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Note: Please scroll to the bottom of this article to download my notes for Economics Paper 2.
Why this optional?
Since last two-three years, UPSC seems to be awarding economics well and it is no longer considered to be a 'low-scoring' optional. The subject is technical in comparison to the other mainstream optionals but is equally (or rather more?) relevant in current times. All said and done, the input output ratio of this optional is positively correlated and it is unlikely that if you have done the paper well that you will get low marks.
Who should go for this optional?
I would strongly recommend students who have studied economics at graduation and/or post-graduation level to consider it as an optional for this exam. The level of questions is equivalent to BA Economics (Honours) course. Management students shall also not find it too difficult if they are interested in the subject and have studied basic Economics as part of their curriculum. Students from engineering background can also consider Economics as an optional but their learning curve might not be steep.
While Economics' students can complete UPSC Econ syllabus in less than two 2 months, engineers may require about 4-5 months to understand and appreciate the subject. This time span varies across individuals and is primarily dependent on your interest and grasp of concepts. Economics is a bit mathematical so if you have been out of touch of mathematics since +2, this may not be the ideal optional for you.
Availability of material is a concern for this subject. While I didn't attend any coaching, none is considered to be good enough to guide you for this optional. One should be prepared for self-study, primarily through multiple books and Internet for this optional.
Books to refer
Here I am listing material I referred to for this subject. This is by no means the only source and one needs to figure out what works for them and plan out accordingly.
Paper 1
Topic 1: Advanced Micro Economics
|Marshallian and Walrasian Approaches to Price determination
|Link – good to understand the concept, mathematical details need not be emphasised
|Alternative Distribution Theories: Ricardo, Kaldor, Kalecki
|Advanced Economic Theory by Ahuja (only about 30-40 pages of the heavy book)
|Markets Structure: Monopolistic Competition, Duopoly, Oligopoly
|Pindyck and Rubenfield
|Modern Welfare Criteria: Pareto Hicks & Scitovsky, Arrow's Impossibility Theorem, A.K. Sen's Social Welfare Function
|Advanced Economic Theory by Ahuja (again,very few pages of the book). Understanding Sen's Social Welfare Function is a bit tricky but I referred to what was taught at my PG course at DSE.
Topic 2: Advanced Macro Economics
Macroeconomics by Froyen is a wonderful source for this section. However, one might find it a bit wordy and hence confusing. To bridge this gap, one can refer to Economics for UGC NET by Ramesh Publications. This book is not good to built concepts but has certain topics in a very precise format and some of these have also been asked by UPSC in the past.
Topic 3: Money – Banking and Finance
|Froyen and the UGC NET book mentioned above are good source for this section. For theories on demand for money, I referred to this link: http://www.oswego.edu/~edunne/340chapter21.html
|Public Finance
|Public Finance by Musgrave
Topic 4: International Economics
International Economics by Salvatore is a bible for this section. Ideally, this should be read cover-to-cover to build overall conceptual clarity but certain topics not in the syllabus can be left at the end. I had studied this subject as part of my graduation from Paul Krugman's IE. That's also a good book but UPSC seems to hand pick topics directly from Salvatore in the exam and its syllabus is also organized as per the contents of this book. It is preferable to stay with one book as the approach of the two is a bit different.
Topic 5: Growth and Development
|Theories of growth
|Development Economics by Debraj Ray (for Harrod's model, Lewis model, human capital and economic growth) and Thirlwall (Balanced and Unbalanced growth, human capital and economic growth and research and development and economic growth)
|Process of Economic Development of Less developed countries: Myrdal and Kuznets on economic development and structural change: Role of Agriculture in Economic Development of less developed countries.
|Economic development and International Trade and Investment, Role of Multinationals.
|Salvatore/ Debraj Ray
|Planning and Economic Development: changing role of Markets and Planning, Private- Public Partnership
|Uma Kapila (this is a bit abstract topic – as long as you have studied it as part of General Studies, its fine)
|Welfare indicators and measures of growth – Human Development Indices. The basic needs approach.
|Internet plus Thirlwall
|Development and Environmental Sustainability – Renewable and Non Renewable Resources, Environmental Degradation, Intergenerational equity development.
I had also referred to the UGC NET book mentioned above for this section since it was precise and easy to revise just before the exam.
In 2013 Mains, Paper 1 wasn't as straight forward as previous years. A number of questions were model-based and seemed non-doable while writing the exam. While I think this was more of an exception than indicating any trend for questions in future, it will still be a good idea to focus a bit more on mathematical side of the concepts. In any case, it is fine to leave 10-20 marks worth of questions if they seem to be entirely un-doable.
Paper 2
This paper has some semblance with General Studies but requires greater in-depth study. The syllabus has two components:
- Indian Economy in Pre-independence Era – Since I had studied this topic at UG level, I referred to my notes and various readings in the course.
- Indian Economy after Independence – The Pre Liberalization story is dealt well in Uma Kapila and one can refer to Internet for more references. Remnant topics can be covered from Dutt and Sundaram – it is not a great book but is useful for topics that are not covered elsewhere. For Post Liberation Era, one can refer to the following sources: (1) Latest Economic Survey; (2) Uma Kapila; (3) Speeches by RBI Governor/ Dy. Governors on relevant topics (available on rbi.org.in); and (4) Newspaper articles – One should regularly follow a business/ economics newspaper (I prefer Business Standard). Editorials of Mint newspaper should also be followed. Another brilliant source is of course The Economist magazine whose articles are regularly published in The Indian Express. EPW also has excellent articles on macro-economic trends – do search for them on their website (no need to take regular subscription, just get the ones that are relevant).
One should rely extensively on Internet to understand and prepare notes on topics in this section.
Making notes is a must since the topics are vast and sources multiple. I had also referred to Neeraj Singh's notes (Rank 11, CSE 2011) for certain sections. I shall upload my notes soon for everybody's reference – these might be a bit dated for this year's exam but hopefully should be useful. I would encourage readers to check Gaurav Aggarwal's blog for guidance in this paper as he scored a majestic 162/250.
Certain dos for the exam:
- Solve past years, including relevant questions from IES exam.
- Study from books rather than coaching notes, especially for Paper 1.
- Make notes so that it is easier to study before the exam within a day – I did this only for Paper 2 as I was confident and clear on topics in Paper 1.
- Revise multiple times to ensure that the concepts are entrenched in your memory.
- Practice diagrams and have conceptual clarity.
- Have one source for one topic so that revision at the end is organized. It is also good to flag in the syllabus the source for each topic as every topic has multiple sources for its sub-topic.
- Before writing down the answers, spend 5min in planning which questions you would want to answer. Given the answers are to be written in a booklet, attempting the ones you know well first shall be a good strategy.
- Join google group for econ preparation – a good forum to discuss doubts/ strategy etc. (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Guidance on writing answers
For Paper 1, focus should be on correctly outlaying the answer in a precise manner without any concern about word limit – that is, there is no need to unnecessarily stretch an answer to fit in the word limit. I preferred writing in a mix of points and paragraphs with entire emphasis on conveying to the examiner that I knew the answer. Wherever possible, use diagrams – these should be properly labelled and axis correctly named. Answering a question also becomes easier with diagrams. Problem-solving questions can earn high marks so make sure that you have all the steps correct and final answer fits in the model. I was not used to solving market-related problems for UPSC and had spent a good 10min in correcting my silly mistakes! Thus, be prepared for all types of questions and do not loose your patience while attempting them in the exam.
For Paper 2, my answers were organised in the form of introduction, main body in points and conclusion. Again, I was not too concerned about the word limit as such but the quality of the answer was my key concern. The answer should have a central theme and direction and should not look abstract – it should answer the question asked in the exam and not what you have prepared during your preparation. Also try connecting Paper 1 concepts wherever possible. Being broad-minded and incorporating what you have studied as part of General Studies shall also be helpful.
Please click on each of the link below to download the file. Note that all these are arranged topic-wise, as per UPSC syllabus.
1. Agriculture 1. WTO and Indian Agriculture (Dhar)
3. India and WTO, 3. India's External Sector
4. BoP speech, 4. Exchange rate
5. Direct Taxes Code-(only summary), 5. Monetisation of fiscal deficit, 5. Primer on Goods and Services Tax (done)
6. Changing role of rbi, 6. CPI a lousy measure for monetary policy-making_ Pronab Sen, 6. Inflation expectations – rbi speech, 6. Monetary policy
8. Analyzing Poverty in India, 8. How to enhance growth? Speech 8. calories and poverty line, 8.Employment, 8. Turnaround_in_Indias_Employment_Story
9. Developing-country trade: O for a beaker full of the warm South | The Economist
Pre-independence era – 2nd and 3rd are my notes from undergraduate days


