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Passionate Traditionalist or Pragmatic Visionary? The Next Generation of Liberal Arts Presidents
by Emily R Miller & Richard A SkinnerMarch 7, 2012
This is the third in a series of articles, "Pathways to the Academic Presidency"
The vaunted benefits of a liberal-arts college education will be much in need by the women and men who become the next-generation leaders of those institutions. They will inherit places and practices beloved by most alumni but increasingly unaffordable by most prospective students or their families and, for some, of questionable relevance to the 21st century.
Much of the discussion about liberal arts colleges focuses on finances and, as we note below, for good reason. But we believe these institutions' problems are as much ones of imagination and intellect as they are financial. Indeed, the challenge to liberal arts colleges is part of a broader questioning of a liberal education, long a centerpiece of American higher education.
If liberal arts colleges are to survive intact, their presidents and their governing boards will need to think critically and creatively, honor the voices of stakeholders, communicate clearly, and act with resolve – in short, they will have to demonstrate the capabilities they cite as attributes of their graduates.
They are icons of American higher education and are what most of us think of when we hear the word "college." Often situated in bucolic settings in small towns sometimes far removed from urban centers, America's liberal arts colleges serve as homes to homogeneous student cohorts of 18-22 year-olds burdened with few obligations beyond attending college.
But many of the 300-odd existing liberal arts colleges in the U.S. struggle with major financial problems. The challenges arise from tightly interwoven strands of the living/learning experience the institutions require, including –
This combination of elements and the lack of state-government support guarantee that a liberal arts college education is expensive. According to the College Board, average tuition at a four-year private/non-profit college or university rose 66 per cent between 2000-2001 and 2008-2009 and the estimated cost for 2011-2012 is $38,590 for tuition, fees, and room/board. Some of the most prestigious institutions already charge more than $50,0000, inclusive.
By contrast, the Census Bureau reported in 2011 that median household income in the United States, 2000 to 2010, declined by seven per cent to $49,445. Hispanic/Latino and African American median household incomes dropped to $37,759 and $32,068, respectively.
The effect of these trends is that the market in America shrinks in terms of the number of families able to pay the costs of or obtain financing for a student attending a traditional liberal arts college. And because race/ethnicity and family income are so strongly correlated and most of the growth in high-school graduates are among African American and Latino families, even fewer will likely have the means to pay the price of a liberal arts college education in the future.
What's more, the various innovations spawned in and by liberal arts colleges – First-Year Experience, learning communities, writing across the curriculum, and the like – typically add costs rather than hold or lower them.
Here, then, is the financial dilemma of most of the 300 liberal arts colleges: The components that go into making a liberal arts college are inherently expensive and enjoy little or nothing in terms of economy of scale. Indeed, the lack of scale in terms of small class sizes is one of the attributes boasted about by these institutions.
Within higher education and among some liberal arts college presidents the collective judgment is that these institutions' basic business model is broken, period. High tuition coupled with discounting rates averaging 35% from 1999-2009 are already straining funds to support the academic mission. And while the potential exists for large gifts to lessen fiscal strain, college fundraising is in an increasingly competitive market for philanthropic dollars. Moreover fundraising efforts are notorious for not aiding operating budgets.
Fundraising and the development of new revenue streams will bolster financial aid availability, make it possible to renovate and improve existing buildings or build new facilities, and offset some of the costs of faculty salaries and benefits. But unless the harvest of funds is quite significant and establishes a large endowment, it is only a matter of time before tuition and fees will continue to increase at a rate sure to exceed the affordability of most families.
But as daunting as the financial dilemma is, it is not the only challenge confronting liberal arts colleges. Very soon, an entire generation of high school graduates for whom instantaneous communication and on-line courses are simply part of learning will seek out a college or a university to attend. These students are familiar and comfortable with the reach of technology and its ability to enable the formation of ad hoc communities and social networks. Lectures and seminars may seem "quaint" means of transferring information in an environment with a surfeit of information ready-to-hand.
To a lesser extent, the next generation of college freshmen is also experienced in travel both within and outside the US. For some, the world beyond America's borders is not necessarily a distant place, and many are first- or second-generation Americans, having migrated from around the globe. Will the confines of a college campus far removed from cities really hold much attraction, no matter how bucolic the setting?
Liberal arts colleges will be tested to provide an education and experience sufficiently intriguing to warrant students enrolling in these institutions at the attendant price. Small classes may have appeal, but these students are able to create what for them are intimate one-to-one virtual as well as physical environments at a moment's notice and can be part of very large communities instantaneously with members dispersed throughout the world.
If the professor is an authority on a given subject, there is little to keep a student from seeking out other authorities, perhaps with very different views on a particular subject.
If a PowerPoint© presentation is the bulk of a lecture, why not e-mail it to every student, record the lecture as a digital video and distribute it, make it the subject of texting or chatting, and avoid the logistics of going to class?
The impact of a digital generation of students will be felt across higher education, but nowhere will it more directly challenge the organizing principles for learning than in the case of liberal arts colleges. This, then, takes us back to the need for a new generation of presidents willing and able to think anew and, with colleagues, reconstruct the learning experience.
As is the case in other types of American higher education institutions, the challenge to liberal arts colleges will not be felt uniformly. A fraction of these are sufficiently endowed to enable them to withstand the financial challenge and maintain themselves as is for some time to come. These fortunate few will also have the means to experiment with pedagogical alternatives to traditional in-class lecture and seminar formats.
And if future generations of technology-savvy students question the premises of residential living and learning, these colleges have sufficient demand for admission to encourage the questioners to look elsewhere for an undergraduate education and experience, confident that there are ample numbers of applicants to take their places.
But for most liberal arts colleges the challenges enumerated here cannot be sidestepped. Some will follow a path pursued by many former liberal arts colleges and add degree programs (including graduate ones) intended for preparation for specific professions, forego a common general education for something more akin to an a la carte curriculum, and move from the student-as-athlete of Division III or intramural sports to the athlete-as-student of more competitive intercollegiate sports.
In doing so, these institutions will join a well-trod passage of a sizeable number of colleges that found a liberal arts education too constraining and too expensive to continue as before and, instead, became more comprehensive, albeit, seldom more distinctive than their often-neighboring public counterparts. Too often, however, the evolution and adaptation of former liberal arts colleges leave them in situations at least as precarious as their former conditions, since they now have to compete with regional public universities that enjoy the financial advantage of state subsidies. Still, conversations with the boards and presidents of the colleges that evolved make it clear that remaining a liberal-arts only institution was not an option.
By contrast, exigency or inspiration or some combination of the two may prompt the presidents of some liberal arts colleges to think less in terms of evolution and adaptation and more about transformation of their institutions. Embracing the ends of a liberal arts education, some presidents and boards could decide that the interwoven elements often seen as essential for such an education can be achieved in different ways and in different formats.
For such ideas to be tested, boards and the presidents they hire will have to make clear their steadfast commitment to the ends of a liberal education, on the one hand, but also their collective appetite for alternative means to achieve those ends for the students they graduate, on the other. Much is at stake: in some cases the very future of some liberal arts colleges.
And much could be gained by this or other kinds of transformative change. If effective, efficient, but less costly means can be found to educate students, then the liberal arts college may yet prove itself the durable institution long admired by many. In the process, liberal education could be revived.
Liberal arts colleges may be served well by welcoming back to campus graduates who have applied their liberal education to addressing challenges and opportunities across diverse sectors. As leaders, these individuals presumably have lived and practiced the values of a liberal education. They have successfully adapted to complex organizations, challenged prevailing cultures and traditions, created environments encouraging experimentation and innovation, and developed a comfort for risk.
As future presidents they understand well the distinctive kind of institution represented by the liberal arts college but are also courageous enough to know that the time may be right to effect significant change. While they share a commitment to and a good measure of nostalgia for liberal education and a liberal arts college as these were and are, their experiences beyond the academy allow them to lead the institution with perspective and perhaps change it to its betterment.
What's more, the intellectual and personal challenge of transforming institutional practices that are legacies of centuries is surely substantial enough to attract the talents of women and men who in their first careers saved floundering enterprises, created entirely new kinds of businesses, and reinvigorated fading organizations.
Such leaders exist and indeed many are products of liberal arts colleges. No less a figure than Steve Jobs made the case in a 1996 interview that –
Computer science is a liberal art, it's something everyone should know how to use, at least, and harness in their life. It's not something that should be relegated to 5 per cent of the population over in the corner. It's something that everybody should be exposed to and everyone should have mastery of to some extent, and that's how we viewed computation and these computation devices.
Computer science is a liberal art, it's something everyone should know how to use, at least, and harness in their life. It's not something that should be relegated to 5 per cent of the population over in the corner. It's something that everybody should be exposed to and everyone should have mastery of to some extent, and that's how we viewed computation and these computation devices.
There are not as many Steve Jobs as might be needed to lead liberal arts colleges, but those institutions have produced a goodly number of leaders.
Carthage College can claim past World Bank president, Alden Clausen, and Trinity College celebrate alumni Nancy Pelosi and Kathleen Sibelius.
The inventor of touch-screen technology, Samuel Hurst, graduated from Berea, and jazz pianist Herbie Hancock is an alumnus of Grinnell.
Wheaton College can point with pride to Christine Todd Whitman, the former governor of New Jersey, while DePauw is able to celebrate the founder of Angie's List, Angie Hicks.
The lists are long of accomplished liberal arts graduates, but few might be enticed to take on the presidency of an institution beset by challenges such as those that bedevil the majority of these colleges. As Lewis Lapham once noted in another context:
Maybe it is an impossible task, like the juggler's dream of the balls standing still in the air, but certainly it is of heroic enough proportion to summon leaders capable of drawing swords from stones.
Maybe it is an impossible task, like the juggler's dream of the balls standing still in the air, but certainly it is of heroic enough proportion to summon leaders capable of drawing swords from stones.
Emily R Miller & Richard A Skinner
This article appeared in INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION:"Passionate Traditionalist or Pragmatic Visionary?" (March 7, 2012)


