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The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to remain the hottest team in the NHL when they shoot for a 10th straight win Tuesday against the visiting Washington Capitals.
Pittsburgh has been perfect so far in March, going 9-0 to record the club's longest winning streak since an 11-game run from Feb. 21-March 17 of last season.
Thanks in large part to the current hot streak, the Penguins have opened a 12- point lead over the New Jersey atop the Atlantic Division and also are two points ahead of Montreal for the top seed in the East.
Pittsburgh's most recent triumph came Sunday in a home decision over the Boston Bruins, who had won five of six heading into the showdown. The Penguins won 2-1 and Joe Vitale's goal with 32 seconds left in the first period stood up as the game-winner.
Tomas Vokoun stopped 31 shots for Pittsburgh and captain Sidney Crosby added the other goal to bring his NHL-leading point total to 48 (13 goals, 35 assists).
"It's been different guys who have stepped up every game," Crosby said of the win streak. "Seeing 'Joey V' get a big one for us before the end of the first period and then 'Voky' playing the way he did today, it seems like it's always different guys. That's what you need in order to have success consistently."
Pittsburgh did get some unwanted news Sunday as defenseman Kris Letang left after the first period with a lower body injury and did not return. Letang leads all NHL defensemen with 28 points this season and his status for this game is unknown as Monday was an off day for the club.
The Pens have played their last five games without star center Evgeni Malkin, but last season's Hart Trophy winner has been skating and is day-to-day.
Pittsburgh has won seven straight on home ice since a 6-5 loss to Philadelphia on Feb. 20. The Pens, who are closing a three-game homestand Tuesday, are 10-4-0 in the Steel City this season.
While Pittsburgh has vaulted to the top of the East, Washington is still seven points out of a playoff spot. However, the Capitals have won two of their last three games, including a 5-3 decision in Sunday's home test against Buffalo.
Jason Chimera and Marcus Johansson scored 43 seconds apart in the second period to help Washington earn the recent win over the Sabres. Alex Ovechkin, Troy Brouwer and Mathieu Perreault also scored for the Capitals and Braden Holtby made 27 saves for the win.
"It's a big, big win for us tonight," Chimera said. "Guys have a good feeling now and just hopefully we'll keep it going."
Tuesday's tilt kicks off an important four-game road trip for Washington, which is just 4-8-1 as the visiting team this season. After this test in Pittsburgh, the Caps will play two straight in Winnipeg before closing the swing Sunday against the New York Rangers.
Pittsburgh has won its last two home games against the Capitals after Washington had taken the previous eight encounters in the Steel City. The Pens have won both matchups in 2013, giving them victories in three straight and four of the last five meetings.


text:
FAQ When do I need to write a plug-in install handler?
Writing a plug-in install handler is appropriate for most professional applications. Doing so is not only a comfort that most end users will expect but also allows you to perform custom installation, such as
- Moving data to other locations in the file system outside the install directory. This allows data to be shared by multiple applications or by multiple versions of your application.
- Reading or saving values in the Windows registry.
- Asking the user to confirm licensing terms.
- Searching for installed components, such as ActiveX or database drivers, that your application requires and installing them, if necessary.
When creating a feature using the PDE wizard, you get the option to specify an optional feature-specific install handler.
See Also:
This FAQ was originally published in Official Eclipse 3.0 FAQs. Copyright 2004, Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. This text is made available here under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Las Vegas, NV – Persistent rain forced NASCAR officials to cancel Friday's practice and qualifying sessions for the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
It's the first time Sprint Cup Series qualifying at Las Vegas has been called off. The series has been competing at this 1.5-mile racetrack each year since 1998.
Per NASCAR's rule book, Brad Keselowski was awarded the pole since his No. 2 Penske Racing team finished first in the owner point standings in 2012. The top-36 in last year's owner points secured positions 1-36.
"I guess it's one of the perks of being the (2012 Sprint Cup Series) champion in the first few races," Keselowski said. "Obviously with the rain, you kind of have a great deal there. It's the first time I've had a decent starting position in a rainout, so that's great. I feel pretty good about that."
