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Regardless of your stance on whether longdesc should be part of HTML, I think we can all agree that the ability to textually describe non-textual objects, such as images, is a desirable feature for the Web. So I would like to propose a way to:
ObjectDescription is a service via website and API that stores and serves image descriptions. To use this service with longdesc, a user enters a URL to a given image, enters a description for the image, and in return gets a URL they can enter into the longdesc attribute. This reduces that number of steps non-technical authors have to go through at the moment, using WYSIWYG editors and CMS.
When using an API, there is no need for authors to use longdesc. The Web browser sends a unique fingerprint (checksum) of the image to ObjectDescription and in return gets a description, as shown in the following screenshot:
The image description can be authored right in the browser:
Through ObjectDescription, anyone can write/edit a description for any image on the Web, and website creators can of course put limits on how browsers use this feature on their Web site.
Best of all, this is a general-purpose application of image descriptions that will benefit everyone. Image descriptions are treated as standalone documents. This means they can be processed by machines such as search engines, and can be included in regular search results. This can increase the amount of searchable data on the Web and yield more relevant search results. In addition, image descriptions can make image searching a lot more efficient.
This service is up and running at objectdescription.org. Be sure to read the FAQs on the site. Please let me know your thoughts, feature requests and general feedback.
Pretty cool. This must definitely go into Laura's research page.
- let the long description page contain the image, so one can see what it identifies = some kind of "recursive description microformat"- identify the description as a fragment.
I have my doubts. First, the example you're providing here, to me, is not a good use of the longdesc attribute as this description could very well be provided through a regular alt attribute. Longdesc is meant and - better suited - to provide description for complex images such organization charts, diagrams, data table of financial results, etc. Golden rule being, if you need to structure the description of your image, using longdesc is probably relevant.
While the idea looks interesting, I really doubt authors would bother describing their images so. If they're too lazy or unable to do it with the actual methods, why would they bother doing so through such a service? And what if the same image is copied and linked to from different servers? The description would have to be copied as well, or maybe reinvented completely each and every time. Flawed.
I can barely imagine a situation where an author would need to link to an already existing and described image, unless it was one of it's own. I can't imagine someone going through as catalog either, hoping to find a description for the image he's planning on using. Seems like going through a lot of trouble, just to avoid writing another document which contains the description of the image, don't you think?
Denis Boudreau wrote: "is not a good use of the longdesc attribute as this description could very well be provided through a regular alt attribute."
Why? What if alt reads "Sidalcea hendersonii"? Or say "Awesome shade of pink" as in this usage:
I generally like blue flowers, but check out the color in this photo:
Denis Boudreau wrote: "And what if the same image is copied and linked to from different servers? The description would have to be copied as well, or maybe reinvented completely each and every time."
The description is attached to the image through a digital fingerprint of that image. You only need to describe the image once and the description would follow it regardless of the website it is used on.
Denis Boudreau wrote: "I can't imagine someone going through as catalog either, hoping to find a description for the image he's planning on using."
The descriptions can show up in regular search results in say Google. In addition, image search can be based on the actual description of an image rather than file name or alt or image dimensions.
Longdesc is ideal for associating transcriptions to video. Although subtitling is a viable alternative, longdesc allows the web user the ability to follow the video script at their own pace and or save it separately. If you have an image on a website which would benefit from a description, in my view it should be part of the page - much like a photo caption in offline material.
I admit I was intrigued by this proposal and appreciate the fact that you are genuinely trying to find a solution but I feel this is displacing the problem.
Perhaps I misunderstand how this will work but it seems to me that you are making the availability of image descriptions entirely dependent of a third party service which, to me anyway, seems risky as that service may not always be available or may simply cease to exist at some point for whatever reasons. Also, the interface you provide to produce longdescs is/may just reproduce what should be part of a good authoring tool already.
While this service *may* "make it easier for content authors to use longdesc right now" (although I fail to see what is so hard about writing and making longdesc available natively, even I can do it), I am not convinced this will "offer a seamless transition path that will replace the longdesc feature with a technology that makes it supremely easy to describe images; and ensure that this feature benefits everyone".
Can you expand on those claims ?
Denis Boudreau wrote :
"Longdesc is meant and - better suited - to provide description for complex images such organization charts, diagrams, data table of financial results, etc."