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11 October 2011 at 9.53am | 9 Comments
The Royal Opera House cinema season continues this month with Adriana Lecouvreur which will be screened in over 700 cinemas in 22 countries. To celebrate we're counting down our top 20 films featuring opera...
20. The Age of Innocence (1993) Dir. Martin Scorsese featuring Faust
After Daniel Day-Lewis was done gallivanting around the Mid-West as a Mohican, he appeared in Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence as respectable lawyer Newland Archer in this tale of high society in 1870s New York. Faced with the dilemma between his attractive but rather dull wife (Winona Ryder) and her more sophisticated and fiery cousin (Michelle Pfeiffer as a Countess no less), will Newland cast off the shackles of society's rules and give into passion or will he opt for a loveless marriage?
Whilst there aren't any diabolic visitors in Scorsese's tale, the choice of Faust for the soundtrack during the opening scene does reflect the torturous dilemma the main character does have to face.
19. Marie Antoinette (2006) Dir. Sophia Coppola featuring Iphigenie en Aulide
Everyone's favourite pre-revolutionary fan of frivolity was brought to life by Sophia Coppola in this film which received a mixed reaction from the critics. The film was criticised for the stylised modernisation of the life of Marie Antoinette, played by Kirsten Dunst. Still, a trip to the opera for the Queen Consort provides a perfect excuse for the depiction of an extremely lavish operatic experience - a favourite of courtesans until the guillotine was wheeled out in 1793 by Monsieur Robespierre.
This particular clip features Rameau's Platée, although as a bumper prize for opera fans Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro appears later on in the film as well.
18. The Fifth Element (1997) Dir. Luc Besson featuring Lucia di Lammermoor
This over-the-top science fiction film from French director Luc Besson saw Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich fighting to save humanity from the camped up clutches of Gary Oldman. One of the most memorable scenes (filmed in our very own auditorium no less) featured blue skinned diva (voiced by Albanian soprano Inva Mula-Tchako) belting out 'the mad scene' from Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor in a perfect example of blue bel canto.
17. The Killing Fields (1984) Dir. Roland Joffe featuring Turandot
Before Pavarotti bellowed the crescendo of Nessun Dorma into living rooms around the world, the aria was used in Roland Joffe's The Killing Fields - a film about photographer Sydney Schanberg being trapped in Cambodia during Pol Pot's Year Zero campaign of genocide. It's estimated that Pot's regime in the country claimed the lives of two million Cambodians.
The emotion of the aria perfectly counters the cold stoicism of Richard Nixon's news broadcast speech before it gives way to heart-wrenching footage of victims during the crescendo. As a word of warning, this clip does contain shots some viewers may find disturbing.
16. The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) Dir. Anthony Minghella featuring Eugene Onegin
Like a filmic Tosca, The Talented Mr Ripley was filmed primarily in Rome and Venice, using many landmarks of the cities as backdrops for a murderous thriller. The film tells the story of Tom Ripley and his friendship (increasingly an obsession) with wealthy shipping heir Dickie (played by Jude Law).
In this clip, Ripley is dragged to see Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin by socialite Meredith Logue. The famous duel scene in particular affects Ripley, reminding him of his own murder of Dickie (in a rowing boat with an oar, if you're wondering...)
We'll be counting down the next 15 films over the course of the week. In the meantime, what are your favourite films featuring opera?

