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F-6/4, Islamabad
Area Guide
For Rent
Coming Soon
Hot Offers
Events & News
Located right at the foot of the majestic Margalla Hills, Sector F-6 is known as one of the most prestigious parts of the capital city. The sector is bounded by Margalla Road to the north and Nazim-ud-Din Road to the south. Like every other CDA sector, F-6 too has four sub-sectors, served by a centralized commercial market, best known as "Markaz". Each of the sub-sectors also have their own small commercial areas but mainly the Markaz is relied upon the most.
Close to nature with massive number of trees around, sector F-6's climate is very pleasant for most of time through out at year. Families who live here truly enjoy the essence of life with the best kind of facilities and amenities provided. Ranging from commercial markets - offering everything that mind can imagine and money can buy, to health care centers, all the amenities are available here. There are schools and colleges that offer the best quality education in the region, restaurants that offer fine dining experience, diagnostic centers equipped with modern technology equipment and offering premium services, gaming zones, sports grounds, family parks, and fitness centers to keep you in good shape.
Adjacent to the commercial hub of the city – Blue Area, F-6/1 is the southwestern portion of the sector bordered by school road to the north which actually leads to the commercial area, Super Market, separating F-6/2 from this area. F-6/1 is home to a number of guest-houses, some prominent names being Islamabad Residency Guest House, Capri Residency, Royal Continental Guest House, Grace Guest House Islamabad, and The Grand Mansion. Other major landmarks in this area are; Rifah International University F-6 Campus – located on street 39 with a walking distance from F-6 Markaz, Islamabad National Press Club, Football Ground, which lies right behind the Headquarters of OGDCL, Islamabad Model School for Girls, and Children's Park. Farooqia Market is a g0-to place for the residents of this area, with its famous Asli Bangali Samosa.
Along the Nazim-ud-Road and parallel to F-6/1, lies another sub-sector, F-6/4, which is separated by Garden Road. With easy access to Blue Area and other important places around, this area also is a choice of people with fine taste. Bounded by Ataturk Road and Agha Khan Road, this is the smallest subsector with a small market and some organization based in.
F-6/2 and F-6/3 are the northern parts of Sector F-6 and are located alongside the Margalla Road. Some say that these two sub-sectors are best in terms of living close to nature. These sectors are full of parks and activity areas. Embassies of various countries – Hungary, Belarus, Sweden, and Argentina, are located in F-6/3. The area is also home to different other international organizations. Embassy of Greece, Embassy of Denmark and Saudi Culture Office are based in F-6/2. Across the Margalla Road, Shalimar Cricket Ground, Marghazar Cricket Ground, Japanese Children Park, Islamabad, Saidpur Park and the famous Saidpur Village are located. Overall, sector F-6 is a dream location which interests not only people in Pakistan rather it has great attractions for foreigners as well.


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Export 4 results:Author Title Type [ Year]
Filters: Author is Nebot, P. [Clear All Filters]
"Agent-based application framework for multiple mobile robots cooperation", in 2005 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2005, pp. 1509-1514.,
A framework for the development of cooperative robotic applications. 2005, pp. 901-906.,
"Agent-based software integration for a mobile manipulator", in 2004 Ieee International Conference on Systems, Man & Cybernetics, Vols 1-7, 2004, pp. 6167-6172.,
"Agents for cooperative heterogeneous mobile robotics: a case study", in 2003 Ieee International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Vols 1-5, Conference Proceedings, 2003, pp. 557-562.,

subset: commoncrawl


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Export 3 results:
Filters: Author is Eric Vorauer [Clear All Filters]
Conference Abstract
Integration of SlicerRT into the clinical adaptive radiation therapy workflow: deformable image registration algorithm optimization and validation. ImNO 2014. 66.(2014).
Interfraction Variation in Dose and Position During the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer Using Tomotherapy. ImNO 2014. 70.(2014).
Investigation of daily deformable image registration for adaptive radiation therapy in head and neck cancer. CARO COMP 2013 – Innovations in Imaging.(2013).


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PARIS – The third-round French Open match between Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and 28th-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber was suspended at 7-all in the fifth set because of fading light Saturday.
There are no artificial lights at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament. The match will resume Sunday, with No. 7 Murray serving.
Murray — who got both upper legs massaged by a trainer during fifth-set changeovers — twice was two points from victory while leading 6-5 as Kohlschreiber served, but couldn't get closer.
Kohlschreiber then held a break point at 6-all that Murray erased with a backhand winner.
Kohlschreiber won the first set 6-3. Murray took the next two 6-3, 6-3, and Kohlschreiber took the fourth 6-4.
The match between Richard Gasquet and Fernando Verdasco was suspended with Verdasco leading 6-3, 6-2, 2-2.


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- Living Room
- Bedroom
- Dining Room
- Accents
- Entertainment
- Office
- Bathroom
- Patio
- Mattresses
- La-Z-Boy Comfort Studio
Welcome to our website! As we have the ability to list over one million items on our website (our selection changes all of the time), it is not feasible for a company our size to record and playback the descriptions on every item on our website. However, if you have a disability we are here to help you. Please call our disability services phone line at (575) 526-6691 during regular business hours and one of our kind and friendly personal shoppers will help you navigate through our website, help conduct advanced searches, help you choose the item you are looking for with the specifications you are seeking, read you the specifications of any item and consult with you about the products themselves. There is no charge for the help of this personal shopper for anyone with a disability. Finally, your personal shopper will explain our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, and help you place an order if you so desire.
Ikards Fine Home Furnishings in Las Cruces, NM is an authorized dealer of Classic Home Products. Villa Home Collection's philosophy is comfort in ultimate luxury, and that beautiful pillows can enhance your home without much effort. Each embroidery, beading and decorative art on 100% natural Linen and Cotton textures. Their drapery is designed with quality craftsmanship and signature techniques. Whether casual or modern they offer classic hand smocked and tab top drapery panels available in airy linen blends and cotton textured fabrics to match and room design. Their bedding, enter an oasis of serenity: your bed, made with sumptous VILLA bedding designed to create a splendid haven, a place to escape the demands of everday life. Their unique array of stylish bedding includes: quilts, duvets and coordinating shams in Cotton Sateen, Linen, Cotton/Linen blends, and Poly Sateen with elements of hand techniques.
So if you are looking for Classic Home products in Las Cruces, El Paso, Deming, Silver City, Almogordo and Truth or Consequences, or if you have any questions about Classic Home products, please feel free to call us at (575) 526-6691 or simply stop by Ikards Fine Home Furnishings at any time and we would be glad to help you.


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Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs), sometimes referred to as GeoExchange, earth-coupled, ground-source, or water-source heat pumps, have been in use since the late 1940s. They use the constant temperature of the earth as the exchange medium instead of the outside air temperature.
Although many parts of the country experience seasonal temperature extremes — from scorching heat in the summer to sub-zero cold in the winter—a few feet below the earth's surface the ground remains at a relatively constant temperature. Depending on latitude, ground temperatures range from 45°F (7°C) to 75°F (21°C). Like a cave, this ground temperature is warmer than the air above it during the winter and cooler than the air in the summer. The GHP takes advantage of this by exchanging heat with the earth through a ground heat exchanger.
As with any heat pump, geothermal and water-source heat pumps are able to heat, cool, and, if so equipped, supply the house with hot water. Some models of geothermal systems are available with two-speed compressors and variable fans for more comfort and energy savings. Relative to air-source heat pumps, they are quieter, last longer, need little maintenance, and do not depend on the temperature of the outside air.
A dual-source heat pump combines an air-source heat pump with a geothermal heat pump. These appliances combine the best of both systems. Dual-source heat pumps have higher efficiency ratings than air-source units, but are not as efficient as geothermal units. The main advantage of dual-source systems is that they cost much less to install than a single geothermal unit, and work almost as well.
Even though the installation price of a geothermal system can be several times that of an air-source system of the same heating and cooling capacity, the additional costs are returned to you in energy savings in 5 to 10 years. System life is estimated at 25 years for the inside components and 50+ years for the ground loop. There are approximately 50,000 geothermal heat pumps installed in the United States each year. For more information, go to:
Types of Geothermal Heat Pump Systems
There are four basic types of ground loop systems. Three of these — horizontal, vertical, and pond/lake — are closed-loop systems. The fourth type of system is the open-loop option. Which one of these is best depends on the climate, soil conditions, available land, and local installation costs at the site. All of these approaches can be used for residential and commercial building applications.
Closed-Loop Systems
Most closed-loop geothermal heat pumps circulate an antifreeze solution through a closed loop — usually made of plastic tubing — that is buried in the ground or submerged in water. A heat exchanger transfers heat between the refrigerant in the heat pump and the antifreeze solution in the closed loop. The loop can be in a horizontal, vertical, or pond/lake configuration.
One variant of this approach, called direct exchange, does not use a heat exchanger and instead pumps the refrigerant through copper tubing that is buried in the ground in a horizontal or vertical configuration. Direct exchange systems require a larger compressor and work best in moist soils (sometimes requiring additional irrigation to keep the soil moist), but you should avoid installing in soils corrosive to the copper tubing. Because these systems circulate refrigerant through the ground, local environmental regulations may prohibit their use in some locations.
This type of installation is generally most cost-effective for residential installations, particularly for new construction where sufficient land is available. It requires trenches at least four feet deep. The most common layouts either use two pipes, one buried at six feet, and the other at four feet, or two pipes placed side-by-side at five feet in the ground in a two-foot wide trench. The Slinky™ method of looping pipe allows more pipe in a shorter trench, which cuts down on installation costs and makes horizontal installation possible in areas it would not be with conventional horizontal applications.
Large commercial buildings and schools often use vertical systems because the land area required for horizontal loops would be prohibitive. Vertical loops are also used where the soil is too shallow for trenching, and they minimize the disturbance to existing landscaping. For a vertical system, holes (approximately four inches in diameter) are drilled about 20 feet apart and 100 to 400 feet deep. Into these holes go two pipes that are connected at the bottom with a U-bend to form a loop. The vertical loops are connected with horizontal pipe (i.e., manifold), placed in trenches, and connected to the heat pump in the building.
If the site has an adequate water body, this may be the lowest cost option. A supply line pipe is run underground from the building to the water and coiled into circles at least eight feet under the surface to prevent freezing. The coils should only be placed in a water source that meets minimum volume, depth, and quality criteria
Open-Loop System
This type of system uses well or surface body water as the heat exchange fluid that circulates directly through the GHP system. Once it has circulated through the system, the water returns to the ground through the well, a recharge well, or surface discharge. This option is obviously practical only where there is an adequate supply of relatively clean water, and all local codes and regulations regarding groundwater discharge are met.
Hybrid Systems
Hybrid systems using several different geothermal resources, or a combination of a geothermal resource with outdoor air (i.e., a cooling tower), are another technology option. Hybrid approaches are particularly effective where cooling needs are significantly larger than heating needs. Where local geology permits, the "standing column well" is another option. In this variation of an open-loop system, one or more deep vertical wells is drilled. Water is drawn from the bottom of a standing column and returned to the top. During periods of peak heating and cooling, the system can bleed a portion of the return water rather than reinjecting it all, causing water inflow to the column from the surrounding aquifer. The bleed cycle cools the column during heat rejection, heats it during heat extraction, and reduces the required bore depth.
Original Source: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/heat-and-cool/heat-pump-systems/geothermal-heat-pumps


