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Imagine lifting sea degrees due to climatic alteration, the supplanting of 1000000s, the devastation of animate beings, their home grounds and ecosystems. Imagine 1000000s of people populating in Sub Saharan Africa yielding to famine and famishment as a consequence of clime alteration. However far fetched this may look, we are now populating in a universe characterised by utmost climatic alterations as a consequence of the effects of planetary heating ( Environmental Defence Fund, 2010 ) .
Indeed, utmost climatic conditions such as frequent drouths, inundations every bit good as hurricanes impact more on some states whilst their ability to battle these impacts are limited ( Fritz, 2010 ) . Previous surveies posit that the phenomenon of clime alteration can be attributed, in the chief, to the activities of world who are the primary subscribers to the sum of nursery gas emitted ( IPCC, 2007 ) . Harmonizing to Makombe ( 1994 ) , cosmopolitan policies need to be implemented in order to guarantee the activities of people are under control and do non go on to damage the clime. Therefore, the issues of clime alteration have become topical in many societies in modern-day times, but there is demand to bring forth more cognition about the major effects and causes of clime alterations such as planetary heating.
A holistic attack has to be taken in an effort to battle this menace to the clime. In kernel, there is a demand to recognize that preservation of the environment and development are both necessary to human life but are besides mutualist. It can be seen from this statement that preservation of the environment can non disregard the demands of the human existences while development undertakings by people that ignore the bounds of the environment will be bound to failure ( Gore, 2006 ) . There is need to make a all right balance between the activities of human existences and the demand to keep a safe environment. Such a holistic attack may be hard to achieve but it is necessary every bit far as understating the negative impacts of human activities on clime are concerned.
This paper hence seeks to critically analyze the construct of clime alteration and its impact on the public assistance of people. The paper begins with a reappraisal of published literature related to the subject country. The majority of the literature centres on the construct of planetary heating, which is cardinal to the phenomenon of clime alteration. The paper will besides try to analyze the critical factors that contribute to climatic alteration and its impact on the environment. This is followed by a critical analysis of the conflicting sentiments about the effects of planetary heating and possible solutions. Although some scientists argue that there may be some benefits of planetary heating, which is normally referred to as clime alteration, the statement is presented that it has more inauspicious effects given the potency for injury to worlds and their wellness. In order to to the full understand effects of this phenomenon, there is demand to set up the extent to which the Earth is warming, the period it has been warming and the causes of this heating.
Why focal point on planetary heating and clime alteration?
Global heating and clime alteration are issues of planetary importance, which relate to our environment and hence can no longer be ignored. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) , 2007 study argues that planetary heating is go oning and will go on to go on for centuries if no steps are put in topographic point to extenuate its impacts. The study besides states that 90 % of human activity has been the primary cause of increasing temperatures over the past few decennaries. Human existences connexion with the Earth has frequently been disruptive where their activities are in struggle with the planet 's ecological system ensuing in intense alterations peculiarly in the clime. Gore ( 2006:8 ) provinces that, " In every corner of the globe- on land and in H2O, in runing ice and in vanishing snow, during heat moving ridges and drouths, in eyes of hurricanes and in cryings of refugees- the universe is witnessing mounting and undeniable grounds that nature 's rhythms are deeply altering. "
Gore ( 2006 ) goes on to reason that unless brave steps are put in topographic point to cover with the human causes of planetary heating, awful catastrophes will happen both in the Atlantic and the Pacific parts that will be far more annihilating than hurricane Katrina. Global heating is now considered a great job everyplace that jeopardises prolonging our being and that of future coevalss. Yet it may non be excessively late to salvage the environment and proverbially draw the planet back from the threshold. The solution in extenuating the terrible impacts of planetary warming prevarications in people across the Earth taking stairss to recognize the awful effects of planetary heating and stoping inappropriate human activities.
What is Global heating?
Global heating can be defined as the warming of the planet as a consequence of inordinate temperature generated from nursery gas emanations, such as C dioxide, into the ambiance, which trap heat doing additions in temperature ( Brown, 1996 ) . Solar radiation base on ballss through the Earth 's ambiance and around 50 % is absorbed by the Earth 's surface whilst some reflects off the ambiance and returns to infinite. Upon come ining the Earth 's atmosphere the solar radiation is converted to heat energy and emitted back into the ambiance. Some base on ballss out into infinite and more is absorbed by nursery gas molecules and re-emitted. The greater the measure of nursery gases that are in the ambiance the greater the sum of heat energy absorbed. Human activity has resulted in changeless additions in temperature in the last 100 old ages ( National Geographic, ( 2007 ) .
Another factor, which increases the Earth 's temperature, is the emanation of Chlorofluorocarbons ( CFCs ) . CFC 's have damaged the Earth 's Ozone shield, which protects us from the Sun 's harmful extremist violet beams come ining our ambiance. This ultimately increases temperatures and farther exacerbates planetary heating ( de Gruijl, 1995 ) .
Some scientists argue that the addition in temperature is merely the consequence of a natural climatic accommodation which is a normal alteration in the way of increased temperature. However, a figure of research information has shown that there has been an add-on to normal alterations in clime. Carbon dioxide is necessarily emitted into the ambiance when dodo fuels such as coal, natural gas or oil are burned to bring forth energy. Through combustion of fossil fuels and other Green House Gas emanations, world is heightening the nursery consequence and warming the Earth ( IPCC, 2007 ) .
Scientists frequently use the term clime alteration alternatively of planetary heating ( National Geographic, ( 2007 ) . This is because the rise in the Earth 's mean temperature rises causes the ocean currents to alter the manner they move the heat around the Earth with the consequence that some countries are cooled whilst others are warmed. Consequently, alterations in the form and sum of rain and snow falling in different parts of the Earth occurs. Therefore, the clime alterations otherwise in different countries.
The human impact and effects of planetary clime alteration
The facts suggest that the procedures by which we conduct our concern are holding a damaging consequence on the Earth 's wellness systems that make this planet habitable. Mankind has the power to alter 'Mother Nature ' structurally and this inappropriate class of action may be impossible to change by reversal ( Fisher, 1992:8 ) . Cardinal to our apprehension of the environmental issues is the demand to recognize the complexness of the jobs and the relationship between the environmental and the other demands in our society. Therefore, planetary heating is cardinal to the issue and provides insight into how we can be knowing about commanding emanations of C dioxide.
Some of the universe 's prima scientists are now positive that pollution is responsible for climatic alteration or planetary heating and is doing amendss to the ozone bed. Whilst planetary heating and ozone depletion are two separate jobs, they are nevertheless linked because they are caused by the human pollutants which left un-policed over clip has the possible to make black jobs for the planet ( Gribbin, 1988 ) .
Harmonizing to Clayton ( 2000 ) , over the last 100 old ages, mean planetary temperatures have increased by around half of one grade and can be attributed to human pollutants, which are perilously impacting the Earth 's clime. He argues as temperatures climb, the Arctic will go a warmer topographic point, and in a really short period the clime and vegetable zones will be pushed 100s of stat mis to the north The hottest twelvemonth on record was recorded in 1998, this had a black consequence on the universes refugees and for the first clip the Numberss exiled by war had been upstaged by those seeking to get away natural catastrophes, Clayton ( 2000 ) .
Global heating has the possible to impact to a great extent on human existences, with the devastation of home ground and cause famishment and famine straight ensuing from extended periods of drouth. It will besides impact negatively on the eco systems of our planet. Climate alteration will impact people 's wellness both straight and indirectly. For illustration, heat emphasis and other heat related wellness jobs are caused straight by really warm temperatures and high humidness. Indirectly, ecological perturbations, air pollution, alterations in nutrient and H2O supplies, and coastal implosion therapy are all illustrations of possible impacts that will impact human wellness.
Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration province the ocean 's upper bed has been found to be well warmer since 1993, which indicates a strong clime alteration displacement. The study besides points out that the first one-fourth of 2010 has been the warmest on record for mean earth temperatures and underpins America 's demand to get down in its readiness for version and extenuation steps in battling clime alteration ( Scott, 2010 ) .
The United States Environment Protection Agency ( EPA ) province that the seas have risen by 6 to 8 inches over the last century. As temperatures rise balls of ice interruption off and fall into the sea displacing an sum of H2O equal in size and weight to the iceberg, thereby lifting the sea small by small ( Brain, 2010 ) . Therefore, planetary heating is besides capable of doing a rise in the sea degree which can ensue in the supplanting of people populating in countries below sea degree.
Therefore, it has been demonstrated that we have negatively affected our environment by a rhythm of harmful procedures that now seem to be inextricably responsible for an addition in the harm to our ecosystem. If we continue on the way of industrial growing aligned with a refusal to pay attending to the effects of our actions as a manner of nurturing ourselves, so it would look we are on a unsafe hit class with the ecology of the planet and its exposed make-up ( Gore 2006 ) . More than 2000 of the universe 's prima clime scientists who report to the Inter-Governmental Panel of Climate Change ( IPCC ) have predicted that if we fail to take action, planetary temperatures may increase by up to 3.5 grades Celsius by 2100 ( Clayton 2000 ) . This would intend that the sea degree would lift by between 13cm and 95cm which have ruinous effects on the planetary clime.
" The planetary additions in C dioxide concentration are due chiefly to fossil fuel usage and land usage alteration, while those of methane and azotic oxide are chiefly due to agriculture " ( IPCC, 2007: 2 ) The IPCC straight relate fossil fuels, land alteration and agricultural gases as the three chief constituents of C dioxide emanations and accordingly a rise in the Earth 's temperatures. It can be noted that since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the Earth has already been demoing many marks of world-wide clime alteration ( United Nations News, 2007 ) . IPCC, ( 2007 ) . Report states that over the last 400 old ages, the warmest have been the last 20 and that of the last 12, 11 have been the hottest over the last 150 old ages. The nursery gases have a inclination of inspissating the thin bed of the ambiance which consequences in caparison of a batch of heat energy that would otherwise flight into the atmosphere under normal fortunes. Consequently the Earth and the seas are acquiring heater. As the oceans get warmer, storms get stronger which lead to powerful hurricanes. " A turning figure of scientific surveies are corroborating that the warmer H2O in the top bed of the ocean can drive more convection energy to fuel more powerful hurricanes " , ( Gore 2006: 80 ) .
Gore ( 2006 ) suggests that it is apparent in the universe around us that really dramatic alterations are taking topographic point. For case, Mount Kilimanjaro will hold no more snow on its mountain in the following 10 old ages ( BBC, 2001 ) . It was covered with snow and glaciers at its top but in 2005, Dr Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University who is the universe 's taking expert on mountain glaciers predicted that there will be no more snows at Kilimanjaro within 10 old ages. The Glacier National Park in the USA, which used to be a tourer attractive force is another good illustration where all the glaciers have improbably vanished due to warm clime conditions.
Lissner, ( 2009 ) , suggests that the effects of clime alteration poses the greatest menace to humanity in assorted ways across the Earth. Global heating in this respect is non merely about the Earth acquiring heaters but with more climatic alterations being experienced, more utmost conditions conditions such as drouths, torrential rains, inundations and heat moving ridges have been predicted ( Brown 1996 ) . Over a 30 twelvemonth period, drouths, heat moving ridges and inundations have tripled and all are seemingly attributable to climate alteration ( Friends of the Earth, 1998 ) . For case, 1998 was a twelvemonth of utmost conditions conditions on a terrorization graduated table where Canada experienced its worst ice storm in populating history, forest fires destroyed parts of Mexico and Indonesia, deluging in Eastern Russia left 50,000 homeless and July was declared the hottest month in the universe history ( Clayton 2000 ) .
Furthermore, climatic alteration due to planetary heating that consequences in lifting planetary sea degrees due to inordinate temperatures carries most hazard for people populating in low lying coastal countries such as South Asia and Africa since they are susceptible to deluging and drawn-out drouths. It is feared that low lying countries like Bangladesh may be drowned and other coastal countries in different parts of the universe may besides be affected.
Harmonizing to Lissner ( 2009 ) , many people depend on rice for their nutrient demands. However, this works is really sensitive and reacts rapidly to temperature alterations. Any addition in temperature by about a grade would ensue in a diminution of production of about 10 per centum, which negatively impacts on the nutrient demands for different people. For case, the drouths caused by El Nino in assorted parts of the universe had negative effects particularly in rice bring forthing states such as South East Asia. It is besides suggested in this study that Asian Development Bank warned that rice production in the Philippines could drop by more that 50 % every bit early as 2020 if the tendency in climatic alterations continues. This will negatively impact on the public assistance of the people who will hold less nutrient ingestion.
" Major impacts of clime alteration will be on rain fed harvests ( other than rice and wheat ) , which account for about 60 % of cropland country. In India poorest husbandmans pattern rain fed
agribusiness, " ( Chattopadhyay, 2008 ) . Infrastructure needs to be put in topographic point which supports irrigation undertakings in the event of drawn-out periods of dry conditions due to climate alteration.
Climatic alteration besides affects works and carnal life. Unexpected alterations in temperature can besides impact the endurance of fish. Ocean acidification, which is caused by the soaking up of anthropogenetic CO2 emanations is doing the upper bed of the ocean to warm, accordingly damaging the ecosystems of the seas thereby impacting negatively on fish stocks ( Caldeira, & A ; Wickett, 2003 ) . Many people across the Earth survive on fish for their protein demands. In add-on, In many states, the fishing industry provides employment and security for the supports of legion people inside and outside of the industry. A bead in fish gimmicks in the less nutrient secure states would hold lay waste toing effects for the people.
It can besides be seen that clime alteration leads to desertification as a consequence of waterless conditions that would predominate. Harsh desert conditions do non back up works life, which in bend supports human life, and hence the negative impact on human public assistance is a drastic decrease in nutrient production. In waterless conditions, rain formation is reduced thereby ensuing in a deficiency of H2O for the production of nutrient through agribusiness.