I must disagree. While longdesc is crucial to these types of images if that information is not available in the page somewhere, descriptions such as the one given in the example of the article are relevant as well and many users appreciate the fact that they are available. We must stop seeing the principal users of longdesc, i.e. the blind, as a homogeneous group who do not care about the appearance of things. It is simply not true and you have such people in your entourage. The beauty of longdesc is that users have a choice to access that info or not.
Catherine Roy wrote: "although I fail to see what is so hard about writing and making longdesc available natively, even I can do it"
Lets walk through the steps required for a user to do this using a WYSIWYG editor and CMS. Let's say John want to write an article.
Catherine Roy wrote: "I am not convinced this will 'offer a seamless transition path that will replace the longdesc feature with a technology that makes it supremely easy to describe images; and ensure that this feature benefits everyone'.
A unique image fingerprint identifies image descriptions stored with ObjectDescription. For example, a user using longdesc feature is given a URL to use such as:
Behind the scenes, ObjectDescription stores a unique fingerprint and description for the image like this:
c5df419aaaa4a00416c73aaf386f5aa7 = Yellow butterfly with blue spots ....
Now lets say Mary wants to use the same image on her website but does not use longdesc. The browser can send the fingerprint of the image to ObjectDescription API and get the description for the image. So the transition away from longdesc is seamless.
But the real power of ObjectDescription is that anyone can write a description for any image on the Web. Here is one use-case. Jack published an article on his website that contains an image. Jack could not be bothered with image descriptions. Sue reads the article and wants to forward this to her friend who has limited vision and needs an image description. In the browser, Sue selects image properties for the image:
She writes a description and saves it:
Sue then send a link to the article to her friend to read. Her friend is then able to access the image description from the browser:
Here is a use case. At my college, staff make web pages but don't use longdesc. Volunteer students who don't have access to CMS can describe images with this method.
Vlad, thanks for the additional info. I still think that writing a longdesc and making it available natively is not hard to do. Your description of the steps to do so now via a CMS only prove that the problem is the CMS, whichever one you were basing your description on, and that it needs to make things easier.
As for the rest of your explanation, it is indeed interesting and it can be useful in certain settings and can make great use of crowdsourcing but it does not address the fact that availability of image descriptions are dependent on the availability of a third party service which remains a risky proposition.
I continue to believe that there is nothing wrong with longdesc per se and there is no need to "replace" it. The problem is that people are ill-informed, not well trained, buy into all the misinformation being spread around and/or just do not care enough to go that extra step.
It seems to me that this idea fails to address the issue with longdesc in which it's used in ebooks. This idea only addresses the use case of Web-based documentation for people with an always-on connection. I wouldn't consider this idea anything close to a replacement for longdesc.
Should we be encouraging "authors to use longdesc right now" when we know it "is not available to all users", and it is "only supported by a limited number of browsers and assistive technology" [1], and even the systemically dysfunctional WAI PFWG [2] apparently wants to obsolete it in HTML6 anyway?
1. http://dev.w3.org/html5/alt-techniques/#hy2. http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2011Apr/0181.html
@Jennifer Sutton, I assume the at the time of publication of the ebook, descriptions can be downloaded from this service and saved to local files and referenced by longdesc. I don't think anyone said remove longdesc from psudo web formats such as ebooks.
@Catherine Roy, I'm not totally happy with 3rd party services but it's a fact of life on the web. Can anyone say bit.ly?
Catherine Roy wrote "... it does not address the fact that availability of image descriptions are dependent on the availability of a third party service which remains a risky proposition"
Let's come up with a solution to this issue. One possible solution would be to put the domains (objectdescription.org and objdesc.org) in escrow. If the service terminates, the domains would be turned over to organization X that can then find a vendor to continue the service.
Catherine, I would like the accessibility community to raise and discuss all potential issues and at the same time suggest solutions to address them.
mattur wrote: "Should we be encouraging 'authors to use longdesc right now' when we know it 'is not available to all users', and it is 'only supported by a limited number of browsers and assistive technology'"
Using that argument, we should not be encouraging users to use HTML5 features because of limited browser/authoring tool support.
mattur, do you believe that there needs to be a method to textually describe non-textual objects such as images? If so, how would you do this?
Vlad: Obviously new techniques are not directly comparable to a technique that has failed for 14 years, since they're, er, NEW and haven't FAILED FOR 14 YEARS yet. Use what works, and degrade gracefully.