text: Drew 0 Posted April 16, 2013 The Tubbataha area must be pretty badly charted as it seems many ships are running into reefs often. The lastest is a Chinese ship carry endangered Pangolins. Just 2 months back, a US warship ran agroundon a reef as well and caused much damage to the reefs. Even Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior ran aground there. This is on top of the various liveaboards which have also hit reefs in the past! But like this interview suggests, it's best to ask the locals and use the same GPS system they use! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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How to Download Images?
Warning! Using your browser's copy or save function is not the same as downloading an image. If you copy or save an image using your browser, you will end up with an inferior low resolution image not the actual image file I produced for you. You must use the Download Arrow ↓ on the image to receive the high resolution file.
How to download an individual image?
If using a computer or laptop, click or mouse over the image and look for the download arrow ↓ at the bottom right corner of the image. Click on the download arrow to save the file to your computer. If using a phone or tablet device, tap on the image once and look for the download arrow ↓ at the bottom right corner of the image. Tap on the download arrow. (DO NOT tap and hold on the image. If you tap and hold the image, you will not be downloading a high resolution image. In fact, you will be copying a very low resolution internet browser image NOT the actual high resolution file that I produced for you. If you do not see a download arrow ↓ on the image, please contact me ASAP!
How to download a gallery of images?
To download a gallery of images, open the gallery by clicking or tapping on it. Look for the download all arrow ↓ at the top right corner of the gallery. Click or tap on the download all arrow. Enter your email address. A SmugMug administrator will prepare a folder with all of your image files and send a download link to your email address within 10-15 minutes. Click on that link and save the folder and files to your storage device.


text: Last Frontier of the North in the Philippines. The northernmost islands of the country, an isolated group of islands right in the ocean in the path of the destructive typhoons. The landscapes are formed by the climate, making it into the 'Schotland of the Philippines. One of the most special places I have ever visited, I love Batanes and its wonderful, friendly and honest people. I visited all 3 inhabited islands: Batan, Itbayat and Sabtang, during my 18 day stay in this piece of paradise. Read all about it in my blog and view the time lapse movie in the Time Lapse Movies section.Read More


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|Lentil tomato spread
This lentil tomato spread is a simple and versatile dish. The spread is actually a thickened version of the soup.
The recipe is for a plain version which is quite tomatoey! You can reduce the amount of tomato paste if you prefer the soup to be more lentilly! I also prefer plain spread but you can 'dress up' by adding ham, sundried tomatoes, yogurt and so on.
The spread can be refrigerated for 2-3 days and perhaps frozen for much longer. I have never frozen these.
I like my spread to be a bit chunky, where you can actually see lentils. You can blend/blitz the mixture if you prefer a smoother consistency.
The recipe calls for addition of butter or olive oil. I prefer to stir in the butter or olive oil at the end so the flavour of the fat is more profound.
BTW, a quick search on the trusted Wikipedia revealed that lentil soup is mentioned in the Bible: In Genesis 25:34, Esau is prepared to give up his birthright for a pot of fragrant red lentil soup (a "mess of pottage") being cooked by his brother, Jacob.
- ½ cup lentils
- ¼ cup tomato puree
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon spices such as harissa, mixed spice
- Water (1 cup or more)
- 25 grams butter or olive oil
- Add all the ingredients to a pot, except for butter/olive oil
- Cook on medium low heat for about 1½ to 2 hours
- Stir occasionally and add more water if the mixture starts to dry up
- When done stir in the butter/olive oil and spread


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The Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks bring their collective talents to South Florida tonight to face off with the hot to trot Eastern Conference Champion Miami Heat in Game 1 of the 2011 NBA Finals.
Coach Erik Spoelstra and his team entered the postseason as the number two seed in the East and fought their way through the upstart Philadelphia 76ers, the time-tested Boston Celtics, and finally the team with the league's best regular season record, the Chicago Bulls and MVP PG Derrick Rose. Team President Pat Riley's Big 3 ballers finished off each of these talented opponents impressively, four games to one. Perhaps no win highlighted the combined super powers of James, Wade and Bosh better than their last, when the 2x MVP 'L-Train' spirited an unbelievable 18-3 run by the Heat in the fourth quarter of Game 4 to end the series and clinch the Eastern Conference Championship. The Heat are undefeated at home so far in these playoffs. And by virtue of the fact that they finished the regular season at 58-24, one game better than the Mavs, Miami owns home court in this winner takes all series.
Coach Rick Carlisle and his high scoring Dallas squad arrive at the title throwdown after besting the Portland Trailblazers in six, taking apart the 2010 Champion Los Angeles Lakers in a shocking four-game sweep, and handling NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder in five in the WCF. 13th-year 10x All-Star 7'0" F scoring machine Dirk Nowitzki is the Mavericks' lone 2011 All-Star and their best player – maybe the best European player ever. Dirk's coming off of a historic performance in OKC and is sure to be the focal point of Miami's swarming and switching team defense, which finished second in the league in opponents FG% at .434. After the pride of Wurzburg, Germany, Dallas doesn't have a definitive player who can put the ball in the hole consistently enough to take the scoring pressure off of Dirk 'The Marksman.' What the Mavs do have in bunches are veteran role-players extraordinaire such as 17th-year PG Jason Kidd, 12th-year combo guard Jason Terry, 12th-year combo forward Shawn Marion and 13th-year outside assassin Peja Stojakovic. Not one of this group of cagey vets has ever won a title, and they know that this series may represent their last, best hope for a chance at 'IT.'
When King James, after his seventh season, announced on international television last July 8th that he had decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and play alongside good friends and fellow 2003 NBA draftees 7× All-Star Wade and 6x All-Star Chris Bosh in Miami, he stated that he felt it was where he had the best chance to win a championship and even to win multiple times. The forum and style in which he chose to inform the world of his new hardwood address received vast amounts of criticism and spurred conversation and debate not usually associated with sports. And the attention and spotlight that had followed the best basketball player in the world since he was a high school phenom in Akron grew stronger and took on a villainous tinge. But now that the one-banner Miami Heat are back in the 'Ring Series' for the second time against their 2006 Finals opponent Dallas, James and the 'Heatles' will have a chance to get the figurative last word with regard to the 'heat', hate and scrutiny that the unorthodox formation of the 2010-2011 Biscayne Bay Ballers caused. For Dallas, Nowitzki and his Mavericks have earned the long-awaited opportunity to avenge their 2006 loss to the Finals MVP of that series D-Wade and his new Heat.
This is the time for true stars to shine, and we certainly have a number of them competing in this series. Who will be riding in a parade and sporting shiny, championship finger jewelry when the dust and sand settle? Game 1 of the 2011 NBA Finals tips off at 9:00 PM ET on ABC.


