text:
There are a few steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting an infection in pregnancy. They include the following:
Practice Good Hygiene
Good hygiene includes washing your hands often. Hand washing is the best way to prevent some contagious infections during pregnancy. Good hygiene also includes not sharing food, drinks, or utensils. This is especially important if you work with large groups of children and if you already have young children at home. Hands should always be washed after changing diapers and helping children with their own hygiene.
It is best to obtain any needed immunizations several months before your pregnancy. If needed, you can safely receive some vaccines, such as the flu vaccine, during pregnancy.
If you are planning to become pregnant, talk with your doctor about whether you need immunizations for the following diseases:
There are several infections that have no vaccine available. You can reduce your risk of getting these infections by practicing good hygiene and avoiding direct contact with infected people. Talk to your doctor about screening for other infections that can affect you and your baby during pregnancy.
Avoid Exposure to Diseases
- Avoid travel to high-risk locations. If you are planning to travel during pregnancy, talk with your doctor about the safety of your destination.
- Make sure children and other family household members are up-to-date with their immunizations.
- Have someone else change the cat's litter box. Or, wear gloves and wash hands carefully after doing this. Also, wear gloves while gardening, and wash hands after working in the yard.
- Maintain a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested for STDs and is not infected. If you have a new partner during pregnancy, use latex condoms every time you have intercourse.
Avoid Contaminated Food
- Avoid soft cheeses.
- Avoid all rare or uncooked meat.
- Cook leftover food or ready-to-eat foods until they are steaming hot.
- Avoid foods from delicatessen counters, or thoroughly heat cold cuts and hot dogs before eating.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Michael Woods, MD
- Review Date: 05/2016 -
- Update Date: 05/20/2015 -


text:
Affinity Plus FCU Regroups, Slows Growth With New CEO
When Dave Larson was named the interim president/CEO of Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union shortly after Kyle Markland suddenly resigned on Aug. 28, he could not have predicted what the reaction would be.
"The response that I've received from the management team, employees, board, vendors, partners and regulators has really been extraordinary," Larson said. "It's almost been overwhelming, in a good way."
After three months of guiding the $1.7 billion Affinity Plus in St. Paul, Minn., Larson was named the permanent president/CEO Nov. 21. He has been with the credit union since 2002, last serving in the position of senior vice president. Larson is also the executive director of the Affinity Plus Foundation and serves on the board of the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation.
Larson's new role comes after Markland, who served as president/CEO of the credit union since 1997, abruptly resigned in late August. Affinity Plus said Markland's departure was prompted by empty nest syndrome after his second child, a son, recently left for college. Markland was named Credit Union Times' 2012 Trailblazer CEO of the Year.
To let Affinity Plus' members know about the changes, Larson sent out a letter to those members who receive emails.
"I got over 200 responses. Typically, we might get four or five," Larson said. "And not all were raving fans. Some said 'you need a branch in my community.' We got some of that. I didn't hear a lot of concerns (about the change in leadership). They were pleased to know that we looked internally."
Nearly a month in at the helm, one of the first discussions Larson had with Affinity Plus' board of directors was the need to slow down growth at the credit union.
"I'm not saying we're going to turn people away," Larson explained. "I believe there has been some stress put on our service levels. We're going to put the pause on growth plans."
In Affinity Plus' 2013 Fall Member Focus newsletter, Larson wrote the credit union was a healthy and financially strong organization. At the time of Markland's resignation, Affinity Plus reported a 0.57% return on assets as of June 30, according to its financial performance reports posted on the NCUA website. In the third quarter, return on assets dropped to 0.25%. Comparatively, in June 2012, the credit union reported 1.45% ROA.
Affinity Plus' third quarter financials revealed a number of financial management strategy shifts that resulted in a 55.1% annualized drop in net income as of Sept. 30. Net income dropped from $4.6 million as of June 30 to $3.1 million during as of Sept. 30. The credit union also experienced a 12.7% increase in provision for loan and lease losses after delinquent loans increased 23.5% to $16.5 million in the third quarter.
Chartered in 1930 as State Capitol Credit Union to serve those working in St. Paul, the cooperative changed its name to Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union in 1998 to better reflect its broader service area, according to its website. It now has 25 branches throughout Minnesota and serves more than 180,000 members.
Larson said part of the pullback on growth means Affinity Plus' successful "Ditch Your Bank" campaign, which started well before Bank Transfer Day in November 2011, will be scaled back in 2014.
"That's not to say that it will be dead forever," Larson noted about the effort to woo frustrated bank customers to the credit union.
Instead, more attention will shift back to the total member experience. Larson said some employees were bogged down with back office functions that were taking time away from working with members.
"We had become a very decentralized organization, which is a unique model not only for credit unions but other financial institutions," Larson explained. "We have this gift to work with people that we truly care about – their lives, hopes, dreams and their communities. I believe most businesses don't see their customers, or in our case, the members, that way. We have this incredible opportunity to connect with them."
Since joining Affinity Plus, Larson "has exemplified a dedication to the organization and its employees that is unique in today's business culture, said Connie M. Roehrich, Affinity Plus board chair.
"He is committed to a member-first philosophy that the board values and respects, and when combined with his track record of integrity, transparency, and ability to communicate clearly, Dave is the best candidate to lead Affinity Plus into the future," Roehrich said.
Another area that will see changes is within Affinity Plus' real estate division, Larson said. The bulk of the work was being processed in the credit union's branches and call centers. Because real estate has many moving parts, Larson said the process can be overwhelming to frontline employees. So much so, that processing mortgage loans took over their focus, he added.
"We want to centralize real estate. Over the last couple of years, we've done a lot to help with mortgages but we have a lot more to offer," Larson said. "If we can take more off (the frontline employees') plates, it will allow them to spend more time with the members."
In addition to having the support of Affinity Plus' board of directors with the credit union's members first approach, Larson said he's also made some key changes within his management team. His first act as the new president/CEO was naming Brian Volkmann the permanent chief financial officer after he served in an interim role for nearly 11 months. Bill Urick, who served as CFO before Volkmann took over, left Affinity Plus in January. Larson brought him back on board to become the credit union's chief operating officer. In July, Sarah Olson was also hired as senior vice president of human resources.
While the past few months as interim president/CEO of Affinity Plus has allowed Larson to get a wider view of the credit union's operations, he said he felt confident about the transition since he's worn several titles over his 12 years of service here.
"One of the benefits of my role is I worked in other roles. I know these leaders, they know me, they know what to expect," said Larson, who has worked with credit union for more than 20 years. "The leadership team that we have is extraordinary."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
experienced the worst nuclear
power plant disaster in history 24 years ago. Now with the
use of DNA sequences, scientists studying different species in this
area have been able to determine which
are more vulnerable and more likely to be damaged by
radiation at this level.
study was led by Professor Tim Mousseau from the University
of South Carolina and Dr. Anders Moller from the National
Centre for Scientific Research in Paris. They've worked in
Chernobyl for more than 10 years gathering data, but also used
existing databases to analyze DNA patterns for this particular
Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986 when reactor number
four ruptured and exploded due to rapid growths of power output.
Radiation has contaminated the area ever since, dubbing this part of
Chernobyl the "zone of alienation."
the use of DNA
sequences, scientists have been able to figure out which
populations of birds, mammals and insects, who live in the zone of
alienation, have been affected the most. DNA is a key factor in
determining this because a species' DNA changes from generation to
generation due to a "natural balance" between mutations and
an individual's ability to fix damaged DNA. This is what allows
species to evolve, and by looking at the substitution rate (the rate
at which the DNA code is replaced by another), scientists are able to
observe DNA sequences and predict which species have been affected
the most (they can also determine if they will decline or become
information is available in large database," said Mousseau. "So
you can get the DNA sequences [of each species] and examine the
changes that have occurred among a species over time.
we have discovered is that when we look at the species in Chernobyl,
we can predict, based on their substitution rates, which ones are
most vulnerable to contaminants."
to the results of this study, brightly colored birds and birds who
travel long distances to migrate are the most vulnerable to
radioactive contamination. A reason for this, according to Mousseau,
could be that these birds have weaker DNA repair mechanisms.
Biologist Louise Johnson from the University of Reading noted that
these results were "fascinating" and that it has potential
to test certain predictions about evolution.
of the difficulties of such research is that it isn't really an
experiment - it is impossible to control for all of the confounding
variables," said Johnson. "But [the scientists] have been
very careful to test all of the other factors that could be important
- antioxidants,
population size, body size, etc. of bird species and it
appears...that there is a shared casual relationship between
accumulating mutations over time and the ability to withstand
study was published in the Journal
of Evolutionary Biology.


text:
Orochimaru was always the strongest of sannin and was very likely stronger then Hiruzen
Orochimaru's jutsus
1. Attack prevention technique
With this technique, the user can merge into a surface to avoid damage. The user can also move unseen and attack from behind.