Authors should ideally put the long description on the same page, or use a normal link to another page with a larger image and the description. See WebAim, RNIB Surf Right or WCAG2 Techniques if you need to get up to speed on methods for providing long descriptions that actually work "right now".
Vlad wrote : "Catherine, I would like the accessibility community to raise and discuss all potential issues and at the same time suggest solutions to address them."
I already stated I do not feel there is anything wrong with longdesc. If others feel differently, then by all means, they should step up and propose something better.
I am still waiting.
Catherine, WAI-PFWG has proposed:
The HTML-A11Y-TF also proposed aria-describedby should replace longdesc.
It's potentially better because it doesn't lock out users with UAs that don't support it (robust) and because the same technique can be used on anything that needs a longer description (common usage and authoring pattern). It's also not polluted with bad data like existing longdesc usage.
In the meantime it's better to use an in-page description or a normal link. Longdesc is just a highly effective way to lock out people with/without disabilities, which you may have noticed is the opposite of what accessibility is supposed to be about.
mattur wrote: "The HTML-A11Y-TF also proposed aria-describedby should replace longdesc."
HTML-A11Y-TF pushes to use ARIA in places where it does not fit. They refuse to acknowledge and discuss the shortcomings with using ARIA to replace longdesc (and alt for that matter). Some shortcomings are:
STOP SPREADING LIES! For somebody who has contributed exactly *ZERO* to the HTML5 Accessibility Task Force, you have absolutely no idea what is happening within that Task Force. Regurgitating months and even year old data-points simply proves how little you really care about this issue - you simply want that the WHAT WG perspective "wins" some little power-battle, and who cares about the impact on end users.
Your claims:1) "is not available to all users", and it is "only supported by a limited number of browsers and assistive technology"
The URL referenced by @longdesc is a unique DOM node in the DOM tree, as any DOM inspection tool, in *ANY* browser will confirm. GUI browsers however have for the most part chosen to ignore the needs of the alleged sighted users who would require longer textual descriptions (a point often asserted, but never actually proven). Users choose the tools they used based upon the features afforded them by those tools - if a tool does not satisfy their requirements, they will choose other tools, or modify the tools they have to meet their needs. For sighted users who require what most users would consider redundant information (the value of the @longdesc long description), they can use Opera or iCab, download and install the now years-old Firefox plug-in, or tinker with the Internet Explorer to modify their tools to meet their needs.
If the majority of sighted users and authors truly believe that access to text that most would consider redundant is a crucial feature of their browser then they should be communicating that to the browser vendors, and voting with their feet - if Chrome (for example) refuses to support @longdesc then stop using Chrome - I have. The problem is *NOT* the attribute, it is the disregard and neglect from the GUI browsers. The same holds true for Voiceover and NVDA - it is those tools that have chosen to support or not support a decade's old attribute: regardless of the fate of @longdesc in HTML5, other documents and document formats (HTML 4.01, XHTML1.1, epub) will continue to have @longdesc as a valid and conformant attribute. Place the blame for any current 'issues' squarely where it belongs - the user-agents.
Finally, as for what the Task Force is actually advocating for, I will point you to the current proposed Draft Text, which will be part of the Final Change Proposal submitted to the Working Group: http://www.html5accessibility.com/tests/img-longdesc.html#long.
2) "even the systemically dysfunctional WAI PFWG [2] apparently wants to obsolete it in HTML6" (with a link to an email written by Sam Ruby, who is NOT a member of WAI-PFWG) - but hey, let's not let facts get in the way of a good lie.
Sam was not on the call from which those minutes emerged, however I was (go ahead, check the minutes, I wrote them). Sam's assumption was wrong, a point that was immediately corrected by Laura Carlson:
"> The general thrust I gather from these minutes is "we need more time to > properly deprecate longdesc". If that indeed is the case
It is not the case. I guess you didn't read the last part of mymessage." http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2011Apr/0182.html
As a member of the newest sub-group within the Accessibility Task Force (from which those minutes emerged), I can state unequivocally that the raison d'etre; of that group (identified as [text] for want of a better name) is to ensure that emergent Change Proposals and Formal Objections for the reinstatement of @longdesc, @summary, (and now likely addressing the mess that the recent @alt decisions have wrought) are carefully and robustly set out, based on consultation and internal consensus - in short, bullet-proof responses.
Matthew Turvey (@mattur) can continue to try and assert that WebAIM, IBM, RNIB and Ian Hickson's mother all tell authors to avoid @longdesc like the plague, but those assertions have been addressed and disproven so many times I tire of repeating them here.
