep.
- Local anesthesia—will numb the area. More common when tissue is taken from the skin.
Description of the Procedure
There are many ways to do a biopsy, such as:
- Needle biopsy —a thin needle is used to remove cells
- Aspiration biopsy —a hollow needle uses suction to remove cells
- Core needle biopsy —tissue is removed using a hollow core needle that has a special cutting edge
- Vacuum-assisted biopsy —many samples of tissue are taken using a special rotating probe
- Endoscopic biopsy —a long, thin tube is used to pass other tools through and remove tissue
- Incisional biopsy —a part of a growth is cut out
- Excisional biopsy —a growth is fully removed, such as a breast lump
- Punch biopsy —a sample with many layers of skin is removed with a special tool.
- Skin biopsy —a small piece of skin is cut off with a scalpel
- Shave biopsy —top layers of skin are shaved off with a special blade
- Bone marrow biopsy —a long needle passes into bone to collect marrow cells
|Bone Marrow Biopsy
|Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
How Long Will It Take?
A simple biopsy should only take a few minutes. It will take longer during a surgery.
How Much Will It Hurt?
You may have pain. Ask your doctor about medicine to help with the pain.
Average Hospital Stay
You will be able to go home after a simple biopsy. If you had surgery, you may need to stay for 1-2 days.
Post-procedure Care
Recovery will depend on the location and how much tissue was taken. It may take 2-10 days to get results. Your doctor will talk with you about them. Results may show:
- Normal tissue, no problems
- Irritated tissue
- Not normal, but hard to define
- Not normal, not cancerous, but a precancerous condition
- Cancer
- Inconclusive
Call Your Doctor
Talk to your doctor if you do not get better or you have problems, such as:
- Redness, swelling, more pain, bleeding, or leaking fluid
- Signs of infection, such as fever and chills
- Pain that you cannot control with the medicine you have been given
- New or worsening symptoms
If you think you have an emergency, call for emergency medical services right away.
American Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org
American College of Surgeons https://www.facs.org
Canadian Cancer Society http://cancer.ca
Health Canada https://www.canada.ca
Biopsy. Radiological Society of North America Radiology Info website. Available at: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/submenu.cfm?pg=biop. Accessed March 14, 2018.
Schoonjans JM, Brem RF. Fourteen-gauge ultrasonographically guided core-needle biopsy of breast masses. J Ultrasound Med. 2001;20(9):967-972.
6/3/2011 DynaMed Plus Systematic Literature Surveillance https://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T905141/Treatment-for-tobacco-use : Mills E, Eyawo O, Lockhart I, Kelly S, Wu P, Ebbert JO. Smoking cessation reduces postoperative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2011;124(2):144-154.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board James P. Cornell, MD
- Review Date: 03/2018
- Update Date: 05/15/2018


text:
Is it possible to output from the SCART was the signal all the time, regardless of the source of the transmitted signal?
I care that no PS3 when connected via HDMI to the SCART would send the signal.
The signal at the SCART I need to control the Ambilight-Hyperion
Here the link to the project:
Code: Select all


text:
There are no spaces available in East Barre.
Try expanding your search or request a space in East Barre and let other members know you need parking in this area.
Popular Parking Locations
Newton Parking Brighton Parking Chestnut Hill Parking Brookline Parking Norwalk Parking Stamford Parking
Cheap parking spaces in East Barre for rent
Spacer has 0 cheap and secure parking spaces available for rent in central East Barre. You can select to rent undercover, outdoor, garage, driveway, overnight and secure parking spaces for your car right now. The average price per month is $40. For the cheapest and best central East Barre parking we recommend selecting from the list above, viewing the car park details and booking a long term parking space by selecting the dates you need or you can find out more about how it works.
Do you have a spare car park that you could list?
There are plenty of drivers looking for cheap and secure parking in central East Barre. You could earn over $2,080.00 a year from renting out your parking space overnight, long term. It is a great way to make money in East Barre for nothing and help out your local East Barre community by helping a mate get to where they need to be easier. Spacer takes care of all the hassle including contracts and payments. So why don't you list out your East Barre driveway, garage, car port or parking space today; Its easy, free and takes less than two minutes, Rent out my space.


