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Names such as Mortal Kombat and Grand Theft Auto are longtime punching bags in an often-clueless discussion of violent video games in the mainstream. So it was no surprise to hear Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, invoke them in a rambling attempt to deflect blame from the assault weapons that gunned down 20 six- and seven-year-old children last week, to a culture he alleges inspired such acts.
Here's an examination of those two games and the three others that Wayne LaPierre mentioned, and their relevance—or lack thereof—to the neverending scapegoating of video games in America.
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: Feb. 22, 2011 (North America)
Bulletstorm is a science-fiction action story about a space pirate marooned on a paradise world overrun by mutants and horrible monsters. Humanoid victims die in gruesome ways, but the violence is largely self-satirical.
Bulletstorm's most gratuitously objectionable content wasn't necessarily the blood and gore. Game critics chided Bulletstorm for frathouse dialogue saturated with references to male genitalia. The tone spilled over into in-game scoring combinations with titles like "gang bang" or "topless." A psychologist was quoted out of context in an outrageous Fox News report saying this language encouraged gamers to commit sexual violence, or desensitized them to it.
Bulletstorm sold poorly and Epic Games' then-boss Mike Capps said the series was unlikely to get a sequel.
ESRB Rating: M, for "Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol."
ESRB Rating Summary: This is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of a space pirate who must escape a planet populated by mutant cannibals. Players use futuristic machine guns, shotguns, magnum revolvers, assault rifles, and chain guns to perform over-the-top kills that dismember and decapitate foes. Injured enemies emit large sprays of blood that stain the ground and surrounding walls. Specialty kills (i.e., Skillshots) represent the most intense instances of violence: enemies can be dismembered with explosives; impaled on spikes; and drilled into walls, resulting in body parts breaking into pieces.
During the course of the game, players can consume alcohol and kill enemies in order to receive an Intoxicated Skillshot; the screen turns blurry during these sequences. The dialogue contains numerous jokes and comments that reference sexual acts, venereal diseases, and having sex with one's mother (e.g., 'Guess I know where the ol' gal got that limp.'). The names of some Skillshots are infused with sexual innuendo (e.g., Gag Reflex, Rear Entry, Drilldo, Mile High Club); one Skillshot (i.e., Fire in the Hole) allows players to shoot at enemies' exposed buttocks. Language such as 'f**k,' 'sh*t,' 'p*ssy,' and 'c*ck' can be heard in dialogue.
Mortal Kombat
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Series Began: 1992.
Latest Release Published: Mortal Kombat, April 19, 2011.
Mortal Kombat is a fighting game series known for its graphic finishing moves, announced with an emphatic "fatality!" from the game's narrator. When it was introduced to arcades in 1992, it was distinctive for its use of blood spray, which inspired a wave of exploitation games adding blood and gore to their visuals. Mortal Kombat is commonly associated with the violent video games controversy that began in the early 1990s, which led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.
The last Mortal Kombat release by Midway was 2008's Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, which scrubbed out much of the blood and gore in order to receive the T rating expected of a comic-book tie in. A sequence in which The Joker finished a match by firing his pistol's Bang! flag into his foe's temple was removed for this reason. Mortal Kombat returned in 2011 under Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and likewise returned to its roots as a no-holds-barred violent video game. Certain strikes and finishers sent the game into a slow-motion x-ray camera, showing visceral internal damage to bones and organs.
Mortal Kombat was refused classification in Australia, effectively banning it from sale. Warner Bros. was unsuccessful in appealing the decision. Germany and South Korea also refused to permit its sale.
ESRB Rating: M, for "Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language."
ESRB Rating Summary: This is a fighting game in which players engage in one-on-one battles against characters from the fantasy-based Mortal Kombat universe. Players compete in a series of combative rounds in order to advance to different matches throughout the game. Players use swords, guns, chains, spikes, and supernatural attacks (e.g., fire, ice, lightning) to defeat a cast of human-like characters. After an opponent is defeated at the end of a match, players have the option to perform finishing moves called 'Fatalities.'
Many of these finishing moves depict over-the-top instances of violence: impalement, bone-crushing body snaps, execution-style gunshots to the head; large blood-splatter effects occur during these sequences, staining characters' bodies and the ground. Several of these exaggerated finishing moves depict characters getting dismembered, ripped or sliced in half, stabbed, set on fire, or set to explode. During the course of the game, female characters sometimes wear revealing outfits that expose large amounts of cleavage; one female fighter is depicted partially nude, covered by a costume of thin cloth strips. Language such as 'f**k' occasionally appears in the dialogue.
Grand Theft Auto
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Series Began: 1997 (2001 in its modern incarnation.)
Latest Release Published: Grand Theft Auto IV, April 29, 2008.
Grand Theft Auto is, without a doubt, the series most referenced in mainstream media discussion of violent video games and the psychological or sociological impacts attributed to them. It originated as a driving game navigating a map from a top-down perspective. Grand Theft Auto III introduced the series as it is currently known, an enormous city that players explore at their leisure, either completing missions stringing together the game's dark, antiheroic main story or causing mayhem at random. That includes violence against innocent bystanders, including, most notoriously, the prostitutes working the game's street corners. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas even included optional missions in which the main character acts as their pimp. All of these depictions have been chastised as glamorizing a criminal lifestyle and encouraging teenagers and young adults to live out violent fantasies in real life.
Though the series has no shortage of defenders, its lowest point was inarguably in 2005, when a user discovered code left inside the game's PC version that showed a minigame in which the protagonist had sex with any of several girlfriends he could date in the game. Though this content was not surfaced in the main game it could be accessed through a modification. Its presence was enough to trigger the ESRB's AO rating, an extreme label rarely applied, much less to any mainstream game. Copies of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas had to be recalled while Rockstar re-released a version of the game with the objectionable content removed. Dan Houser, Rockstar's co-founder considers the controversy more of an attack on the medium of video games, still considered kids' stuff in the mainstream. "The massive social decay that we were supposed to induce hasn't happened," he told The Guardian last month.
Grand Theft Auto V will arrive in the spring of 2013, returning the series to its fictionalized West Coast. For all of the controversy it engenders, the series is an enormous best seller and financial analysts frequently point to its release in analyzing the health of parent company Take-Two Interactive. It is one of the flagship brands of modern video gaming.
ESRB Rating: M, for "Intense Violence, Blood, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Partial Nudity, Use of Drugs and Alcohol."
No ESRB rating summary is available.
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Series Began: 1988
Latest Release Published: Nov. 23, 2010.
Predating Mortal Kombat but far less known, Splatterhouse began as a sidescrolling beat-em-up inspired by American slasher flicks like Friday the 13th (its protagonist wears the "Terror Mask," which resembles the hockey mask worn by Friday the 13th's antagonist.) The game had one arcade release before it was ported to home consoles in the early 1990s. Its first console port, for the TurboGrafx-16, carried a tongue-in-cheek warning saying the game was inappropriate for children, "and cowards."
Before 2010, Splatterhouse's most recent console release was Splatterhouse 3 in 1993. A version was released on the Wii's Virtual Console in 2007. Splatterhouse has never reviewed well, making its mention by LaPierre somewhat amusing to knowledgeable gamers.
Splatterhouse's 2010 release, which we called a "massive disappointment," and a "violent, excessively gory brawler," was roundly panned on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. There has been no mention of any sequel or reboot for this series.
ESRB Rating M, for "Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language."
ESRB Rating Summary: This is an action game in which players help a college student named Rick Taylor rescue his kidnapped girlfriend from a deranged doctor. As players explore a haunted mansion, they engage in constant melee-style combat; players use cleavers, chainsaws, machetes, and Rick's bare hands to kill and dismember enemies (e.g., zombies, monsters, demons). Players can also use severed arms and limbs as weapons to attack enemy creatures; injured enemies emit large sprays of blood that stain the ground, surrounding walls, and Rick's body.
Finishing moves represent the most intense instances of violence: Rick tears monsters' limbs and heads from their bodies-accompanied by a gushing sound effect; Rick sometimes reaches into creatures' torsos to remove various organs. Along the way, players can pick up photo fragments that depict topless images of a female character. Completed photos, viewable from the menu screen, are accompanied by suggestive voice-over clips (e.g., 'Just for you, Rick-o. I'm yours and no-one else's' and 'R Rating? When we get home, let's you and I put on our own private NC-17 show.'). Dialogue also contains sexual innuendo (e.g., 'Tell me; how many guys can you beat off at the same time?') and language such as 'a*shole,' 'sh*t,' and 'f**k.'
Kindergarten Killer
The wildcard entry in Wayne LaPierre's tirade, Kindergarten Killer is said to have been available online as a flash game for at least 10 years. It last made news in 2008 when a Finnish web site removed the game in response to a mass shooting at a school in that country. Its creator is said to be Gary Short, an 18-year-old from the U.K. at the time. The site where it was originally launched has been inactive since 2005.
The game is a crude, point-and-click target shooter depicting a janitor gone on a shotgun rampage inside a school. Angry cartoon children fire back with firearms of their own, and their wounds spurt blood until they are shot dead.
"It's called Kindergarten Killers," LaPierre said, mistakenly pluralizing the title. "It's been online for 10 years. How come my research staff can find it, and all of yours couldn't ... or didn't want anyone to know you had found it?" Possibly because it was a throwaway experience, not even rising to the level of the much more provocative and much more memorable Super Columbine Massacre. How come video gamers can still find something like that, and all of the NRA's research staff couldn't?
Kindergarten Killer's almost total obscurity, to say nothing of the fact it is a flash game lumped in with four longstanding console series, makes it the most laughable inclusion in the NRA's strange news conference today, severely weakening the NRA's claim that all video games are purposefully and callously violent. As the work of a bored teenager, it is by no means representative of the "shadow industry" LaPierre condemned. Sure, it's awful, and easily accessed by children over a web browser; so is most anything violent, pornographic, or shocking to the conscience.
That is not to say that the games Wayne LaPierre mentioned are wholesome entertainment that can be discussed in polite company. But neither can many of the R-rated action or science-fiction movies and crime thrillers whose themes continue to inspire the most popular video game series.
Holden Miller contributed reporting to this story.