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Capt. Randy Floyd, network operations and telecommunications manager at the Tennessee Military Department, does not have a lot of time to waste. In addition to managing the Guard's statewide network with a staff that constantly changes because of active-duty deployments, he is working on a doctorate in business administration, with a focus on information technology.
"I don't have a lot of time for reactive stuff," Floyd said. Life is easier for Floyd when he gets the information he needs to proactively manage his network and monitor its performance.
Although his network is state-owned, it falls under Defense Department requirements. And like his network, Floyd's status is a hybrid of military and civilian, state and federal. He is a federal military technician — a civilian employee who works in uniform for a state but is paid by the federal government. If Tennessee puts him on active duty, the state pays him, and if the federal government activates him, DOD pays him.
Related story:
Even with automation, staffing is the key to managing a network
Several years ago, a series of DOD Information Assurance Vulnerability Alerts (IAVAs) explained the need for a tool that could provide proactive information and automated updates.
"I remember we received an IAVA directive from the DOD and Guard bureau" in late 2006, Floyd said. "We had to have our network devices upgraded by a certain date."
The first challenge was simply finding out what devices were on the network, a process accomplished by sneakernet — walking from place to place and looking at what was there.
"We had a lot of devices we weren't aware of," he said. In addition to forming an inventory, Floyd needed to upgrade each device manually. And it was not a one-time event. "That kind of directive typically comes out once or twice a year," he said.
Clearly, some automation was needed. Floyd chose Netcordia's NetMRI appliance. Other tools had similar features, but NetMRI "was just the right mix of benefit vs. cost," Floyd said. "The learning curve was pretty flat."
He made the decision to go with the tool after talking with other network managers who used it. An Army major at Fort Hood, Texas, told him that every unit deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan should have NetMRI as standard equipment for tactical and nontactical networks. "This guy didn't want to leave home without it," Floyd said.
Although it can be used as a software-only product, NetMRI is usually sold as a stand-alone appliance that runs on a Linux operating system with a MySQL database. It sits on the network, typically in a data center or network operations center, and it gathers data from Layer 2 and Layer 3 devices, such as routers, switches, firewalls, gateways, wireless controllers and wide-area network optimizers.
It collects Simple Network Management Protocol data, configuration data, syslog events and data records of voice-over-IP calls. It passes that information to a database that has built-in best practices and networking policies. It identifies elements that are out of compliance with policies and shows changes in near-real time. It can also be used to schedule work and send changes to devices, and it evaluates a network's compliance with regulatory requirements.
NetMRI displays network performance information graphically, and when an error or other problem appears, administrators can isolate changes in the network and work backward to find the cause of the problem. It is a tool to help administrators find needles in haystacks and keep track of the needles, said Matt Gowarty, Netcordia's product marketing manager.
Tracking and managing change produce a more consistent network, which is a more stable network. That can be even more important in an environment in which employees frequently come and go, as they do at the Tennessee Army National Guard.
Floyd was fortunate to be able to start with an up-to-date network that had plenty of bandwidth. The network, which serves 94 locations statewide, recently upgraded from a point-to-point frame-relay network to a mostly meshed Multiprotocol Label Switching network, with a T1 or faster connection to each location.
The network shifted to MPLS about two-and-a-half years ago when the Guard began implementing VOIP.
"We ran out of bandwidth in a hurry," Floyd said. "With the increased demands of that and other Web-based applications, we had to find another [medium] to make it happen."
When Verizon offered to provide the Guard with a meshed MPLS network with full T1 connections for less than the Guard had been paying for fractional circuits, "that was a good deal," Floyd said. "We can easily scale up the MPLS circuits and add new ones."
The VOIP deployment is not yet complete. "We were in the middle of that when I was deployed to Afghanistan," Floyd said. "There was nobody to follow up on it. When I got back six months ago, I found it still waiting for me."
Floyd had three primary requirements for his new network management tool. First, it had to help automate changes to network devices as required by IAVA directives. Doing that by hand took a while, Floyd said. NetMRI can automate the process for most devices.
Second, Floyd wanted a dashboard view that would let him arrive in the morning and quickly check the network's condition. NetMRI does this with a 10-point scale.
"I take 10 seconds to look at it, and I can see it's right about nine [on the 10-point scale] every day," he said. If it is significantly below that, "it gives me the immediate opportunity to start drilling down and see what is going on."
Third, the database of compliance benchmarks, including the National Security Agency's metrics, gives him more confidence in the security of the network.
"If I'm doing everything NSA says I should be doing, then I'm likely to be doing all the other things, too," he said.
About the Author
William Jackson is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
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Lifelong Learners
Resources that provide information related to Florida's people, history and culture are available for all ages and any interest level.
Spanish Colonial Heritage Trail
The Florida Spanish Colonial Heritage Trail is a 64-page, full-color guidebook highlighting more than 50 Spanish heritage and historical sites dating from 1513 to 1821. While St. Augustine and Pensacola are landmark areas, Spanish explorations and legacies are reflected in museums, forts, parks, shipwrecks, memorials and churches throughout the state.
Forever Changed: La Florida, 1513–1821
Forever Changed: La Florida, 1513–1821 is a new permanent exhibit open at the Museum of Florida History. It chronicles a dynamic period in Florida's history—from the meeting and interaction of vastly different native and European cultures to the peninsula's adoption as a United States territory.
Florida History Moment
The Florida Humanities Council presents 2-minute audio programs commemorating Florida's unique history. Noted historians from across Florida present short histories such as Floridians take sides in the Spanish Civil War, Flip that Governor's Mansion or Florida's Powerful Apalachees.
Cigar Making in Florida
Commercial cigar rolling first came to Florida in the 1830s. In the decades after the Civil War, cigar making became one of the most important industries in the southeastern United States.


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Astoria Lions Club meeting
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A list of book releases compiled by Dr. Dobb's to keep you up-to-date on software development tools and techniques.
HTML5 and CSS3: Develop with Tomorrow's Standards Today (Beta)
by Brian P. Hogan
HTML5 and CSS3 are the future of web development, but you don't have to wait to start using them. Even though the specification is still in development, many modern browsers and mobile devices already support HTML5 and CSS3. This beta book gets you up to speed on the new HTML5 elements and CSS3 features you can use right now, and backwards compatible solutions ensure that you don't leave users of older browsers behind. This title is currently available in "Beta." If you buy the eBook now, you'll be able to download successive releases of the eBook as the authors add material and correct mistakes. You'll get the final eBook when the book is finished. If you buy the combo pack (Beta eBook plus the finished Paper Book) now, you'll get the Beta eBook immediately, and you'll get the finished paper book when it's released (currently estimated for release on August 20, 2010).
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide (Rough Cuts Version) Sixth Edition
by David Flanagan
Whether you need an example-driven programmer's guide or a complete desk reference, this book is an authoritative text on the language that runs the Web. The sixth edition offers comprehensive coverage of ECMAScript 5 (the new language standard) and also the new APIs introduced in HTML5. The chapters on functions and classes have been completely rewritten and updated to match current best practices. A new chapter covers language extensions and subsets. When you buy a book on the Rough Cuts service, you get access to an evolving manuscript. You can read it online, download as a PDF, or print. Once you've purchased a Rough Cuts title, you have a chance to shape the final product — you can send suggestions, bug fixes, and comments directly to the author and editors.
Lucene in Action, Second Edition
by Michael McCandless, Erik Hatcher, and Otis Gospodnetic
The Lucene search engine sports a high-performance, easy-to-use API and features such as numeric fields, payloads, near-real-time search, and huge increases in indexing and searching speed make it the leading search tool. This book is a definitive guide to effectively integrating search into your applications. This totally revised version shows you how to index your documents, including formats such as MS Word, PDF, HTML, and XML. It introduces you to searching, sorting, and filtering, and covers the numerous improvements to Lucene since the first edition. Source code is for Lucene 3.0.1.


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011 - Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam - 2014.
From our travels in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
We visited The Củ Chi Tunnels Saigon, Cu Chi District. The tunnels of Củ Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels throughout Vietnam.
We spent a full morning here on this very interesting tour. The tunnels were used by Viet Cong soldiers.
108 / 159
Củ Chi Tunnels Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. - 2014.
John Macs Vietnam Cambodia Tour 2014VietnamSaigonHo Chi Minh CityVietnam 2014Củ Chi Tunnels SaigonCu Chi District


