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Vikas Shah, Thought Economics, July 2014
More than one billion people in the world today live with some form of disability; that's one in seven of all of us. Almost everyone alive on the planet will, in his or her life- experience temporary or permanent disability of one form or another.
With that in mind consider that in our supposedly advanced society, people with disabilities are subject to economic and social inequalities, violations of dignity and in some cases denied their very autonomy. Whilst the levels of such basic rights violations may vary from place-to-place, the truth is that they occur everywhere from the richest countries in the world (where buildings and transport systems may not be designed with the disabled in mind) to the poorest (where people may be subject to violence, prejudice or imprisonment).
Before we progress however, it's important to realise that the term disability is misleading. Human beings can become impaired through physical, mental or sensory limitations; but that does not become a disability until that impairment stops them from participating in community life. The term is also used (wrongly) as a broad catch-all for a diverse group of people, and used with the conviction by which we categorise gender. We say (usually) with some certainty that a given person is male or female. Unfortunately, we are also just as quick to categorise an individual as disabled or not. By doing this, we oversimplify and perhaps trivialise the fact that disability – rather than being something looked upon as a 'condition', is really a phenomenon that occurs at a complex intersection between our humanity, policy, society, culture and the environment. The complexity of the topic combined with significant political and social blindness towards it, has led to disability becoming one of the most significant un-addressed issues of modern time.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed on 10 December 1948 supposedly expressed the baseline level of rights to which all human beings are entitled. For many groups who were marginalised, even this was not enough to defend them. Specific conventions defending against discrimination on the basis of race, gender and youth were adopted in 1969, 1979 and 1989 respectively. It wasn't until the 21st century however, in 2006, where the United Nations formally agreed on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with the aim "to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity."
So what is the current state of the world faced by those living with impairments and disabilities?
In this exclusive series of interviews, we speak to Javed Abidi (Chair, Disabled People's International DPI), Sir Philip Craven MBE (President, International Paralympic Committee IPC) and Professor Hugh Herr (Head of the Biomechatronics research group at MIT Media Lab and Founder of BiOM Inc). We discuss the human rights and social injustices faced by the those living with impairments and disabilities around the world, look at issues ranging from economics and politics to culture and sport and discuss opportunities for the future and whether technology could even end disability.
Javed Abidi is Chairperson of Disabled People's International and Honorary Director of National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP).
Javed was affected with spina bifida at birth and has been a wheelchair user since 15. After graduating summa cum laude from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A, he came back to India to pursue a career in journalism. He made his foray into the Indian disability sector after a chance meeting with Smt. Sonia Gandhi. This led to his appointment as the Programme Officer in charge of the Disabled Persons Welfare Unit at the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. He served there for five years from 1992 to 1997.
In those five years, several pathbreaking initiatives were launched, the most noteworthy being the Lifeline Express Project and the Motorised Tri-wheeler Scheme. It was during this period only that work began specifically on cross-disability issues, particularly the drafting and passage of the Disability Act 1995.
In 1993, he founded the Disabled Rights Group (DRG). He was also instrumental in setting up of National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) in 1996 and has been its Director since 1997. As an impassioned advocate for India's disabled citizens, he has given voice to an "invisible minority", one that has been denied to them by both political and social sectors for decades.
He has successfully led several path breaking advocacy initiatives in India. This includes filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court of India in 1997 regarding the non-implementation of The Disability Act. The case continued for over a year, at the end of which the Court directed the Union of India to undertake several measures, for example the appointment of the State Disability Commissioners, etc.
Abidi has also drafted the chapter on disability which has been reproduced as it is in the 11th Five Year Plan (2007 – 2012); catalysed 3% reservation for disabled people in Indian Administrative Services; ensured inclusion of disability as a category in Census 2001; facilitated the 2005 Inclusive Education Policy for Children and Youth with Disabilities to ensure education will be disabled friendly by 2020; played an active role in creating awareness and expediting the ratification process of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Other successful advocacy campaigns include ensuring the inclusion of disability in the Right to Education Act; revision of Guidelines for Indian Government Websites mandating WCAG 2.0 compliance; proper enumeration of people with disabilities in Census 2011; inclusion of people with disabilities and disability experts in the various Steering Committees formulating the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017) to ensure that disability is looked at a cross-cutting issue and the creation of a separate Department of Disability Affairs
Has formed the one and only cross – disability network across India called National Disability Network (NDN) with a reach in 324 districts, He is an Ashoka fellow and has been awarded the IBN 7 Bajaj Allianz Super Idols – Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sir Philip Craven has been passionate about sport all his life. He was born in Bolton in the north of England, and educated at the University of Manchester where he graduated with honors in 1972.
Sir Philip is an accomplished five-time Paralympian in wheelchair basketball (1972 to 1988) and swimming (1972). He won gold medals in the Gold Cup - World Championships, European Championships, Commonwealth Games, and the European Champions Cup.
His many astounding contributions to Paralympic sport led to his election as President of the International Paralympic Committee in 2001. Following this he was elected a member of the International Olympic Committee in 2003 and a board member of the London 2012 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. He was President of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation from 1998 to 2002.
Away from the basketball court, Sir Philip was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for services to Paralympic Sport in 2005, awarded a Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2006, and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Nottingham University in 2007. In 1991 he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for services to wheelchair basketball.
He is a keen amateur de vin and has been awarded the highly prestigious Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Croix de Bourgogne (2007). Sir Philip and his wife, Lady Craven, enjoy gardening, sports, and travel.
Hugh Herr directs the Biomechatronics group at The MIT Media Lab, and is the founder of BiOM, which markets the BiOM as the first in a series of products that will emulate or even augment physiological function through electromechanical replacement.
His research program seeks to advance technologies that promise to accelerate the merging of body and machine, including device architectures that resemble the body's musculoskeletal design, actuator technologies that behave like muscle, and control methodologies that exploit principles of biological movement. His methods encompass a diverse set of scientific and technological disciplines, from the science of biomechanics and biological movement control to the design of biomedical devices for the treatment of human physical disability.
His research accomplishments in science and technology have already made a significant impact on physically challenged people. The Transfemoral Quasipassive Knee Prosthesis has been commercialized by Össur Inc., and is now benefiting amputees throughout the world. In 2006, he founded the company iWalk Inc. to commercialize the Powered Ankle-Foot Prosthesis and other bionic leg devices. Professor Herr's work impacts a number of academic communities. He has given numerous invited and plenary lectures at international conferences and colloquia, including the IVth World Congress of Biomechanics, the International Conference on Advanced Prosthetics, the National Assembly of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, World Economic Forum, Google Zeitgeist, Digital Life Design, and the TEDMED Conference. He is Associate Editor for the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, and has served as a reviewer for the Journal of Experimental Biology, the International Journal of Robotics Research, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, and the Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences. He has been invited to participate in joint funding proposals from other universities and corporations, and has served on research review panels including the National Institute of Health, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2007, He was presented with the 13th Annual Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment.
His work has been featured by various national and international media, including Scientific American Frontiers, Technology Review, National Geographic, the History Channel, and CNN.
Q: What does the term 'disability' really mean?
[Javed Abidi] Disability is an impairment, but an impairment is not necessarily a disability. The interaction of an impairment with the social barriers that surround you may or may not turn that impairment into a disability. For example; I am a wheelchair user, and If I see a building in front of me with three steps, I cannot get into it. If I cannot get into it, it's not because I'm on a wheelchair; it's because the building has 3 steps. If the same building had a ramp, my wheelchair would not be an impairment and I could easily get into the building.
[Sir Philip Craven] The word disability is the embodiment of pure negativity... and when it's used as a catch-all such as 'the disabled,' it's even worse. Everyone is an individual, and those individual personalities should shine through, not the labels.
Ask a person who's getting a bit older and may have a visual, hearing or mobility impairment if they're disabled? They'll throw that title off with vehemently! They view disability as being a community they don't belong to.
I'm Philip Craven, I'm me... the fact that I use a wheelchair is immaterial. I am what I am.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, we were staying at the Westin. They had an 'adapted bathroom,' with a little sink that never emptied. I called one of the hotel team who pointed out the sink was on a siphon, and that siphon had to be half-filled with whatever you had spat-out into the sink before it emptied. I told the hotel it wasn't acceptable to have something this crude in a 5-star hotel, and the response was... "well, what do you expect... it's a disabled sink in a disabled bathroom..." This clearly illustrates the way people think- assuming we want something different- when we don't!
If you're told you're disabled long-enough you start to feel it. I sometimes get asked if things changed for me after my accident. They didn't because I damn-well made sure they didn't and fought against it... You have to throw off your impairments, and make sure that you have the confidence to decide your own destiny- rather than allowing others to decide it for you because you're disabled.
[Prof. Hugh Herr] Sometimes people view disability as something permanent when, in fact, our bodies are malleable with technology. One could be disabled for a portion of one's life, and then not be for another; the body is malleable and transformable with technology. Disability is not a fixed condition, it's fluid. This is good news- it means that we can ultimately eliminate disability.
When I was first sent to the rehabilitation centre after my legs were amputated, I was fitted with my first pair of artificial limbs. The rehab Doctor asked me what I wanted to do and I said that I wanted to return to mountain climbing, ride a bicycle and drive a car. He told me I could drive a car with hand controls, that I may be able ride a bicycle, but that I would never be able to return to mountain climbing. When I was going through this transformation from a 'normal' body to an 'unusual' body, society communicated to me that not only was I to be pitied... but the aids and prostheses that the medical establishment gave to me were to be accepted and that was that. That's an emotionally troubling and inaccurate message.
I've spent my career convincing people that they can flip this message and push the boundaries of technology and society.
Q: What is the true scale of discrimination faced by people living with impairments and disabilities?