Clint Bowyer will line up next to Keselowski on the front row for Sunday's 400-mile race at Las Vegas, which is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET. Jimmie Johnson will start third, followed by Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle.
Sixth through 10th will be: Denny Hamlin, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, who won at Las Vegas for the first time last year, and Jeff Gordon.
Danica Patrick will start 37th, based on her owner points ranking this year (23rd).
Mike Bliss was the only driver who did not make the starting field.
Practice is scheduled for Saturday. Teams were at Las Vegas for a full day of testing the new Sprint Cup race car, the Gen-6, on Thursday. There is no rain in the forecast for the Las Vegas area during the remainder of this weekend.


text:
Main Content
Damascus Steel Experts
Vegas Forge produces the finest Damascus steel for sale with a focus on craftsmanship. Our stainless Damascus, carbon Damascus, and Mokume Gane are forged with expertise and careful attention to detail and are available in a stunning array of striking patterns, so whether you're producing Damascus steel blanks or designing custom jewelry, you'll find exactly what you need here. At Vegas Forge, we take pride in the variety, quality, and individuality so you get the very best selection of Damascus billets for sale.
Born from a forging tactic that dates back centuries, Damascus steel is known for its distinctive wavy pattern and undeniable strength. At Vegas Forge, our Damascus steel patterns aren't just wavy – we painstakingly create stainless Damascus, carbon Damascus, and Mokume Gane in a range of patterns. Whether you're building Damascus gun parts or designing a Mokume Gane ring, you'll find exactly the right Damascus for your project. When you purchase Damascus billets and round bars from Vegas Forge, you're getting more than just steel: you're getting an enduring tradition that will last a lifetime.


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Written by Sarah
You go to enough of these things and you start to recognize the people, even if the faces change.
That Starlet has problems, everyone knows about it but so far the public hasn't gotten wind. They will when she stumbles out of here at 3 AM, panties long gone and a suspicious powder all down her front. There's That One Actor, not super famous but works steadily—everybody is making a point to say hi to him. The Newly Famous Guy is here and no one is sure why because his music/movie/TV show isn't represented but then, he needs to be seen with this crowd. And over there is the Screen Queen—gosh she's as pretty in person as she is on film, and that's rare. But mostly the crowd is press and businesspeople, the ones who keep the Hollywood wheels turning.
Then there's this greaseball in the middle of the room, surrounded by wannabes, waving a drink around as he gestures wildly and calls all the waitresses "baby". He's wearing an Ed Hardy shirt under a blazer and has his Aviators on. (It's eleven o'clock and night and you're inside.) He talks so loudly you can't help but overhear. "Yeah I've got that project with Universal; they've given me thirty mill. I'm interviewing directors now, but I think I'm going to hire that guy that makes all the music videos. He really knows What The Kids Want To See."
Roll your eyes and try to get past the traffic jam he's creating, the crowd of Hopeful Young Things growing steadily as he name-checks everybody in Hollywood. Even a couple waiters have stopped to listen. "We've been talking to Ryan—no, not that one, the better looking one—and he thinks this is something special."
Now you're just trying not to laugh out loud and make a scene. You know That Ryan is long past the time where he had to return this creep's calls. You're almost past the knot of people when you hear: "Kate Bosworth and Rachel Bilson are on board."*
Your martini attempts to come out your nose as you stifle a laugh. Kate Bosworth *and* Rachel Bilson? You look at your friend and you're on the same wavelength. What's this movie called, "Worthless and Worthlesser"? Who would hire either of these chicks, let alone both of them? You glance back at Sunglasses At Night. Well, yeah, that guy would. But guys like that, they talk a big game and usually nothing comes of it. "On board" means "I have Fed-Ex'ed them a script".
Finally past the crowd and you spot two unprepossessing men in the corner. They're well dressed but not ostentatious. One man is speaking quietly, the other has his chin in his hand as he stares at his feet, listening intently. He nods a couple times and never looks directly at the man talking to him. After a few minutes they both smile and shake hands, melting into the crowd to go their separate ways. No one is paying them any attention. A Deal has just been made.