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My son is playing the game on a notebook with a 13" notebook, using Russian language in the game.
On 1366x768 resolution, the game looks good except for the fonts that show the instructions.The text is really small and blurry (it looks like it tries to use some kind of scaling); it acually hurts the eyes when reading the text.
It woud be really nice to have the fonts bigger for the smaller resoltions.
Tiny and Blurry Fonts on 1366x768
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subset: commoncrawl


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If only every office had a spa next door, then perhaps dealing with work stress wouldn't be such a problem. Wouldn't it be great if everyone can simply head over there and take a much deserved break? But for those who don't have a masseuse on speed dial, there are also ways you can release a bit of pent-up tension.
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text:
i need advice
i applied on an agency in the philippines and in joint with an american attorney who will process my papers. i was hired by a US hospital on 2007. i was petitioned by my employer a eb3 petition..however lately i found out that my employer backed out to their obligations from me and the rest of the candidates. as a result , the american attorney who processed the papers suggested that we will be covered by another interview conducte by new employers and our eb3 will be transferred to a new eb3 petition. i have second thoughts since my boyfriends is in also in US and he plans to marry me and file for a spousal petition. i would like to ask if since out petitioner( hospital) has backed out already, does that means that my eb3 is already cancelled? if the eb3 petition is not canelled, will that have an effect on my boyfriend's petition for me? two different petitions allowed? pls help me on this...
About mariechic
Joined: Oct '12; Posts: 2Oct 31, '12Hi, as long as your previous petition was approved another petition can be filed for you and your previous priority date can be applied to your new petition. Make sure you give a copy of your previous approval notice to your new sponsor as it is much easier to get the old date applied at the time of filing your new petition. If you have to go back to the NVC afterward to get it changed it could take months. As long as you only continue with one petition it will not affect your fianc� filing a petition for you too. You can see which one is approved the quickest and at the time you are requested to pay the visa fee choose which one you want to go with.Oct 31, '12hi. so if my old petitioner (hospital) who filed for my eb3 petition backed out from their obligation, does that means that the petition is already cancelled? im not already after the eb3..


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text:
Chloe Rodriguez disappeared on November 9, she was abducted in her rural village in southern France on her way home from her friends house. Just seven days after she went missing, she was discovered in her abductors trunk in Germany at after he was pulled over during a routine traffic stop. Hit the jump for more.
Police found the teen in Germany on Friday when they pulled over her kidnapper during a routine traffic stop, NBC News reported.
"This man who did her so much harm – there is justice, and justice will be rendered. But I thank him anyway, because he kept her alive," Rodriguez's mother, Violette Rodriguez told reporters Friday.
The kidnapper recently served over three years in jail for physically and sexually assaulting six women.
The victims were all abducted as they walked or biked alone in the rustic region.
The man underwent recommended counseling while in prison, his lawyer told RTL.fr. But he failed to contact his probation officer after his release.


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Until last week, I had never heard of Michael Stone. He was a respected Buddhist teacher, author, mental health advocate. He died July 13. He was 42 years old and left behind a wife, family, and evidently, legions of admirers in Canada.
Over the weekend, it was revealed that Stone likely died from an opioid overdose. Naturally, there are some who find this shocking, disillusioning, feeling that yet another Buddhist teacher has let them down. But actually this is a fairly common story. It's just another Buddhist who wasn't perfect. There are many such Buddhists. I know because I'm one of them.
Dharma folk looking to following saints are in the wrong religion. They should be hanging out with the Catholics. They have lots of saints. Most holy ones. But the truth is, as American writer and salesman for the Larkin Soap Company, Elbert Hubbard pointed out, "Every saint has a bee in his halo."
Sometimes you see a painting of Buddha with a sort of halo around his head but someone painted that. Buddhism is a living philosophy. The Buddha's teachings centered on the human condition and the most salient characteristic of human existence, suffering. We may read about how the Buddha was "The Perfect One," but we have to understand that if he were an actual historical figure, at one time a living human being, he must have experienced suffering even, after he awakened. There is no possibility that he was truly perfect.
At Lion's Roar I read something Stone wrote that I thought was worth sharing:
"You'd think that given all this inner work, an incredible network of support, strong friendships, a loving partner and kids, and lastly, a life dedicated to embodying the dharma (literally every single day includes practice and study), that I'd be immune to extreme mental states…
It can be hard to admit even to ourselves that there are times when the stability of awareness that we discover in [meditation] just isn't there. When this started happening I'd say my practice needs to get deeper. But the truth is, there was a chemical change in my brain."
That chemical change was probably bipolar disorder, which Stone lived with all his life. In the above quote, Stone is more or less acknowledging his own faults and failures. I think he is also suggesting that it is a mistake to think that meditation is the magic pill that will cure all our ills. From what I understand, Stone was a non-traditional Buddhist teacher. It is certainly refreshing to hear a teacher address his or her own imperfections. I would much rather listen to a 'guru' who says, "You know, sometimes I'm a jerk," than someone with an attitude of "Gather around children and listen to my perfect words."
Four words in Stone's statement stand out for me: "immune to extreme mental states." That's where many of us make our mistake. We shouldn't be looking for immunity but rather self-restraint, discipline, balance. No one is immune. Even the Dalai Lama gets angry and admits it.
To relieve the sufferings of others, the bodhisattva must suffer his or her own. If we don't have sufferings and face them, then how can we help others use dharma to cope with theirs? And suffering is largely self created, it is unrealistic to expect monks and nuns and dharma teachers to be without faults and problems.
If you follow the link above, you can read the family statement that describes Michael Stone's manic last day.
In the end, Michael Stone was defeated by the bipolar condition. But he was undefeated in many other areas. From what I have read, it seems obvious that he worked on himself as he struggled though the onslaught of extreme mental states, and I have no doubt that this own struggle gave him the insight and wisdom to help others learn to do the same thing.
To win over oneself does not mean to become "perfect." I'd say it means to become more human. A huge part of the struggle is to simply admit that we are not perfect, that we have faults, and then we find the real success lies simply trying to change. By the same measure, the practice is not perfect either. So when faced with situations like this, we cannot say, well, Buddhism and meditation do not work. Yhey only work as well as we do.
I will not defeat cancer. Does that mean I have failed as a Buddhist? I am not perfect. Does that disqualify me as a teacher? I can only answer those two questions with a third: How do we judge inner transformation and its results?
In the Dhammapada, the Buddha says
Greater the conquest of oneself
than subjugating others,
that one who's always self-restrained,
that one who's tamed of self .
Neither deva nor minstrel divine,
nor Mara together with Brahma,
can overthrow the victory
of such a one as this.
Month by month for a hundred years
a thousand one might sacrifice,
but if for only a moment one
might honor the self-developed,
such honor were better by far
than centuries of sacrifice.
I reccommend you read Lynette Monteiro's take on this story at 108zenbooks.


