text:
Microsoft may upgrade Office 2013 as often as four times a year, the company's top Office executive said this week, a massive change from decades of more measured development.
The faster release pace for Office has been repeatedly touted by Microsoft as one of the benefits to customers who switch from the traditional "perpetual" licensing model -- where payments are made once for the right to run software forever -- to the Office 365 software-by-subscription plans introduced this year.
In January, Kurt DelBene, who heads the Windows group, cited frequent updates when he introduced Office 365 Home Premium. "This is a major leap forward," said DelBene of his plan to transform the company's traditional three-year release cycle.
But while it has trumpeted the faster pace of changes in Office-by-subscription, Microsoft has been mum about the details, including the frequency of those updates and upgrades, and what they will contain.
This week, however, DelBene gave some of the first hints of what Microsoft has in mind.
At a technology conference hosted by Morgan Stanley, DelBene answered a question about release cadence changes. "We already have the mechanisms in place to update the [Office 365] service on a quarterly basis," said DelBene. "With the client subscription...we'll have the ability to do that with client business as well, the desktop version of Office."
As DelBene noted, Microsoft has roughly followed a quarterly update schedule for Office 365's cloud-based services, whether that has been changes to the hosted versions of SharePoint or Exchange or Lync, or as the case last October, updates to the Web app versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
DelBene did not promise quarterly updates to the client software -- Office 2013 -- that's included with many of the Office 365 subscriptions, but simply said that those were possible.
Analysts noted as much, but interpreted DelBene's comments differently.
"They have serviced the platforms within Office 365, little things here and there, and they'd like to move to a cloud cadence, if you will, [for Office 2013], too," said Wes Miller of Directions on Microsoft, when asked to parse the clues. But he thought it less than a promise, and if that, not immediate. "It's an ambition, more a goal that they're working toward."
Michael Silver, an analyst with Gartner, was more optimistic that Microsoft would actually pick up the pace, and soon. "[DelBene] is certainly intimating more frequent releases, and I'd expect them to do that."
What those updates would contain remained a mystery to the experts, who speculated that if changes do come frequently, by necessity they would be minor, with a feature here, a tweaked tool there.
"I can see them adding little missing links where the cloud is different from what's on premises," said Miller. "And then at some point, we'll start to see them building software to improve the service."
He envisioned the updates as rolling out changes to, say, Word one quarter, perhaps to Excel in another.
Microsoft has not been forthcoming on that front, either, although officials have repeatedly mentioned "new features" without citing examples.
"If we add new features to it, we can just change the images on our servers," said DelBene this week of Office 2013 subscriptions. "We will actually just stream to you the differences...between the image you have today, and the image that we have on our servers."
Microsoft may be keeping a tight lid on plans for fear of promising more than it can, or will, deliver. If so, it learned a lesson from Windows Vista Ultimate, a top-of-the-line consumer version that Microsoft pledged would receive regular updates with exclusive new features. Instead, Microsoft stiffed Ultimate owners and then quietly discarded the concept.
DelBene also trotted out an out-of-favor phrase to describe the Office updates.
"I think it will get us to a point where we have a major-minor cadence, because there are some investments that have to happen that require a great deal of forward investment," DelBene said Tuesday. "When you're structurally changing the underpinnings of Exchange, or SharePoint, or the Office applications, those take a while to develop. And so I think we'll get into the short cycle where we can add more features, but then we'll have a longer cycle where we really have to intensively change underpinnings of the services."
"Major-minor" was once used by Microsoft to describe alternating releases of Windows, but the term has gone unused for years. "They would say that, but then they would say that every release is major," said Silver about Microsoft. "Here, they're implying that some updates will be new features here and there, and others will be more aggressive changes. But with a 20-year-old product that's so mature, I can't think of really aggressive changes that they might make every year."
In other words, users shouldn't expect an Office 2014 or Office 2015, but small-step changes to Office 2013 over the next three years.
But even those will mark a major change in how Microsoft works on Office. And while some customers may relish frequent updates and upgrades, others will certainly not.
"There are a lot of organizations that are not used to that pace, and cannot keep up with that quick a cadence," said Silver.
In an interview this week, Paul DeGroot of Pica Communications, and an expert in Microsoft's licensing practices, said that it often takes enterprises three years or longer to migrate their machines to a new edition of Office, and because of that, they often skip one or even two of the following upgrades.
"If organizations cannot adapt [to a faster release cycle], they may think, 'Well, let's go with Google [Apps]. That may be on a fast release cycle too, but at least it's cheaper,'" said Silver.
Microsoft has made allowances for conservative organizations, however, as they can use their existing management tools -- presumably including Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) -- to limit Office 2013 updates to those that have been tested and verified as compatible with existing software and practices.
It's unclear whether companies and consumers who stick with the traditional perpetual licenses for Office -- rather than shift to subscriptions -- will also receive the same updates.
Silver thought that some will, especially businesses making Software Assurance payments, an annuity-like program under which volume license customers fork over annual fees for the rights to all upgrades of a specific product.
"I think Microsoft will use [the faster release cycle] as another differentiator for subscribers," said Silver. "But folks with [Software Assurance] will eventually get the updates, just not in real time."
Directions on Microsoft's Miller expects that Microsoft will announce the contents of Office 2013 updates only when they're ready for release, rather than tout them beforehand, as they have done during the old-school three-year release cycles.
But in the end, Miller was dubious of anyone who dwelled on Office's accelerated development. "If they're buying [Office 365] for the faster updates, they're buying it for the wrong reason," Miller said. "They're looking at the cup holder rather than the whole car. There's so much more win inside the product than this."
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, on Google+ or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed. His email address is email@example.com.
See more by Gregg Keizer on Computerworld.com.
Read more about web apps in Computerworld's Web Apps Topic Center.


text:
|Home > Florida in 3D > Industry > Fruit Crops > Picking Strawberries
Picking Strawberries for Christmas Dinner. Farm of A. W. Garnett, Hypoluxo, Florida.
Publisher & City:
The Little Chronicle Publishing Company: Chicago
Series & Number:
The Little Chronicle Series of Stereoscopic Views 70
Scan courtesy of The Florida State Archives, Tallahassee, Florida. Image retouched and converted to anaglyph in 2005 by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology at the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. View this image using 3D glasses with the blue lens over the left eye and the red lens over the right eye.
|Home > Florida in 3D > Industry > Fruit Crops > Picking Strawberries
Florida: Social Studies Resources for Students and Teachers
Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology,
College of Education, University of South Florida © 2008.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
White House, Durbin at odds
Someone isn't telling the whole truth.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and the White House are contradicting each other's accounts of a meeting between House Republicans and President Barack Obama. Durbin posted on his Facebook wall over the weekend that during a White House meeting, one GOP leader told Obama: "I cannot even stand to look at you."
Durbin's comments — leveled at a GOP lawmaker he refused to name during a meeting he didn't attend — were called into question on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. House Republicans and the Obama administration refuted the account and the GOP sought an apology.
"I looked into this and spoke with somebody who was in that meeting and it did not happen," said White House press secretary Jay Carney. "My understanding is that, again, from a participant in the meeting, that that didn't happen."
( Also on POLITICO: Jay Carney: Dick Durbin quote 'did not happen')
After the briefing, the White House declined to elaborate other than to reiterate that the administration doesn't believe anyone said this to the president.
A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner suggested that Durbin made up the exchange.
"Senator Durbin's accusation is a serious one, and it appears to have been invented out of thin air. The senator should disclose who told him this account of events, retract his reckless allegation immediately, and apologize," said Brendan Buck.
But even in the face of GOP outrage and with no cover from the White House, Durbin didn't back down.
"Durbin stands by his comments," said Max Gleischman, a spokesman for the Illinois Democrat.
More than a dozen House Republicans went to the White House on Oct. 10 to meet with Obama. Durbin wasn't in the meeting and he hasn't specified which lawmaker he believes made the comment, when the comment was made or explained how he heard about it.
( PHOTOS: Obamacare online glitches: 25 great quotes)
Durbin and his caucus also visited the White House on Oct. 10 in a separate meeting that occurred just hours before the House Republicans stopped by. Durbin visited with Obama again two days later along with the rest of the Democratic leadership team, including Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Chuck Schumer of New York and Patty Murray of Washington.
The gatherings took place during the heart of the 16-day government shutdown as Congress wrestled with a solution to reopening the government.
In total, 18 House Republicans attended the Oct. 10 meeting with the president, including 12 members of GOP leadership including Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor as well as six key committee chairmen. Several attendees of the House GOP-Obama meeting denied the comments.
In the Facebook post, Durbin said the House Republican's comments came during a "'negotiation' meeting with the president,'" and said that rhetoric flew directly in the face of Republican critiques of Obama's lack of communication with the GOP.
"What are the chances of an honest conversation with someone who has just said something so disrespectful?" Durbin asked.
Carrie Budoff Brown, Jake Sherman, John Bresnahan and Manu Raju contributed to this report.


