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President Obama with Education Secretary
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Education is seeking to improve the quality of education for minority and poor public school students by aggressively launching civil rights investigations aimed at preventing district administrators from providing more services and resources to predominantly white schools.
Faced with public schools more segregated today than in the 1970s, the department is using the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to improve the quality of education for students from minority and low-income backgrounds. The department has outpaced the Bush administration in initiating civil rights probes.
During 33 months under the Obama administration, the department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has launched 30 compliance reviews compared with the 22 begun during the eight-year Bush administration. Investigators determine whether school districts have violated Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.
"The civil rights laws are the most sorely underutilized tool in education reform and closing the achievement gap," says Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for civil rights, who has run the department's OCR since May 2009. She said President Barack Obama has emphasized that he wants the department investigating education-related civil rights violations. "This is the most important civil rights issue of our time," she says.
Last year, Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced on the 45th anniversary of Bloody Sunday—the day that Alabama state troopers brutalized civil rights activists marching on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma—that the department's OCR would significantly increase enforcement actions. Duncan acknowledged that over the last 10 years, the office had not aggressively pursued Title 6 investigations to improve the quality of education for minority and poor students.
The OCR received about 7,000 complaints last year, a record for the department.School districts are being investigated for a range of possible violations, including failure to provide minority students with access to college- and career-track courses, not assigning highly qualified teachers to schools with predominantly minority students and disproportionately placing such students in special education courses and suspending minority students.
The OCR has also investigated schools for failing to protect female students of color from sexual violence and not offering access to higher-level math and science courses.
Judith A. BrowneDianis, co-director of the Advancement Project in Washington, D.C., which advocates for quality education, acknowledges a significant change in direction for the department's OCR. Ali served as deputy co-director of the organization from 1999 to 2000.
"For years, we couldn't rely on the federal government to enforce civil rights law, so now we have an Office for Civil Rights that is finally taking up the torch," Browne Dianis says. "During the Bush administration, we wouldn't encourage anyone to file a complaint. The feeling was that even if you filed a complaint, they probably wouldn't investigate or would say there was no racial discrimination."
Education Department officials express concern that a wide disparity exists between the achievement level of graduating white and African-American high school students in specific subject areas, such as biology and math.
Data show that white students are six times better prepared than black students for college biology when they graduate from high school. White students are four times as prepared for college algebra as their black counterparts. Furthermore, white high school graduates are twice as likely to have completed Advanced Placement (AP) calculus courses as black or Latino graduates.
Addressing the statistics, Ali says the solution is not "just about adding more courses" but better preparing minority students in these subject areas. The civil rights investigations are forcing improvements.
In South Carolina, the OCR has targeted school districts for concentrating AP courses at majority white high schools, robbing black students of the chance to take college-track courses. Because of the OCR probe, AP classes have become more widely available at majority black high schools.
Ali is also addressing the practice of assigning the least qualified teachers to poor and predominantly minority schools. By forcing school districts to end this practice, she hopes to narrow the achievement gap between whites and students of color, preparing more minority students for academically challenging courses.
The Education Department and education advocates are examining the higher percentage of minority students assigned to special education classes in many districts.
"Special education is another reflection of huge disparities," says Daniel J. Losen, senior education law and policy associate at The Civil Rights Project at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Losen says school administrators often use subjective criteria to place students in special education programs, resulting in a disproportionate number of minority students being removed from the general classroom setting. Moreover, Ali says the department is evaluating why white and Asian students are overrepresented in gifted and talented programs, while blacks and Latinos are overrepresented in special education classes.
Based on an NAACP complaint, the OCR is investigating the Wake County (N.C.) Public School System for planning to assign students to schools based on their neighborhoods of residence. Critics contend that the plan would kill diversity in the school system and concentrate poor students, effectively resegregating the district.
Ali says "housing patterns and the correlation between race and poverty" also cause resegregation of school districts. "The federal government is working to end that kind of resegregation," she says. "We're very much trying to end discrimination no matter where students go to school or who they go to school with, if they go to school with kids who look like them or to an integrated school."
Owatonna (MN) Senior High School is a case in point. The OCR received a complaint that the mostly white school had not acted sufficiently to stop racial harassment of East African students. When racial tension erupted in 2009 and white and Somali students brawled, school officials disciplined the African students more severely.
Due to the OCR investigation, Owatonna Public Schools agreed in April to take measures to prevent Somali students from being bullied. School officials issued an anti-harassment statement to students, parents and staff while training the school community on what constitutes discrimination and harassment, and meeting with Somali students to review their concerns.
The district must also submit annual compliance reviews to the OCR and the U.S. Department of Justice for the next three years. The case is the most recent race-related Title 6 investigation that the OCR has resolved.
The resolution was a coup for the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which filed the complaint on behalf of Owatonna's largely Muslim Somali population. Many Somali refugees have settled in Minnesota over the past two decades, and the state houses almost 40 percent of all Somalis in the United States.
Taneeza Islam, civil rights director of CAIR-MN, says none of the 30 CAIR chapters nationally had filed such a complaint. "We just took our chances," she recalls. "I had no idea how many cases they had and what their investigation findings looked like. Thankfully, we picked the right [presidential] administration to work with. The process has been really easy. It surprised us how proactive the investigators were."
Resolving the complaint took about a year, Islam says. Since the resolution, CAIR has heard no more concerns about treatment of East African students at Owatonna Senior High. CAIR-MN has also filed a complaint to stop reported harassment of Somali students in St. Cloud, Minn. That case, under investigation for 18 months, is pending.
The Owatonna situation exemplifies racial disparities that persist regarding discipline in public schools. For instance, the OCR has reviewed schools in North Carolina's Winston-Salem/Forsyth County system and Louisiana's St. James Parish for infringing on civil rights of black students by disciplining them more severely than other students.
"There's a national trend of students of color being suspended from school for minor actions," Browne Dianis says. "When we think about discipline, it was originally intended to cover violent acts." Data show that African-American students without disabilities are more than three times as likely to be expelled as their white peers.
Too often, Browne Dianis says, schools remove minority children from class for minor infractions such as tardiness or talking back to teachers. She adds that in today's schools, where standardized test scores are emphasized, a child can easily fall behind academically, and the likelihood of dropping out increases. "Once you drop out, the more likely you are to end up in the criminal justice system," she says.
In 2008, Browne Dianis worked with Baltimore schools on their discipline code to reduce the suspension rate. After the number of student offenses punishable by removal from class was narrowed, the suspension rate plummeted from 26,000 to 9,000 the following year, she says.
John H. Jackson, president and CEO of the Schott Foundation for Public Education, urges the OCR to address racial disparities in several education areas.
Jackson is concerned, for instance, that some local school districts remove unqualified teachers from poor schools but replace them with substitute teachers. He also says states must stop uneven funding of black and white schools.
"Look at how the revenue flows to districts and being based on property taxes, it creates an inherent inequity," Jackson says. "If you know the process for distributing resources is creating an inequity, there has to be a process that rights it."
He calls on the Education Department to withhold federal funding to enforce civil rights compliance, a tactic that the federal government used to help integrate public schools in the 1960s and 1970s.
Jackson applauded Ali for her leadership in re-engaging the OCR and examining racial disparities in U.S. education. "These disparities did not begin today," he says. "They have been here for the last five, 10, 15 years."
While Ali says the OCR's aggressive pursuit of civil rights violations is continuing the historic fight for racial justice begun decades ago, she cautions that the current racial opportunity gap could reverse gains of the civil rights movement.
"You can't give better to some than you do to others," Ali says. "That's not equity. That's a farce. It goes without saying that equity without quality is not equity at all."
(America's Wire is an independent, non-profit news service run by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. America's Wire is made possible by a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. For more information, visit www.americaswire.org or contact Michael K. Frisby at firstname.lastname@example.com.)


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Van Hollen wants millions from agencies for DOJ
AG: Surcharge revenue meant for DOJ
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Justice Department wants to shift millions of dollars from schools, prisons, gang diversion programs and public defenders to pay for collecting DNA upon arrest and fund services for sexual assault victims.
The department asked Gov. Scott Walker to shift nearly $10 million in criminal surcharges to the department in his next two-year budget, which will be introduced early next year.
The move would mean the Department of Public Instruction would lose $3.7 million for alcohol and other drug abuse programs. Prisons would lose $4.1 million for guard training. The Office of Justice Assistance would lose $1.7 million for youth gang diversion programs. Public defenders would lose $253,800 for training.
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen tells The Associated Press the surcharge revenue is meant to fund DOJ programs.

subset: commoncrawl


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Debian Security Advisory
DSA-2568-1 rtfm -- privilege escalation
- Date Reported:
- 26 Oct 2012
- Affected Packages:
- rtfm
- Vulnerable:
- Yes
- Security database references:
- In Mitre's CVE dictionary: CVE-2012-4731.
- More information:
It was discovered that RTFM, the FAQ manager for Request Tracker, allows authenticated users to create articles in any class.
For the stable distribution (squeeze), this problem has been fixed in version 2.4.2-4+squeeze2.
We recommend that you upgrade your rtfm packages.