2. Binding Snake Glare spell
The user summons one or two big snakes which crawl out from one's sleeves, and coil around the enemy capturing them. This is a great technique for capturing someone alive, or for inflicting damage by constriction, and if the situation calls for it, the snakes can bite the victim with their poison fangs. With the summons specified beforehand, the procedure can be shortened by using blood on a summoning "contract seal" (結印, ketsuin), making it possible to use the technique immediately. The further addition of the user's killing intent can weaken their target's resolve.
Snakes summoned by this technique are on a whole other level in terms of intelligence and strength, compared to normal summons. It is said that even shinobi with great skill are unable to escape from this restraint.
Body Flame technique
A technique used similar to the Body Flicker Technique. When using this technique, the body looks like it's being engulfed by flames, disappearing from view slowly.
Body Sheddin jutsu
Used primarily after sustaining massive injury or as a means to elude a seemingly inescapable attack, this technique allows the user to materialise a new body — typically by regurgitating it from their mouth — in a manner that somewhat resembles how a snake sheds its skin.
After emerging, the user's clothing and injuries are completely restored, with even amputated limbs being regenerated. Whilst the technique has the additional advantage of potentially being extremely difficult to detect, its use consumes a great amount of chakra
Casualty Puppet
it allows the user to partially absorb a freshly killed corpse, transforming it into an extension of the user's body. Though absorbing allows one to gain access to the target's techniques, the use of Casualty Puppet can warp the user's mind, making the user highly unstable with only a great shock snapping him back to his senses.
Earth Style: shadow clone jutsu
This technique creates a shadow clone made of mud of the user. Since its made of mud, it can continue to reform and mould itself back to its original shape. After reverting to mud, it can hold the opponent in place.
Eight Branches Technique
This is Orochimaru's greatest and strongest technique. Using the "power of reincarnation" possessed by the White Snake as an intermediary, he can transform into a giant white serpent with eight heads and eight tails. The serpent boasts a giant body, even larger than that of Manda, who was feared as the "strongest colossal serpent". Just by crawling on the scales of its abdomen it was able to trample the Uchiha hideout, and could destroy most things without difficulty. This technique transcends the "Snake", and becomes like a "Dragon God".
When using this technique, Orochimaru can emerge from the mouth of one of the heads and use his Sword of Kusanagi to attack, even without a host.
Five Elements Seal
This technique produces a powerful seal that is used to block or disturb the flow of chakra in a target. Once the seal is completed, the target will become unconscious and unable to fight for a short time. Orochimaru performed this jutsu to tamper with Naruto Uzumaki's seal. The original seal allowed a small amount of the Nine-Tails' chakra to always mix into Naruto's, but the additional seal disturbs this, preventing Naruto from using the Nine-Tails' chakra or even controlling his own chakra properly. This is because an odd-numbered seal creates an imbalance when placed on top of an even-numbered seal. When Orochimaru later notices that the seal has been removed, he remarks that there are very few ninja capable of doing so.
Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes
With this technique, a countless number of summoned snakes crawl out of Orochimaru's mouth and hunt down the enemy. With such overwhelming numbers, a true "wall of snakes" is formed, making defence and evasion meaningless. The enemy can do nothing but become buried by the snakes. The snakes can bite the enemy with their poison fangs and open their mouths to extend Kusanagi-like blades, making them even more deadly. Furthermore, when the inexhaustibly crawling snakes gather together, they become a defensive wall, and can block any kind of attack.
Gathering of The Snakes
If Orochimaru is somehow bisected by the opponent, snakes come from the halves and bring him back together.
Genjutsu Binding
As the name suggests, the user binds the opponent in a genjutsu, rendering them incapable of movement. As Tsunade demonstrates when facing the Legendary Stupid Brothers, this genjutsu can be used on more than one target at the same time. Once the target is bound, the user or an ally can rush up to the enemy and deliver a devastating killing blow.
Hideout Destruction Trap
A timed set trap used by Orochimaru to destroy any trace of an old hideout of his by what appears to be a mud water vortex. It activates whether or not there are people left in the hideout.
Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands
By increasing the amount of snakes summoned with the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, the diversity of this ninjutsu is increased. The swarm of big snakes appear in an instant, each snake individually doing something like intimidating, diverting, or capturing the enemy in a cooperative attack. Without giving them the time to react, the enemy is entangled.
Orochimaru's Juinjutsu
Orochimaru's Juinjutsu are the cursed seals that were an often-used technique of Orochimaru in the series.
OverView:Mechanics:Orochimaru usually gave his cursed seal to his most powerful and unique followers and guinea pigs to either make them his strongest warriors or to prepare them to become a potential host bodies in the future or simply as test subjects. To apply a cursed seal, Orochimaru usually bit his intended target. As he had sharp fangs and an extendible neck, this was a relatively simple task. The seal then appeared on the body of the victim near the puncture wound, which would cause them to subsequently loses consciousness. The design of the seals could either vary from person-to-person or was dependent on the type of seal Orochimaru chose to brand the victim with. If the victim had survived the application of the seal, they would awaken with the first level of the seal activated and enraged due to the seal's influence.
Orochimaru originally developed the cursed seals through experimentation on Jūgo, whose body naturally produces an enzyme that triggers bodily transformations, on which the cursed seal is based. Like in Jūgo and his clan members, the unrefined enzyme, extracted from him produces rage and madness in those exposed to it, while the cursed seal does not have such deficiency. Similarly, Jūgo is not limited to a single transformation, and can change the advantages of his form to fit the situation. It should also be noted that anyone who survives the application of the cursed seal is "compatible" with Jūgo. This was shown when he was able to transplant some of his flesh to Sasuke.
The cursed seals that are partially made from Orochimaru's chakra, also contain parts of his consciousness, and thus allows him to be revived when combined with a piece of his DNA to utilise the Evil Releasing Method on a host like Anko Mitarashi, Orochimaru can be resurrected completely even if his original body and self were destroyed.
For the anime-exclusive seals, they tend to have fatal side effects if handled improperly, as seen when Mizuki's seal, which is unique in that it requires extra procedures to activate its powers, he nearly died due to using it earlier than he should, and lost all his powers regardless. The ones administrated onto Team Guren would kill them if they do not take the required medication periodically, which prevents them from escaping Orochimaru's clutches.Transformations:The state forcefully absorbs a user's chakra while giving Orochimaru's own senjutsu chakra into the user's body in return, granting enhancements comparable to those of Sage Mode. The user must also possess an above-average chakra capacity in order to wield the cursed seal's power. The key differences between the sage mode and a cursed seal are that the latter's users have no control over natural energy, thus senjutsu chakra in itself. The forced transformation seemingly eats away at the user's chakra to sustain its state, as Anko noted, with possibly fatal consequences. As long as a user has sufficient chakra to sustain the state, he or she would then obtain additional chakra to perform skills that would have been otherwise incapable of due to exhaustion. However, this additional chakra is separate and distinct from the user's own chakra, and techniques generated whilst in second level transformation assume a different colour. While the enhancements granted by the cursed seals are noteworthy, they mostly are inferior in comparison to those of Sage Mode.
Because the seals forcibly draws chakra from it's user, they will often kill the user when first applied. Orochimaru has averaged a ten-percent success rate when applying these seals based on his first experiment with his ten test subjects, with only one survivor, his student. Additionally, even if the users survive, their body will not be able to easily control the power of the seal given to them. To compensate for this, Orochimaru developed the Mind Awakening Pill. The drug forces a user's body to become accustomed to the unnatural increase in power, but also kills the one who takes it. The sealing technique Four Black Fog Battle Formation and Dark Sealing Method are used to keep the drug from killing the users by placing them in a temporary death state. Prolonged usage of the seals would also corrode both the body and mind of the users due to Orochimaru's chakra being present, making it easier for them to be susceptible to his influence.Types of Seals:[The seals have two different levels, and the types of transformations differ from seal to seal. When inactive, the seal is simply a black tattoo on the user's body. Orochimaru has a wide array of cursed seals, so the appearance and power of the seal will usually vary. Each seal always has three identical marks arranged in a circular pattern. When first activated, the marks on the seal glow and replicate, spreading over the user's body. This is known as the first level (状態1, Jōtai Ichi; Literally meaning "State 1") of the seal. The degree to which this occurs is dependent on the user, and the degree to which it spreads is proportionate to the overall effect it has. Normally, the wearer of the seal will also experience slight pains during the activation of this level.
The second level (状態2, Jōtai Ni; Literally meaning "State 2") of the seal causes the black marks to completely envelop a user. This is followed by an unnatural alteration of the user's body, with the only common features being yellow eyes with a black sclerae, skin changing colour, and longer hair. When in this level, the seal also eats away at the mind and personality of its users, driving them to madness if used for too long. It also takes quite a toll on their body, since they are being mutated by the seal. Aside from the first and second levels of the seal, skilled users of the seal are able to perform partial transformations in which the aforementioned mutation caused to the user's body in the level two state can be used without altering the entire body. The power of the cursed seal can even synchronize with the user's regular body with extended use, increasing the stats of their normal state for a short time.