[Javed Abidi] There is gross discrimination taking place, and to deny it would be like pulling wool over your own eyes. Historically, disabled people have been discriminated against across the world; not just in the Global South but also in the 'so called' developed world.. It was only in the late 1960's and 70's that a movement began in certain parts of the world. America and some of the Nordic countries gained an advantage over others. Even in a country like the UK, the first disability laws arrived only in 1995.
When we talk of disability, we are referring to over 1 billion people; 80% of whom are in the Global South, the poorer countries of the world. Here we are in the 21st century, and we have practically nothing in place for them to protect their rights when it comes to accessibility, education, social-living and more.
Historically, one of the biggest mistakes the world made was to look at disability as a pity or charity issue. If you go into the history of disability in the USA and Europe, and even today; money is collected in Churches for the welfare and wellbeing of people with disabilities. When you do that, you are automatically painting a picture of these 'poor, crippled, handicapped people... who are in need of your charity...' That should never have been the case. Disabled people never asked for anyone's charity, what they have asked- and are asking for more vociferously now- is a level playing field.
Let's look at the same question differently... If we go back to the 30's, 40's and 50's - if the world had looked at disability as a human rights and development issue and not a charity or a pity issue, we could have made sure that our transport systems and buildings were accessible by all. This would have ensured that disabled people were able to step out of their homes, to move around, to go to schools and colleges, attend universities, and go to jobs. Why was this so difficult to do? Disabled people are not asking for quotas, concessions or handouts- but simply the same opportunities as non-disabled people. Because of these historic mistakes, disabled people lost out on 40-50 years of global development in which most of the world's infrastructure of buildings, buses and trains, was developed. Disabled got left out of this 'progress' and a world emerged where- by default- disabled people are at a huge disadvantage. If people cannot get out of their homes, cannot get on transport, cannot get into an office building... If 90% of schools are inaccessible to disabled people... as they are in Asia.... then instead of levelling the playing field, it became very warped.
The majority of laws protecting the rights of the disabled came into effect from the 1990's and onward. The world is now slowly waking-up to realise that disability is a development and rights issue, and this is a paradigm shift.
The damage that has been done to the rights of disabled people is undeniable, and I feel that it could take 50-100 years to put that right.
[Sir Philip Craven] I personally don't encounter any discrimination that often, but I wouldn't go to places or meet with people again if they gave me that impression. That said, I'm sure that much discrimination exists.
The real way to change perceptions in society against these mythical 'groups' of people is through positive experiences, and not to just ram new laws down their throats. In some cases however these laws are necessary. Wider parking spaces for example, mean that people can get out of their chair into the front seat of their cars! Education is imperative in all formats to do this, as it allows people themselves to change their minds about others rather than being told they have to believe or act in a certain way.
Around 10 years ago in the USA, Paralympians were called 'super-crips' by some people in the communities they themselves were supposed to belong to; perhaps because people couldn't associate with them- but in truth, they are there to showcase what is possible when you really put your mind to it...
You only change perceptions by showing yourself as being what you are. People won't do it for you...
[Prof. Hugh Herr] There's rampant discrimination going on. Looking at my case, that of Oscar Pistorius and any other athlete that has unusual bodies you see this manifest. When you're an athlete with an unusual body (leg amputation, blindness and so on..) and you're not competitive against persons of normal physiology- you're called 'courageous.' It's not a word like 'talent,' courageous means you're performing because you try hard- it's cute, but it's not cutting-edge or state-of-the-art. There's been a few times in history where that person with an unusual body, as an athlete, starts being competitive with persons of normal physiology. The moment that happens- instantaneously- the attitude shifts from that person being courageous, to being a threat. That ultimately and typically leads to claims of that person not being a great athlete, but rather that technology is helping them cheat in some way.
Broadly across society, there is a discrimination around the perception that having an unusual mind or body is weakness- that you're weaker, that you're crippled. Technology is so important- it can change that social view to something far more positive wherein we will see a future world where that person with an unusual body or mind will be bionic. They're going to be powerful, attractive and won't be discriminated against. They will be equal members of a broader society
Q: What are your views on the perceptions of how disability occurs versus our views of the people themselves?
[Javed Abidi] Today, with our improved healthcare systems, people are living longer. It's no longer unusual for someone to get to 90 years of age in many countries of the world. As people age, they acquire disabilities. You don't acquire disability only out of tragedy... that's an ancient and stereotypical concept that has been woven into our history- that disability is something that befalls you when you do bad things. This is re-enforced in countries like India with social concepts such as karma, and the misinterpretation of concepts in most religions. Disability is a part of our life cycle. Each one of us will experience disability in our lifetime; not necessarily out of an accident or natural disaster, but even if you live in a very safe and healthy environment, and you're the richest person on earth who lives a responsible life and eats great food - you'll live longer - your body will age - and as your body ages, you acquire disabilities.
We need to shift our mindset, and the world needs to catch-up. The past cannot be wiped-away, but the future can be written. We have to make a pledge that no building in the world will ever be constructed without considering access. It doesn't cost a single penny extra, it's a design issue... The world, and our world leaders and opinion makers are yet to realise the full potential of universal design. We need to have a world with infrastructure, built environment and services that all of us whether old, young, tall, short, man, woman or otherwise can use with dignity and safety.
Q: To what extent is there political will to improve the situation faced by those living with disabilities?
[Javed Abidi] After all these years of making mistakes in the 30's, 40's, 50's, we have built a very unequal world that is meant only for the fittest. In India, until 10-15 years ago, we had a policy that said that any building up to 4 storeys did not need a lift. The working presumption was that the average Indian was healthy enough to be able to climb 3 or 4 storeys. A friend of mine who came to visit me a few years ago said that India was built for superman or superwoman because these idiots.. whoever came up with that stupid policy... thought they would never age. You have a lot of government colonies in India where you are allocated flats on 2nd, 3rd or 4th floor in the prime of your youth. You are- then- arrogant, but 20-30 years later you age. I have heard horror stories of people who are on the 3rd or 4th floor of buildings and who cannot even go down steps to the park because of mobility issues.
Finally, in the year 2007, the United Nations passed the Conventions on the Rights of People With Disabilities UN-CRPD. The United Nations had a convention on the rights of women, the rights of children and the rights of refugees, but even the United Nations- which is supposed to be the cradle of human rights- failed to look at the issue of disability with any seriousness until 2007. As we speak, around 140-150 countries have ratified it, and many have not. My concern is that while that convention has been drafted and passed, and while many have ratified it, there still isn't political will. I'm yet to see the issue of disability being taken up with the seriousness it deserves... the UN-CRPD has started a discourse, but progress is still very slow.
Unless there is political will, no change will happen. Most issues facing disabled people can be solved with the stroke of a pen, they don't even need resources. You need resources to correct the damage of the past, but I'm saying we should put that aside for the time being- all the buildings that are not accessible, let's put blinkers on- but why is it so difficult for any government to pass law that means that for the future - no public building will be constructed without accessibility. When you procure a new plane, a new bus or new transport system... why can it not be accessible.
The reason that politicians do not look at disability with the seriousness the issue deserves is because they don't see disabled people as a potential vote-bank. Historical failures mean that many disabled people are virtual prisoners inside their own homes. If you go to an average country in the Global South, you just don't see that many disabled people. If you go to a mall or station or cinema in India, Nepal, Pakistan or elsewhere- you hardly see any disabled people. Is it because they don't exist? are there less disabled people in the Global South than the USA? my contention is that there are more! Because the disabled are not able to step out of their homes, because they have not been able to access education they are unemployed, because they are unemployed they are not empowered. And that's 1:7 of all humanity that remains unseen, unheard and unaccounted.
[Sir Philip Craven] There's a lot more that needs to be done.
One year before the winter games in Vancouver, I met with the Governor General of Canada; the Queen's representative. I told her that when I travel around the world, I had used Canada as a country which- at that time- had made the most progress. I asserted they were about 30% there... She asked what I meant, and I explained it to her in very general terms and told her that the games could lift it to 70% but then she has the obligation to maintain it and create a legacy. All countries have done 30-40% of what needs to be done, maybe less- even zero in some countries. The west hasn't got all the answers however. If you give a different impression to government- who ultimately support the greatest change- and show them there is a positive way forward, rather than adopting the position of charitable beneficiaries- we can enable people to care and develop themselves.
In Britain, I was very pleased that what was the Disability Act now falls under the Equality Act. Some people may assert that not a lot has changed, but the change in terminology is very important. The United Nation Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disability (2007) was similar. Countries had to first sign up to the principles and then ratify that convention. With our support, a world record 86 countries signed up to UN-CRPD on day 1! This wasn't just an IPC success, but all our members who in turn wrote to their members. A very senior UN individual told me in Sochi 2014 that they needed my help in convincing the USA to ratify the UN-CRPD and mentioned two other conventions they have not ratified. This goes to show that the most powerful country in the world decided not to ratify a detailed, well written and fundamentally important convention; meaning there is a lot of work that is yet to be done, and the USA is not alone in that regard.
There is only one paradise in this solar system, Earth. We have to give back and make this a home that works for all of us.
Q: What is the social, economic and cultural role of events such as the Paralympics?
[Sir Philip Craven] The Paralympics are a major sporting event, with great athletes who love competing in sport, enjoy the competition, and love winning (accepting that losing is just a step to learning how to win next time!). We have 4 key values: determination, courage, inspiration and equality. Athletes don't view themselves as courageous but other people do... and that's why we keep that one in there.
What's interesting is the effect that the Paralympics have on people- who could be sports fans or just people who want to come along and enjoy a major event, as they would a concert. At the Olympics and Paralympics, everyone had a great time and the positive experiences at the event and outside left a lasting experience. I was with the Chief Marketing Officer of a major worldwide company recently and he said that London 2012 changed his life... and that's the kind of effect that we want to have on people.
Paralympic athletes may not realise, but they are giving people something different to what they have seen for hundreds of years. They are changing perceptions and encouraging people to see that we all belong to one society.
Q: What is the role of the Paralympics when considering rehabilitation?
[Sir Philip Craven] Rehabilitation can be many things. Whether you lose mobility, become blind or otherwise gain impairment from a major accident, illness or congenital problems; you may be left thinking you have less than others, and question why 'it' happened to you. You may have had to go through painful operations, and so many other things which can challenge your outlook. After this? you need something that's fun again! Not everyone likes playing sport, but many people who don't enjoy sport have had a bad experience with it- a bad teacher, a bad coach, bullying or otherwise. Sport and physical activity, when taught properly, and when open to all to participation- can get the brain ticking.