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Phillip Swagel is a professor at the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland and was assistant secretary for economic policy at the Treasury Department from 2006 to 2009.
Today's Economist
Perspectives from expert contributors.
President Obama explained that the idea was to have "a rule that makes sure big banks can't make risky bets with their customers' deposits" — the concern being that taxpayers guarantee most bank deposits. In reality, banks take risks with customer deposits every day, since their lending to families and businesses are funded with deposits, among other sources. This credit is vital to the economy, but involves risk: witness the multitude of banks that failed during the crisis because of losses from poor real estate loans.
Following the suggestion of Mr. Volcker, Congress in the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory reform legislation viewed proprietary trading and hedge fund investments as particularly risky and therefore to be kept mostly apart from banks that rely on taxpayer guarantees.
Last year's London Whale trading episode illustrates that banks indeed can lose prodigious amounts of money when trades go wrong. But just as the Whale did not nearly threaten to sink JPMorgan Chase, neither did proprietary trading appear to have been an especially important factor behind the recent financial crisis. Moreover, the large banks with the most active proprietary trading desks mostly rely on funding sources other than insured deposits. Trading is an important activity at Goldman Sachs, for example, but relatively little of the firm's funding is insured by the federal government. There is a sense, then, in which the Volcker Rule is a solution in search of a problem. Still, it is the law.
An important reason that it took the regulators so long to devise the rule is that while most proprietary trading is forbidden, market-making under which banks bring together buyers and sellers of securities is permitted. But both activities involve trading, making it potentially difficult to distinguish when a particular trade crosses the line from serving a customer to putting on a bet for the bank.
If the prohibition on proprietary trading were to lead to an unintended reduction in permissible market-making, this might reduce market liquidity and lead to higher borrowing costs for businesses and families. This in turn would mean less investment and spending and thus a weaker economy and slower job creation. Even cracking down on supposedly risky trading might only lead this activity to migrate to parts of the financial system that are less well regulated than banks. If proprietary trading is risky for society (not just for shareholders of JPMorgan and other banks) — not at all clear — then the risks would be hidden in the shadows rather than disappear. It made sense for the regulators to take the time to get the rule right.
Both Congress in writing the Volcker Rule and regulators in putting it into force appear to have recognized the trade-off between regulation aimed at lending stability to financial markets on the one hand and the concomitant adverse effects on economic growth and efficiency on the other. Cognizance of this trade-off can be seen in the exemption in the Dodd-Frank legislation of United States government securities from the ban on proprietary trading. This is even though banks can suffer losses while trading Treasury bonds just as on any other security. But presumably Congress understood that it would be a self-inflicted wound to reduce the liquidity of the Treasury bond market and thus increase borrowing costs for the government. In the final rule, the exemption is extended to trading in state and municipal government bonds, and in part to trading in the sovereign debt of other nations.
Regulators were further careful in allowing banks to use trading for the purposes of hedging — that is, undertaking transactions meant to lay off exposure to certain risks to other investors. For hedging, the rule specifies that the hedge must be against identifiable risks associated with specific investment positions. This seems both reasonable and useful. After all, banks should be doing this analysis on their own to identify and assess the risks in their portfolios. The Volcker Rule will force them to write the analysis down — to specify in advance the way in which a particular trade serves as a hedge. That might be cumbersome, but presumably banks will devise automated systems to help traders comply. The real problem would be if the compliance boxes are routinely ticked and substantive risk management avoided, but that is an age-old struggle within financial markets between investors and regulators.
It is hard to know the full impact on markets until the Volcker Rule is fully in place in 2015, but my sense is that the regulations put out on Tuesday will allow banks to continue in their roles as facilitators of trading.
In putting out the rule, the federal regulators stated that they would collect and analyze data relating to firms' trading activities, and make adjustments in response. This data-driven approach featuring flexibility and a staged implementation matches the recommendations of a report from the Bipartisan Policy Center's Financial Regulatory Reform Initiative, a project on which I am a co-director. It is heartening for the regulators to put in writing that they are committed to "revisiting and revising the rule as appropriate."
Banks might wish that the Volcker Rule did not exist, but that discussion is long moot. It turns out that the rule as promulgated could add some useful risk-management processes by ensuring that firms understand their own hedging strategies while doing only modest harm to the economy through the impacts of reduced liquidity in financial markets.
An irony is that Volcker Rule proponents see the final result as "tougher than expected," pointing to symbolic measures such as requiring chief executives to attest that the required processes are in place. This might be an instance in which both banks and their critics are satisfied with a regulation—though perhaps only until the banks' critics realize the situation.


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text:
The campaign, running since midsummer, uses print, radio and cable TV advertising to promote the network's launch today.
Pax TV bills itself as a haven for alienated viewers, and there's a couple of contradictions to go with the promises: It's led by broadcast network veterans and programmed with off-broadcast shows.
"If you go on the attack, you better have some reason why you're different from the entity you're attacking," said one industry consultant, who asked not to be named. "What they're delivering from a programming standpoint doesn't necessarily match what they're trying to do."
Pax TV President-CEO Jeff Sagansky and the network's high-profile marketing consultant, Steve Sohmer, have spent most of their careers holding down high-level jobs at the major broadcast networks. But now, Mr. Sagansky laments the amount of sex and violence during the major networks' 8 p.m. (ET) hour.
He said the networks have changed for the worse in just the last few years since he departed CBS as that network's entertainment chief. He tried to avoid putting on overly violent or "sexually gratuitous" programming when he worked at NBC and CBS, he said.
Chairman-CEO Lowell "Bud" Paxson pointed out Mr. Sagansky had a hand in creating "Highway to Heaven" at NBC and "Touched by an Angel" at CBS. "He knows what I think good family programming is all about," Mr. Paxson said.
When Pax TV flips the switch on its 70 or so stations, the new network's "family-oriented" programming will include some original daytime programming (and some original prime-time shows on the weekends). But Pax TV's most visible series will be the off-network runs of "Touched by an Angel," "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" and "Diagnosis Murder."
Off-net series already purchased for future seasons include "Promised Land" and "7th Heaven."
Critics question how Pax TV can bash the networks, then fill its schedules with mostly reruns of network fare.
Mr. Sagansky said Pax TV admits there are a few exceptions when it comes to family-oriented series on the networks and noted Pax TV has acquired the off-network rights to most of those.
"We've bought all of the off-network shows that [fill the family niche], so going forward we're going to have to create our own," Mr. Saganksy said.
Meanwhile, Pax TV faces another contradiction: Although it aims for young women and their families, most of its prime-time shows scored with viewers older than 50 in their original network runs.
According to TN Media's annual report on series' median viewer age, last fall CBS' "Diagnosis Murder" was broadcast TV's second-oldest-skewing show, with a median age of 57. The other two major Pax TV acquisitions also scored a median age older than 50 while on CBS: "Touched by an Angel" did a little better, with a median of 52, while "Dr. Quinn" attracted a median age of 51.
But Mr. Paxson said he expected the shows to skew younger on Pax TV, and said the original series "Flipper" and "Little Men" should attract younger viewers as well.
Mr. Sagansky said it will take some time to gauge the performance of Pax TV's programming. The network said it expects a national Nielsen Media Research household rating of 1 before the end of its first broadcast year (see story above).
"We're going to expect a slow and steady build," he said.M
Mr. Schneider is a reporter for Electronic Media. Greg Spring is EM's Los Angeles bureau chief.