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NEW YORK—According to a number of prominent television critics nationwide, the HBO series Boardwalk Empire stretches belief to the breaking point by featuring an incredibly implausible main character who is a complex human being with a layered, ambiguous, and nuanced personality. "I honestly want to like Nucky, the main character, but it's frankly really hard to swallow this super unrealistic fantasy universe where human beings act with purpose, have complicated thoughts and opinions, are motivated by coherent desires, and are more than just superficial, mindless stereotypes," wrote Washington Post TV critic Hank Stuever in a recent column, adding that while individuals in the real world drift thoughtlessly through their entire unexamined lives, the show's incredibly far-fetched protagonist seemed to have a deep inner life, an actual original point of view, and a sense of moral conflict. "The whole premise that there are people out there with a full, expressive range of emotions, and a worldview that is willing to see things in more shades than simply black and white, is just completely preposterous. I mean, do the writers seriously expect us to buy this nonsense?" Stuever conceded, however, that he found the show's depiction of a bleak, inhospitable universe "just about right on the money."
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CDC Issues Dire Warning That Nick Cannon Is Feeling Horny


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Winnipeg to Orlando, Florida - $268 CAD roundtrip including taxes | non-stop flights
Sunwing has dropped the price of a few flights from Winnipeg to Orlando, Florida down to $268 CAD roundtrip including taxes.
The flights are non-stop both ways.
One of the flights is over the Easter holidays.
Availability for travel
March, first week of April 2018
How to find and book this deal
1. Go to FlightHub
2. Search for a flight from Winnipeg to Orlando, Florida (MCO)
Use the following date combination:
Mar 17 to Mar 24
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.Helping With Furniture..Aidons Avec Des Meubles.
Right this moment's house design favors the outside-decks, patios, pool bars, balconies, terraces. Lighting is vital to setting a temper when entertaining, so make sure you check out my tips on easy methods to layer lighting open air for more ideas and inspiration. When you've got a small patio, probably the most ideal is the bistro patio furniture set. Perhaps that is why loads of backyard furniture is actually named after a holiday destination, such as the Padstow 2 seater Bistro set or the Mallorca four-seater dining set by Safavieh.
They embody a transparent plastic cover over the top to help maintain the humidity degree, which might be a difficulty when rising indoors, as the relative humidity indoors within the wintertime can method the same old arid situations of 20% or so typically seen in desert climates.
Since the wooden is free, and you will have an minimal investment in supplies (hardware, nails, screws, stain, paint, and many others.) the initiatives are virtually all revenue. In 2012, the World Well being Group linked four.three million deaths (primarily in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific) to household air air pollution from cooking over coal, wood and biomass stoves.
Dining chairs of appropriate materials, form and dimension will show best for any dwelling decor as they arrive with all options and functionality that one wishes to have in the Teak Furniture eating house. Some out of doors materials like teak, resin or aluminium do not need loads of care.
Over watering the plants may cause the leaves to become yellow and fall off, so ensure that the pot has enough drainage to permit drying between watering. You can now rejuvenate your monotonous furniture with engaging wicker chair cushions. In case you are fascinated about having your individual hydroponics system, chances are you'll feel inhibited by the cost of a pre-fabricated unit.


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Old Oak
Stars circle and bend around an old oak tree found along a campground road in the In-Ko-Pah Mountains.
Milky Way from Los Coyotes Indian Reservation
Illuminated Path
During a long exposure to capture the star trails through the southern sky, I quickly walked along this long forgotten road, lighting it with a small LED flashlight. The "ghostly" shape on the left side of the road is my leg, as I walked back to the camera, catching some of the light from the flashlight.
Red Rock Glow
One of my first attempts at light painting. Taken on a night with a full moon, I left the shutter open as I set off a red-gelled flash in the cracks between the boulders.
Only 1 Way Out
All photographs on this site are ©2006-2021 Chris Skopec.
For more information on photo usage, click here.


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Fossils as climate archives: Evidence of a major fall in temperature 137 million years ago during the Cretaceous greenhouse period
A major drop in temperature 137 million years ago briefly interrupted the warm, equable climate of the Cretaceous Period. The water temperature in the Arctic Ocean fell from around 13°C to between 4 and 7°C, possibly causing the poles to freeze over. Gregory Price from the University of Plymouth, UK and Elizabeth Nunn from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany investigated rock samples with fossil belemnites and glendonites from Svalbard in order to determine the temperature of the Arctic Ocean between 140 and 136 million years ago. Such paleoclimate reconstructions help to improve predictions for future climate and environmental development and to gauge the impact of the human race on climate. The temperature of the oceans plays an important role in the history of the Earth's climate.
Current findings indicate that the global climate during the Cretaceous Period was warm and equable with high atmospheric CO2 values, although scientists have already speculated that this global warmth may have been punctuated by colder episodes. The latest research carried out by Price and Nunn proves that there was a brief cold episode approximately 137 million years ago. "Temperatures fell drastically compared with the average water temperatures of 13°C or even 20°C in the Arctic region during the rest of the Cretaceous Period", states Nunn. Dinosaurs inhabited the polar regions during the Cretaceous greenhouse period. While marine reptiles such as pliosaurs and ichthyosaurs may have migrated with the onset of the cold snap, it is not clear how dinosaurs would have handled the colder conditions.
During the course of their work, Nunn and Price investigated rock outcrops on Svalbard, which provide an ideal sequence of marine deposits offering paleontologists insights into a time when the area was still a flat sea. Some rock layers from the Valanginian Stage of the Lower Cretaceous are rich in belemnites, i.e., fossils reminiscent of modern squid, and glendonites, calcium carbonate crystal aggregates of between two and three centimeters in size. Scientists can use these relics to determine the relationship between two oxygen isotopes and use these findings to draw conclusions about the water temperature. "If global temperatures fall, the oxygen isotope O16 is increasingly incorporated into polar ice and the isotope O18 is consequently enriched in the seawater relative to O16. Belemnites and glendonites store this ratio", Nunn explained.
Dr. Elizabeth Nunn joined the Department of Applied and Analytical Palaeontology in the Mainz Institute for Geosciences from the University of Plymouth two and a half years ago. She is currently carrying out research to determine whether, and to what extent, seasonal temperature fluctuations occurred during the Early Cretaceous interval. Such changes from summer to winter values or vice versa are probably recorded during the short life span of the belemnites - they probably only lived between one and three years - and could be identified today using modern analytical methods.


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I am going to post on Mondays and Thursdays – at least until I run out of war stories. Posts are going to be a mix of topics: entrepreneurship, secret history and conservation. I'll try to mix the topics up during the week. BTW, keep the comments coming, they're read and appreciated.
Filed under: Conservation, Customer Development, Secret History of Silicon Valley | Tagged: Steve Blank |


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Rosa spp.Rosaceae
The roses have been cultivated for at least 5000 years. The current varieties of roses were obtained by successive hybridizations, from ancestors whose origin is lost in time. Symbol of the noblest feelings and love, the rose was sacred to Venus. The myth says that, from sea foam, from which the goddess was born, a thorny bush arose that, sprayed by the nectar of the gods, made bloom white roses. The Christian tradition associated the flower with the image of the Virgin Mary. According to an ancient legend, before the fall of man, the rose had no thorns and the Virgin was called rose without a thorn for not being tainted by original sin. The rose is the flower of greater predilection and the one that has been most sung by poets, symbol of love and kindness, is considered the queen of flowers. Among its essences the rose oil must be emphasized, discovered by Nur Jahan, wife of the Mongol Jahangir, who obtained it by distillation of the petals. The art of distilling rose petals was introduced to the West by the Arabs in the tenth century. Along with other flowers, it appears in descriptions of the gardens of the caliph, collected in The Thousand and One Nights. In the nineteenth century the roses enjoy broad presence as an ornamental plant in the Alcázar, aligning those on the margins of passable roads that used to be more used during walks in the gardens. Forestier, designer of the Maria Luisa Park, supports the rose with pictorial arguments: always handle the shape and color of flowers, of contrasts and harmonies, and the background on which they go. Forestier was an admirer of the Impressionists and thus understood the roses as strokes of multiple colors, floating in the air. Also the Spanish painter close to impressionism, Joaquín Sorolla, devoted some of his paintings to the roses when he visited the gardens of the Real Alcázar.