*Actual conversation overheard by Lainey last night at TIFF.
Written by Sarah
Photos from Wenn.com
One night at an industry event
Written by Sarah


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If you are wondering why there is nothing new in my shops, it's because my studio has become Kit Central.
I'm gathering up all the elements needed for my Book of Enchantments for Snow White, plus brain storming projects for Birdsong 3, as well as a super secret surprise gathering that I am doing with a dear friend. (more about that later, but I can't give it away till after the surprise in March)
For my Book of Enchantments, the supply list is out of control!
- a book cover to embellish, and the goodies to do it, including ribbons, lace, a mirror, millinery and flocked wallpaper
- 9 pieces of card stock
- a stack of fairy tale book text
- 2 pictures from old story books
- 2 pages from vintage Snow White stories. (some are Snow White and Rose Red, and older ones are called "Little Snowdrop", I have books ranging from 1890 to 1959, in the oldest, she is usually Snowdrop)
- a collage sheet of pretty, vintage pictures I scanned
- 1 journalling page to color or use for inspiration
- 4 spells of enchantment that I have written (for: Sweet Dreams, Joy, Hope, and finding a True Hearted Prince)
- 12 pre-cut pieces of vintage lace
- 10 pieces of old wallpaper
- 1 moonstone heart charm
- 1 apple charm
- red rhinestones
- a rhinestone cluster
- ribbons
Oh my! That is a lot of cutting, organizing, packing, and counting.
I found an easy way to count the card stock. I bought packages of 50 that contain 10 pages of 5 neutral colors. Since I need 9 for each kit, I simply take away one from each color and boom, I have 9 ready to slip into the envelope. They get covered in other papers, so it doesn't matter what shades go in the kits. That beats counting out 9 for each envelope!
Since my ingredients are so vintagey and unique, I can promise that it's impossible for any two students to make the same book. It will be exciting to see all the creations the class comes up with using the combinations that they get!
I've enlisted a studio full of helpers.
And a cutie to keep us company while we work.
I've put the tiny craft table in front of the TV, which was probably a bad idea, I might never be able to convince my girls that they don't need to watch shows while they work. But with so much going on, it seemed to extend craft time a bit for the littlest fairy.
Since I had to cut so much wallpaper, I decided to chop away till I had enough to sell too. So, once I get my kits bundled up, I'll have paper left over and will actually have new stuff in the Boutique.
While measuring, cutting, and ironing hundreds upon hundreds of pieces of paper, my mind has wandered around and wondered about Birdsong 3 projects. I'm working out the kinks on a wire birdcage, and the other one might be a variation of this book, but a Journal of Blessings. Not sure... But I have been loving the heck out of making books for the last few months and would love to continue making more.
I'm sure you guys will see all the prototypes as I fidget around with them. Thanks for being my sounding board!
If you love these old fairy tale illustrations as much as I do, just click on the images to open them to a larger window and save them to your computer to print.


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13th Witness Cement Court Tee
This tee is a collaboration with photographer 13th Witness to celebrate the excitement around tennis in New York City this time of year. This image was taken specifically for this project, and depicts different tennis courts in the Big Apple. Lastly, this tee features a Nike x Kith Court logo and a 13th Witness logo.


text:
|Urban Upgrading and Slum Prevention fighting urban poverty with passion and professionalism, sharing knowledge and learning among ourselves and others for results.
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Hanois key river for flood drainage on last legs
The Nhue River not only acts as a water drainage channel for over 100,000ha of land, including 60,000ha in Hanoi, the river also supplies water for 56,000ha of agricultural land. But this significant river is being killed.
The rivers current has been slowed in recent years due to damage to the rivers bed and banks, creating danger for the capital city in the rainy and stormy season.
In the historic flood in late 2008, the Nhue Rivers jammed current resulted in prolonged floods in Hanoi, causing serious losses for the city.
Along the river, 3008 cases of environmental violations have been recorded, with over 2600 cases in the districts of Tu Liem, Thanh Tri and Ha Dong. Over 70 percent of violations are related to construction activities in restricted areas.