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San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) March 01, 2013
Large fortified bases and vast armies are being replaced with drones – and it's changing the very nature of warfare.
That's the conclusion of Dr. Marc Pilisuk, an award-winning peace scholar and faculty member in Saybrook University's Social Transformation program. Writing in the new 2013 issue of "The Peace Chronicle," the newsletter of the Peace and Justice Studies Association, Pilisuk's article "The New Face of War," raises questions about what the rise of drones means for both the battlefield and the home front.
"Drone warfare makes responsibility for killing more difficult to trace," Dr. Pilisuk writes. "Are assassinations without trial the new standard? Does killing remotely make the decision to do so easier? Does use by civilian entities eliminate regard for rules of engagement? Does secrecy of such operations make them less accountable to the public in whose name they are deployed? Difficult as these issues may be, they appear but preludes to weaponry that can not only kill robotically but also make decisions to do this without the opportunity for human discretion."
It may be easy for Americans to ignore these issues when they're on far away battlefields, but Dr. Pilisuk says they'll have to confront them at home soon – both because forms of military drones are likely to show up in domestic law enforcement efforts, and because drones appeal to our enemies as well.
"[W]eapon systems typically provide incentives for those lacking them," he writes. "The DOD has studied drone development activities in Al-Qaeda and in Colombia's FARC."
The result is that humanity is facing another moment much like the deployment of nuclear weapons: when instead of turning back we depended on a doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction to save us from extinction.
Do we have another doctrine to save us in the era of drones? Dr. Pilisuk doesn't see one yet – and suggests that this is a precipice we'd be wise to step back from.
"A world in which every person and group can be the object of continuous surveillance and can be targeted at the behest of a program designer employed as a contractor for a clandestine government agency is eerily Orwellian," he wrote. "If there was ever a need to insist upon the precautionary principle to save the human society we know, now is the time."
Marc Pilisuk, PhD, is the editor of the 2011 three volume anthology of the global peace movement "Peace Movements Worldwide," and the author of "Who Benefits From Global Violence and War: uncovering a destructive system." He was the recipient of the Peace and Justice Studies Association's 2012 Howard Zinn Lifetime Achievement Award.

subset: commoncrawl


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Will prescription
The patient shook his doctor's hand in gratitude and said, "Since we are the best of friends, I would not want to insult you by offering payment. But I would like for you to know that I had mentioned you in my will."
"That is very kind of you," said the doctor emotionally, and then added,
"Can I see that prescription I just gave you? I'd like to make a little change…"


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Finding complete fossils of dinosaurs and amphibians is a difficult task, with museums and universities spending millions of dollars to reconstruct and acquire these ancient specimens.
One of the more interesting fossil discoveries in the past few decades — Eric the Pliosaur — features a a number of unique qualities. During the fossilization process, opalisation occurred, leaving the fossil with a semi-precious sheen. This is not the most interesting aspect of the fossil, however, as that may very well be the tale of the its discovery, reconstruction, and ownership changes that rescued the fossil from being made into jewelry and found it a permanent home within an Australian museum.
Discovering an Opal-Covered Fossil
In 1987, a miner working in the opal-rich town of Coober Pedy, Australia, stumbled across the opal-covered fossil of a pliosaur within a mine. The lucky miner attempted to excavate the seven-foot, opalised fossil himself, destroying several fragile pieces in the process.
The opal miner had discovered a pliosaur, a relative of the much better known plesiosaur. Pliosaurs have shorter necks and larger skuls than a plesiosaur, which makes the ocean dweller, like plesiosaurs, Jurassic nightmare fuel. The fossil pliosaur found by the miner is later named "Eric" by one of its caretakers, and remains an amazing example of what can occur during the fossilization process.
Fossilization is a rare event, one brought about by the happenstance encasing of an animal and the subsequent introduction of mineral into bones to create a fossil. Even rarer is the introduction of semi-precious opal into a fossil, which can lead to an almost iridescent sheen. The Cooper Pedy area of Australia is known for massive opal deposits, with a unique set of conditions, location, and millions of years combining to create Eric the Pliosaur.
Reconstructing a Pliosaur
For an opal miner living in Coober Pedy, there is not a lot to do with a fossilized dinosaur. The opal content within the fossil is worth an estimated $25,000, but the disorganized, yet nearly complete fossil of the pliosaur is worth considerably more. Shortly after pulling it from the ground in Coober Pedy, the miner sold the fossil to Australian businessman Sid Londonish for the sum of 125,0000 Australian dollars (roughly $230,000 US when adjusted for inflation).
Londonish sought to properly reconstruct the pliosaur, and acquired the services of archaeologist Paul Willis to solve the haphazard fossil puzzle. Paul gave the fossil the name "Eric", borrowing the name from the Monty Python song "Eric the Half-a-Bee." During the reconstruction, Paul uncovered an opalised fish inside of Eric's stomach, and keeping in step with the comedy theme, named the fish Wanda.
Pliosaur Jewelry?
In the years following purchase of the fossil, Sid Londonish came under financial duress. Who would ever think a guy running around purchasing fossils would have money problems? Londonish spoke openly of auctioning off the reconstructed fossil to the highest bidder. An open auction would bring in a cadre of private collectors, international museums, and jewelers who might seek to break the fossil up and sell Eric as trinkets. This is when the people of Australia stepped in to keep Eric at home.
To prevent pieces of Eric from becoming parts of charm bracelets across the world, Quantum, a beloved weekly science television series in Australia, championed the plight of Eric. Quantum launched the "Save Eric" campaign, with donations from corporate sponsors and fundraising efforts led by Australian schoolchildren amounting to over $450,000. With the enormous donation, the Australian Museum successfully purchased the pliosaur from Londonish in 1993. The unique specimen is on display indefinitely at the Australian Museum, so if you are ever Down Under, make a visit to see one of the most interesting fossils ever uncovered.
Top image displays the reconstructed version of Eric via the Australian Museum. Additional image of the completed Eric the Pliosaur and image of opalised fossil pieces are from the Australian Museum. Sources linked within.


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Red Wolf Pups and Parents
These wolves are critically endangered red wolf pups and their parents. They live at the Wolf Conservation Center of South Salem, NY as part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) under the Endangered Species Act. A portion of the proceeds from sales of photos in this gallery will be donated toward saving red wolves and their habitat.Read More


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Posts Tagged 'iowa invasive insects'
Up-and-coming invasive species
Environmentalists have been watching and waiting as new invasive species begin to take hold and move across the country and across Iowa. Jumping worms, the brown marmorated stink bug, the gypsy moth and the spotted lanternfly. Let's take a look at a few of these up-and-coming invasives. Jumping worms Most earthworms are not actually native Read More »Read More