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Accepted Scientific Name: Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart.
Hist. Nat. Palm. 3: 286 (1845) Mart.
Origin and Habitat: Acrocomia aculeataSN|25015]] is a species of palm native to tropical regions of the Americas, broadly distributed from southern Mexico and the Caribbean (Martinique and Dominica ) south to Paraguay, Brazil and northern Argentina (Chaco, Corrientes, Misiones, Formosa and Salta), but not in Peru and Ecuador. It is often cultivated and ubiquitous in most of the South and central America, but much less common in the rest of the world.
Altitude: It grows mostly at low elevation but reaching 1200 m in the Andes of Colombia.
Habitat & ecology: It is found widespread in plain in open woodlands and savannahs, deforested land and is also frequently found on disturbed land in small groups or often isolated, but in some areas it forms large populations. It grows in areas with seasonal rainfall on deep and sandy soils, not subject to flooding ground, with not so deep underground sheets of water. It is believed to have been introduced to some portions of its range by human activity. It grows in areas with well defined rainy seasons and is quite drought tolerant, and can withstand several degrees of frost (at least some of its ecotypes). It tolerates slightly acid to slightly alkaline soils. The flowers are pollinated by various beetle species. Fires and grass burning helps its germination, thus making this species a pioneer in regeneration of burned flora. Pollinators and dispersers: Besides the wind's action, the main pollinators are Curculionidae, Nitidulidae, Escarabaeidae and bees, mostly honey bees.
- Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart.
- Acrocomia sclerocarpa Mart.
- Acrocomia sclerocarpa var. wallaceana Drude
- Cocos aculeata Jacq.
Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart.
Hist. Nat. Palm. 3: 286 (1845)
Synonymy: 45
- Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart.
- Acrocomia sclerocarpa Mart.
- Acrocomia sclerocarpa var. wallaceana Drude
- Cocos aculeata Jacq.
- Acrocomia antiguana L.H.Bailey
- Acrocomia antioquiensis Posada-Ar.
- Acrocomia belizensis L.H.Bailey
- Acrocomia christopherensis L.H.Bailey
- Acrocomia chunta Covas & Ragonese
- Acrocomia cubensis Lodd. ex H.Wendl.
- Acrocomia erioacantha Barb.Rodr.
- Acrocomia fusiformis (Sw.) Sweet
- Cocos fusiformis Sw.
- Acrocomia glaucophylla Drude
- Acrocomia globosa (Gaertn.) Lodd. ex Mart.
- Bactris globosa Gaertn.
- Acrocomia grenadana L.H.Bailey
- Acrocomia guianensis Lodd. ex Don
- Acrocomia horrida Lodd. ex Mart.
- Acrocomia hospes L.H.Bailey
- Acrocomia ierensis L.H.Bailey
- Acrocomia karukerana L.H.Bailey
- Acrocomia lasiospatha Mart.
- Acrocomia mexicana Karw. ex Mart.
- Acrocomia microcarpa Barb.Rodr.
- Acrocomia minor Lodd. ex Don
- Acrocomia mokayayba Barb.Rodr.
- Acrocomia odorata Barb.Rodr.
- Acrocomia panamensis L.H.Bailey
- Acrocomia pilosa León
- Acrocomia quisqueyana L.H.Bailey
- Acrocomia sphaerocarpa Desf.
- Acrocomia spinosa (Mill.) H.E.Moore
- Palma spinosa Mill.
- Acrocomia subinermis León ex L.H.Bailey
- Acrocomia tenuifrons Lodd. ex Mart.
- Acrocomia ulei Dammer
- Acrocomia viegasii L.H.Bailey
- Acrocomia vinifera Oerst.
- Acrocomia wallaceana (Drude) Becc.
- Acrocomia zapotecis Karw. ex H.Wendl.
- Astrocaryum sclerocarpum H.Wendl.
- Bactris minor Gaertn.
- Bactris pavoniana Mart.
- Palma mocaia Aubl.
ENGLISH: Gru-gru Palm, Macaw Palm, Macaúba Palm, Grugru Palm, Ruffle palm, Paraguay palm, Mucuja palm, Coyol palm
CHINESE (中文): Ge lu ye zi (Hong Kong, Taiwan), Pi ci ge lu zong
DUTCH (Nederlands): Coyolpalm
FRENCH (Français): Acrocome, Coyol, Noix de coyol, Glouglou (Guadeloupe), Grougrou (Guadeloupe), Dendé (Guadeloupe)
GERMAN (Deutsch): Macauba-Palme
HAITIAN CREOLE (Kreyòl ayisyen): Kòwòs
JAPANESE (日本語): Akurokomiya, Akurokomia yashi, Akurokomia
NAHUATL (Nāhuatl): Coyolli
PORTUGUESE (Português): Mucajá (Brazil), Mucujá (Brazil), Macaúba (Brazil), Macaúva (Brazil), Coco-baboso (Brazil), Coco-de-espinho (Brazil), Bocaiúva (Brazil)
SPANISH (Español): Amankayo, Coyol (Costa Rica), Corozo (Venezuela), Totai (Bolivia), Tucuma, Coco paraguayo, Corozo, Tamaco, Macauba, Corojo, Mbocayá, Palma de vino, Grugru, Nuez del Paraguay
Description: Acrocomia aculeataSN|25015]] is a robust, tall-growing palm that resembles the queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffianum). It is a very variable species with significant visible differences between specimens growing in different regions, such as: sheaths of old leaves staying on the trunk, bigger crowns or bigger fruits.
Trunk: (4-)10-15(-20) m tall, (10-)25-35)(-50) cm in diameter, columnar, often swollen, covered with slender, black, viciously sharp spines (up to 10 cm long) jutting out from the trunk from top to bottom. Older specimens may loose the spines off the base of the trunk.
crownshaft: There is no crownshaft.
Crown: With 10-30 greyish-green, arching frond. The dead leaves if not removed persists below the crown forming a characteristic "skirt".
Leaves: Pinnate, 3-4 m long. Leaflets numerous, slender, 50-100 cm long, dark green and coated with white wax on their lower surface, arranged irregularly around the rachis in various planes thus giving the leaf a plume-like appearance. Petioles covered with spines.
Inflorescence: Large one-branched with a tomentose and spiny peduncle an covered by a tomentose red woody spathe (sort of a cylindrical covering) with a very sharp tip, up to 1,5 m long emerging from the axils of the leaves and partially hidden by them.
Flowers: Small, monoecious, diclinous. Male and female flowers are borne on the same inflorescence, the males at the tip of the rachilla and the females in triads near the base. The flower has a strong, almost chemical smell that is evident up to 6 m from the tree.
Fruit: Yellowish-green to yellowish orange that turns almond brown when ripe, 1-seeded, drupe 2,5-5 cm in diameter. The mesocarp is fleshy, yellowish and abundant, very rich in oils. The inner fruit shell, also called endocarp, is very tough to break dark brown to black, and 3-4 mm thick and bears three pores off the equator.
Phenology: Plants flowers in summer and ripens their fruit in winter that remain attached to the tree for some time after.
Seed: Dark brown, nut-like 1-2 cm in diameter. The inside of the seed, also called endosperm, is a dry white filling that has a vaguely sweet taste like coconut when eaten.
Chromosomes: N=15
Bibliography: Major references
1) Jose A. Grassia "Acrocomia Aculeata (English)" March 2009 http://palmasenresistencia.blogspot.it/2009/08/acrocomia-aculeata-english.html (Accessed on 18 Jan. 2013)
2) Martius "Historia Naturalis Palmarum" 2:66. 1824
3) Montemayor, Carlos et al. (2007) "Diccionario del náhuatl en el español de México" UNAM-GDF, México, p. 57.
4) López, J. A; Little, E.; Ritz, G.; Rombold, J.; Hahn, W. (1987). "Árboles comunes del Paraguay: Ñande yvyra mata kuera. Asunción del Paraguay: Cuerpo de Paz"
5) Henderson, A., Galeano G. & Bernarl, R. (1995) "Field Guide to the Palms of America" Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Page 363.
6) Markley, K.S. (1956) "Oil Palms and Other Oil Seeds of the Amazon" Edited and translated by D.V. Johnson. Reference Publications, Algonac, Michigan.
7) Scariot, A., Lleras, E. & Hay, J. (1991) "Reproductive biology of the palm Acrocomia aculeata in central Brazil" Biotropica 23: 12-22
8) Bajaj, Y.P.S, Crocomo, O.J y Melo, M. (1996). "Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry" Vol. 35 - Tree IV. Springer-Verlag.
9) Caldas, G. M . (2006). "Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart. - Aracaceae: Bases para o Extrativismo Sustentável" - Tesis de Doctorado en Ciencias, Universidade Federal do Paraná.Curitiba.
10) Schütt, Weisgerber, Schuck, Lang, Stimm, Roloff: "Bäume der Tropen" 2006, ISBN 3-933203-79-1
11) Balick, M.J. (1979) "Amazonian oil palm of promise: a survey" Economic Botany 33, 11-28
12) Duke, J.A. (2001) "Handbook of nuts" CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, 343 pp.
13) Henderson, A. (1994) "The palms of Amazon" Oxford University Press, New York. Page 388.
Cultivation and Propagation: This is an excellent palm cultivated, especially in the south America and in the Caribbean, for its ornamental characteristics and its rusticity. It is very easy and very adaptable.
Growing rate: It is pretty sluggish as a seedling, until it gets some size, but once established will grow considerably fast and does well in cultivation.
Soil requirements: It has a fibrous root system and benefits from deep organic, soils that are fertile and well drained, but it adapts, in fact, to various types of tropical soil soils, like coastal marine alluvial clays, sand, soils of volcanic origin both slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
Watering: It may resist to drought periods, but it profits of regular watering especially in the warmest periods.
Light: Will take full sun as it matures, but will grow better with some shade when young. If home-grown, give some sun as with most tropical palms.
Fertilization: Need a perfect fertilizer diet including all micro nutrients and trace elements.
Salt aerosol tolerance: It is somewhat tolerant to salt sprays, but does a lot better inland than it does on the coast and do not tolerates saltwater flooding.
Hardiness: USDA Zones (9b-)10A – 11. It is quite frost hardy and is suited for subtropical and warm temperate climate Once adult, Acrocomia aculeataSN|25015]] may not suffer great damages if cultivated in zones with minimal temperature of -5°C.
Wind hardiness: It tolerates high winds and has good hurricane resistance.
Garden uses: It is an excellent landscaping palm. However the presence of spines on its whole structure makes this species unwelcome for landscaping, nevertheless, it is very easy to take the spines away from the trunk so as to make it safe and enjoy it in our gardens. Another option would be planting climbing species such as Photus (Epipremnum aureus) or some of the many beautiful species of Philodendron to protect people against the trunk spine. It is best used as a specimen tree on large properties and as a street tree and in urban plantings, where its slow growth and drought resistance would be appreciated by maintenance crews, and its unusual beauty enjoyed by passersby. . Small groves of macaw palm are especially attractive.
Uses: Every part of Acrocomia aculeataSN|25015]] was and is still used throughout America. Although it is nowadays mainly used for cosmetics, soaps and biodiesel, in native cultures it was a source of food, beverages, clothing, fibres, threads, cattle food, oils and margarine, needles, firewood and charcoal. The nut, while very hard, can be sliced into thin circles to be sanded and worn as rings. Palmetto hearts come from its shoots, hypertension and diuretic medicines from its roots; its seeds are used as beads for necklaces and bracelets; its fruits are eaten fresh or as preserves and its endosperm is also ground and brewed with milk. The milk can also be fermented to yield an alcoholic beverage known as "coyol wine". The nuts, which come in mass numbers from each tree, can be used in the manufacture of biodiesel.
Propagation: Seeds. This palm are thought to be recalcitrant and takes longer to germinate, germinating the seed for 5 years is not unusual. However if the bony endocarp that surrounds the seed is cracked or otherwise scarified (after the skin and fleshy pulp has been removed), seeds may germinate in 4-6 months. They must be superficially sowed in sand or peat, put on a shady location at 20°-30°C, and kept always moist. Seeds must be planted soon after falling from the tree. It is convenient to place the seedlings in a shady location and to keep them moist until the plant grows its first pinnate leaves. Then, it may be placed in a sunny location.
Transplantation: It resists transplantation very well.
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Project Canvas 'to be sold round the globe'
BBC wants new web service to be on top of the world
The BBC hopes to be a world-beater with Project Canvas, the broadcaster's much-mooted online TV service, by selling the upcoming online platform globally.
This is according to Richard Halton, BBC Director of IPTV, who was speaking today at the Westminster eForum.
TechRadar was in attendance as Halton outlined his thoughts on the TV service that's all about bringing "broadband and broadcast" together.
Not a profit generator
In his speech, he outlined what the BBC wanted Project Canvas to achieve, explaining: "We're following the likes of Freeview, by creating a platform built on open standards where manufacturers will be free to take our specification and use it to create their own set-top boxes that plug directly into the internet."
While he explained that "Canvas isn't there to generate profit but as a platform that web services can plug their content into," Halton did admit that the BBC wanted Project Canvas to be a worldwide solution for web TV, saying: "Canvas has to be a standard that can be recognised and sold around the globe.
"There needs to be a simple piece of logic for our users – ie, you need this sort of internet connection [to use the device]."
Somewhat confusingly, however, he did admit that "the basis of the canvas specification will be the existing DVBT spec" which is mainly used in Europe, Australia and parts of Africa (not America). So the BBC may need to re-think its strategy if it wants to truly dominate the world's online video content.
SDKs next summer
Also in the speech, Halton remarked that an SDK (software development kit) will be available for the service by the middle of next year if all goes well: "The sooner we can get the platform through the regulatory process the better, as the SDK needs to be available by next summer. But this is a flow down from the regulatory process."
This would make sense as it would coincide with the launch of Freeview HD in the UK.
He also singled out Freeview as the main inspiration for Project Canvas, saying: "We need an environment that is flexible enough. With Freeview it is new services that drive box sales and we want to take a similar model."
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Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.
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By Darren Allan