Nearly one kilometer of the river crossing Huu Hoa commune, Thanh Tri district is nearly covered by water spinach rafts. According to local people, these rafts are very effective in hindering the current.
Besides violations of local people, some state-funded bridge projects also contributing to hampering the rivers current.
The 2009 flood season is coming but the Nhue Rivers current is still dangerously slow.
(VietNamNet Bridge)
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Mew-Genics teaser week 14 - You've got mail!
The latest update from Team Meat for their upcoming Mew-Genics game goes into what you can expect from the mail system in the game.
Courtesy of GameInformer, mail in the game is vital, keeping players abreast of their friends and enemies movements as well as upcoming contests. It's also somewhat random and unpredictable what may arrive, it could be a Cat Fight invitation, violation notices, money from your children or an SSI check reminder.
Check out the update here.


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Healing Your Damaged Life
Some of the sweetest memories of my childhood center in the occasional summer and fall days spent with my brothers at Uncle Zene's farm in rural Virginia. There we hiked through woods with fragrant wildflowers. We marveled at flying squirrels, colorful birds, and even occasionally discovered a fox or pheasant. Meandering streams invited us to catch sunfish, and a cool, pure spring satisfied our thirst. There were roasted hot dogs, potato salad, sweet pickles, and of course hot apple pie with homemade ice cream. Every turn of the crank heightened our anticipation of that seldom-savored treat. But the most treasured experience was the rope swing Uncle Zene had hung in a tall tree near a beautiful brook. Its long gliding passes provided hours of pure joy. We would arch our backs and fling our legs and feet to see who could go the fastest and highest. It was sheer delight.
Once, to treat me to even more excitement, my brother Gerald put me on the wooden seat, then rotated the swing until the ropes were twisted in a double row of knots. With a mighty thrust he launched me into a spin of ever-increasing velocity. At first there was a feeling of exhilaration as I began to pick up speed. That short-lived pleasure was quickly replaced by increasing feelings of dizziness, nausea, and just plain terror. When the horrible experience was over, I couldn't walk without falling, my head reeled, and I was certain my stomach would never again be the same.
Throughout it all, Gerald jumped with glee. When I finally fell out of the seat, he shouted, "Wasn't that terrific?"
My mind thought, "You're crazy," but my mouth said, "Yeah, that was great. Get in and I'll show you how much fun it is."
I wonder if some of you are doing the same thing in your own life? Instead of enjoying the countless edifying experiences, precious wholesome relationships, and the wondrous beauties of the earth the Lord has given for our happiness, do you pursue excitement beyond the bounds He has set? Do you seek transitory stimulation, even recognizing that it is always followed by powerful negative feelings? Do tantalizing emotions stimulate your appetite, creating an insatiable thirst for more? Does that thirst override the motivation to improve that should result from the negative harvest of transgression? Is your focus on satisfying appetite through increased participation, even though you begin to sense that inevitably it will bring very unpleasant consequences? Have you wondered how and when you will stop?
Even though you publicly defend strongly your actions, privately in moments of sober contemplation you may have recognized that you are in trouble. While outwardly you may blame others for your problems, inside you may have already discovered that indulgence in violation of trust and denial of truth leads to ever-diminishing options. One backs himself ever farther into a corner. Finally there seems to be no way out, and a sense of hopelessness sets in.
I have no interest but to help you. Will you listen? I may challenge some of your fixed ideas, but please listen for a few minutes.
You may be tired of others trying to run your life—always telling you what to do. After all, you have the right to make your own choices. That is correct. You have that right. It is your agency. The secret to solve problems in your life will be found in understanding and using the eternally beneficial interaction of your agency and His truth.
The Master said: "He that keepeth [the] commandments receiveth truth and light. …
"Light and truth forsake that evil one, …
"And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men." (D&C 93:28, 37, 39; emphasis added.)
He also declared, "Every man may act in doctrine and principle, … according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable … in the day of judgment" (D&C 101:78; italics added).