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This iconic Spitfire style features a paneled dome crown and curved visor. With it's versatile shape and color, this cap will give your summer wardrobe that extra-added flair.Product of Italy
Using a tape measure, measure the widest part of your head (just above the ears and eyebrows) to the nearest 1/8th of an inch.
If you have not purchased a new hat recently, please remeasure your head, as sizes may change depending on hair style, weight loss/gain, and age.
Please also keep in mind that hat sizes vary depending on the manufacturer, so if you are unsure of which size to order, please contact us on email@example.com and we'll be happy to advise.
If you are in between hat sizes, try this cotton sizing to make adjustments at home.
For more information on stretching a hat, click here


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'47 Brand Clean Up Cap | Storm
is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Classic '47 Brand Clean up cap.
Style # BHARGW
Fashion forward clothing and accessories boutique located in Emerald Park, Saskatoon, and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
Spend $175 and get free shipping across Canada!
No coupon code required.
Sign up for the Bella Chic Email list to be the first to see offers, new releases, and more! Once you join, you are entered to win a $100 gift card!


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Homily for Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Which is easier to say?
Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25
2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Mark 2:1-12
So, which is easier:
to say to the paralytic,
"Your sins are forgiven,"
- or -
"Rise, pick up your mat and walk"?
I suspect there's a gap between our answer to that question
and the answer in the minds of Jesus and the scribes in this story.
Just to be clear:
the scribes believed that only God could forgive sin
so for Jesus to claim such power was blasphemous in their eyes.
What do we think would be easier to say:
"Your sins are forgiven"
- or -
"Get up and walk!"
I'll bet many of us might say, "Forgiving sins would be easier."
After all, we know how to forgive someone who offends us
– we've done that -
but we don't know how to heal a paralyzed person, with just a word.
But forgiving sin is something that runs much deeper
than pardoning someone who sins against me.
Forgiving sin is what Isaiah writes about in the first lesson today.
Don't remember what's long gone!
Look – I'm doing something new – for you!
You burdened and wearied me with your sins but I wipe them out.
I have forgiven and I have forgotten your sins.
Understanding all of this may depend on what our priorities are.
If I were I a paralyzed person, estranged from God by my sins,
which would be more important to me:
being healed of my sins and reconciled with God -
or being healed of my paralysis?
And how many of you want to tell me that's not a fair question?
Well, you're right - it's not.
And it's not a fair question
because the chance of being miraculously healed of illness is slight
but the possibility of being healed of my sins is 110%.
We'll never get to the heart of figuring out which is easier to do
- forgive sins or heal bodies -
if we don't grapple with the question of which is more important to us.
And that struggle is at the heart of so many debates
whose terms boil down to:
spiritual wholeness and integrity on the one side
and personal physical relief and comfort on the other.
This struggle is at the heart of our debates about so many issues:
war, stem cell research, abortion, torture, sexual morality,
capital punishment, immigration and the economy.
Very often the God we want to believe in
is the God who, in our imagination,
will heal and cure and fix things for us, take away the pain
and make things more comfortable and happy for us
- and preferably as soon as possible.
But the God who invites our belief is God whose deepest desire
is for our hearts to be one with his
and to take away, to heal whatever in our hearts
might estrange us from his love.
In the gospel today Jesus is teaching us
that he didn't come to be the next miracle worker
but that he came to reconcile our hearts with his Father's heart.
And the heart of this reconciling love is the Cross
- the pain of which Jesus was not spared.
We find ourselves on the eve of Lent:
the middle of the week ahead is Ash Wednesday.
Lent is a season for reconciling with the heart of God, in Christ.
Lent promises neither the cure of our aches and pains
nor the fixing of our problems
but it does guarantee - 110% -
the reconciliation of our hearts with God through the love of Jesus.
Which is easier, then, to say:
"Your sins are forgiven," or, "Rise, pick up your mat and walk?"
To answer that question, look to the Cross.
And if it's too much to look to the Cross
then look to the altar, the table of the Cross
where the sacrifice of the greatest Lover of all
heals and nourishes the brokenness of hearts and souls like our own.
3 comments:
- AnonymousFebruary 22, 2009 at 8:58 PM
I feel I was fortunate enough to hear your homily "live"- but, I am really a "visual" person, so I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read your words again, here. Thank you.ReplyDelete
- VerneEMay 8, 2009 at 5:58 PM
I'm confused that the first reading from this week is not more fully used to explain sin's double consequence (CCC para's 1472-73). Isn't the Isaiah prophecy here intended for the Israilites? God certainly must not forget our sins (though He does forgive) or there would be no final judgement. What am I missing here?ReplyDelete
Vern: no one homily can answer all questions or explicate every line of the day's scriptures fully.ReplyDelete
The prophecies addressed to Israel are addressed to us, too.
The heart of my homily, my intended message based on the day's scriptures, can be found in these lines:
We'll never get to the heart of figuring out which is easier to do
- forgive sins or heal bodies -
if we don't grapple with the question of which is more important to us.
And that struggle is at the heart of so many debates whose terms boil down to: spiritual wholeness and integrity on the one side and personal physical relief and comfort on the other.
This struggle is at the heart of our debates about so many issues: war, stem cell research, abortion, torture, sexual morality,capital punishment, immigration and the economy.


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Perhaps the next time you order a stir-fry for lunch, you'd like a hoodie on the side.
Starting Friday, the Guernsey Market and Campus Store will have you covered, whether you're craving a burger and fries or a Brock sweatshirt and some printer ink.
A corner of the market, once reserved for selling groceries, has been transformed into a mini-Campus Store selling Brock and Badger gear – clothing, water bottles, coffee mugs – and a selection of school supply staples, including printer toner, computer accessories and limited stationary.
The expansion of the Campus Store's presence to the Guernsey Market is part of a plan to integrate more retail and spread the Brock brand throughout the campus, said Tom Arkell, Brock's Associate Vice-President of University Services.
"Wherever people are, we want to be bringing the product to the people, rather than the other way around," Arkell said.
Having a satellite store at the Guernsey Market means students will be able to purchase products seven days a week, including late at night when the Campus Store is long closed for the day, he noted.
Not only will students be able to shop more conveniently, parents visiting the campus on weekends will also have the opportunity to make purchases.
T-shirts, sweatshirts, yoga gear, rugby shirts and water bottles are just some of the Brock and Badger Athletics gear already lining shelves and filling racks for the store's opening.
Dan Lewis, director of the Campus Store, said the clothing offerings will change based on the latest trends while school supplies, such as ink cartridges, will be stocked based on demand.
"If we find that's a popular item, we'll serve our customers," Lewis said.
Students will be able to pay for items with their Brock Card. Eventually tickets for sporting events will be available for purchase at the market store, too.
And in time, future retail spaces will be added to other dining halls in residences, with inventory tailored to the needs of students living there. Service centres and welcome desks on campus could also become home to retail outlets.
The Guernsey Market has already had a trial run as a Campus Store satellite location. During the previous school year, temporary merchandise tables piled high with Brock gear were set up in Market Hall for a few days at a time and sales were brisk, Arkell said.