Suffice to say, Matt continues to troll the web, looking for an opportunity to continue to spread LIES and FUD wherever he can, because, well, he simply believes that he knows better. Believe him, of believe the multiple active members of the Accessibility Task Force quoted above: Laura Carlson, Steven Faulkner, Gregory Rosmaita, and myself.
@vlad"HTML-A11Y-TF pushes to use ARIA in places where it does not fit. They refuse to acknowledge and discuss the shortcomings with using ARIA to replace longdesc (and alt for that matter)."
This is not exactly true. Early into the @longdesc discussions (2009), there was a general thought that *IF* a number of identified short-comings to aria-describedby could be resolved *THEN* an evolution that saw @longdesc fade away (deprecation) could be entertained. Deprecation, not instant obsolescence!
There is a powerful aspect to having ARIA contain a function that replicates what @longdesc does, as ARIA is author-language agnostic, and so we could re-use this function in all authoring languages (think SVG for example) - authors could re-use these same attributes/functions in multiple languages rather than having to re-learn accessible techniques for each new language that content creators choose to use. I honestly believe that looking to improve ARIA (including, perhaps crafting a robust replacement for @longdesc) is a worthwhile endeavor, and early, tentative discussion on this has actually already started. I encourage you and anyone else reading this to participate in those discussions, so that collectively we can get the best solution we can work out.
However, this effort should not be rushed, or expected to instantly replace @longdesc, but rather work in concert with existing solutions. Evolution, not revolution!
One key aspect, and a point previously noted by @catroy earlier on this thread, is the end user option of consuming or not consuming of the longer description. I have often likened it to the difference between glancing at an image (@alt) and studying an image (@longdesc); and the absolute requirement that the second category remain a user-choice, and not a 'force-fed' data consumption. I can confirm to you that all of the active members of both PFWG and the a11yTF are in agreement and understanding of this key distinction, which is why they are actively working toward having @longdesc re-instated into HTML5.
Regarding the shortcomings you pointed out, the a11yTF and PFWG are already aware of them (and more), and in fact they are documented both in Laura Carlson's work, as well as PFWG's.
John Foliot wrote: "There is a powerful aspect to having ARIA contain a function that replicates what @longdesc does, as ARIA is author-language agnostic, and so we could re-use this function in all authoring languages"
A technology that tires to fit everywhere ends up fitting nowhere.
John Foliot wrote: "However, this effort should not be rushed, or expected to instantly replace @longdesc, but rather work in concert with existing solutions. Evolution, not revolution!"
@alt/@longdesc cannot work "in concert with existing solutions" because:
John Foliot wrote: "I have often likened it to the difference between glancing at an image (@alt) and studying an image (@longdesc)"
I think this is a major part of the problem. The members of the task force still see @alt as a short description of an image and @longdesc as a long description. This is not useful view of these features. If you begin to see @alt as a way to make surrounding content comprehensible when an image cannot be seen and @longdesc as simply a description of an image, then it become clear that ARIA features cannot work in concert with or replace @alt/@longdesc.
John Foliot:
> STOP SPREADING LIES!> Your claims:> 1) "is not available to all users", and it is "only supported by a limited number of browsers and assistive technology"
Er... those are direct quotes from Steve Faulkner's "HTML5: Techniques for providing useful text alternatives" document. Take it up him with him if you think he's spreading lies, but I'm inclined to think he isn't, because he's a proper accessibility expert and not a blithering idiot.
> 2) "even the systemically dysfunctional WAI PFWG [2] apparently wants to obsolete it in HTML6" (with a link to an email written by Sam Ruby, who is NOT a member of WAI-PFWG) - but hey, let's not let facts get in the way of a good lie.
Sam's email, *referring* to some PFWG members *apparently* discussing obsoleting longdesc:
"The general thrust I gather from these minutes is "we need more time to properly deprecate longdesc"."http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2011Apr/0181.html
Laura did indeed reply to his email, missing the point entirely like you just did, and Sam was kind enough to clarify for her:http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2011Apr/0183.html
I think you are missing an important point. I am in total agreement that today ARIA does not have a function that replicates @longdesc, and none of the current ARIA options can replace @longdesc's functionality. HOWEVER, having identified those short-comings, we can certainly look to add that functionality to the ARIA suite, allowing authors of other web-related languages to now have that functionality as well. We cannot remain stuck in time, we need to be forward thinking as well. *IF* we can develop a solution that meets the requirements that PFWG worked on (requirements currently met by @longdesc), then those new solutions can work in concert with existing solutions as we see a forward evolution.