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Grudge Halloween Makeup9:04 PM
A photographer wanted to do a Grudge-inspired shoot and so I decided to come up with a makeup look for it. Halloween is coming up, so I thought it would be appropriate to post up the quick tutorial for the look.
Speaking of which, let me know what you're planning on being for Halloween! I was Snow White last year and I should dig up those pics and share the makeup look. So much fun!
12 comments
cool look!:) you actually do look scary..i'm not used to seeing you like thatReplyDelete
you cant be scary when you have a cute face =)ReplyDelete
last year, i was snow white too!
there's a halloween party coming up, and i still dont know
what costume to get. =(
- AnonymousOctober 23, 2008 at 2:37 PM
o gosh.. and i just watched four scary movies with some friends. haha =PReplyDelete
hey jen, i was wondering..what length of boots do you think look best on short girls? ankle, knee high, etc?
- AnonymousOctober 23, 2008 at 5:44 PM
Did you change the photos to be unclickable again? :PReplyDelete
Anyway I like the look. Not too dramatic but still sexy.
This year.. I'm going to be a nerd. So it'll be a complete lack of makeup :)
OooOo! You look straight up deadly. ;)ReplyDelete
anonymous: I think the best boot heights for shorties are over-the-knee or right under the knee-height boots. But by all means, don't let that stop you from wearing all types. :PReplyDelete
anonymous 2: I tried to fix the problem, but I'm not sure why the photos are now auto-downloading instead of just opening in a new window. I have no idea. I uploaded the same way... :(
- AnonymousOctober 25, 2008 at 4:28 PM
what bronzer are you wearing? I'm looking for one and yours look really pretty onReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 26, 2008 at 4:37 AM
that's a cool look for halloween!^^ReplyDelete
i don't know what i'm going to be yet, but as i don't have a costume i thought of going all black, kinda gothic lol.
any ideas of what can i wear but without buying a costume?
- AnonymousOctober 26, 2008 at 11:15 PM
omg i love it!! thanksReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 29, 2009 at 6:50 PM
come on! u look like ur going to a club! ur make up doesnt look scary at all!!!ReplyDelete
we had a lot of fun on Halloween this time and i had dressed up as a witch. wish i could have seen this post a earlier but anyways, i can always do this kinda make-up next Halloween, i will surely bookmark this, its a very detailed post on eye make-up. i especially liked it as you have given pictures along with explanation. thanks!ReplyDelete
I kinda laughed out loud at the hide your children part.XDReplyDelete


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text:
Welcome to Carnival of the Cats!! Edition 328!
So let's DIVE IN!
Keeping in shape, cleaning up, napping. Check out all about living with life to learn more about what you can learn from cats!
Why do we all have the cat or dog we do? Maybe some of the reasons are on this list
While shopping today I got lost in the cheese aisle. Silly me. But while I was there I ran into the lovely Bernadette. Check this fox out for yourself!
Ah...who doesn't love a beautiful Savannah...the size, the grace...wait...well we all have grace excuse me. Well here just check out this story about a savannah moving into her new home!
Normally I have such disdain for this word.....BATH...but in this case its much less scary!
You know fans on the belly sure do cool me down. Looks like it cools down this lovely too!
Cat catchers or cat nappers? Whats going on at Gattinas
PLAY BALL!!! mm balls...watch Hadi play ball.
Sucking up to mog...disliking meowza...whats next?
While Meowza may be disliked by a certain someone..he sees it as no reason to let that dirt sit on his shoulder
Why havent we been seeing Meowza blogging lately? Is it cause of Mog? Meowza thinks so
Nikita Cat may not have decided to take back the night yet....but take back a word....HE SHALL!
Should pigeons also have their own boutiques such as dogs and cats do...check with Nikita for the rest of the story.
CATS! seen in the streets....Street scenes..with Nikita Cat
Two white lovelies together in the window..best of friends or just a window on convenience?
Come one come all and meet Vuvuzela!! Named for the loudhorn! Which you ask? Read and find out
Samantha and Clemmie sure had one easy sunday! Or did they? You be the judge!
WOw! What a great carnival! Be sure to check out next weeks carnival #329 at Mind of Mog!


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Carl Sagan Puts Human History in Context
Carl Sagan's Cosmos is an intellectual touchstone: it provided a basic cosmological education for lots of Americans, including me as a child of the 70s. Today, I want to share one of my favorite clips from it.
Cosmos is filled with powerful ideas rendered simply, so they're understandable. That's why Sagan is such a revered figure -- he gave us a simple way to experience awe and wonder. To me, one of his most powerful notions is the "cosmic clock" in which he puts the entire span of human history (which seems like a long time to humans) into the perspective of the universe. From that perspective, human history is just the blink of an eye. Got five minutes to change your perspective? Tune in:
I should also point out that, to my eye at least, part of Sagan's charm comes from his outfit. He's not dressed up like a fancy-pants professor. Nope, he's just wearing a beige jacket and ambling through the history of the universe. That red turtleneck says "I'm here to speak to you as an equal," and that's what makes it work.
See also: Remembering Carl Sagan written on the 15-year anniversary of his death; and my awestruck coverage of "A Glorious Dawn" (the now-famous auto-tuned Sagan song based on Cosmos) from 2009.
(Via The Kid Should See This.)