text:
Daniel Jackson and Einar Thorsen
Media Reporting
1. The 'horse-race' contest dominated TV news election coverage (Stephen Cushion and Richard Sambrook)
2. News media performance in the 2015 General Election campaign (David Deacon, John Downey, James Stanyer and Dominic Wring)
3. Broadcasting: at the centre of the most managed election campaign (Charlie Beckett)
4. The right man for the job: the gendered campaign (Emily Harmer)
5. What citizens are entitled to expect from TV election debates (Stephen Coleman and Giles Moss)
6. Girls on top, who knew? The unpredictability of pollsters and publics (Karen Ross)
7. Why can't I vote for a female MP? (Heather Savigny)
8. Immigration coverage and populist cultural work in the 2015 General Election campaign (Kerry Moore)
9. Winning and losing the 'Battle for Number 10': a linguistic analysis of the Paxman vs Cameron/Miliband election interviews (Sylvia Shaw)
10. Hot dog politics: Why comfort food makes politicians uncomfortable (Marcel Broersma)
11. The kitchen as the new campaign battleground: changing notions of masculinity (Karin Wahl-Jorgensen)
Voters, Polls and Results
12. Lies, damned lies and opinion polls (Mick Temple)
13. How could the polls have been so wrong? (Suzanne Franks)
14. Using social media to predict the General Election? (Mark Shephard)
15. Can trends in social media explain why the opinion polls got it wrong? (Richard Fletcher and Steve Schifferes)
16. Mediaptating the 'civic imperative' (Julian McDougall and Mark Readman)
17. Liars, bullies, confused and infantilised… and that's just the electorate:
the roles ascribed and the portrayal of members of the electorate in election TV coverage (Richard Scullion)
18. Bringing out the youth vote? Young people and the 2015 General Election (James Sloam)
19. A transitional parliament (Roman Gerodimos)
Political Communication
20. Extraordinary election, political communication as usual (Margaret Scammell)
21. Symbolising Britain (Russell Foster)
22. Standing behind the leaders (Rutherford)
23. Political consultants, their strategies and the importation of new political communications techniques during the 2015 General Election (Andrew Mullen)
24. There now follows a party election broadcast (Matt Walsh)
25. The slow shift to the digital campaign: online political posters (Vincent Campbell and Benjamin Lee)
26. Online persuasion at the 2015 General Election (Nigel Jackson)
27. Marketing the 2015 British General Election: the invisible campaign? (Janine Dermody)
28. 'Oh what a circus': reflecting on the 2015 UK General Election as an event (Ian R. Lamond)
29. Six weeks of separation: the campaign rhetoric of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats (Judi Atkins)
30. Did the Green Surge make any difference? (David McQueen)
31. Ordinariness and authenticity in the 2015 General Election campaign (Frances Smith)
The Nations
32. Scottish nationalism in the 2015 UK General Election (Michael Higgins)
33. From the Scottish Referendum 2014 to the GE 2015 (Margot Buchanan)
34. One nation and two messages: how Scotland has become a problem for British journalists and the Labour Party (Steven Harkins)
35. Northern Ireland in the 2015 General Election (Jennifer Thomson)
36. Wales: Plaid Cymru and Labour's media message fails in target seats (Ifan Morgan Jones)
37. Blot on the landscape: how Brighton and Hove kept the progressive dream alive (James Morrison)
Campaigning and Civil Society
38. Election news coverage and civil society (Jen Birks)
39. 'A storm of groans and shouts': the media and hustings (Phil Chamberlain)
40. Tweeting for social change: the dilemma of non-profits campaigning during the 2015 General Election (Tobias Bürger)
41. Data journalism and the 2015 UK General Election (Paul Bradshaw)
42. Zombies on the high street: 38 degrees and the 'Save Our NHS' campaign (James Dennis)
Social Media
43. The politics of social media (Alec Charles)
44. Was this the 'social media election'? We don't know yet (Nick Anstead)
45. Citizen engagement in the dual-screened election campaign (Andrew Chadwick and Cristian Vaccari)
46. The battle for the online audience: 2015 as the social media election? (Darren G. Lilleker)
47. Passive and active social media engagement (Steven Buckley)
48. Twitter response to televised political debates in Election 2015 (Sarah Pedersen et al.)
49. Why so few female tweeters before #GE2015? The gendering of public discourse on Twitter (Mary Mitchell)
50. UKIP Facebooking the Tories in General Election 2015 (Anthony Ridge-Newman)
51. UKIP: The web's darling? (Filippo Trevisan and Paul Reilly)
52. Social sharing, mobile media and the Buzzfeedisation of news (Nic Newman)
Popular Culture
53. After Milibrand: Russell Brand and the politics of celebrity politics (Jane Arthurs and Ben Little)
54. Celebrity endorsements and activities in the 2015 UK General Election campaign (Mark Wheeler)
55. Celebrity interventions in the election campaign and party affiliation (Nathan Farrell)
56. Legitimacy and the celebrity single-issue candidate (Jeremy Collins)
57. It's the neutrosemy, stupid!: fans, texts and partisanship in the 2015 General Election (Cornel Sandvoss)
58. Britain's Got Tories: Yank scholar on U.K. lifestyle politics (Brad Gyori)
59. #RegisterToVote: picturing democratic rights and responsibilities on Twitter (Katy Parry)
60. The 'most unlikely' or 'most deserved cult': citizen-fans and the authenticity of Milifandom (Matt Hills)
Media Influence and Interventions
61. Four reasons why a partisan press helped win it for the Tories (Steven Barnett)
62. Media policy, power and politics (Natalie Fenton)
63. Election 2015: it's the press wot won it? (Des Freedman)
64. The 'Tory Press' rides again (Ivor Gaber)
65. The fetishization of the 'fiscal deficit': a media discourse (Chris Roberts)
66. 'This is cloud cuckoo': radical alternatives to public debt (Lee Salter)
67. Immigration and the 2015 election: the banal, the racist, and the unspoken (Aristotelis Nikolaidis)
68. Nigel Farage: celebrity everyman (Neil Ewen)
69. When the readers' pen is just another sword (Iñaki Garcia-Blanco)
70. Political discourse on the digital economy fails to reflect the concerns of the electorate (Andrew White)
71. Media policy as an election issue: ever present, yet absent (Jonathan Hardy)


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LIFE EXPECTANCY(a) OF OECD COUNTRIES - 2009
Footnote(s): (a) Life expectancy at birth. (b) Data are the average of the OECD countries with data available.
Source(s): OECD Health Data 2011: Frequently Requested Data www.oecd.org
Related terms
health risk factors, drinking, binge drinking, obesity, overweight, exercise, health care, unhealthy, alcohol, diet, BMI, life expectancy, lifestyle, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, cirrhosis, stroke, quit
Australia's health generally compares well internationally. (Endnote 1) Our life expectancy is among the highest in the world, and our infant mortality rate is among the lowest. (Endnote 2)
Internal and external conditions influence our health. While Australia's external health risk factors (such as access to clean water and sanitation) are low, Australians' internal health risk factors (such as body weight or tobacco smoking) could be modified to further improve our health.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that heart disease, stroke, cancer and other noncommunicable diseases pose a looming health burden.(Endnote 3) These somewhat preventable diseases are indeed increasing amongst the Australian population, and Australia's population is ageing.
This article focuses on a number of different adult health risk factors for noncommunicable diseases, and analyses the health risks of Australians in the international context.
For the most part, Australians have similar or better health than other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. (Endnote 4)
…life expectancy
In 2009, Australia was ranked equal fourth, with Israel, in the OECD for life expectancy, after Japan, Switzerland and Spain. (Endnote 2) Life expectancy for males in Australia was 79.5 years and 84.0 years for females. (Endnote 5)
Life expectancy in Australia has increased 5.1 years between 1989 and 2009. This was slightly more than the increase in average years of life expectancy for all OECD countries over that time (4.9 years). (Endnote 2)
A small number of risk factors account for much of the morbidity and mortality attributed to noncommunicable disease. These include: tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, being overweight or obese, insufficient physical activity, high blood pressure, high concentrations of cholesterol in the blood and inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables. (Endnote 7) Many noncommunicable diseases can be prevented through the reduction of risk factors and other underlying metabolic and physiological causes.
The World Health Organisation has developed a number of strategies to guide policy-makers around the world to create effective strategies to address the public health problems caused by these health risk factors.
Tobacco smoking
The World Health Organisation estimates that almost six million people die every year from smoking-related causes, both from direct tobacco use and second-hand smoke. (Endnote 8) Tobacco use not only reduces life expectancy but also quality of life, with many smoking-related conditions resulting in years living with disabling health problems.
The WHO has reported that daily tobacco smoking rates are highest in the European and Western Pacific Regions. (Endnote 8), (Endnote 9)
The WHO projects that, without action, by 2030 the number of smoking-related deaths will rise to eight million that year. (Endnote 8) In response to this, the WHO created the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), with the intention of significantly improving health and reducing the social costs caused by, and the inequality exacerbated by, tobacco in all its forms. (Endnote 10) Currently, 174 parties (including Australia) have adopted the treaty and, under international law, must perform all obligations contained in the Convention.
The obligations range from ensuring access to public awareness programs outlining the health risks of consumption and exposure to tobacco, to incorporating bans on smoking in work and public places. (Endnote 10)
TOBACCO SMOKING PREVALENCE(a) - 2007
Footnote(s): (a) Proportion of people aged 15 years and over, who were daily smokers. (b) Data are the average of the OECD countries with data available.