As for your personal interpretation of how and what @alt is for, you are entitled to your opinion, but the overwhelming majority of those involved in the W3C web accessibility effort don't see it your way.
HTML 4.01 defines alt this way:
"For user agents that cannot display images, forms, or applets, this attribute specifies alternate text. The language of the alternate text is specified by the lang attribute.
Several non-textual elements (IMG, AREA, APPLET, and INPUT) let authors specify alternate text to serve as content when the element cannot be rendered normally. Specifying alternate text assists users without graphic display terminals, users whose browsers don't support forms, visually impaired users, those who use speech synthesizers, those who have configured their graphical user agents not to display images, etc."
HTML5 defines alt:"...the value must be an appropriate replacement for the image...in general, alternative text can be written by considering what one would have written had one not been able to include the image."
WCAG 2.0 defines alternative text here:"1.1.1 Non-text Content: All non-text content that is presented to the user has a text alternative that serves the equivalent purpose (except under certain defined circumstances)."
Equivalent purpose - not "a way to make surrounding content comprehensible". If you believe that this is incorrect then the way to change it is to work within the W3C and seek consensus that it needs to be re-defined. This is how it works, not arguing that everybody else is wrong on your blog, no matter how sincere you are (something I do respect) or convinced you are right. You are just not going to affect change that way.
John Foliot wrote: "Equivalent purpose - not 'a way to make surrounding content comprehensible'."
The spec tells you what the end result should be: an "equivalent purpose". The spec does not tell you how to achieve "equivalent purpose", which can only be done by writing alternate text in context (to fit surrounding content). I believe John Foliot once said, "appropriate alt text must be taken in context" yet this phrase cannot be found in any spec.
John Foliot wrote: "If you believe that this is incorrect then the way to change it is to work within the W3C and seek consensus that it needs to be re-defined..."
Let me quote Joe Clark: "There *is* no W3C 'consensus' process. They can simply take a vote to ignore your objections."
John, was it through consensus that @longdesc was removed from the spec? Was it through consensus that @alt was made optional? Was it through consensus that the inaccessible <canvas> feature was added to the spec?
There is no actual consensus. The browser vendors are making HTML less accessible. Through your participation in the process, you are making it appear that the accessibility community condones what the browser vendors are doing.
John, we have tried it your way and I don't see any results. Let's try it my way to make HTML more accessible?
OK Vlad, go for it.
Make all of the browsers do exactly what you tell them to do - I am sure they are waiting for your call as we speak. Translate your guidelines and rules into all of the languages that they need to be translated into, from French to Russian to Chinese, Spanish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Korean, Italian.... Convince every government on the globe that Vald's way is the better way, big business and academia too while you are at it.
HTML5 is not complete, and yes, right now there remain problems. A number of smart and hard-working people are working together to try and get things set right. But it is not an autocracy, where somebody named Vlad or Ian gets to write the rules, and everyone bows down to those rules - there is nobody walking down from the mountains with tablets in hand here. There is no King.
Your current frustration is well founded, and you are not alone. I just finished 4 hours of time-consuming volunteer effort fighting to improve the accessibility of video for HTML5, and I know what it takes to effect change, and trust me it is more than writing blog posts and quoting Joe Clark, a well known outsider who burns more bridges than can be built in a lifetime.
But hey, maybe Joe will help you - until one of you disagrees with the other, and then what? We can have Joe rules and/or Vlad rules, and you can both duke it out convincing the browsers that yours is the better way forward, because one of you thought it up, or knows better than the other. Perhaps Mattur will help you with @longdesc... oh wait, he disagrees with @longdesc, so maybe we should all just follow his rules instead - maybe he can get them translated faster than you can, who knows?
You see the problem here? The more voices you have at the table, the more points of view you have, so it's not as simple as saying, do it this way, because it's smarter/better/righter. You need to prove it, and build consensus and support around it, so that *most people* agree with whatever it is you are advocating - and at some point you will never reach unanimity on every data-point, so they might hold a vote and choose to "ignore your objections" (maybe because you are the only one, and you've not managed to convince anyone else, or simply enough people, you are right). That's called democracy, and you know what they say about that - it isn't perfect but it's the best we got.