Rehabilitation after a major injury, accident or illness is required; while physiotherapists and doctors may get you moving... it's up to you to rehabilitate yourself and get benefit out of it.
In 1966, I was lying in bed for 8 weeks, having broken my back. I got up into a wheelchair and went to the Gym. I was paralysed in the middle of my trunk and didn't have good sitting balance, never mind walking! In those days, the seating situation was that if you did not have good sitting balance- you would probably fall forwards out of your chair. They sat me in front of a mirror and told me to practice my balance by looking at myself. I didn't have a problem with myself after my accident, but if I did have and if I was depressed? the last thing I would have wanted to do is see myself in this new situation 8 weeks after I was running about. Just next to the mirror was a table-tennis table. In truth, this would give you subconscious ways of developing your balance whilst also having fun. that's just one example....
Two and a half years ago, I spent 3 weeks in a spinal unit in Southport where I had my initial treatment 47 years previously. I had broken my femur in Korea and don't feel the area where I broke my leg. I came back on 3 planes to the UK, and that's what they diagnosed that I'd done. General hospitals in Britain are useless at looking after paraplegics and tetraplegics from a bodily-functions perspective if they have to stay in hospital following a serious operation. My operation was wonderfully done by a surgeon, but I got out of that general hospital as fast as I possibly could- with blood still seeping from my wound- to the spinal unit. I spent 3 weeks in bed there, but made a few observations. Most of the people using wheelchairs had not been shown how to use them... there was also a purpose built swimming pool, but it was only accessible for patients between 7:30 and 8:30am because after that it was used by local schools. The money gained by this helped the trust to not make a loss! I asked more questions and found that where Sir Ludwig Guttman had brought sport and physical activity into rehabilitation for spinally injured persons in the 1940's and 50's, this was no longer done. It's a scandal, and we're now dealing with that through the Ministry of Health. There's no real re-integration into society for these people anymore, they are treated as a body that needs fixing rather than a person who needs to fix themselves.
18 months ago I was in Finland for a presentation. I had the chance to visit a spinal unit in Helsinki which seemed to be run in the way that most should be run in Britain. It had a man and woman, one of whom was a paraplegic and the other who was a tetraplegic. They were paid to work there to help get people moving; I was doing the same in France 40 years ago, working as a sports rehab trainer and playing for the local basketball team! The head physio was really humbled that we were so pleased with their facility, but told us they learned everything they know from the UK!
Q: Have the Paralympics empowered the development of technologies to assist those who are impaired or live with disabilities?
[Sir Philip Craven] If we look at mechanical and technological support for people who need to get about, there has certainly been a positive impact. If you look at the chairs that we had to play wheelchair basketball 40 years ago, they were a massive improvement on what was there previously, but they didn't move in the same way that today's chairs do. All the modern good-looking wheelchairs that people use in everyday life have been developed from wheelchair basketball. This didn't come from big companies, but from two sports people; Bud Rumple and Henk MaCkenzie. Bud Rumple developed the box frame that doesn't fold and has better cornering. MaCkenzie and Rumple both invented the chairs with camber on wheels, and a change to wheel placement to make the chair spin more easily. All of these innovations have come from sports within the Paralympic movement such as wheelchair tennis, rugby and more. People feel good about being in a chair that moves, rather than one which is designed for you to be pushed around in.
Companies are now making super lightweight incredible prosthetics too that are allowing people to not just compete, but also go about their day to day lives with greater ease. The Paralympics also encourages people to look into new ideas and move forward to execute those ideas.
Q: What are the key technologies that are transforming the lives of people with physical and mental impairments?
[Prof. Hugh Herr] One important set of technologies relate to the interface with the human nervous system. If you can get information in and out of the brain and nerve endings, that has very important implications for disability. You could- in principle- treat conditions ranging from severe depression to limb amputation and paralysis. Many other areas of science and engineering such as robotics are making profound changes too such as actuators that replicate muscle tissue.
Approximately half of the world's population have unusual bodies or mind. These disabilities exist because of insufficient technology, and cause a profound amount of human suffering. Using technology to eliminate disability is an enormous market with billions and billions of dollars of wealth to be created. These technologies will be drivers of the economy and will simultaneously mitigate human suffering. It's a wonderful opportunity.
Q: What are your views on the potential for human enhancement and augmentation through technology?
[Prof. Hugh Herr] Through the mission of ending disability, society will develop technology that will serve as the basis of extending beyond normal physiologies. The same interface into the brain that exists to treat severe depression, could also be used to enhance mood, concentration or cognitive performance. The same bionic ankle that allows me to walk could wrap-around a perfectly normal biological leg and augment it. There is a wealth of technological platforms that will affect all of humanity regardless of their physiologies or minds.
Humanity will be pushed in philosophical realms to grapple with the question of what it means to be human. If you replace all four limbs of a human being, are they still the same human? normal people would say yes they are. If you start truly augmenting the brain, are they still the same human? some people would argue yes and some no. It's a fertile ground for philosophical debate.
Q: What are the ethics and policy challenges of human augmentation?
[Prof. Hugh Herr] Like any new technological era, this raises ethical questions. There are ways of using technology appropriately and as-intended, and ways that are unintended and perhaps harmful. I think commensurate with the development of these technologies, that ultimately will be critical to ending disability, is the development of policy and law around augmentation technology. We need sophistication on technology and policy.
Technologists, scientists and all the stakeholders must be part of the committees that will look into these challenges. Often people that are not scientifically trained believe things are possible that are not, and believe things will be sooner than they will be. They may not even comprehend technologies that will be here in a decade or two, and the implications of those technologies. Scientists should be up front in that conversation.
We always need to choose policy that coaxes society in the direction of greater human diversity, and maintained individual freedoms. As an aside; we're not doing very well. We live in an information society and largely we don't own our own data- nor are we demanding it. We freely give away our own data. As citizens we need to be more careful as technology becomes more acute and pronounced.
There is a huge opportunity here. We can employ these new sciences and technologies to develop policy, law and culture where the individual is embraced and very powerful and has great freedom and authority. A society in which we have enhanced from our current state and widened human diversity. There's a real risk we could go in the opposite direction... for example; in the world in which we have the technology for parents to design their offspring, it would probably result in a massive mitigation of the diversity of our specie. Our culture's narrow viewpoint of what beauty and intelligence are would play into parental decisions on what their offspring should be. Another world that would enhance diversity would be to view the human body as malleable- as a blank sheet on which to create; somewhat like the genre of piercing or tattoos where the skin is a place of creation. Bionics enable you to do more than tattoo or pierce. If you want a third arm, you can have a third arm... What you are physically and cognitively could be flexible by your own design. That's an interesting world, a place where our notion of beauty could change. That's the future that I want, and the future we should drive toward.
Q: What would be your message to those living with disabilities?
[Javed Abidi] You have to live your life, and make it a full and wholesome life ...nobody is going to come and deliver it to you. It's a tough world for everyone, but a little tougher for us- with the additional difficulties we have. I myself am a person with disability, I am a wheelchair user. My condition- Spina Biffida- is congenital. I was only 'normal' for the first 8 years of my life. After my first surgery, I was left with a limp. I was on crutches till the age of 15, and since then I have been a wheelchair user- so I speak from experience. You have to fight, you don't have a choice. You have to go that extra mile to ensure you get that education and those skills. Nobody will give you a job out of charity or pity. It's an unequal world, to pretend otherwise would be foolish and you have to fight for your rights- you must demand them- and then go and get them.
[Sir Philip Craven] You have to be yourself and decide what you want to do with your life. If you have negative thoughts at the moment, you have to see what other people have done in your situation but realise it's you that will change your life with the support of others; not others that will change your life for you.
You have to get information in your mind about what's possible, but you need determination to go and get it, and if anyone stands in your way? fight them like mad!
Life's a fight, it's a struggle- and you have to take it to them. You are in a community with written and unwritten rules, but life is for freedom. You have to create your own freedom.
[Prof. Hugh Herr] Don't accept mediocrity. Don't accept what has already been accepted. We all have gifts to give.
I am a technologist, scientist and engineer - if that's what you inspires you, then jump in and start designing... there are so many initiatives and technologies that need to be developed. If you are policy or legally minded, there is a lot of work to be done there too.
Jump in the race to solve this massive human rights issue.
Think of the absurdity of a world where the colour of your skin would be considered an impairment, leaving you (in the eyes of wider society) disabled. Whilst the word disability was not specifically used, it was not that long ago in human memory where the colour of your skin, or your gender would- in very real terms- prevent you accessing the vast majority of opportunities in your community. It took a century of campaigning and advocacy in both cases to make the world realise the idiocy of such asinine views.
Think of a similar absurdity of a world where people are patronised for their life achievements in-spite of their skin colour or gender, "Oh..." they said, "isn't it brave how those [insert colour here] people are able to walk around society, even though they're [insert colour here]..." Most reasonable people would see these views as dehumanising and yet for the billion affected by impairments, such views are a day to day reality.
The human body is unimaginably complex. Each of us is the result of 3 billion base-pairs of genetic code that created a system of roughly 37 trillion cells, controlled by a brain with 1,000 more connections than the number of stars in the known galaxy. And there are over 7 billion of us roaming an environment which we have elementarily tailored to our fragile bodies. Whilst our cognitive apparatus is designed to categorise and segment; it is impossible to deny the inevitable diversity of mankind when confronted by the quantitative nature of ourselves. We are not a population of groups with set parameters, but a population of individuals exhibiting the beautiful gamut of biodiversity which our species is capable of.
The concept of disability is a word rooted in a society built on physical acumen, but in a world now powered by knowledge, the word is redundant. Professor Stephen Hawking's contributions to our understanding of the universe were not diminished by his physical impairments, they were wholly irrelevant to them. In his own words, he advised the world "Don't be disabled in spirit as well as physically..."
We need to move on from disability, and move to a world where we embrace the variety of our species and commit to ensuring that every individual is able to maximise their contribution to society regardless of their physical or mental ability, their social or economic background or any other determinant you care to use.
As philosopher Bahá'u'lláh once said, "So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth."
Click to read full article...