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Phew!! My first actual post of the year!!! feels gr8 to be back in action again...
So its February ...the season of love as they call it,and we poor IITians have so much other than love scheduled for the month, the frickin mid sems notwithstanding (who the hell chose Valentine's day as a perpetual date for setting the exam !!! It happenz wonly at IIT :P)
Now needless to say(for the regular readers ) ,the first month of this year has been a very eventful one ,and a lotta thinga that i couldnt have imagined in my wildest dreams just struck me in the face... The bliss of having some1 say "i love you" or the best internship one could ever get- i have it all, and a lot more!
There are some things that in my 20 years of life I had never experienced ,and now that I have felt them so closely ,must say everything has been worth it through and through, and even after i know the xperience ,its so not like the process of opening a gift-wrapper ,when the excitement in the process dies as soon as you discover what the gift is -coz what i've felt is just beyond words, and everlasting. Sometimes ,its scary, what if it just falls apart one day ?? Do i really have the privilege of being so happy at a given time?? Well, at the risk of sounding paranoid -must say feels a bit surreal ,but what the heck -I know i'll make the most of it till the happiness lasts!! But must say ,nothings comes without strings attached!! Lemme elaborate a on few interesting things:
-->Well, I guess the first few weeks of falling in love or falling out of it are essentially the same.For starters ,one actually lies in bed the whole day listening to slow songs (the lyrics start to matter so much more than ever before...wow...i inadvertantly sounded a bit poetic here too!!!) ,wistfully thinking about just one person!!! Phew!!!Not just this, one suddenly starts to have a sea change in his overall perception of things and general attitude towards life ...When you fall outta love , you feel like hitting every other person close to you ;on the other hand ,when you fall into it, you'd wanna give a jaadu-ki-jhappi to all and sundry (oh! and this feeling gets pronounce when there's a hottie around ,though at the risk of being one-tight-ishlapped a la kal ho na ho!!! :P)
-->Delhi seemed to be teeming with happening places to hang out only until last month...but now it suddenly seems that there's not a single place in delhi to go to ,somewhere the crowd can just leave you to your own devices (and your own girl and her rum balls!!) .One goes to a movie to find a house full (of wasted /vella people!!) ,and you go to a fast food joint with just the same results -only this time,the joint is full of "joint" families with disjoint opinions about what to eat and uncontrollable kids with one eye on your girl and the other on your rum ball!!!!! :P
-->People /things/ even online messengers seem to start playin "sadist" with you. Your parents ,who'd have been inviting u home since so many days ,would suddenly start gettin suspicious even if you go home only for a day( or is it becoz ur'e goin home only for "a" day!!) ,and hold an unwelcome look when u reach home (seems for a moment that ur'e house is only ur guesthouse -only,this one is in your hometown!! :P) . More than this, your phone starts playin fickle games with u,and u can't seems to connect a normal call to the object of ur affection. And what when even Gtalk starts complaining when u wanna send something across and hatches a plot to get the 2 lovebirds to fight by sayin at one end-"the sender withdrew his offer" and at the other-" the receiver declined the offer"!!!
Not to 4get how people just cant seem to stop watching you on your first date,and even waiters turn up to remind you of social values ,as if they're blessed with the supreme duty!!
-->You start lying too much and too often...with all and sundry(sometymes even to her...lol !!!)
Ahem ..... PYAR KE SIDE EFFECTS anyone????!!!! lol :P
Phew!! My first actual post of the year!!! feels gr8 to be back in action again...
Posted by Aupsy-The cOOlest One!! at 2:24 PM 8 comments
Labels: Life...or sumthin like it


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Toms River Police Department boosts mapping, dispatch capabilities
Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said he believes the software will help keep officers out of harm's way. Using Spillman's Pin Mapping module, officers can easily track criminal activities and visualize crime trends by plotting incidents on a map.
When responding to a call, field officers can use laptop computers to communicate instantly with other personnel, search for electronic records contained in their agency's database, and view a map showing the location of all fleet units.
The department believes that searching capabilities, along with the mapping of crime and officers' locations will enhance officer safety," Mastronardy said.
Toms River Police Department created a committee and spent two years evaluating public safety software vendors before deciding on Spillman, he said. The department is now one of five agencies in New Jersey and more than 700 agencies nationwide using Spillman software.
The agency went live with Spillman's Integrated Hub, Records, Dispatch, Mobile Communications, Corrections, Fire/EMS, and Resources solutions on April 15.
Two things about this implementation have made me proud," Mastronardy said. First, the dedication and hard work of Toms River's skilled officers and employees, and second, the top of the line product we have selected."
The software will enable agency personnel to easily search an integrated database for information on suspects, property and evidence. They will be able to store an unlimited amount of intelligence data on criminal hangouts, suspicious vehicles, and the activities of individuals or groups.
Using Spillman's InSight, the department will have the ability to share data with other law enforcement agencies. The ability to access name records, arrests, citations, and images collected in other jurisdictions will help Toms River improve their investigations and prevent and solve crimes.
Toms River Police Department serves approximately 100,000 residents across its 40-square-mile jurisdiction, in what is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state.
We believe that Spillman's innovative software will help Toms River Police Department improve incident response time, manage their database, and improve officer safety," said Joe Lunt, vice president of sales and marketing for Spillman Technologies. We are excited to enter into a partnership with this growing community."
Spillman Technologies provides a full range of software solutions for public safety agencies, including Records Management, Computer-Aided Dispatch, Mobile Communications, Corrections Management, Fire/EMS Management, Resource Management, and Data Sharing.


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Simply Counselling
We provide counselling for individuals, couples, stroke survivors, heart patients and their carers. We are a Community Interest Company, committed to improving the welfare of the people of Plymouth with experenced team of 28 counsellors.
Pregnancy Crisis Care
Free, confidential, impartial counselling and support to all facing any pregnancy-related crises, including impartial pregnancy choices counselling for unplanned pregnancy, a sensitive recovery programme for those facing difficulties after abortion,...
Counselling Connection
Counselling Connection makes it easier to find the counsellor right for you. It can be hard to reach out for professional support so Counselling Connection has designed its service with this in mind, hoping you will take that important step towards...
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Google AdMob is an easy way to monetize mobile apps with targeted, in-app advertising.
Key capabilities
|Earn more from AdMob's in-app ads
Show ads from millions of Google advertisers in real time, or use AdMob Mediation to earn from over 40 premium networks through the AdMob platform to simplify your ad operations, improve competition, and earn more, for free.
AdMob mediation has ad network optimization built in, which automatically adjusts the positions of your other ad networks in your mediation stack to ensure you maximize your revenue.
|Improve user experience
|Native and video ads create a positive user experience as you monetize by matching the look and feel of your app. Choose from different ad templates, customize them, and experiment with different layouts on the fly without republishing your app.
|Scale fast
When your app's a global or domestic hit, you can monetize users quickly with AdMob, by showing ads to users in more than 200 markets.
More than one app? AdMob house ads is a free tool that enables you to cross-promote your apps to your user base, across your family of apps.
|Access monetization reports
|AdMob is the premier monetization platform for mobile. While generating ad revenue, AdMob also produces its own monetization reports that you can use to make smarter decisions about product strategy.
How does it work?
Google AdMob helps you monetize your mobile app through in-app advertising. Ads can be displayed as banner ads, interstitial ads, video ads, or native ads — which are seamlessly added to platform native UI components. On Android, you can additionally display in-app purchase ads, which allow users to purchase advertised products from within your app.
Before you can display ads within your app, you'll need to create an AdMob account and activate one or more Ad Unit IDs. This is a unique identifier for the places in your app where ads are displayed. If you are already using AdMob in your app, all of your existing Ad Unit IDs continue to work after you've added Firebase to your app.
AdMob uses the Google Mobile Ads SDK. The Google Mobile Ads SDK helps app developers gain insights about their users, drive more in-app purchases, and maximize ad revenue. In order to do so, the default integration of the Mobile Ads SDK collects information such as device information, publisher-provided location information, and general in-app purchase information such as item purchase price and currency.
Implementation path
|Connect your app
|Start by adding Firebase to your new or existing app in the Firebase console.
|Update project dependencies
|Adding AdMob to your app is easier when you use CocoaPods on iOS or Gradle on Android. Either of these methods adds the necessary libraries and dependencies to your app.
|Create a banner ad
|Use the AdMob API to create space in your app UI for a banner ad. You can set the layout to just the way you like it or use smart banners that will resize depending on the device size and orientation.
|Create an AdMob account
|In order to monetize with ads in your production app, you'll need to sign up for an AdMob account. Add any Ad Unit IDs that you've created to your app before you publish.