Land debasement occurs in waterless, semi arid and dry bomber humid conditions. The factors taking to set down debasement include reduced precipitation, increased vaporization and the activities of world, increased ingestion, irrigation and industry ( World Development Report, 2008 ) . Much of the universe 's deforestation stems from the clearance and combustion of flora for building intents in developing states whose populations are disproportionately increasing. Overgrazing in the yesteryear was non an issue as the animate beings were left free to crop and people would follow. However, today people have nutrient and they settle and the animate beings are penned in with the effect of overgrazing and desertification.
A farther factor, which leads to desertification, is the glade and usage of fringy or mean land that should be left to fallow and refill. The devastation of workss in waterless parts leads to desertification. People cut down the trees to utilize as fuel and one time they are gone there is nil left to protect the workss, which turn to dust and are blown off. Incorrect irrigation techniques besides lead to desertification. In poorer parts, canals are used due to the deficiency of H2O, which can do a physique up of salt in the dirt ( Collins C, 2001 ) .
Forests and flora in general provide major C sinks for the soaking up of CO2, nevertheless when they are destroyed the CO2 is released back to the ambiance fostering clime alteration. The tropical rain forests are improbably diverse and are home to more than 50 % of the universe 's species. However, many of these fantastic animals are pushed to extinction without of all time being discovered by scientific discipline. Although, the figures are arguable, it is estimated that someplace in the part of 80,000 estates of forest are degraded every individual twenty-four hours and with them the life that evolved within. Once these woods are felled, they release the CO2 back to the ambiance ( Butler, 2006 ) .
Climate alteration will act upon nutrient security, handiness, handiness, and the effectual usage of nutrient and nutrient systems. Health, belongings, production of nutrient and webs for distribution, and besides impacting markets and the ability to buy will all be degraded by the alteration in clime ( Food and Agriculture Organisation, 2008 ) . If climate alteration continues unbridled, drought and dearth may good be the norm on future Earth. Therefore, clime alteration is a sedate menace to the wellness of humanity. Developing states with exceptionally high temperatures are likely to be more affected than those that are developed. Disaster readiness programmes have to be put in topographic point so as to undertake terrible menaces to human life caused by alterations in the clime.
Conversely, other scientists are of the sentiment that the effects of planetary heating in themselves are non far making as widely believed and as illustrated below argue that there are some advantages of planetary heating, which must non be overlooked since they have positive benefits to human life. It is suggested that planetary heating is chiefly responsible for making a all right balance in the ecosystem since warm temperatures are more ideal for growing of life.
Disadvantages and advantages of planetary heating
Many scientists have concluded that planetary heating will go on into the foreseeable hereafter and will go on to impact negatively on humanity. However, other claim that that planetary heating is non entirely attributable to human activity and it has some positive advantages that can be positively harnessed for prosperity of human public assistance. Therefore, Tables 1 below summarises the disadvantages and advantages of planetary heating which is tantamount to planetary climatic alteration ( Rosenberg, 2010 ) .
Table 1: Advantages and Disadvantages of Climate Change
Disadvantages of Climate Change:
Advantages of Climate Change:
Free motion of the seas can be disrupted doing possible alterations to climate.
Higher seas will deluge the Lowlandss doing decease and disease.
Drought, desertification.
Agro alteration taking to loss in nutrient production.
Loss of H2O in H2O vulnerable zones.
Hunger, undernourishment, and decease due to nutrient and harvest decrease.
Intense and more frequently lay waste toing weather systems.
Addition in disease in adult male and animate beings.
More heat moving ridges.
More extinction of flora, animate beings and ecosystems.
Destruction of flora and carnal places.
Migration from the hapless parts to the wealthier states.
Energy ingestion will increase to remain cool.
Air pollution will turn.
Asthma rates will lift due to the early flower of workss.
The underlying stone and dirt will run in the Polar Regions which could take to avalanches and stone slides.
Glacial and ice sheet loss.
Historical edifices will gnaw faster due to utmost conditions.
Addition in acerb rain.
Forest fires due to drying out of woods.
Insurance additions in costs and claims.
All of the above will impact negatively on human aggression taking to higher incidence of force.
Frozen parts of the Earth may acquire milder climes and accordingly new works life will turn.
The possibility of another ice age may be reduced.
New sea transition in the North of Canada.
Less clothing-warmer temperatures. Less energy usage.
Less mortality due to hypothermia.
Increased crops due to drawn-out turning seasons in some topographic points.
Less weight on mountains without snow and ice agencies they can mount higher.
Low lying islands will discontinue to be disputed over.
( Rosenberg, 2010 )
Regardless of all the negative studies from conservationists about planetary heating, there are some grounds to observe if the Earth gets warmer. Some research workers have studied and documented the bright side of planetary warming clime. Thomas Gale Moore ( N.D ) , an economic expert at Stanford University 's Hoover Institute, in his book entitled 'Climate of Fear: Why We Should n't Worry about Global Warming, ' ( 2005 ) suggests that heater clime has assorted advantages to humankind and depict many ways that warmer conditions helps human existences in all countries of life. One of Moore 's ( 2005 ) averments is that winters in many parts of the Earth have posed a greater menace to worlds than summers have. In most instances, temperatures in winter would hit highly lower degrees that would ensue in unprecedented deceases.
It footings of agricultural productiveness, highly cold winters mean limited production, which in bend agencies hungriness and famishment in some parts of the Earth. As a consequence of planetary heating, a heater clime would positively impact on agricultural productiveness ( Moore, 2005 ) . Warmer conditions frequently means a longer turning season and this increases end product. There would be an addition in rainfall and the hazard of harvest failure would diminish as a consequence of shorter cold winters. Winter cropping in some parts of the Sub Saharan universe flourishes under warm conditions, which help debar menaces of nutrient deficits. Global heating may alter the universe in many ways since it would advance all twelvemonth unit of ammunition cropping seasons which will assist better the nutrient state of affairs particularly in developing states. However, there is still need for people to move within sensible bounds that would non do terrible injury to the ecosystem since warming of the Earth is likely to back up growing and production in many ways. Moore concurs with the averment that " there 's no ground to believe that warm conditions is bad. "
To a certain extent, it can be argued that there are some benefits of planetary heating to humankind. However the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. As discussed earlier climate alteration will negatively impact on so many degrees of our being. If we fail to move by extenuating and accommodating clime alteration so it looks like the deductions could be terrorizing.
The insurance industry is perchance one large sector that is already experiencing the unmistakable impact of planetary heating on the economic system ( Gore, 2006 ) . Already we have seen insurance companies increasing their monetary values as they try to extenuate the losingss they incurred already in the 2009- 2010 due to the utmost winter conditions conditions endured by Europe.
Responses to Global Warming at Individual, Corporate, Government and Global Levels
Twenty old ages after the find that Chlorofluorocarbons were destructing the protective ozone bed, the international community acted to eliminate them ( Fisher, 1992 ) . The industrial advancement presently determining the modern-day universe would propose a wholly different universe will emerge in the following century if nursery gas emanations are non controlled.
Individual societal duty
Every individual on the planet will be affected by planetary warming therefore we have a function to play when it comes to commanding nursery gas emanations. Some of these steps are outlined in Table 2.
Table 2 – Individual controls of nursery gas emanations
Reducing our waste.
Use reclaimable merchandises as opposed to disposable.
Recycle waste paper, tins, bottles etc.
Governments are supplying grants to instill us into insulating our places decently in order to forestall heat loss and accordingly utilize less energy to heat our places.
Use energy efficient visible radiation bulbs.
Use the auto less frequently, walk, motorcycle, public conveyance.
When it comes to replacing merchandises look for the energy efficient merchandise.
Take shorter showers, use less hot H2O.
Turn off the visible radiations when go forthing the room.
Unplug Television, wirelesss etc when traveling to bed.
Plant a tree or two.
Energy audits can inform you where you are losing energy.
Encourage others to acquire involved in C footmark consciousness programmes
Many co-workers in different administrations operate auto pool schemes ; this construct has benefits in cost decrease for participants and the environment.
( West, 2010 ) .
Corporate societal duty of concern
The private enterprises taken by the corporate universe by unifying the socio-environmental paradigms within the model of their strategic ends and visions helps the companies to lend greatly towards environmental preservations and societal issues which have considerable impact on sustainable development ( Chanda, 2002 ) The procedure of globalisation has besides raised the pertinent issues of corporate societal duties of planetary concerns that are working in developing economic systems who need to be more proactive towards the socially relevant issues. 'Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ) , defined in footings of the reactivity of concerns to stakeholders ' legal, ethical, societal and environmental outlooks, is one result of these developments ' ( UNIDO, 2002 ) .
The Corporate concern universe needs to perpetrate to understating its impact on planetary heating. There are a figure ways in which they can accomplish this, for illustration, by mensurating the green house gas it is breathing, by puting marks for C decrease within each office. This would intend a alteration in work patterns, cutting down on paper, a decrease in air travel, recycle waste and usage picture and teleconferencing more frequently.
Governments ' enterprises
All authoritiess need to suggest regulative guidelines for preservation and saving of environment through rigorous steps. The United Kingdom has taken the first measure and introduced the Climate Change Act of 2008, which has committed the UK lawfully to cut downing its CO2 emanations. A model to better its ain adaptability mechanism has besides been put in topographic point to battle the effects of clime alteration ( Defra, 2008 ) . It has laid down clearly definable land regulations and Torahs for the decrease of nursery gas emanations and other steps in topographic point to extenuate and accommodate to the clime alteration with composure and in corporate witting consciousness. The lone thing that makes companies take environmental duty earnestly is authorities ordinance ( Dummett, 2006 ) .While cuts in the emanation of nursery gases is an highly welcome measure, the demand to instill wonts that promote environment saving in the mundane modus operandi of the common individual must go critical portion of authorities enterprises.
Global Strategy for decrease of CO2 emanations
The Kyoto Protocol became a legal entity in February 2005. Its primary end is to cut down the sums of nursery gas emitted by developed and developing states by enforcing marks ( BBCNews, 2005 ) . Greenhouse gases can help in the ordinance of the Earth 's temperature. The industrial universe 's economic growing engine has allowed indiscriminate sums of CO2 to come in the ambiance holding an inauspicious consequence on the planet 's temperature accordingly taking to extreme conditions conditions ( Cool the Earth, 2008 ) . However, in the last decennary most of the states that signed up to Kyoto produced more emanations than of all time and more alarmingly, some of the chief advocators e.g. Canada and Japan have increased their emanations by 22 % and 13 % severally, ( Zittel and Treber, 2003 ) .
In 1997, following the release of the 2nd IPCC study universe leaders met at Kyoto. Their focal point seemed more inclined towards version instead than cuts. Tree seting along with other types of flora was suggested as one manner in taking CO2 from the ambiance. Restrictions to this program were shortly realised when it transpired they would necessitate immense piece of lands of land. The net benefits of this strategy would be far outweighed by the sum of CO2 emitted to originate the strategy ( Lohmann, 1999 ; Houghton, 2004 ) .
The trading of C credits is another strategy Kyoto discussed. Each state would be given a mark emanations bound and fundamentally it could sell its fresh credits to the bigger defilers. These markets were considered controversial and would do small difference to extenuating CO2 degrees ( Hobbs, 2005 ) . Lohmann ( 2001 ) argues that Kyoto did non undertake the existent issues of planetary heating, which basically involves the surcease of fossil fuels use. The major challenge, harmonizing to the UN study in 2007, is that few states are prepared to drastically cut their dodos fuel uses that are necessary to hold climate alteration ( IPCC, 2007 ) .
In decision, it can be noted that the climatic alteration is a topical issue that is debated globally. Global heating is caused by the inordinate indiscriminate nursery gas emanations caught in the ambiance and caparison heat energy deflected from the Earth. Research has shown that the industrial and domestic activities of human existences peculiarly with the usage of fossil fuels are the major subscribers in the emanation of nursery gases. The relationship between world and the Earth has frequently been seen as ruinous where the activities of work forces are clashing with the planet 's ecological system ensuing in utmost alterations peculiarly in the clime.
The polar caps are runing, the seas are lifting, upwind systems are altering, and the orbiters have the images. More typhoons, hurricanes, cyclones, of a greater strength and frequence will be experienced. Longer periods of drouth will impact on H2O security. Desertification will increase, impacting on the ability to bring forth adequate nutrient for an of all time spread outing population. All of the above constitute important grounds why CO2 emanations need to be mitigated. Although strictly bad, could inertia be a subscriber to why we have executed so small to halt what will, about surely, be a incubus for many, more so in the underdeveloped universe and non of their devising ( Greenhouse Gas, 2010 ) .
Despite the suggestion by some research workers suggest that there are some benefits of planetary heating to the world, the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. Climate alteration will impact negatively on the public assistance of the human existences in many ways as noted from the treatment above. The effects of clime alteration may be slow paced but the deductions will be far making if we continue to prosecute an eternal economic growing policy in which the Earth is a tool for us to loot. Merely a globally concerted attempt by all states on this planet can travel a long manner in understating the terrible impacts of this ruinous phenomenon, which is endangering to steep us one and all.
At the minute we seem distracted by the planetary fiscal crisis and small else. It would look that the planetary economic systems of the universe soon have one thing on their heads, economic growing and subsequent flight from recession. Economic growing ( mass high ingestion ) will take us out of recession but it is dubious that it will take us out of planetary heating.
" The epoch of cunctation, of half steps, of comforting and perplexing expedients of hold are coming to a stopping point. In its topographic point, we are come ining a period of effects. " Winston Churchill ( Greenhouse gas, 2010 ) .