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Yahoo! boss has a point about 'remote' working
It may come across that I am rather cynical about the latest business and marketing trends. While this is not strictly true, it does help to create a good debate. Now I would like to extend this cynicism to the modern approach to team building and line management.
I was amused to read that Marissa Mayer, the relatively new chief executive at Yahoo!, is to implement a ban on staff working from home after 1 June. She explained her decision by saying: "To be one Yahoo! that starts by being physically together… communication and collaboration is important… and that is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices - some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people and impromptu team meetings."
Mayer is going against the general trend - and recent surveys show most "knowledge workers" in the UK work from home for at least part of their week. Nevertheless, I think there is merit in her argument.
In the "good old days", when putting a stamp on a piece of targeted marketing resulted in people actually worrying about where it was being sent, I could see all of my team from my desk.
If I wanted to know the latest position on a campaign, I could just wander over to my product manager's desk. If I wanted to brainstorm a new proposition, I could summon a few members of the team into a room. Now, I have to 'instant message' them, or set up a webcast, or do something equally impersonal.
While I am a huge fan of modern technology, nothing is quite the same as seeing the whites of people's eyes.
Marketing is a strategic science but it also requires creative empathy.
I am sure some business functions can be separated out into 'shoeboxes', just like typing pools.
However, if we are to retain that creativity and build strong, supportive teams that are closely aligned and which learn from one another, then co-location is critical.
Marketing is about engagement. It is touchy-feely, it has personality - it cannot be conducted over the ether. Or can it?
Readers' comments (3)
Marketing is about communicating. If you are a good communicator it shouldn't matter if it's face to face or via skype, email etc. I don't need to physically see my team to know they are working, sharing ideas and learning from one another,
Being location independent I think that it all depends on the individuals and companies. I run my business remotely and have a team of people working with me. With modern technology it is a lot easier to get to know people who are not in your immediate vicinity but I do always try to meet in person with my clients and team whenever possible. Running my business remotely has certainly worked for me and in fact my business goes from strength to strength, but I am also very aware that it does not work for everyone or every business. Like most things in life what works for some may not work for others.
As a digital marketing manager for a video conferencing company, you would expect that I'm in favour of remote working - and you'd be right.
Remote working practices have transformed over the last 15 years, thanks to HD audio and video quality. Back in the day (or even 5 years ago) video calls were patchy / unreliable. We now have access to systems that are near broadcast quality, giving everyone the feeling that they're 'in the room'. It can be a deeply personal experience where little is lost in terms of communication.
Remote working facilitates flexible working, which is here to stay / a key recruitment benefit for hard working employees, on a par with healthcare, shares and pension schemes.
While I accept there are some roles that require physical presence, the number of roles are shrinking as virtual experiences improve in quality - take for example the increasing use of video conferencing in healthcare / surgery / consultations.
Add to this the ever improving quality of true unified communications eg live desktop sharing while on a video call, there really are fewer barriers to creating a truly collaborative experience, with all the added benefits that flexibility offers.