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Two days after a U.S. coalition of national groups asked the Obama administration to publicly call for Bahrain to release a human rights defender on hunger strike, the White House issued a press statement expressing "concern for the well-being of jailed activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja."
This is an important first step, and appears in direct response to the growing pressure of a coalition that includes the AFL-CIO, Human Rights Watch, the Project for Middle East Democracy, the Friends Committee on National Legislation and others, calling for the United States to speak out against repression in Bahrain. Even such mild criticism from the White House gives a boost to the international campaign to save the life of one of Bahrain's political prisoners and to draw attention to its oft-forgotten pro-democracy movement.
However, the White House stopped short of pressing for Al-Khawaja's release. Instead, it called on the government of Bahrain to "consider urgently all available options to resolve [Al-Khawaja's] case."
So, as a human rights champion of the Arab world nears death, the Obama administration's message to his captors is to urgently ponder "all available options." That the White House did not endorse the only option that the Bahraini government should consider — releasing Al-Khawaja — is unfortunate.
Jailing a Leader
Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja has been at the forefront of Bahrain's human rights movement for decades and helped lead the mass pro-democracy, nonviolent uprising that began on February 14, 2011. He co-founded the Bahraini Centre for Human Rights and worked for international human rights organizations like Front Line Defenders and Amnesty International. On April 9 last year, armed and masked riot police arrested Al-Khawaja during a raid on his daughter's home in the middle of the night.
Already Al-Khawaja has reportedly been subjected to torture, beatings, sexual assault, and a sham trial in a military court that sentenced him to life imprisonment for spearheading the pro-democracy movement in his country. He was beaten so severely in detention that his jaw and skull were cracked, making it nearly impossible for him to eat. Still, the Obama administration has refused to forthrightly call for the release of Al-Khawaja or any of the other jailed Bahraini pro-democracy activists that Amnesty International has identified as prisoners of conscience.
Worse, the United States continues to be one of Bahrain's chief weapons suppliers, furnishing $53 million in weapons and other equipment even as the regime tortures and murders pro-democracy activists. The two countries have united, among other issues, over their aggressive postures toward Iran, and according to an April 2008 U.S. diplomatic cable revealed by Wikileaks, Bahrain and the United States have "about as good a bilateral relationship as anywhere."
Al-Khawaja's daughter Maryam, a renowned human rights defender, may have best summed up the egregious U.S. policy toward Bahrain: "The United States is to Bahrain what Russia is to Syria."
Bahrain and Syria
In the past year, both the Bahraini and Syrian regimes have systematically tortured and gunned down members of opposition groups, killed and detained children, and banned entry for foreign journalists, while firing on local journalists nonviolently covering the repression.
However, stark differences emerge between the atrocities committed by the Syrian and Bahraini regimes, beginning with the sheer magnitude of the killing in Syria. The civilian toll in Syria through the past year has climbed past 9,000, while around 70 protesters in Bahrain have been killed during the same period.
The death toll in Bahrain is significantly higher than that of the post-election crackdown in Iran in June 2009–to draw yet another grim comparison–yet it has received a fraction of U.S. media attention. Bahrain's protests in February 2012 were the largest of the Arab Spring relative to the country's population, yet, as Al Jazeera put it, the Bahraini revolution was "abandoned by the Arabs, forsaken by the West and forgotten by the world."
Bahrain may finally stumble into the spotlight as its Grand Prix auto race is set to open this week, despite an international campaign calling for a boycott of the event. Pro–democracy protests have ramped up to coincide with the Grand Prix and draw attention to the human rights abuses that the regime has worked so hard to shield from public attention.
An Ounce of Prevention
As journalist Murtaza Hussain notes in a definitive piece on the hypocrisy of U.S. Bahrain policy, Al-Khawaja's plight opens a particularly crucial moment for the United States to speak out, before an even deadlier cycle of violence in Bahrain spirals out of control:
There is the real risk that his death in custody may result in the dangerous radicalization of what has heretofore been a remarkably peaceful democratic uprising … triggering widespread, potentially violent protest and shattering whatever semblance of stability has existed in the country since the revolution was violently quelled.
Hussain also points out that "the one country which has leverage over the [Bahraini] regime and whose words it could not ignore without consequence is the United States." If the Obama administration were to forthrightly call for the immediate release of Al-Khawaja, it could not only save one life. It could help to prevent a massive escalation in bloodshed and show an iota of respect for a nonviolent movement facing enormous odds—chiefly the weight of the world's superpower stacked squarely against it.
To urge President Obama to call for the release of Al-Khawaja, take action here.