These scriptures teach how to overcome the effects of wrong choices, whether they be lying, stealing, gambling, addiction to alcohol or drugs, immorality, inflicting abuse, or anything like it. Simply stated, one must use his agency to obey truth.
When others give you advice, have you ever said, "I just don't believe the way you do. Those are your standards and your principles. I have my own"? Please understand that no one can change truth. Rationalization, overpowering self-interest, all of the arguments of men, anger, or self-will cannot change truth. Satan knows that, so he tries to create an atmosphere where one unwittingly begins to feel that he can not only choose what to do, but can determine what is right to do. Satan strives to persuade us to live outside truth by rationalizing our actions as the right of choice.
But our Eternal Father defined truth and established what is right and wrong before the creation of this earth. He also fixed the consequences of obedience and disobedience to those truths. He defended our right to choose our path in life so that we would grow, develop, and be happy, but we do not have the right to choose the consequences of our acts. Those who willfully, consistently disobey His commandments will inevitably learn that truth. Joseph Smith was inspired to record, "When we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." (D&C 130:21.)
Please understand, no one has the privilege to choose what is right. God reserved that prerogative to Himself. Our agency does allow us to choose among alternate paths, but then we are bound to the consequence God has decreed. Later, if we don't like where the path takes us, the only out is through repentance.
Our Heavenly Father gave us truth, some as statements of cause and effect. We call them commandments. They guide our life to happiness. He knew that Satan would try to persuade some to live without fixed standards in life so that decisions would be based on current circumstances, what appears convenient, or what provides the greatest personal return. In this way, Satan removes the power of truth from one's life so he can take that soul captive.
If you are trapped and there seems to be no way out, remember what Robert Frost taught, "The best way out is always through." (From "A Servant to Servants.") You must face the challenge and conquer it. The way through is based on faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His commandments. It is the only way to permanently cure damage to mind and spirit caused by unrighteous acts. It also provides healing, within the bounds of eternal law, to a body devastated by the effects of transgression.
It may be hard in your state of mind to understand that. Please believe me. He will help you when you do it His way. A prophet said, "For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?" (Mosiah 5:13; emphasis added.) Read and learn about the Savior until you know Him, then trust Him.
You may have found that change is hard. But know you can do it. You may wonder why you are not believed when you decide to change from a life of disobedience to one of integrity and compliance to truth. Recognize that it takes time to build a reputation that overcomes the effects of past deliberate decisions to deceive and to take advantage of others—but it is worth it.
Have you noticed that no matter how worthy your intent and how many procedures you follow precisely, if you make the tiniest mistake with a computer, it will not respond? All of your effort is futile. That is not the way the Lord works. There is nothing tricky about His commandments. He wants you to succeed. Where there is purity of heart and real intent, it is known to the Lord. Your obedience to truth and proper use of agency open the door to His divine help. At first, perhaps only you and He will believe your sincerity. But you will be rewarded by the joy that comes from positive personal progress. In time, others will recognize your consistent righteous acts and support you.
Many people offer advice, but one's suggestions often directly contradict another's. How do you know whom to believe? Ask yourself these questions:
What motivates the offer of help?
Does your common sense confirm it is right? If so, it will be consistent with the teachings of the Savior.
Has the advice offered been followed in the giver's life? Has it improved the quality of that life?
Honest evaluation of advice against these standards will help you decide whether it is motivated for your benefit or another's self-interest. A true friend is not one that always encourages you to do what you want to do, but one who helps you do what you know you ought to do.
You can block the corrective power of truth in your life by constantly letting others protect you from the consequences of your unworthy acts, without being smart enough to change your life. Your failure to properly respond to help will fix false concepts in your mind, and you will see no need to repent. Your negative patterns will be reinforced, not rejected.
How can one decide when to help you and when to let you grow from facing reality? The Lord has provided the answer. When you show genuine remorse, a contrite heart, a recognition of guilt, movement in the direction of improvement even though there may be slippage—when there is acceptance of responsibility for improper acts, support and help are needed and will be productive. Should you continue to manipulate, blame others for improper decisions, be deceitful and determined to continue the path of transgression by camouflage or cover-up, you are reinforcing false principles and have chosen to head for a showdown with tough reality.