subset: commoncrawl


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Officials in the lower portion of the county are warning residents who live along the Delaware River and Neshaminy Creek that flooding is a threat in the coming days.
Bristol Borough emergency management officials said the "Mill Street Parking Lot is likely to flood the next few days on high tide." They also asked residents along Radcliffe Street to secure "floatable" items and to remove electronic and valuables from lower levels.
Bucks County emergency planners cautioned residents who live near the banks of the Neshaminy Creek Bristol, Bensalem, Langhorne, Lower Southampton, Middletown and Northampton to "monitor the creek and take protective actions if necessary."
Rain and high winds are expected to remain in the region until Thursday afternoon, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service.
The winds brought down limbs throughout the area and may be to blame for Wednesday evening power outages in Bristol Borough and Bensalem.
The massive storm that began in the region Wednesday with a mix of rain and snow brought more than a inch of precipitation by early Thursday morning. The storm continues to dump snow while it moves through New England.
A mixed bag of wintry precipitation is now be forecasted to start Saturday. The National Weather Service is expected to release a more detailed outlook on that weather system Thursday afternoon.
Unexpected river flooding caused problems late last week at the Mill Street Parking lot and Harbor Light Apartments in Bristol Borough after a rain system.


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My latest nail varnish purchases perfect for the summer and the upcoming festivals!
Latest blog entry on my outfit of the day, featuring Topshop,Primark,Converse and LoveLabel-Have a look :)ox
My outfits of the week, have a look :)
This Spring/Summers key trend: Dungarees! Have a look for the latest styles here!
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Le Grand Palais, in le (even earlier) morning. CE #pfw #chanel
Le Grand Palais, in le (even earlier) morning. CE #pfw #chanel


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The conservative base is riled, but 8th District Congressman Reid Ribble tells the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he's hearing strong constituent support for his vote last week to end the federal government shutdown. I'm sure there are conservatives who will question Ribble's reporting of the ratio of calls in favor. I will say this; I was in on the telephonic town hall referred to in the JS story and I heard caller after caller after caller implore him to vote to end the shutdown.
Further, Republican officials in the 8th have Ribble's back, and John Macco, a possible primary challenger approached about a run against Ribble responded by saying the incumbent has his full support. A "run to the right of Ribble" movement wouldn't seem to exist, let alone have any momentum at this point.


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Reviews of Mbweni Ruins Hotel
They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
Mbweni Ruins Hotel review
We were so lucky that this hotel had air conditioning. I had not processed how hot it would be with the humidity and the room air made us so comfortable. The people again were lovely, we played beach volleyball with 2 of the staff. Food was good. We needed to have a room for the day when we returned from Chumbe before we caught our plane and they willingly accommodated and charged us only $50.
They were able to help us arrange a taxi into town.
Mbweni Ruins Hotel review
Mwembi Ruins is a great place for a hop over before Chumbe. You literally roll out of bed and saunter down the jetty to the boat. The hotel itself is under new management as of a month ago. We met Dolf the new manager. He is working hard on staff training so I would expect this place to pick up its game soon. Food and service were both good but just need a bit more energy and personality.
Lovely sunset location. Tides permitting also a great location for tidal walks. The grounds and ruins themselves were a lot smaller than we expected but with a bit of love and attention this could be a fab location to blend a low key beach relaxation with a splash of Stone Town.
delightful stay at Mbweni Ruins Hotel
It was easy to remember earlier times on the east African coast at this delightful spot. Everything about the hotel, the beach and the grounds with their ruins and the botanical garden made for a refreshing and relaxed stay.
As at Lake Manze, the staff really were lovely to a person, and our spontaneous interactions with them were so much part of what we enjoyed there.
(In this context, I would mention that I have never enjoyed the people Ive moved amongst more, on occasions like this, than I did these people, as was the case at Lake Manze, too.)
Again, my grading below is subjective.
I was completely happy with thngs as they were, not even finding out and making use of much that was available - arranging tours for instance, since we already had the contact with Eco + Culture for them.
Nice gardens and bar area
The location was good for the beach, Stone Town & the airport but you could not leave the hotel and walk anywhere, although it was fine for one and a half days. It was perfect for what we wanted.
The gardens were beautiful to walk around and explore and the bush babies provided good entertainment at dinner.


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Webster Theater
610 Second Street,
Webster City,
No one has favorited this theater yet
The Webster Theater opened as the Orpheum Theater on November 29, 1909. It operated as a vaudeville theater until 1916 when the Orpheum Theater moved to a new building right next door named the E. H. Martin Building and began showing silent movies. In the 1920's the Orpheum was remodeled and renamed the Granada Theater. The main floor seated 600 and the balcony held 150 patrons.
In the 1930's the Granada was renamed the Webster Theater. Around 1988 Bob Fridley of Fridley Theatres purchased the Webster Theater. The Webster is open and was operated by Fridley Theatres until the mid-2000's, when it was taken over by the BigTime Cinema chain.
Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
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This was one of many Pioneer Theaters in Iowa in the early sixties. Pioneer was based in St. Louis Park, MN. The president was Harold Field. Other Iowa theaters in the chain at that time were the Atlantic and Corral in Atlantic, the Carroll and Caroll Drive-In in Carroll, the Arrow, American and Corral in Cherokee, the Clarinda and Clarinda Drive-In in Clarinda, the Center in Grundy Center, the Iowa in Jefferson, the Corral and Perry in Perry, the Sac Theater in Sac City, the Corral and Spencer in Spencer, the Corral and Vista in Storm Lake and the Corral and Webster in Webster.
A tiny glimpse of the Webster Theater can be seen in this photo. It looks like the original Orpheum Theatre building is still standing next door. They could put a second screen for the Webster in there and have a hundred-year-old theater, sort of. But then, even having a 93-year-old theater is pretty impressive these days.
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater


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A group for those who actively rebel against religious bullshit. Religions harm our society, poison our mind and threaten our mental health. This is an Anti-Religions-Group! No discrimination against a certain group of imbeciles, but all of them
Members: 409
Latest Activity: Aug 24
Started by Ian. Last reply by Luara Aug 24. 5 Replies 1 Like
Started by Sentient Biped. Last reply by Richard Lawrence Jul 18, 2013. 43 Replies 1 Like
Started by Idaho Spud. Last reply by Napoleon Bonaparte Apr 18, 2012. 2 Replies 0 Likes
I had a couple at the door today........."Do you think the dead can live again?"
I said my 2 cents worth......."This is an atheist household & you'd be smart to check into it!"
Hello to my fellow Strong Atheists. Its been a couple of years since I dropped in to check things out here, but they've been busy ones. Sales of the book are now up to about 400, and a staunch friend has been kind enough to build me a website. I'd like to invite any here who have a few minutes to spare to come over for a look, at poppersinversion.org . I can offer as inducement only that the site is about strong and effective anti-theism. Not about bitching, but about how we could win. Don't think that possible? Come over and see....
Best regards to all,
Another 'oh groan' write-up....
I've been discussing a few points over the last couple of American elections with the religiously, or slightly religiously minded and I wondered what you think of them. I'm going to have to concede the point to them that the Constitution at the moment continues to trump the religious test for office that some State constitutions still carry.
One thing about the last election was the hysteria created by the media about Romney's chances. The overblowing of poll results, in fact let's face it the outright invalidity to the level of lies and propaganda, and the wretched emotions it seemed to cause to the Republican supporters.
This was followed by the secessionist cries of the extremists.
The manufactured hysteria was the first warning to me which set me thinking. Did anyone believe that the McCain/Palin ticket ever stood a chance? To the objective observer it was as if the Right had set itself to lose on purpose.
To the outside observer there had to be a reason for this, setting such weak candidates against such a media darling had to have an ulterior motive.
When they wished to impose prohibition they took down a State at a time till they had the numbers required to effect a change in the constitution, the disaffection and emotive outpourings after another snub by the votes of the American public plays right into the hands of the Christian zealots who view their way of life under threat if the country is not run by a person that claims to pray to the tooth fairy before any decisions.
The fact that some States still hold onto parts of State Constitution that demands a religious test for office is the worrying part as it remains a possible leverage to begin to shoehorn religion into public life. Indeed some are now examining the 1st Amendment and claiming it only applies to Federal legislation.
The danger doesn't seem that apparent at the moment, but I do believe it's there. The groundwork so to speak which has me wondering what there next move will be.
So just a snippet of thinking out loud, (or a heads up) just wondered if any other Atheists see a possible trend or am I being overly sensitive to a bunch of people I do not trust?
An idea:
Don't replace the Pope. End Catholicism. Close the Vatican. Sell all that art & give the money to all
those pederasts' rape victims................
Michael Shermer.
@ ɟǝןıx dǝʇɹɐɹ try not to pretend to know me because you don't. My understanding of transgender people comes from real life relationships.
@Regina Goodwin: I pressume it was a TG lady. You can't stop those fucktards from being mean. Be on her side if you can but the solution for her would be to get out of that social environment. They will not stop and don't expect enlightenment on any of them, even less on 13 people together.
@TNT: "Transgenders are to me like religionists or homeopathics, way too centred on the mind's misperceptions."
Yes, because you don't know anything about that, you have to formulate an opinion anyway. I don't even bother explain to you what is that; do a little bit of research, find what are transgenders, why are they so and only after that formulate an opinion about that. That is critical thinking and not pointing at one group that they are not such critical thinkers like you.
© 2014 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: Richard Haynes.