Source(s): OECD Health Data 2011: Frequently Requested Data www.oecd.org
…in Australia
Tobacco smoking in Australia has been declining over recent decades. In 2007-08, nearly one in five (19%) Australian adults aged 18 years and over were current daily smokers, down 12% since 2004–05 (after accounting for changes in the age structure).
Australia was below the OECD average (21%) in 2007 with 17% of people aged 15 years and over being daily smokers. (Endnote 2) Other countries with daily smoking rates lower than the OECD average include the United States (15%) and Sweden (14%). (Endnote 2)
Alcohol consumption
The harmful use of alcohol contributes significantly to the global burden of death, disease and injury. (Endnote 11) Approximately 2.3 million people worldwide died in 2004 from the use of alcohol. (Endnote 8) More than half of these deaths occurred as the result of noncommunicable disease, including cancers, cardiovascular disease and liver cirrhosis. (Endnote 8) Alcohol is the causal factor in more than 60 major types of diseases and injuries. (Endnote 11)
In addition to the detrimental impacts to the consumer through the misuse of alcohol (long-term risks), there are also short-term risks. (Endnote 12) Short-term risks include the impact on others through the dangerous actions of intoxicated people, such as drink driving and violence. (Endnote 13) The harmful use of alcohol is a particular threat to men. Globally in 2004, 6.2% of all male deaths were attributable to alcohol, compared with 1.1% of female deaths. (Endnote 11)
According to the World Health Organisation, the world's highest alcohol consumption levels in 2008 were found in Europe and the Americas. (Endnote 8), (Endnote 9)
While the use of alcohol has been stable in most countries of the world since the turn of the century (Endnote 11), the World Health Organisation aims to limit dangerous drinking through the Global Strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol. (Endnote 13) The Strategy suggests policies, interventions and measures. Australia is one of several member countries participating. (Endnote 13)
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION(a) - 2008
Footnote(s): (a) Litres of pure alcohol per capita of people aged 15 years and over. (b) Data are the average of the OECD countries with data available.
Source(s): OECD Health Data 2011: Frequently Requested Data www.oecd.org
…in Australia
Apparent alcohol consumption in Australia has been estimated for 2008 at 10.3 litres of pure alcohol per person (aged 15 years and over) per year. (Endnote 2) Australians consumed more alcohol than the OECD average of 9.6 litres of pure alcohol per person in 2008. (Endnote 2) As a standard drink consists of 12.5mls of pure alcohol, for Australia, this equates to an average of 2.2 standard drinks per day per person aged 15 years and over. (Endnote 14)
The ABS National Health Survey shows that the proportion of people aged 15 years and over at risk, over the long term, from alcohol consumption was 13% in 2007–08. This rate had been stable since 2004–05 (after accounting for changes in the age structure).
Being overweight or obese
Approximately 2.8 million people die each year worldwide as a result of being overweight or obese. (Endnote 8) Risks of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, including breast and colon, increase steadily with increasing body mass index (BMI). (Endnote 8) Being overweight or obese also has adverse metabolic effects on blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin resistance. (Endnote 8)
In 2008 worldwide, over one-third (35% or 1.5 billion) of adults aged 20 years and over were overweight, (Endnote 8), (Endnote 15) while an additional one-tenth (11% or half a billion) were obese. (Endnote 8), (Endnote 15) The rates for obesity have nearly doubled since 1980, when 5% of men and 8% of women were obese, compared with 10% of men and 14% of women in 2008. (Endnote 8)
The WHO has reported that the Americas and European Regions had the highest rates of obesity in 2008. (Endnote 8), (Endnote 9)
To respond to the increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases the WHO developed the Global Strategy on diet, physical activity and health. (Endnote 16) The Strategy recognises obesity as an important risk factor for noncommunicable diseases. The Strategy aims to provide guidance for governments and communities to take action to promote and protect health through enabling environments and actions. (Endnote 16)
OBESITY PREVALENCE(a) - 2007
Footnote(s): (a) Proportion of the total population who are obese. Body Mass Index (BMI) based on measured height and weight. (b) Data are for 2008. (c) Data are the average of the OECD countries with data available.
Source(s): OECD Health Data 2011: Frequently Requested Data www.oecd.org
…in Australia
In Australia in 2007–08, a quarter (25%) of all adults were obese (based on measured height and weight), an increase of 27% since 1995 (age-standardised). After adjusting for differences in age structures, Australia was placed well above the OECD countries' average of 18% of the adult population being obese in 2007. (Endnote 2)
Physical inactivity
The WHO estimates that worldwide 3.2 million deaths annually are attributable to not being physically active enough. (Endnote 8) Insufficient physical activity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Participation in sufficient regular physical activity is estimated to decrease the risk of heart disease by approximately 30%, reduce the risk of diabetes by 27% and the risk of breast and colon cancer by 21-25%. Physical activity also reduces the risk of stroke, hypertension and depression (Endnote 8)
In 2008, worldwide, over one-third (31%) of people aged 15 years and over were insufficiently active. (Endnote 8) The WHO has reported that the regions with the highest rates of insufficient physical activity in 2008 were the Americas and the Eastern Mediterranean Regions (Endnote 8), (Endnote 9)
The WHO Global Strategy on diet, physical activity and health, which was adopted in 2004, aims to address the growing prevalence of people doing insufficient physical activity. (Endnote 16)
PHYSICAL INACTIVITY PREVALENCE(a) - 2008
Footnote(s): (a) Age-standardised estimate of the proportion of the total population (15 years and over) who were insufficiently physically active
…in Australia
Nearly two-fifths (38%) of Australians aged 15 years and over were insufficiently physically active in 2008. After adjusting for different age structures across various countries, this was higher than the global average of more than one-third (36%) of people who were insufficiently physically active in that year. (Endnote 17)
According to the ABS National Health Survey, the proportion of Australian adults reporting insufficient physical activity, here defined as a sedentary level of activity, increased slightly in recent years. In 2007–08, over one-third (35%) of Australians aged 15 years and over had a sedentary level of exercise in the two weeks prior to interview, a 5% increase since 2004–05 (after accounting for changes in the age structure).
Unhealthy lifestyle choices lead an individual to be at increased risk of noncommunicable diseases. These chronic diseases are the leading causes of death in the world. In 2008, noncommunicable diseases were responsible for almost two thirds (63%) of the 57 million deaths that occurred worldwide. (Endnote 8) The majority of these 36 million deaths were attributed mainly to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases. (Endnote 8) The picture in Australia is similar. (Endnote 18)
The burden of noncommunicable diseases has risen, and is projected to increase as populations age because these diseases are more common at older ages. (Endnote 8) In Australia, for example, the prevalence of diabetes is projected to rise, based on the increasing number of people who are obese. (Endnote 1)
MORTALITY FROM NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES - AUSTRALIA AND THE OECD(a)
(b) Includes angina, heart attack and other heart conditions.
Source: OECD Health at a Glance 2011: OECD Indicators <www.oecd.org>
International comparisons of Australia's health show us in a favourable light compared with other OECD countries. (Endnote 2) Despite this, projections of the future health of Australians suggest increasing levels of the noncommunicable and somewhat preventable diseases. (Endnote 1) The Productivity Commission has estimated that, as a proportion of GDP, health spending will increase by 78% between 2009–10 and 2049–50, partly due to the expected rise in preventable conditions. (Endnote 19) While Australia's smoking rates are comparatively low, our rates of drinking alcohol, being obese and sedentary are relatively high. Improving on all these risk factors is an important step towards the prevention of potential unnecessary disease and death.
To address this looming health burden, the Australian Government is working with other nations who have similar concerns to endorse international strategies for health promotion and protection. As a result, numerous strategies exist to target health risk factors for noncommunicable diseases. Campaigns such as Quit Now (Endnote 20) and the Swap It, Don't Stop It (Endnote 21) have national coverage through mass media and online education portals. Action is happening at the individual, community and national levels to promote healthy lifestyle habits.
1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2010, Australia's Health 2010, cat. no. AUS 122, <www.aihw.gov.au>.
2. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD Health Data: Frequently Requested Data 2011, <www.oecd.org>.
3. World Health Organisation, 2005, Preventing chronic disease: a vital investment: WHO global report, accessed 9th February 2012, <www.who.int>.
4. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD Health Data 2011: OECD.Stat, <www.oecd.org>.
5. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011, Life Tables Australia, 2008–10, cat. no. 3302.0.55.001, <www.abs.gov.au>.
6. The 34 countries for whom the OECD reported data include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States.
7. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012, Risk factors contributing to chronic disease, cat. no. PHE 157, <www.aihw.gov.au>.
8. World Health Organisation, 2011, Global Status Report on noncommunicable diseases 2010, <www.who.int>.
9. World Health Organisation geographical regions include the African Region, the Region of the Americas, the South-East Asia Region, the European Region, the Eastern Mediterranean Region and the Western Pacific Region. (Endnote 8)
10. World Health Organisation, 2012, WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), accessed 8th February 2012, <www.who.int>.
11. World Health Organisation, 2011, Global status report on alcohol and health, accessed 30th January 2012, <www.who.int>.
12. National Health and Medical Research Council, 2009, Australian Guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol, accessed 7th May 2012, <www.nhmrc.gov.au>.
13. World Health Organisation, 2010, Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, accessed 9th February 2012, <www.who.int>.
14. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012, Apparent Consumption of Alcohol, 2010–11, cat. no. 4307.0.55.001, <www.abs.gov.au>.
15. United Nations, 2010, World Population Prospects, the 2010 Revision, <www.un.org>.
16. World Health Organisation, 2004, Global Strategy on diet, physical activity and health, accessed 9th February 2012, <www.who.int>.
17. World Health Organisation, 2012, Global Health Observatory Data Repository, accessed 8th May 2012, <www.who.int>.
18. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012, Causes of Death, Australia, 2010, cat. no. 3303.0, <www.abs.gov.au>.
19. Productivity Commission, 2010, The 2010 Intergenerational Report , <www.treasury.gov.au>.
20. Australian Government, 2012, Quitnow website, accessed 9th February 2012, <www.quitnow.gov.au>.
21. Australian Government, 2012, Swap It, Don't Stop It website, accessed 9th February 2012, <www.swapit.gov.au>.
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text:
Lady Gaga says Super Bowl halftime show is 'for everyone'
HOUSTON (AP) — Lady Gaga said she hopes her Super Bowl halftime show will celebrate "inclusion" and the "spirit of equality" during a time of national division.
"This performance is for everyone. I want to, more than anything, create a moment that everyone that's watching will never forget," she said in a press conference Thursday in Houston.
Gaga wouldn't reveal what songs she would sing, how many costumes she'll wear or any staging details, but promised a "tremendously athletic" show and no reappearance of her infamous meat dress.
She also said there wouldn't be any wardrobe malfunctions — like Janet Jackson's infamous moment when she performed at the last Super Bowl held in Houston in 2004.
"Everything is going to be nice and tight," Gaga said. "I wouldn't worry about that."
When Gaga debuted in 2008, her sound was a mix of electronic, dance and pop sounds, including the hits "Poker Face" and "Just Dance." Her latest album though, "Joanne," delves into country and acoustic rock territory, and she said she plans to perform songs from her entire catalog.
The 30-year-old singer, who sang the national anthem at last year's Super Bowl, was nominated for the best original song Oscar last year and won a Golden Globe for her role on the FX series "American Horror Story." Gaga said she considers being asked to be the halftime headliner is due to her fans, affectionately known as "little monsters."
"Essentially, that kid that couldn't get a seat at the cool kids table and that kid who was kicked out of the house because his mom and dad didn't accept him for who he was? That kid is going to have the stage for 13 minutes," she said. "And I'm excited to give it to them."
The performance at the NRG Stadium will also feature Tony Bennett, who Gaga called a "tremendously wise man." Gaga and Bennett, 90, recorded the 2014 album of duets, "Cheek to Cheek," which won a Grammy — the sixth for Gaga. They also launched a successful tour.
The showdown between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons airs Sunday on Fox. Gaga, who said many of her relatives are Pittsburgh Steelers fans, wouldn't reveal whom she's rooting for. "I'm going to keep that one to myself," she said.
In addition to Gaga, three original cast members of the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit "Hamilton" will sing "America the Beautiful" during pregame festivities and Luke Bryan will perform the national anthem.
Corrects to Janet Jackson performance in 2004 instead of 2014.


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By David Crane
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April 8, 2012
Last updated on 4/09/12.
Lewis Machine & Tool Company surprised DefenseReview (DR) with the new LMT LM8MRP (LM8 Monolithic Rail Platform) and LM8MRP SS (Stainless-Steel Barrel) 5.56mm NATO (5.56x45mm NATO)/.223 Rem. tactical AR-15 upper receiver at SHOT Show 2012, and the new upper/rail design looks pretty slick. The LM8MRP sports LMT's new lightweight modular rail system that both cuts weight off the standard MRP 5.56 and allows the end-user/operator to place textured rail segments (rail panel segments, or rail cover segments) of various lengths wherever he/she wants/needs them. The available LM8 rail segments are: 4 Rail (1 3/8″ length), 6 Rail (2 1/8″ length), 8 Rail (2 15/16″ length) and 10 Rail (3 3/4″ length).
Defense Review had no idea that LMT would be coming out with a new modular MRP rail system at SHOT, so it was a pleasant surprise, particularly since we liked the design. DR believes the LMT LM8 MRP 5.56 tactical AR upper receiver/complete rifle/carbine will be popular, and it would seem logical that it can be had in either direct-gas-impingement (DGI) or short-stroke gas piston/op-rod (push-type operating rod) configurations, just like the LMT CQB Defender MRP upper receiver/carbine, although we haven't yet confirmed this. I mean, why not? That's one of the cool things about bying an LMT MRP system, other than the QCB (Quick-Change Barrel) system.
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The LMT LM8MRP complete rifle/carbine is currently listed at $2,030.79 USD, and the LMT LM8MRP SS complete rifle/carbine is currently listed at $2,163.99 USD.
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Email Contact Page 2: http://www.lmtstore.com/contacts/
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Jim Caldwell wants to be a head coach again
Jim Caldwell deserves a healthy share of the credit for having the Ravens in the playoffs: After taking over the play calling from the fired former offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, Caldwell helped shape an offense that has played well in the postseason and taken Baltimore to the Super Bowl.
But while Caldwell has already been assured that the coordinator job is his for 2013, he's hoping that he doesn't have the job much longer than that. Caldwell says he's hoping for another shot as a head coach.
"At some point in time, if the Lord wills it, I'd love to be able to do it again," Caldwell said. "But it may not happen. Everybody in our profession is looking for an opportunity to run their own program, and I'm no different than anybody else in that regard."
Caldwell's 2-14 record in his final season as a head coach may make him a tough sell for other NFL teams: Although he went 14-2 and reached the Super Bowl in his first season, that was after inheriting Peyton Manning and a team that Tony Dungy had taken to the playoffs for seven straight years. When Manning was lost to neck surgery in 2010, Caldwell wasn't able to salvage the season.
But Caldwell has helped salvage a Ravens season that appeared to be on the brink of collapse at the time Cameron was fired. If the Ravens' offense has another strong season with Caldwell calling the plays in 2013, he may be a head coach of another team a year from now.


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By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA
Associated Press
JOHANNESBURG (AP) _ South African farm workers on Thursday fought police during protests for higher wages, blocking a highway and only dispersing when security forces used rubber bullets, a water cannon and stun grenades against them.
The violence was concentrated in the town of De Doorns in Western Cape province, and protests occurred in at least two other towns in the region. At least five people were arrested, according to Eyewitness News, a South African media outlet. Dozens were arrested on Wednesday, the first day of a strike by farmhands.
The South African Press Association said strikers used tractors to block a highway in De Doorns, but they abandoned the vehicles when police moved in aggressively. Smoke caused by small fires billowed in several parts of the road.
The news agency cited an agricultural workers' union as saying nine people have been injured by rubber bullets since Wednesday. Thousands of farm workers have participated in the protests, many throwing rocks at security forces.
The protesters want their daily wages to be more than doubled to 150 South African rand ($17.50). Vineyards in the province are key to South Africa's wine industry; laborers also work on apple and other fruit farms.
Last year, at least two people died in similar protests


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Source: Link
EVANS, EPHRAIM, teacher, Methodist minister, editor, and school administrator; b. 30 June 1803 in Kingston upon Hull, England, son of James Evans and Mary —; brother of James*; m. first 27 June 1832 Charlotte Shaw, daughter of Æneas Shaw*, and they had four daughters and a son; m. secondly 16 July 1874 Mary E. Gunn, daughter of Robert Gunn of Wallacetown, Ont., and she survived him with a young family; d. 14 June 1892 in London, Ont.
Ephraim Evans received some formal education at a boarding-school in Lincolnshire. In 1820 he accompanied his parents to Lachute, Lower Canada, and four years later he moved to Upper Canada to teach school. There, despite a strict Methodist upbringing, he began work on a novel. In 1827, however, he was converted at a revival in Bastard Township and almost immediately became a preacher on the Kingston circuit. In 1830 he was ordained, serving successively at Cobourg, Niagara (Niagara-on-the-Lake), Stamford (Niagara Falls), and Ancaster. During 1833–34 he stumped the western part of Upper Canada, raising money for the Methodists' projected Upper Canada Academy.
In 1833, largely at the instigation of William*, John*, and Egerton* Ryerson, the Canada Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church placed itself under the jurisdiction of the British Wesleyan Conference. The British, who had a tradition of deference to constituted authority, were distressed by the stridently reformist tone of the Canadians' Christian Guardian. To reassure them, the Ryersons, seeking a conciliatory editor, engineered Evans's election in 1835. Never was an editor's position more difficult. Agitation over the clergy reserves was at its height, and the Methodist conference was claiming its right to an equal share even while it was disclaiming any intention of accepting government money for other than educational or "general religious" purposes. Evans defended this ambiguous policy as well as he could, resisting the claims of the Anglicans to exclusive possession on one flank while warding off attacks on another from continuing Methodist Episcopals such as James Richardson* who insisted on outright voluntarism. He was less successful in placating reform elements within the main Methodist body, for he was an ultra-loyalist who saw in the province only two parties, "one seeking to preserve the colonial relationship with Great Britain, and the other to end it." A determined adversary of slavery, in 1837 he became secretary of the newly formed Upper Canada Anti-Slavery Society. This stance, which led him to condemn the equivocal position of American Methodism on the subject, gave further offence at a time when recognition of the Canadian body by the Americans was important. In 1838 it was determined, with the concurrence of the British conference's superintendent of missions in Upper Canada, Joseph Stinson*, that Egerton Ryerson should resume the editorial chair. As recompense Evans became chairman of the London district.