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text:
No cap-and-trade money for high-speed rail
|Governor Brown signs the high-speed rail boondoggle
Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press
Even True Believers---like the folks at Transform---are worried that California's high-speed rail system will never happen. They are right to worry, since there's still no money to build the system, not to mention all the litigation now underway to stop the ruinous boondoggle.
Some bad news for high-speed rail was tucked deep inside yesterday's story in the Chronicle about how California will spend the income from its new cap-and-trade system:
Some bad news for high-speed rail was tucked deep inside yesterday's story in the Chronicle about how California will spend the income from its new cap-and-trade system:
Some at the Capitol have wondered whether the cost of building the state's $68 billion high-speed rail system would qualify. Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor said he didn't think so. He noted that construction of the project will actually increase carbon emissions and that reducing greenhouse gases is not the main purpose of high-speed rail. "It's a little hard for us to justify how you can use huge sums of money to pay the large capital costs when that's a relatively small reason of why you're doing it," Taylor said.
State Senator Yee, who thinks the state's high-speed rail project is dumb, cast the deciding vote for it anyhow after intense pressure from Democratic Party bigshots. Yee understood that when he made his inevitable run for higher office, voting against the high-speed rail boondoggle would have cost him the future support of the Democratic Party and, just as important, the labor unions, since even dumb projects create jobs.
The Legislative Analyst's Office explained the point Taylor made at greater length below in its report on high-speed rail earlier this year:
Use of Cap-and-Trade Auction Revenues Very Speculative. As discussed earlier, the plan proposes to use revenue from the state's quarterly cap-and-trade auctions, which are scheduled to begin in November of this year, to backstop any shortfall in anticipated funding from the federal government. These auctions involve the selling of carbon allowances as a way to regulate and limit the state's GHG emissions in accordance with Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006 (AB 32, Núñez/Pavley). As we discussed in our recent brief, The 2012-13 Budget: Cap-and-Trade Auction Revenues, the use of cap-and-trade revenues are subject to legal constraints. Based on an opinion we received from Legislative Counsel, the revenues generated from the cap-and-trade auctions would constitute "mitigation fee" revenues. Therefore, in order for their use to be valid as mitigation fees, these revenues must be used to mitigate GHG emissions. Given these considerations, the administration's proposal to possibly use cap-and-trade auction revenues for the construction of high-speed rail raises three primary concerns.
- Would Not Help Achieve AB 32's Primary Goal. The primary goal of AB 32 is to reduce California's GHG emissions statewide to 1990 levels by 2020. Under the revised draft business plan, the IOS would not be completed until 2021 and Phase 1 Blended would not be completed until 2028.Thus, while the high-speed rail project could eventually help reduce GHG emissions somewhat in the very long run, given the project's timeline, it would not help achieve AB 32's primary goal of reducing GHG emissions by 2020. As a result, there could be serious legal concerns regarding this potential use of cap-and-trade revenues. It would be important for the Legislature to seek the advice of Legislative Counsel and consider any potential legal risks.
- High–Speed Rail Would Initially Increase GHG Emissions for Many Years. As mentioned above, in order to be a valid use of cap–and–trade revenues, programs will need to reduce GHG emissions. While the HSRA has not conducted an analysis to determine the impact that the high–speed rail system will have on GHG emissions in the state, an independent study found that, if the high-speed rail system met its ridership targets and renewable electricity commitments, construction and operation of the system would emit more GHG emissions than it would reduce for approximately the first 30 years. While high-speed rail could reduce GHG emissions in the very long run, given the previously mentioned legal constraints, the fact that it would initially be a net emitter of GHG emissions could raise legal risks.
- Other GHG Reduction Strategies Likely to Be More Cost Effective. As we discussed in our recent brief on cap–and–trade, in allocating auction revenues we recommend that the Legislature prioritize GHG mitigation programs that have the greatest potential return on investment in terms of emission reductions per dollar invested. Considering the cost of a high-speed rail system relative to other GHG reduction strategies (such as green building codes and energy efficiency standards), a thorough cost-benefit analysis of all possible strategies is likely to reveal that the state has a number of other more cost–effective options. In other words, rather than allocate billions of dollars in cap-and-trade auctions revenues for the construction of a new transportation system that would not reduce GHG emissions for many years, the state could make targeted investments in programs that are actually designed to reduce GHG emissions and would do so at a much faster rate and at a significantly lower cost.
If you're new to the issue, this document is a good place to start.
Labels: High-Speed Rail, Scott Wiener