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Paddle wheel flocculators rotate at low rpm and dissipate energy into water. They enhance the process of flocculation by promoting agglomeration of the flocs. Based on the configuration, the paddle flocculator can be classified as Vertical paddle-wheel flocculator and Horizontal paddle-wheel flocculator. Napier Reid designs and manufactures both ...
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This equipment has been designed to be used in flock formation prior to sludge thickening and dewatering. The DEWA F-M flocculator is equipped with a paddle stirrer which can be easily regulated to work between 20-100 rpm. Different tank volumes are available according to the sludge feed rate. All parts are made of stainless steel materials.
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Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., shocked Washington last week when he announced that he will quit the Senate to become president of a think tank. But as the barriers crumble between policy research and partisan advocacy, the building blocks are there for DeMint and the conservative Heritage Foundation to build a powerful operation with political clout.
DeMint explained on Rush Limbaugh's show why he decided to give up his Senate seat to lead Heritage.
"It was the Heritage Foundation that inspired me to run for Congress," he said.
As Heritage guided DeMint in ideology and policy, he helped to bolster the ranks of its allies.
Ted Cruz, the newly elected Republican senator from Texas, congratulated DeMint on his new role, saying DeMint's "combination of brilliance, principle, common sense, creativity and — above all else — courage will be an ideal fit for the conservative movement's leading think tank."
Cruz got to the Senate by knocking off an establishment Republican in a primary last summer — something he did with help from DeMint.
"I've never been more excited about supporting a candidate as I did Ted Cruz," DeMint has said.
Up until now, DeMint has had an organization that offers more than just words: a leadership committee that backed candidates he endorsed, and this year a superPAC allied with DeMint that bought ads promoting Cruz.
When Cruz declared victory, he said thanks — as did Sens.-elect Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Jeff Flake of Arizona. In 2010, DeMint helped to elect five senators.
DeMint and his organization helped ultraconservatives to take out more moderate Republicans in primaries.
Now DeMint will likely to have to leave that behind. Heritage is a 501(c)(3) charity, and it cannot engage in electoral politics. But Heritage offers a different path to political engagement. It has an affiliated group, Heritage Action for America, which is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. That means it is allowed to talk about candidates.
This is unusual among think tanks, which generally try to avoid the partisan combat. At Heritage, they believe the world of think tanks is changing.
Vice President Michael Franc, who is on the board of Heritage Action, says it's because the political parties have become more ideologically pure.
"The role is different. I think the kind of institutions that tend to get a little bit more attention in this new kind of world are the ones that are heavily engaged in the tactical side of the debate," he said.
How much more engaged?
In a recent video, Heritage Action CEO Michael Needham begins by calling President Obama's re-election devastating and later says, "We are in a war."
"In 2014, there'll be 20 Senate liberals up for re-election. A strong constitutionally conservative Senate is critical for this fight," he says. "And in 2016, with a deep bench of committed conservatives, we must choose a nominee who can best articulate our shared conservative values."
Heritage Action campaigned in seven races this year. Its candidates lost in five of them. But it appeared to be badly underfunded.
That hasn't been so much of a problem for DeMint's political operations. With his help, they raised $16 million for this year's elections.


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HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) - Holland's weekly Street Performer series last night downtown was marred by a police situation involving an apparently distraught 55-year-old Holland man. Public Safety officers had been notified by family members around 8:30 PM that the suspect had allegedly phoned threats to his ex-girlfriend in Wyoming, along with other former acquaintances, and were concerned for his safety. The man's parked but empty vehicle was spotted behind the New Holland Brewery restaurant, and while officers were inspecting the car, the suspect came forward, brandishing a weapon, before starting to run in an effort to avoid capture. Officers claimed that he pointed the weapon at them during the chase, but no shots were fired before he was cornered. Following a 20-minute negotiation session, the suspect surrendered peacefully. Streets surrounding the restaurant were blocked off for about 45 minutes, and there were no injuries. The unnamed man was held in the Ottawa County Jail overnight and awaits arraignment on felonious assault charges.
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WiseFish builds upon Microsoft's Dynamics NAV, sold by Maritech ehf. in Iceland and WiseDynamics Ltd. in Canada, is a tailored ERP solution which is built upon Dynamics NAV and developed to meet the needs of the seafood industry. Offering a comprehensive set of industry specific functionality, WiseFish covers the whole seafood value chain from fishing and aquaculture through production to sales and distribution.Whether your company is involved at every step of the seafood value chain, specialized in particular steps, or a combination of both, WiseFish is suitable for all types and sizes of seafood business.WiseFish combines the power and reliability of a world class accounting and ERP system with an "out of the box" seafood solution, custom built for your industry. Manage your G/L, accounts receivable/payable and product costing at the point of transaction to ensure reliability and ease of data entry. - Built for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 - Based on 20 years of development and experienced seafood experts - References are some of the biggest seafood companies in the world - Sold worldwide in local versions/supported by partners were needed - Connections to Marel, Innova system- Connects with new product Wise Peripherals
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The views and opinions submitted and expressed here are not those of Microsoft.


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Hi Lauren,
You can post these calls anytime you want either in the discussions or into the blogs no difference. I was contacted about this opportunity a short while ago and already listed the call in the CALLS FOR ARTIST headline tab :-)
Best, Brigitte
hi lauren,
how's texas treating ya?
Posted on December 4, 2013 at 12:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes


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Check out all of the Programming Module options from Creative PR.
ON THE MONEY! Minute
A one minute daily show featuring nationally-acclaimed financial advisor and host Steve Pomeranz. The show educates and protects listeners with smart advice covering the entire financial spectrum – from wise investing, health care and retirement planning to home buying and smart shopping. LENGTH: 1 Minute COST: FREE AVAILABLE: PRX, Download WEBSITE: onthemoneyradio.org SAMPLE EPISODES Also, check out the Weekly One-Hour, ON THE...read more
Conversations with artists, authors, musicians and actors about the creation of art Insight Daily (ID Radio) is a new two-minute daily module of insightful features highlighting popular culture creators. From David Baldacci to Elton John to Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, Insight Daily delivers entertaining and informative glimpses into the lives and works of those who color our lives. ID Radio also provides premiums, such as books and CDs to assist with fundraising efforts and subscription programs. LENGTH: 2 minutes COST: FREE AVAILABLE:...read more
Now on AUDIOPORT! A trip through the history of recorded sound. The daily, 90-second radio show highlights the holdings of the Belfer Audio Archive at Syracuse University, one of the largest sound archives in the United States. Each episode focuses on one particular recording from the archive and provides a back story detailing its place in recording history. LENGTH: 90 seconds COST: FREE AVAILABLE: CONTENT DEPOT, AudioPort, CD, Download Info SITE: http://soundbeat.org SAMPLE...read more
Daily vignettes that incorporate the rich sounds of birds with stories that illustrate the interesting and in some cases, truly amazing abilities of birds. Each show is scheduled to coincide with the time of year when you can see or hear the featured bird. LENGTH: 2 minutes COST: FREE AVAILABLE: Content Depot, Download SITE: http://www.birdnote.org...read more


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The App Store has become crowded with over 500,000 apps. To stand out in such an ocean of apps, yours has to look unique and the best way to look unique is to have great iPhone App design. Top-selling apps like Evernote, On this Day, Momento, Awesome Note all have design in their DNA.
This course will show you how to take a boring looking app and create a beautiful looking one with a custom design. Take the course and let's get started, it's free!.
Table Of Contents
- Over 11 lectures and 1 hour of content!
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- Can I take my courses with me wherever I go?Definitely! If you have an internet connection, courses on Udemy are available on any device at any time. If you don't have an internet connection, some instructors also let their students download course lectures. That's up to the instructor though, so make sure you get on their good side!