Even before Evans's replacement, Ryerson's objection to British Wesleyan demands for a purge of members who had sympathized with the rebellion of 1837 was opening a breach that would culminate in 1840 in the dissolution of the union. Evans's position in this critical period was never in doubt. Convinced that only the presence of "true Wesleyanism" could preserve the British connection, he attributed the Ryersons' earlier support of the union merely to a desire to exclude British missionaries from the province. Casting his lot with the British conference, he served its churches in Hamilton and London and in 1843 became secretary of its district meeting.
In 1847 the two Methodist bodies were reunited. Evans was reluctantly convinced that otherwise British Wesleyanism had no future in Upper Canada but also that his uncompromising stand had brought his usefulness there to an end. In the following year the British conference rescued him from his predicament by appointing him – on ten days notice – general superintendent of its work in the Maritime provinces. He also served as its missionary in Halifax until 1852 and then in Charlottetown until 1854. During his term of office he organized sustentation and contingent funds, piloted bills of incorporation for chapel trusts and the local district meeting through the Nova Scotia legislature, and was instrumental in securing the formation of a semi-autonomous conference in 1855. Less happy was a three-year tenure as governor and chaplain of the Wesleyan academies at Sackville, N.B., where principal Humphrey Pickard* did not readily cede any of his previously unquestioned authority.
In 1857, with old wounds healed, Evans applied for a Canadian posting. If he hoped for a measure of relaxation, he was quickly disappointed. After a year in Kingston he was chosen to lead a party of four Methodist ministers, including Edward White*, to the Pacific coast, where the gold-rush had resulted in a sudden influx of population. On 10 Feb. 1859 he reached Victoria, which was to be his headquarters. The next month he led the party on a gruelling canoe trip up the Fraser River to Yale and back. In 1862 and 1863 he visited the new mining areas in the Cariboo, but a broken arm suffered in November 1864 brought his ambitious program of travel to an end. From 1866 to 1868 he served the less strenuous Nanaimo circuit, returning then to Ontario for pastorates at Hamilton and Yorkville (Toronto). From 1872 to 1875 he was in charge of the Mount Elgin Industrial Institution for Indian students at Muncey, finally settling in London, where for the next 14 years he was secretary of the Western Ontario Bible Society.
Evans was typically described by contemporaries as a man of military bearing, holding himself as erect as a soldier. Formidable in debate, he was also unfailingly courteous. On his first circuits he was instrumental in leading several revivals. In later years, although respected as a preacher of erudition and literary elegance, he made his mark chiefly as an administrator who could be trusted to perform difficult tasks well. A congregation to which he was appointed was likely soon to boast "a spacious and elegant chapel." His last building, a parsonage at Muncey, he painted himself when over 70 years of age. In the Maritimes he was remembered as having introduced a measure of organization to a body that previously had little conception of it. While Evans's reputation may have suffered somewhat from his espousal of unfashionable ecclesiastical and political views, his integrity, his ability, and his devotion to Methodism were always beyond question.
UCC-C, Biog. files. [J. S. Carroll], Past and present, or a description of persons and events connected with Canadian Methodism for the last forty years; by a spectator of the scenes (Toronto, 1860). Wesleyan Methodist Church, Minutes of the conferences (London), 1893: 23. Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, Missionary Soc., Annual report (Toronto), 1858–68, 1872–74. Christian Guardian, 1831–92. Cornish, Cyclopædia of Methodism. S. P. Rose, "Ephraim Evans, D.D. (1803–1892)," The chronicle of a century, 1829–1929: the record of one hundred years of progress in the publishing concerns of the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches in Canada, ed. L. [A.] Pierce (Toronto, [1929]), 27–32.
© 1990–2023 University of Toronto/Université Laval
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Cite This Article
John Webster Grant, "EVANS, EPHRAIM," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 12, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed September 29, 2023, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/evans_ephraim_12E.html.
The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:
|Author of Article:
|John Webster Grant
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|Access Date:
|September 29, 2023


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This blog is being reprinted, with permission from the writer, as a way to continue to spread the varying experiences of Pagans of Color. What I liked the most about this piece, outside of it being well articulated, was the diversity in voice that it brought to the table. It is not like any other I have read per say and it is not from someone that is African American.
Enjoy! And leave her a comment, if you are inspired to do so, on her blog at http://sacredprofanity.com/2012/08/28/things-i-wish-white-pagans-realized/
Things I Wish White Pagans Realized
by Xochiquetzal Duti Odinsdottir
I am currently putting time and energy into a hospitality suite for Pagans of Color atPantheacon. It's a labor of love and difficulty because of the perceived notions about what that space means and how its effects will reverberate through the general pagan community. Discussion on a post I put up on Facebook (that I have since removed) derailed, HARD. There was an individual who was quite upset with the words white supremacist as a descriptor (and a valid one) for what I call 'majority society'; white, affluent, male, gendernormative, heterocentric, and cissexist. Pointing out to an individual that while he WASN'T racist, there were those who looked like him that were, was read as an attack that didn't actually exist. But the kneejerk reaction of needing to be labeled as NON-racist was so strong that I was surprised and a little unsure as to how to proceed. I stopped engaging the person I'm speaking about because he tried to get me into an either/or argument and I refuse to talk in logical fallacies, he decided to take my silence to mean that I agreed with him in his logical fallacy, thereby putting words in my mouth. That conversation was a while back but I find myself going back to it time and again, especially when this post started making the rounds. Keri's experiences are all her own, but far too often, the question of racism in paganism, along with all the other -isms that exist in society get brushed aside, silenced when mentioned, or are casually dismissed as being 'not important to the circle and its workings'. So, here's my list of things I wish white Pagans realized when PoC (Pagans of Color) join the circle, (all of these are written in the first person singular, because these are things I WISH they realized, each PoC's list will be different by a little or a lot, that is part of the joy of dealing with people NOT as a single voice for their ETHNICITY OR RACE, but as the INDIVIDUALS they ARE):
1. When I talk about marginalization, I want you to imagine an onion, and all the layers an onion has, how thick or thin they are as they get down to the core, that's what marginalization is like for me. The more intersections I have, the more layers to my onion. I am a genderqueer, queer, kinky, poly, pagan, female-presenting, AFAB, Mexican American, lower socioeconomic status upbringing, working class, person. My onion is nice and thick. When white pagans complain about how demeaned they feel by the majority society and their tendency towards being Abrahamic Christian and the assumption that they are to, that's a layer on their onion. But, they have the opportunity to be heard because their whiteness grants them that chance to state that they aren't Abrahamic Christian. If I stand up to say that, it is automatically assumed that I must be a Santera, or some other derivative of that and therefore still have reverence for Catholic saints, etc. because I'm "mexican so that's what you do, right?". I have layers to my onion added, because of what people assume about me by seeing me on the street, in the circle, and at pagan gatherings, not REMOVED.
2. When I say that I want a separate space for marginalized groups within paganism, I'm not just talking about PoC (Pagans of Color), I'm also talking about groups that don't normally get lots of exposure or attention. The second generation, the older women, the young women learning their sexuality, the men who want to explore in safe space the feminine within (dressing, acting, taking up roles traditionally considered female and not allowed or accessible in normative society), the Christo-pagans who have a need for sanctuary to practice their particular faith without getting the side-eye from 'true Pagans'… All those voices and experiences deserve a space they can carve out and call their own to feel safe, not just from the rest of a 'con or gathering, but from themselves. It's not about self-segregating, it's about self-care. When I am asked if I would be okay with someone making a space in a pagan gathering that was 'whites only' and how that would affect me, I honestly didn't have an answer because, the majority population at a pagan event tends towards white, so why do you need another room when there's a whole conference/space/gathering area where you can see each other?
3. Using questions like how I feel about any and all forms of racism as a way to goad me into stating that some racism is worse than others is just plain tacky. At worst, it shows that you're grasping at straws for an argument, at best, it's a blind statement to how you might think you're being attacked when someone questions the privilege of your whiteness.
4. Declaring that you are upset by people choosing to have a space that marginalizes you because you're white, is hard (for me) to take seriously. Do you actually HEAR yourself when you say these words? Do you realize how hard it is to hear this because that's what it's like for me and other PoC and marginalized groups for a few moments in a hypothetical situation? Our marginalization happens in our day to day. We are marginalized, othered, and shamed for things we have NO control over, just going about our day. I wish I could feel for you, I really do, and part of me does; but the part of me that does, is sardonic in its response because you have now been afforded a taste of what my life is like, CONSTANTLY.
5. My silence does NOT mean my consent. Silence means NO. My silence and what it means, does NOT get to be defined by you. By deciding for me, what my actions mean, marks me as the one needing to have my mind made up for me, and clearly, you as the white person, know my mind better than I do. No, you do not, therefore you should NOT ever be allowed to do that. It's just another tactic that has been used in the past to drive home just how marginalized PoC are, and is plain bad manners.