text:
Nine million Americans have P.A.D. including approximately 275,000 Minnesotans
Denver, CO (Vocus) June 15, 2010
Minnesota Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) introduced historic legislation to address the critical national health problem of peripheral arterial disease, also known as P.A.D.
Most Americans know the dangers of clogged chest arteries, but few are aware that clogged leg arteries are just as dangerous. Known as peripheral arterial disease (P.A.D.), clogged leg arteries markedly increases one's risk of heart attack, stroke, amputation, and death. Although millions of Americans have P.A.D., it unfortunately receives little attention.
Representative Paulsen hopes to change this by the introduction of the P.A.D. resolution. The resolution serves as a "Call to Action" that encourages government agencies, health care organizations, professional societies, health systems, and clinicians to take actions to improve the diagnosis and treatment of P.A.D.
"Nine million Americans have P.A.D. including approximately 275,000 Minnesotans," said Representative Paulsen. "We have made great strides in reducing the burden of heart disease in America, and addressing P.A.D is a critical part of the solution."
Increasing the number of Medicare beneficiaries tested for P.A.D. is one of the issues highlighted in the resolution. Medicare beneficiaries are at significantly higher risk for developing P.A.D., yet most do not have access to a simple, risk-free, inexpensive, and noninvasive test to diagnose P.A.D., the ankle-brachial index (ABI).
"Improving public awareness of P.A.D., access to diagnostic testing, and initiation of preventative care offers the greatest opportunity to improve the nation's cardiovascular health, at a cost we can afford," said Alan T. Hirsch, MD, P.A.D. Coalition founding chair and Professor of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
"By ensuring access to P.A.D. testing in those at highest risk for having the disease and providing treatment according to national cardiovascular guidelines," said Dr. Hirsh, "we can reduce heart attacks, stroke and deaths. We can no longer afford not to detect early arterial disease before mortal and costly events occur."
The P.A.D. Resolution offers specific recommendations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Food and Drug Administration.
"Millions of Americans and their families greatly appreciate Congressman Paulsen's leadership on this important public health issue," said Dr. Hirsch, "And the nation's vascular leadership, the P.A.D. Coalition, the Vascular Disease Foundation, and cardiovascular health professionals look forward to working with him and our government agencies to collaboratively address this problem in Minnesota and across the nation."
The Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) Coalition is an alliance of more than 80 leading health organizations, vascular health professional societies that have united to raise public and health professional awareness about lower extremity P.A.D. Committed to improving P.A.D. patient outcomes, the P.A.D. Coalition it is a division of the Vascular Disease Foundation, a national, not-for-profit section 501(c)(3) organization. For more information visit http://www.padcoalition.org or call 866.PAD.INFO.


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Aviation Investigation Report A05P0032
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) investigated this occurrence for the purpose of advancing transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.
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Settling with Power - Roll-Over
Tasman Helicopters Ltd.
Bell 212 (Helicopter) C-GEEC
Spearhead Glacier, British Columbia
11 February 2005
The Bell 212 helicopter (registration C-GEEC, serial number 30931) was being used in heli-ski operations near Whistler, British Columbia. After operations on one glacier with two groups of skiers, the guides and the pilot agreed to move to the Spearhead Glacier. The skiers and guides were dropped off at the top of the glacier, and the pilot chose to pick up the skiers near the toe of the glacier.
The first group down the glacier comprised 11 skiers. During take-off from the toe of the glacier with this group, the helicopter began to settle as it turned downwind. The pilot turned it back toward the take-off area, but the helicopter continued to settle with full power applied. The helicopter struck the snow in a level attitude, turned over, and came to rest on its right side. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The main rotor chopped the tail off, the nose was crushed, and the battery was ejected. There was no fire. The passengers and pilot escaped with only minor injuries.
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Other Factual Information
The Spearhead Glacier is located to the east of the Blackcomb Peak near Whistler, and the accident was near the bottom of the glacier at about 6300 feet above sea level (50º02'30" N / 122º51'45" W). The glacier rests on the northwest side of the upper ridge flowing down about 80 per cent of a cirque.1 The toe of the glacier had ablated and receded over recent years, and skiing to the usual pickup area was more difficult.
The pilot used the pickup area at the toe of the glacier to make it easier for the skiers to get to the helicopter and complete an extra run before lunch. The take-off was into wind facing up the glacier. The helicopter attained a positive rate of climb, and the pilot then turned the helicopter downwind. It began to descend and it was evident that the helicopter would not clear the lower ridge, so the pilot turned the helicopter toward a somewhat level area. As it contacted the snow, the helicopter bounced, struck a snow drift, dug in, stood on its nose, pirouetted, and came to rest on its right side and top corner. There was no loss of power at any time during the flight. The rotor and engine rpm stayed within their governed range and there were no caution lights or horns evident, even though the pilot pulled the collective up as far as possible.
The weather was clear with good visibility, and the prevailing winds were from the southeast at 25 to 30 knots, and gusting. There was good visual reference for ground proximity, even over the glacier. The glacier was on the lee side of the ridge and the winds were flowing over the glacier. A temperature inversion existed at the time.
Localized, shallow, glacier winds are katabatic winds, and under extreme cooling conditions, such as underlying ice cover, they can develop to hazardous proportions. As the ice provides relative cooling, a strong shallow wind will persist. In some locations, katabatic flow pulsates with cold air building up to some critical value before being released to rush downslope.
Actual weights of persons, equipment, lunches, etc. were used to calculate the gross take-off weight of the helicopter before its departure that morning. The weight was 10 250 pounds, which is about 92 per cent of the maximum allowable weight of 11 200 pounds. The performance charts showed that, on that day and at that weight, the Bell 212 should hover out-of-ground effect at a pressure altitude of 7500 feet. The location of the persons and equipment on board caused the centre of gravity to be well within the operating limits.
In the morning before the first flight, the passengers/skiers were given interactive training on emergencies and helicopter operations. The accident occurred about two and a half hours after the training. The passengers/skiers remembered the instructions, and the evacuation from the wrecked helicopter was carried out in a calm manner.
The pilot was licensed, trained, and certified as required by regulations. He had several years of experience flying the Bell 212 helicopter and in heli-ski operations with this type. The pilot had operated in and out of the Spearhead Glacier many times during his years of flying out of Whistler. During those operations, however, he used a landing area located on the outside edge of the cirque. This location became more difficult to ski to as the glacier ablated over recent years.
The occurrence helicopter had been modified from the original type. Based on Airworthiness Directive CF 97-04, the helicopter was equipped with stainless steel elbow fittings for the engine fuel lines. Before 1990, Bell 212 helicopter engines were equipped with aluminium fittings. That year, a Bell 212 with aluminium lines was involved in a similar accident (TSB report A90P0121), but it caught fire when one of the fittings broke. Three lives were lost and many persons were seriously hurt from burns. In this accident, the stainless steel fittings remained intact even though the area was crushed. There was no fire.
The fact that the helicopter was equipped with stainless steel fuel line fittings and that passenger briefings were enhanced as a result of the findings of the 1990 heli-skiing accident investigation helped to minimize injuries from this occurrence.
On 13 January 2003, Transport Canada published Commercial and Business Aviation Advisory Circular (CBAAC) 0214 to inform air operators about guidelines for the conduct of heli-skiing in Canada.
There were no reported problems with the helicopter's performance and there were no caution horns during the accident flight, which led the investigation and this analysis to focus on operational issues only.
It is quite likely that, during the day, as a temperature inversion existed, katabatic winds formed over the glacier and they were pulsing downhill. Given the gross weight of the helicopter at take-off, the close proximity to the glacier and the strong downflowing winds, the helicopter was not able to climb high enough to clear the surrounding terrain. When the pilot turned away from the lower ridge, the helicopter was settling with power in downflowing wind, and the pilot could not arrest its descent. When the helicopter settled onto the snow, still moving forward, it struck a snow drift, dug in, and rolled over.
Finding as to Causes and Contributing Factors
- Given the helicopter's gross weight, its close proximity to the glacier, and the strong downflowing winds, the helicopter was not able to climb high enough to clear the surrounding terrain. When the pilot aborted the departure, the helicopter settled with power onto the snow, dug in, and rolled over.
Other Finding
- The fact that the helicopter was equipped with stainless steel fuel line fittings and that passenger briefings were enhanced helped to minimize injuries from this occurrence.
This report concludes the Transportation Safety Board's investigation into this occurrence. Consequently, the Board authorized the release of this report on 21 April 2005.
Appendix A - Accident Flight Diagram
The photograph was taken soon after the accident. It shows the Spearhead Glacier and the conditions.
1. A cirque is a crater created by a glacier that forms a natural amphitheatre (like a bowl tilted to the diagonal).
- Date modified:


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Mental health disorders often accompany substance abuse for a variety of reasons and often remain undiagnosed until someone enters treatment because they can be difficult identify when someone is in active addiction. Symptoms of preexisting co-occurring disorders are often confused or masked by substance abuse.
When left untreated, mental health disorders can often make symptoms of substance abuse worse. In many cases, substance abuse is a method of self-medication for symptoms of mental health disorders and worsens both conditions. There are a wide range of mood disorders that may accompany substance abuse. These include:
- Mood-related disorders (Depression, Bipolar Disorder)
- Anxiety-related disorders (Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Social Anxiety)
- Severe Mental Illness or Thought Disorders (Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder)
"We offer effective dual-diagnosis treatment where young adults learn the tools they need to succeed."
Why Choose Our Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment Program?
While they often accompany one another, substance abuse and mental health disorders do not necessarily directly cause each other. Addiction is common in those with mental health disorders and they often complicate treatment for one another. It is important for those struggling with both mental health disorders and substance abuse to receive treatment for both issues concurrently to ensure the most effective therapies are utilized for each individual. Sober College offers effective dual-diagnosis treatment for substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. We help young adults learn the tools they need to lead a successful, sober life. What sets our dual-diagnosis or co-occurring disorders treatment apart?
- Our dual-diagnosis treatment program explores preexisting, diagnosed and undiagnosed mental disorders and assists young adults in overcoming them.
- There are many signs that indicate an untreated mental health disorder; from issues with mood and anxiety to just processing thoughts, your loved one could be struggling with more than you know.
Questions about our dual-diagnosis treatment programs?
Call 800.465.0142 to speak with an admissions counselor today.
Dual-Diagnosis: Treating Both Addiction & Mental Health Disorders
When treating substance abuse, it is equally important to treat the mental disorders that may accompany it. They must be treated together as a single unit, rather than as two separate entities. Regardless of the time frame in which the disorder developed, for many, effective treatment of mental disorders helps prevent relapse and allows young adults to live happy, sober lives. Since there are a wide variety of mental disorders that may exist alongside addiction, it is important to first diagnose and understand the nature of it. An initial assessment ensures young adults are given individualized treatment that caters specifically to their needs. The assessment takes into account past experiences, family and medical histories, signs and symptoms of co-occurring disorders and other factors that contribute to the development of substance abuse in order to provide the most effective treatment.
Many young adults use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate, leading to substance abuse and addiction. However, drug and alcohol abuse, often times exacerbates the symptoms associated with a co-occurring mental health disorder and the additional negative side effects and consequences of substance abuse add to the anxiety or discomfort the young adult is already feeling. Through regular meetings with therapists, in both individual and group therapy, and different experiential therapies clients are able to manage and monitor their own growth.
For many, group and individual therapies are great outlets to explore the nature of their own addiction and its relationship to other aspects of life. In group settings, young adults explore issues they face and ways to cope with stressors or triggers. In this environment, individuals are encouraged to open up and discuss issues that affect their lives to create space for positive relationships and safe networks to develop. Individual therapy allows young adults to explore their own experiences, stressors and other topics on a deeper level in a one-on-one discussion with a therapist. This regularly administered therapy helps young adults develop trust in an authority figure that can help guide them towards sobriety.
Dual-Diagnosis Treatment at Sober College
Click here to learn more about the different therapies, treatment professionals and clinical treatments offered at Sober College
In addition, the utilization of experiential therapies allows young adults to apply what they have learned in therapy to real world situations. Outside of traditional therapy settings, clients continue to develop healthy coping mechanisms, outlets and life skills that will help them manage their mental health disorder and addiction, and prepare them for life after treatment. In developing these skills, many young adults are able to overcome triggers that may have previously caused them to abuse substances.
Signs & Symptoms of Mental Health Disorders
Substance abuse can often mask or confuse symptoms of mental disorders making it difficult to diagnose and treat. While each mental disorder has its own set of signs, reasons for manifestation and treatment options, many share similar symptoms that help in diagnosing co-occurring issues.
- Difficulty thinking, concentrating and remembering
- Major changes in sleep, appetite and energy
- Persistent sad or irritable mood
- Feelings of emptiness, hopelessness or guilt
- Recurrent thoughts of suicide or death
In anxiety disorders, common symptoms include:
- Feeling unsteady
- Fear of losing control
- Chest pain
- Avoidance of people, places or things that trigger anxiety
- Upset stomach
- Restlessness
- Muscle tension
- Apathy
- Loss of interest
- Bizarre behavior
- Hallucinations
- Disordered speech
- Problems with attention, memory, planning and organizing
- Rapid speech and movement
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Substance abuse can intensify and worsen symptoms of mental health disorders. Often, the use of substances makes it difficult for individuals to develop effective coping skills, healthy relationships with others and the ability to feel comfortable with oneself. In short, substance abuse worsens the physical and mental state of individuals suffering with both.
*NOTE: We are not a licensed mental health or psychiatric facility*


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We've all heard about them and how good they are for us and most of us take the odd multivitamin, but as our food system changes as well as the environment around us, there might be a need to get more than what was originally recommended.
Vitamins & Minerals
The world we live in today is extremely different from that of 10-20 years ago. With drastic improvements in technology, the use of nanoparticles has increased dramatically. Nanoparticles are ultrafine particles which are employed in a variety of everyday applications such as in sunscreens, clothing and even used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Rough estimates suggest that the average person in a developed country consume billions to trillions of fine and ultrafine particles every day, most of them found in food additives such as stabilisers or anti caking agents (substances which prevent lumps being formed in the product).
While nanoparticles have been used innovatively to improve bioavailability of certain vitamins such as vitamin C by improving their stability, researchers have recently found that perhaps nanoparticles also inhibit the absorption of other minerals and vitamins2. Using in vitro (petri dish) and animal studies, scientists found that an acute ingestion of nanoparticles resulted in blunted iron absorption. The researchers highlighted concerns with other minerals such as zinc, calcium and copper which have very similar ways of transporting themselves into our circulation. Furthermore, fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E & K are also potentially at risk due to disruptions in the absorption process.
While it is too early to offer any conclusive statements about the issue, it perhaps highlights that there are always drawbacks to the use of new technologies. It might also mean that the daily multivitamin and mineral supplement becomes more important in this day and age, even if our diets are seen as sufficient.
Getting More Out Of Your Food
Most of the vitamins and minerals come from the food thats we eat. Vegetables and fruits are considered higher in vitamins, while meat products are generally considered higher in minerals. When it comes to vegetables, if I asked whether you obtain more vitamins and antioxidants from consuming vegetables after cooking or in its raw form, what would you say? Assuming that the vegetables were fresh as can be, most people would consider that eating vegetables in its raw form is considered to provide the most nutrients. While some vegetables need to be cooked to be enjoyed, many people consider that the less cooking involved, the more nutrients that are saved and thus absorbed.
However, a current unpublished Australian study has observed an interesting phenomenon; that vitamin and phytochemical content is actually higher in certain vegetables that have been cooked compared to the raw product. A highly unusual phenomenon, the exact mechanism is still not yet fully understood, but is believed to be due to the presence and breakdown of tannins. Tannins are a chemical compound commonly found in teas and red wine, but also in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables including broccoli, spinach, peas, pumpkin and parsley. High intakes of tannins can inhibit protein, mineral and vitamin absorption. Heat can break down the tannins which then encourages absorption of vital nutrients contained in the vegetables.
Ironically, tannins are also part of a larger group of compounds known as polyphenols; which themselves have beneficial qualities including reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. To get the most nutrition out of your vegetables, it's important to cook many hard vegetables, but not to the extent that they turn into soup. Not only can it breakdown the tannins in the vegetables, heat can increase the amount of bioactive compounds, a protective mechanism of vegetables against heat damage3. It is also important to avoid excess consumption of high tannin drinks such as tea and red wine during meal times to get the most nutrients out of your meal.
2. Gretchen J. Mahler, Mandy B. Esch, Elad Tako, Teresa L. Southard, Shivaun D. Archer, Raymond P. Glahn, Michael L. Shuler. 'Oral exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles affects iron absorption.' Nature Nanotechnology, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2012.3
3. Oboh G, Akindahunsi AA. 'Change in the ascorbic acid, total phenol and antioxidant activity of sun-dried commonly consumed green leafy vegetables in Nigeria.' Nutr Health. 2004;18(1):29-36.