It is one thing to know how to heal your damaged life. It is quite another to do it. You will change only when you recognize that it will bring lasting personal benefit. Deep down you know that breaking commandments does not bring anything productive and does cause a lot of grief for yourself and others. Don't wait to hit bottom. That is painful and could leave physical scars that can't be healed.
You can fool others who want to believe you, but you cannot deceive the Lord. Because of His justice, He will one day have to confront you with the consequences of your unrepented acts. No one wants that to happen. Some transgressions are so powerful that it is unlikely that you will begin to overcome them without another's help. Seek that help. In time, with the strength that comes from continued use of agency to live truth, you will be healed through the Savior. Please find someone you trust who is trustworthy, who understands agency and truth. You can begin anywhere—with a friend, a loved one, a competent professional, or a solid member. As you gain confidence, see your bishop. He has priesthood keys that will help you. Begin now and don't stop until you understand and obey the teachings of the Savior and receive His healing power in your life. Otherwise, the cure will be incomplete.
This comment, used by permission of one someone else helped, shows how the Lord gives healing through a priesthood leader when he acts as an inspired instrument: "I so appreciated your words of wisdom and kindness. I have felt such a strength from the Lord. My testimony is growing step by step each day.
"I still have heartache and pain, but now I realize that it is for my own good and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. The blessing you gave me under the direction of the Spirit truly changed me. I am finally able to have hope and know that I will work through this time. I am able to look forward to each new day."
I testify that the Savior heals permanently. He said:
"Have ye any that … are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them. …
"For I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you. …
"And he did heal them every one." (3 Ne. 17:7–9; emphasis added.)
I testify that the Savior will heal you as you choose to obey truth and use your agency according to His counsel.
May the Lord soften your heart that you may know the things we have discussed are true. May he give you the courage and strength to begin to be healed now. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.


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LOIC - the Low Orbit Ion Cannon
LOIC is an open source network attack application, written in C#. LOIC
was initially developed by Praetox Technologies, but later it was
released into the public domain
LOIC performs a denial-of-service (DoS) attack (or when used by
multiple individuals, a DDoS attack) on a target site by flooding
the server with TCP packets, UDP packets, or HTTP requests with the
intention of disrupting the service of a particular host. People have
used LOIC to join voluntary botnets.
This SlackBuild simply builds a package from the binaries. If you
would like to build it from source, you might want to consider loiq.
mono is needed to run LOIC:
mono /opt/LOIC/LOIC.exe
A handy script /usr/bin/loic and a basic desktop integration file have
been included for ease of use.
We are not responsible for the use that you give to this tool. You
cannot blame us if you use this tool to attack servers you don't own
and get caught. This script is released for educational purposes only.
This requires: mono
Download SlackBuild:
LOIC.tar.gz.asc (FAQ)
(the SlackBuild does not include the source)
|Individual Files:
| LOIC.SlackBuild
| LOIC.desktop
| LOIC.info
| doinst.sh
| slack-desc
© 2006-2023 SlackBuilds.org Project. All rights reserved.
Slackware® is a registered trademark of Patrick Volkerding
Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds


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This blog originally appeared on EcoWatch's website and is re-posted with their permission. The original post can be found here and was authored by the University at Buffalo.
Coal kills. That's the message of The Silent Epidemic: Coal and the Hidden Threat to Health by Alan H. Lockwood, MD, University at Buffalo emeritus professor of neurology.
Lockwood's book examines how human health is harmed by the burning of coal,which supplies nearly half of the energy in the U.S. and a far greater percentage in industrializing countries such as China, India and Brazil.
While Lockwood says it's widely accepted that lifestyle choices are key determinants of health and longevity, air pollution is underappreciated as a factor behind causes of death in the U.S. "There are these environmental factors that you don't have as much control over that are important contributors to mortality and morbidity," explains Lockwood. "Coal is a major contributing factor to the top four causes of death in the U.S.: cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease and stroke, but I think people are completely unaware that pollution from coal is responsible for huge numbers of deaths."