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Lyrics: Bruce Cockburn, Michael Nash, Bob Weir
Music: Bruce Cockburn, Michael Nash, Bob Weir
A Bob Weir song written as part of a planned musical about the life of Satchel Paige, the baseball player. This song dramatizes Paige's reaction to the news that Jackie Robinson had been tapped as the first black baseball player to play in the major leagues.
Bob Weir has played it a few times with Ratdog, and also with David Murray as an instrumental. Thanks to Ruth Allison for the lyrics from a Ratdog tape.
I was your diamond shining in the roughNotes
You were my truest muse, first and only love
My inspiration, you made me rise above
I thought we had it all
Seasons changing now, the bird is on the wing
Guess it's autumn now, ain't no hidden spring
No dogwood blossoms, no robin sing
Leaves just turn and fall
Funny how blue skies can turn to grey
Funny how fortune can turn and walk the other way
Can't take back time, just don't work that way
Still there's just one thing I gotta say
Ain't no denyin', 'cause it's plain to see (note 1)
Shoulda had been me
Yesterday's a stranger, strolls on by so fast
Best forget the future if you're living in the past
Nothin' ain't worth nothin', all except what's gonna last
Rest is all just days gone by
Nightbirds calling as the shadows fade away
Guess it's gettin late now, ain't much left to say
No hide-and-seek twilight games left to play
I just can't figure why
I turned the tides for you, showed the breeze where to blow
Made the thunder roll, made the rivers flow
Spun dawn into daylight, with the sundown aglow
If that wasn't enough of a show
I'd shine the moon and when nighttime was done
Put out the stars, call back the sun
I'll be a man, I'll hold my tongue
But I know that, you know that, I was the one
Ain't no denyin', 'cause it's plain to see (note 2)
I'm all done cryin', yes it's just gonna be
Ain't no denying, just let it be
Shoulda had been me
Shoulda had been me
Shoulda had been me
Shoulda had been me
Ain't no denyin', any fool can see
I'm all through tryin', just gonna let it be
Ain't no use cryin', it's just gonna be
Shoulda had been me
|Recorded By
|Dark Star (The Music Of The Grateful Dead)
|David Murray (instrumental)


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Clients today expect personalised outreach, proactive insights, and goal-based planning — delivered the moment they want it. In order to meet these new expectations, Salesforce has taken the World's #1 CRM and reinvented it for financial advisors. To learn more about Financial Services Cloud, simply fill out this short form and we will contact you shortly.


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Legally Protected Leaves Of Absence: Are You Eligible?
The law mandates that employers give employees time-off from work for medical reasons under specific circumstances. However, each employee's specific rights will depend largely on the state he or she works in and the size of the employer. This article briefly describes the various types of medical leaves of absence employees may be entitled to. The Major Federal… Read More »


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Anonymous has been meek and quiet since the great Sabu treachery, failing to even threaten much of anything. But in a new interview, one of the group's last remaining leaders says Anon has a nuclear card up its sleeve.
Christopher "Commander X" Doyon, whose name is public because he's been busted for hacking a California government website, sat for an interview with the National Post. The exchange circles mostly around Doyon's exile in Canada, where he's hoping to dodge the wrath of American feds. But he ends on one particularly ominous and/or laughable note:
Q. What's next for Anonymous?
A: Right now we have access to every classified database in the U.S. government. It's a matter of when we leak the contents of those databases, not if. You know how we got access? We didn't hack them. The access was given to us by the people who run the systems.
On the face of it, this is an absurd claim. "Every classified database in the U.S. government" is an outrageously ambitious catch, almost surely too vast to be possible—did someone from literally every government agency sell out to Anonymous? All of them? Even one cache would be a huge feat—see Cablegate—but all of them? It reeks of a tall tale, particularly from an organization with a serious credibility problem (remember when they said they were going to end Mexican drug cartels? Right).
But Doyon's lesser point, that the next great Anonymous coup would be an inside job, is entirely plausible:
The five-star general (and) the Secretary of Defence who sit in the cushy plush offices at the top of the Pentagon don't run anything anymore. It's the pimply-faced kid in the basement who controls the whole game, and Bradley Manning proved that.
Commander X is right: it's amazingly easy for anyone with access to powerful data to spread that data around. So while Anon likely isn't sitting on the collective knowledge of every secret filing cabinet in the United States government, they could have their mitts on some of them. And that alone still makes them dangerous as hell. [National Post]


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GK Questions - First in India
1. Name of the first Atomic Submarine of India ?
I.N.S Chakra
2. What is the name of first British to visit India ?
3. Name of the first election commissioner of India ?
Sukumar Sen.
4. Name of the first university of India ?
Nalanda University.
5. Where is India's First nuclear centre ?
6. Name of the first Chinese pilgrim to visit India ?
7. Name of first foreign recipient of Bharat Ratna ?
Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan
8. Where was the first Post Office opened in India ?
Kolkata in 1727
9. Name of the first deputy Prime Minister of India ?
Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
10. Name of first Space Tourist of India ?
Santosh George
11. Name of the first Aircraft Carrier Indian Ship ?
I.N.S. Vikrant
12. Name of First Indian who reached south pole ?
Col. I K Bajaj
13. Name of first Indian who won Billiards Trophy ?
Wilson Jones
14. Name of the First Indian Prime Minister who resigned from Office ?
Moraji Desai
15. First Indian recipient of Oscar Award ?
Bhanu Athaiya
16. Name of the first Indian President to Die in office ?
Dr. Zakir Hussain
17. Name of the First Indian Author to get the Anderson Award ?
Ruskin Bond
18. Name of First Indian Missile ?
19. Name of first Indian Pilot ?
J.R.D. Tata in 1929
20. Name of the first Chief of Naval staff of India ?
Vice-Admiral R.D. Katari
Shripad Singh Jagawat 4 years ago
My knowledge improved
k.manideep reddy 5 years ago
i got more knowledge and basics by these important questions and these are going to do me a successfull person.
Rajni 5 years ago
Mock test
Hatim Saifee 7 years ago
Question are not enough
NANDAN KUMAR DEY 7 years ago
Bejoi Mathew 7 years ago
Loved it..(good fooooood)
akshu 8 years ago
good one :) tysm for the valuable informations...a kind request more stuffs can be applicable..


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5 unconventional maps to get lost in
From the earliest days of human exploration we've made progressively more accurate and sophisticated maps. Maps help us find our way around the world we live in. Maps help us get to our destination. Maps keep us from becoming lost. But what if you have no destination? What if becoming lost is the point? Well, […]Continue reading


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Kevin Everett's playing career ended in the first game of the 2007 NFL season. At the beginning of the second quarter, the third-year Buffalo Bills tight end swooped in to tackle Denver Broncos kick returner Domenik Hixon.
Their helmets collided. Everett, 26, stiffened and fell to the ground. As medics attended to the injured player, thousands of Bills fans crammed into Ralph Wilson Stadium, and the 50-plus members of the team's playing and coaching staff waited for a signal from the fallen player—a thumb's up or a wave.
But there was nothing.
"The initial assessment was that Kevin was not able to voluntarily move his extremities," recalls Christopher Fischetti, assistant athletic trainer for the Buffalo Bills [full disclosure: Fischetti is the brother of Scientific American editor Mark Fischetti]. Everett's doctors would later confirm that a spinal cord injury had left the young player paralyzed from the neck down. The prognosis: that he would be wheelchair-bound for life.
But just a few months later, Everett walked again.
How did he make such a spectacular recovery?
"I will hang a good portion of my belief in this recovery on cold therapy," Everett's head surgeon Andrew Cappuccino told The New York Times in September, "because we don't normally see this recovery in people with spinal cord injury."
Cold therapy—or hypothermia therapy—is an experimental treatment in which a patient's body temperature is lowered to slow metabolic activity. This cooling appears to protect or reduce damage to the nervous system after a traumatic injury by preventing cell damage and inflammation, which is the immune system's response to injury. The process is similar to icing a battered limb after an accident to reduce swelling.
During transport to the emergency room—15 minutes after Everett dislocated his spinal cord in his neck—doctors chilled his body by giving him two liters of an icy saltwater solution intravenously. When he reached the hospital, he endured over four hours of surgery to successfully realign his neck. Doctors gave him the same fluid overnight to maintain his body temperature at 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33.3 degrees Celsius) for 24 hours to counteract inflammation and fever.
Although this treatment is already routinely used in hospitals to preserve transplant organs and reduce the body's need for oxygenated blood during heart or brain surgery, its use on trauma victims remains controversial and studies of its effectiveness are inconclusive. Some experts caution that mild hypothermia may actually do more harm than good—several studies have shown that cooling the body can have dangerous side effects, including infection, an irregular heartbeat, blood clotting, pneumonia and organ failure.
Kevin Gibbons, the neurosurgeon who performed Everett's surgery with Cappuccino and oversaw his care at Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital in Buffalo, downplayed the role of hypothermia in his recovery. "Cold [saltwater] didn't hurt Everett," he says, "but it was certainly not the only reason he got better."
According to Gibbons, the initial hypothermia treatment did not lower Everett's body temperature: His temperature was 98 degrees Fahrenheit (36.7 degrees Celsius), just barely lower than normal, when he arrived at the hospital. It was only post-surgery when Everett received another cooling treatment that his temperature decreased significantly to 92 degrees Fahrenheit. By that time, his neck had been realigned and he had already regained some mobility in his legs and ankles.
One important factor may be that, although severe, Everett's injury was incomplete. Cappuccino recognized that Everett still had some sensation remaining in his lower extremities after sustaining the injury. In trauma cases such as these, Gibbons says, patients actually have a 50 to 75 percent chance of recovering.
He adds that initial diagnoses are not reliable predictors of how a patient will do in the long run. The real test is whether the patient shows improvement in the day or two following the injury, as Everett did.
Still, other physicians support Cappuccino's assertion that hypothermia therapy was crucial to Everett's recovery.
"We can't draw any firm conclusions based on a single case, but his recovery can, at least in part, be attributed to the use of hypothermic therapy," says Hasan Alam, a trauma surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, who has successfully used the therapy on critically wounded Yorkshire pigs.
More in-depth study, like Alam's and research in humans, may confirm whether the therapy is safe and beneficial. Despite the risks, inducing hypothermia may play a role in preventing neurological injury during periods of severe trauma.
"Even though Everett's case has nothing to do with corroborating the use of hypothermia," says Edward Benzel, director of the Center for Spine Health at the Cleveland Clinic, who agrees with Gibbons' assessment, it doesn't mean there is no reason to study the treatment further.
While the question of whether or not hypothermia treatment was the key to Everett's recovery, today he is walking again. He even made an appearance on national television at this summer's ESPY Awards—presented by ESPN—where he accepted the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, named after former North Carolina State University basketball coach Jim Valvano.