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One Way To Manage Christmas Morning
I don't know what Christmas morning is like in your house, but with three little kids (all under the age of six) in our house, it's about two clicks past chaos. I think last year we opened every gift and were well into our first mental breakdown by 7am.
To be honest, the chaos is part of what makes Christmas with little kids fun. Any parent who loves their children finds great joy in waking up early with their kids and watching them tear through presents. I love experiencing this through the eyes of my children each year.
What I think has been lacking in my home these past few years has NOT been fun, but intentionality.
Christmas morning is a crucial spiritual formation opportunity to be capitalized on with my family. I want to be flexible and have fun, but this year I also want to manage Christmas morning with more intentionality. Here's what I'll be doing:
1. Wake up at o'dark thirty to open gifts.
My kids have been staring at these gifts for weeks, so we're still going to start with gifts and probably well before the sun comes up. The mere fact that anything is still wrapped is a win in my book. We'll rip wrapping paper and tear through boxes with bleary eyes that probably need at least two more hours of sleep. We will try and take pictures of the chaos…this never goes well, but we'll do our best.
2. Remember the greater Gift we celebrate in Jesus.
This is the most important piece. We want our kids to know that Christmas is about more than gifts. We have fun with and teach our kids that Santa is pretend, but want to be clear that Santa is not the center of our Christmas celebration.
Christmas is about Jesus, the Son of God, breaking into human history as a baby that would become a man and reverse the deadly effects sin had set in motion.
There are a number of ways to do this as a family. We will open The Jesus Storybook Bible and read the story of Jesus' birth and thank God for the great gift that He's given us in Jesus. What matters is that we open a Bible, remember the story, and celebrate Jesus.
3. Eat an epic breakfast.
This is a family tradition. In my house growing up and now in my house with my family we eat a big breakfast on Christmas morning. We talk about gifts, tell stories, and take our time together as a family.
4. Play. Play. Play.
The rest of our day is filled with the inevitable building and enjoyment of whatever toys we've given our kids. We leave lots of space. We don't rush off anywhere. We lay around in our pajamas and play the day away.
Don't get me wrong. There will be multiple meltdowns…some of those will most likely be mine. Our kids will fidget while we read the Christmas story. There will most likely be complaints about something at breakfast. Our kids will not be as grateful as they could be. There will be conflicts to be managed. All this happens and will happen every year. This year I simply want to start being more intentional and invite you to do the same. Let's capitalize on this crucial celebration and enjoy Jesus and our families.