text:
OR YEHUDA, Israel, January 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Magic Software Enterprises Ltd. (NASDAQ: MGIC), a global provider of software platforms for enterprise mobility, cloud applications, and business integration, announced today that it will issue a press release reporting its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2012 on Wednesday, February 13, 2013.
About Magic Software Enterprises
Magic Software Enterprises (NASDAQ: MGIC) empowers customers and partners around the globe with smarter technology that provides a multichannel user experience of enterprise logic and data.
Except for any historical information contained herein, matters discussed in this press release might include forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Regarding any financial statements, actual results might vary significantly based upon a number of factors including, but not limited to, risks in product and technology development, market acceptance of new products and continuing product conditions, both locally and abroad, release and sales of new products by strategic resellers and customers, and other risk factors detailed in Magic's most recent annual report and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Magic has made every effort to ensure that the information contained in this press release is accurate; however, there are no representations or warranties regarding this information, including warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Magic assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions that may occur in this press release.
Magic is a registered trademark of Magic Software Enterprises Ltd. All other product and company names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and are the property of, and might be trademarks of, their respective owners.
For more information, visit http://www.magicsoftware.com.
Press Contact: Tania Amar, VP Global Marketing, Magic Software Enterprises, email@example.com
SOURCE Magic Software Enterprises Ltd
© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Electrician Aston
A Breakdown of Electrician Services By SwiftLock Rescue
As a homeowner or business owner, you know that electrical issues can arise anytime. When they do, you need a reliable electrician to address the problem quickly and efficiently. That's where SwiftLock Rescue comes in. In this article, I will comprehensively analyse the electrician services offered by SwiftLock Rescue, including our areas of expertise, our approach to customer service, and the benefits of choosing them for your electrical needs.
Areas of Expertise
SwiftLock Rescue is a full-service electrical company that offers our clients an extensive selection of services. We specialise in both residential and commercial electrical work, so we're equipped to tackle any job - big or small! Our areas of expertise include:
- Electrical Repairs: When you're facing an electrical issue, SwiftLock Rescue is available to assist. They provide comprehensive repair solutions such as fixing faulty wiring, fixing electrical panels and addressing any other related electrical problems you may be facing.
- Electrical Maintenance: Regular maintenance is essential to keep your electrical system functioning optimally. SwiftLock Rescue offers maintenance services to guarantee that your system is in good working order and prevent any potential issues from arising.
- Emergency Services: Electrical emergencies can strike at any time, and when they do, SwiftLock Rescue is ready to help. We offer 24/7 emergency services to address any urgent electrical needs you may have.
Approach to Customer Service
SwiftLock Rescue strives to offer its clients the highest level of customer service. From the initial consultation through job completion, we collaborate with our clients to guarantee all needs are met. Our approach includes:
- Personalised Service: SwiftLock Rescue collaborates closely with each client to provide personalised service and customise their approach according to each individual's specifications.
- Timeliness: SwiftLock Rescue knows how disruptive electrical problems can be to their daily routines. They strive to complete all jobs promptly and efficiently in order to minimise client inconvenience.
- Communication: Effective communication is paramount in any successful business relationship, and SwiftLock Rescue takes great care to keep their clients informed throughout the process. They provide regular updates on job progress as well as answers to any queries or worries their clients may have.
Benefits of Choosing SwiftLock Rescue
Choosing SwiftLock Rescue for your electrical needs comes with many benefits, including:
- Expertise: SwiftLock Rescue has years of experience in the electrical industry and is equipped to handle any job, big or small.
- Safety: Electrical work can be dangerous, but SwiftLock Rescue takes all necessary precautions to ensure that all work is completed safely and complies with all regulations.
- Efficiency: SwiftLock Rescue uses the latest techniques and high-quality materials to complete all jobs efficiently and effectively, minimising downtime or inconvenience to their clients.
- Peace of Mind: When you choose SwiftLock Rescue, you can rest assured that your electrical needs are in good hands. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of service and ensuring that our clients are delighted with their work.
In conclusion, SwiftLock Rescue is a full-service electrician company based in Aston that offers its clients a wide range of services. We are experts in residential and commercial electrical work and are dedicated to providing our Aston clients with the highest customer service.
Importance Of Electrical Installation Condition Reports
As a homeowner or property owner, it's imperative to guarantee the electrical installations on your premises are safe, up to code, and functioning correctly. Electrical installations have become an integral part of modern living, so they need regular upkeep. One way you can guarantee these safety standards is through Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs).
What is an EICR?
An EICR is a document generated after an inspection of your electrical installations has been performed by a qualified electrician. This report outlines the current condition of these assets, highlighting any defects, damage or wear-and-tear signs discovered during testing. Furthermore, it will cover noncompliance with current safety standards and offer recommendations for corrective action.
Why are EICRs Important?
EICRs are essential for several reasons, the most crucial being safety. Faulty electrical installations can lead to electric shocks, fires and even fatalities if left uncorrected. EICRs help detect potential hazards, which can then be rectified in order to avoid accidents and guarantee your property's and its occupants' security.
Another important role of EICRs is they help you meet legal and insurance obligations. For instance, landlords in the UK are legally obliged to guarantee their properties are secure for tenants; EICRs demonstrate you've taken the necessary steps to meet this criterion. Furthermore, some insurers require an EICR before providing coverage for your property.
What Does An EICR Involve?
An EICR involves conducting a comprehensive inspection of all electrical installations on your Aston property. This includes the main panel, sockets, switches, lighting fixtures and other electrical equipment or appliances. The inspection will include testing, probing and visual examination to check for any flaws, damage or wear-and-tear.
Our Aston electrician will conduct an inspection to guarantee that the electrical installations meet current safety regulations. This includes verifying they are correctly grounded, free from exposed wiring, and all electrical equipment and appliances are secure.
After inspecting, our Aston electrician will create an EICR document outlining the condition of electrical installations and any defects, damage or wear-and-tear that have been noted. The document also offers recommendations for remedial action, which may include fixing or replacing damaged equipment or upgrading to meet current safety regulations.
What Are The Benefits Of Having An EICR?
An EICR offers many advantages, but safety is the most significant. EICRs protect homes and their occupants from electrical hazards by identifying them and suggesting remedial actions. Over time, EICRs save money as they enable early repair costs to be avoided due to early detection of issues. They also comply with insurance and legal regulations; landlords who possess an EICR have proof that they've taken all necessary precautions for making their rental property safe from penalties or legal action.
Electrical Risks You May Be Exposing Yourself To
Working around electrical equipment can put you in jeopardy. This could include shocks, burns and fires. When performing electrical work, ensure you have the appropriate tools and training, and doing so can help you avoid some of the most common electrical hazards.
Shocks are essential components of your vehicle's suspension system that help regulate tire movement and spring tension. By abstaining impacts such as potholes or other bumps, shocks make for a smoother, safer drive overall.
Shock absorbers use a piston and coil system to convert kinetic energy into thermal energy dissipated through hydraulic fluid. They also absorb the force of your car coming to a stop, preventing it from bouncing back and forth while driving along. When shocks become worn out, your vehicle may take longer to stop at highway speeds, and this could cause an accident and significant damage to the car and driver.
Electrical burns are among the most serious injuries you can sustain from an electrical shock. They may be so severe that they require emergency treatment and recovery in an in-patient hospital.
First-degree burns affect only the skin's top layer and don't cause any internal damage. Conversely, second-degree burns penetrate all three layers of skin, causing extensive destruction to skin, muscle and bone. Third-degree burns penetrate the subcutaneous layer (innermost layer) of the skin and can also cause significant internal organ damage.
Electrical work can be hazardous if you lack the required tools or training. Fires may start quickly if you use tools that are too hot, are defective, or lack necessary circuit breakers and fuses for protection. Fires can be a real danger and cause great concern for residential and commercial property owners in Aston. While they are often fatal causes of death or severe injury, you can reduce their impact by ensuring all your electrical equipment works correctly.
Frayed cords and damaged wiring are the most apparent fire hazards. Inspect these items for wear at least once a year and promptly replace any frayed or damaged wires.
Arc Flash
Electrical work can present serious safety hazards without the appropriate equipment or training. These could include arc flash and arc blast. Arc flashes occur when an accidental short circuit between live parts, like wires or bus bars, and their grounding systems. The electricity then ionises the air and releases energy through heat or radiation.
Arc flashes are hazardous because they produce an intense burst of heat and vaporised metal that could cause injuries. These include external burns, internal burns, intoxication from inhaling hot gasses or metal fragments, hearing damage, eye injury or blindness. Arc flashes also cause an arc blast, a pressure wave that can carry shrapnel, fireballs and other debris. The injuries caused by such an arc blast are often severe.
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In late 2011, we published our analysis of a bunch of USB keys we'd bought at a lost property auction.
We took $400 (about £260) to a public transport utility's annual auction and came home with 57 USB keys containing 4400 files.
We didn't find any Wikileaks-type information – there were no criminal plots, no rush orders for F-35 strike fighters, and no intelligence data from the diplomatic community.
But we did get several surprises, which we wrote about at the time:
* 66% of the keys had one or more malware infections.
* Many of the keys contained personal and work-related files.
* Not a single one of the 4400 files was encrypted.
Our report quickly put the data protection cat amongst the pigeons, with two sides emerging in the debate.
The Government Should Do Something About It camp castigated the transport operator (Railcorp New South Wales) for selling the keys in the first place. As @KineticPearl commented on Naked Security:
What I find interesting is that [RailCorp] are not wiping the keys prior to sale. In this case it made for a good story, but a better one would be that you found absolutely nothing at all due to the diligence of the authority. I feel that the seller should be responsible for preventing data leaking, even if it is not directly their data, after all they are profiting from selling the device.
Even though I'm a strong advocate for privacy (and a staunch believer that opt-out simply isn't good enough), I ended up in the Government Isn't There To Nanny-State You camp, and argued the opposite:
I have thought long and hard about this. I don't think that RailCorp should be obliged to wipe the data, in much the same way that I don't think that ISPs should be obliged to watch your internet traffic and block pirated stuff. It's not data which RailCorp collected for its own use, after all
Unsurprisingly, the debate quickly drew in the New South Wales Office of the Privacy Commissioner, the body which oversees how personal information is held and used by the State's government and public service.
We were delighted to get involved in the Privacy Commissioner's investigation, and had some fun at SophosLabs showing the investigation team how we automated the retrieval, recovery and reporting of the data on the keys we bought.
In particular, we were able to show that the recovery process, though lengthy (USB keys tend to be quite slow, and we loaded and stored every byte from 50 of the keys), could be completely automated, apart from the insertion and removal of each key in turn.
Cleaners, for example, could acquire USB data dumps whilst working their way through an office building overnight – without attracting attention by losing time on their regular job.
We were also able to recover files from two apparently-wiped test devices brought in by the investigation team. Even USB keys that most people would consider safely blanked out and suitable for re-use may still contain critical information.
The Privacy Commissioner's report has recently been published.
(Even if you're usually afraid of government reports, give this one a read. At just three pages it is concise, clear and uncompromising – but without being cynical or judgmental.)
The bottom line of the report – literally and figuratively – is that @KineticPearl was right, and I was wrong.
Railcorp made a proactive decision to destroy lost USB keys in future, rather than to try to wipe them and sell them, and the Privacy Commission was pleased:
The Privacy Commissioner considers that RailCorp's assessment of the risk to the privacy of individuals is correct and that the decision to cease auctioning USBs is the most reasonable outcome.
The Privacy Commissioner commends RailCorp's decision, made without waiting for the completion of this inquiry.
This begs the question, "What to do with your USB keys?"
Wiping USB keys that are being retired from service might not have the purgative result you want. Destroying them instead is an effective and simple alternative.
But how do you protect yourself from leaking data on USB keys which get lost? Or on keys which are transferred between users, departments and even companies?
One answer: only ever write encrypted data to your USB keys.
(Yes. We have crypto products to help you do just that. I'm not suggesting you use these products simply because we have them – it's the other way around. We have the products because we think they're the right way to solve this problem.)
The most shocking thing in our original research was not the high prevalence of malware, nor the fact that the keys got sold in the first place, nor that USB keys are so easy to lose.
The most shocking thing was that not one file on any of the keys we bought was encrypted – even those files which contained personally identifiable information or proprietary information from work.
Encrypt everything and you never have to worry about the stuff you didn't encrypt!
PS. Why not try our free encryption tool?
It's an easy way to save and share files securely, whether you use removable devices or cloud-based internet services.
(Direct download; no registration required. Sorry, Mac users: this one's for Windows only.)


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I was wondering why it'd been quiet for so long. Gigablast ( http://www.gigablast.com ) announced a relaunch today with a couple of new features. It's beta, natch.
The front page has been redesigned in a lovely orange and blue that reminds me of the University of Virginia. You can search Web pages, Images, Video, and a Directory. There's also a new feature called Freshness Dating.
The Freshness Dating feature (which is turned off by default) allows you to search Gigablast only for pages that have been generated or updated in the last day, week, month, or year. How do it know? It uses what Gigablast describes as "patent-pending 'freshness dating' algorithms".
I was lukewarm on this feature — you can get similar at several other search engines — until I saw that it has a custom option. In other words, you can enter a date span and Gigablast will search only for pages generated or last updated in that date span. And you don't have to bother with Julian dates!
Very cool. I did a search for obama costume in the year 2006, and though it didn't work perfectly — I found plenty of pages that were published after 2006 on the front page — it did cut down my search results from over 24,000 to about 1,400. (I'm sorry for using a political search, but it was really good at finding current Web pages.) Good deal. I now have a search engine to go to when I want to research something that has a lot of "search noise" due to a recent story, blog post, fad, etc. It's not clear how far back the custom search goes, however.
What else is new? Gigablast is also offering a new "personal data policy" for privacy. All personal information is erased from Gigablast's records within sixty days (every sixty days?) Gigablast also doesn't use cookies or Web beacons/bugs/whatever.
Gigablast is no longer putting up its Web index size, but on its environmentally friendly page, it mentions that it uses less than 500 machines worldwide which are capable of maintaining "over 10B web pages". The last number I remember Gigablast putting up was 10 billion, so around that would be my guess for its current index size.
I'm going to play with this freshness dating feature…
Categories: News