Cursed Seal of Heaven
Wearers: Sasuke Uchiha, Anko Mitarashi
Cursed Seal of Earth
Wearer: Kimimaro
Sound Four's Cursed Seals
Wearers: Jirōbō, Kidōmaru, Tayuya, Sakon and Ukon
Orochimaru's Prisoners
Wearers: Ahiko, Guren, Takishi, Tsukushi
Animal Cursed Seal (Anime only)
Wearer: Mizuki
Team Guren
Wearers: Nurari, Kihō, Kigiri
Slithering Snake Mode
Orochimaru turns the lower half of his body into a snake's tail, which greatly increases his speed and agility. An alternative version is Orochimaru shedding his skin, revealing a new body that already has a snake's tail.
Soft Physique Modification
Originally developed for spying activities, this technique can be done after some surgery and actual body modification. The user dislocates their joints then controls their softened body with chakra, allowing them to stretch and twist any part of their body at any angle, elongating and even coiling around their opponent. This can also be used to make the user's body more malleable and snakelike. Orochimaru's version allows him to stretch any of his body parts well beyond their normal length and allows him to move in the manner of a snake.
Summoning Snakes
Orochimaru is heavily associated with snakes: his personality, appearance and even name are snake-like or orientated. After many experiments and forbidden techniques, Orochimaru's true form indeed became that of a snake. Orochimaru was also able to use senjutsu, and with this knowledge he developed the cursed seals.
The snakes vary greatly in size, body mass and species, from small enough to hide in one's sleeves to larger than buildings, and thin enough to be used to tie someone's hands[1] to strong enough to choke a colossal animal like the Island Turtle. Although common snakes cannot speak human language like toads, some of their summoners could communicate with them. They are able to detect live beings by their heat and smell in order to track and lead their summoners to their prey.
Manda II, the genetically-enhanced clone of Manda.
Orochimaru frequently summons snakes in battle, either having them attack for him or instructing them to carry out other tasks. While most snakes are very obedient and do as they are instructed, the largest snake, Manda, demanded a sacrifice of a hundred humans in exchange for helping Orochimaru.
Snakes have also mastered the use of natural energy to enter a Sage Mode of their own. The only known way to learn it is in the Ryūchi Cave with the White Snake Sage.
Known Snakes:
3. Leader of All Snakes:
Summoning: Resurrection/ Edo Tensei
The Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation (口寄せ・穢土転生, Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei) is a forbidden technique used to reincarnate the dead.
After the individual has been summoned and awakened, the summoner can bind the individual to their will by using a special talisman, which is attached to the end of a kunai and implanted in the brain. Upon implanting the talisman, the reincarnated individual will regenerate further, eliminating any remaining imperfections with the exception of small cracks that may run across the body and restoring colour to their bodies.
Different talismans can be used to enact different degrees of control. Orochimaru's talismans completely eliminated the personalities of the summoned, turning them into mindless killing machines under his command. Kabuto prefers to use a weaker binding talisman on certain individuals, allowing them to retain some degree of their own personality. The latter method is useful for psychological warfare, and can also allow the summoned individual to tap into their own emotions, memories, or creativity to enhance their effectiveness in combat, but also carries a host of drawbacks; it takes more effort to retain control with the weaker binding which can make it possible for the hearts of the summoned to be swayed by strong emotions, which can result in the soul breaking free and returning to the Pure World, or the reincarnated contradicting orders that they are given. Reincarnated shinobi with their personalities still intact have their movements limited to certain actions, and are basically on "auto-pilot" to react to enemy techniques. Once they recognise an enemy technique their bodies are programmed to counter it with an appropriate method.
The pebbles and grid Kabuto uses to monitor the reincarnated shinobi.
Even so, Kabuto can completely remove their personalities if he needed, and may elect to if they resist his command too strongly. After gaining more experience with the technique, and absorbing Orochimaru's chakra from Anko Mitarashi, Kabuto exerts greater control over the summoned and can even overwrite his own talismans, greatly increasing the power of the binding. Once deployed, he can either remotely control or track the summoned individuals using pebbles he manipulates on a simple grid, which acts as a map of sorts. When a reincarnated person is sealed, the pebble cracks and disappears, and the reincarnated shinobi can no longer be used to summon others. This was seen when Haku an Zabuza were immobilised by Kakashi, Maki, and the rest of their division. The pebble for his trump card was black in colour while the others are light-coloured. The summoner can also directly talk through the summoned individual.
Provided the summoner has not eliminated the reincarnated person's personality, they can break the link binding him or her to the summoner. In doing so, they take full control of their being and if the technique is cancelled, they will remain under their own power, with the immortal body and chakra the technique provides.
Summoning:Tripple Rashomen
The Summoning: Triple Rashōmon is an upgrade to the standard Summoning: Rashōmon, which, as its name suggests, creates three Rashōmon Gates. The technique requires two summoning seals to be completed. These gates serve the same function as the standard Rashōmon Gate, but with triple the defence.
Each gate has a specific duty:
The first gate (red), takes the attack head-on.
The second gate (green), reduces the power of the attack.
The third gate (blue) disperses the pressure.
As powerful as these gates are, they are not invincible, as they were all destroyed by a Tailed Beast Ball from Naruto's four-tailed form, narrowly shielding Orochimaru from it.
Sword of Kusanagi:Long Sword of Sky
This is a technique that allows Orochimaru to levitate the Sword of Kusanagi and attack foes at mid-range. The blade will move according to Orochimaru's finger movements. In the anime, the blade emits a bright blue light when it's levitating.
Temporary Paralysis Technique
A technique that physically restrains an opponent, as if the opponent had been tied in invisible steel ropes. It debilitates the victim for a short period of time, which allows the user to either strike again, or take the target into custody. This is a D-rank ninjutsu where the intensity will vary greatly according to the user's level of skill. The technique can also be cast on every target at once, depending on the user's skill, and won't fail a shinobi during his missions.
Twin Snakes Mutual Death Technique
This forbidden technique is a murder-suicide attack, killing both the user and the target. The user makes a one-handed seal with both their hand and the intended victim's. Two snakes are then summoned from the user's sleeve, biting both their wrists and killing them with deadly venom. When Anko Mitarashi used this technique against Orochimaru, he replaced himself with a clone to avoid harm, leaving Anko unable to finish the technique.
White Snake Possession
Orochimaru transfers his consciousness into a small white snake where it slithers into a person's body and enabling Orochimaru to gain control of their body and mind. Similar to the Yamanaka clan technique, Mind Body Switch Technique where the user's original body is left defenceless after taking control of someone's body
Wind Release:Great Breakthrough
This is a relatively simple technique that creates a sudden gust of wind, but its scale varies greatly depending on the user. If used by a superior shinobi, it has enough destructive power to knock down a large tree. The wind from the squall can blow away all things in the user's line of sight. A variation of the technique involves a smaller blast of wind which gets ignited with flame.
Gaara, while in his partial transformation, can infuse this technique with sand and chakra to greatly increase the damage potential.
Orochimaru's Weapons/Tools
Mind Awakening Pill
The Mind Awakening Pill (醒心丸, Seishingan) is a drug created by Orochimaru to speed up the development of the Cursed Seal to increase the level of the user's Cursed Seal to level 2. However, this will greatly increase the Cursed Seal's contamination speed, killing the user in a few minutes. To allow the user's body to get used to the Cursed Seal Level 2, they have to be sealed within the Four Black Fog Battle Formation. This will reduce the permanent death to a false death state.
Poisons, toxins and venoms are all poisonous, intoxicating substances - powders, liquids and gases - that can be used by ninja in combat. Poisons come with a variety of effects, ranging from body weakness, paralysis or death.
Sword Of Kusanaga
The Kusanagi Sword is the Kusanagi of Japanese legend. Orochimaru retrieves his Kusanagi by opening his mouth and extending a snake which then opens its mouth and produces the sword. Orochimaru was seen producing the sword handle first so he could use it freely, or blade first to attack his opponent instantly.
The sword can extend its blade to attack from long distances, levitate in the air according to Orochimaru's command, and cut through almost anything. Even Enma, who is able to transform into a diamond-hard staff, stated that the Kusanagi blade could damage him considerably. It should be noted that Orochimaru's Kusanagi could not pierce Naruto Uzumaki's four-tailed form. The sword has been seen transforming into a small snake and returning to Orochimaru.
After Orochimaru reemerged from Sasuke Uchiha through his Eight Branches Technique, he was sealed by Itachi Uchiha's Sword of Totsuka, the Kusanagi was subsequently sealed with him. As he was brought back via the Evil Releasing Method, the fate of the sword is unknown.