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Make. it rain
Make. the design and illustration team is made of Jesse Hora and Abigail Wynne.
We design, illustrate, art direct, draw, cut, paste, think, build, photograph, paint and print. Every projects is an opportunity to make something we are excited about. We enjoy making ideas come to life, making work that blows your mind, making a mess and making friendships along the way. We care about being involved in our community, and running our business thoughtfully and responsibly.


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We are delighted to be providing catering and hospitality services at Newman Catholic School. We are truly passionate about the food and service that we provide for both students and staff and have a selection of our products available for you to try.
We embrace natural ingredients, love seasonal produce, and develop ethical trading with many of our suppliers. 95% of our products are sourced locally with nearly 30% being produced, grown or reared in Cumbria. We also try to use fish from sustainable sources wherever we can.
Our menus are refreshed every term to ensure they reflect the changing seasons and trends from the high street. We fully endorse our fresh food policy meaning that our food is prepared fresh on site daily. We understand the importance of regular promotions and are always thinking of ways to reward our customers. Here are our menus and price lists.
At Newman School we have brand new dining facilities to allow students to either buy a school dinner or to bring in their own meals. Food is cooked and served on a daily basis on our site.
Every day we serve at least one meat dish and one vegetarian dish which are served with either vegetables or salad. We hold regular consultation with the students to allow them too select a new dish or to comment on the current menu available.
We run a breakfast snack club and offer hot snacks at break time as well. Students can also pre order their lunch to avoid queues by using or grab bag system. All our food meets the requirements of the School Food Trust.
Throughout the year we organise special menus to coincide with special events. Have a look at our plans for this year:


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Inspiring and educating wisdom seekers to achieve an inner transformation through Kabbalah
Latest Video: Of Judges and Police
Kabbalah for Life
Is something holding you back from living the life you want? Are you fully in sync with your inner core, with your values, strengths and talents? Are you using your strengths and talents productively and to the fullest? Are you unsure of what your next steps should be? Do you feel that you should be in a better place? Let the ancient wisdom of Kabbalah be your guide! To see how Kabbalah can help you, read on.
Request a consultation by clicking on the "Get Started" button below and send an email with your contact info and when you can be contacted


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UN General Assembly again calls for lifting US embargo against Cuba
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution underlining the need to end the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba.
In the resolution, the Assembly reiterated its call to all UN Member States to refrain from promulgating and applying laws and measures not conforming with their obligations under the UN Charter and international law, which reaffirm freedom of trade and navigation. The Assembly "once again urges States that have and continue to apply such laws and measures to take the necessary steps to repeal or invalidate them as soon as possible," the resolution added.
The resolution enjoyed favorable votes from 191 of the 193 UN Member States. The United States and Israel opposed the text.
Last year, these two countries, for the first time in the 25-year history of the annual review of the issue, abstained in the vote rather than rejecting the text.
Waste-to-energy and circular economy workshops to be held in Uruguay
The Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Technology Executive Committee (TEC), and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) are organizing two workshops during the Latin America & Caribbean Climate Week (LACCW), which will take place between 20 and 23 August in Montevideo. The sessions, titled: "Enabling circular economy solutions to boost climate action" and "Enabling waste-to-energy, industrial waste reuse and prevention solutions to achieve circular economy and boost climate action", will be held as part of the Regional Technical Expert Meetings on Mitigation (TEMs-M) and the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action.
The first workshop will present the concept of "circular economy", an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use and dispose), which is restorative and regenerative by design and redefines products and services to design waste out, being ultimately powered by renewables. The second workshop will then discuss how waste-to-energy, industrial waste reuse and prevention solutions are integral parts to achieving a circular economy and its associated economic and environmental benefits.
The events will bring together members from the civil society, UN agencies and financial institutions. The high-impact case studies presented will serve as a basis for discussion on the vision/goal in terms of harnessing mitigation potential and co-benefits of circular economy related policies, practices and actions as well as on innovative approaches to waste-to-energy and waste reuse/prevention that are actionable in the short term for the region. Participants will learn the necessary elements for replication and upscaling of circular economy and specifically waste-to-energy solutions, such as policy, partnerships and the need of financial, technical and capacity building resources.
Manuel Albaladejo, UNIDO Representative in Uruguay, said, "It is important to understand that the circular economy starts at the design stage and that profitability rarely comes by bending a linear model into a circular one."
With the Latin America Carbon Forum as a cornerstone event, the focus of Latin America & Caribbean Climate Week (LACCW) will be placed on market-based approaches, economic instruments and climate-aligned finance to drive investment in climate action.
Multilateralism: The only path to address the world's troubles
As the world's problems grow, multilateralism represents to best path to meet the challenges that lie ahead, said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday, launching his annual report.
The Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization for 2018, also tracks the progress made over the last year in maintaining peace and security, protecting human rights, and promoting sustainable development.
"I started my tenure calling for 2017 to be a year of peace, yet peace remains elusive," said the UN chief in the report's introduction, noting that since January last year "conflicts have deepened, with grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law; inequality has risen, intolerance has spread, discrimination against women remains entrenched and the impacts of climate change continue to accelerate."
"We need unity and courage in setting the world on track towards a better future," stressed Mr. Guterres, crediting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for generating coordinated efforts by Member States and civil society to "alleviate poverty and build peaceful, prosperous and inclusive societies."
Wide-ranging reform
The most comprehensive reform of the UN development system in decades already underway, led by Mr. Guterres and his deputy, Amina Mohammed, aims to strengthen the Organization's capacity to support Member States in achieving the 17 SDGs.
While the report points to gains, such as increased labour productivity, access to electricity and strengthened internet governance, it also illustrates that progress has been uneven and too slow to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals within the given time frame.
For example, in 2015, three out of 10 people did not have access to safe drinking water, and 60 per cent lacked safe sanitation. Moreover conflicts, disasters and climate change are also adversely affecting populations.
The report underlines the importance of building stronger multilateral partnerships with Member States; regional and international organizations; and civil society; to "find solutions to global problems that no nation alone can resolve."
Although the 2018 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development of 2018 reflected some positive initiatives, it also showed the urgent need to step up efforts in areas such as energy cooperation, water and terrestrial ecosystems.
According to the report, "partnerships are key to achieving the SDGs" – and as of June, 3,834 partnerships had been registered with the Partnerships for the SDGs online platform from different sectors across all the 17 goals.
With regard to technology, last October a joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Second Committee welcomed Sophia, the first robot to sit on a UN panel. This gave a glimpse into the advances being made in the realm of Artificial Intelligence.
Turning to young people, UN Youth Envoy, Jayathma Wickramanayake, of Sri Lanka, is continuously advocating for their needs and rights, including in decision-making processes at all levels, and in strengthening the UN system's coordination on delivering for youth, and with their increased participation.
The UN report also spoke to the growing scale, complexity and impact of global migration. In July, the General Assembly agreed a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which will be presented for adoption in December at an Intergovernmental Conference in Morocco.
Youth Calls for Action to Build the Workforce of the Future
Over 400 youth representatives from Asia and the Pacific launched the Incheon Youth Declaration on the Future of Work, which calls upon the international community to invest in more inclusive, large-scale, and market-relevant solutions for youth employment and entrepreneurship.
The declaration, launched during the 6th Asian Youth Forum (AYF6) and coinciding with the celebration of the International Youth Day on 12 August, reflects the shared vision, commitments, and calls to action of the youth to inform future policy strategies and project initiatives to promote decent work. AYF6, with the theme "Building the workforce of the future," was organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Incheon Metropolitan City, Incheon Tourism Organization, Plan International, and AIESEC.
"We at ADB commit to continue investing in youth through our operations, including through our work in education, and in many other sectors we are supporting. We appreciate that the declaration today covers various issues including partnerships, entrepreneurship, as well as environment," said Special Senior Advisor to the ADB President Mr. Ayumi Konishi, who also emphasized that the declaration will help guide ADB in advancing efforts to invest in education and empowering youth as key development partners in the region.
"Incheon will further boost its efforts to support youth employment and startups through various policies, such as the establishment of youth policy organization, cluster for startup incubators, funds, and forum for startups," said Vice Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City Mr. Jong Sik Heo. Acting President of the Incheon Tourism Organization Mr. Yong Sik Lee also attended the event.
The declaration highlights several key issues affecting youth employment and the future of work and what several stakeholders including governments, private sector, civil society, multilateral institutions, academe, and the youth themselves can do to address them. These issues include ensuring decent work and inclusion; transitioning from education and training to work; fostering youth entrepreneurship; and preparing for jobs of the future.
Youth delegates from 20 developing member countries of ADB have expressed their commitment in carrying out the efforts outlined in the declaration. Ms. Priscilla Caluag, a delegate from the Philippines, shared that the Asian Youth Forum has given her and other young people from the region a unique opportunity to act in ways beyond their own personal interests but ultimately for the betterment of society.
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VoIP phone systems provide businesses cost cuts while presenting users with an equal array of system features as a traditional landline network.
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) January 15, 2014
It is a bright, new day in the world of telecommunications, and the Voice over Internet Protocol technology (VoIP) is alive and well. VoIP phone systems provide businesses cost cuts while presenting users with an equal array of system features as a traditional landline network.
Business Communication Services recently released an eBook for the purpose of educating businesses regarding this new technology. The eBook covers a spectrum of topics, spanning from the function of the technology to implementation tips and best practices. To view the eBook, click here.
The eBook opens with a discussion of how the Voice over Internet Protocol technology functions. Essentially, while normal phone communications via a landline are sent through an analogue signal, the VoIP technology converts the analogue signal into digital data. This data is then sent over the internet.
VoIP technology also presents numerous advantages for businesses. The technology costs less than a traditional phone system, it is very simple to use, and it is more data efficient. In addition, this revolutionary technology is experiencing more widespread use, resulting in a $65 billion industry in 2012.
The eBook concludes by stating that, "As a business, quality telephone communication is vital to company success," and, "A cost-effective and efficient telephone service is needed on all levels of business." The VoIP technology is an innovative solution, providing less expensive and efficient communication service to the business world.
About BCS, Inc.:
Business Communication Services, Inc. has been serving the Puget Sound, Seattle Metro and North Sound area for over 10 years. Headquartered in Everett, Washington, BCS is a full service PBX and telephone system specialty group providing sales, service, repair and voice and data cable wiring for small, medium, and large business.
2525 Broadway #3003
Everett, WA 98201