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« back to 2013 | Back to NCAA News Archive Index
The University of Oregon used a recruiting service provider, who became a representative of the university's athletics interests, to assist the school with the recruitment of multiple prospective student-athletes, according to findings by the Division I Committee on Infractions.
The representative provided cash and free lodging to a prospect and engaged in impermissible calls and off-campus contacts with football prospects, their families and high school coaches. Additionally, the football program allowed staff members to engage in recruiting activity, which resulted in the football program exceeding coaching limits. Both the former head football coach and the university agreed they failed to monitor the football program.
Penalties in this case, many of which were self-imposed, include a three-year probation period, a ban on the use of recruiting services, a disassociation of the recruiting service provider and a reduction of scholarships and evaluation days. Additionally, the former head football coach received an 18-month show-cause order and the former assistant director of operations received a one-year show-cause order. If these individuals seek employment at an NCAA member school during the show-cause periods, they and the schools wishing to hire them must appear before the Committee on Infractions to determine if the school should be subject to the show-cause procedures.
In May 2008, the representative began assisting the university's football program in recruiting prospects. Through the relationships he cultivated, the representative gave the football staff valuable information that would not typically be included in the recruiting service's written reports. The former assistant director of operations was aware of the representative's involvement in the recruiting of prospects and it was common for him to ask the representative to tell a prospect to contact the football staff. Further, the former assistant director of operations and an assistant football coach sought and obtained the representative's assistance in facilitating a prospect's taking of the SAT.
On two occasions, the representative provided a prospect with lodging and training in advance of US Army All-American events. The representative also gave the prospect cash.
After a rule change requiring four reports annually from recruiting/scouting services, the university paid $25,000 for a subscription to the recruiting service but did not receive the necessary reports. The compliance office provided the football staff with rules education about the rule change, but it did not follow up or monitor the staff to ensure the reports were received.
While the former head coach was unaware that the involvement of the representative in the recruiting process, the staff's recruiting calls and the lack of recruiting service reports all violated NCAA rules.The committee noted that it is the head coach's responsibility to know NCAA rules and ensure that every coach and staff member complies with those rules. Because of this, the former head coach agreed that he failed to monitor the football program.
Additionally, three noncoaching staff members placed or received approximately 730 recruiting-related phone calls over a four-year period. The staff members stated they were not aware the calls would be considered recruiting telephone calls and claimed they were administrative in nature. The athletics department did not have a rules education session tailored for the football operations staff and did not have a monitoring system in place for the staff's phone calls.
From 2009 through 2011, the former assistant director of operations engaged in recruiting activities, resulting in the program exceeding the number of allowable coaches. The former assistant director of operations knew and communicated with the representative, asked the representative to have prospects contact the staff and made recruiting-related telephone calls.
The university also agreed that it failed to monitor the football program's use of a recruiting service, the provision of athletics apparel and telephone calls made by noncoaching staff members with sport-specific responsibilities.
The penalties include:
The members of the Division I Committee on Infractions who reviewed this case include Britton Banowsky, chair of the Committee on Infractions and commissioner of Conference USA; John Black, attorney; Greg Christopher, athletics director at Xavier University; Melissa Conboy, vice chair of the Committee on Infractions and deputy director of athletics at the University of Notre Dame; Christopher L. Griffin, coordinator of appeals and attorney; Brian Halloran, attorney; Roscoe Howard Jr., attorney; Eleanor Myers, faculty athletics representative and law professor at Temple University; Greg Sankey executive associate commissioner and chief operating officer for the Southeastern Conference; and Rodney Uphoff, coordinator of appeals and law professor at the University of Missouri, Columbia.
© 2013 The National Collegiate Athletic Association
Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy


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This morning I hit publish on the announcement of MPL 2.0, finishing a two year process. The official announcement had a number of acknowledgements for the many people who helped out along the way, but I wanted to take to my personal blog to add a few personal notes.
Second, Brett Smith, of the FSF: Brett has brought a very professional, constructive approach to working with me on the license. Without his dedication and patience the new GPL compatibility approach would not have succeeded. Aaron Williamson and James Vasile at SFLC and Richard Fontana at Red Hat were also instrumental in this, and again gave freely of their time when they didn't have to. They also kept a straight face when I suggested the new approach, which probably helped a great deal in getting it done. :)
Third, Karen Copenhaver and Heather Meeker were incredible pros in helping push out the critical betas- they helped me go through the important issues and get the language right, in a way only people with decades of experience can do. That they were willing to give their time to Mozilla and to me was incredibly generous- most partners at major law firms aren't willing to take those steps. And I'm not just saying that because Heather is now my boss. ;)
Finally, and most importantly, Mitchell Baker and Harvey Anderson: Mitchell and Harvey took a gamble when they brought me on board this project- one they didn't need to do. This has been their baby for the past ten years, and they could have done this work themselves, or just let the license continue to age gracefully (as it was doing). Not only did they give me this terrific opportunity, they then opened up their calendars and their minds to me. As a result, I've had a terrific educational experience, learning the nooks and crannies of the license as well as lots about how to draft a document that stands the test of time. (Rumor has it that Mitchell wrote the original in a month, which I still find mind-boggling, and I can confirm that the text is still burned into her brain in high resolution.) It has really been an honor and a privilege for me to be involved with them and in this process, so I'm deeply thankful for their encouragement and invitation to participate.
I'll probably write more here soon about the license and the process, but thanking people was really at the top of my priority list.


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It's nesting season and I've been following the birds' instincts. . .
Feathering my nest and doing some spring cleaning, painting and window dressing around the Potting Shed.
I took some time out for a little tabletop nesting and dish fun!
There seems to be nesting going on everywhere I look. . .
More than one bird has taken up residence outside the window of my Potting Shed. . .
And birds of a feather have flocked together for among the birdhouses for a little tabletop dining and seed buffet.
Bluebirds are nesting in the dovecote by the lake again this spring.
And a cardinal made her nest in the rose bush by the back door of the Potting Shed.
I heard a lot of chirping a couple of weeks ago by the front door of my shed.
And discovered a bird had made a nest in the top watering can of the chain gang. . .
The watering can at the top of the chain has a smaller than normal opening. It stayed nice and dry hanging under the eave of the roof, despite all our rain recently.
After the birds had flown from the nest, I pulled it down to peek inside and found the can was more than half full of nesting material . . . watering cans are good for more than just watering it seems. ;)
Table Details:
Ceramic birdhouses, plates, mugs / Rae Dunn Artisan Collection and M Studios, HomeGoods, used here
Twig Flatware / Pier 1, this spring
Galvanized Metal Stand / Pottery Barn
Nest table runner and napkins / HomeGoods


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Discover how energy-efficient lighting is improving the workplace atmosphere at Strijp-S
Discover how energy-efficient lighting is improving the workplace atmosphere at Strijp-S
about LED office lighting in one fell swoop with this 'mock up' in our workspace. This type of lighting truly constitutes a sustainable alternative to existing office lighting. And thanks to its attractive design, the room also looks much more attractive. It's a much better way of working, from every point of view."
- Dick de Geus, senior communicatie-adviseur Gemeente Eindhoven
The borough of Eindhoven owns 50% of Strijp-S, and actively encourages innovative projects in the area. Dick de Geus, senior communications advisor to the borough, gave Philips an emphatic 'yes' when we approached him. However, he was curious as to whether Philips could dispel the many preconceptions about LED lighting, such as low light yields and un-atmospheric light.
Philips put some office lighting ideas into action. The traditional TL-fittings in the office's suspended ceiling were replaced by four DayZone light fittings, which gave the ceiling a new, more comforting appearance. To create an optimal working atmosphere, DaySign Solo was installed above the meeting table. This suspended LED fitting has an ultra-slim design, providing the right amount of light with its small beam.
Along the wall, four Spot LED 3 fittings illuminate artworks superbly. Four LuxSpace LED downlights were built in to the ceiling of the corridor leading to the office. These fixtures create bright, glare-free light, and they use less energy than traditional bulbs. Dick de Gues was pleasantly surprised with the results, stating that "Philips cleverly dispelled all of our preconceptions about LED office lighting in one fell swoop".
The new lights were installed with presence-sensing devices, so they switch off automatically when noone is present. The new energy-efficient lights are delivering energy savings of 50%.


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Selling price: SGD598*
Buy Audio Technica AT-LP5 Turntable Online
* For latest pricing and stock availability, please click the button above to visit our eCommerce website
The landmark Audio-Technica AT-LP5 turntable is proof positive that an affordable turntable can deliver the performance, design and reliability expected of high-fidelity models. A perfect balance of technology and design, the sleek contemporary lines of the AT-LP5 turntable grace any room in the home, while delivering performance features born out of Audio-Technica's rich analog heritage.
The direct-drive turntable with its precision-engineered cast aluminium record platter, fitted with the exclusive high-performance AT95EX Dual Moving Magnet cartridge, itself mounted on an AT-HS10 lightweight headshell, proves the LP5 doesn't compromise when it comes to materials and components.
The LP5's J-shaped tonearm, which helps minimise tracking errors, is based on original Audio-Technica designs from the 1960s and 70s. 33 1/3rd & 45 RPM speeds, phono or line stereo outputs with separate grounding, a low-resonance damped & weighted chassis structure, the heavy 5mm thick rubber-composite platter mat and sleek matte black paint finish create a comprehensive package.
The AT-LP5 offers a built-in switchable phono/line pre-amplifier that provides connection to a stereo system equipped with either phono or line-level inputs. The AT-LP5 also includes Audacity recording software for MAC or PC, USB cable and an RCA / RCA stereo adapter cable, allowing direct connection to your computer to transfer your classic LP collection to digital files using its USB output.
With great attention paid to the complete analog signal path, subtle features such as the gold-plated u-shaped connections of the HS10 headshell, the choice of using both the internal or an external phono pre-amplifier, and a stable high-rated internal mains power supply with enhanced grounding, the audio reproduction credentials of the LP5 are clear for all to see.
This turntable received 5-star rating by What HiFi magazine. Read about it here – http://www.whathifi.com/audio-technica/lp5/review


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I've released version 1.7 of the WordPress Mobile Edition. This fixes up a few things that should make it work better in WordPress 1.2.
Download the zip file from my WordPress page.
I've checked in the code to the WP Plugins Source Code Repository, and added the older WordPress 1.0 compatible code in a wp_1.0 branch.
I'll probably continue to add my plugins to wp-plugins.org as I update them. I love having the Subversion repository up there, great work by all involved in setting it up.
I'll monitor this thread in the WordPress forums for bug reports.
This post is part of the project: WP Mobile Edition. View the project timeline for more context on this post.