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Khadeer Hussain
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Posted: 07 August 2013 at 2:05am
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The South Valley stretches south of Steamboat Springs and encompasses Highway 131's surrounding areas, including Country Green, Steamboat Pines, Big Valley Ranch, Catamount Ranch, Lake Catamount, Priest Creek Ranch and Alpine Mountain Ranch. Most properties in the South Valley are single-family homes on acreage. There are several properties that sit on large acreage or are in land preservation subdivisions. The South Valley has a country feel, but is conveniently located just a short drive from town, and many of the properties in this area offer stunning views of the Steamboat Ski Area.
Bountiful and picturesque, the South Valley boasts high-end developments with low-density living. A portion of these developments are Land Preservation Sub-Divisions, which offer large acreage but concentrate the housing to a specific zone in order to leave superior open space for wildlife preserve and aesthetic appeal. The area has two golf courses; Catamount (private), and Haymaker (public). Many of the ranches in this Valley are under conservation easement and are protected from any future development. Overall, the South Valley offers large lots, expansive common areas and panoramic views of the ski mountain and the meanders of the Yampa River.


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Every morning, Pope Francis celebrates mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae. The service is small and intimate—usually fifty or so people attend—and the Holy Father preaches spontaneously in Italian to set the tone for the day. Today he had a political message on his mind: meddle in politics.
Meddling, according to Pope Francis, may look different than many people initially think. "A good Catholic meddles in politics, offering the best of himself, so that those who govern can govern. But what is the best that we can offer to those who govern? Prayer!" he preached. "That's what Paul says: 'Pray for all people, and for the king and for all in authority.'"
Prayers can be simple, the Pope explained. Pray that the leader, man or woman, can govern well, love their people, serve their people, and remain humble. Pray even if the leader is wicked or has problems—then one's prayer can be that the leader would change his ways. "A Christian who does not pray for those who govern is not a good Christian," he said.
Political prayer is necessary because people participate in their leaders decisions, whether they acknowledge it or not. "None of us can say, 'I have nothing to do with this, they govern.' No, no, I am responsible for their governance, and I have to do the best so that they govern well, and I have to do my best by participating in politics according to my ability," he said. "Politics, according to the Social Doctrine of the Church, is one of the highest forms of charity, because it serves the common good. I cannot wash my hands, eh? We all have to give something!"
The Pope's message extended to those in positions of political power. He argued that are two virtues a true leader needs to govern: love for the people and humility. "And every man, every woman who has to take up the service of government, must ask themselves two questions: 'Do I love my people in order to serve them better? Am I humble and do I listen to everybody, to diverse opinions in order to choose the best path?'" he asked. "If you don't ask those questions, your governance will not be good."
Pope Francis has been modeling the prayerful political engagement he preaches. His message comes a week after he led a global day of prayer for peace in Syria and the Middle East. Earlier this month, he wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, host of the G-20 summit, urging world leaders to oppose military intervention in Syria.


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When stars put on their no-make-up, serious faces to play characters with mental illness you can't help getting a bit cynical. They might as well tattoo 'Nominate me for Best Actor, pretty please,' on their foreheads.
In David O Russell's new comedy, two of Hollywood's new favourite actors, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence (he's the alpha-guy in 'The Hangover', she's devil-tough Katniss in 'The Hunger Games') have recently suffered breakdowns. Oh, and they bond via the medium of modern dance. Sounds like a textbook case of actors rattling the worthy tin for prizes? Funnily enough, not this time. 'The Silver Linings Playbook' zips along on its off-beat energy and fast-paced wisecracking script. It's undemanding, but funny, honest even, about mental health without being patronising (most of the time) and best of all, it's brilliantly acted.
After a nasty incident involving his ex-wife's lover and a bi-polar diagnosis, Pat Solitano (Cooper) has spent eight months on a psychiatric ward. Back at home living with his folks, he's convinced that his ex is waiting for him to get better (in spite of that restraining order). In Pat's house American football is a religion. His dad (Robert DeNiro, gilding the lily) is an illegal bookie who's borderline obsessive and has anger issues. Pat's long-suffering mum (played by the incredible Jacki Weaver – watch her in little-seen Aussie gem 'Animal Kingdom') holds the family together with her warmth and homebaking.
This world isn't a million miles from Russell's last film, 'The Fighter' – ordinary America. And the Solitano household reminded me of that old line about home being the only place where they have to take you in. Anyone who's lived with someone with mental illness will recognise this dysfunctional bunch – how much weirdness a family will live with and swallow ('Oh, that's just dad, don't mess his remote controls').
When Pat meets Tiffany (Lawrence) and discovers that she's friends with his ex-wife, he agrees to be her dance partner in a local talent competition – if she passes a note to his ex. In an oddly touching scene, the pair bond over prescription drugs ('they just take the light out of your eyes, don't they'). Tiffany has problems of her own. Since her husband's death she has become a sex addict. Yes, that sounds phony – it's one of a few bum notes (another is an unfunny Indian psychiatrist). But Pat and Tiffany's love/hate relationship is a treat to watch – all sparring banter, loose-lipped and without boundaries. The acting is sparky and intelligent, with Cooper proving there's more to him than flashy good looks. As for Lawrence, she acts every role like there's a soulful storm raging inside of her. If awards glory comes the way of this pair, it will be deserved.


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Suspicious phone conversations on Skype could be targeted for tapping as part of a pan-European crackdown on what law authorities believe is a massive technical loophole in current wiretapping laws, allowing criminals to communicate without fear of being overheard by the police.
The European investigation could also help U.S. law enforcement authorities gain access to Internet calls. The National Security Agency (NSA) is understood to believe that suspected terrorists use Skype to circumvent detection.
While the police can get a court order to tap a suspect's land line and mobile phone, it is currently impossible to get a similar order for Internet calls on both sides of the Atlantic.
Eurojust, a European Union agency responsible for coordinating judicial investigations across different jurisdictions announced Friday the opening of an investigation involving all 27 countries of the European Union.
"We will bring investigators from all 27 member states together to find a common approach to this problem," said Joannes Thuy, a spokesman for Eurojust based in The Hague in the Netherlands.
The purpose of Eurojust's coordination role is to overcome "the technical and judicial obstacles to the interception of Internet telephony systems", Eurojust said.
The main judicial obstacles are the differing approaches to data protection in the various E.U. member states, Thuy said.
The investigation is being headed by Eurojust's Italian representative, Carmen Manfredda.
Criminals in Italy are increasingly making phone calls over the Internet in order to avoid getting caught through mobile phone intercepts, according to Direzione Nazionale Antimafia, the anti-Mafia office in Rome.
Police officers in Milan say organized crime, arms and drugs traffickers, and prostitution rings are turning to Skype and other systems of VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) telephony in order to frustrate investigators.
While telecommunications companies are obliged to comply with court orders to monitor calls on land lines and mobile phones, "Skype' refuses to cooperate with the authorities," Thuy said.
In addition to the issue of cooperation, there are technical obstacles to tapping Skype calls. The way calls are set up and carried between computers is proprietary, and the encryption system used is strong. It could be possible to monitor the call on the originating or receiving computer using a specially written program, or perhaps to divert the traffic through a proxy server, but these are all far more difficult than tapping a normal phone. Calls between a PC and a regular telephone via the SkypeIn or SkypeOut service, however, could fall under existing wiretapping regulations and capabilities at the point where they meet the public telephone network.
The pan-European response to the problem may open the door for the U.S. to take similar action, Thuy said.
"We have very good cooperation with the U.S.," he said, pointing out that a U.S. prosecutor, Marylee Warren, is based in The Hague in order to liaise between U.S. and European judicial authorities.
The NSA (National Security Agency) is so concerned by Skype that it is offering hackers large sums of money to break its encryption, according to unsourced reports in the U.S.
Italian investigators have become increasingly reliant on wiretaps, Eurojust said, giving a recent example of customs and tax police in Milan, who overheard a suspected cocaine trafficker telling an accomplice to switch to Skype in order to get details of a 2kg drug consignment.
"Investigators are convinced that the interception of telephone calls have become an essential tool of the police, who spend millions of euros each year tracking down crime through wiretaps of land lines and mobile phones," Eurojust said.
The first meeting of Eurojust's 27 national representatives is planned in the coming weeks but precise details of its timing and the location of the meeting remain secret, Thuy said.
"They will exchange information and then we will give advice on how to proceed," he said. Bringing Internet telephony into line with calls on land lines and mobile phones "could be the price we have to pay for our security," he said.