subset: commoncrawl


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When I brought in my chiliplantor in the fall so I cut them down because they wouldn't take so much space. I then took the opportunity to take some cuttings from some of the plants.
Now the cuttings grown into himself and some of them put flowers and blooms. They are no Giants yet but it's not supposed to be there at this time of year.
The pictures are the kinds Dorset naga, Habanero Lemon and Bellaforma now stands in 1,5 liter rose pots, they will soon get a little bigger pots and a new nutritious Earth. They have been under a fluorescent light with color 840.
Here you can see how I take my cuttings. Click here!


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Jackson flirts with no-no as Padres sweep Giants
SAN DIEGO -- Edwin Jackson took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his Padres debut Sunday against the Giants, paving the way for a 5-3 San Diego victory and a three-game series sweep.
"He was outstanding," said Padres manager Andy Green. "Good mix, slider was really good, mixing the curveball later on."View Full Game Coverage
SAN DIEGO -- Edwin Jackson took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his Padres debut Sunday against the Giants, paving the way for a 5-3 San Diego victory and a three-game series sweep.
"He was outstanding," said Padres manager Andy Green. "Good mix, slider was really good, mixing the curveball later on."View Full Game Coverage
Conor Gillaspie broke up the no-no and the shutout in the top of the seventh inning with a pinch-hit, three-run homer. The Giants managed several runners throughout Jackson's outing thanks to five walks and a pair of San Diego errors, but Gillaspie's 402-foot blast to right field finally got the Giants in the hit column and ended Jackson's day.
"For me he was lights-out today," Green said. "You hate to see it end the way it did, where he was coming out after a home run giving up the one hit. But he gave us an opportunity to win a game and sweep the series. He was exactly what we needed."
• Jackson makes statement in Padres debut
Video: SF@SD: Jackson gets ovation after losing no-hit bid
San Francisco starter Johnny Cueto threw a season-low five innings for just the second time this year and allowed four runs, including solo homers in the fourth from Matt Kemp and Christian Bethancourt. It marked the first time all season that San Francisco lost consecutive games started by the top three members of its rotation -- Cueto, Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija.
• Cueto bothered by illness, side pain vs. Padres
Each starter allowed a pair of home runs to the Padres in this series.
"It's just a little rough patch," Giants catcher Buster Posey said. "It's going to happen from time to time. We know what these guys have been for us the first half of this year."
The 'pen? No problem: The late-game trio of Brad Hand, Ryan Buchter and Brandon Maurer entered Sunday's game with a combined ERA of 1.96 dating back to June 16. They continued that success Sunday after combining for 2 2/3 shutout innings to stave off the Giants and ensure the win for Jackson and the Padres.
Video: SF@SD: Maurer retires Span, earns the save
"They all were great; they all were still very sharp on the third day of work," Green said, adding that he didn't want to have to go to any of them Sunday. "Brad Hand has one of the most resilient arms I've ever been around, so no issue with him. All three guys, when I checked in with them earlier in the day, they all felt great, ready to go. I think the break refreshed them. Their stuff was very crisp."
Costly fumble: Gillaspie's homer was partially set up by Jackson's fielding error on Gregor Blanco's one-out comebacker. Jackson simply dropped the ball, enabling Blanco to reach base safely. Had Jackson fielded the ball cleanly and made the play, he would have had an easier time escaping the inning with his no-hit bid intact.
"The simple things -- the half a second taking your eye off the ball before you get it all the way in the glove," Jackson said. "It's one of those plays that you sit back and look at it like, 'You know, if I catch that, maybe things go a little differently.' You keep the momentum in your favor. But nevertheless, great team effort. We were able to come back and tack on another run or so and finish a great series."
Video: SF@SD: Blanco reaches on Jackson's error
After Ramiro Pena walked, Gillaspie capitalized by pulling a 3-1 fastball into the right-field stands.
"For me, personally, obviously it's a little easier to stay loose when it's warm like that," Gillaspie said, referring to the first-pitch temperature of 78 degrees. "It felt good, obviously, but I wish we could have mustered a few more runs at the end."
Loving the long ball: Kemp and Bethancourt's shots in the fourth gave the Padres a boost in backing Jackson's stellar San Diego debut. With those home runs, the Padres have now homered in a franchise-best 15 straight games. The previous high of 14 games came during the 1998 season from July 14 through July 29.
"[Cueto] got me off-balance [in my first at-bat]," Bethancourt said. "I had to double-tap to get my timing ready. But in the second one I was just looking for a ball over the plate. I was basically not worrying about what he does over there, just be ready for the pitch."
Video: SF@SD: Bethancourt belts a solo homer in the 4th
Limp offense: Pena's ninth-inning single was the only hit the Giants produced besides Gillaspie's homer. For the series, they hit a meager .204 (21-for-103), including .125 (3-for-24) with runners in scoring position.
"We've got to reboot and reset," Bochy said. "... We had the right guys up there with a couple of guys on base. We just couldn't get it done."
"He was great. Swung the bat, drove in a run, had two hits, on base three times. I think by the end of it he was gassed. He gave us everything he had and was outstanding." -- Green on Jackson
Video: SF@SD: Green on Jackson's impressive performance
Before having his no-hit bid broken up in the seventh, Jackson was on pace for an eerily similar game to his no-hitter with the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 25, 2010. On that day, he no-hit the Rays while walking eight batters and striking out six on 149 pitches.
The Giants avoided a double play when they challenged a second-inning ruling that declared Pena out at first base. The call was overturned after a replay review.
Video: SF@SD: Pena safe at first after call overturned
The Padres challenged a force at first base in the top of the third inning after Brandon Belt was called safe on a potential inning-ending double play. After a review, officials determined that the original safe call on the field stands.
Video: SF@SD: Padres challenge Belt being safe, call stands
The Giants also sought fan interference on a sixth-inning play in which right fielder Gregor Blanco thought he had a chance to snare a foul fly, but after a review, the call on the field was confirmed.
Video: SF@SD: Giants challenge foul ball, call confirmed
Giants: San Francisco will bask in a scheduled off-day Monday before beginning a two-game series against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. It'll be the Giants' first series at Boston's Fenway Park since 2007, and it will end their stretch of 29 consecutive games against sub-.500 teams.
Padres: Christian Friedrich starts Monday's first game of a four-game series in St. Louis against the Cardinals. Friedrich matches up against Mike Leake and will attempt to lower his 4.50 ERA at 5:15 p.m PT.
Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.
Carlos Collazo is a reporter for MLB.com based in San Diego. Follow him on Twitter @CarlosACollazo.
Chris Haft has covered the Giants since 2005, and for MLB.com since 2007. Follow him on Twitter at @sfgiantsbeat and listen to his podcast.