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Hanging in The Cities on (what wants to be) a Spring Day (a little snow still on the ground), talking deep blogging trash with Sharon Franquemont and Mary Jo Kreitzer. They're both new to the practice (which isn't quite a discipline, at least in my case). So bear with me as I show off some stuff.
For example, I just looked up personal health records on Google. As it happens, I already had Greasemonkey and the twitter search script installed. Thanks to that neat little hack, a pile of Twitter search results from the live web appears at the top of a Google search. Here's a screen shot:
Note that among the Twitter results is one from adriana872, who is none other than my good friend Adriana Lukas, who I see also has a tweet that says "targetted advertising is visual spam". Which resonates with me totally, of course. She links to her own post on the subject, which sources this post by Brian Micklethwait.
Which is all cool and conversation-inducing as well as expertise-spreading and authority-building and stuff like that. (Remember I'm showing how to blog here. Bear with me.)
I'll also tag the shit out of all the above. Not sure if the tags appear here (I blog in too many places and I forget), but they exist.
I also just tweeted this post, with a #blogging hashtag, and instantly, we get this:
The Live Web indeed.


text:
It seems we can't find what you're looking for. Perhaps searching can help.
13 Caledonia Avenue
Kingston 5, Jamaica
P.O. Box 413
(876) 968-7522-4
(876) 968-7536-9
(876) 929-5908
Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) is a land and housing development company that provides shelter solutions for Jamaicans islandwide. Wholly owned by the Government of Jamaica, HAJ falls under the umbrella of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, and its core services include providing shelter solutions on the open market, mortgage servicing and upgrading informal settlements.


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Just in time for Labor Day, two well-known local companies are grappling with how generous to be to their laborers.
At the Market Basket supermarket chain, the Demoulas family that owns the company has been deeply split over — among other issues — a profit-sharing plan that one faction deems far too generous to the company's longtime employees.
Meanwhile, at Liberty Mutual Insurance, a company that made news not long ago for the outlandish pay and perks bestowed on senior management, employees will soon see retirement and other benefits reduced, even as profits soar.
They are companies divided by the way they treat their workers, but united by decisions driven by greed.
Let's start with the Demoulas clan, simply because they're more fun. CEO Arthur T. Demoulas and his cousin Arthur S. Demoulas have fought for years over control of the company founded in the 1960s by their grandfather.
The ugly battle is best remembered in some circles as the long-running legal skirmish that led to the disbarment of two of the lawyers in the case before being settled a few years back.
The family again finds itself at odds, and one of the key issues is that the Arthur S. branch of the family believes that Arthur T. is far too generous to the help.
Under the profit-sharing plan, the company invests a certain percentage of each employee's salary in the stock market. The plan is fully funded by the company. Any employee 21 or over who works 1,000 hours a years is eligible.
As I said, certain members of the Demoulas family believe that far too much of their money is going to the produce managers. They have felt this way especially strongly since the plan lost $46 million in one quarter during the downturn in 2008 and Arthur T. generously insisted on replacing the lost profit-sharing money out of the company's coffers.
So his cousins spent much of the summer trying to fire him. Instead a compromise was reached in which the Arthur S. Demoulas faction will receive $250 million in cash. No one believes that payment will settle the war over the profit-sharing plan. They also wrested control of its board of trustees, and every expectation is that they will continue to push for more money for themselves, and less for their employees.
Likewise, the brass at Liberty Mutual believe that the benefits to employees need reining in. The company recently announced that profit-sharing the match for the company's 401(k) plans will drop from 7 percent to 6 percent. In addition, pension plans for current employees and insurance for retirees are being trimmed as well.
Those decisions were defended as being in line with industry practice. But they come at a company where the brass has no compunction about spending on themselves as profit booms. This is a company that paid $4.5 million to renovate chief executive David Long's office suite in 2011. This summer it opened a $300 million office tower in the Back Bay, built in part on $46 million in various tax breaks.
Then there are the eye-popping pay packages for Liberty Mutual executives themselves. Long made $8.9 million last year. His predecessor, Edmund "Ted" Kelly, made $200 million in the four years before his retirement in 2011. Yes, you read that right: $200 million. Kelly's pension is an estimated $3.3 million a year.
Liberty Mutual's profits doubled in 2012 over the year before to $829 million, and it would certainly seem to be making enough not to cut benefits. But this much seems certain: Its management will never be embroiled in a Market Basket-style controversy. No one is taking to the boardroom to complain about excessive generosity.
As for the Demoulas family, there seems to be no amount of money that will settle the family feud. No matter how much they take back from their employees, history says some relative will insist that it just isn't enough.
Adrian Walker is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @Adrian_Walker.