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Duo offers a fresh approach to office furniture design. Combining modern colour finishes of White and Walnut with a traditional panel end leg design. Duo also offers matching White and Walnut pedestal and cupboard storage options or select from standard White and Walnut. Duo is available from stock for immediate delivery and comes with an 8 year manufacturers guarantee.
Our preferred method of payment is by credit/debit card. We accept Visa Credit, Visa Debit, Visa Electron, MasterCard, Maestro, American Express, Diners and JCB.
All our online credit card transactions are processed through Sagepay and complies fully with EU online credit card processing legislation.
New customers - companies wishing to apply for a credit account must register first and apply for a credit account online.
Government accounts i.e Council, NHS, Police, MOD, Schools, Universities, Colleges etc qualify for instant credit facilities.
We offer 3 delivery options:
- Free Economy Delivery: 5-7 Days
Items are delivered flat pack for easy assembly to a ground floor location or curbside if palletised. (Free Delivery applies to UK mainland orders only.)
- Express Delivery: 1-2 Days
Must be ordered before 3pm for next day delivery. Items are delivered flat pack for easy assembly to a ground floor location or curbside if palletised.
- Installation Service: 5-7 Days
Items are delivered to any floor, installed and packaging is takey away and recycled.
Deliveries can only be made during working hours, Monday to Friday and we cannot always provide an exact delivery date at the time of ordering. If you need to know when your order will arrive, you can email our Customer Service team at firstname.lastname@example.com or call on 0333 088 0038
We can only deliver items within the UK. FREE delivery applies to addresses within UK Mainland, and for the majority of items delivery is also free to the Highlands of Scotland. If there are any issues we will contact you as soon as possible once your order is placed.
Deliveries are made to the ground floor entrance of your premises as per standard transport practices. If delivery is to another floor, an optional installation fee will apply, which can be selected in the basket once the products have been added. If this option is not available, please do not hesitate to call us on 0333 088 0038 and we will be happy to provide you with a quote.
You have 14 days from date of receipt to request goods to be returned. Goods may only be returned if they are unused, unassembled, in their original packaging and in a resalable condition.
All goods will be collected and inspected and we reserve the right to apply a charge for incomplete returns, orders placed in error or not wanted.
We use couriers for many of our items, and unfortunately damages can happen. If this is the case, please send us an email as soon as the item is received to firstname.lastname@example.com or call 0333 088 0038 and we will deal with this for you as a priority. If possible, please attach a photo of the damage to your email.


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Every year about this time, when spooky ads abound and grocery aisles are fully stocked with individual sized candy, I ponder my dilemma: Do I stock up on the sugar-laden treats for the neighborhood kids or do I wear my dietitian hat and look for healthier alternatives that won't evoke a look of disgust from the children?
Sure enough, every year my professional hat takes over and I scour the aisles of grocery stores, drug stores and mega-buying clubs for healthy food treats and fun non-food gizmos that will please the most ardent candy-lover. My goal is to generate a little bit of excitement from the kids for the healthy treats I drop it into their Halloween buckets. After all, I want kids to know that there are treats that are delicious, good for you and don't start with 'c' and end in 'y'.
From the Pantry
Gone are the days when you could bake a batch of homemade oatmeal raisin cookies or popcorn balls and pass them out. Most parents are hesitant to let their kids enjoy anything that is not individually wrapped. So confections from my kitchen, wrapped up decoratively in ghost and goblins, ala Martha Stewart, are not an option. The good news is that there are plenty of individual portion treats to satisfy even the most discriminating witch.
Favorites from the pantry include:
- Raisins
- Pretzels
- Juice boxes
- Mini water bottles (they need them to help wash down the candy while trick or treating)
- Plain cookies (graham crackers, Teddy Grahams, vanilla wafers, etc.)
- Baked chips, baked tortilla chips
- Popcorn
- Lowfat granola or cereal bars
- Sugar-free gum
Believe it or not, a few random non-candy items in the sack are fun to discover for both moms and kids. Moms delight in finding nutritious nibbles that she can borrow to put in Johnny's lunchbox. The kids like the variety and often end up eating or drinking the nutritious treats while trick or treating for respite from all the candy.
Party Store Goodies
If you opt to generate a little more enthusiasm from your neighborhood gang, try the numerous non-food items that kids love. I must admit, these items generate bigger smiles than do some of my healthy treats. Keep your eye out for small inexpensive gadgets and things that kids love to collect such as:
- Decorative pencils
- Small rubber balls
- Erasers
- Rubber ghosts, goblins, witches
- Waxed lips
- Glow sticks
- Stickers
- Key chains
- Marbles
- Tic-tac-toe or other small games
- Bubbles
- Chalk
- Coloring books
- Crayons
How Bad is a Bucket of Candy?
OK, so you decide to wear your parent hat, remembering fondly the thrill of your own childhood when you came home after Halloween night and spilled out all your goodies onto the living room floor. Why would you want to deny kids this same memorable experience? Granted, there is nothing wrong with candy in small doses. The problem is that more kids today are overweight or obese and it is a serious health problem. Is Halloween the time or place to correct this national problem? No, but it sure doesn't hurt to sprinkle a few non-candy items to help reduce the temptation to pig-out on candy.
If candy you must, choose non-chocolate types that contain fewer calories without caffeine-like stimulants. Hard candies, jelly types, licorice are good examples of candy without the extra fat calories of chocolate and sans potential stimulants.
A Dose of Parental Guidance
As a parent, it is best to establish a plan of how all this candy will be consumed. Ideally, the distribution of the candy will be the parent's responsibility, otherwise, you may find meals skipped in preference to candy fests. Dole it out in moderation. If you have a very active child who is of normal weight, you can be more generous but not so much that it affects their appetite. Remember, kids are growing and need lots of nutrients that are not found in candy. Candy needs to be considered a treat, to be consumed after satisfying the body's need for vitamins, minerals and nutrients.


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Cupertino, Calif. Sept. 10, 2013 — -- Wait, two iPhones? What? Why? Yes, in case you missed it, earlier today Apple revealed two new iPhones -- the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.
The phones are best described as, well, iPhones, albeit in some new colors and with some new tricks. Which one should you get? Are they everything we thought and more? Here are my first impressions.
iPhone 5S: A Phone After Your Fingertips
As we all expected, the iPhone 5S looks like the iPhone 5 though with a more elegant design thanks to a new gold color option and the swanky, sapphire glass home button. Indeed, the smooth new home button now has a fingerprint reader, or what Apple is calling Touch ID. And it works just as Apple's Phil Schiller detailed this morning.
You go through the setup process of training the phone to know your fingerprint by following some onscreen instructions and tapping your finger on the button. Then when the phone knows your print, you just tap once on the button and then tap again. Boom! You're logged in. It doesn't take more than a second, much faster than inputting a PIN or using one of those clumsy fingerprint sensors on a laptop.
When I tried to fool it by using another finger or when another person attempted to log in, "Try Again" flashed. The good news is that the phone can remember up to five fingerprints, so if you wanted your child or spouse to have access they could. And if you choose not to use the new feature and use a password instead that works too.
When I tried to fool it by using another finger a "Try Again" message flashed
While Touch ID is going to be hugely convenient and hopefully solve the problem of many not using passwords, it isn't going to be a reason for most to upgrade to the new iPhone. However, the improved LED flashes, camera enhancements and speed adjustments certainly do add to the lure of Apple's latest flagship.
PHOTOS: Apple Unveils New iPhones
The camera features, including the burst mode which takes 20 shots in two seconds, are actually what I am most excited about. I can't say I noticed the speed improvements pushed along by the new 64-bit processor in my short time of playing around with it, but iOS 7 breezed on by with all its new colorful backgrounds, translucent layers and swift transitions.
iPhone 5C: Five Colors
But where iOS 7 seems to have really met its match is with the iPhone 5C. The colorful phones, available in five colors (Ahh, 5C… Get it?!), come with matching homescreens. The lime green model has a green background, the blue one a light teal shade and so on and so forth.
The phone really does seem to complement the software incredibly well, but the design of the phone, at least the pink and green colors, strikes me as somewhat too playful. It could just be my, dare I say, higher brow taste, but the phone does remind me of a kiddie phone. It doesn't feel like one, though. While it is made of plastic, it feels solid and sturdy, especially for its $99 price.
READ MORE: iOS 7: The Best Features
The division between the phones is pretty clear. The 5S is for the person who wants all the speed, elegance and features of the newest iPhone and wants to pay top dollar for them at $200 with a two-year contract. The 5C is for the person who doesn't need all the latest and greatest and is just fine with that for $99. (Note that the 5C will actually replace the iPhone 5 on shelves.)
Forget the hardware though, the biggest upgrade is in software
But for all the new hardware features Apple showed today, the biggest upgrade is in the iOS 7 software, which Apple first previewed in June. Next week you won't need the iPhone 5S or 5C to get iOS 7, which has an entirely revamped design and an assortment of new, long-overdue features. Yes, Apple introduced two spruced up phones today, but come Sept. 18 almost every iPhone owner -- at least the ones with an iPhone 4, 4S or 5 -- gets an upgraded phone.