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Don't Ask Me ... I Don't Know has been around now for about 14 years posting Blues LP's and CD's and whatever else I feel like.
Your help in filling requests or with LP/CD rips are always very welcome and greatly appreciated. Enjoy the music but don't forget to support the artists and labels.
Post a Comment


text: Awestruck by nature, I decided to hop on a bus that once again took me to this precarious stretch of the road that meanders this part of the Andes and walked my way back. On this outcrop, the Langanuco Valley is like the jaw of a dragon with the peaks on either side jagging up like the fangs piercing the clouds and the valley floor like the tongue holding the gem, in this case the twin lakes of Llanganuco. On the left: Chopicalqui(6,354m), Huascaran East(6,768m). On the right: Chacraraju(6,112m), Pisco(5,750m) and Huandoy(6,070m).


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Welcome to our page. We are a group of moms who have a firm belief in positive parenting and play based learning. We hope to inspire, uplift, and empower you all to be the best moms (and dads) you can be. Our contributors consist of moms (obviously), educators, and therapists. We hope you enjoy it, live it, and share with us as much as possible. We are here for inspiration, not imitation. We hope you take what you love and leave the rest.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Homemade Geoboard
4 comments:
A geo-board has been on my list for a while now for when my son is a bit older and more developed in his fine motor skills. I think they look wonderfully engaging. I really do have to wait though. I think if I introduce it too early he will become quite frustrated with the activity.ReplyDelete
Really looking forward to making one - is there no end to the possibilities of peg board? :)
I'm seeing this in a larger size as an awesome center in my elementary art classroom! I've had geoboards on my mind for a while now, but I like this idea much better: cheaper, less time to make, and doing it on a large scale will promote teamwork, sharing, etc! Thanks for the idea!ReplyDelete
Love it! Have you seen our giant vertical one that we made with basically the same concept? The children love it! http://www.childcentralstation.com/2011/08/diy-chalboard-feltboard-pegboard.htmlReplyDelete
Hello! How old is your daughter here?ReplyDelete


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Web 2.0 Summit 2010: Points of Control Interactive MapUnder - Design, Illustration, Resources
More than any time in the history of the Web, incumbents in the network economy are consolidating their power and staking new claims to key points of control.
Meanwhile, insurgents both large and small are hoping to gain footholds or take ground in new territories.
Welcome to the first iteration of the Web 2.0 Summit's theme, Points of Control!
The Web 2.0 Summit is the only place, once a year, where leaders of the Internet Economy gather to debate and determine business strategy. Join the leadership of this extraordinary industry this November 15-17 in San Francisco.


text:
Use Crayola® crayons, markers, or colored pencils to color in the Christmas Candle.
© 2012 Crayola LLC.
Find everything imaginable at Crayola.com
· Color Online
Learn and create over again with DryErase!
Come on in and play! Find the coolest collection of fun, creative activities and games online!
Our crayons have been rolling off the assembly line since 1903, and you can see how it's done.


text:
Google today confirmed that it's starting to roll out a server-side patch for a security vulnerability in most Android phones that could let hackers snatch important credentials at public Wi-Fi hotspots.
"Today we're starting to roll out a fix which addresses a potential security flaw that could, under certain circumstances, allow a third party access to data available in Calendar and Contacts," said a Google spokesman in an emailed statement. "This fix requires no action from users and will roll out globally over the next few days."
Computerworld blogger JR Raphael was the first to break the news of Google's move to fix the flaw.
Google will apparently apply a fix on its servers since it does not need to issue an over-the-air update to Android phones.
Experts applauded Google's fast reaction.
"It's impressive how quickly Google fixed this," said Kevin Mahaffey, chief technology officer and a co-founder of San Francisco-based mobile security firm Lookout. "Google's security team, especially on Android, is very, very quick to deal with issues."
Mike Paquette, the chief strategy officer for Hudson, Mass.-based Top Layer Security, agreed.
"The Google team talks about how they breathe security in and out, and this is a good example," said Paquette, who called the speed with which Google addressed the issue "pretty good."
Whatever Google is implementing will shut the security hole that three German researchers publicized last Friday .
According to the University of Ulm researchers, who tested another researcher's contention last February that Android phones sent authentication data in the clear, hackers could easily spoof a Wi-Fi hotspot — in a public setting such as an airport or coffee shop — then snatch information that users' phones transmitted during synchronization.
In Android 2.3.3 and earlier, the phone's Calendar and Contacts apps transmit information via unencrypted HTTP, then retrieve an authentication token from Google. Hackers could eavesdrop on the HTTP traffic at a public hotspot, lift authentication tokens and use them for up to two weeks to access users' Web-based calendars, their contacts and also the Picasa photo storage and sharing service.
Other applications that use Google's ClientLogin Protocol, including third-party Android apps as well as traditional desktop software like Mozilla's Thunderbird email program, were also vulnerable, the researchers said.
"The implications of this vulnerability reach from disclosure to loss of personal information for the Calendar data," said the three researchers, Bastian Koenings, Jens Nickels, and Florian Schaub. "For Contact information, private information of others is also affected, potentially including phone numbers, home addresses, and email addresses."
The trio estimated that 99% of Android users were affected because of the slow and fragmented updating that carriers conduct.
Koenings, Nickels and Schaub also outlined more devious damage that a cyber criminal could do. "An adversary could perform subtle changes without the user noticing," they said. "For example, an adversary could change the stored email address of the victim's boss or business partners hoping to receive sensitive or confidential material pertaining to their business."
Google declined to specify how it's addressing the problem, but the German researchers had posed several ways the search giant could plug the security hole.
Among them, Google could modify its services to "reject ClientLogin-based requests from insecure HTTP connections to enforce use of HTTPS," said the researchers, referring to the encrypted data transmission used by online retailers. "HTTPS is already required for the Google Docs API und will be required for Google Spreadsheet and Google Sites APIs in September 2011. It should be mandatory for all of Google's data APIs."
Lookout's Mahaffey suspects that that is exactly the route Google is taking.
"I haven't seen exactly what they're doing," said Mahaffey, "so I can't speculate much, but one solution would be to make it so that authentication tokens aren't sent in the clear anymore."
Paquette assumed the same.
"My guess is that the ClientLogin Protocol had an option that allowed clear text over HTTP, and that Google disabled that on its end by having it say, 'Our end is always going to say "No" to that.' When that happens, the client will decide to send the authentication request encrypted."
While Google could have applied the same fix to the client side — to each Android phone running an older version of the operating system — the faster solution was to do it on the server side, Paquette said.
"It's possible that the newest [version of] Android doesn't even offer that [clear text] option," speculated Paquette when asked why only older editions of Android were affected.
HTTPS has been in the news several times this year, as major Web-based services have added it as an option or made it a requirement in an attempt to prevent password theft at unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots.
Last March, for example, Twitter added HTTPS as an option to its users.
Some of those moves were in reaction to last year's release of the "Firesheep" add-on for Mozilla's Firefox that let "pretty much anyone" scan a Wi-Fi network and hijack others' credentials for Amazon, Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other services.
"Right now, we're in a transition period," said Mahaffey, talking about the move from unsecured HTTP to the encrypted HTTPS. "It's taken the industry a while, but with the amount of data stored in the cloud, being moved to the cloud, it's very important that HTTPS be required."
Google is still investigating the authentication issue during synchronization between Android phones and its Picasa service.