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SAMJ: South African Medical Journal
On-line version ISSN 2078-5135
Print version ISSN 0256-9574
SAMJ, S. Afr. med. j. vol.101 n.8 Pretoria Aug. 2011
High prevalence of comorbidity and need for up-referral amonginpatients at a district-level hospital with specialist tuberculosis services in South Africa - the need for specialist support
Helen van der PlasI; Marc MendelsonII
ICert ID (SA), FCP (SA), DTM&H. Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town
IIPhD, FRCP, DTM&H. Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town
OBJECTIVES: To define the patient population at Cape Town's district-level hospital offering specialist tuberculosis (TB) services, concerning the noted increase in complex, sick HIV-TB co-infected patients requiring increased levels of care.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study of all hospitalised adult patients in Brooklyn Chest Hospital (a district-level hospital offering specialist TB services) from 27 to 30 October 2008. Outcome measures were: type of TB and drug sensitivity, HIV co-infection, comorbidity, Karnofsky performance score, and frequency and reason for referral to other health care facilities.
RESULTS: More than two-thirds of patients in the acute wards were HIV-co-infected, of whom 98% had significant comorbidities and 60% had a Karnofsky performance score <30. Twenty-eight per cent of patients did not have a confirmed diagnosis of TB. In contrast, long-stay patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR), pre-extensively (pre-XDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB had a lower prevalence of HIV co-infection, but manifested high rates of comorbidity. Overall, one-fifth of patients required up-referral to higher levels of care.
CONCLUSIONS: District-level hospitals such as Brooklyn Chest Hospital that offer specialist TB services share the increasing burden of complex, sick, largely HIV-co-infected TB patients with their secondary and tertiary level counterparts. To support these hospitals effectively, outreach, skills transfer through training, and improved radiology resources are required to optimise patient care.
Tuberculosis (TB) in HIV-co-infected (HIV-TB) patients is characterised by high rates of smear-negative pulmonary and extra-pulmonary disease, with increasing levels of antimycobacterial drug resistance and high rates of co-morbid opportunistic infections (OIs).1,2 Difficulty in making the diagnosis of TB in HIV-infected patients results in diagnostic delay and the need for increased hospital admission. Prior to the HIV era, South Africa's district hospitals that offered specialist TB services generally housed patients who were unable to mobilise and care for themselves or who required enhanced adherence monitoring, drug rechallenge for toxicity, or treatment for drug-resistant TB. At Brooklyn Chest Hospital (BCH), a district-level hospital offering specialist TB services in Cape Town, we have observed an increase in the complexity and severity of illness in HIV-TB patients in the HIV era.
Anecdotal experience suggests that this complexity is in part due to mycobacteriologically unconfirmed TB, HIV-related comorbidity such as opportunistic processes or organ-specific damage due to the virus itself, and increasing case numbers of drug-resistant TB. In our experience, these patients commonly require upreferral to secondary-and tertiary-level services because, in part, of lack of training and specialised radiology services at the hospital. To investigate the complexity of patients at BCH, we performed a cross-sectional study to document patient types housed at BCH, their co-morbidities and their requirement for up-referral to other institutions.
Study population and methods
BCH comprises 271 adult and 56 paediatric beds. Patients receive inpatient care for TB and HIV care on-site. The highest staffing grade to oversee day-to-day care of patients is a medical officer. On-site radiological services are limited to plain X-rays; no computerised tomography or ultrasound is available. The Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Pulmonology from the Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital (a tertiary hospital), have provided specialist input and support to adult patients.
Adult beds are divided into short-stay drug-sensitive, and long-stay drug-resistant, wards, the latter housing patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB), extensively drug-resistant (XDR-TB) and pre-XDR TB (patients with M. tuberculosis isolates that are resistant to rifampicin, isoniazid and either a fluoroquinolone or one of the injectable agents amikacin or kanamycin, but not yet to both fluoroquinolones and injectables).
We included all adult patients resident at BCH between 27 and 30 October 2008. Their case records were reviewed at the bedside by an infectious diseases specialist (HvdP). The following parameters were recorded: age, gender, duration of stay, site of TB infection, bacteriological confirmation of TB diagnosis, antimycobacterial drug susceptibility pattern, HIV status (if HIV-infected, use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and presence of other OIs were recorded), acute or chronic co-morbidity, Karnofsky performance score, and the need for specialist referral or investigation not offered on-site during their hospital stay. Stata version 10 was used for statistical analysis. For comparative proportions Fisher's exact test, and for comparative means Student's t-test, were used.
TB was treated as per national policy.3,4 On-site initiation of ART was introduced 6 months before the start of this study. The study was approved by the University of Cape Town's Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee.
A total of 244 patients were entered (Table I): 102 drug-sensitive ward patients and 142 in drug-resistant wards. Drug-sensitive ward patients had high rates (71%) of HIV co-infection, low Karnofsky performance scores (60% qualifying as 'severely disabled' or worse i.e. Karnofsky score <30) and almost invariably (98%) had significant co-morbid conditions of which a significant proportion (22%) were related to advanced HIV infection (Tables I and II). Thirty per cent of drug-sensitive ward patients were on empiric anti-TB therapy with an unconfirmed diagnosis of TB. The diagnosis of TB was made on culture in 71 patients, 43 of whom had first-line drug susceptibility testing (DST) performed. In total, antimycobacterial drug-resistance to rifampicin was documented in 16 of the 43 patients who had DST done on the drug-sensitive wards.
In contrast to the drug-sensitive wards, the complexity of patients housed in the drug-resistant wards related largely to antimycobacterial drug-resistance, including 60% with either pre-XDR-TB or XDR-TB (Table I). Unlike drug-sensitive ward patients, where nearly half had disseminated tuberculosis, the overwhelming majority in the drug-resistant wards had pulmonary disease (96%). HIV co-infection was present in 45 of 131 (34%) patients who had their HIV serostatus recorded. Patients had better Karnofsky performance scores (only 3% being classified as 'severely disabled'); however, significant comorbidity was recorded in 72% of patients who had one or more additional diagnoses requiring active management (Table III). Severe bronchietasis and drug-related toxicity were common, whereas comorbid OIs featured less prominently than in drug-sensitive ward patients, as fewer patients were HIV-co-infected.
Partly as a result of the rollout programme of ART to inpatients at BCH, 84/113 (74%) patients who were known to be HIV-infected were receiving ART, the majority having started as inpatients. The remainder of co-infected patients were enrolled into the ART treatment preparedness programme.
In total, 49 (20%) patients required referral to a higher level of care, the majority (69%) for imaging studies by either abdominal ultrasound or CT scan (Table IV).
Patients in the drug-sensitive wards of Cape Town's district level, specialist tuberculosis referral hospital are predominantly sick, bed-bound, and HIV-co-infected; 98% of them have complicating comorbid infections and non-infectious conditions. Patients in the drug-resistant, long-stay wards have equally high levels of comorbidity, but less HIV co-infection. As testimony to the complexity of diagnosing HIV-TB, almost one-third of acute ward residents in this TB referral centre had not had their diagnosis of TB confirmed and were on empiric therapy. This figure is higher than the 15% of unconfirmed cases previously reported from the same hospital in 2003.5 In addition, Thanassi et al. documented an MDRTB rate of only 16% in BCH among 434 inpatients over a 6-month period during 2000, compared with the rate of 58% reported in this study. Furthermore, as pre-XDR-TB and XDR-TB are newly defined sub-categories of drug-resistant TB, the overall rate of drug resistance in patients managed at BCH in 2008 has increased significantly. We also found a considerable need for up-referral to higher levels of care, predominantly for radiographic imaging that could have been performed on-site were facilities available. Movement of drug-resistant TB patients to other facilities increases the potential for transmission of drug-resistant disease to HCWs and HIV-infected and -uninfected patients. Such movement of patients should be avoided wherever possible. Furthermore, ensuring that drug-sensitive and drug-resistant patients are managed in separate wards, while different categories of drug-resistant patients (MDR, pre-XDR and XDR) are also separated, is critical to prevent acquisition of a more resistant strain in hospital.6 The fact that 39% of patients with culture-proven TB in the acute wards had not had drug-susceptibility testing performed is cause for concern. We believe that drug susceptibility testing should be performed on all patients admitted to TB hospitals in South Africa.
The profile of patients in BCH's acute wards is little different to that of TB inpatients at Groote Schuur Hospital, which is the central academic hospital supporting this primary-level facility (Mendelson M, unpublished observations). The high level of HIV-related comorbidity is a reflection of continued late presentation of HIV patients, in addition to the compounding problems of TB-immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS),7 shared drug toxicities between antiretrovirals and antimycobacterials, and malabsorption of drugs in wasted, cachexic patients. The pressure on bed occupancy at tertiary and secondary level health facilities directly affects the duration of sick patients at higher levels of care, necessitating the transfer of some TB patients to district level hospitals prior to stabilisation. High death rates in HIV-TB patients are commonly due to other HIV-related conditions, particularly OIs,8 and managing such complex patients in facilities with medical officers that are inexperienced in managing HIV-related infections other than tuberculosis is a challenge faced by most specialist TB hospitals in South Africa. The increased awareness of drug resistance as a developing problem and the resulting increase in sensitivity testing of M. tuberculosis isolates by provincial programmes both for 1st- and 2nd-line drug sensitivity has resulted in an increase in the number of drug-resistant TB cases being identified. As it is mandatory for all pre-XDR-TB and XDR-TB patients to undergo inpatient treatment, this situation is leading to an increase in the number of drug-resistant TB cases managed at BCH and other specialist TB centres.
This study is limited in that it is a single time-point study. Nevertheless, it highlights the complexity and severity of patients admitted to a district-level hospital with specialist TB services in South Africa, whose patients are cared for by medical officers with limited training in HIV medicine. Outreach to these hospitals by physicians trained in infectious diseases and HIV medicine to support patient care and transferring skills to the resident staff is needed in all but a few hospitals that already have trained staff. As a result of this study, an outreach programme has been running at BCH since October 2008.
Our findings highlight infection prevention and control as a further cause for concern. Movement of patients with drug-resistant TB between health institutions should be avoided wherever possible. Rolling out ART on-site at BCH drastically reduced the movement of TB patients from the hospital to peripheral HIV clinics, thereby reducing the chance of TB transmission to susceptible patients. The finding that many of the referrals to higher levels of care were initiated by ultrasound or CT scans, suggests that increasing radiological resources at the hospital would reduce the need for transfer and potentially prevent nosocomial transmission of drug-resistant TB. Furthermore, increasing outreach by specialist services such as psychiatry and infectious diseases from higher levels of care would further support resident staff and patients, while reducing the need for up-referral to other health care facilities.
With bed shortages and pressure on secondary- and tertiary-level hospitals owing to the high burden of HIV and TB in South Africa, the continued admission of patients that do not have a confirmed diagnosis of TB to these hospitals remains a problem. As highlighted by Thanassi et al., such patients are less likely to transmit M. tuberculosis and they occupy hospital beds that are earmarked specifically for TB patients.5 Training resident staff in infectious diseases through improved outreach programmes helps to identify such patients and enables relocation to more appropriate facilities, thereby increasing the number of beds for bona fide TB patients.
In conclusion: BCH, a district-level hospital providing specialist TB services, and one of many throughout South Africa, houses sick, complex, acute patients with multiple co-morbidities, who commonly require up-referral to higher levels of care for imaging and consultation services that could be easily posititioned at this type of facility. The increasing burden of drug-resistant TB is equally felt at BCH and also associated with a high frequency of co-morbidity that complicates patient care. Outreach and skills transfer from secondary- and tertiary-level physicians is an important component to support district level hospitals that provide specialist TB services in South Africa.
We thank Dr Erma Mostert for allowing access to patient charts, and Professor Gary Maartens for his input during the writing of this paper. HvdP was funded by, and MM received support from, PEPFAR/USAID through the ANOVA Health Institute.
1. McIlleron H, Meintjies G, Burman WJ, Maartens G. Complications of antiretroviral therapy in patients with tuberculosis: Drug interactions, toxicity and immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. J Infect Dis 2007;196(Suppl1):S63-75. [ Links ]
2. Getahun H, Harrington M, O'Brien R, Nunn P. Diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis in people with HIV infection or AIDS in resource-constrained settings: informing urgent policy changes. Lancet 2007;369:2042-2049. [ Links ]
3. Department of Health. The South African Tuberculosis Control Programme Practical Guidelines. Pretoria: Department of Health, 2004. http://www.kznhealth.gov.za/chrp/documents/Guidelines/Guidelines%20National/Tuberculosis/SA%20TB%20Guidelines%202004.pdf (accessed 16 August 2010). [ Links ]
4. World Health Organization. Guidelines for The Programmatic Management of Drug-resistant Tuberculosis. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2008. http://www.doh.gov.za/docs/policy-f.html (accessed 16 August 2010). [ Links ]
5. Thanassi W, Post FA, Shean K, Bekker LG, Maartens G. Impact of HIV on admissions and deaths in a tuberculosis hospital - recommendations for admission and discharge criteria. S Afr Med J 2003;93(6):463-464. [ Links ]
6. Sacks LV, Pendle S, Orlovic D, Blumberg L, Constantinous C. A comparison of outbreak- and nonoutbreak-related multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients in a South African hospital. Clin Infect Dis 1999;29:96-101. [ Links ]
7. Meintjes GA, Lawn SD, Scano F, et al. Tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome: case definitions for use in resource-limited settings. Lancet Infect Dis 2008;8(8):516-523. [ Links ]
8. Mukadi YD, Maher D, Harries A. Tuberculosis case fatality rates in high HIV prevalence populations in sub-Saharan Africa. AIDS 2001;15:143-152. [ Links ]
Accepted 20 April 2011.
Corresponding author: H van der Plas (firstname.lastname@example.com)