text: TD_Day_5_NYC_11283.JPG I shot stills and directed videos for the agency Haddad and Partners and their fabulous creative director Alan Hevelone and their client TD Bank, with the help of my dream team Stephen Mallon, Dirk Anschuetz and Frank Meo. The series of images (20 NYC locations/ 20 models) is based on my 2020 book KEEP GOING NEW YORK !! www.stefanfalke.com Photographer: Stefan Falke Agency: Haddad and Partners Client: TD Bank


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Welcome to the NTHUSIM Wiki.
- You can edit any page and add new pages of your own.
- You can also view an index of wiki pages.
Table of Contents
How to set up edge-blending - A quick visual tour of how to set up a seamless edge blended display!
Single Head Warping Tutorial - Describes how to set up NTHUSIM with a single projector on a curved screen.
NTHUSIM Keyboard Shorcuts - Lists all the available Keyboard Shortcuts inside the NTHUSIM configure window
Frequently Asked Questions - View the frequently asked questions


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CRS: A CRS Review of 10 States: Home and Community-Based ServicesStates Seek to Change the Face of Long-Term Care: Indiana, December 15, 2003
From WikiLeaks
About this CRS report
This document was obtained by Wikileaks from the United States Congressional Research Service.
The CRS is a Congressional "think tank" with a staff of around 700. Reports are commissioned by members of Congress on topics relevant to current political events. Despite CRS costs to the tax payer of over $100M a year, its electronic archives are, as a matter of policy, not made available to the public.
Individual members of Congress will release specific CRS reports if they believe it to assist them politically, but CRS archives as a whole are firewalled from public access.
This report was obtained by Wikileaks staff from CRS computers accessible only from Congressional offices.
For other CRS information see: Congressional Research Service.
For press enquiries, consult our media kit.
If you have other confidential material let us know!.
For previous editions of this report, try OpenCRS.
Wikileaks release: February 2, 2009
Publisher: United States Congressional Research Service
Title: A CRS Review of 10 States: Home and Community-Based ServicesStates Seek to Change the Face of Long-Term Care: Indiana
CRS report number: RL32295
Author(s): Carol OShaughnessy and Rob Weissert, Domestic Social Policy Division; and Jane Tilly, Consultant, The Urban Institute
Date: December 15, 2003
- Abstract
- This report presents background and analysis about long-term care in Indiana. Reports on the other nine states and an overview report will e available during 2003.
- Download


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We thank you for using PatientAssistance.com and hope you find discounts on your medications. If you locate any offers that are not located on this site please feel free to share them with others and Sign Up for our weekly updates.
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text:
Whether it's a latte in a double wall mug or a beer in a double wall pilsner glass, serve your beverage of choice in this elegant glassware. Duetto will keep your beverage's temperature longer: hot drinks stay hot without burning fingers and cold drinks stay cold without messy condensation. No need for a coaster! This dishwasher-safe glassware is made of mouth-blown borosilicate that is resistant to thermal shock. Don't be afraid to show off: delicious drinks are worth sparkling clear glassware!
11oz, 325ml


text:
Tag: human rights information
Human Rights Observers Chairman Tameem Speaks at Entrepreneurship Certificate Distribution Programme
June 29 2014, – Mr. Tameem in his presidential remarks said that the HRO has been providing free skill development training since past three years to the youth irrespective of caste and religion so that they can obtain good employment in the country and abroad. He said that our youth are our national asset and promoting them is our national duty.
Sri AbidRasool Khan Chairman AP State Minorities Commission while appreciating the efforts of the Human Rights Observers he said that youth trained in Entrepreneurship & skill development program could get suitable employment in the country and abroad. He said that several industrial and commercial organisations are in search of talented youth. He promised to provide necessary guidance in the matter of placement to the youth.
A message from HRO chairman Tameem- Raise your voice against Air Pollution
June 05 2014, – Speaking on this occasion of United Nations world environment day at Hyderabad press club Mr. Tameem Chairman of Human Rights Observers said in urban areas 70% pollution is caused by increasing number of vehicles. He disclosed that a survey conducted by HRO revealed that in India over 7.27 lakh persons die due to diseases caused by air pollution. Air pollution is the world's largest single environmental health hazard. By reducing air pollution millions of lives could be saved world over, he said. Human Rights Observers has focused on how to improve the quality of air and effluent & solid waste management in Industries and Hospitals. HRO has initiated several workshops to fight the air pollution in Hyderabad.
Sri M. Jagdeeshwar IAS Transport commissioner of Telangana has said that the major cause of the Air pollution in the urban areas is the increasing number of vehicle and due to which the citizen particularly the aged and the children are becoming victims of various diseases. He said that there are 74 lakhs vehicles in Telangana state out of which 54 lakhs are two wheelers. He advised the vehicle owners to pay attention on regular maintenance of their vehicles. He said that the people's awareness program should be launched from the NGOs against the Air pollution.
Justice A. Lakshman Rao former chief Justice lamented on increasing pollution and said that due to this menace the people have to suffer fatal diseases like Diabetis, BP and heart diseases etc even in small age of 40. No item of human consumption is free from pollution.
Tameem Inaugurates free auto CAD training centre in Hyderabad
May 20 2014, – Human Rights Observers has started second batch of Free Auto CAD training programme under collaboration with KG Mech. at Masab Tank, near NMDC. Sri Tamim Chiarman of HRO inaugurated the course programme. He asked the students that instead of searching for the best institutions and the best teachers they must try to become the best students, as only the best students could achieve something in the life. He asked the students to show respect to the course they are pursuing and to the career they are adopting, in the sense that they must follow discipline and dedicate to the demands of the study or the profession. Sri Tameem further said that it was the Endeavour of the HRO to provide free training to the youth in some good job oriented courses. So far HRO had organized several such programmes and the beneficiaries are well placed in India and abroad.
He further said that the HRO will very soon start training programme in various districts and it planned to benefit at least 1000 students.
He said the Auto CAD course is in much demand both in the country and abroad with the efforts of the HRO thousands of the youth are making a respectable income and supporting their families. The HRO is conducting such training programmes every summer holidays without any assistance or help from the government or any other agency, he said.