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Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
Denver District Office
September 20, 2006
Mr. Gary Hollister
Chief Executive Officer
Xango LLC, International
3098 Executive Parkway
Lehi, Utah 84043
Ref # - DEN-06-22
Dear Mr. Hollister :
This letter is to advise you of serious concerns that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regarding the promotion of Xango, your mangosteen-juice product. Labeling used by distributors of your product promotes your product for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. Products intended for such uses are drugs under section 201(g)(1)(B) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) [21 U.S.C. 321(g)(1)(B)).
FDA obtained brochures promoting the health benefits of mangosteens and mangosteen juice through contact information provided at a seminar at which representatives of your firm, David and Joe Morton, made presentations designed to recruit distributors for Xango. By using a telephone number provided by staff at the seminar, FDA ordered the "Mangosteen Brochure Combo Pack." FDA subsequently received a packet of brochures that included ten copies each of nine different brochures promoting the health benefits of mangosteens and mangosteen juice. The packet also included brochures aimed at recruiting distributors for your product.
Under the Act, "labeling" is not limited to labels on the immediate container for your product. "Labeling" is defined in section 201(m) the Act [21 U.S.C. 321(m)] as "all labels and other written, printed or graphic matter upon any article . . . or accompanying such article." The brochures we received as a prospective distributor of your product meet the definition of "labeling" in section 201(m) of the Act.
Examples of some of the claims in the brochures include:
From "Tame the Flame"
- "For several decades, relief from inflammation has been available through nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like aspirin and ibuprofen. Mangosteen is just that - a proven, natural COX 2 inhibitor."
- One study showed mangosteen extract was a more potent anti-inflammatory agent than several prescription anti-inflammatory medications currently used for arthritis and gout."
From "22 Reasons to Drink Mangosteen Juice"
- "Prevents hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)"
"Anti-inflammatory-Significantly reduces inflammation in the body targeting neck, back, and knee pain. Proven to significantly reduce nerve pain as well."
- "Anti-Parkinson, Anti-Alzheimer and other forms of dementia"
- "Anti-depressant."
- "Prevents bacterial infections (Anti-bacterial)"
- "Prevents and arrests fungus (Anti-fungal)"
- "Viral fighters and prevention of infections (Antiviral). Mangosteen has been used for centuries to treat skin disorders such as dermatitis, infections from wounds, ringworm, acne, and so forth."
- "Prevents gum disease (Antiperiodontic)"
- "Lowers fevers (Anti-pyretic)"
- "Eye care - prevents glaucoma and cataracts (Anti-glaucomic and Anti-cataract)"
- "Weight Loss - helps and prevents obesity (anti-obesity)"
- "Lowers blood fat (Anti-lipidemic) Dr. Templeman says, " . . .the degree of the lowering of LDL equals or exceeds that obtained with some commercial drug preparations . . without the serious side effects of the anti-cholesterol drugs."
- "Anti-Tumor benefits"
- "Cancer: Mangosteen helps in the prevention of cancer with its powerful anti-oxidants . Six Xanthones according to a preliminary study were capable of killing cancer cells."
- "Lowers blood pressure"
- "Blood sugar lowering"
From "An Introduction to Xanthones" -
- "The thick mangosteen rind is used for treating . . .cystitis (inflammation of the urinary bladder), dysentery, eczema (a skin disease), fever. . . ."
- Teas of the mangosteen bark are known for treating genital and urinary infections as well as stomatitis (inflammation of the mouth)."
- "anti-inflammatory"
- "anti-microbial"
- "anti-fungal"
- "anti-viral"
- "anti-cancer"
- "anti-tumor"
- "anti-ulcer"
- "anti-hepatotoxic"
- "Is anti-rhinoviral"
- "anti-allergic"
- "In addition, the anti-inflammatory activities of natural xanthones found in the mangosteen plant are significant. In particular, one recent study confirmed that gamma mangostin, a xanthone derivative, is a potent COX inhibitor. Suppressing the cellular production of cyclooxygenase, or "COX," is an important factor in reducing inflammation, pain and fever."
From "Mangosteen and the Hormone Balancing Act" -
- "Another way mangosteen keeps the cells and glands of the endocrine system working properly is by fighting off infection."
- "Scientific investigation has shown that mangosteen has strong antimicrobial properties. Anti means against; microorganisms are tiny organisms like bacteria, viruses, yeasts, and molds. Studies report mangosteen stops the growth of Staphylococcus, common bacteria that causes infections if not controlled. Another study done in Thailand found
that a mangosteen extract stimulated the phagocytic cells to kill the bacteria Salmonella enteritidis. Other research shows mangosteen to be effective in stopping various types of fungal growth."
- "By drinking mangosteen, you may help prevent infections . . . ."
From "Xanthones and the Chiropractic Connection" -
- "Because of the amazing results I have had with XanGo, I am now drug free and virtually pain free for the first time in 21 years. The research I have performed on this product has led me to believe that it helps restore liver function, breaks down insulin resistance, and can turn around chronic conditions of inflammation in the cells of the body."
- "Its delicious taste and medicinal qualities not only put dessert on the table but keep the people free of such ailments as dysentery, infections, inflammation, diabetes, and pain, to mention a few."
From "Why Healthy People Drink Mangosteen Juice" -
- "Traditionally, mangosteen was used to help with ailments such as diarrhea, eczema, thrush, urinary infections . . . . Currently, many people use mangosteen to help prevent disease by lowering their risk factors for disease . . . ."
- "The xanthones in mangosteen have been shown to inhibit both bacteria (including strains of the staphylococcus bacteria that were antibiotic resistant) and viruses (such as HIV-1). In two separate studies, researchers proved that the xanthones in mangosteen prevented the growth of as many as six different dangerous fungi."
- "Polysaccharides are incredibly potent anti-cancer and anti-bacterial plant compounds . . . . Japanese scientists isolated several polysaccharides from mangosteen that helped decrease murine tumors (a cancerous tumor in mice)."
- "Another study that looked at the polysaccharides from mangosteen found that they were effective against intracellular bacteria (such as Salmonella enteritidis) . The study results showed that the mangosteen's potent polysaccharides killed all of the bacteria in the culture."
From "The Xanthone Effect" - David A. Morton, Ph.D -
- "Science supports the idea that xanthones found in the mangosteen fruit are an effective remedy for diarrhea and dysentery, mainly by inhibiting the action of the COX-2 enzyme (mechanism of action)."
- "They discovered that some mangosteen xanthones had been reported, 'to produce analgesic and anticonvulsant effects.' They also stated that the mangosteen xanthones were 'found to produce significant anti-inflammatory effects.' An interesting sidenote is that some mangosteen xanthones did not 'cause aggravation of gastric ulcers . . . mangostin produces significant antiulcer activity in experimental animals."
- "They concluded that, 'gamma-mangostin serves not only as a new attractive pharmacological tool for studying the molecular mechanism underlying inflammation but also as a new lead compound for drug development for the prevention and/or treatment of inflammation and brain diseases."
From "Mangosteen [and IBS, and Constipation] An Abdominal Surgeon's Perspective" -
- "Two of the conditions that I have found the mangosteen useful in treating are constipation, and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), which I will deal with in this brochure."
- "Supplementing with mangosteen should enable you to reduce or eliminate the use of steroids in your treatment. . ."
These claims cause your product to be a drug, as defined in Section 201(g)(1)(B) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 321(g)(1)(B)] . Because this product is not generally recognized as safe and effective when used as labeled, it is also a new drug as defined in Section 201(p) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 321(p)]. New drugs may not be legally marketed in the United States without prior approval from FDA as described in section 505(a) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 355(a)] . FDA approves new drugs on the basis of scientific data submitted by a drug sponsor to demonstrate that the drugs are safe and effective.
The introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce of an unapproved new drug is prohibited under the FD&C Act [21 U.S.C. 331(d)] and may lead to enforcement action, including seizure and/or injunction. Please advise this office in writing, within 15 working days of receipt of this letter, as to the specific steps you have taken or will be taking to prevent your distributors from promoting your product in a manner that violates the Act. Your reply should be directed to the attention of Regina Barrell, Compliance Officer, Food and Drug Administration, at the address shown on the letterhead above.
B. Belinda Collins
District Director
This page was posted on October 2, 2006.


text:
URAC and The Leapfrog Group announced today the winners of the 2013 Hospital Website Transparency Awards Program. The two organizations have partnered for a second year to identify outstanding hospital websites that promote transparency of safety and quality measures in a manner that is useful and user-friendly for consumers. The winners were announced as part of The Leapfrog Group Annual Meeting taking place at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA. All hospitals that completed a 2013 Leapfrog Hospital Survey and publicly report quality and/or safety metrics were eligible.
Eleven hospitals received the 2013 Hospital Website Transparency Award, and three hospitals received the Award with Distinction for going above and beyond in their work to promote hospital website transparency:
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
• Inova (Alexandria, Fair Oaks, Fairfax, Loudoun, Mount Vernon)
• Harlem Hospital Center
• Mercy Regional Medical Center
• Nationwide Children's Hospital
• St. Mary Corwin Medical Center
• Texas Children's Hospital
• WakeMed Health & Hospitals
• Baptist Health South Florida (with Distinction)
• JFK Medical Center (with Distinction)
• Kaiser Permanente (with Distinction)
"The Hospital Website Transparency Awards are a unique way for us to honor and showcase these hospitals that show initiative in protecting consumers through transparency and quality reporting," said Kylanne Green, URAC President and CEO. "We are celebrating these hospitals who exhibit innovations and best practices, and it is encouraging to see so many hospitals that are committed to informing, protecting, and serving the community."
"For the past two years, the Hospital Website Transparency Awards have recognized hospitals that have adapted and succeeded in the new era of health care consumerism," said Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "They have designed websites that are informative, engaging, and user-friendly for the communities they serve. We applaud their commitment to innovation and healthcare transparency."
The Hospital Website Transparency Awards criteria was developed in accordance with the National Quality Forum's guidelines for consumer-focused, Internet-based public reporting of health performance data as well as the Model Public Report Elements prepared for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Hospitals that have received the award will be identifiable by the award seal on the hospital website. More information about the awards program can be found at https://www.urac.org/hospitalwebsiteawards/.
About URAC
URAC is a national accreditation leader, offering over 30 highly regarded accreditation programs that span the health care spectrum. Our programs are created and updated by independent industry-spanning experts to address the latest market trends and needs, exemplified by our recently launched Clinical Integration and Accountable Care Accreditation Programs. The nation's leading Case Management Accreditor, URAC recently launched the enhanced Case Management Accreditation program which addresses the increased focus on improving care coordination across the evolving health care landscape. Our Health Plan Accreditation program carries HHS approval to accredit health plans on Exchanges in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. URAC's accreditation programs are formally recognized by six federal agencies, as well as 48 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit http://www.urac.org.
About The Leapfrog Group
The Leapfrog Group is a voluntary program aimed at mobilizing employer purchasing power to alert America's health industry that big leaps in health care safety, quality and customer value will be recognized and rewarded. Among other initiatives, Leapfrog works with its employer members to encourage transparency and easy access to health care information as well as rewards for hospitals that have a proven record of high quality care. The Leapfrog Hospital Survey is the gold standard for comparing hospitals' performance on the national standards of safety, quality, and efficiency that are most relevant to consumers and purchasers of care. For more information, visit http://www.leapfroggroup.org/.