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Desktop diehards will find a present waiting for them in Windows 8.1, the impending upgrade colloquially dubbed "Windows Blue." A wonderful, horrible, oh-so-teasing present.
The Start button is back—but the Start menu isn't.
Instead, clicking the old familar button will dump you into the modern UI Start screen. While the new feature is notable for adding a helpful visual cue to an operating system rife with hidden menus, it isn't exactly what people begging for the return of the Start button were looking for.
One much-clamored-for, keyboard- and mouse-friendly feature will be making a debut in Windows 8.1, however. The update adds the option to boot directly to the desktop, bypassing the modern UI start screen completely. (Actually, you can boot into several alternate locations, including the All Apps view.)
Another new option adds the ability to carry your desktop background over to the modern interface, fostering a more unified feel across the OS. If that doesn't float your boat, new Start screen colors and backgrounds will also be available, including some animated elements. You can also choose to use a slideshow of your pictures for your lock screen, in effect having your PC double as a really expensive digital picture frame when you're not actively using it.
Moving into modern times
All that said, most of Windows 8.1's enhancements are made to bolster the modern environment, not the desktop.
The most welcome improvement is the addition of fully customizable Snap views. No longer will you be locked into the two app, quarter-screen Snap limitations of Windows 8 vanilla. Windows 8.1 adds the ability to resize Snap apps to any ratio you'd like, and includes an option to Snap three apps side-by-side-by-side. You'll also be able to have multiple instances of an app open and Snapped; Microsoft's blog post lists two Internet Explorer Windows as an example.
Hate the way that every newly installed app gets plopped on your Start screen? You won't once Windows 8.1 hits, because that annoying "feature" is going the way of the dodo. Instead, any apps installed from the Windows Store will appear under a new "New" filter in the All Apps view, from which you can chose to pin apps to the Start screen if you so desire. Yay self-determination!
Windows RT users will be happy to hear that the modern SkyDrive app is gaining the ability to save locally. Currently, you can only use the SkyDrive app to view files already stored in the cloud.
The modern-style PC setting options is also getting a big boost. One of the biggest complaints about Windows 8 is the way it constantly swaps you back and forth between the desktop and modern interfaces, a problem exacerbated by the fact that you have to dive into the desktop control panel to tinker with under-the-hood stuff. No more.
"The updated PC Settings in Windows 8.1 gives you access to all your settings on your device without having to go to the Control Panel on the desktop," Microsoft's introductory blog post explains.
Internet Explorer 11 will make its debut in Windows 8.1, as well. While most of the tweaks sounds fairly basic—faster page loads, better touch performance—it's also adding the tab syncing feature seen in leaked builds of Blue, allowing you to open tabs across multiple Windows 8.1 PCs and tablets.
Speaking of, Windows 8.1 also adds the ability to sync your settings and Start screen apps across multiple devices, assuming you sign in to those devices using an online-connected Microsoft account.
The Windows Store and the default Microsoft apps are also being tweaked, per Microsoft's new continuous improvement push. The Search charm, meanwhile, is being overhauled to "provide global search results powered by Bing in a rich, simple-to-read, aggregated view of many content sources." It sounds like it could be either awesome or horrible; I can't wait to try it.
More minute improvements include more Live Tile sizing options, additional category filters in the All Apps screen, and a plethora of Start screen tile shuffling options.
So, do these tweaks equate to blue skies or Windows Blah? You'll be able to judge for yourself on June 26, when Microsoft releases a developer preview of Windows 8.1 to coincide with the BUILD conference.


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ThetaHealing® Romance
My Guy From Montana
For years I dreamed of a man that I was to be with later on in my life. I knew that he would have brown hair and blue eyes. As time passed, I knew that this person would be from Montana. I knew that he was a rancher or a farmer; I couldn't decide which one it would be, but I knew that it was one of the two, and I knew that he would have a child. When I first dreamed about him, I knew that he was already married, but that he would become divorced. As time drew near for our first meeting, I knew that he would be driving an old blue and white truck and that his child was a young boy. For some inexplicable reason I could not reach the man directly. It was through the dreams of the little boy that I attempted to reach him, to have him tell his father that I was coming. For years I had intermittent dreams of becoming a great female wolf and running with a pack. In the form of this wolf I would run into the little boy's dreams. In this form I would attempt communicate that I was coming to see his father someday. The recurring dreams terrified the little boy and he would wake up screaming and crying. These dreams went on for some years with no success at communication. It wasn't until years later in 1997 that I met this man.
From my dreams I would always call him my guy from Montana. I asked the Creator time and time again what his name was, but I was told simply that he was my "guy from Montana." In my waking hours, I would tell my friends about the kind of man that I wanted, hoping that my man from Montana was the "one." I was having a discussion with one of my friends. I realize now that I was manifesting for my soul mate, because I began to specify to her just what I needed in a man or I was going to give up. I told her that I wanted a man that was tall with blue eyes and brown hair. I told her that he had to be stable and I wanted the man that I dreamed of, my man from Montana.
In 1997, I met a man whose name was Guy Stibal. (Get it? Stibal sounds like stable.) When I saw my friend again she heard Guy's last name and said "Boy, can you manifest!" Guy was a farmer and a rancher. He farmed on the family farm in Idaho and he worked on the ranch in Montana in the summer. He told me that his son had dreamt for a long time about wolves that kept coming into his dreams and waking him up. I had seen this man in such detail that when I met him, I thought the Creator was playing a joke on me, for certainly it couldn't be this easy.
To this day I know that the Creator gives you all the answers you need. My husband's name is Guy and he is from Montana- "My Guy from Montana." He is a partner with me on this journey, supporting me completely in the creation of ThetaHealing® as we travel to different places in the world teaching people. This story was dedicated to my husband, and also to remind you to trust your intuition.
Check out Vianna and Guys You Tube Videos
ThetaHealing Guy Stibal expresses his love for his Amazing wife Vianna Stibal Part 1
ThetaHealing Guy Stibal expresses his love for his Amazing wife Vianna Part 2
Vianna & Guy's horseback riding video
Vianna & Guy's Labrynth video
-Diana Palm
-Lois Lee Fellers
-Christine Powell
ThetaHealing Institute of Knowledge®
29048 Broken Leg Road
Bigfork, MT USA 59911
Phone: 406.206.3232


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Cross-posted from OpEdNews.
On Tuesday, April 17, the International Peace Bureau and the Institute for Policy Studies will kick off its second annual "Global Day of Action on Military Spending." The event seeks to bring public, political, and media attention to the rising costs of military spending and the folly of war. It also aims to stress the dire need to realign our priorities to address the crises impacting our troubled world.
The annual occasion coincides with the release of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's (SIPRI) new annual figures on military expenditures. In 2010 alone, global military spending rose to an all-time high of $1.63 trillion. Organizers of the event are calling for a united focus on "human lives and needs" and new direction in tackling the scourges of poverty, hunger, lack of education, poor health care and environmental issues that threaten the planet.
In America, the Global Day of Action should also be a day when politicians are forced to obey the will of the people. On that day vast constituencies of conscientious Americans ought to send a message to war hungry political candidates and a Congress stubbornly intent on slashing America's safety nets for the poor and disadvantaged while refusing to trim a military budget gone drastically awry.
According to researchers at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will eventually cost Americans between $3.2 and $4 trillion. That amount — according to several anti-war organizations — is more than enough to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, fully fund a national health care plan, provide free college education to all high school graduates and completely fund a nationwide renewable energy program.
Even though the primary factor that led to the nation's current deficit dilemma was war spending, bull-headed politicians astonishingly declare they will initiate yet another deadly military adventure in Iran if necessary.
If all other strategies fail, GOP presidential nominee hopefuls Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich said they'd be willing to go to war to keep Iran from attaining nuclear weapons. Ron Paul, who definitely won't be the GOP nominee, was the only candidate who voiced a common sense retort to war rhetoric: "I'm afraid what's going on right now is similar to the war propaganda that went on against Iraq," Paul said.
President Barack Obama also challenged candidates who expressed a need for the U.S. to harden its position against Iran: "When I see the casualness with which those folks talk about war, I am reminded of the costs involved in war," Obama said. It's not the candidates "popping off" about war who will make sacrifices, Obama added, "it's these incredible men and women in uniform and their families who pay the price."
Not only are political candidates and mostly right-leaning legislators ignoring Paul and Obama, they continue to disregard the wishes of the American people. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released in March, the majority of Americans prefer cutting defense spending to reduce the federal deficit rather than taking money from public retirement and health programs. The polling data indicates that 51 percent of Americans support reducing defense spending and only 28 percent want to cut entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid for the elderly and poor.
Romney, the candidate most likely to challenge Obama in the 2012 elections, has introduced a plan that's 60 percent higher than the $525 billion Obama proposed in his FY 2011 defense budget, according to the Cato Institute .
Since the so-called "Super Committee" failed to produce a debt reduction plan, $1.2 trillion in across-the-board defense and non-defense cuts are supposed to kick in automatically. Some Republican lawmakers, like Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), who sat on the super committee, vow to fight military spending cuts. The "off limits" approach is unacceptable, said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who insists deficit-reduction efforts include more military cuts: "Under an all-of-the-above approach, the Pentagon should not be treated as off limits," Schumer said. "There is waste in defense just like there is waste in the rest of the discretionary budget."
The military industrial complex is a powerful force supported by war barons and private-sector monopolies dependent on the production of weaponry and exorbitantly-paid privatized security forces to maintain the messes they create. Politicians have turned a deaf ear to the will of the people and are perfectly content with bartering new jobs and the safety of elderly and impoverished Americans in order to protect and increase an already out-of-control military spending budget.
The Global Day of Action on Military Spending is the appropriate time to refute the "propaganda" Paul mentioned and beat back the callous drumbeat of war and more wars. April 17 should be the day we collectively stir the nation's consciousness and direct its attention to issues that really matter. It should be a time of reckoning for morally reckless politicians-a rallying cry for massive reaction. The global day of action is the perfect time to bring international attention to the real costs of war and the desperate need to protect our planet and defend humanity.
Sylvester Brown, Jr. is an award-winning journalist, former publisher of Take Five Magazine and metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.