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At a splashy event in New York's Time Warner Center, Samsung dove headlong into the electronic book market with the Samsung eReader, a $299 device which allows you to take notes in the margins and share content with other Samsung eReaders.
The slide-open unit features a six-inch, 600-by-800-pixel, 8-gray-scale electronic ink display and uses a magnetic resonance stylus instead of a touch screen. Samsung announced a relationship with Barnes and Noble which allows the eReader to access B&N's arsenal of more than a million e-books and e-magazines as well as access to Google Books. The unit can handle ePub, Adobe PDF, text, BMP, and JPG formats. In addition to 2GB of internal memory, enough for 1,500 books or
2,400 memos, it offers a microSD slot for additional storage capacity. The eReader offers Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity for wireless headsets and other wireless audio devices and a Wi-Fi adapter for Internet access.
One differentiator from the crowd of e-readers the Samsung model joins: With the eReader, you can write notes and annotations in the margins of an e-book just as you would in a physical book. Tim Baxter, president of the consumer electronics division at Samsung, also noted that the unit can share content wirelessly with other identical units. "Reading can be as personal or as social as you want it to be," he said. Even though Barnes & Noble offers its own e-Reader, Nook, Barnes & Noble doesn't see a conflict, since the Samsung eReader would bring more users to the B&N e-book marketplace. "We want to enable e-reading everywhere," said Kevin Frain, executive vice president of e-commerce operations at Barnes & Noble. He noted that the Samsung eReader would be completely compatible with the Barnes & Noble ebook marketplace, including the LendMe feature, which allows you to loan content to other eReader users for up to two weeks. The Samsung eReader will be sold at a number of retailers, but not Barnes & Noble, however. In practice, when I tried the Samsung eReader's electronic resonance stylus, I found it allowed for accurate text highlighting. However, I experienced a delay between the time I raised the stylus from the screen and the time the highlighting appeared. Sliding the slim unit open revealed a center rocking navigation control flanked by two control buttons as well as twin speakers, which can be used with content that supports text-to-speech technology. The device also has a headphone jack, and can play MP3 files. The right side of the unit has a convenient volume control rocker, while the bottom has a miniUSB port for connecting with a computer. The unit can read PDF files, but it can't reflow PDF text. The eReader has a proprietary Outlook sync utility which allows you to import your calendar into the unit. The eReader can also wirelessly share content with other Samsung e-Readers either on a one-to-one basis or to a group of recipients. Samsung says the eReader will be available soon at major retailers.


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Adobe Systems debuted a new media playing software, Adobe Media Player 1.0 (AMP) along with online programming instructional video content on how to use the company's products, it said Wednesday.
The move makes Adobe the latest player to get into the online video space, offering not only software that rivals Apple's Quicktime and Microsoft's Windows Media Player, but also video content such as episodes of "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: New York," along with other feature programming and music videos.
Announced about a year ago, the Media Player and content catalog is designed to be free for end users, supported by advertising, according to Ashley Still, senior product manager at Adobe, in an interview.
Users can sort their favorite content and can search for new material. They can also subscribe to favorite shows that are featured, and are then reminded when new episodes are available, Still said.
Shows and videos will be available either streaming or for download, depending on the content producer, and can be viewed online or offline accordingly, Still said.
Based on Adobe's Flash technology, Adobe Media Player contains both content creation and playback components, and is available for Windows and Mac.
As an ad-supported service, Media Player may begin to tap into a long-awaited form of advertising: being able to promote specific products for sale within a program, such as the pair of sunglasses an actor is wearing, Still said. Advertisers can also be target their message by show and even by episode, and place ads wherever they like within the program or clip.
Content may contain digital rights management (DRM) software, depending on its owner, Still said. Adobe recently launched its own DRM server, but said use of DRM is up to the material's producer.
Adobe Media Player may be downloaded for free. Pricing information for the video content publishing software was not immediately available.
Additionally, Adobe TV material can be viewed online. All of the instructional videos on the site were created using only Adobe software for the relevant components, the company said.
Elizabeth Montalbano in New York contributed to this report.


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Today marks the 50th anniversary of the white supremacist bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama that killed four young girls. The girls' death and the long wait for justice raises important questions about civil rights, racism, and the nature of restorative justice.
(Clockwise from top left: Addie Mae Collins (aged 14), Cynthia Wesley (aged 14),
Carole Robertson (aged 14) and Denise McNair (aged 11), image source.)
If you're not familiar with the case, you can begin by listening to this interview from 2008, Mr. Christopher McNair – father of the youngest victim – offers his recollection of that devastating day with NPR reporter Michele Norris. And, if you haven't seen it, I urge you to watch Spike Lee's documentary about the bombing, "4 Little Girls," which is quite compelling.
This year, President Obama awarded the four girls with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civil honor. However, it took many decades before the bombers – four white supremacists, Robert Chambliss, Herman Cash, Thomas Blanton and Bobby Cherry – were brought to justice.
The decades-long-delay in prosecuting the assailants in this case raises vexing questions about the nature of "justice," questions that Willoughby Anderson takes up in a 2008 analysis ("The past on trial: Birmingham, the bombing, and Restorative Justice." California Law Review 96, no. 2 (2008): 471-504). Anderson writes:
"The community, media, and scholarly responses to these trials point to the way that a crime's effects can reach far beyond the individual perpetrator and victim. In the context of unresolved civil rights-era violence, one murder or bombing inevitably expands outward and into the larger story of segregation and massive resistance; into the systemic, racially-based injustices of southern law enforcement; and to the New South's willingness to move quickly forward without reconciling its troubled past. Restorative justice theory, a reform movement within the criminal justice system, can help contextualize the broad consequences of these crimes. Taking the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church as an example, I use restorative justice theory to expand the concept of harm resulting from this one incident. Rather than understanding the crime in traditional terms as an abstract harm against the state, we must imagine it as an act with consequences for the victims, the community at large, the offenders themselves, and the relationships between all three."
"But what can this criminal justice reform movement teach us about approaching historic unsolved crimes from the civil rights-era? The responses of communities, the media, and scholarly observers to renewed civil rights-era investigations were critical and mixed. Some saw justice long-delayed, but ultimately achieved. Others questioned the value of trials delayed for so long. Most simply wondered about the years of non-prosecution. Murder trials have a limited ability to address broad concerns about systemic injustice and the passage of time between an offense and its prosecution. These infamous crimes exposed the harm inflicted on whole communities through the violence of segregation and selective enforcement of criminal laws, a harm that cannot simply be understood as Alabama v. Defendant."
"The criminal justice context also overlooked the plight of the families of the perpetrators. The effects of the crime on Cherry's family strife illustrate how the bombing's harms were not restricted to one side of the equation. Thomas Cherry, estranged son of the bomber, describing how his childhood was blighted by the crime, forcing his family to relocate to Texas, and providing the subject of conversation at every family reunion. The son was subpoenaed to testify in front of the grand jury, and the newspapers described him as "anguished over his father but . . . also haunted by the bombing." After the verdict, Thomas Cherry tried to explain how the crime cast a long shadow: "[i]t leaves you an awful empty feeling in you [to] know that your father is going to the penitentiary for the rest of his life." Cherry's trial also featured conflicting testimony from ex-wives and a loyal grandson as to his character, the meaning of his Klan membership, and his motives for racial violence. After the verdict, the Birmingham Post-Herald ran a large picture of Cherry's daughter Karen Suderland sitting on the ground weeping. One wonders what the effect of the competency protests might have been on this wide spectrum of family members, both estranged and otherwise. How could the trial possibly have brought them a sense of closure? In evaluating harms and victims, an inquiry into the effects the crime has on the offenders' families is necessary, no matter how much this complicates otherwise simplistic condemnation of criminal offenders."
Fifty years on from the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama that killed four young girls we are still struggling to understand what the nature of restorative justice might look like in a society that remains mired in racism.


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By Malcolm Ritter and Mari Yamaguchi The Associated Press FUKUSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Even if the worst nuclear accident in 25 years leads to many people developing cancer, we may never find out. Looking back on those early days of radiation horror, that may sound implausible.
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It's been a couple weeks now since I started jotting these notes down, and I have planted another round of seeds since, but I wanted to get this posted anyway. Almost all of the seeds mentioned below are now growing strong. The red romaine is slow to germinate (I remember this now from last year), but 2 tiny sprouts have finally appeared this week. It has been a great early spring for seed starting, with abundant sunshine for new plants to bathe in.
March 17: planted a dozen walla walla, dozen parris island (green romaine), dozen red romaine, dozen lacinato kale, 6 bush buttercup. Most all of the earlier sets of starts have germinated and are doing very well.
The last couple days we had what felt like record warmth for this time of year and every living thing seemed pretty excited about it. Yesterday there were a number of firsts – I saw the first honeybee, buzzing in the rosemary flowers; the first black ants, and when evening came I saw the first bat. We also heard the first osprey, and today saw them soaring overhead. It seems like we have more and more birds in our yard each year, which makes an organic gardener so happy! (so long as they are not eating your food, haha). Steven put some cotton balls left from an empty B-vitamins bottle out for the birds, and watched a crow carry it off today. There is a lot of nesting activity going on, and even a bit of squabbling over nesting materials between the crows and the blue jays. This green, lush, new season brings me so much joy.
What's happening where you are this time of year? And if you have one, how is your garden coming along?