Video – Dr. Alan Lockwood Discuss Health Impacts of Coal
The book examines how coal is a factor in each of these diseases. Additional chapters examine the science, politics and economics of coal burning and global warming.
Beyond the top four causes of death, Lockwood adds, new scientific studies are beginning to show that coal burning also may play a role in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Lockwood, a board member with Physicians for Social Responsibility, became interested in how coal affects human health while writing a white paper on the subject for the organization. All profits from the book will be donated to the organization.
"That's when it really began to strike home with me that coal was a major source of air pollution damaging the health of Americans," says Lockwood. "The worst health effects of coal are felt by residents of states in the Northeastern U.S., east of the Mississippi, where most coal is burned and where the power plants are the oldest."
Coal burning causes disease through two main mechanisms, Lockwood explains: through the inflammatory response that inhaled particulate matter triggers in the body and through the penetration into the brain of inhaled particulate matter.
Lockwood, who was an early-adopter of solar technology for his own home, provides advice in the book to consumers on how to reduce their energy consumption. He also suggests that people become "energy advocates," promoting conservation and sustainable energy sources in public forums and to their elected officials.
To listen to an interview with Dr. Alan Lockwood, discussing his book, check out Earthjustice's recent Down to Earth podcast.


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Cameco Earnings: An Early Look
Earnings season is in full swing, with huge numbers of companies having already given their latest numbers to investors. The key to making smart investment decisions with stocks releasing their quarter reports is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise. That way, you'll be less likely to make an uninformed knee-jerk reaction to news that turns out to be exactly the wrong move.
Let's turn to Cameco . The uranium miner has had a tough couple of years, as fallout from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami and attendant Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster has led ot major changes in the prospects for global nuclear power. Let's take an early look at what's been happening with Cameco over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its quarterly report on Friday.
Stats on Cameco
Analyst EPS Estimate
Change from Year-Ago EPS
Revenue Estimate
$796 million
Change from Year-Ago Revenue
Earnings Beats in Past 4 Quarters
Source: Yahoo Finance.
Can Cameco shine brighter this quarter?
Analysts have held steady on their prospects for Cameco's fourth-quarter results, although they've pulled back on their estimates for full-year 2013 by $0.20 per share. The stock, though, is signaling a potential turnaround, with shares up more than 18% since early November.
Cameco is the lowest-cost producer of uranium. That advantage over the much-smaller Denison Mines and Uranium Energy has become even more important given the plunge in uranium prices resulting from negative sentiment toward nuclear power.
But eventually, uranium should come back into favor as emerging-market countries see it as a viable source of carbon-free power. Cameco has a contract to supply uranium to China for the next 12 years, and as its Cigar Lake mining project ramps up toward the end of 2013, the company should see a further boost in production that could bolster its bottom line. Moreover, between nuclear giant Exelon and the ramping-up in nuclear energy that rival Southern Company has made in recent years, prospects in the U.S. for uranium are looking more favorable -- and could get even more so if rock-bottom natural-gas prices finally start to rise substantially.
In Cameco's report, look for signs that the company is finding ways to sell its inventory at reasonable prices despite Germany's long-term move away from nuclear energy and other headwinds. If Cameco can survive this very difficult time, then its eventual recovery could be truly extraordinary.
Will nuclear bounce back?
Cameco is depending on companies like Exelon to keep relying on nuclear power, but is Exelon actually a better buy than the uranium miner? Find out in our premium research report on the utility giant, in which our top analysts go through their bull and bear arguments on the stock. Simply click here now for instant access.
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African policy makers are increasingly called on to use evidence-based research to inform development decisions. But this requires the rigorous collection of data as well as a coordinated system to disseminate it. This is why Kenya-based African Population Health Research Center is advocating for national policies to enable strong data systems.
Data, and especially data of good quality, are essential for national governments and institutions to accurately plan, fund and evaluate development activities.