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New forecast predicts steeper tuition hikes at UW, other public schools
This semester tuition will cost students $12,000 at some top Washington universities. But soon, that will seem like nothing as prices are expected to rise by $8,000 in the next seven years, according to an actuarial estimate conducted by the state government.
The tuition projections were made for the purpose of pricing Washington's prepaid college GET program, which allows parents to pay for college well in advance, said Margaret Shepherd, the University of Washington's Director of State Relations.
Shepherd called the rising tuition costs "pretty breathtaking." Some students may have to take out additional loans or find other means to pay for school.
"It's outrageous," said Victoria Felgar, a student at the University of Washington Tacoma. "Right now I'm working two jobs just to afford school and books and it's just a struggle with maintaining responsibility with studies and going to school and working two jobs."
State funding for higher education in Washington was cut by 50 percent during the economic recession. Double digit tuition increases have been necessary to make sure schools can make up for that loss in state funding.
"The real difference is in who pays," Shepherd explained. "Twenty years ago when lots of folks were in college, the state was paying 80 percent of the cost of an education and students were paying 20 percent. We've flipped that now, 20 years later students are paying 70 percent of the cost of an education, that state is paying 30."
Copyright © 2014, Sun Sentinel


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an adorable picture drawn by-CelestialValkyrie
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Cough Medicine and Cough Syrups
Cough Medicine and Cough Syrups Introduction
Got a cold and need medicine for a nagging cough? While there is no quick fix for your cough, some over-the-counter (OTC) cough syrups and cough medicines may give you relief.
Three types of cough medicines are available OTC for the temporary relief of cough caused by a cold or bronchitis. These cough medicines include cough suppressants, oral expectorants, and topical (externally applied) drugs.
Who Should Not Take Cough Medicine or Cough Syrup?
Often, doctors believe that a cough from a cold should not be treated unless it is keeping you up at night or interfering with your activities. Coughing up mucus may help keep your lungs clear. This is especially true if you smoke or have asthma or emphysema.
Dextromethorphan can interact with many medicines including antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Paxil (paroxetine), Lexapro (escitalopram), or Zoloft (sertraline); serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as venlafaxine (Effexor) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI). Do not take dextromethorphan if you are on other medication unless cleared by your doctor. In addition, some combination cold and cough medicines contain decongestants. If you have high blood pressure or heart disease, avoid taking these drugs. Decongestants can raise blood pressure.
The most important key is to understand how the cough syrup or cough medicine works. That includes knowing what the side effects are. Then talk to your doctor if you have concerns about your cough or cough medicine. Trust your doctor to make the best decision with your overall health in mind.
Which Cough Syrups and Cough Medicines Suppress Coughing?
Cough suppressants relieve your cough by blocking the cough reflex. Dextromethorphan, or DM, is the most common cough suppressant. Dextromethorphan does not have the pain-relieving and addictive properties of codeine, a narcotic cough suppressant that requires a doctor's prescription.
If you have a dry, hacking cough, dextromethorphan may give you relief. Generally, these cough syrups and cough medicines are not used to suppress a cough where you cough up mucus. A productive cough helps clear secretions and mucus from the airways. Talk to your doctor if you have a productive cough that's preventing you from sleeping.
How Do Expectorants Stop a Cough?
An expectorant is a drug that thins mucus so you can cough it up easier. While many experts say that drinking water is the most effective way to loosen mucus, you can also use such medications as guaifenesin to thin mucus so it can be cleared from the airway. Clearing thick mucus from the airways can decrease coughing. The most frequent side effect of expectorants is nausea and vomiting.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Need help identifying pills and medications?
Back to Medications Index


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Best Product: Target's Organic Cotton Sheets
Most Popular Posts
Ahhhh...It took us awhile, but when we finally admitted it was time to buy a new set of sheets, we knew just where to go. We'd been debating which organic cotton sheets to buy for quite some time. But, in the end, only one option was truly in our budget...
We bought a Queen-sized set of Target's Organic Cotton Sheets, and may never buy any other sheets ever again.
We bought the pink ones, but the image on Target's web site simply does not do the true color justice. They're a silky, shimmery, deep pink.
The sheets are so soft. We're totally hooked. The set put us back $49.99, but it feels like it should have cost at least twice that much.
Do you love Target's Organic Cotton Sheets as much as we do?
Image via The Green Lifestyle
Originally published 2008-02-11 - CB
32 Comments
we have one and love it!
I haven't tried the organic sheets, but I own a set of the Target bamboo sheets (they made them a few years ago that came inside their own bag that matched the sheets), and the sheets really do get softer the more often you wash them (and they're soft after only one wash!).
Would you recommend one over the other?
I need to buy a second set of sheets, and was going to pick up another set of bamboo, but might pick up the organic as my second set instead... What do you think?
we have both the organic and bamboo sheets, they are both very good and soft in my opinion...
I love ours!
I eye these up every once in awhile, but I simply can't justify it until the next time we actually need sheets!
i actually didnt like mine- returned them...
not very soft
I'm with hjk. Land's End still has the best sheets ever, hands down. I don't know if they do organic cotton ones or not, but I have never had a set of sheets as nice as the ones I got from them and they've lasted beautifully for 10 years and counting.
Forgive my ignorance here but how is organic important/relevant to sleeping needs/function?
Organic = no pesticides = healthier?
have them - they are the BEST, amazingly soft and shimmery, so fabulous to sleep in. I love them, love Target and who knew...TARGET!!
I've focused mainly on all of the fertilizers and pesticides while it's growing and the bleach used to whiten the fiber. Whether or not there's a health benefit to having organic cotton next to our skin, which I haven't really given much thought to be honest, the ecological cost of traditional cotton production is high.
this is so strange. i don't use a flat sheet, so i thought it must be cheaper to just buy the yardage and sew the corners myself. nope. not by a long-shot.
i guess the bonus here would be, if i buy two sets, then i can make a duvet cover from the two flat sheets!
(i need new sheets & a new duvet anyway.)
I bought a set of organic cotton sheets from Bed Bath and Beyond a year or so back and I love them but they were expensive. I was so excited to read about the organic cotton ones at Target which cost less. This weekend I checked them out and I was disappointed to see that they felt thin and rough. I would NOT buy these. I'd rather pay the extra $20 at BBB and get a set of soft, quality sheets.
We had a set a couple of years ago, and I didn't care for them at all. They never got soft, and they shrank more than our other sheets.
Hope you like ironing. My Target organics shriveled in the wash.
I've had a set of Target organic sheets for a few weeks now, and they're pilling like crazy. Hope I can find that receipt...
gedunkleberg -
You don't need a receipt to make returns at Target. If you used a debit card or credit card, they will swipe your card, see when you made your purchase and credit your card.
Funny. I've had a blue set of the Target organics for quite some time now and I haven't had any of the problems listed above. Incredibly soft. No piling. And if you pull them out of the dryer when they're still a bit warm and fold them they don't "shrivel" at all.
I love them. :)
I've got a set of these and I think they are actually *too* soft. They glom up badly, not quite wrinkling, and don't have enough body. I'm appreciative that they are organic but do not plan on buying another set.
Ugh. With the exception of exactly one set of Shabby Chic sheets which live on my guest bed and get little use, I've had nothing but bad experiences with Target's bed linens. My last trial with them was with a set of blue-gray sheets from one of their designer lines. These sheets pilled, the elastic edging tore after the first washing, and in general the fabric wore out in the middle in less than six months.
I avoid Target's bed linens now entirely. I'm not interested in this organic gimmick of theirs. Now we're sleeping on some Ikea cotton sateen sheets that are everything bed linens should be, and they were cheaper than similar ones at Target, too.
I have the Target bamboo sheets and LOVE them. They are super soft, wash up well, and eco-friendly. <3
Organic is no gimmick. Cotton is one of the most pesticide-intensive crops we grow in this country, if not THE most pesticide intensive. Supporting organically grown is an appropriate environmental action. I don't think there are supposed to be any other inherently better reasons for buying organic cotton than that - that is, no one is claiming (that I'm aware of) that it will be softer, etc..... that's really just about thread count, mostly, isn't it?
Having said that, I recently purchased Target's non-organic cheap (200 count) sheets, the exact two colors in this photo - the blue and the brown - because they were on sale. I really wanted the organic but they no longer had the color and size I needed. The sheets WERE really incredibly soft and shimmery - until the first wash. Now they are incredibly wrinkly (which I only mind in the pillow cases) and much less soft, even the tiniest bit rough - basically what I would expect from a lower end thread count. I'm hoping they'll soften a bit more after more washings. They are just fine for great colored and inexpensive all-cotton sheets...but not as luxe as they first appeared!
Thanks, apdesigngirl...will try to return them today :)
I own the Target 600-count non-organic sheets, which I bought on a "I really need sheets for the new bed, stat!" sort of tear, and I liked them so much I bought two more sets. On sale, they cost less than a low-end BB&B set that lasted all of one wash.
They are on the wrinkly side, but that can happen with 100% cotton. They are holding up well so far and remain by far the softest sheets I think I've ever owned. I will look for the organics next time I need new sheets!
Is this a joke or is this just a poorly veiled advertisement for target?! I hope not because I like this site, I hope you're not selling out for some cheap ad $$.
I LOVE the organic sheets at Target! But the quality seems to vary depending on the batch or something.
We've bought 3 sets. The first set we bought was for the guest bed and it was right when those sheets first came out (3 yrs ago?). They were so satiny and soft in the package but after we washed them they were really rough and scratchy. They haven't softened up much with further washing either.
Then, earlier this year, we decided to give it another go after hearing so many raves about these sheets. We bought a set for our own bed, threw them into the wash and crossed our fingers. Delightful!! When we slid into these sheets they were seriously heavenly! Great hand, light, silky, smooth, soft but still a hint of crispness. Perfect summer sheets. We immediately bought a second set. Guess what? Not nearly as lush. Still good but like two notches down. And not at all horrendous like the guest bed set either. Plus the second set have softened up with washing, the two sets for our bed are nearly neck and neck now (both are from India but the first set has a white care tag sewn into it and the other a blue tag, the store packaging makes it hard to check for these tags and I'm not sure if they mean anything anyway).
I love these sheets also!
Actually, I found the bamboo sheets at Target to not be as soft as I thought they would. So I did a little research and found a few online stores that sold the 100% bamboo sheets. I'm not sure if that's what makes the difference in the softness...maybe it's the thread count or something?
Anyway, I found a company called Green Earth Bamboo who sells the 100% Bamboo Fabric Store.
That's odd, my comment was cut off. It cut out the entire middle of my comment and put the wrong link in the wrong sentence?
I was trying to say that I found awesome, soft bamboo sheets at Green Earth Bamboo. These sheets are way softer then the ones I tried at Target.
I then went on to tell you about this store I found that sells bamboo fabric by the yard...that link is in my previous post if you want to check it out.
Ours pilled, too. And they aren't as soft as I had hoped.
Maybe b/c they are organically grown, there is a natural variation in the cotton grown from crop to crop -- you know, making some crops softer than others? idk, just a thought.
I've felt some of those organic sheets in the store and thought they were very scratchy, maybe I should go test them out again... For years tho, I have had their jersey sheets and absolutely love them! Super-soft and wrinkle-free!
We have organic sheets and we absolutely love them. They are softer than normal cotton sheets even though the thread count on the ones that we have isn't as high. Apparently the chemicals used in traditional bedding make the cotton brittle, but our organic cotton sheets are seriously soft!