You can't do it alone, and you are delusional if you think they are all going to come to you seeking the way forward. If you want to effect change, you need to go where the action is happening, you can't sit there and expect it to come to you.
But Good Luck trying.
John Foliot wrote: "That's called democracy..."
Having a vote is not a democracy. They had voting in the old Soviet Union but you wouldn't call that a democracy. The only true test of democracy is when the people can peacefully remove existing leadership. I believe you tried to do this a few years back when you wanted Ian removed. Ian then banished you from the mailing list for 2 weeks. By the way, I miss the old John because he put principles before etiquette.
John Foliot wrote: "If you want to effect change, you need to go where the action is happening..."
Is that what the browser vendors did? Did they say W3C is the place to create standards so we will work within W3C to create HTML5? No. They started WHAT WG in order to give the finger to W3C. And after having forced W3C into working on HTML5, they still continue to work within WHAT WG in order to exert influence over W3C.
By the way, that's another characteristic of democracy - equal say in major decisions. But the browser vendors are after all, more equal than others.
John Foliot wrote: "A number of smart and hard-working people are working together to try and get things set right."
And I observed how the browser vendors patronize them. How they sap their energy by wasting their time. For example, no one works harder than Laura Carlson and I see how the browser vendors create hoops for her to jump through just to keep her busy.
John, we are on the same side. We want the same end result. But the course you are on is not producing results. The approach I am advocating will generate results and will ultimately give the W3C Accessibility Task Force the powers it needs to make a real change to Web accessibility.
At the very least, why don't you and I have a debate on the best course of action to make the Web more accessible and let the accessibility community have their say?
You really do need to do a better job on your history, you have this so wrong on so many levels.
I believe you tried to do this a few years back when you wanted Ian removed. Ian then banished you from the mailing list for 2 weeks.
At the W3C, Ian is the editor. The End. The effort behind HTML5 at the W3C is overseen by the 3 current Chairs: Sam Ruby (IBM), Paul Cotton (Microsoft), and Maciej Stachowiak (Apple). Prior to that it was chaired by Chris Wilson (Microsoft) and Dan Connolly (W3C). Ian did in fact remove my ability to post to the WHAT WG mailing list for a 2 week period, but since 2007 when the HTML5 effort moved into the W3C, I have not participated at the WHAT WG (deliberately).
By the way, I miss the old John because he put principles before etiquette.
Vlad, you don't know me, you have no idea what I do privately towards improving accessibility on the web, and I can be both outspoken and militant when it is appropriate. But I also understand that sometimes more reasoned discussion actually moves things forward in more productive ways, a point you seem to be missing. If all you do is argue and scream at everyone, you end up like Joe Clark - ousted from working groups as being overly disruptive. (And you can do your own research on that Vlad - try looking at WCAG and the PDF standards groups)
In 2004, at the annual W3C plenary (TPAC) a number of representatives expressed concern that the work on XHTML2 was not going to be backward compatible, and that the W3C focus on a document centric semantic specification (XHMTL2) did not match what their users were asking of them (web applications). Despite trying to make their case, they were unable to change the prevailing thought of the day; they subsequently decided to work on these efforts none-the-less. So it was the W3C that actually drove the creation of WHAT WG. After 3 years of working on that effort, Tim Berners-Lee realized as well that the vision that this group was working on was also what the general population was more interested in, and after convening a face-to-face meeting, the sponsors of the WHAT WG effort (Opera, Mozilla and Apple) agreed that the best thing for the overall health of the web was to bring the HTML5 effort back inside of the W3C, given that the W3C represented a number of other invested members, including governments, non-web focused businesses and academia. They agreed, and in 2007 the W3C Chartered work on HTML5.
Actually Vlad, the corner stone of Democracy is one person, one vote. To get enough votes to advance your agenda (no matter what it might be), you need to engage others and discuss your agenda, and - wait for it - build consensus so that the majority will vote in your direction. That's how politics works.
Again Vlad, this is very skewed point of view. You attempt to paint the browser vendors as some monolithic axis of evil. Having worked directly with members of all the major browser vendor teams, you are so off-base as to be insulting to a group of dedicated and sincere engineers. If you are unhappy with the direction that a browser vendor is moving in, you have a few choices: you can stop using that particular browser (and if enough people did that, the browser would change direction or continue to lose market share), or you can start from either of the two open-source rendering engines (Gecko / web-kit) that drive 3 of the 5 major browsers in the market today (Firefox, Chrome, Safari) and build your own 'better' browser.