text:
Job Information
Southern Company Technician Above Ground, General-Apprentice in Cumming, Georgia
Technician Above Ground, General-Apprentice
Please access the YouTube video link below to view our "A Day In The Life" video where our Atlanta Gas Light employees share what a typical day on the job may bring for both our above and below ground crews, how they apply daily company safety practices, and the personal reward that comes from a career in the natural gas industry.
Basic Function:
Entry level position responsible for completing a variety of tasks in support of field operations to include deactivation of service, delayed match, corrosion inspections, meter paints, reading meters and assisting with other maintenance activities as needed. Serves as a member of a crew engaged in installing, maintaining, and repairing gas mains and service lines. Performs basic tasks including operating heavy equipment, using hand tools, basic leak investigation, assisting in mechanical joining, landscape maintenance and traffic control. Performs meter reading, ERT installations and ERT programming in conjunction Automated Meter Reading duties. This is a bargaining unit position (IBEW Local 1997). This position will have an automatic progression pursuant to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
Efficiently works a route to complete customer and compliance orders in a timely manner and in accordance with company policies and procedures and operator qualifications procedures.
Observes all safety requirements and regulatory guidelines to ensure compliance.
Actively and accurately captures documentation in the Mobile Data Terminal and recognizes abnormal operating conditions such as corrosion, meters under stress, etc.
Assists in connecting and disconnecting gas service, manually turning meters on and off.
Assists in conducting investigations of high bill complaints, stop meters and special readings by meter reading validation.
Assists in performing regular meter inspections, paints and maintenance of above and below ground gas systems.
Responds to questions from customers and provides answers directly or by referral.
Provide assistance with all distribution activities involved with the installation, repair and maintenance of the distribution system to include:
Operating basic equipment and tools
Traffic control
Landscaping and general maintenance
Digging, shoring, repairing leaks, testing and wrapping pipes
Pressure recording devices
Uses a variety of tools (hand, air, shovels, etc.) while performing distribution crew activities.
Ensures truck is stocked with equipment, supplies, tools and other equipment in neat and orderly condition.
Operates Automated Dispatch system to complete meter reads and turn-offs service at customer's premise.
Identifies abnormal operating conditions and takes appropriate actions.
Performs simple sniff tests to detect gas leaks.
Performs other job-related duties as required.
Education, Certificate/Licenses:
High school diploma or GED
Mechanical aptitude
Basic knowledge and use of hand tools and equipment
Ability to pass basic skills and knowledge assessments
Valid Driver's License
Field operations experience to include distribution crew work
Experience with heavy equipment operation
Technical school training and certification
Welding experience or certification; Commercial driver's license or permit
- Equivalent academic education and experience
Specific Skills & Knowledge:
Good written and oral communication
Ability to use good judgment when working in potentially hazardous and emergency environments
MS Office and Computer skills – basic proficiency
Customer Service
Mechanical aptitude
Able to operate basic equipment, machinery and simple tools
Good interpersonal skills
Ability to resolve and diffuse difficult/escalated situations
Knowledge of assigned geographical territory
Ability to smell odorant used to detect gas leaks
Southern Company Gas Competencies:
Business Acumen Driving Results
Engagement Functional Expertise
Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:
Exposure to outside elements (heat, cold, high winds)
Safety sensitive
Heavy lifting, bending, stooping, walking
Disclaimer : This information describes the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this job. The description is not designed to be a comprehensive inventory of duties, responsibilities and qualifications required in the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to qualified disabled individuals for performance of essential duties and responsibilities.
Southern Company Gas provides for the energy needs of millions of U.S. households and businesses. As the largest natural gas-only distribution company in the United States, with more than 150 years of history behind us, we're working to ensure that Americans have access to an abundant, safely delivered supply of natural gas for decades to come. We offer our customers a wide range of energy services under one umbrella: seven regulated utilities as well as non-regulated businesses that offer retail, wholesale and storage services.
Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is America's premier energy company, with 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity and 1,500 billion cubic feet of combined natural gas consumption and throughput volume serving 9 million customers through its subsidiaries . The company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy through electric operating companies in four states, natural gas distribution companies in seven states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America and a nationally recognized provider of customized energy solutions, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications . Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices that are below the national average. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, Southern Company and its subsidiaries are inventing America's energy future by developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including carbon-free nuclear, 21st century coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency, and creating new products and services for the benefit of customers. Southern Company has been named by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer, recognized among the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, listed by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and designated a Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The company has earned a National Award of Nuclear Science and History from the National Atomic Museum Foundation for its leadership and commitment to nuclear development and is continually ranked among the top energy companies in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at
Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.
Job Field: Gas Pipeline Operations & Maintenance
Job Type: Standard
Primary Location: Georgia-Metro Atlanta-Riverdale
Operating Company: Atlanta Gas Light
Other Locations: Georgia-Metro Atlanta-Atlanta, Georgia-Metro Atlanta-Kennesaw, Georgia-Metro Atlanta-Cumming, Georgia-Metro Atlanta-Conyers, Georgia-Metro Atlanta-Lawrenceville, Georgia-Metro Atlanta-Chamblee
Job Type: Standard
Travel (Up to...): Yes, 25 % of the Time
Union Covered: Yes
Work Location(s):
Clayton Service Cener - 508 Georgia Highway 138 SW (508RiverdaleCODE)
508 Georgia Highway 138 SW
Riverdale, 30274
Atlanta Service Center - 2505 Brannen Road (2505AtlantaCODE)
2505 Brannen Road
Atlanta, 30316
Marietta Depot - 2741 McCollum Pkwy (2741KennesawCODE)
2741 McCollum Pkwy
Kennesaw, 30144
Cumming Service Center - 1480 Oak Industrial Lane (1480CummingCODE)
1480 Oak Industrial Lane
Cumming, 30041
Conerys Service Center - 350 Gees Mill Business Pky (350ConyersCODE)
350 Gees Mill Buisness Pky
Conyers, 30013
Gwinnett RBC - 1305 Lakes Pkwy, Ste 129 (1305LawrencevilleCODE)
1305 Lakes Pkwy, Ste 129
Lawrenceville, 30043
Peachtree Service Center - 111 Ingersoll Rand Drive (111ChambleeCODE)
111 Ingersoll Rand Drive
Chamblee, 30341
Req ID: AGL2000065
Southern Company
- Southern Company Jobs


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Tuesday, 22 July 2014 07:55 AM EDT
Egyptian security officers checked U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his top aides with a metal detector as they arrived for a meeting on Tuesday with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, an unusual screening for a senior State Department official.
Foreign officials usually extend every courtesy to Washington's top diplomat.
Footage taken at the Egyptian presidential palace and seen by Reuters showed an official briefly raising a handheld metal-detecting wand to the lower part of Kerry's jacket before waving him through for the meeting, which is to discuss how to stop the two-week conflict between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip.
More than 500 people, the vast majority Palestinians, have died in the fighting.
Kerry appeared for only a few seconds in the footage, which showed his senior aides walking through a stationary metal detector and being checked with a handheld wand. At least one was asked to empty his pockets.
The aides included Kerry's deputy chief of staff Jonathan Finer, senior adviser David Thorne and spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
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Virginia Interstate Exits
Traveling on the interstate in Virginia? Click on the interstate shields below to find out which exit to take.
Click a shield for a list of exits.
Interstate 64 crosses more than 300 miles from the Virginia / West Virginia line in the Allegheny Highlands to Hampton Roads.
Interstate 264 is about 13 miles long and runs through the cities of Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
Interstate 464 is about six miles long and connects Interstate 64 in Chesapeake to I-264 in Norfolk.
Interstate 564 is about three miles long and runs from I-64 to the U.S. Naval Base in Norfolk.
Interstate 664 runs from the I-64 / I-264 interchange in Chesapeake to I-64 in Hampton. It is bout 18 miles long.
Interstate 66 covers 75 miles from the northern Shenandoah Valley to the Washington, D.C., suburbs in northern Virginia.
Interstate 77 runs more than 65 miles from the Virginia / North Carolina line to the Virginia / West Virginia line.
Interstate 81 crosses more than 320 miles through western Virginia, from Bristol, Tenn., to just south of Martinsburg, W.Va.
Interstate 381 is about 1.5 miles long and connects Interstate 81 with downtown Bristol.
Interstate 581 is about seven miles long and connects Interstate 81 to downtown Roanoke.
Interstate 85 crosses more than 70 miles from the North Carolina line to Petersburg.
Interstate 95 covers more than 170 miles from the North Carolina line to Maryland.
Interstate 195 is about 3.5 miles long in the city of Richmond and runs from the I-64 / I-95 interchange to the Downtown Expressway interchange.
Interstate 295 runs about 53 miles around the cities of Petersburg and Richmond. It begins at I-95 in Prince George County, just south of Petersburg, and ends at I-64 in Short Pump, just west of Richmond.
About 10 miles long, Interstate 395 runs from the I-95 / I-495 interchange in Fairfax County, through the city of Alexandria and Arlington County, to the Washington, D.C., line.
Interstate 495 in Virginia runs 22 miles from the Washington, D.C. line with Alexandria to the Maryland line near Bethesda. It's part of the Capital Beltway.


text: Communicating with Your Partner Make an Appointment Refer a Patient Ask a Question Reviewed by Deborah A. Fending, RN (April 01, 2019) Talking with your partner is an important part of dealing with how your chronic lung disease may affect your sexual relationship. It is common for people to find this difficult. There are several things you can do to make it easier. First of all, start talking. Once you begin to talk, you may discover that it is easier to talk each time. A good way to start may be asking your partner to read these pages with you. Try to find a time to talk that will be free of distractions such as the television, telephone or children. If you or your partner still have trouble talking about your sexual relationship, your doctor or nurse may be able to help or refer you to someone who can help you. Once you are talking, you may find it helpful to plan sex for the time of day when you feel your best. This may be different from your usual pattern. Talk specifically about what gives you pleasure, both physical and emotional. Also talk about what gives you discomfort. Only you know what gives you pleasure or discomfort. Talk with your partner about what may make your breathing worse. Talk about what positions are more comfortable for you. Body Changes with Age Exercise and Sexual Activity Clinical Trials For more than 100 years, National Jewish Health has been committed to finding new treatments and cures for diseases. Search our clinical trials.