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You'll be shocked to discover that not every rap fan favorite album is "Low End Theory" or "Illmatic." On this Polite episode of True Life you'll meet one broke ass nigga struggling with being a fan of a rapper who the public has deemed "The worse rapper of all time" and forced to defend that rapper's career in many hip-hop debates in his lifetime.
Benny is a dedicated hip-hop fan who's favorite past time is listening to "Comin Out Hard" by 8Ball and MJG or "The Shocker" by Silkk The Shocker on repeat while ironing his dickie pants. He sees "The Shocker" as a hip-hop classic album but his peers and close to 97% of humanity do not. Can Benny keep his reputation as a nigga who knows what the fuck he's talking about when it comes to music while enjoying "Charge It 2 Da Game" or will his campaigning for the so called worse rapper of all time result in further shame and contribute to the disappearance of bitches he already didn't have? Is there any hope? Find out next on True Life: I'm a Silkk The Shocker fan.
The place. U.City. Sleepover. Mike Strickland's birthday party. We were 5th graders. Mike's older brother let us listen to his tapes and cd's. He had all the dope shit. Flesh-N-Bone solo album. We played "Northcoast" like fiftyleven times. We watched Snoop Dogg's "Murder Was The Case" movie. Shit my momma would not want me to watch. This was also the night I first heard Master P. The first song I ever heard was "Is There A Heaven 4 A Gangsta" We stayed up to like 5am playing music, joaning, boxing, watching movies. Out of all the shit we was vibing to that night. The Shocker album stood out the most to me. The album was just so gangsta. I'm not a violent person by any means unless it's called for but that album is just pure ski mask, 9 on your lap, riding around looking for a lick music. Very west coast influenced production wise. I was officially a fan of Silkk that night. I had no money to buy that album. I was salty as fuck.
No Limit took off and of course everybody had a favorite artist. Now my favorite artist was Mac and not Silkk but niggas fucked with Silkk on the block. The albums were fire. Undeniable. The years of 1997 and 1998 No Limit were perfect with the albums. No matter who it was. Every great label have those undeniable 2 years where everybody is in the zone except Death Row they had a strong 4 year run and no one did it like them in my opinion. Silkk was respected. All the girls in my class loved him. All the homies rapped his shit. He was that guy.
Fast forward to today. Obviously the No Limit we grew up on is long gone. Jail, Death, Retirement, moving on, whatever the cause is. It's over. I'm watching this interview Silkk did recently and I gotta be honest I forgot all about him. He's asked about being on every "Worse rapper list." Surprisingly he takes the question really well and laughs it off. Saying things to the tune of "They just didn't understand me" and "Opinions are opinions." I've been in debates on why Silkk The Shocker isn't as terrible as people make him out to be. People seriously think I'm crazy and question my credibility on knowing good music because of me coming to his defense. To my surprise Dej Loaf put him on her recently released mixtape this year and Silkk killed it. I kept telling people for years this nigga can rap. I'm not insane.
Don't confuse what I'm saying though. This nigga has had some all time awful verses. See Master P's "Lets Get Em" from his album "Ghetto D." Master P lays down one of his best verses in his career. Mystikal completely snaps and Silkk just comes on and raps the worse verse I've ever heard him rap. Just a clusterfuck of yelling and incoherent lyrics. Luckily he went last on that song.
You're probably wondering why I'm a fan of this guy.
Love him or hate him. Silkk has 2 albums I would place in A Down South Top 20 all time albums list. "The Shocker" was just an incredible gangsta debut and "Charge It 2 Da Game" was his monster commercial success album. From the album cover to the music it was just a classic album. The hooks on that album are so catchy and memorable that even if you hate this guy you will find yourself rapping his shit. In my opinion you can't be terrible at rap and have 2 classic albums. Not mixtapes. Albums. Beats By The Pound wasn't carrying these albums either. Like I said the hooks on "Charge It To The Game" was some clever shit. How can a rapper people claim is so bad get 3 platinum plaques and a gold one?
The biggest thing that causes people call Silkk the worse rapper ever is his inability to rhyme on beat. Yes he rhymes off beat but the lyricism is there. He's had a lot of dope ass verses. "Heaven 4 A Gangsta" remix. "They Can't Stop Us," "Ain't No Limit" with Mystikal. "I'm a Soldier" Intro from "Charge It To The Game." I can name a lot more too. Lyrically he isn't bad it's just he rarely rapped on beat. On his debut album he mostly rapped on beat and rode the production really well so it leads me to believe that was just his rhyme style. A fucked up rhyme style but it was his. E-40 catches the same criticism. E-40 rhyme style throws a lot of people off but 40 is one of the craftiest lyricist hip-hop has ever had.
Worse awesome movie ever. Whenever you see Clifton Powell in some shit outside the Friday movies you know you about to watch some bullshit. Gary Busey was awful in this shit too. Silkk is without a doubt hilariously terrible actor. He even acts off beat. No rapper can act in my opinion except Tupac Shakur. All rappers are terrible actors. This was when No Limit has too much fucking money and started making movies because they were bored with releasing albums every week for the past two years. Hot Boyz still my shit though. I watch that shit all the time.
He received a gift on his birthday from the late great Mr.Perfect on WCW during the No Limit Soldiers and Texas Rednecks feud. Silkk has the juice.
Spitta (Curren$y) did a interview talking about what he learned from his No Limit days and he said the time he went to Silkk's crib changed his life. He seen Silkk's Ferrari's and understood he could get one too. Now judging from Spitta's Snapchat he has over 100 cars. The inspiration worked.
I don't give a fuck man. Silkk The Shocker will always be a artist that inspired me.
Benny still plays "The Shocker" like it was released yesterday and plans to put Silkk The Shocker on his next mixtape that he will spam links to on Twitter.
No bitches have been attained since this True Life episode. Leaving his grand total of bitches at 0.


text: Some things are just bound to happen!Infected with the Berlin techno virus, Dennis got down to techno for years before deciding to get busy behind the booth himself.By 2012 the time had come. Dennis proved himself in a newcomer contest with his groovy, perfectly matched tech house sound. Since then he's been filling renowned Berlin clubs like Ritter Butzke, Kosmonaut, House of Weekend and Suicide Circus with his beats. He's furthermore become a close family member and resident DJ of Berlin's Magdalena, where he's built a large fan base. The young DJ and producer endows his sound even beyond the techno scene. As a result, he's been booked for large events and festivals not only throughout Germany and Europe but in Asia, as well, where he's performed several times.Dennis possesses a touch for what the crowd wants and for the sound that makes him so unique, while still remaining true to himself. In 2013, it was time for the next step. Following his dream to make music, Dennis began producing his own tracks. In his studio in the center of Berlin he's able to let his creativity run wild.In January 2014, he celebrated the release of his debut EP, "Moving Your Feet", which was released digitally and on vinyl by the Northern German label, Deich Records! Subsequent releases came out with DOC Music, Natural Rhythm and other renowned labels.In 2016, he founded his own label called Solved Music, which represents groovy and energetic tech house. Artist Biography / DescriptionNew releases and performances coming soon – stay tuned!


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Are you a family member of someone taking psych meds, a prescriber of psych meds, or are you, yourself, taking psychotropic medication?
Are you interested in hearing real perspectives on people's experiences with psych meds?
Are you concerned about multiple side effects, the stigma around taking meds, access to services, navigating the system, or the challenges around coming off/starting psychotropic medication?
Despite shifts towards inclusiveness and partnership in mental health services development, meaningful open communication between professionals, service users and families within the mental health system remains a challenge.
This Mental Health Trialogue (MHT) is a monthly forum that brings together personal perspectives from providers, peers/survivors, family members and other interested parties to discuss issues and experiences with psychotropic medication, among other subjects. The goal of the forum is to foster rich discussion and to change the perception that only those who work in the field of mental health are the experts in mental health. This month's Trialogue will focus on knowing your purpose and calling in life.
A message from one of our facilitators: "Hello My name is Angel Serrano and I am an active participant and member of IDHA and a Peer Worker on an ACT Team for 13 and a half years now and with the assistance of Jessie Roth I will be facilitating a Trialogue and group discussion on: "Knowing Your Purpose and Calling in Life." No matter what our specific individual calling and purpose is in life- I believe that everyday is filled with purpose and opportunities for positive change within and outside of the mental health system and that we are all here "First, To Do No Harm."- I believe that "Our prime purpose in this life is to be good to ourselves and to be good to and. help others. And if we can't help them at least let us not hurt them." "We are all here to heal, not to harm. We are here to love, not to hate. We are here to create, not destroy." "It is love alone that leads to right action. What brings order in the world is to love and let love do what it will." Knowing our individual calling and purpose and how it specifically fits into what we do in or outside of the field of mental health or "Both" will make for a very needed and interesting Trialogue group discussion. Hope to see you at our next Trialogue to discuss this very important theme, to learn from each other and to draw light from each other. Onward & Upward!"
MHT's combination of expertise and experience provides a unique wealth of collective knowledge to which individuals or people from different perspectives would not otherwise be exposed.
Trialogue meetings are open to current or former mental health service users, families and friends, professional mental health workers, prescribers, as well as all community members with an interest in mental health.
All are encouraged to attend!
How It Works:
Three members from the Institute for the Development of Human Arts, a psychiatrist, a person with lived experience, and a family member, will open the forum by explaining the purpose of MHT, then launch into a "trialogue discussion" about experiences with psychotropic medication. We will then open the conversation to all in attendance to share their responses if desired and foster community. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
MHT provides a supportive, non-judgemental space to share unique stories, find solidarity and discover new complementary perspectives that offer clarity, insight, and supportive community.
PLEASE NOTE: MHT is not a support group, a source of medical/psychiatric advice, or a therapy session.


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A wide variety of branches of Science Literacy or semi-independent 'issue literacies' have emerged over the last two decades. Equally, there is experimentation and innovation with numerous different approaches and delivery mechanisms. Comparable evidence of the impact of these different approaches through data and rigorous impact evaluation should assist policy making and decisions on investment in Science Literacy and related activities.
NIDA has been invited to facilitate a new research study with the aim of providing a synthesis of what is already known about the impact of a wide range of delivery approaches and methods and, inter-alia, examine good practice in impact evaluation methodology. If any gaps are identified during the process of the Desk Research and it is possible to attribute cause and effect, adaptations or new methodologies for impact evaluation may be developed in collaboration with interested partners.
The study will include examination across formal education, through schools and higher education institutions; non-formal/informal education through the programmes of e.g. science centres, associations, academies, museums, libraries, health clinics and community centres; engagement with Citizen Science initiatives; online mechanisms through e-learning and encounters with digital media; and, static facilities print-based distribution.
Please contact Valentina De Col if you have questions, suggestions or are interested in becoming involved.
Co-funded by Evergreen Education Foundation, Hardie Wren Develpment Initiatives & NIDA