AS for Laura's efforts, it is true that she has contributed a lot of time and effort to HTML5, but she is not the only one. If you were active inside of the W3C effort you would also know of the huge contributions made by many others.
HTML5 is not complete, and there is still a lot of time and work ahead. It is true that there are some current irritants that continue to frustrate the accessibility community, but work on resolving those irritants is ongoing both in the public forum, as well as behind the scenes - you should also investigate the role of the AC Reps within the W3C, and the power that group wields in the larger process.
Working outside of the W3C is not the way - been there, done that. In fact, I was instrumental in the formation of that group (html4all), and continue to host that website, mailing list, and pay to register the domain name each year out of my own pocket (if you want to talk about principles...). While that group was a sincere effort, we simply did not have the critical mass to effect change - and nearly every founding member of that group is now actively working inside of the W3C on HTML5.
Vlad, unless you are prepared to accept these realities, there is nothing to debate. I have repeatedly suggested to you that if you want to make change, join the others with the same goal and do the work where it needs to get done. Not at WHAT WG, not at html4all, but at the W3C - it is the only long-term winning strategy that really stands a chance.
John Foliot wrote: "Actually Vlad, the corner stone of Democracy is one person, one vote. To get enough votes to advance your agenda (no matter what it might be), you need to engage others and discuss your agenda"
This is not what the browser vendors did. They could not get what they wanted at W3C through one member/one vote, so they started WHAT WG to exert undue influence on W3C. Ian said that WHAT WG serves the role of "an established 'escape hatch' in the hopefully unlikely event of a failure in the W3C's HTML working group". In other words, if W3C does not do what browser vendors want it to do, they walk. Is this what you call democracy John?
John Foliot wrote: "... and - wait for it - build consensus so that the majority will vote in your direction. That's how politics works."
Thanks John for turning accessibility into politics.
John Foliot wrote: "HTML5 is not complete, and there is still a lot of time and work ahead."
HTML is a living standard and it will never be complete. You are playing accessibility catch-up thinking that at some future time accessibility can be added or a feature can be fixed. As soon as a feature appears in the living standard, browser vendors are encouraged to implement it. <canvas> is inaccessible and is now part of all shipping browser versions. Any future effort to make <canvas> accessible will be optional and will only make <canvas> semi-accessible.
John Foliot wrote: "Working outside of the W3C is not the way"
I never suggested that. I want the Accessibility Task Force within W3C to have teeth. You seem to be content to be toothless.
John, normally I would not care what you do. But Web accessibility affects everyone on the Web. Not only are your efforts not producing any new accessibility features, existing accessibility features are being removed. Wake up John!
John Foliot wrote: "Vlad, unless you are prepared to accept these realities, there is nothing to debate."
What? You only debate with like-minded people?
If you have not figured out by now that ensuring access for people with disabilities is a political fight as well, then you are even more naive than I thought. The W3C is not some global Internet police force, that lays down the rules for all to follow, they are a standards body. They can no more force commercial companies to do or not do something than you or I. If you want the ability to force something like that, you need the support and influence of governments... and that's politics. Politics like using the court systems to sue companies such as Target.com, Netflix or Penn State university. Politics, like the US DoJ's recent re-opening of the ADA to address a number of new items that have emerged since the signing of the ADA in the 90's - including digitial inclusion (the web). And when it comes to governments being involved in the workings of the web, they all look to, and support financially, the W3C.
At Apple, we consider it important to make our software accessible to a wide range of users. Some of the reasons accessibility is important to us:(1) We think it's the right thing to do. We want to make computing usable for everyone.(2) For sales to the federal government, many state and local governments, and many corporations, procurement rules require meeting certain minimum accessibility standards. Section 508 defines a set of standards that apply to the US federal government for instance: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_508_Amendment_to_the_Rehabilitation_Act_of_1973>(3) Legislation may directly require support for accommodations for the disabled. One example is the Americans with Disabilities Act; case law indicates that a website may be considered a public accommodation for purposes of the ADA.For almost any large corporation, (2) and (3) will be important considerations, regardless of how they feel about (1). For Apple at least, we seek to do more than the bare minimum. Our goal is to surprise and delight all users, including those with disabilities.