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Materials: Alpaca, Microfiber, Nylon, Lycra (details)
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Womens Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Lift Lo Sneaker - Egret / Denim / Burnt Honey
Classic Converse style gets a lift in the new Chuck Taylor All Star Lift Lo Sneaker! Elevate your old school look with the Chuck Taylor All Star Lift Lo Sneaker, featuring a sturdy canvas upper, lace closure for a secure fit, and 2" platform beneath a rubber bumper and toe box.
Please note that this shoe runs a half size large.
- Low-top style constructed with a sturdy canvas upper
- Lace closure offers a secure fit
- Signature Chucks rubber cap toe offers protection and durability
- Converse rubber outsole provides flexible traction
- Platform Height: 2"
- Manufacturer style A03829F
Point the camera at your feet to see the shoes!


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Geography is "the study of the physical features of the Earth and its atmosphere, and of human activity as it affects and is affected by these." [1]
As a subject it can generally be divided into two major components: physical geography, concerning Earth system processes, and human geography, concerning human activities across the Earth. There is a large degree of overlap between these two, and geography is regarded as the subject that bridges the arts and the sciences.
Physical Geography
Physical geography helped establish the absolute location of towns, countries, landmasses and oceans. A typical way of identifying a given place's location is to express it as co-ordinates in latitude and longitude. Due to the curvature of the earth, the co-ordinates represent the projection of a location in three dimensions (i.e. on the surface of the earth) to two dimensions (i.e. a point on a map). As the earth is not perfectly spherical, the reliance upon a single projection for the entire world is unreliable and would result in distortions and inaccuracies (relative to the place's location on the earth). For this reason, there are many types of map projections, such as Lamberts Conformal Conic and Mercator projection. Similar to other measurements (such as length), a given geographic co-ordinate can be expressed in different ways, such as decimal degrees (e.g. 40.718119,-74.003906 for New York) or degrees, minutes and seconds (e.g. 40° 43' 5.2284", -74° 0' 14.0616").
Human geography
The main fields of study in Human geography are Economic, Cultural, Settlement, Political and Population geography.
An example of human geography is studying the placement of flowers by friends and relatives of those who have died in car accidents, at the site of the accident itself.[2]


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National Parks of Svalbard, Norway
Name: National Parks of Svalbard
Location: Norway
Date Established: Beginning in 1973
Size: Over 60 percent of Svalbard is protected land.
Did You Know?
• Seven Parks The Svalbard Islands, an Arctic Ocean archipelago halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, are home to seven Norwegian national parks: Forlandet, Indre Wijdefjorden, Nordenskiöld Land, Nordre Isfjorden, Nordvest-Spitsbergen, Sassen-Bünsow Land, and Sør-Spitsbergen.
• Beware of Bears Svalbard is Arctic wilderness and polar bear country. The opportunity to see one of these giants draws many visitors. But polar bears can be dangerous, and close encounters may prove fatal for the bears and, occasionally, for humans. People traveling in bear country are advised to carry flares or other deterrents to scare off aggressive bears—and high-powered rifles in case such measures fail.
• Nordvest-Spitsbergen Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park is a glorious land of mountain peaks, glaciers, and offshore islands. It is also home to Svalbard's main historical monuments. Whaling stations and burial grounds were established here as early as the 1600s. The ill-fated balloonist Salomon Andrée took off from Virgohamn for the North Pole in July 1897. His remains, and those of his companions, weren't found until 1930. Visiting the remnants of his camp, and other sites on Virgohamn, requires a permit from the governor.
• Forlandet Forlandet National Park, established in 1973, covers all of the island of Prins Karls Forland and features high mountains, small glaciers, and a sizeable coastline. Geese and eider ducks nest here and walruses can be seen along the water's edge. The park is also home to the world's northernmost harbor seal population.
• Indre Wijdefjorden Indre Wijdefjorden National Park is dominated by its namesake fjord, the longest in Svalbard, which stretches from the sea back to an inland glacial front. On either side of the fjord rare Arctic steppe vegetation can be found—including plant species not known elsewhere in Europe.
• Sassen-Bünsow Land Sassen-Bünsow Land National Park has large stretches of wetlands and Arctic vegetation—an enticing landscape for the many birds that live here. Perhaps the most legendary figure of Svalbard's rich hunting history, Hilmar Nøis, also lived here, at Fredheim. Visitors can see the base station where he spent many of his 38 Svalbard winters between 1909 and 1973.
How to Get There
Svalbard is remote and no regular boats run between mainland Norway and the islands. The airport in Longyearbyen, capital of the islands, has regular connections to Oslo (2 hours and 50 minutes) and Tromsø (1 hour and 40 minutes).
- Nat Geo Expeditions
When to Visit
As its Arctic Ocean location would suggest, Svalbard is a land of long, cold winters with extended periods of temperatures from -4 to -22ºF (-20 to -30ºC)—not including wind chill. Between December and May visitors can explore the islands by skis, snowmobiles, or dog sleds. Boating is possible from early June until mid-September.
How to Visit
Cruising is a very popular way to visit Svalbard. A wide range of accommodations and itineraries are available. Private cruise lines provide easy and comfortable transport across large distances of Arctic wilderness and stop at a variety of landing sites for exploration of Svalbard's natural and historic wonders. During the relatively mild Arctic summer and autumn, many visitors combine boat and kayak trips with exploratory hikes around the island to enjoy the explosion of flowering plants and verdant mosses and vegetation.


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'Crisis of trust': France bristles at US submarine deal
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — France's top diplomat declared Monday that there is a "crisis of trust" in the United States after a Pacific defense deal stung France and left Europe wondering about its longtime ally across the Atlantic.
France canceled meetings with British and Australian officials and is trying to rally EU allies behind its push for more European sovereignty after being humiliated by a major Pacific defense pact orchestrated by the U.S. Speaking to reporters in New York, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said European countries won't let Washington leave them behind when shaping its foreign policy,
Le Drian reiterated complaints that his country was sandbagged by the submarine deal between the U.S., Britain and Australia, which led to France losing a contract to sell subs to Australia. Washington, London and Canberra say the deal bolsters their commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, and it has widely been seen as an effort to counter an increasingly assertive China.
But Le Drian, who is in New York to represent France at the U.N. General Assembly, said it was a "brutal, unexpected and unexplained breach" of a contract – and a relationship.
The U.S., Australia and Britain insisted that the diplomatic crisis wouldn't affect their longer-term relations with France, even after Paris recalled its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia for the first time in history because of the deal.
"There is a crisis of trust beyond the fact that the contract is being broken, as if Europe itself didn't have any interest to defend in that region," Le Drian said.
Arguing that the U.S. is "refocusing its fundamental interests, step by step, with de facto confrontation with China," Le Drian noted pointedly that "Europeans too have their own fundamental interests."
"The Europeans' fundamental interests need to be taken into account by the United States. which is our ally. And the Europeans shall not be left behind in the strategy chosen by the United States," he said.
He said European countries need to "put together their own priorities and strategy" and discuss it with the U.S.
Le Drian is also meeting with foreign ministers from the other 26 European Union nations to discuss the consequences of the submarine deal and France's vision for a more strategically independent Europe.
Earlier Monday, France won support from the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, who told CNN that "one of our member states has been treated in a way that is not acceptable. … We want to know what happened and why."
While U.S. President Joe Biden is hosting the Australian and British leaders this week, he won't see French President Emmanuel Macron, who's not traveling to the U.N.
Instead, Biden plans a call with Macron in the coming days, where he will underscore the U.S. commitment to its alliance with France and lay out specific measures the two nations can take together in the Indo-Pacific, according to a senior U.S. administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning for the leaders' call. The official said while the administration understands the French position on the issue, it did not "share their view in terms of how this all developed."
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said a disagreement about "a single decision" would not disrupt a relationship or harm the United States' standing across Europe.
The submarine deal, known as AUKUS, will see Australia cancel a contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and instead acquire nuclear-powered vessels from the U.S.
The French government appears to have been blindsided by the agreement, and feels its own strategic interests in the Pacific — thanks to its territories and military presence there — were ignored by major allies.
Le Drian said he canceled a meeting with his Australian counterpart in New York and has no meeting scheduled with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while he's at the U.N., but might "pass him in the hallways."
Meanwhile France's defense minister canceled a meeting with her British counterpart this week.
Still, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted that Britain's relationship with France is "ineradicable." Speaking on his way to New York, he said, "AUKUS is not in any way meant to be zero-sum, it's not meant to be exclusionary. It's not something that anybody needs to worry about and particularly not our French friends."
British officials have stressed the close military ties between the U.K. and France, including joint operations in Mali and Estonia.
In Australia, officials said France's anger wouldn't derail negotiations on an Australia-European Union free trade deal.
French Ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault denied media reports that France was lobbying the EU not to sign the trade deal with Australia that has been under negotiation since 2018.
Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan said he would travel to Paris within weeks for trade negotiations and was "very keen to touch base with my French counterpart."
"I see no reason why those discussions won't continue," Tehan said.
The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, said Monday they're analyzing the impact of the Australian submarine agreement.
Australia argues that the submarine deal was about protecting its strategic interests amid broad concern about China's growing assertiveness.
Associated Press journalists Aamer Madhani in Washington, Jonathan Lemire in New York, Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Lorne Cook in Brussels, Jill Lawless in London and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.