Kabuto was Never equal to Orochimaru:
Itachi knew about orochimaru's powers and said to kabuto that dont act like u r orochimaru. u can never b him.
orochimaru in top ten:
2. His Younger Son
3. His elder Son
4. Rinnegan tobi
5. Orochimaru Edo tensei; hashirama + tobirama


text:
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
Census of Population and Housing, 1980: American Indian Supplementary Questionnaire Public Use Microdata Sample (ICPSR 8664)
Principal Investigator(s): United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census
The 1980 American Indian supplementary file provides information on the American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut populations beyond that obtained from the regular 1980 census questionnaire. The questionnaire was used on all federal and state reservations and in the historic areas of Oklahoma (excluding urbanized areas) to obtain information about the unique living conditions present on many reservations and in those specified areas of Oklahoma. Population items from the supplementary questionnaire include: tribal affiliation, educational attainment, health services received, occupation, work history, benefits received, and income. Housing items include: source of water, source of heat, kitchen facilities, telephone, electrical lighting, and materials and age of structure.
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
Study Description
United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. Census of Population and Housing, 1980: American Indian Supplementary Questionnaire Public Use Microdata Sample. ICPSR08664-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 1987. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08664.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08664.v1
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- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
This study was funded by:
- United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: census data, demographic characteristics, education, energy consumption, ethnicity, housing, income, job history, Native Americans, occupations, telephones, work environment
Geographic Coverage: United States
- 1979--1980
- 1980
Universe: All persons living in households with one or more American Indians, Eskimos, or Aleuts on reservations identified for the 1980 Census and in historic areas of Oklahoma (excluding urbanized areas).
The file comprises two types of records: housing and persons. Data are recorded for 12,949 households and 50,265 persons with a total of 63,214 records in the file. Subsample numbers have been assigned to each case so that subsamples of various sizes may be drawn from the data set. The data contain alphabetic and blank codes.
Sample: Five out of every six housing units on reservations or in historic areas of Oklahoma that received a short census form were included in the original supplementary questionnaire sample. A stratified systematic procedure with probability proportional to the sample weight of the householder was used to select this ten-percent public use microdata sample. The sampling elements were the occupied housing units including all occupants.
personal interviews
Original ICPSR Release: 1987-10-12
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Yesterday's announcement of the $200
price reduction for the 8GB iPhone was a shock to the system. No one in the
industry was expecting it and customers that had already purchased the machine
at the $599 price point were fuming mad. To get an idea about how angry some
customers were, look no further than this thread at Mac Rumors
which is 1500+ posts long.
Steve Jobs got also got an earful with irate customers and
his inbox was overloaded with customer complaints about the $200 price cut
after only two months on the market. In
an open letter to all
iPhone customers, Steve Jobs expressed his "observations and conclusions."
"First, I am sure that we are making the correct
decision to lower the price of the 8GB iPhone from $599 to $399, and that now
is the right time to do it," said Jobs. "It benefits both Apple and
every iPhone user to get as many new customers as possible in the iPhone
'tent'. We strongly believe the $399 price will help us do just that this
holiday season."
On the flipside, Jobs was also sympathetic to the outrage
expressed by existing iPhone owners. "Therefore, we have decided to offer every
iPhone customer who purchased an iPhone from either Apple or AT&T, and who
is not receiving a rebate or any other consideration, a $100 store credit
towards the purchase of any product at an Apple Retail Store or the Apple
Online Store," Jobs continued.
Jobs noted that more details will be posted next week as
Apple and AT&T work out the details of the program.
$100 of in-store credit isn't exactly the same thing as $200
in cold cash, but it's surely better than nothing at all.


text:
Definitions for UCR CategoriesPrior Year Data2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001
BRPD District 1, Zone
These statistics are compiled and categorized using standards set by the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, and therefore may not conform to local and state criminal statute definitions. In addition, the statistics provided on this website are for general use only. Please refer to the FBI web site for the official Baton Rouge crime statistics.
This information is primarily used to assist the Baton Rouge
Police Department in its mission to focus crime-fighting resources
within the City of Baton Rouge. Due to the nature of the UCR program
and the potential for reporting discrepancies, the Baton Rouge
Police Department does not guarantee or certify any of the figures
provided for any other purpose.
Nearly 17,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide voluntarily
participate in the UCR program. However, due to reporting variances
and because the definitions of offenses may vary from jurisdiction
to jurisdiction, the FBI discourages using UCR data to rank or
compare the crime rates of individual cities or states.
For more information on the FBI UCR program, visit
If you feel the information on this page is incorrect or out
dated, please contact this department's
content manager.
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Copyright © 1997-2018 City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge


text:
In addition to overseeing the school in Cabezas, Fr. Thames and his pastoral staff minister to 31 local villages.
It started out as a typical Sunday for Henry Del Castillo, Jr., in February 2006 when he set off for Mass at St. Michael Church in Bedford. Little did Del Castillo realize, however, that this would be a day that God would touch his soul and transform his life.
A special guest at Mass that morning was Father Robert Thames, a priest from the Diocese of Fort Worth serving a long way from home in Bolivia — one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America. Fr. Thames talked about his mission to educate poor children in the impoverished nation. Del Castillo liked what he heard. In just a few short years, Fr. Thames had taken the concept of starting a school in Bolivia and turned it into a reality. Del Castillo wanted to know more and caught up with the priest after Mass.
"I never met the man before in my life," Del Castillo said. "I started talking to him, and the next thing you know, five months later, I'm in Bolivia."
Today, Del Castillo serves as committee chairman for Educate the Children – Bolivia, a Diocese of Fort Worth Mission Council program. He has sponsored several children through the initiative, traveled to Bolivia three times, and is dedicated to working with local Catholics to help Fr. Thames continue his tireless mission in South America.
Del Castillo said the mission priest has a God-given talent for recruiting volunteers and sponsors in the diocese, not through direct appeals, but through leading by example.
"You just want to follow him," said Del Castillo, "because you see all these great things he does and the difference he is making in the lives of so many children in Bolivia."
Fr. Thames to visit area churches
Father Robert Thames will visit several parishes in the diocese in February and March, where he will address parishioners during the Masses and be available for discussions afterwards. Below is a list of parishes he will be visiting. To schedule a visit with Fr. Thames in February, contact Henry Del Castillo, Jr., at 817-946-7200 or by email at .
Date and Parish
In 2004, when Fr. Thames started the Nuestra Señora del Carmen School in Cabezas, Bolivia, he made plans to accommodate 100 students, but 250 showed up. The school has been growing steadily ever since.
Today, according to Del Castillo, more than 1,000 people are a part of the Educate the Children – Bolivia program. The curriculum now includes 500 children in grades six through 12, an additional 130 students in technical training, 21 students receiving special education, and 300 people in adult education programs. The school also provides boarding for 50 children attending local elementary schools far from their rural homes. Also, 50 students are enrolled in advanced degree programs, with the school providing assistance.
In addition to offering curriculums and practical vocational training, the school offers lodging for 250 students. Nuestra Señora del Carmen School serves three meals a day, and provides uniforms, books, and school supplies for students. The school also offers medical attention and any necessary clothing for those in need.
The school's academic curriculum includes math, social science, physical science, biology, music, literature, chemistry, philosophy, algebra, language arts, physics, physical education, and Guarani — the local indigenous language.
Vocational training, now a requirement for graduation, offers students the opportunity to learn a trade before they leave school. These trades include food preparation and nutrition, woodworking and carpentry, executive secretarial work, graphic design, automobile mechanics, automobile electronics, industrial electrician training, sewing, arts and crafts, computer science, natural medicine, agriculture, fish production, and welding. Also included is apiculture — beekeeping — that entails the manufacture of honey, soap, and shampoo.
Fr. Thames with local students, in red shirts, and visitors from the Diocese of Fort Worth.
Fr. Thames' concept of making vocational training an educational requirement has met with popular approval in Bolivia, including within Bolivia's education department, Del Castillo explained. That government body recognized Nuestra Señora del Carmen School as a model for high schools in rural areas and has adopted similar mandatory vocational training tracks in public schools, according to Del Castillo.
To date, more than 500 students have graduated from Nuestra Señora del Carmen.
The financial success of the school is tied directly to the generosity of parishioners in and around the Diocese of Fort Worth. Over the past 10 years, more than $1.8 million has been raised in sponsor donations. To become a sponsor, donors give $25 per month, adding up to $300 annually.
"One of the very good things about Educate the Children – Bolivia is that 100 percent of every penny contributed through this sponsorship program goes directly to the school," Del Castillo said. "Everybody who is on our committee is a volunteer, there is no overhead, and we each pay our own way when we travel to Bolivia."
In email correspondence with the North Texas Catholic from Cabezas, Bolivia, Fr. Thames deflected any credit for the success of the school away from himself. Instead, he directed it toward God and the generosity of sponsors. From the beginning, stated Fr. Thames, "our aim was to provide service as followers of Jesus Christ. Our God has been intimately involved in this constantly by action."