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May 21, 2015
WorldPenScan X is an interesting Kickstarted gadget that brings document scanning/OCR functionality and translation to folks on the go.
In hand, it's not nearly as thin as (or much longer than) a regular ballpoint pen at 4.52 x 1.29 x 0.88 inches and under 2 ounces; it looks more like a mid-sized temporal thermometer. It's mostly white, with a hard plastic finishing. The business end (which is initially hidden by a greyish cap) has the image capture hardware assembly, and tapers a bit.
Using the unit first entails pairing it to the host device via Bluetooth. This is accomplished by first downloading the companion WorldPenScan app off of Google Play, and configuring it to find the unit. After that, one has to select WorldPenScan as a current keyboard for it to work. When this is done, the app appears as a notebook-type interface.
Then it's off to use the scanner. I tried it on several different types of text on different surfaces; boxes, books, flyers and the like. Holding the unit close to upright and dragging it along lines of text like one would use a highlighter is the basic idea, with the incorporated arrow helping the user to keep a straight path. If the scan is going a well, a green light shows at the end, and when the drag is stopped, the unit's OCR kicks in and the translated text pops up in the app editor, along with a captured interpretation.
In practice, it is pretty interesting.
I did find it to be useful in several scenarios. Looking for and using attributable text, for instance, can be done on the go. Creating bullet points of underscored info from blocks of information is another use case, and even collecting previously highlighted data. It works as a translator too, which is pretty useful when on foreign isles. On mobile devices, one can switch back and forth between 22 languages, including English, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Dutch and more. The end result is digitized text. It does barcodes, too.
My biggest gripe has to do with the relative rigidity of usage, as it the environment and the item have to be just right to get the most accurate scans. In our usage, I found good lighting and flat surfaces along with an upright device make for the best data capture experiences. The OCR can be temperamental at times, which makes editing a bit more involved. Having to toggle the app as a keyboard every single time is a bit of drag, but not overly so.
When one considers the ease of use in combination with the functionality, it's quite easy to fall in love with this product. It has its quirks, but none so painfully present as to preclude effective usage. At $169.95 (on Amazon), it isn't so expensive that one is tempted to keep it in a safe, either.


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Look up a specific phone number by entering the number into the search field on 411.com or WhitePages.com. Alternatively, find a phone number associated with a person or business by searching for a name and a location.Continue Reading
To find a location, business or individual associated with a specific phone number, select Phone from the search options above the text field on 411.com. Enter the phone number into the search field. The website returns the name of the company or individual and a map showing the location of the company or person for numbers registered within the United States or Canada. On White Pages, select the Phone search option, and enter the phone number in the search field. White Pages returns results for U.S. and Canadian phone numbers. The results page includes a list of similar phone numbers.
To find the phone number of a known individual or address, select the People or Address search option on either website. Enter the name of the individual or an address to find the associated phone number. If you wish to find the phone number for a business, select the Business search option, and enter the name of the business or an associated keyword. Keyword searches return results for all businesses that provide a given service in the specified area.Learn more about Public Records


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'In demand' immigrants will be in Canada within 6 months
With one month left to the launch of a new immigration system that will give skilled immigrants express entry into Canada, the government has made public for the first time the details of the points system it will use to select foreign workers.
While the government is promising the new system will have "in demand" immigrants in Canada within six months, critics have expressed concerns about express entry being akin to a job bank serving government and industry.
Starting Jan. 1, skilled immigrants will be matched with vacant jobs where there are no available Canadian workers. After applying online and registering with the government's job bank, applicants will be entered into a pool. Only the candidates with the most points will be offered permanent residency.
A maximum of 600 points will be given to skilled immigrants who receive a permanent job offer from a Canadian employer or who have been nominated for immigration by a province or territory.
Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said these are the ones that will be "picked first," in a written statement on Monday. He also noted the so-called "first draw" for permanent residency applications is scheduled for the last week of January.
Skilled immigrants will receive up to 1,200 points based on factors in two other categories:
- A maximum of 500 points will be allotted for what the government is calling "core human capital factors" such as age, education level, language proficiency and work experience in Canada.
- A maximum of 100 points will be assigned for "skill transferability factors," which include a combination of education level, foreign work experience and a certificate in the trades.
For instance, a maximum of 110 points will be allotted for age. Only those aged 20 to 29 will receive the maximum points in this category, while those aged 17 and under or 45 and over will obtain zero points.
Similarly, an applicant with the equivalent of a PhD will receive 150 points — the maximum allotted for level of education. Applicants with the equivalent of a high school degree will only receive 30 points.