6. One of the things that makes this hard for me is this commonly used phrase in paganism, "in perfect love and perfect trust". A friend of mine and I were discussing it, I see it as part of the agreement I consent to by doing magic with a circle of people, not just with my deities. And this is the one that suffers the most every time I have to defend the need for space; the more I hear claims that people who are pagan CAN'T be racist, the more I hear that this is self-segregating, separatist, etc. the less I feel I can trust being in sacred space with you. This isn't just about me saying that this space isn't open to allies, which it is. It's more about why did I have so FEW allies at the first PoC Caucus at Pantheacon? Why wasn't my room overflowing with allies wanting to hear, listen, support, and learn ways to participate in the discussion around this social justice issue?
Paganism isn't immune to these issues, if it were, there wouldn't be the need to hear from one Heathen group after another distancing themselves from their more stringent contingents (the ones who claim that only Northern European descendants have the right to worship the Norse deities). We deal in interesting areas of life; we worship g*ds that are from a time that's not ours, a people we may have no actual genetic connection to, and have experiences that science can't explain but that feed our souls. Part of the experience within humanity is remembering that we all have walked a path long before we walked this Path together. I read a lot of talk about how each person's path is different and the destination looks similar even if it's worlds apart, but part of that is the fact that for some of us, the path has been thornier than just people not understanding the CHOICE to be pagan.
The main thing I wish white Pagans realized: I'm not any more different from you, just because I have a skin color that is darker than yours. The g*ds called us both, even if the way we are called looks vastly different. I ask to join this circle because I want to have that moment of perfect love and perfect trust with you, with the group, with my g*dden. If you can't have me there because you hold onto some antiquated notion of what being non-white means, then tell me, before I enter into the circle with you. Don't waste my time with your issues, I have enough of my own.


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In the last year, municipalities across Ontario and the rest of the country have begun taking a much-needed stand to protect local water sources. Since World Water Day in 2011, nine municipalities across Canada have become Blue Communities with many well on their way.
Blue Communities are municipalities that adopt a water commons framework by: banning the sale of bottled water in public facilities and at municipal events, recognizing water as a human right, and promoting publicly financed, owned and operated water and waste-water services.
The success of the Blue Communities project in Ontario can be mainly attributed to Robyn Hamlyn who has met with 18 mayors and councillors. She talks about the environmental impacts of bottled water, the preposterous amount of profit bottled water companies make off communities' lakes and streams and the stricter standards with which tap water is regulated. People who hear Hamlyn speak are captivated by her charm, passion and foresight to think long term about our water sources. And the incredible part of this success story is that Hamlyn is only 13 years old.
Her success has not only caught the attention of mayors, city councillors, environmentalists and media but it has also caught the attention of industry and organizations that believe water should be sold for profit. Hamlyn's determination and effectiveness has provoked responses from Nestlé and Enviroment Probe, an organization that promotes the sale of water as a commodity.
John Challinor, Director of Corporate Affairs for Nestlé, has written letters to local newspapers saying there are other initiatives that the 13-year-old and others "can and should focus on to help preserve, protect and strengthen our water systems that are more effective than targeting bottled water." More recently, Essie Solomon, an intern for Environment Probe, wrote an article in the Financial Post, chiding municipalities for taking "their advice from a 13-year-old." It was shocking to read Environment Probe's attack on Hamlyn who has been volunteering her free time to meet with municipal councils across Ontario to talk about the impact of bottled water on current water sources, climate change and social justice.
We should be encouraging the youth in our society to do exactly what Robyn is doing — engaging in local politics, acting to protect the environment and questioning the world around her. Solomon, whose article is condescendingly titled "Don't bottle 13-year-old's water wisdom," would do well to pay attention to Hamlyn's work rather than toe the line of an organization that promotes the sale of water for profit.
It's also insulting to mayors and councillors to imply they do not examine critically the information presented to them. Not only is Hamlyn dispelling important myths about bottled water but she is also raising important issues that Canada is facing.
We believe municipal governments and other public bodies should not spend public funds providing bottled water at meetings or events, when a cheaper and more sustainable public alternative is readily available on tap. It simply doesn't make financial or environmental sense.
Municipalities are at a crossroads and face pressing infrastructure needs in the wake of budget cuts and conditional funding from the Harper government. The Harper government is targeting water and wastewater services for privatization. PPP Canada explicitly promotes privatization of public services by only allocating the $1.2 billion under the P3 Canada Fund to municipalities that let corporations deliver water and wastewater, transportation and communications services on a for-profit basis.
The Harper government has shut down public debate on many critical water issues and amended environmental legislation that will reverberate for generations to come. So we are heartened to see municipalities take on critical water issues and provide forums for much needed debate and it is in them that we place our hope.
The Blue Communities Project is a joint initiative of the Council of Canadians and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). This project builds on a decade of Water Watch work in coalition with many other groups to protect public water services and challenge the bottled water industry. Click here to learn more about the Blue Communities Project.


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Perfect scorer on the SAT & the ACT
Devorah is the founder of Advantage Point Test Prep and the author of the book "Boost Your Score" The Unofficial Guide to the Real ACT.
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Case Western Univ., summa cum laude
Perfect scorer on the SAT & the ACT
Devorah is the founder of Advantage Point Test Prep and the author of the book "Boost Your Score" The Unofficial Guide to the Real ACT.
I don't want you to watch this episode unless you've just watched the episode about reading a passage because in this episode we're going to talk about question types and we're going to look at the questions that go with the passage we just read and see how great your reading in the passage will help us answer the questions. In this episode we'll talk about the six question types that you'll see on the ACT, we'll talk about common wrong answer traps and how not to fall for them and we'll look at examples from the passage in the previous episode.
There are six question types you'll see on the ACT and I go into every single one of them and look at examples, you'll know what to expect. But before I get started, let me tell you why it's so important to know about the six question types, three really good reasons. First of all, you'll just feel much more comfortable. It's a really good feeling to know how predictable the ACT is. We've talked about that a lot. You already know you've got your four predictable passages, you know what order they're going to come in, you know generally what the topic is going to be for each one. It's also a great feeling to know, there are only six question types you'll ever see on the reading section and I'll repeat consistently, so we'll go through them so you all know what you're going to see.
The next reason it's good to know about the question types is that you'll know what to look for in the passages if you know exactly what the questions are going to be asking, you'll know what to look for when you read and we did talk about that in the previous episode, but this is just going to reinforce that.
Last, pacing, knowing the question types is really good for pacing. After enough practice test, you'll have a sense of what question types are more your thing and which ones aren't so if you get your question and you know it's a type that takes you a really long time, you're having trouble figuring it out, you may want to just guess and keep going but that's why it's great to know what question types are which.
Detail questions is the first one, these are my favorites. They are the easiest to answer and comprise nearly a third of the reading section. These are the ones that you can spot really easily and they're just asking about details straight from the passage. No mental gymnastics here and no thinking "Huh, is it this? Is it that?" This is going to be straight in the passage and the words will let you know that's it's straight in the passage. The wording will be something like 'the passage states', or 'according to the passage', really clear wording to show you that it's straight in the passage and you don't have to do a lot of thinking about it.
Let's look at an example. 'The passage states that historically marriage was largely' what? And then we've got four choices. Now we're not actually going to go through this now, we'll do all the questions together at the end kind of like how you would see it on a real reading passage, but I just want to look at the wording here. So the passage states easy, straight from the passage detailed question and how cool is it that a third of the questions are this straight forward on the reading section?
Next 'Inference questions'. These are a little trickier. This is the second most common question type and these are the ones that require you to read between the lines. Remember we talked about reading the passage and we talked about 'I wonder' statements. Like "Huh! Why would the author be telling me that?" you know, "Why is that example there?" These are the questions that test your knowledge of kind of what happened between the lines when you were reading. The wording will be things like you know, "the author implies that" or "you can infer from the passage that blah, blah, blah" or "the passage suggests". You see and that wording also very clear and you know, it's not straight in the passage, it's something that it's almost straight in the passage and maybe it's like logical step. You don't want any logical leaps here. There's also only one right answer choice, it's not like it's an opinion.
Let's look at an example. Professor Trevelyan's phrase, 'so far at least as law and custom could make him' implies that: So what's being implied by this line that comes up here and again, the language makes it really easy to know. It's an inference question. When you see this on the ACT hopefully you'll think, "Huh, I know it's a little more technical and a little more complicated than a detailed question. I have to think a little more and I have to read between the lines to answer a question like this."
Next question type, 'main idea'. Remember we talked about [sweep] one 'point the main idea out of the passage' and we marked it up in [sweep] two. This is where that comes in handy. Main idea questions ask about the broader concepts in the passage. Things like the overall purpose. The author's main idea and then again you'll know from the language what it's testing. Here's an example, this passage is primarily concerned with what? So you know to answer these questions think big picture. Never get [buried] down in details.
Okay, next question type, 'structure questions'. These ask about the structure of the passage and they focus on the author's argument. Think like the author to answer these questions. These are questions like you know "why is this work here? Why is this example here? Why is this paragraph here?" You know, "How does this bolster the authors point? Here's an example; 'Phedra, Cressida and Rosalind are cited as examples of women portrayed by famous' what? So here, you know why did the author use these examples? So think like an author.