Fr. Thames went on to explain that part way through 2004, during the school's first year of operations, it seemed that all was lost, because start-up costs were too great. "I saw that we would not have money to pay salaries. … I prayed a lot over this. Then, the diocese sent me notice that someone unknown at the time had just sent a check for $10,000. There have been so many times like this. God is very much alive and active in our world; so much proof of it is in our schools."
Woodworking is part of the vocational training at Nuestra Señora del Carmen School. Fr. Thames visits with instructor Efrain Alanes Mansilla.
In a recent interview, Fr. Thames said, "The hand of God has been in this from the beginning." He explained that he talks to about 13,000 parishioners during his visits to the Diocese of Fort Worth to report on the progress of the educational program in Bolivia. Many end up donating to the mission.
"How can that many people contribute to something that they haven't seen, but trust the word that we give them? That has to be an act of God," said Fr. Thames.
Del Castillo agreed, emphasizing that God is providing tangible signs that the Educate the Children – Bolivia mission is building leaders and improving lives. One example, he said, involves a young man who graduated from the school and took vocational training in sewing. The student went on to work in Brazil to gain experience in clothing manufacturing. Recently, he returned to Cabezas to start his own business. "And he is now employing some local people and exporting 1,000 pairs of jeans a month," Del Castillo said.
Another inspirational story centers on a student who lived and studied at Nuestra Señora del Carmen School in Cabezas. She graduated with honors and went on to obtain a bachelor's degree and a master's degree. The woman returned recently to Cabezas and was appointed director of a local school for special needs children.
"You see, Fr. Thames had this vision," Del Castillo said. "He wanted to create opportunities for people and instill in them the desire to help others.
"He inspires people to be greater than they think they can be and to make God a part of their lives. That's what he did for me. And that's what he's doing for these children," Del Castillo said.
For more information about Educate the Children – Bolivia, visit its website here.
It started out as a typical Sunday for Henry Del Castillo, Jr., in February 2006 when he set off for Mass at St. Michael Church in Bedford. A special guest at Mass that morning was Father Robert Thames, a priest from the Diocese of Fort Worth serving a long way from home in Bolivia — one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America. Fr. Thames talked about his mission to educate poor children in the impoverished nation. Del Castillo liked what he heard. In just a few short years, Fr. Thames had taken the concept of starting a school in Bolivia and turned it into a reality. Del Castillo wanted to know more and caught up with the priest after Mass.


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text:
has been hit hard with widespread issues with its Prius and other
cars that have suffered from glitches with brakes or unintended
acceleration. Toyota was forced to recall a large number of its
vehicles to install new parts to prevent wear of the throttle pedal
that was the cause of some of the issues.The last
headline-making bout of unintended
acceleration happened in early March when police in
California had to help a motorist who was reportedly unable to stop
his Prius from accelerating. Detnews.com reports
that the U.S. Transportation Department has announced that it intends
to launch a pair of major
investigations that will seek to determine if vehicle
electronics or electromagnetic interference are to blame for
unintended vehicle acceleration incidents that have been rampant
recently.The investigations will be headed by the National
Academy of Sciences and the other will be run by NASA. According to
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the investigations will not
focus on Toyota alone and will focus on all manufacturers. So far,
Toyota is the most affected of the automakers and the recall to fix
issues with floor mats and throttle pedals has covered 8.5
million of the automakers vehicles so far.Since 2000, a total of
3,000 complaints including 51 deaths have been linked to
Toyota vehicles that failed to stop accelerating. Toyota maintains
that EMI and electronics are not the cause of the issue and that
trapped or malfunctioning pedals are the cause."Many
members of Congress think it's electronics and I heard enough of that
-- not only from members but from Toyota drivers ... and so we felt
we really needed to get outside experts," LaHood said. "We
are tapping the best minds around." Toyota added,
"We expect they will bring a thorough and scientific approach to
their examination of the issues. Separating fact from fiction can
only be good for the motoring public and the industry as a whole. We
are confident in our vehicles and in our electronics. We will lend
our full support and cooperation to DOT and NHTSA as they moved
forward."The investigations will reportedly last 15
months and will seek to find and address any safety issues with any
vehicle on the road today in America. All possible causes for
unintended vehicle acceleration will reportedly be investigated
including electronics, human error, mechanical failure, and
interference with accelerator systems.According to LaHood,
the department will spend $3 million on the two studies including the
cost of buying cars that have allegedly suffered from unintended
acceleration. The NHTSA has brought in engineers and other experts
for the investigations on topics such as electromagnetic
compatibility among others in an attempt to determine if flaws in
vehicles on the road warrant a defect investigation. The review of
the Toyota electronic throttle control system is expected to be
completed by late summer reports the NHTSA.


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text:
The problematic lack of clean drinking water plagues many
impoverished nations worldwide. Many people do not realize that even
nations bordering the sea often suffer water shortages and drink contaminated
water. A new high-tech
windmill aims to provide relief for the third-world's water crisis.
The new windmill can purify salt water purely by wind-driven mechanical
energy. The windmill was designed at the Delft University of Technology
(TU Delft) in The Netherlands. It runs by using the wind's mechanical
force to pump water, and utilizes a high tech reverse osmosis membrane.
The pumped water is pushed against this membrane at approximately 60 bar of
pressure, and the salt is kept inside while pure water travels across the
The windmill setup is estimated to 5 to 10 m3 of fresh water a day,
based on the device's capacity at varying wind speeds. Such output could
provide a village of up to 500 people with drinking water. Water
reservoirs will store enough water for five days, in order to avoid water
shortages during non-windy days. The device also has three mechanical
safeguards built in to protect it if the installation runs dry, if the
installation experiences too low revolutions, or if the installation
experiences too high revolutions. No electrical controls are needed to
accomplish these safeguards.
Previous windmill/reverse osmosis setups have been used, but never has the
mechanical energy been used to directly fuel the process. In previous
setups, the windmill was used to generate electricity, which was then stored,
and used to power a pump driving the reverse osmosis at a much lower
The windmill setup is currently near the A13 motorway outside Delft. It
will be transported to Curaçao for field testing using salt water later this
week. TU Delft hopes to offer similar devices to small villages in dry,
isolated coastal areas.
The fact that the purely mechanical
process is superior in terms of efficiency and simplicity to the
electro-mechanical system is a reminder that in this modern world of high tech
electronics, sometimes the most "high tech" solution is one with no
electronics at all.


text:
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Jesus' joy of being united with God and doing God's work on earth is the same joy that the church should have as it awaits Jesus' final coming, Pope Francis said.
Celebrating Mass Dec. 3 in the chapel of his residence, Pope Francis spoke about the vision of peace presented in Isaiah 11:1-10 and the joy and peace of Jesus described in Luke 10:21-24.
Christians are used to imagining Jesus preaching, healing, walking the roads of the Holy Land or seated with his disciples at the Last Supper, he said in remarks reported by Vatican Radio. "But we aren't so used to thinking of Jesus smiling, joyful."
"Jesus was full of joy, full of joy," he said. The day's reading from Luke's Gospel begins: "Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, 'I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.'"
The passage, the pope said, "lets us see a bit into Jesus' soul and heart. His is a joyful heart."
Just as Jesus gave his life out of love, he gives his joyful heart and soul as well, Pope Francis said. "And this joy is true peace. It's not a static, quiet, tranquil peace. Christian peace is a joyful peace because our Lord is joyful."
Jesus could not help but speak of God with joy in his voice and the church and its members must do likewise, the pope said.
"One cannot think of the church without joy and its joy is this: Proclaiming the name of Jesus and saying, 'He is Lord. My bridegroom is the Lord. He is God. He saves us. He walks with us.'"
In her joy, the church, the bride of Jesus, becomes a mother, the pope said, giving birth to new sons and daughters of God, "transmitting this joy to the children she gives birth to and raises."
During Advent, the time of preparation for the celebration of Christmas, the Mass readings also focus on Jesus' promise to come again at the end of time. Pope Francis said the period of waiting for the Second Coming is the church's "widowhood — because the church has an aspect of the widow awaiting the return of her groom. Even in her widowhood, the church is joyful in hope."
Copyright (c) 2013 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Jesus' joy of being united with God and doing God's work on earth is the same joy that the church should have as it awaits Jesus' final coming, Pope Francis said.


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text:
Consumers will tend to hold off their purchases if there is a new and significantly improved model coming soon. This is particularly true for electronics and automobiles. Word of the third generation Prius has been known as far back as 2006, and while the economic downturn played a significant role in cutting sales of the older Prius, the waiting game may have had a larger impact than previously thought.