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Changes related to "ASCLA journal Interface has moved to online only"
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This is actually from last fall, but surfaced on the web a week ago. This is why Trey Gowdy was chosen to head up the Select Committee on Benghazi. Here's a question, some eight months later, can the media still answer any of these questions about what happened at Benghazi? The answer is no.
This begs the question; is this the face of the modern media or has it always been this one-sided. Had Watergate happened in a Democratic administration, would that president had survived? Would Woodward and Bernstein been journalistic pit bulls then? My suspicion is things are worse today than they were then. I say that because I believe Watergate set the media template for aggressively investigating Republican scandals and ignoring Democratic ones.
Of course, the media knew that the White House was the "Harem at 1600 Pennsylvania" when JFK lived there, and did nothing. And Gowdy's point in the video is a good one; when the media give a Democrat cover in a scandal like this, do they really not understand they're pigeons?


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Athletics News
MSU Athletics Announces Charity Dodge Ball Tournament
Oct. 5, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State University Athletics Department has announced a Celebrity Dodge Ball Charity Event, scheduled for Monday, Oct. 10 from 7-9 p.m. in Jenison Field House. The Dodge Ball Tournament features current Michigan State student-athletes and coaches, former Spartan student-athletes and local celebrities. All proceeds from the event will benefit the hurricane relief efforts throughout the country. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with a $5 donation for admission, followed by games beginning at 7 p.m.
Please contact Angela Howard at (517) 355-2205 for more information or visit the Student-Athlete Support Services website at www.sass.msu.edu. The following is a list of the coaches and media/former student-athletes who have agreed to play in the Dodge Ball Tournament (we are still confirming the current student-athlete list).
Male Coaches Female Coaches David Grewe Baseball Jacquie Joseph Softball Mike Steele Baseball Tammy Farnum Soccer Darroll Gatson Track Michele Madison Field Hockey Jim Boylen Basketball Stacy Heller Soccer Damon Rensing Soccer Kathie Klages Gymnastics Matt Weise Rowing Semeka Randall Basketball Matt Gianiodis Swimming Rita Arndt-Molis Cross Country###


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Glock Square Rear Sight 6.5mm .256" Height Polymer Black White Outline
Product Information
All factory Glock rear sights are interchangeable and elevation changes are made by switching out the rear sight (all factory Glock front sights are the same height). A shorter rear sight will lower the point of impact, whereas a taller rear sight will raise the point of impact. A one-step change (up or down) in rear sight height on a Glock 17 will result in approximately 2.4 inches of impact difference at 27 yards.
Glock rear sights are identified by markings on the right side consisting of one or more horizontal bars. A single bar indicates the most common rear sight height: 6.5mm (.256 in). A long bar with a short bar beneath it indicates a 6.1mm (.240 in) height and a long bar with a short bar above will measure 6.9mm (.271 in) high. The tallest of the factory Glock rear sights is the 7.3mm (.287 in) with markings consisting of a long bar with two shorter bars above the long bar.
Standard Factory Glock Rear Sight Heights:
Delivery Information
The total weight of the product, including the product's packaging as it sits on our shelf. Since some products ship directly from the Manufacturer, their weight may be unavailable. Because of variations in the manufacturing process, similar products may have differing weights. Unless the product is designated as "Ships Alone", Shipping Weight does not include the shipping box or packing materials associated with your order.
Product ships from MidwayUSA, separate from any other products on your order due to its size. Products that are Shipped Alone incur separate "Per Order" and "Per Pound" shipping charges.
Product is regulated by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and cannot be shipped via USPS or air shipping methods. DOT-Regulated products must ship UPS Ground.
Product is restricted by shipping carriers and cannot be shipped to certain locations or via certain shipping methods.
Additional shipping charge for HazMat products. Carriers charge extra to ship packages with products they consider hazardous, such as reloading powder and primers.
Customer Reviews
The statements and opinions expressed within Customer Reviews reflect each author's personal perspective and do not imply endorsement by MidwayUSA, its Employees or any other organization. Customers should in no way infer that MidwayUSA has validated review information as safe, accurate or appropriate.
We reserve the right to correct typographic, photographic and/or descriptive errors.
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- Glock Square Rear Sight 6.1mm .240" Height Polymer Black White... $5.99 Available
- Lone Wolf Guide Rod Assembly Glock 20, 21, 21SF Stainless... $22.99 Available


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In July we discussed the basics of a purchasing system, and how it can help you control costs and improve the quality of your projects.
Thanks to bending rail, it's not that difficult to form curved handrail sections for a circular staircase on site.
Joe Stoddard looks at what Google Docs has to offer for your virtual office.
Tapered, snap-together formwork includes pre-bent rebar cut to size.
Custom-fitted, washable protection from dirt and stains
Can concrete form boards be reused for framing, or does exposure to concrete weaken framing lumber?
Q: When installing stone tiles over Schluter's Kerdi waterproofing membrane, is it okay to use modified thinset mortar? I know that Schluter recommends unmodified thinset mortar, but my supplier suggests that the large and heavy tiles will be easier to install with a polymer-modified no-sag mortar.
Use drywall screws to establish plumb and level, and the rest is easy.
Many of the costly owner/contractor disputes I see in my legal practice involve change orders — or the lack thereof. I know of innumerable residential contractors who, having failed to obtain signed change orders, have eaten hundreds or even thousands of dollars of legitimate extra work at the end...
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