text:
**This week I'm attempting to answer a reader's questions. You can find the entire series here. Next week will be back to business as usual.**
Yesterday, I mentioned some foundational skills that really help learning activities work well in our home. These were obedience, listening skills and comprehension, attention span, and self-control. There are many ways to help little ones practice these skills, this list is just a few ways we put them into practice. By NO means are these the ONLY way to teach these concepts. The point is giving them opportunities to practice the foundational skills on a consistent basis. Feel free to share other ideas!
Focused Play – As an early crawler, I gave him a toy and we play with that toy for a certain amount of time (a couple of minutes at first). If he starts to wander off to play towards something else, I tell him we are playing xyz now and point out a new aspect of the toy, basically try to get him to notice something about it that he hadn't yet noticed. We started SMALL, just a couple minutes. After awhile, he could play on his own with a toy for longer and longer. His attention span was increasing. He was learning how to explore and even investigate a toy. This really helped when we began table time later (see below). This was a long process. ALL crawlers and early walkers like to wander. The exploring they naturally do is great and offers lots of developmental opportunities too. There's plenty of time in the day for both exploration AND for focused play too. My perspective is, being the adult, I have something to offer J…. including in play. In my opinion this is actually an early learning activity in and of itself. It's not abc's but it's something that will later help them learn those things. Focusing for extended periods of time is something they learn. I believe we can help them learn it little by little.
Blanket Time – Basically you give a visible boundary and teach them to stay within it. We started this around 10 months, using a blanket. There were no crib rails or seatbelt restraining him; he had to learn to control his own desires and stay within the boundary simply because mom said so. We started with 5 minutes, twice a day and worked up to 30 minutes once a day. We also started with me playing with him and worked towards him playing alone. It was not easy but I saw HUGE benefits once he learned. By 12 months I could do this out of the house with confidence that he would control himself and obey happily for the entire 30 minutes. He even asked for blanket time both at home and while we were out. This one "activity" helped J practice all of the foundational skills. He had to LISTEN to mom's instructions, practice SELF-CONTROL in order to OBEY those instructions, and he it really really helped to lengthen his attention span (since he had to play with the toys provided on the blanket rather than roaming from one toy to the next every 5 seconds).
Reading – this is a proven way to encourage listening skills, comprehension, and attention span. It's also a very easy thing to do and it's fun! Sit them in your lap, on the couch, on a blanket and read. Ask questions as you read to keep them involved and encourage listening skills. Have them stay in one place to practice self-control. After awhile, you'll notice they are able to pay attention for longer and longer reading sessions. They will also be able to comprehend more intricate storylines pretty quickly. You could also practice this by playing books on tape or just record yourself (and other family members) telling stories. Listen to them in the car or while preparing dinner. They don't need to have a book in front of them while listening, they can work out that imagination too.
Conversations – Talking WITH J, as opposed to talking around him, about him or to him really makes a difference. Waiting for a response from them, makes them aware of how a conversation works. It gives them an incentive to listen which in turns helps them practice listening. Of course the 3 months old won't answer your questions, but that doesn't mean we can't start modeling the process that early. The 10 month old might be able to sign a simple response, the 18 month old might be able to give a one word answer and the 3 year old might go on and on and on and on and on.
One time I accidentally dialed a friend's number on my cell while I was taking J on a walk around the neighborhood. The phone was in the stroller pocket and I had no clue my friend was on the line. She remarked later, "I heard you talking to J saying, 'Here's the end the street. To be safe, let's stop here and make sure there aren't any cars coming before we cross. Do you see any cars J?… Oh you're right, I see that blue car coming too." She found it funny that I was attempting to hold a conversation with my 10 month old. Of course he didn't respond to me that day, but he was growing more and more aware of his surroundings, learning to listen, learning that a response during the pause was anticipated, even learning to always stop and look for cars before crossing the street. The only way they learn to listen is if we give them practice at it AND incentives to listen. Why should they listen to us if we aren't ever giving them the opportunity to respond?
Table Time – We started table time with just a few minutes a couple times per day in the highchair. I used very simple activities that capitalized on his interests at the time (mostly the in and out game) and we slowly worked to increase the amount of time he could handle in one sitting. We worked up from needing 3 or 4 different activities each time to just one. My goal in this was extending his attention span, working on obedience and on self-control (keeping toys on the table). I was not focused on teaching academics at all in the beginning because I didn't want to expect too much. A side benefit was great practice with motor skills.
Piece by piece instructions – This really helped J practice listening skills and obedience. Instead of calling his name and telling him what I wanted him to do all at once, learning to split up the instructions into the smallest parts made a huge difference. "J, come in here and pick up your toys," sounded more like:
"J " (wait for response…in our house that meant he needed to look at me and when he was able to crawl/walk, move to where I was)
"Pick up your truck." (wait for him to finish)
"Put your truck in this box." (wait for him to finish)
If there was a problem with him following through, I could easily pick out which part of the instruction caused it. This helped me determine if he simply didn't understand the instruction, didn't hear my instruction, or was testing mommy to see what happens if he doesn't obey! We could then focus working on the very specific problem. Once I knew he understood, I tried really hard not to repeat anything. This helped improve his listening skills since he had to listen the first time. It also improved obedience since he knew he had to obey the first time. As he got better, I could group more instructions together.
To be completely honest, this one was hardest for me. It just wasn't natural for me to go SO SLOW in instructions. It still isn't, though it is easier. I kept forgetting to stop and wait after I called his name. That one took awhile to become habit (or closer to a habit). To this day, if J is having a rough week with obedience, I look at how many instructions I'm giving him at once. I pull back on that and he starts improving so much. It's a way to keep us both consistent I think, which leads me to…
Consistency –Consistency in my expectations and in my response is absolutely key. It is also a pain in the neck. I don't always WANT to be consistent to be quite honest. Many times I want to just take a break from being mom. When I do, I kick myself later while having to correct the bad habits that J learned during my siesta. The older they get and the better their foundational skills are, the more we can take a mini-break without making major steps back (judging from both motherhood and teaching). But my almost 3 year old still thrives best under consistency.
Practice, Practice, Practice – 3 minutes will eventually turn into 10 minutes, 30 minutes or 1 hour; ignoring will turn to hearing, listening and responding and (the most rewarding part) LEARNING from us. We just have to keep at it!
What have you done to help practice foundational skills like obedience, self-control, attention span, and listening and comprehension skills? I would love to hear ideas!
What other foundational skills do you think are important?
To see the other posts in this series, click here.