Toyota had already decided to increase production of the Prius to 600,000 units per year in late May after seeing huge sales in Japan. The company has had to begin weekend production of the Prius in order to make a dent in demand. Increases in fuel economy and horsepower had led many to delay their purchases of the Prius until the 2010 model was available. However, many potential customers also switched to Honda's Insight hybrid, which topped the Japanese sales charts in April.
In the two months since, hybrids have continued their sales dominance, with the 2010 Toyota Prius and Honda Insight both posting strong sales. The Toyota Prius seized the top spot in May, with sales of 10,915 cars.
This month, though, it set an even more impressive mark, becoming the first hybrid in Japan's history to outsell all other vehicles. The Honda Insight's previous sales record had excluded popular mini-vehicles with engines of up to 660cc. Those mini-vehicles were easily outsold by the Prius, thanks to sales of 22,292 units.
Honda continued to do well, with its Insight Hybrid coming in fourth place. Honda's Fit, a fuel efficient traditional offering came in second place, with 13,016 vehicles sold. The sales of Toyota and Honda's hybrids were helped by relatively high worldwide gas prices, which drove Japanese consumers to take fuel economy more seriously. Japanese tax breaks have also helped convince users to switch to hybrids.
Hybrid vehicles have yet to crack the top of U.S. sales charts, but some believe it's only a matter of time before a foreign hybrid like the Toyota Prius, or a domestic like the Ford Fusion pushes towards the top.
All of this bodes well for those hoping of a restart of Toyota's $1.3 billion Prius assembly plant currently under construction in Blue Springs, Mississippi. Toyota has already spent over $300 million on the plant. The building shell itself is finished, but the tooling and production machinery will be installed at a later date. Parts suppliers have also halted building expansion and tooling operations until Toyota commits to a restart date.
The case for a restart is particularly strong since New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) appears destined for a shutdown. The joint venture between Toyota and General Motors will cease to produce the Pontiac Vibe, which is based on Toyota's Matrix. It also produces the popular Toyota Corolla and Toyota's Tacoma truck, production which could shift to Blue Springs. Production of the Toyota Yaris hybrid is also a possibility.


text:
A recent survey conducted
by the Pew Internet & American Life Project has found that 35 percent of
American adults now own a smartphone.
The Pew
Internet & American Life Project aims to provide
information on the trends, issues and attitudes that shape America as well as
the world. Its most recent results come from its May survey, which is based on
the feedback of 2,277 adults that were telephoned nationally from April 26
through May 22, 2011. Of this total number, 1,522 interviews were conducted by
landline phone while 755 interviews were conducted by cell phone.
According to the survey, 83 percent of U.S. adults have a cell phone, whether
it's a smartphone or not. Forty-two percent of them own a smartphone,
which translates to 35 percent of all adults.
The survey even broke down the ownership of smartphones among age groups and
financial groups. The Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 59
percent of U.S. adults in households that earn an income of $75,000 or more own
smartphones while 48 percent of those with a college degree own smartphones. In
households that earn $30,000 or less, those 18 through 29 years of age are
"equal to the national average."
As far as age goes, the survey found that the majority of smartphone owners are
between the ages of 25 and 34 at 58 percent. Also, 49 percent of those between
the ages of 18 and 24 own smartphones and 44 percent of those between the ages
35 and 44 own smartphones.
In addition, 87 percent of smartphone owners have internet
access or email on their phones, and 68 percent of these adults
access one or both of these features daily. Twenty-five percent of owners use
their smartphone to access the internet more so than a computer, and Android
continues to be the most popular smartphone platform followed
by iOS and Blackberry.


text:
Submit News
Obama's EPA to Farmers: No Ethanol Waiver, If You Go Out of Business, Tough
Jason Mick
November 19, 2012 11:23 AM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
Big corporate corn farmers celebrate major win, share prices in corn corps. inch higher
Battered by a drought, and hit a second time by the U.S. government's artificial inflation of corn prices, many small livestock farmers were desperately hoping that the Obama administration's and its appointed leadership at the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) would
agree to a temporary waiver
on blending requirements of ethanol in vehicles.
I. Big Corn Gets a Helping Hand from the Obama Admin.
The EPA on Friday echoed the sentiments of big corn special interests saying it found no evidence that "significant harm" would be caused by not granting a waiver.
The decision came as somewhat of a surprise. Many sources had expected the Obama administration to
instead punt on the issue
; the decision to side with the well-heeled special interests to push a program that is unpopular and likely will now cost American jobs was unexpected.
The auto industry has also vigorously opposed the EPA's decision to
bump ethanol blending requirements to 15 percent
. They argue that the higher blend will
ruin the engines of older vehicles
, increasing emissions and forcing consumers to pay for expensive repairs or abandon their vehicles.
Obama and Bush both backed big corn special interests. [Image Source: Politically Incorrect]
The EPA has alleged that it knows the science behind fuel blending better than the engineers who make cars, essentially
calling the automakers liars
The decision will also impact consumers, as ethanol provides less gas mileage in traditional engines that gasoline. In other words, unless gas stations start charging less at the pump (which seems rather unlikely) consumers will be paying the same amount per gallon, for less equivalent fuel.
Even environmentalists are outraged at the Obama administration, given that ethanol has been shown to not only waste energy, but also increase carbon emissions.
, Michal Rosenoer, biofuels policy campaigner at Friends of the Earth, to
The Detroit News
If the worst U.S. drought in more than 50 years and skyrocketing food prices are not enough to make EPA act, it falls to Congress to provide relief from our senseless federal support for corn ethanol. The RFS is a broken policy — rather than giving us clean energy, it's incentivizing biofuels like corn ethanol that are exacerbating our economic and environmental problems.
Congress needs to cut corn ethanol from the RFS entirely to protect the economy and the environment from this destructive and dirty fuel.
But despite the united opposition, the Obama administration appears resolute in following its predecessor, the Republican Bush administration, in choosing to side with the big corn special interest groups.
II. EPA to Small Farmers: "Deal With It"
Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation fires back at the critics, commenting, "We recognize that this year's drought has created hardship in some sectors of the economy, particularly for livestock producers. But our extensive analysis makes clear that congressional requirements for a waiver have not been met and that waiving the RFS will have little, if any, impact."
In other words, the EPA admits it recognizes that farmers are struggling, resorting to desperate measures like feeding their livestock candy waste; but when it comes to bucking a key special interest's agenda the EPA's answer to farmers is basically "tough luck".
EPA claimed to be sympathetic to farmers, but refused to help them with a waiver.
[Image Source: US News]
Over 200 members of Congress, eight state governors, and numerous college professors sign a letter arguing that the blending targets would indeed have a dire impact on farmers.
So who wins? The biggest winners are the corn and ethanol industry, particularly the growers, who benefit the most from the artificial inflation of corn prices. Many of these growers are not even family owned, but rather are large corporate farms run by deep-pocketed entities like Archer Daniels Midland Comp. (
) and ConAgra Foods, Inc. (
). Indeed, both companies saw a rise in share prices following the EPA's decision.
Big corn donates deeply to federal politiicans, who in turn reward it with billions in subsidies.
[Image Source: Agriculture.com]
So the word is official -- the U.S. will continue to manipulate prices in the fuel department, despite the cost to consumers, the environment, automakers, livestock farmers, and U.S. jobs. That's bad news for most -- unless you happen to be an Archer Daniels Midland shareholder.
The Detroit News
"I'd be pissed too, but you didn't have to go all Minority Report on his ass!" -- Jon Stewart on police raiding Gizmodo editor Jason Chen's home
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text:
English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) (ICPSR 139)
Principal Investigator(s): National Centre for Social Research (NatCen); University College London; Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)
The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing is a study of aging and quality of life for people over the age of 50. They are surveyed every two years to see how people's health, economic and social circumstances may change over time. One of the study's aims is to determine the relationshops between functioning and health, social networks, resources and economic position as people plan for, move into and progress beyond retirement. It is patterned after the Health and Retirement Study, a similar study based in the United States.
Access Notes
These data are not available from ICPSR. Users should consult the data owners directly (via English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)) for details on obtaining these resources.
Study Description
This study was funded by:
- United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: economic behavior, family life, health care, health status, household income, income, marriage, older adults, pensions, retirement, retirement planning, social networks
Geographic Coverage: Great Britain, Global
These data are not available from ICPSR. Users should consult the data owners directly for details on obtaining the data and documentation
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text:
Wisconsin Credit Unions Tout Loans for ROA Hitting 10-Year High
An improvement in delinquency rates and a strong lending market have helped Wisconsin's state-chartered credit unions report the highest average return on assets since 2003.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, the 1.0% ROA in 2012 also spurred an increase in earnings more than 81% over 2011's figure to $225.7 million.
Brett Thompson, president/CEO of the Wisconsin Credit Union League, said the state's loan ratio of 1.36% was the lowest since 2007.
"Credit unions have picked up their lending, and when you see an increase in the loans you are making and a reduction in loan losses, you create greater income, and that's exactly what you are seeing here," Thompson said.