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Last fall's TV diversity revolution, in which several of the broadcast networks' best new shows featured minority lead characters, was long overdue. It was also just in time. With racial controversies, especially those involving African-Americans, increasingly making headlines over the past year, it would have been that much more glaring if there were only lily-white TV families to answer back.
"The Word," Wednesday night's second-season premiere of "black-ish," demonstrated both what a terrific show that ABC family comedy has become and how lucky we are to have it. At a school talent show, Jack, the youngest son of the Johnsons, performed a dance and rap of Kanye West's "Gold Digger" — and not, as his twin sister, Diane, begged him, the radio edit.
Which means that in front of a horrified crowd of parents and teachers, a smiling, innocent Jack used the racial epithet for an African-American, the broke variety of which the song's subject ain't messing with. (Yes, I am avoiding using the epithet, which risks investing it with that much more power. The "black-ish" episode bleeped it as well.)
The incident sparked a fallout worthy of "South Park," as Jack was threatened with expulsion for "hate speech" for using a slur against his own race. But the true brilliance of the episode, like many "black-ish" episodes, is that it used the premise to demonstrate that there's no single "black" position on the word — any more than there is among any group on any issue.
Here, the divide cut across cultural and generational lines. The family's mother, Rainbow, the liberal child of a racially mixed marriage, is zero-tolerance on the epithet. Andre, the family's patriarch — well, it turns out he shared the song (his favorite) with Jack. Gen-X Andre is a believer in "reclaiming" the word "as a term of colloquialism and power." That put him at odds with his parents, who do use it, but only, in his mother's inimitable words, as "a judgment said with disdainful indictment." Likewise with his daughter Zoey, who doesn't see why her white friends shouldn't use it.
"The Word" included nearly every racial angle, culminating in a hilarious workplace seminar on the various Hispanic subgroups that do and do not get a pass on using the slur. As with last season's "Crime and Punishment," a timely, post-Adrian Peterson episode about spanking, it was both broadly hilarious and impressively nuanced for a broadcast comedy.
Every bit as impressive, if very different in tone, was the opening scene of Wednesday's Season 2 premiere of Fox's "Empire," involving a protest concert for a jailed Lucious Lyon. It was fiery, audaciously theatrical and symbolic (Taraji P. Henson's Cookie was lowered to the stage in the costume of a caged gorilla), and unapologetically political, building to a cry — "How much longer?" — that resonated far beyond Lucious's case, on a show that had already acknowledged the #BlackLivesMatter protests. Taking the stage, Cookie sounds less like a soap-opera queen than an uprising's leader, crying "It is a system that must be dismantled, piece by piece" as the camera flits across New York Police Department emblems on uniforms in the crowd.
Like everything in "Empire," the messages and implications of this cry for justice were messy and challenging to untangle. (Larger issues aside, Lucious is guilty of the murder he's imprisoned for.) But above all, it was simply an astonishing statement to open the year's biggest new mainstream-TV hit; the first words of the episode were statistics on the rate of black male incarceration in the United States.
And it happened only because a network realized it was good business to have a prime-time schedule that looked more like America. (In a curious coincidence, both this and the "black-ish" premiere commented on the CNN anchor Don Lemon's having held up a sign bearing the n-word on the air, which he did in June after President Obama used it on Marc Maron's podcast. I'm guessing the subject will not come up on, say, "Modern Family.")
That approach from last TV season paid off at this year's Emmy Awards, as Viola Davis of "How to Get Away With Murder" became the first African-American to win the best actress award. It was a powerful moment. And if the TV industry is a little prematurely self-congratulatory ("Racism is over!" joked the host Andy Samberg), it's good that networks are conscious of casting more diversely across the schedule.
But it's also valuable to have deep minority representation within individual shows, as necessarily happens on family comedies and dramas. Series like "black-ish" and "Empire" can pass a sort of racial version of the Bechdel Test, the feminist-criticism measure of whether a story has two female characters who talk to each other about something besides a man: having minority characters talk about race in a way that's not always in relation to white people.
That idea is spreading, thankfully and productively. This summer, NBC took a flier on "The Carmichael Show," an African-American family sitcom whose topic-oriented episodes — on protest, gender, guns and more — recalled the get-it-all-on-the-table spirit of the Norman Lear '70s. And when Trevor Noah takes over "The Daily Show" on Monday, Comedy Central will have a late-night lineup with two different black hosts' perspectives: that of Mr. Noah, a 31-year-old South African, and of the 53-year-old African-American Larry Wilmore, with his ideologically unpredictable "Nightly Show."
Of course, treating race well on TV is about more than casting; it requires sharp writing, calibrated performances and a commitment to saying something that matters. But as "black-ish" and "Empire" have shown — to quote a sometime Wilmore segment — keeping it 100 is also a matter of numbers.


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ZAP DECOR: Top Five 2018 Design Trends from ZW Interior Design Clients
Welcome to the most anticipated time of the year, and we're not talking about the holidays! This is the season when interior designers discuss trends and design resolutions for the upcoming year. We have gathered our top ten favorite home décor trends from several of our uber-talented design clients to share with you!
Add a Whimsical Approach
Donna Mondi, of Donna Mondi Interior Design in Chicago, thinks everyone should incorporate more large scale traditional patterns in a modern way. This playful trend can be shown through extravagant patterns and vibrant colors which would add a quaintness to any room.
Incorporate a Desk in a Dressing Room
Los Angeles-based Lisa Adams of LA Closet Design shares that she's seeing more clients request a desk or media corner in their dressing rooms. Lisa says "as more millennials enter the housing market, spaces will become more flexible and multi-functional, challenging the conventional notion of the closet. We will continue to see closets, along with every other space in the home, adapt to this more informal lifestyle. You no longer need a whole room dedicated to your desk, while your wardrobe suffers in a crowded walk-in; instead, these spaces become one."
Image Credit: LA Closet Design
Mixing Metals
Christine Markatos Lowe is seeing mixed metals being used in kitchens especially where the cabinet hardware, plumbing fixtures, and lighting are all in a variety of finishes ranging from brass, to nickel to oil-rubbed bronze. This look tends to give a room a modern feel rather than the old tradition of sticking to one metal finish in one space. Christine explains, "for those who are less bold, sticking to one finish for most of a room's more attached fixtures like lighting or hardware and then mixing in a contrasting finish for accent pieces like a bench or table lamp is a good starting point."
Cerused Wood
Global interior designer Birgit Klein of Birgit Klein Interiors is currently using cerused wood as her go-to finish for bases of tables, frames of chairs and bedside tables. She explains, "It also looks spectacular on built-ins. The tendency used to be towards sleek, elegant lacquer, which I still love, but I think people are craving more natural elements and materials. Since cerusing wood reveals the natural grain, it adds an organic element to a room, but in a very modern way- especially since it is being done in new finishes like oak washes and greiges."
Tile it On
Donna says we should use more large format tiles or slabs for bathroom walls. For a surprise contrast try small scale tiles on the floor instead. Even better if the marble has a bold pattern.
Image Credit: Nick Novelli
Stage Your Closet
Lisa Adams shares, "As social media becomes an increasingly present part of our style choices, staging areas in your closet need to not only function well for creating looks, but also must be beautifully designed to showcase new looks and share them across social channels."
Into the Deep
Donna is starting to infuse deep saturated hues together to create rich environments so soothing they won't yearn for a neutral color.
Image Credit: Nick Novelli
Maximalist trend
Christine Markatos Design says, "I'm seeing the maximalist trend play out in ways like layering different textured rugs on top of each other, bright colors and bold patterns not only for pillows or accessories but for large pieces in a room, and rather than opting for either bold wallpaper or a bold rug, going for both in the same space."
Oversized Florals
Birgit Klein says the grand scale of this oversized abstract floral pattern trend really takes commitment but the risk is worth the reward. She says, "An oversized abstract floral is a fresh and modern take on the smaller scale chintzes that are typically viewed as more traditional and stodgy. When used as curtains or on walls, this bold scale pattern doesn't shy away from making a statement. A dramatically dark, large scale floral wallpaper in a powder room with a subtly striated marble counter top, faceted crystal sconces and antique gold fixtures, turns a typically mundane bathroom into a conversation piece that guests will notice."
Jewel Tones
Donna adds she's seeing rich jewel tones in fabrics. "After so many years of gray and greige, the design world is ready for saturated colors in exciting hues. Neutrals can easily be mixed in making this a trend that is relatively simple to transition to. New fabric for your upholstery or drapery panels can update your space without starting from scratch," explained Donna Mondi.


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Big Win: Automating the process of content conversion from Word to DITA at Qualcomm
Qualcomm, an American multinational semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company, decided to move to DITA in order to optimize their content reuse and consistency. They also implemented a CCMS to streamline their documentation processes and to bring in their SMEs (in this case, engineers), to work more easily with the tech writers to produce documentation.
One of the biggest challenges they faced was converting their Word-based legacy content over to DITA. By successfully automating their content conversion from Word to DITA, they achieved a "big win" in their ongoing implementation of DITA and importing legacy content into the IXIASOFT DITA CMS. Not only can their writers reuse existing legacy content effectively, but their SMEs—who do the majority of their authoring, reviewing and collaborating—will spend less time having to create new content. And the more legacy content they can bring in and reuse, the faster they see their ROI for DITA and a CCMS.
Qualcomm explains how they are automating their content conversion and talk about how the IXIASOFT DITA CMS eases the process of importing the resulting content so that the team can get the most out of it.
What can the audience expect to learn?
The audience will learn from first-hand experience about the opportunities, challenges, and best practices in moving to DITA and a CCMS. This presentation will specifically focus on the best practice for converting content to DITA and preparing it for use within a CCMS.
Meet the presenter
Bio coming soon.


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Project Description
Cafe Touba African Coffee Shoppee, LLC
Health, Wellness, Heritage and LOVE … ALL In a Cup Of Coffee
Cafe Touba is a unique spiced coffee that both coffee and tea drinkers crave. Made with West African Fair Trade Arabica coffee beans, cloves and African pepper (Uda Djar), ground ultra fine; Cafe Touba is the ultimate fusion of coffee and spice.
Cafe Touba has an warm, earthy smell, a smooth spicy flavor, hints of pepper with a clean finish.
Traditionally served hot and black with added sugar. Made even more delicious served chilled on hot summer days.
Website: http://cafetouba.coffee/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/toubacafe/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cafe_touba_africancoffeeshoppe/