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Full moons increase chances of fatal motorbike crashes
A study analysed fatal collisions which took place over a 30-year period in the UK, United States, Canada and Australia, comparing the number that took place on the night of a full moon compared to control nights exactly one week before and one week after.
The increased risk was even more accentuated under a supermoon, when a full moon looks bigger than normal because it is at its closest point to earth.
Researchers suggested that momentary distraction is a common contributor to road traffic deaths, with full moons, which occur about 12 times a year, a potential distraction for roads users.
Data from the official US registry of motor vehicle crashes from 1975 to 2014 showed overall, 4,494 fatal crashes occurred on the 494 nights with a full moon, equal to 9.10 per night, and 8,535 on the 988 control nights without a full moon - equal to 8.64 per night.
This gave an absolute total increase of 226 additional fatal crashes over the study period, meaning for every two full moon nights, there was one additional fatal crash.
Similar results were found when data from the UK, Canada and Australia was analysed.
The study, carried out by the University of Toronto and Princeton University and published in the BMJ, was observational, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, researchers said.
But they added that the findings highlight the importance of constant attention when riding, and that extra care is needed when riding during a full moon.
"Additional strategies while riding might include wearing a helmet, activating headlights, scanning the road surface for defects, respecting the weather, being wary of left-turning vehicles, obeying traffic laws and forgoing stunts", they added.


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Full House Casino Events
17941 Sky Park Cir
Suite B
Irvine, CA
Full House Casino Events provides Authentic Casino Tables and Dealers for your event. We provide Blackjack, Poker, Roulette, Craps, Wheel of Fortune, ShowGirls, Bartenders, Cocktail Servers, DJ. Full House Casino Events services all of Southern California. Please book and appointment to view our showroom in Irvine Ca.
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We can match or b...Read more
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Are you ready to dominate the PC gaming industry alone as a player? Do you want to develop gaming skills and widen your horizons as a multi-platform PC player? As a player, you should check your system settings to ensure that any slowdowns won't prevent you from getting the crucial headshot. Make sure your PC is suitable for gaming before diving in, or you can always buy a new one with the necessary specifications. If not, you can create a maintenance schedule to keep your PC responsive and quick. Additionally,…Read More
Diamonds in the Rough: What You Can Learn From Gaming Forums
People have often had a love and hate relationship with forums. There are those that believe that only trolls live there. There are those that believe that there is a wealth of information that is there—waiting to be mined. As for us, we happen to like gaming forums a lot. We believe that there is a lot that people can learn from there—both good and bad things. Here are some of the things that we appreciate the most for forums: Troubleshooting Whenever there is a new error that pops us…Read More
Hardly Peasants: What Do Consoles Have Over PCs In Terms of Gaming?
When it comes to the concept of gaming, there has always been a sort of mini-war that goes on between those that play on consoles and those that play on personal computer rigs. The terms "PC Master Race" and "Console Peasants" have often been thrown around—well naturedly, of course! Today, we wanted to take a side for argument's sake! We choose the side of consoles. Here are a few things that we definitely believe consoles have over PCs when gaming is involved: No Compatibility Issues Compatibility is often a number…Read More
Spot the Goods: Markers of a Good Site for Online Gambling Needs
When you want to dabble in online gambling, it is always important to be very careful about the site that you choose to patronize. After all, you never know when it just might be part of a huge scam or mafia ring. This is quite unfortunate since online gambling can be a fun and harmless way to pass the time. So if you're looking around the web for a good site, here are a few markers that you can try to find: Security Online gambling will always involve money—whether it…Read More
What You Need to Consider Before You Decide to Buy That New Game
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Infosys, India's second largest outsourcer, is offering business platforms on a subscription model from the cloud, as part of its strategy to focus on intellectual property to boost revenue, the company's new CEO and managing director said.
The company has so far signed 20 large enterprise clients for its business platforms delivered through the cloud, S. D. Shibulal said on Monday. Shibulal, who was formerly COO, took charge at the outsourcer this month.
The company has rolled out applications in the areas of human resource, procurement, social commerce, and digital marketing, and a white-label app store that offers services to mobile telephony operators, Shibulal said.
It also launched this month its TalentEdge cloud platform that brings together processes to help enterprises streamline HR (human resources) operations and free up time spent on transactional HR activities such as payroll, attendance, and benefits processing.
"We build the intellectual property, and charge the customer on a pay-per-use model," Shibulal said.
The company also offers IT services to customers setting up clouds, as part of its traditional IT services business.
Clients are interested in business platforms and applications because they can avoid capital expenditure, Shibulal said. But adoption of the cloud is still bedeviled by issues such as concerns about security, and integration of data across the organization, he added..
This may be the wrong time for Infosys to roll out business platforms, as IT budgets in the U.S., a key market, are likely to see cuts, and customers will put on hold investments in discretionary applications around new technologies such as cloud, mobile, and social networking, said Sudin Apte, principal analyst and CEO of Offshore Insights, a research and advisory firm.
Infosys will also be competing with companies that have built strong brands in the cloud applications business, in addition to traditional outsourcers, Apte said. The delivery of cloud applications require large investments in the back-end, and a large scale of operations, which Indian outsourcers may not be able to achieve with a few point solutions, he added.
Infosys and other Indian outsourcers are largely tied to a "time and materials" model where customers are typically billed for the number of people working on a project and its duration. Infosys has set up a large center to train 14,000 staff at a time, and this year plans to hire another 45,000 staff.
The model is however untenable in the long term, as you just can't keep hiring more and more staff to get more revenue, Shibulal said. The company is investing in intellectual property and in revenue models that will be "non-linear" in relation to the number of staff deployed, Shibulal said.
The company is aiming to reduce its revenue from its core business in application development and maintenance and other IT services to about one-third of revenue over the next five to seven years, with business consulting and systems integration contributing another one-third of revenue, Shibulal said. The balance revenue will come from cloud applications, and a new products and platform business that focuses on creating products and platforms, and then offering them to customers in return for a license fee, payment per transaction, or royalties.
Consulting and system integration currently account for about 25 to 27 percent of revenue, while products and platforms only account for about 7 percent.
Infosys will not resell cloud applications from other software vendors, though some of its applications use software from Oracle and SAP and other vendors as the underlying platform, Shibulal said. TalentEdge is for example built on Oracle's PeopleSoft Human Capital Management Suite.
Infosys offer its platforms from a private, hybrid or public cloud, and has already tied with datacenter providers, Shibulal said. Cloud platforms and products will change Infosys' business model to an extent as the company has to now invest upfront in technologies and intellectual property, and wait for revenues to kick in, he added.
John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for The IDG News Service. Follow John on Twitter at @Johnribeiro. John's e-mail address is email@example.com


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Alex Bogusky Humbly Proclaims Himself the New Ralph Nader
Alex Bogusky, the Burger King-shilling adman who retired from the industry this year in a fit of conscience, has launched his new venture, to save the world. Alex Bogusky, the new Ralph Nader? Hahahahaha.
Bogusky's new venture is humbly titled FEARLESS REVOLUTION, and it will quite simply launch a REVOLUTION (a fearless one) in the way consumers... consume stuff, and whatnot. Why is Alex Bogusky such an American hero?
In a manifesto announcing the new venture, Mr. Bogusky even alluded to the Nader comparison: "What does this make me? I think I'll be a consumer advocate for a while. Alex Nader or Ralph Bogusky? I'm not sure a former advertising executive is allowed to become a consumer advocate, but I plan to give it a shot. This is still America after all."
Typical self-effacing Alex Bogusky. In any case, we can be almost certain this will be a more righteous venture than his last job. Join the Revolution yourself!


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I remember having a problem (for practice preliminary exams at UC Berkeley) to prove that Bose-Einstein condensation(BEC) is not possible in two dimensions (as opposed to three dimensions): For massive bosons (in 2D), a short calculation with density of states shows that the number of particles is independent of energy and diverges when chemical potential $\mu\rightarrow 0$.
But, if you consider massless bosons then a calculation shows that the density of states does depend on energy and there is a critical temperature where condensation occurs.
So now I am a little confused, because the Mermin-Wagner theorem states that for systems in dimensions $d\le 2$, long-range fluctuations will be created that destroy any existence of a BEC. So does this theorem not apply for massless bosons? There seems to be no confusion in 1D, since a similar calculation of density of states show that neither massive nor massless bosons become a BEC.
It is definitely the case that a BEC in 2D can exist for particles in certain potential traps, though.


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Canal Days is our community's kickoff to summer, when we welcome all current and former residents and guests from all over the tri-state area for a week filled with camaraderie and family-friendly fun.
The NHCD Festival Committee, which consists of a team of dedicated volunteers, community leaders, civic organizations, businesses, churches, and residents, have been working hard all year long to bring quality events to our community that will entertain the entire family. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy at Canal Days!
It is our goal to serve as a catalyst for our local not-for-profit entities so that they have a specific avenue for raising funds for their projects, projects that in turn benefit our community as a whole. By uniting businesses and charitable organizations, the positive rewards that are reaped dramatically impact New Haven's overall quality of life!