text:
04 December 2012 | News | By BioSpectrum Bureau
DCB, JoBen Bio-Medical in Taiwan partner to develop anticancer drugs
The partnership aims to obtain investigational new drug approvals for entry into human clinical trials for lung cancer by the end of 2015
Singapore: The Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB) and JoBen Bio-Medical in Taiwan have signed a licensing and collaboration partnership agreement for developing anti-cancer drugs. The drugs will be based on chemical ingredients extracted from the fruiting bodies of fungus Antrodia cinnamomea, which grows on Cinnamomum kanehirae, a unique kind of camphor tree in Taiwan. The partnership aims to obtain investigational new drug (IND) approvals by regulatory agencies in Taiwan and the US for entries into human clinical trials on lung cancer by the end of 2015.
The fungus Antrodia cinnamomea is a parasitic mushroom growing on a special strain of stout camphor tree found only in Taiwan. It has traditionally been used as treatment for discomforts due to excessive drinking and fatigue. The fruiting bodies of the mushroom are rich in polysaccharides and triterpenoids.
Chemical components extracted from the organism, such as antrodia camphorata acid and its derivatives, are known to have anti-inflammatory, insecticidal and cytotoxic activities. Experiments in animals demonstrated that the chemicals DCB researchers have isolated and identified show anti-tumor effects comparable to available cancer drugs.
President Chia-Lin Jeff Wang of DCB points out that the mission of the not-for-profit organization is to foster growth of Taiwan's biotech industry by serving as a pivotal link between the academia and the industry for drug development. Since 2000 when DCB refocused on preclinical development, seven IND approvals have been obtained, and one of the drug candidates is currently undergoing phase III clinical trials in Taiwan. The southern region of Taiwan is a recent focus area for DCB to play the role of a "second-baton runner" in the "relay race" of Taiwan's biotech development. The partnership with JBM, which is located in the Pingtung County, represents an important outcome of DCB's industrial promotion efforts in southern Taiwan.
DCB Chairman Dr Johnsee Lee indicates that forming partnerships in early stages of drug development will not only alleviate risk burdens for the stakeholders but also increase success rates for technology commercialization. The technology transferred from the DCB to JoBen Bio-Medical is the result of a project sponsored by the Industrial Technology Development Program under the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The partnership highlights positive impacts of the ministry's industrial promotion programs, which have been providing key driving forces and supporting resources for the upgrading and integration of upstream, midstream and downstream sectors in the value chain of Taiwan's biotech industry.


text:
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Sorry Day Walk & BBQ Lunch Monday, 26 May 2014 starting from Scenic Drive Nowra 1130am walk to the Bomaderry Homes (Nowra Land Council) 59 Beinda St for lunch and entertainment
The Days Highlights:
12pm Traditional smoking ceremony followed by the Womens Walk of Solidarity
12.30pm Presidents Lunch with guest speaker Lois Peeler
1.30pm A Grade game commences
2.00pm Senior football game commences
5.00pm Presentation of trophies
Throughout the day there will be kids activities and an arts tent (supported by the torch project)where you can participate in traditional arts such as basket weaving and feather flower making
Hope to see you all there to enjoy a deadly family day!
An evening that pays tribute to Jimmy Little and his musical legacy. Jimmys original band - the Jimmy Little Trio - was formed in 1963 and consisted of guitarist Cyril Green, Doug Peters on drums and bassist Neville Thorne. They toured for over a decade and were the first Indigenous country music band to release an album, to feature on Australian TV, and to perform at the Sydney Opera House.
Dearest music lovers, accidental contacts and best friends ever:
Please find attached the latest line-up of our fantastic international music festival here in Broome in 2 weeks..
Starting at 1pm with two stages and giving the over-talented, ex-firebreathing/Mexican circus clown, one man musical freak Scotland's Rory McLeod his usual 2 straight hours of incredibleness to finish at 9pm, the day's music is truly remarkable.


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Pistol-packing lawmaker Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, isn't likely to have a memory lapse like this again.
Monday, the first-term California Assemblyman pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges stemming from the discovery of a loaded .45 caliber pistol inside his luggage at Ontario Airport.
Donnelly was put on probation for three years and will pay a fine of just over $2,000.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Donnelly was headed to the state Capitol back in January when TSA screeners at Ontario discovered the handgun inside his carry on bag.
Donnelly, an activist in a citizen movement to monitor the U.S.-Mexico border, said he had received death threats tied to his efforts to repeal the Dream Act.
That measure allows undocumented immigrants to quality for college assistance.
He told investigators he placed the gun in his bag while working in his garage, then forgot about it. It's the kind of forgetfulness that gets law enforcement riled up.
But in Donnelly's conservative district, it 's not expected to hurt his reelection chances one bit.
Let us know what you think. Send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


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Species alerts
ESENIAS News
ESENIAS-TOOLS Project News
Alien CSI - Bulgaria News
|First record of Diplachne fascicularis (Poaceae) for Bulgaria
Diplachne fascicularis (Poaceae) has been reported for the first time for Bulgaria by V. Vladimirov and M. Delcheva (2016).
This plant species is native to North and South America. In Europe, it has been reported as alien in Italy, Spain and Portugal. Recently, D. fascicularis was introduced to Turkey, where it adapted to rice fields and became an important weed in many regions of the country. The species was also recorded as casual in Belgium, as a wool alien, and as occurring in the Czech Republic. An increase in the presence of D. fascicularis in rice fields over the past few years was reported for the region of Valencia, Spain. In Southern Europe, the species is considered as an important weed in cereal crops, in particular in rice fields, with a maximum spreading potential and a maximum score for weediness, moderately easy to control. Seed trade is pointed as the main pathway for the introduction and spread of this species in Spain and Italy.
In Bulgaria, D. fascicularis was recorded for the first time on 12.10.2016 in rice fields between Tsalapitsa Village and Saedinenie Town, within the Thracian Lowland floristic region. The species is already abundant at the margins of the rice fields, producing a large amount of seeds.
For more information:
Vladimirov V., M. Delcheva 2016. First record of the alien Diplachne fascicularis (Poaceae) in Bulgaria. Flora Mediterranea, 26: 209-214. >>>
Contact person:
Photos: Vladimir Vladimirov


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It's probably not a coincidence that Warner Bros. is rushing ahead with a movie based on the mega-popular online game Minecraft, right after Lego Movie became one of the year's biggest films. But will a Minecraft film capture what's so great about the game?
As Deadline points out the Lego/Minecraft comparisons sort of suggest themselves:
The game is very much like the world we saw in The Lego Movie as master builders constructed what they needed as they needed...
In the Minecraft game, players create their own avatar and use cubes to create, build, and destroy structures and other forms across multiple game modes and various players. When you first begin the game, the player is dropped into the middle of nowhere and must build out a world of their own, but monsters can come out at any time and you must survive the night.
But as Deadline says, this could be the next Lego Movie or the next Super Mario Bros. Lego Movie co-producer Roy Lee is producing Minecraft, along with Jill Messick (Mean Girls.) No clue yet who's writing or producing this thing, though.
As co-creator Magnus "Notch" Persson admitted, "Also, I [am] very well aware that this might be Minecraft jumping the shark, but how often do you get to be part of making a movie?" [via Wired UK]