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In this episode we cover Multi-factor Authentication with our guest, Kayne McGladrey, Cryptocurrency Hacks from Pyongyang, and more. Don't touch that dial!
Welcome back! This is episode 20 of The Insider Threat podcast, for the week of October 2nd, 2017.
We made it to 20 episodes! I know some people don't like it when you talk about milestones like this, but I'm doubly excited for this one because I finally get to publish my interview with Kayne McGladrey from Integral Partners. I know many of your have been scrambling to finish up the quarter or fiscal year, depending on your industry, so hopefully this will give you an opportunity to sit back, relax, and listen to the excellent information that Kayne provided. As a quick reminder, I plan on being at BSides DC and the Insider Threat Symposium later this month, so let me know if you'll be there as well and want to meet up.
Infosec Question of the Week
You know what that sound means - It's time for your Infosec Question of the Week, where Google is king and the prize is nonexistent!
The question last week was "In 1889, Nintendo was founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi. The company went on to become a forerunner in video game console manufacturing. What did Nintendo first create?"
The answer was "Japanese Playing Cards".
Get it? Aces and 8s? I'm sure you're all bursting with laughter from my wit right now. Anyway, Nintendo's first product was playing cards for a game called Hanafuda, and Yamauchi made them by hand. Talk about meager beginnings. You have to admire the way Nintendo was able to pivot to video games in the 1970s.
Congratulations to:
Andrea from Gulfport, William from Arana Hills, Ed from Pennsylvania, and Bruce from Birmingham for getting the correct answer.
Here's your question for this week: "On Spetember 28th, 1998, Internet Explorer became the most widely used web browser, beating out this competitor."
Send your response to email@example.com. Be sure to include your first name, location, and the hashtag "Mosaic".
Our news this week comes from KBS World Radio and is titled North Korea Hacked South Korean Web Sites to Steal Bitcoin
According to the short article, North Korean hackers broke into 10 South Korean websites in July and August of this year in an effort to steal bitcoin. You can probably guess how these attacks were carried out. Malicious emails were sent to 25 individuals in this spearphishing attack, and once an employee's system was owned, it was used as a staging point to get to the rest of the organization. So now we're seeing real monetary consequences for insider threat attacks, which only furthers the discussion about the need to address the issue. So many things could have been done to prevent this type of attack, including user awareness training, email isolation, staying up to date on patches, network segmentation, and probably even more that I'm not thinking of. Without more details on the incident, I can't pin down a specific protection method.
If you're listening to this podcast, you're probably already thinking about these things, or you just like the sound of my voice, but I doubt it. In any case, keep it up. It's people like you that are making lasting and effective change to your protection posture.
Now before I get into the interview, I just have to say that it was a real pleasure to speak with Kayne and learn from his experience with different multifactor authentication implementations. I certainly learned something, and I hope you do as well. Without further adeu, here we go.
After Interview
I just want to say thank you again to Kayne for coming on the show. For more information about him or his company, look up Integral Partners LLC. I'll leave a link to their site in the show notes.
Thought of the Week Segment
Our thought of the week comes from Tena Desae, an Indian actress who happens to share the same birthday with your's truely. She said, "Stay positive and happy. Work hard and don't give up hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround yourself with happy, warm and genuine people."
Thank you for listening to episode 20 of The Insider Threat podcast. Please remember to subscribe and review in your favorite podcast app, and also share with everyone you know! Those reviews are key to building this out and improving for later episodes, so please feel free to leave suggestions.
You can contact me on twitter @stevehigdon or send an email to email@example.com. Join our Reddit community and discussions at the subreddit named insiderthreat. The subreddit is also where you'll also find the show notes for this and any other episode, as well as links to the topics we've covered. If you go to our website, you can also find a link to the Patreon page and you can subscribe to the newsletter to get up-to-date information on current episodes and news for the show. Call and leave a voicemail at (443) 292-2287 to have a conversation, get a comment added to the show, or even ask a question.
Thanks again and I'll see you folks next time!


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Pelham Civics Launch Fundraising Drive September 8th. Two Humanitarians as "Persons of the Year" to be Honored at October 19th Dinner Dance Gala: Kathie O'Callaghan & Rich Davidian/
As has been the tradition for the past 79 years, members of the Pelham Civic Association, led by Pelham Civic Raffle Chair Brian Diffley, will be selling raffle tickets throughout the town starting on September 8th, raising funds to fuel their award-winning programs that assist the youth, the elderly, the financially needy and the mentally and physically challenged.
Pelham Civic Dinner Dance Chairman Mike Recca stated, "Our members are all geared up to sell our exciting raffles in both Pelham (in front and in back of DeCicco & Sons) and Pelham Manor (at Dunkin Donuts). Once again, we're giving away fabulous prizes, including a $10,000 cash grand prize! And as a reminder, ALL of the money raised goes into the Civics' programs, projects, and events that assist the families and individuals of our community!"
SAVE THE DATE…The fundraising season concludes on Friday, October 19th, 2018 when the Pelham Civics will be hosting their 79th Annual Dinner Dance Gala at The Glen Island Harbour Club, in New Rochelle… a fabulous venue for a terrific, fun and exciting time that is set out to be Pelham's "social highlight of the year, honoring Persons of the year Kathie O'Callaghan & Rich Davidian.
Here are some of the accomplishments of these two outstanding Pelham residents:
Kathie O'Callaghan
- Hearts and Homes for Refugees
- Founder and President of this innovative grassroots non-profit that supports the US Department of State designated agencies in welcoming, protecting and advocating for refugees resettling in US communities.
- Inspired by the crisis in Syria, Kathie gathered a group of like-minded individuals to advocate for resettlement in Westchester County. HHR is now comprised of a network of 400 volunteers that welcomed the first refugee family to Westchester County: a Syrian family of six that was resettled in Pelham.
- In 2018, Kathie led HHR in creating the Westchester Refugee Initiative, a county-wide coalition building effort to support and grow the network of over 20 community and interfaith organizations and 1,500 individuals who support the welcoming movement in Westchester County.
- Under Kathie's leadership, the Westchester Refugee Initiative is not only continuing to welcome and advocate for new refugee arrivals but also support refugees who are already in the country and need an occasional helping hand from the growing network of volunteers.
- Honoree, 2017 Pelham Woman of Distinction
- An integral part of the formation and early years of the Friends of the Pelham Library, specifically in the area of Public Relations.
- Member, Rotary Club of the Pelhams; Volunteer/Host of an overseas family while they came to America for life-saving cardiac surgery, as part of the Gift of Life Program.
- Member, the leadership team of Huguenot Memorial Church program to coordinate relief teams, supplies, and over 1,000 Thanksgiving meals in the Rockaways after Hurricane Sandy.
- In-Home Hospice Volunteer at Jansen Hospice & Palliative Care
- Group Fitness Volunteer at Wartburg Senior Care Facility
- Pelham Manor Volunteer Firefighter from 2000-2012 and served two terms as President of the Volunteer Company of the Pelham Manor Fire Department
- Lector, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church for many years
- Member, RENEW core team at OLPH.
Richard Davidian
- Pelham Civics Help a Child, Change a Life Program
- Founder & Chairman, Rich created, championed and directed this visionary initiative that provides students from economically challenged households with the extra support needed to succeed. The program rapidly grew across the entire district touching most of the schools and all of the grades. Nothing like this had ever been offered and successfully pushed the district to think out of the box and to keep finding ways to reach more students and deliver higher impact results.
- It became one of the priorities of School administrators, acknowledging the importance of and the tangible impact that was possible when we provide targeted and measurable support to the most vulnerable members of our community, with numerous educators and administrators openly expressing how this initiative impacted their own priorities and sensitivity to an under-supported portion of their academic community.
- Rich called attention to the reality that far too many of our students did not have access to a basic learning tool, computers. Instructional assignments and notices assumed all students had access to computers and printers in their home. He helped initiate a meaningful program to address this deficiency, which was later addressed by a state legislator, and a grant from Albany.
- This initiative provided the impetus for the creation of a Diversity pillar in the Strategic Plan that was developed by the then superintendent of Schools and the Board of Education… which was invited by the Superintendent to sit on the diversity committee for the District.
- Help a Child, Change a Life achieved the following:
- Elementary school students who were performing far below benchmark, were now performing at benchmark with this dedicated support
- Middle school and high school students who were failing multiple classes were now passing, and some were achieving honors, and others high honor roll
- Students attended advanced placement courses and college courses
- A huge amount of additional college applications were written because the Program covered the S.A.T. transfer costs, as well as the application fees
- The improvement in S.A.T. scores soared over 250 points!
- Member of the Board of Directors of the Teachers Institute of Lower Westchester shared Help a Child info across several Districts in lower Westchester.
- Rich and the Pelham Civics were honored by the Board of Education with the Fenlon Award (usually given to retiring Board of Education members, not members of the general community.)
- Named to the Pelham School District New Superintendent and Principals' Selection Committee
- Pelham Civics Good Neighbors Program
- Chairman for 12 years, Rich spearheaded his committee and this important program, vetting and assisting hundreds of families and individuals dealing with serious challenges.
- Provided significant solutions to the needy, such as payment of a monthly bill, furniture and needed appliances for apartments, interventions with threatening illnesses cases.
- His exemplary diligence and attention to detail, combined with his compassion and commitment, was a tremendous source of comfort and hope.
According to Pelham Civic VP of Fundraising, Phil Carfora,"This year's Gala is slated to be another success with a complete venue of wonderful cuisine, terrific music, and extraordinary honorees! A good suggestion is to buy your tickets early!" Civic President Ken Shirreffs concluded, "Each year we are encouraged by the entire community who continually - and enthusiastically - come out and support the Civics and all the work we do throughout the year!"