'Author's view questions', this is the next question type. They ask about the author's attitude or tone in the passage. Remember we looked at this when we looked through the passage. We looked for things like you know, "What's the author feeling about this? Is the author really invested?", you know "What's the tone here?" This is where the, this is where that's going to be tested and you'll know too from that wording. 'The author's feelings about the results of her research would most likely be described as' what? So we kept an eye out for this as we read and this is where that's going to be rewarded. They're asking, "Mh, how did the author feel about that?"
Last question type, don't worry about these if you're not crazy about them because they only show up once. 'Word-in-context questions'. These are easy to spot usually only one and the most common definition of the word will always be in the answer choices and it's always wrong. These are the ones that highlight a word from the passage and they'll ask you "What does it mean in context there?" So for example, as it is used in line 18 of the passage we read, 'the word "wanting" most nearly means', what? They pick up a word out of context and they ask you, "What does it mean in the context of the passage?" Easy to spot, only shows up once so in a nutshell, those are the six question types that you're going to see on the ACT.
So now let's talk about the common wrong answer traps that you'll see on the ACT. First, 'misused detail'. Students fall for this all the time, it's really tricky. 'Misused detail' means they'll take a really prominent detail from the passage and stick it in as an answer choice and you'll see it and you'll think, "Yes, I recognize that. I've seen it, I must be right". It's actually usually wrong. If something's straight from the passage and you really remember it, make sure it's answering the right question so the question might be asking something different and then you got this detail and you want to jump on it but make sure it's the right answer to your question. We'll look at some examples and I'll point them out. 'Too "out there"' is the next one. Some of them are just ridiculous, you know maybe they have a teeny thing that you recognize from the passage and the rest of it is just off their keeping out for those.
'Extreme' is the next type. If anything is ever too extreme, it's wrong and the ACT people usually aren't furious, they're just unhappy. If you see words like 'never', always, be really weary of picking those answer choices and sometimes they'll have answers that are correct but just taken to the extreme. In the passage maybe someone will be a little upset and the answer choice will be something like 'infuriated', don't fall for those.
Last, 'half right, half wrong', really, really tricky. These answers are what they sound like, half right, half wrong and you'll look at it, you'll want to pick it 'cause it's almost right and then maybe it's like twisted at the end and then it will be wrong so keep an eye out for those. Okay, those are the common wrong answer traps that you're going to see on the ACT.
So now that we've talked about the common question types you'll see and common pitfalls, let's try some real practice questions based on the passage that we read earlier. If you'll remember the passage was about women's roles as by Regina Wolfe and if you don't remember, go back to that episode and check it out.
Let's look at the questions about it. First question, this passage is primarily concerned with what? Let me tell you something before we actually look at answering this question. A good strategy that works for me and it works for a lot of students is to actually think about what the answer is going to be before you head to the answer choices. The reason this works is because then you have an idea of what you're looking for and then you won't fall for some of the traps. I tell students it's kind of like shopping. You know, you walk in a grocery store, you don't have a list, you'll probably come out with you know, the whipped cream that was on sale, that stuff at the counters that you don't really want and, "Did you pick up your eggs that you needed?" Maybe not but you walk in, you got your list, you know you need your eggs, you pick up your eggs, you leave, you're great. Same thing here, let's have an idea what we're looking for. We could say predict before you pick right? So think what you're going to look for and then we'll shop through the answer choices.
Okay, so we've got our question here, we've got, it's a main idea question the passage is primarily concerned. Well we talked about this, what was the passage primarily concerned with? Mh, the role of the women in England, right? And about how they look great in all the literature, you know really powerful women but in real life they were beaten, they were abused so it's really different than how they appeared in written works. Okay, which answer choice most sounds like that? So we predicted before we're going to look. We've got 'A', 'the absence of women in literature as authors compared to their prominence as characters'. Think about that for a second. That's kind of like what we just said, right? The passages are primarily concerned with how women were absent from literature but they were really prominent as characters. So the absence of women in literature as authors sorry, they weren't really writing anything but in literature they were prominent as characters.
Let's just check the other answer choices just to make sure. 'B' 'the factual accuracy of accounts of women in twentieth-century history books' this is really tricky. It's kind of misused detail, kind of half right, half wrong right? 'cause you may jump on it. 'Twentieth century history books' I know we've read about history books, historians, there's a lot of historical stuff and a lot of stuff about women. But read carefully 'the factual accuracy of accounts of women in twentieth-century books'. This is saying how, that how correct were the accounts of women in the books and that's not what she was talking about, right? She was talking about how women actually lived versus how they were portrayed and how they were portrayed in the literature not how they appeared in history books. Okay we can cross off 'B'. What about 'C'? 'The moral standing of characters such as Lady Macbeth and Becky Sharp' also misused detail. You might see these characters and you think, "Oh, I saw that. Maybe that's the right answer". Nope, 'moral standing' that's really out there that isn't common at all, we can cross that off. 'D', 'an autobiographical account of commercial failure as a female writer'. This is a totally author answer choice, right? Nothing else, nothing here is about commercial anything, so this is definitely wrong and we know the answer choice has to be 'A'. Great, let's go to the next one.
Number two, 'the metaphor of "a spider's web" is used to indicate that' what? Okay and if you remember when we read this, I said, "Let's mark it as an example, we might not even need it". Here, it looks like they actually want us to answer, what was up with that spider's web? So let's take a look at the passage. Because we marked it, we know where it is. It's in paragraph two and let's just skim quickly and see if we can get the gist. Let's find it, 'fiction is like a spider's web attached ever so lightly perhaps but still attached to life at all four corners. Often the attachment is scarcely perceptible: 'Shakespeare's play for instance seem to hang out there complete by themselves. But when the web is pulled askew, hooked up at the edge, torn in the middle, one remembers that these webs are not spun in mid-air but incorporeal creatures, but are the work of suffering human beings and are attached to grossly materials, things like health and money and the houses we live in'.
So think about this for a second what's the gist here? 'Fiction is like a web attached ever so lightly to life' and then just says remember these fictional stuff you think it's just standing there by itself but it's not. It's the work of suffering human beings and it's you know has to do their lives 'attached to grossly material things like health and like money and the houses that we live in'. So to go back to question two, if you were to predict before you pick, here, what was the whole spider web talking about? Kind of about how fiction, when you think about it, it does have connection to real life and the lives of the authors even though you might not think so it's just somewhat connected to what's going on in the real world.
Which of these answer choices sounds like that? Let's look at 'A', 'the literary arts are seductive but ultimately dangerous for women'. This is an extreme wrong answer trap 'ultimately dangerous for women'? Also just really kind of out there no where did you talk about literary arts. But you might think 'dangerous for women' there was some stuff about wife beating but too out there to be the right answer.
Okay 'B', 'women were trapped by patriarchy much as an insect caught by a predator'. This is kind of like a half right, half wrong sort of thing. 'Women were trapped' and you think, "Yeah, I saw that" you know "and they were trapped". But that's not what this metaphor is talking about much as 'an insect caught by a predator'. Wrong metaphor so this can't be the right answer.
What about 'C'? 'The creation of literature is dependent on the realities of writers' lives' this sounds better, right? It's this idea that fiction isn't in a vacuum it exists in a context and a lot of the writing has to do with the lives and their money and their health and things like that. It sounds good, let's just check 'D'. 'Unlike fiction, science can be conducted by either men or women'. Totally out there maybe science, the word science showed up once not important. Okay great, we can choose 'D', sorry we can choose 'C'.
Let's move on, the author points out that the year in 1470 was "soon after Chaucer's time" in order to:' We kind of picked this up with and 'I wonder statement'. As we were reading the passage we thought, "Huh, why she is telling us this if you remember". Let's look at the passage. Here we go, 'that was about 1470 soon after Chaucer's time' and we thought, "Why is she telling us this?" 'The next reference to the position of women is some two hundred years later in the time of the Stuarts'. So if you think, "Why is she telling me this?" Probably just to give you the context, the historical context when it was happening 'cause then she goes onto two hundred years later.
So which answer choice most sounds like that? We can look at 'A', 'indict Chaucer for causing the conditions fifteenth-century women faced' really extreme and also totally out there. 'B', 'provide a meaningful chronological point of reference for her well-read audience'. That sounds pretty good. She's saying this is when that happened. This is when Chaucer was around. Let's hold on with B and we'll try 'C' and 'D'. 'C', 'correct the misconception that Chaucer was a seventeenth century woman' crazy, okay totally out there. 'D', 'applaud Chaucer for contradicting the accepted gender stereotypes of his time another totally out there. Okay, perfect so we know the answer choice is 'B', 'provide a meaningful chronological point of reference'.
Great, let's go to the next one. 'Which of the following examples of a historian's work, if true, would most undermine the author's characterization of their profession?' This is interesting. We picked this up when we were talking about contrasts. If you look at the passage, she was talking about historians and there was a part where she said to ask the historian who records not opinions but facts. So this idea that a historian or someone who's just really, really factual, there's not opinion thrown in and not biased.
Okay, let's look at the question; "Which of the following would most undermine that characterization?" So most undermine this idea that historians write factual work. Well 'A', 'a biography produced on behalf of a presidential candidate's campaign'. Let's think about a biography. It's not very neutral if it's produced for a presidential candidate's campaign, right? So that would kind of go against it's what she said about historians being only factual. Let's check 'B', 'C' and 'D' just in case. 'B', 'an analysis of ballot returns in a Senate race' kind of factual no bias vibe here, let's cross that off.