In 2012, Wisconsin's 187 state-chartered credit unions reduced provisions for loan losses by 21.5%, grew assets by 6.6% to $23.4 billion and achieved a net worth ratio of 10.25%, the highest since 2008, according to the DFI.
Wisconsin's credit unions are also doing more mortgage loans as members take advantage of low rates, Thompson noted. Some of the loans are being sold to the secondary market, he added.


text:
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text:
But my hunch, for what it's worth, is that it's not really Robert you're all in love with. It's dreamy Edward Cullen, the sensitive immortal he plays in Twilight. It's Edward, the sexually frustrated vampire, who flutters your hearts. Edward the ghostly pale, softly spoken, ever-loving un-dead bloodsucker. Edward the fast. Edward the strong. Edward the not-a-23-year-old-thespian-from-Barnes. And the reason you're all so in love with Edward is you want to be Bella Swan, the best protected girl in history, watched over and doted on by her admiring schoolfriends, her good cop dad, her groovy absent mother, her new vampire family, and her gorgeous boyfriend.Read the rest here.
June 3, 2009
"Cult of Rob": Are we really just in love with Edward?
45 comments:
could be??
- AnonymousJune 3, 2009 at 2:15 AM
not for me. Rob is funny and humble and embarrasses himself pretty easily. Edward is, well, a little uptight sometimes. And even though he can be rather charming himself, he doesn;t really do it for me. Bella can keep Edward- I just want Rob :)ReplyDelete
Love Edward but sorry....Robert Pattinson does it for me!!!!!!!!1ReplyDelete
I am going to have to say I am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Rob. Edward isnt bad either.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 3, 2009 at 2:23 AM
i think this used to be true, but it's changing...he is the physical representation of Edward Cullen, but he's also the actor who is making amazing choices for his career. he writes and performs captivating music. he appears to be besotted by his co-star in real life (which makes him even more attractive). he's not pretending- you can feel that. if he's uncomfortable or unhappy you can see it in photos or videos. i have had many crushes on various actors in my lifetime (longer than i will admit here), but I have never come across any actor who is so open and honest about who he is. it makes me feel strangely protective of him! i think the machine could destory him. i admit that this all sounds insane and irrational- just the fact that i took the time to read the post and write this surely means i am pathetic in some way i have yet to understand, but i can't seem to help myself for now. for now, it's a wonderful obsession that makes my life more enjoyable than it was before him.ReplyDelete
First thing I noticed, this was written by a MAN.ReplyDelete
So I really can't take them too seriously when it comes to trying to explain why girls are so into Edward's character. If men would just shut up and look at the kind of person Edward portrays, they would learn a lot about what women want.
And for another thing, I can't say this for everyone (well specifically all those annoying tweens that treat Twilight like some kind of boyband), but when people are a fan of someone, it's not b/c they play a certain role. It's b/c they appeal to that someone for numerous reasons. That's how it is for me anyway.
God people, men especially, need to quit generalizing and complaining about things that women are interested in. That's why it's so hard to find someone out there like Edward (the man, not the vampire). It's very sad.
- AnonymousJune 3, 2009 at 2:29 AM
Can't we love both? Yes the character of Edward Cullen made us notice Rob. But if Rob was absent of talent, hottness, humbleness, and that rare magnetic quality only a few people have, we wouldn't all be in love with him, right? My friend actually had a crush on him in his Harry Potter debut. In the end I would say that had he not played Edward Cullen we all would not be crazy about Rob. But hey he made the character of Edward all his own. If he was a douche would we not like him, good thing he's nice down to earth, humble guy!ReplyDelete
I'm all into ROBERT PATTINSONReplyDelete
I agree with the other posts in response to your article. Edward Cullen is one thing... a fictional character...Robert Pattinson is another, a talented human with what I can tell a genuine soul and a fantastic artistic talent that spans genres from music to acting. You can see it in his eyes. He's got character and a sweet, genuine personality. Every interview he does just makes me smile. He's so unguarded. He's real. I too hope the paparazzi pull back on him and give him is due privacy. So far he seems to be taking it in stride and not letting it get to him, but a person can only take so much, and I hope hope hope he doesn't crack. I have never been so facinated by an actor...there's something about his charm, his "goofiness," his honesty that makes him so attractive. Of course his good looks help too. But really, it's b/c he really seems to be a good, genuine, and talented person. I hope he continues to excel in everything he does. Please Alex Bilmes... don't be so condescending to us. We know the difference between Edward Cullen the fictional character, and Robert Pattinson the genuine human.ReplyDelete
NO WAY, I LOVE ME SOME ROB PATTINSON!! *SWOON* HAHA Edward cant say lit'rally and make me giggle..hehe i love his accent. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhReplyDelete
these anonymous posters^^^..just come out and proudly admit that you love robert pattinson..and we are just as addicted as you..we just openly admit..so come on..stand up and be proud..admit it...:)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 3, 2009 at 2:38 AM
Rob all the way! I hear a lot of reporters and folks trying to generalize that oh it must be something else, it can't just be ROB, well, why the hell not. Edward is a great fictional character but Rob is the one who made him great imo. I watched Twilight though and wanted to know more about ROb the person, the actor the wonderful guy.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 3, 2009 at 2:40 AM
ehehe i only post anon because i am too lazy to go sign into one of my accounts just so I can post one thing here LOLReplyDelete
P.S. For Anonymous who said "it makes me feel strangely protective of him!".... I so agree!! It'so mind boggling...I don't get it. I've never felt like this for a person I don't know...I don't want the "machine" to get him. Everything you said, I've thought. We're on the same page.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 3, 2009 at 2:41 AM
I have to say that yes, I love Edward Cullen and yes I love Rob's portrayl of Edward cullen. But have to admit I'm a fan of Rob's. There are many actors and actresses that I like their work but don't necessarily like them as a person. From what I've seen of him, I like. He seems like a genuinely good person, okay an extremely hot, good person. You get to see glimpses of his personality in interviews and see that he's a funny guy. I would not be such a big fan of his if he was strictly eye candy and nothing else. So yes we all love Edward but we love Rob as well.ReplyDelete
- MorningtheftJune 3, 2009 at 2:46 AM
Duh, hasn't this issue already been explored? I know most people think all Twilighters are 13 year old girls but that's not the case. Any intelligent person can differentiate between the actor and the fictional character he plays. Edward is great but he's not REAL. And anyone who has met a man (any man) realizes that Edward only exists in our imaginations. Rob however is funny and hot and really looks better without the crazy vampire makeup.ReplyDelete
rob's hot.ReplyDelete
twilight is just the thing that got him into the spot light. . .he just happens to be playing the role of the hottest vampire ever.
like i said,
rob's hot
Neither...one's a fictional character - "the perfect man".ReplyDelete
The other is a gifted and very good looking young actor who I have never met.
I will concede that I am LUST with Rob!
Oh my gosh...of course a guy wrote that article. Of course a guy thinks we like a fictional character and can't tell the difference. I'm not good with words but everyone before me said it best.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 3, 2009 at 3:27 AM
I don't understand the whole Robert obsession. He seems like a nice enough guy - maybe even a bit dorky and goofy but???ReplyDelete
I think his Edward character is way hotter and magnetic than he himself. So I guess you could say he is a good actor. But he is not that handsome really -`from the eyes up I like him but not from the nose down. He doesn't really do anything for me. But I will concede he seems like a nice type of guy.
- AnonymousJune 3, 2009 at 3:33 AM
I find Rob the most charismatic, soulful, amazingly humble, soul....I can't stop looking at him, listening to him, and reading about him...I love me some Edward, but ROB does it for me...and I am so far away from 13 I can't remember when it was...ReplyDelete
I am totally, irrevocably in love with Rob Pattinson...
its Edward for me for sure! Rob is nice looking,but Edward is my love hahahaReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 3, 2009 at 3:45 AM
I love the Twilight Saga. I'm loving what Chris Weitz is doing with New Moon. That said, Robert Pattinson is absolutely far and away one of the handsomest, sexiest young men I have ever had the honor to watch. I think Edward's character is wonderful, every woman's fantasy. I think Rob is every woman's dream. I love his accomplishments and want him to succeed in everything he does. He's artistically accomplished, down to earth, will say anything and is just plain so hot it's unbelievable. Like many of the women who have already commented, I am way past the teenie bopper stage...I mean way past. Call me an "old cougar" but I can't get enough of him. Also, let me just say that when I was a young woman, I would have had me a piece of that action, for sure.ReplyDelete
Over analysing two very simple facts!ReplyDelete
Edwards hot.
Robs hot.
Case closed.
(Mind you, had anyone else been cast as EC, this would have totally projected on to that person instead).
Still would which is why I say I'm in lust. Never having the honour of meeting Rob and actually talking to him and getting to know him, I can't say I'm in love with him.
Lust...definitely lust.