Basic development indicators are essential for an accurate picture of a country's development status. This includes a country's progress towards specific development goals and improving its citizens' socio-economic conditions. In fact, solutions to social and economic problems are often inseparable from the statistics.
You cannot build schools without knowing how many children need to be enrolled. Private investors need to know what resources are available in a given country before putting in their money. A country needs to know what it grows and where to prevent famine. Donors can only know whether their aid is changing lives if they have data.
In general, development programs entail measurable results. Development decisions should be informed by data. But more importantly this data must be turned into information that is easy to understand and useful to end users. You sometimes hear people say, "The data speak for themselves." But they don't.
Data is the first, crucial step. Then you need smart, objective analysis to make sense of the data and shape the narrative. Once the data supply side is up to par, the hope is that decision makers at all levels will increasingly demand relevant information to lay the foundation for policy making and budgeting.
Like everyone else, African governments and their development partners need good data on basic development metrics. To be of value, such data must be accurate, timely, disaggregated and widely available. This is not the case in many African countries.
Given the circumstances, you can imagine how difficult it is for African governments to make data driven decisions. This situation is often compounded by the lack of an entrenched culture of data use. More often than not it is difficult to ascertain existing programmes' effectiveness or whether available resources are being allocated to address the most urgent and serious development issues.
You probably heard how Nigeria became the biggest economy in Africa overnight in 2014. This happened simply on account of changing the method of calculating Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – the so-called rebasing. The review ought to have been carried out every three or five years. But in this case it wasn't done for decades.
This suggests that for years, decisions in one of Africa's largest economies were based on data that were not credible or accurate or timely. This is the story of many countries in Africa. In 2015, 65% of the Millennium Development Goals' indicators for countries in Central Africa were either estimated, derived from statistical models, or were last measured prior to 2010.
The truth is that data in Africa are not produced on time, are not frequently produced, are of poor quality and are not accurate. This makes it difficult to make data driven decisions.
Data gaps
A joint working group, the Data for African Development Working Group, of which I was part, posed that very question a few years ago. Actually, the paucity of accurate, reliable and timely data has been a recurring issue. It continues to be a major constraint to the effective monitoring and evaluation of interventions and development programmes across countries in Africa.
Estimates on health and other socio-economic outcomes are often uncertain and are not systematically produced. This makes it difficult to generate evidence about the effectiveness of existing policy.
There have been gains in the frequency and quality of censuses and household surveys over the past 30 years or so. But the building blocks of national statistical systems on the continent remain weak.
The building blocks fundamental to the calculation of almost any major economic or social welfare indicator include data on:
- births and deaths
- growth and poverty
- taxes and trade
- land and the environment, and;
- sickness, schooling, and safety.
As of 2013, none of the 60 countries with complete vital registration is in Africa. This situation is brought about by four main issues that we can call political economy challenges:
- lack of autonomy and stable funding for national statistical systems
- misaligned incentives contributing to inaccurate data
- dominance of donor priorities over national priorities; and
- limited access to and usability of data.
These are the issues that African countries should address to drastically improve data systems and quality of data needed for development.
Mind the gaps
The focus should be on the underlying challenges facing national statistical systems. The following actions would help improve the production, quality and use of data in Africa:
- Fund more and fund differently. For example, increase domestic funding and allocate predictable budget, and experiment pay-for-performance agreements with donor funding
- Build institutions that can produce accurate, unbiased data. For example, enhance national statistical offices autonomy or try out public-private partnerships
- Prioritize the core attributes of data building blocks: accuracy, timeliness, relevance and availability. To achieve this, build quality control mechanism, open data, accountability for improving data quality.
These changes must be initiated and led by governments. But donors and local civil society groups also have a major role to play. This process can help modify the relationship between donors, governments and the producers of statistics to work in harmony with national statistical priorities.
We cannot afford to continue with business as usual. Fortunately, a number of national statistical offices across Africa are taking steps to improve the serious challenges facing their systems. More work and more investment needs to happen. And at an accelerated pace.
Donatien Beguy, Head of Statistics and Surveys Unit (SSU), African Population and Health Research Center
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.