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Just one throwback thursday this year.
Way back in 1979, record producer Chris Christian released On This Christmas Night, a compilation of Christmas music from artists signed to MCA Songbird. It featured BJ Thomas, Dan Peek (of America fame), BW Stevenson (co-writer and original singer of My Maria), Tennessee Ernie Ford, a very young Amy Grant (she was 19) and several others.
Reba Rambo is also featured on this recording. Reba is a former Dove Award winner who has written songs for Andrae Crouch, Donna Summer and Sandi Patti. She sings an original on this record, The Whole World Is Colored With Love. I'll feature that song and BJ Thomas' God Bless The Children tonight.
Purchase On This Christmas Night
The Whole World Is Colored With Love – Reba Rambo
God Bless The Children – BJ Thomas


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The development of science and technology in Colombia is mainly manifest through the contribution of its scientists to medicine and social sciences, among other fields of knowledge.
One of the most notable scientific contributions was the first external pacemaker, designed in 1958 by Jorge Reynolds, an engineer from Bogotá.
The neurophysiologist Rodolfo Llinás, one of the pioneers in neuroscience, has made important discoveries regarding the functioning of the brain. Currently he is doing important research seeking a cure for cancer based on his theory of water decomposition for which he has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Salomon Hakim, Emilio José Yunis and Manuel Elkin Patarroyo are also internationally known for their contributions to medicine.
Colombia has advanced-technology medical equipment for the diagnosis and timely treatment of all types of pathologies. 16 of them are included in the 45 best hospitals in Latin America in 2011 according to América Economía.
Most scientific research is performed by universities. Over 300 higher education institutions have registered research groups. Studies dealing with global diseases such as malaria, infectious illnesses, leishmaniasis and dengue as well as those dealing with immunology and organ transplant stand out.
The social sciences have looked at drug addiction and violence in Colombian society. In the humanities there are important contributions to linguistics, sociology and philosophy.
Organizations which promote and support scientific and technological research include the Instituto Colombiano para el Desarrollo de la Ciencia (Colciencias - Colombian Institute for the Development of Science), the Asociación Colombiana para el Avance de la Ciencia (ACAC - Colombian Association for the Advancement of Science) and the Observatorio Colombiano de Ciencia y Tecnología (OCyT - Colombian Observatory for Science and Technology).
The creation in 2009 of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies –MINTIC– has advanced the telecommunications infrastructure in the development of hardware, software and applications as well as systems integration and consulting.


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Your Host
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Boston, MA USA
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Blog Entries: 6
Wayne Condo
It's breaking my heart to announce this..
Wayne Condo died whist performing at the Edmonton Festival yesterday..
He was one of our greatest performers with a richness and wealth of experience second to none. He left behind the love of his life, Nanie (an equally exceptional performer) and his two sons, Jackson and Timothy..
We, the street performers and community in Australia are in a deep state of shock right now..
When there will be a service in Melbourne, I will be making the trip down. If anyone wishes to send their condolences I will make sure they are heard by all..
Bless you Wayne for the joy and laughter you brought into our lives. I'll never forget you and will always
miss you..
dom <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Sydney, NSW Australia - Tuesday, July 14, 1998 at 23:59:23 (EDT)
Australian mime dies during Canadian performance
EDMONTON, Alberta (Reuters) - An Australian mime collapsed and died from a massive heart attack during a performance at a Canadian street performers' festival as 300 stunned spectators
watched in horror.
Wayne Condo, a 45-year-old mime from Melbourne, Australia, was midway through his last show late Monday evening at the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival when he
suddenly fell to the ground and lay motionless.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead early Tuesday.
"Initially, people thought it was part of his act. That was their first reaction. As soon as they realized that something was wrong, they tried to resuscitate him,'' said Darka Tarnawsky, a spokeswoman for the festival.
Condo's death jarred the tightly-knit fraternity of eclectic street performers who have gathered for the past 14 years to amaze and amuse Edmonton's residents.
"It's definitely a shock. Nobody knows of something like this ever happening before in a festival. The performers are all dealing with it in their own ways,'' Tarnawsky said.
Condo, who trained as a clown in Paris and was co-founder of the Australian comedy troupe Antebodies, had many friends and admirers.
"He was a great performer and a very personable and warm person, so he really got to know everybody quickly,'' Tarnawsky said.
Festival organizers said they had decided to continue the festival as scheduled and would dedicate a special performance Friday night in Condo's memory.
Jim <firstname.lastname@example.com>
- Wednesday, July 15, 1998 at 16:53:54 (EDT)
Like everyone else who knew him must be right now I too am terribly sad about the passing away of Wayne Condo. He was a lovely man to be around as well as a great inspiration as a truly enthusiastic performer.
I know many of us are in the middle of our busy season, doing lots of shows and hopefully making lots of money, but when you are out there doing your thing try to remember the most important part about performing and life for that matter.
One day we are all going to die and the only thing that can make up for that sad fact is trying to spread as much joy as possible to others while we're still here.
Wayne certainly gave great joy to many others. He will be very missed.
Rex Boyd
London, England - Wednesday, July 22, 1998 at 09:55:05 (EDT)
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Cognicity Challenge has selected 12 companies to take part in its smart city competition for the opportunity to implement innovative solutions in London's Canary Wharf.
The 12 finalists announced today are the first batch of the overall 36 start-ups to compete in the challenge, which seeks novel solutions relying on smart technology to improve life in the district with a focus on integrated transport, sustainable and automated buildings, connected home, integrated resource management and virtual design and construction.
The first 12 competitors will be developing solutions for the integrated transport and sustainable buildings stream of the challenge. For the next 12 weeks, the start-ups, with a little help from experienced technology mentors, will try to implement their ideas while being based right at the heart of Canary Wharf.
"We launched the Cognicity Challenge in order to promote the development of smart cities technology and the interoperability of systems in future cities," said Sir George Iacobescu, chairman and chief executive Officer of Canary Wharf Group. "Welcoming these chosen smart cities start-up companies to Canary Wharf is a natural continuation of the Group's original aim to create the cityscapes of and for the
The six sustainable building competitors include cloud-based intelligent lighting system 8point3, manufacturer of ultra-lightweight and flexible solar panels Solar Cloth, Pavegen, which is developing flooring technology capable of converting kinetic energy from footsteps into renewable electricity and Polysolar, a company seeking to prevent buildings overheating while also generating electricity through their glass technology.
Among the six integrated transport contenders are South African MellowCabs with its on-demand electric mini-cabs, Pie Mapping and Voyage Control, both focused on optimising freight traffic, and intelligent transport technology developers Alchera Technologies and BuzzStreet.
"As the developer of London's original smart city, Canary Wharf Group is delighted to be working with these high-calibre finalist companies to help further develop their products and solutions," said Eric Van der Kleij, Head of Level39 at Canary Wharf. "The winning technologies will be piloted within the existing Canary Wharf estate, with the goal of embedding their solutions into the fabric of the new phase of Canary Wharf."
The best solution in each category will be awarded £50,000. The winning technologies will be tested during a 'pilot phase' starting for the first two streams at the end of April 2015.
The Cognicity Challenge was launched on 21 October 2014 and comprises six streams, two of which - connected homes and virtual design and construction - are still open for applications online.


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The real difference between how men and women think on a first date (VIDEO)
We already know that men and women think about things differently, but what does that mean in terms of a first date?
A stereotypical answer might be that the woman is over-analyzing everything she's doing, while the guy is just looking for ways to steer the date back to his apartment. However, the different sexes are actually much more complex than how they're often portrayed in romantic comedies.
More: People don't like being touched in these places
According to a neurological study that was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, men's and women's brains are definitively different in terms of problem-solving. Researchers looked at over 1,000 adolescent brains and found that male brains are more connected within the two hemispheres, whereas female brains are more connected across them. What that means is that men have excellent motor skills (perhaps why they're so good at video games and parallel parking) while women excel at analytical thinking. So in first date terms, that means we should always pick the restaurant while our male dates park the car, right?
Another way to think about this is that men are more active in how they think, whereas women are more thoughtful or reactive. Let's see if BuzzFeed took these proven differences into consideration when they made this video on how differently guys and girls think on dates.
Well look at that, they went with the classic brain reversal for comedic effect! Here, the guy is the one who's overly concerned with how well or poorly the date is going, while the girl only has room for one thought in her brain — how badly her feet hurt.
More: 6 Major turn-offs we face all too often on first dates
It's actually pretty refreshing to see a guy freaking out about a first date possibly crashing and burning for once. Sure, they're both invested in the date going well, but he takes full responsibility for not having a back-up plan when the initial movie idea backfires. Meanwhile, for her, it seems to be all about finding a place very close by where she can sit down and stop thinking about foot pain. I'm sure anyone who's made a bad first date shoe choice empathizes.
However, at the end of the day (or date), we're all similarly neurotic when it comes to making a good impression on someone we like no matter how our brains are wired. Case in point, this second dating video also by BuzzFeed exhibiting guys getting ready for a date versus girls. And before you watch it, yes, we all change outfits a million times before leaving the house to meet someone for the first time.
More: The ingenious way this runner used the Chicago Marathon to get a date