And intrigued.
(also no spring chicken compared with him but I don't act my age or look it - never will, can't make me)
- AnonymousJune 3, 2009 at 4:01 AM
Johnny Depp was more hot and heart-wrenching in Edward Scissorhands, if you ask me!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 3, 2009 at 4:19 AM
I can absolutely say that I am 100 percent in love with Edward...I think that Rob portrays him fairly well...but I prefer the Edward I have in my head...the one that I created and who, with each book became molded into what I wanted him to be...ReplyDelete
Well, duh!! Robert is a sort of nice-looking young man but he can only approximate Edward. I'm used to him but he isn't Edward. I think what that writer said is correct -- we all can see ourselves as awkward, shy Bella, and it is a thrill that someone as special as Edward would fall in love with us/her. Not sure who I'd choose to portray Edward. I think the actor Stephenie liked would have been good but he got too old to play the part. A shame. Oh well. We'll just have to make due with "Movie Edward" as Lauren calls him.ReplyDelete
I wont even read the article. People, like Miley Cyrus, who say that we love Rob because he plays Edward are ignorant baboons!ReplyDelete
Love is a strong word. It's used too flipantly and people forget the power of that small word. LOVE.
We all love Edward to a certain degree. And yes, some girls, mostly younger girls, tend to mix up the reality of Edward with the human being, Rob Pattinson. It's understandable...to a point.
For me, a rationally thinking, married, 31 year old mom of 3 boys, has a gigant crush on Rob, not Edward.
1. Rob is beautiful. Humans, female or male, respond to beauty, and Rob has that in abundance. His soft fly away hair, his smiling blue eyes, his beautiful smile, his kissable jaw, not to mention his fabulous tall body. To put it simply, Rob is beautiful.
2. He's multi talented. He's an actor, a poet, a writer, a reader, a musician, and from what we've learned over the years, a very funny, nice young man. Down to earth.
3. He's shy and humble to the point of pain. When people see beauty we expect arrogance and vanity. But Rob presents the opposite. He honestly doesnt understand why we fall out of our chairs and lose our minds when we see him.
He's an endearing, sweet, honest, charasmatic, captivating human being. So no, when I squee it's for Rob. No confusion here.
Wow - Kerri! You nailed it...that's it exactly!ReplyDelete
Well said!
Such a true article on so many levels but without Rob bringing Edward to life I would never have known about the Twilight Saga -- and I totally crushed on Cedric back in the day.ReplyDelete
I like Edward for who he is one of the best characters I ever had the pleasure to read about. I like Rob for himself, he is one the most sweetest guys in the world, he is humble, multi-talented, he doesn't put on airs, he doesn't care what people think of himReplyDelete
he is true to himself. He is a unique individual, a one of kind, not to mention drop dead gorgeous. He has a great smile, great cheek bones, a sense of humor, great hair, and a great body. Most importantly he is very humble, and I really like that about him.
Rob oozes sex period!ReplyDelete
I'm not just in love with Edward,I'm in love with the character Edward and also Rob Pattinson.ReplyDelete
I think we all know how to differentiate between Edward and Rob.
GO GO Rob!
I agree.. Kerri took the words right out of my mouth. Well said Kerri!ReplyDelete
So I think Rob looks goofy... But when he is Edward Cullen... He makes it look hot...ReplyDelete
I'm with Clara. I'm not a Rob fan. But when he's quiet Edward with his intense eyes - he's sexy.ReplyDelete
playing edward cullen is what got me to notice rob. It was the interviews and public appearances where we got glimpses into who he is that made me like him. He's humble,funny and attractive. my husband even thinks he seems like a cool guy to hang with.ReplyDelete
I think Kerri said it perfectly, i couldnt agree more, thats how i feel too.ReplyDelete
and i am in my mid thirties, its thoses tweens who get the two confused.ReplyDelete
neg. first off, i do NOT want to be bella.ReplyDelete
second, its not just because rob played edward cullen. rob owned the role of edward and i believe the franchise would not be what it is today without HIM.
third, check out rob as daniel gale. thats love. =)
100% team edward, 110% team rob
On A Special Diet
.....nope....pretty sure it's Rob and NOT Edward that I lust over although.....I wouldn't pass up an Edward should he cross my path!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 3, 2009 at 10:15 PM
I don't know how to use a name. Its not because I'm ashamed or bashful that I'm a twi-hard nerd and love Rob!ReplyDelete
Perfectly said Kerri!! I didn't even know who he was when I watched Twilight, but I heard the song Let me sign in the movie. started to research who sang that song, because I fell in love with that voice- never knowing it was him until after researching. I guess I could just listen to him sing all day. No confusion with Edward- HE IS FICTIONAL!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 6, 2009 at 1:23 AM
Only a man could write such rubbish! Another man, however, nailed it: commenting on Pattinson in Twilight the critic of the Wall St. Journal wrote 'smooth as glass', 'a born movie star'. Edward has no star quality, but RP does; Edward is a figment of the author's wet dream, RP exists & is breathtakingly, gut-wrenchingly, sexually beautiful. The depth of his appeal to women of all ages is unique. Nothing captures this appeal better than his reaction to Jim Carey's comment on 'the good-looking kid from Twilight': he looked surprised, turned on his million-dollar smile, then dropped his eyes & blushed to the roots of his hair. Either he is real in an artificial setting or else he already is the best actor of his generation (which I expect down the line).ReplyDelete


text:
Liberal Democrats will scrap the married tax allowance to fund free childcare for every two-year-old in England if they are in government after next year's general election.
The plan is a central plank of a "pre-manifesto" of around 300 policies being unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg under the slogan "Stronger Economy, Fairer Society", and is likely to be a sticking point for the party in any coalition negotiations if the election result is inconclusive.
The 80-page document will form the basis of the Lib Dem manifesto for the May 2015 poll, subject to approval by the party's annual conference in Glasgow next month. Activists will be able to amend the policies and, while their votes are not binding, it is unlikely the leadership would press ahead with any which are roundly rejected.
Lib Dems would guarantee to extend the 15 hours a week of free childcare, currently available to two-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds, to all two-year-olds by the end of the parliament in 2020 - with the ambition of achieving it within one or two years.
The plan to fund the bulk of the £800 million annual cost of the scheme by scrapping married couples' tax allowances could be a major obstacle in any coalition talks with Conservatives, who forced through the tax breaks despite opposition from their Lib Dem partners during this Parliament.
The allowance, worth up to £200 a year from next April to married couples where one spouse does not work, was described by a senior Lib Dem source as "a penalty on unmarried couples", including widows and abandoned wives.
And the party aims to go further, when resources allow, to extend the free childcare offer to all children aged nine to 24 months where both parents - or one in a single-parent household - are in work, before later increasing the maximum of hours funded by the state from 15 to 20.
These longer-term ambitions would cost an estimated £2 billion a year and the Lib Dem source acknowledged that the party has not yet identified a source of funding for them.
The source rejected suggestions that the party was penalising traditional families where mothers stay at home to look after children by withdrawing their tax breaks while failing to offer childcare support.
"If they have a two-year-old child, they are core beneficiaries," he said, adding that the party expected a take-up rate of around 85% for free childcare for two-year-olds.
Liberal Democrat business minister Jo Swinson said: "Helping families with the cost of childcare is part of the Liberal Democrat plan to build a stronger economy and a fairer society where there is opportunity for everyone to get on in life.
"Extending free early-years education to all two-year-olds will benefit children and reduce childcare costs for working parents. It builds on our record in Government where we have expanded free early-years education for every three and four-year-old and provided it for the first time to two-year-olds from the most hard-pressed families.
"This is ultimately a fundamental difference in values. Liberal Democrats want to help all families with childcare support and nursery education right the way through from the end of parental leave to the start of school. The Tories are more bothered about helping only some couples through a married couples' tax break."
A Lib Dem source said that the key theme running through the manifesto will be "spreading opportunity through education", with a raft of policies aimed at helping younger people, parents and school-leavers
It will include a series of policies floated by Lib Dems over the summer, including protection for education spending; a parents' guarantee that children will be taught the core curriculum by qualified teachers; free school meals for all primary pupils; guaranteed lessons in sex and relationship education, financial literacy and citizenship; and a "Daddy month" extension of paternity leave.
The appeal to young people comes after the Lib Dems lost the support of many students by U-turning on their 2010 manifesto pledge not to raise university tuition fees.
Labour children's spokeswoman Lucy Powell said: "There's no point the Lib Dems making more promises when people remember only too well the promises Nick Clegg and his party have already broken.
"Voters know they cannot trust Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems. When it comes to family policy, the Lib Dems' record is trebling tuition fees, 628 fewer Sure Start children's centres and, by 2015, taking away up to £15 billion in support for children and families.
"Labour's plan for 25 hours free childcare for working parents of three and four-year-olds goes beyond the Lib Dems' bogus promises."