'C' a study of the monetary cost of armaments in World War one. Again, that's kind of pretty factual and remember we're looking for the opposite of what a historian is so we're looking for something that has a biased opinion kind of vibe to it. 'D', 'an examination of meteorological trends in the Middle Ages' again, an examination pretty factual. We're looking for the opposite we can cross that off. So we see the answer choice is in fact 'A'. If a historian wrote a biography on behalf of a campaign that would be biased which would be exactly undermining the author's characterization of historian's profession.
Alright, onward number five, 'as it is used in line 41, the word "wanting" most nearly means:' Remember vocab in context, right? You've got a word in context of the passage what's it talking about? Okay, by the way you guys when you see a vocab in context, the synonym for the word is usually wrong so you're looking for a word that isn't the typical meaning of the passage. So already just by looking through the answer choices 'desiring' that's really, when you think 'want', you think 'I desire' I would even cross it off it's not going to be the right answer. Let's head to the passage and talk about in context what the word 'wanting' means and it's great that they tell us it's in line forty one.
Okay, line forty one here we go and I'll read a little bit in front just to give us context. 'Neither Shakespeare's women nor those of authentic seventeenth-century memoirs like the Verneys and the Hutchinsons seem wanting in personality and character'. So what does wanting mean there? Probably something like 'missing', right? The whole point where they're not missing personality. They've got umph! these characters. Okay, so which sounds most like that? Well, 'hungry' definitely not. 'Indifferent'' not really, 'lacking' is perfect. None of these characters were lacking in personality. Great, that's yes your one vocab in context.
Question six, 'according to the passage' so a detail question straight in the passage, 'the portrayal of women in fiction differs from the historical position in that:' what? So we see according to the passage we know it's a detail question not much thinking, right? This was straight in the passage. Okay but what did the passage say? She said women in fiction looked really powerful, really interesting. Women in real life they were really being thrown around and didn't have a lot of rights. Which answer choice sounds most like that? Let's look at 'A', 'real women did not conform to the subservient stereotypes illustrated by fiction'. We know in fiction they weren't subservient so this is half right, half wrong. 'B', 'literature never took account of the tragedy or violence in women's lives'. You see this word 'never' that's extreme and also this is a little out there, not the answer we're looking for.
'C', 'fictional women often had a heroic freedom of action that real ones lacked'. This sounds good. In fiction people had, all these women had a lot freedom to act, a lot of rights, in real life not so much. This sounds great but let's just check 'D', 'real women were not as physically attractive as characters like Rosalind', totally out there. You see her name and it's going to look familiar to you, misused detail but otherwise this is not the answer to this question. Great, so we can circle 'C'.
Onward, number seven, 'professor Trevelyan's phrase "so far at least as law and custom could make him" implies that:' what? And we did pick this up when we were reading, we said, "Huh, it kind of an interesting, qualifying phrase. He doesn't sound so confident about this, why? Why would he use a phrase like that?" Let's take a look and you'll see what I mean. Let's find it, here we go at the end. 'It was still the exception for women of the upper and middle class to choose their own husbands and when the husband had been assigned he was lord and master, so far at least as law and custom could make him'. So it almost sounds like yeah, the guys are in charge but that's what the law and the customs say and it almost sounds like there were maybe times when that wasn't the case.
Okay, back to the question, so what does that imply? This is an inference. Is it 'A', 'marriages in the seventeenth-century were not recognized by a law'? Totally out there, right? And we said even legally there were stuff going on so they were legal things involved with marriages, you can cross that off. 'B', 'women were the sole legal authorities in households' also, totally out there. 'C', 'regardless of legal technicality in practice a husband did not always maintain total dominance'. That sounds good, that explains that qualifier there, at least as far as law and the custom could make him, right? And it shows it wasn't always like that. 'C' sounds great let's just check 'D' to make sure. 'D', 'husbands had to receive special notarized permission for wife-beating'. Totally out there, you've got your misused detail but that's it. So 'D' is off and the answer is 'C'. Great, let's keep going.
Eight, 'the passage states that historically, marriage was largely:' what? Again, straight from the passage. So let's take a look, what did they say about marriage? Well, we actually this is something we did underline 'marriage was not an affair of personal affection'. So this was a contrast instead it was about 'family avarice' or 'greed' you know, the family just wanting money. Okay, which of these sounds like that? Is it 'A', 'a rebellious act of youthful abandon'? Definitely not. These women do not sound like they were people that have rebellious youthful stuff going on. 'B', 'based on personal affection', this is the opposite actually, right? We know that wasn't the case. What about 'C'? 'A financial arrangement between the parties' families'. This sounds better 'cause it was talking about the families' greed. Let's just check 'D', 'an illicit ceremony performed by historians'. You've this misused detail about the historians but this is wrong. Answer choice is 'C'.
Okay, number nine, 'Phedra, Cressida and Rosalind are cited as examples of women portrayed by famous:' what? So again let's look back at the passage and just figure out which one that is. So we have got a whole list here with 'Phedra, Cressida, Rosalind, Desdemona among the dramatists'. Okay, so these are characters that the dramatists used powerful women. Alright and we see that 'B' would be the one here so this is just straight from the passage.
Last, 'author's feelings about the results of her research would most likely be described as:' what? Remember we picked this up so many times when we read the passage, "What's the author's vibe"? Is she really investing and we said, "She really was" and if you remember right at the beginning, we underlined 'disappointing' 'cause she was really just disappointed that she wasn't getting the answers that she wanted and she headed back and did the research. So you know she's really, really disappointed but also we knew she did the research again. There were some reference to her going back again and looking. Okay, so which of these sounds most like the author's feelings?
We know we're looking for something like she's really bummed but she's also just seems really invested she's going to keep going. Okay, 'A', 'sanguine and optimistic'. She's often not optimistic. She's disappointed so we can cross off 'A'. 'B', 'defeated but apathetic'. 'Apathetic' implies she doesn't care and we know she does, she cares a lot. What about 'C'? 'Disappointed but unbowed', 'unbowed' meaning not wanted to give up. 'Disappointed' sounds great and actually that's even the word that's straight from the passage. So let's keep that and we'll just check 'D'. 'Caustic and sarcastic', definitely not. There's no sarcasm in this passage at all so we can circle 'C'. That's great. We just did all ten questions attached to our passage.
Just to recap, in this episode, we talked about different question types that you'll always see on the ACT and how they show up consistently. Remember, there are six of those. We talked about how to spot common wrong answer traps so you don't choose them on the ACT and last, we practiced on a real passage and remember, the key to your success on the ACT is practice, practice, practice on your own passages.


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LinkedIn Upgraded, Analyst Forecasts Strong Premium Account Growth
LinkedIn (NASDAQ:LNKD) was handed an upgrade on Friday with the help of a new premium service for sales people that may help drive its revenue over the long term.
Evercore upgraded LinkedIn to "overweight" from "equal-weight," citing a bullish stance on the growth of its subscription revenue with the help of the new service dubbed Sales Navigator.
The professional social network's newly rolled-out feature is expected to generate revenue of $600 million in five years, according to Evercore (NYSE:EVR) analyst Ken Sena.
Sales Navigator helps LinkedIn members willing to pay an extra fee with what the network has dubbed "social selling." The new service allows users looking to boost sales at their organization to personally contact through inMail any LinkedIn member, even those outside their network, view the titles and companies of people who have viewed their profile and allows them to search LinkedIn's database by seniority, function, industry, company and location.
The brokerage expects premium subscription revenue at the Mountain View, Cailf.-based company to increase at a 36% compound annual growth rate from $182 million this year to $1.14 billion in 2018. Sena had earlier forecast premium subscriptions to grow by just 19%.
Evercore also upped its price target on LinkedIn's shares to $140 from $115, citing the barriers it has over competitors as the only major professional social network and the ability of its new software products to apply to new industries.
While upbeat on the stock's potential, Sena trimmed his third-quarter margin target on LinkedIn to 11.9% from 13.8% and lowered its EPS guidance to 14 cents from 28 cents, citing increased investments in staffing and product development.
The consensus is calling for earnings of around 13 cents.
Shares of LinkedIn fell more than 1.6% to $111.90 Friday.


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'Swamp People' Star -- Bad Heart Threatens Career
The most beloved star of the hit reality show "Swamp People" is in danger of missing Season 3 after a serious heart condition almost took his life earlier this year ... TMZ has learned.
It's not Troy ... or Trapper Joe ... or the badass Guist Brothers -- it's Bruce Mitchell's faithful sidekick Tyler ... the lovable gator hunting dog.
TMZ spoke to a rep for Bruce -- the guy who rocks the overalls and the American flag bandana -- who tells us Tyler was having "heart troubles" back in January ... and had to be rushed to the vet for emergency medical care.
We're told things got so bad "the dog almost died."
Luckily for Tyler, doctors were able to treat the illness ... and he's been resting at home and taking heart meds ever since.
The rep tells us Bruce is unsure if Tyler will be able to join him on the boat next season ... saying Bruce is "hopeful...but still not sure."