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I am Jane Doe, and I am an atheist August 29, 2008Posted by Teen Atheist in Uncategorized.
Holy Prepuce forwarded me this plea by Craig A. James (The Religion Virus), for all internet atheists to "come out" and post their real identities.
My decision was due to a comment from my book agent, who asked, "What are you afraid of?" I had no good answer to that question. There was just a vague, unsupported fear of persecution and harassment from the religious extremist. […] Oppression is a state of mind, and it takes both an oppressor and a cooperative victim for a human to be truly oppressed. Don't be a victim, be a courageous atheist.
Of all of my readers, dozens know what country I'm located in.
Six know my real name.
Four know what I look like.
Three went to the same high school as me.
I have no intentions of increasing any of those numbers. And I still think I'm a courageous atheist.
I am the only one in the room who doesn't fold my hands in prayer like everyone else, even at birthday and Christmas parties. I'll bring up my atheism when the topic is relevant. I never lie when somebody (regardless of where they fall on the scale of religious extremism) asks me what religion I belong to. My social networking profile (yes, I have one, no, you're not allowed to look for it, but you can add me at Atheist Nexus) states "atheist."
Majority of the responses on Mr. James' post are on the negative side. Internet atheists are reticent to give up their anonymity for various reasons: crazy people on internets!!!, I don't want this to affect my family, I live in the South.
Based on what I've read in the comments section, I have it a hell of a lot easier than people who live along the Bible Belt. Practically everyone's a Catholic here, but they're not nearly as horrible, which gives me a bit of a brighter view of my country. I don't think we've ever had a "God Hates Fags" picketing here (although gays are treated as sexless, played-for-laughs Queer Eye stereotypes), I haven't experienced discrimination in terms of career (but Mother Dearest is hinting that I, despite good grades, was rejected by Dream College because I put "atheist" on the application form), and other than my immediate family, I have not gotten particularly adverse reactions upon disclosing my beliefs to people.
I suppose that despite the fact that religion's wormed its way into everything here — government, media, you name it — my countrymen were raised to be polite and effusive, so maybe they're just too "nice" to emulate God's, er, warriors in Southern America.
Despite that, I'm still not telling you what my real name is. I'd agree with Larro FCD's take on the issue:
Yes, the key word is PUBLICIZE. It's one thing to tell an acquaintance you have a different world view. It's quite another to broadcast yourself in a way as to draw attention from anonymous strangers.
But as far as you and I are concerned, whether or not you know my real name doesn't matter. It could be Kelly Devine or Brianna McFadden and it wouldn't make a difference in the least. My point in setting up this blog and using a broad moniker like Teen Atheist was not that I was looking for internet fame of any sort, but that I had a difficult, painful story that I wanted to share with people all over the world.
My name doesn't matter. My country of origin doesn't matter. My views and experiences do.
Scott Miller explains it best in his analysis of "Hear My Song" in Songs for a New World:
The message of this song – and of the whole show – is that we all go through these bad times. In a very real sense, none of us is ever really alone. None of us is ever the only person to have ever gone through a particular crisis. And our salvation comes through community. It is through telling our stories and listening to others' stories that we find the strength to go on. The most important lines in the show appear in this final song: "Hear my song — It was made for the times when you don't know where to go. Listen to the song that I sing. You'll be fine."
In other words, look at how these ordinary people all survived their extraordinary ordeals, and know that you can too. We all find ourselves in new worlds from time to time, in situations where the rules we've always lived by no longer apply. We must all know that we can survive and even thrive there. And that's not just the theme of this show. It's the reason for theatre in general. From prehistoric people telling stories around the fire, to the biggest techno-spectacle on Broadway, theatre is about telling stories, stories that unite us, that show us our commonality. It's significant that at the end of the song, the line "You'll be fine" has been changed to "We'll be fine." It's about community. It's about shared experience. And it's about the fact that as humans we are all forced to go on new journeys, into new worlds, over and over again throughout our lives.
Moving on to a slightly less lofty point, had I initially published this blog as "[insert name here], the Teenage Atheist from [insert Predominantly Catholic Country here]" rather than just "Teen Atheist," I wouldn't be able to share as much with you as I have. Fred got upset just because I let you all know what he thought of gay people. So imagine, what would've come of it if Nikki found out that I'd exposed her lies to the reading audience? If Carl discovered that I'd let everyone know he was cheating on his wife? If Murray (who is a good friend now, by the way) learned that I thought he was a gross, lecherous old man? If Mr. Mackenzie knew that I wanted to push him onto the conference table and run my hands…um, wait, never mind.
But since I'm just T.A. and I could be anybody, you get more of the story.
So, Mr. James, while I'm happy that you've found the courage to reveal your real name to little backlash, I'd appreciate if you wouldn't call the rest of us cowards, or accuse us of taking the sacrifices of great people like Bertrand Russell for granted.
We're not cowards, we just have lives. Please respect that some of us don't want to compromise our careers or education or physical well-being for the pride of calling ourselves "courageous atheists." Good on PZ Myers and Bertrand Russell to be able to survive, and sure, they can spearhead the movement, but nobody ought to be shamed into coming out.
As for me, I'd rather have a root canal than have to go back to feigning Christianity, but I retain my moniker because it keeps in accordance with my original intentions.
I'm content enough that through the internet, we can establish a community for fellow atheists where they can feel accepted, the same way this web community gave me a way to connect to people at a time when I was (am) living in a house full of people who rejected me for what I believed in. I can appreciate sympathy and empathy, and stories shared, be it from Gavin Taylor or Godless4492.
- 1. Agersomnia - August 29, 2008
Thank you for explaining quite well why most of us over the internet are not precisely open about our religious beliefs or lack thereof.
So here's a dude called Agersomnia who is very proud of sharing stories, jokes and a bit of irreverence with you, TA, and everyone else that hangs around enough.
- 2. John - August 31, 2008
In your country they ask your religion on a college application form!?! Repugnant.
- 5. the Shaggy - September 3, 2008
Teen Atheist, how DO you be so awesome? For real! I'll be finding you on the Nexus tonight, I have no friends there and feel lonely.
- 7. Anonymous - September 7, 2008
Way awesome. In my day to day life, I have absolutely no issue discussing my religious beliefs (or more correctly, lack thereof) when it comes up. I don't go shouting from the rooftops or anything, but if it adds to the conversation in any way, or I am asked, I have no issue with saying "Atheist." On the other hand, I don't necessarily feel comfortable divulging my name on the internet in any case. Especially with something that could potentially get people with neurotically crazy enough religious fanaticism to hate me and even go to the trouble of find me or send me hate mail or something else. It is a stretch, of course, but still. People have lives and identities to protect, and in a world where atheism is not always accepted, it is in many cases safer and more practical to keep your identity hidden.
- 8. theShaggy - September 11, 2008
Man, I totally added you on the Nexus, TA, where are you? Oh man I only have one friend on it, too, and she's a fellow protester against a fundie creationist. Gahhh. Give me more atheist cred! 😛
Honestly, I find that site to still be really awkward and unintuitive in just about every way. But something makes me want to go.
- 11. the Shaggy - September 16, 2008
Woo we're now Nexus friends 🙂 You're totally friend number two. I've got reams of atheists in my social circle but none would dare join such a site!
I just wish they'd let you search by location… the search function seems to work a whole bunch of not at all.
- 12. Arthur Brash - September 16, 2008
Sadly, these days open atheism is often a political stance. Religions on mission to tear down the separation of church and state (where available) have made it so.
While I think that doors can open with "coming out", there certainly are others who's locks will become so crammed with dogma, they will never open again.
- 13. reynor - September 16, 2008
Arthur, the separation of church and state was established in order to protect religion from the state and not the other way around (like what most people thought it was). it is there so that the citizens will have the freedom of religion. the church will be the last to tear it down if for some odd reason of which i could not think of any that it would even wish to tear it down.
- 16. Arthur Brash - September 17, 2008
[quote]However, I still think it's worth the price of open freedom from religion to be out as an atheist, despite the stigma attached. I was just speaking in terms of my dual life as T.A. and Jane Doe in the Real World.[/quote]
Agreed – but I understand that for some folks the price is higher than others.
There are plenty of places in the world where open atheism can leave an individual to the sole task of pushing up the daisies, and there are other more ambiguous outcomes also not worth the price. Each must decide for themselves.
- 17. GDad - September 26, 2008
Good to see you posting again.
- 18. Arizona Atheist - October 1, 2008
Very well put. I couldn't agree more. I do use my first name and state that I live in, but that hardly would allow anyone to identify me.
Besides, Arizona Atheist sounds so much cooler than just Ken.
: )
- 19. Craig A. James - October 26, 2008
I think many, including perhaps you, misinterpreted my call to "get out of the closet." I guess I should have worded it a little more carefully, because any number of people seemed to be offended by my blog, and that certainly wasn't my intention.
I wrote the "Get out of the Closet" blog trying to strongly encourage people to reevaluate their need for anonymity in their blogs. Yet, I truly do understand that many simply can't. And I never intended to call anyone a "coward," or even imply it, because they can't. I live in a big city in Southern California, and all of my business associates, as well as many of my friends, are scientists; as a group, they're mostly atheists or agnostics. My original fears over blogging as an Atheist were not about my personal circle of friends and associates, but rather about harassment that might come from the internet. Happily, nothing like that has happened.
So, unlike you, vjack, and many others, I have no personal problems with my Atheism. My friends and family are either atheists or are very accepting of everyone's beliefs. It was easy for me, and I know it.
I have enourmous respect for those of you who live in the midst of the intolerance that you describe, yet somehow find the courage to break from the tremendous social pressure and find the road to rational thinking.
I hope that if you re-read my "out of the closet" post, you'll see that my words were intended to encourage, not to disparage. That was certainly my intent; perhaps in the future I'll craft my words more carefully.
At any event, thanks for your long and thoughtful response. If nothing else, I certainly got people talking!
Best regards,


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Free cybersex on cam. No matter in what position was the bitch, the main thing is that it does not have any rights to the lovely "rooster" My son! And why, in fact, a lovely …?
From this issue Vera even stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, and it came across people marching behind. Free cybersex on cam.


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Inquiry into life insurance industry deepens/
The life insurance industry now has more eyes on its practices after the most recent CommInsure findings of poor practices involving insurance claims. Senator John Williams amended the Scrutiny of Financial Advice's inquiry terms to increase investigation into:
- Possible further reforms and improve oversight of the industry
- Any unethical practices being engaged in to avoid meeting claims
- If the life insurance industry needs a code of conduct
- What ASIC's role in reform and oversight should be
Anyone can make a submission on their dealings with their life insurance company if they feel they were wronged or there is a dispute in a payout. Part of the main focus will be to see if life insurance companies have deliberately sought to avoid paying claims.
A class action is being looked into by Watson Law Group for CommInsure clients who may have had their insurance claims unfairly declined by CommInsure. At present, it is thought that out of 40 cases, over half of trauma claims may have been denied based on an outdated definition.