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(Phoenix, Ariz. – Nov. 17, 2005) Attorney General Terry Goddard today announced a settlement with Scottsdale Suzuki Superstore and its successor corporation, Suzuki of Tempe, for falsely advertising minimum trade-ins and placing misleading information about "dealer installed accessories and service charges" on the window stickers of new cars.
The consent agreement settles a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General's Office last February against the Tempe-based dealership. The lawsuit alleged that the dealer falsely advertised minimum trade-in amounts and didn't provide all the accessories listed on window stickers.
The settlement requires the dealership to pay the Attorney General's Office $50,000. The money will be used to pay for consumer education, attorneys' fees and investigation costs. The settlement also requires future advertisements to be clear, truthful and non-misleading.
The lawsuit alleged that Scottsdale Suzuki Superstore ran television and print ads that indicated the dealership would guarantee a minimum of $5,000 for a trade-in during a sales campaign in May 2004. Small print appearing briefly onscreen and at the bottom of the newspaper ads stated that the offer applied when customers purchased vehicles in the "service area." There were only four or five used vehicles in the service area for which a consumer could receive the advertised minimum trade.
According to the complaint filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, a consumer went into the dealership to take advantage of the $5,000 trade-in and was turned down. She eventually purchased a 2004 Suzuki Forenza, including the "Dealer Installed Accessories and Service Charges." The lawsuit alleges that days later she realized she had not received accessories listed on the window sticker worth about $2,000.
The consent agreement requires:
- Scottsdale Suzuki Superstore/Suzuki of Tempe to advertise only in a clear, conspicuous, truthful and non-misleading manner.
- The dealership to discontinue advertising minimum trade-ins or other offers that appear to be generally available unless they are generally available.
- The dealership to discontinue listing accessories or services on the sticker price unless those accessories and services are actually included in the price of the car.
The settlement also requires the dealership to pay restitution of $1,517 to the consumer who did not receive the accessories listed on the car sticker.
In January 2005, Scottsdale Suzuki Superstore sold its dealership assets in Scottsdale, and its successor corporation, Suzuki of Tempe, Inc., opened a new dealership in Tempe, under the name Suzuki of Tempe. Scottsdale Suzuki Superstore and Suzuki of Tempe are not associated with the owners of a dealership currently operating as Scottsdale Suzuki.
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please contact the Arizona Attorney General's Office at 602.542.5763 in Phoenix; 520.628.6504 in Tucson; or 1.800.352.8431 outside the metro areas. You can also file an online complaint by visiting the Web site at www.azag.gov.


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Using the Chrome engine, Avant is giving me the option to "Download image..." when right-clicking pictures as opposed to the Chrome Browser's "Save image as..." Avant's used to say "Save image as..." as well.
Is this just me and/or does anyone know the reason for the change? I was almost wondering if something snuck its way into my system, though I do highly doubt it.
"Download image..." vs "Save image as..."
Discuss Avant Browser. Do not post support requests, bug reports, suggestions for new or improved features, etc. here. Put those in the Help, Bug Reports, and Requests forums, respectively.
Moderators: Support Staff², Support Staff, AvantGuard, Developer
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- hornakapopolis
- AvantGuard
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A travel journal is a collection of journal entries that make up a trip. Travel maps, blogs, and photo albums are organized by your trips so you its easy to look through your past travels and keep your current ones together.
I don't have any trips yet.
Come back soon.


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Quick Search: Choose Model and Year, then enter search topic.
Page: 214
Alarm system, central locking
The status of the central locking and alarm system is not changed by disconnecting the battery.
When the battery is disconnected, the alarm system ceases to function.
Central locking overload protection
If the central locking system is operated more than ten times within a minute, further operation is blocked for 30 seconds.
Load switch-off after 2 hours or 7 days
If the ignition key is removed, loads which are switched on or are in standby mode (such as the luggage compartment light and interior light) are automatically switched off after approx. 2 hours. The Radio/PCM is automatically switched off after approx. 10 minutes.
If the vehicle is not started or unlocked with the remote control within 7 days, the remote control standby function is switched off (to save the vehicle battery).
Replacing fuses
In order to prevent damage to the electrical system due to short circuits and overloads, the individual circuits are protected by fuses.
The fuse box is located in the driver's footwell.
A - Plastic gripper
B - Spare fuses


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This column regularly emphasizes the fact that, while things may seem desperate, there can also be hope in the midst of an addictive situation. That does not mean that people in the middle of an alcohol- or drug-fueled crisis ought to deny the reality of what is happening or place themselves or others in danger because of some wishful hope that the danger will magically — hopefully — go away.
This column regularly emphasizes the fact that, while things may seem desperate, there can also be hope in the midst of an addictive situation. That does not mean that people in the middle of an alcohol- or drug-fueled crisis ought to deny the reality of what is happening or place themselves or others in danger because of some wishful hope that the danger will magically — hopefully — go away.
There's a time to have hope and a time to protect oneself from the threat of an alcoholic or addict in the throes of the disease. Members of the Al-Anon Family Programs learn at their first meeting that they cannot control the behavior of the alcoholics in their lives, or their disease.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. You won't find Al-Anon publicly supporting any of the worthwhile programs devoted to educating the public about the problem or to protecting victims or potential victims. That is not because Al-Anon members don't know or care about the issue. Quite the contrary. But Al-Anon, like Alcoholics Anonymous and other anonymous, 12-step programs, has traditions that guide members' and groups' interactions with the public.
As the group's literature explains, Al-Anon's long-standing tradition is not to engage in any public causes and to avoid controversy.
The reasons are simple:
1. Doing so would distract members from the group's primary purpose, which is to help the families of alcoholics.
2. Becoming involved in some public cause opens the group to outside influence. It puts the integrity and credibility of Al-Anon at risk from those who may not share its goals but rather might want to exploit its name. Members are free to voice their opinions and support any causes they choose, without attaching Al-Anon's name to them.
However, just because Al-Anon will not publicly support some effort to combat domestic violence does not mean it doesn't recognize the problem. Honesty is the touchstone of recovery.
One of Al-Anon's approved books that deals specifically with domestic violence is "From Survival to Recovery: Growing Up in an Alcoholic Home." The title speaks for itself, but the authors go out of their way to include a special message on page 9, before getting into the body of the book. The message is clear and concise in addressing the issue:
"A special word to anyone confronted with violence:
"Al-Anon's gentle process unfolds gradually, over time. But those of us facing violent, potentially life-threatening situations, may have to make immediate choices to ensure safety for ourselves and our children. This may mean arranging for a safe house with a neighbor or friend, calling for police protection, or leaving money and an extra set of keys where they can be collected at any time of emergency. It is not necessary to decide how to resolve the situation once and for all — only how to get out of harm's way until this process of awareness, acceptance and action can free us to make choices for ourselves that we can live with. ... Anyone who has been physically or sexually abused or even threatened may be terrified of taking any action at all. It can require every ounce of courage and faith to act decisively. But no one has to accept violence. No matter what seems to trigger the attack, we all deserve to be safe."
Anyone living with problems related to someone else's drinking or drug abuse — including violence or the threat of violence — can find welcoming ears, understanding and help in Al-Anon.To find an Al-Anon meeting in New York state, call 800-344-2666. The national meeting information number is 888-425-2666.
On the Web: al-anon.alateen.org or alanonny.org


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You know the Porsche 911 GT2, right? The 523 horsepower, 210 mph, rear-drive ultra 911? It's the kind of car that's so rare, so desirable, so expensive you hardly want to stand too close to it lest you scratch it. Well, here's a guy who's rallying one.
Meet Gilles Nantet, a Frenchman who used to campaign a GT3 RS in tarmac rallies. As Axis of Oversteer explains, after he wrapped his GT3 RS around a tree he decided to go with an even more extreme 911, what with its twin turbo monster motor.
What a legend.