At Apple, we consider it important to make our software accessible to a wide range of users. Some of the reasons accessibility is important to us:
(1) We think it's the right thing to do. We want to make computing usable for everyone.(2) For sales to the federal government, many state and local governments, and many corporations, procurement rules require meeting certain minimum accessibility standards. Section 508 defines a set of standards that apply to the US federal government for instance: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_508_Amendment_to_the_Rehabilitation_Act_of_1973>(3) Legislation may directly require support for accommodations for the disabled. One example is the Americans with Disabilities Act; case law indicates that a website may be considered a public accommodation for purposes of the ADA.
For almost any large corporation, (2) and (3) will be important considerations, regardless of how they feel about (1). For Apple at least, we seek to do more than the bare minimum. Our goal is to surprise and delight all users, including those with disabilities.
Outside of the fact that Maciej could be a little less 'corporate shill', his main points stand; points 2 & 3 are the only thing that "force" companies to do something. Even then, companies have a choice: they can stand up to governments (twitter in the wikileaks situation, Google in China), although they do so at their own peril, and with subsequent consequences.
You are right, if the W3C tries to dictate terms that the majority of the browser vendors disagree with they will go do their own thing - that has never been otherwise. All the more reason to work *with* those browser vendors, not against them to educate and build consensus so that they prevail with our requirements. Since governments and other large commercial entities are already aligned with the W3C, that is the biggest argument we have to convince the browsers to remain inside of the W3C.
As for producing new accessibility features: even here you have no idea. It has not been perfect or Pollyanna - something that I think you *expect* - but significant and serious progress has been made, and HTML5 is delivering on making many things on the web more accessible. Not all of these features are fully supported today (and some not at all), but the only way to get the browsers to move forward there is give them a reason to do so: either through political government pressure, or via market forces.
This has become a pointless discussion Vlad - you look at things with your own set of rose-colored glasses. You refuse to work inside of a process you none-the-less expect to force change; you ignore certain realities that exist in the world today, including politics and market forces, and your perception and understanding of what the W3C is and how it operates is very flawed and mis-informed. The work they do, the successes they have accomplished and the process and protocols they follow appears to escape you.
It is not about debating with like-minded people, it is about debating with informed people, and in this regard you seem to be very misinformed. I have tried to help you have a better understanding of the process, history and realities of the W3C; instead you want to argue with those facts and continue to 'blame' the browsers for some kind of evil wrong-doing. You don't want a debate, you want to be right - you don't want to examine the facts and consider them, you simply want to dismiss them and find a bogey man to blame because... I really don't know why: maybe because the way forward is making it harder for you to produce your authoring tool?
As I said earlier, good luck with your ideas: for them to gain traction you will still need to build consensus, except now you are trying to do so in an empty room. Be sure to let us know how that works for you.
maciej's quote BTW can be found here: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2011Apr/0537.html
Is this the same company that does not have a keyboard shortcut to bring up the context menu in their operating system? Or even something more basic such as a setting to change DPI to increase text size?
Is this the same company that produces a browser that cannot render alternate text? Or even have a way to turn off image rendering?
Is this the same company to which I have repeatedly, since 2005, reported accessibility bugs with plug-ins? I used both Radar (their internal bug reporting system) and email, and was consistently told to talk to the hand?
And is this the same company that I worked for, as a 'vendor' (consultant), building their first online Apple Store, and who reprimanded me for questioning their decision to generate inaccessible PDF receipts instead of HTML?
John Foliot wrote on Twitter: "well, there goes another 4 hours to the W3C, with nothing to show but frustration."
Don't take your frustration out on me. Just like you, I want to work with the browser vendors and I have said so numerous times on this blog. But under current conditions, such co-operation cannot bear fruit. I hope there will come a time when you are receptive to an alternative that is causing you so much frustration.
If you have a problem with Apple, talk to Apple - don't drag me or the W3C into the process. Better yet, don't use Apple products - I don't - I vote with my wallet.
You want to work with the browsers, but you expect them to come to your blog to have that conversation. You accuse them of being evil and malicious, then wonder why they don't respond to your invitation.
I didn't take my frustration out on you, I made a comment on twitter. You don't want to hear that? Stop following me on twitter - I'll still sleep fine at night.
I'm stopping now Vlad. It's your blog, and you want to be right. OK, your right. Feel better?
Vlad, you wrote:
«<canvas> is inaccessible and is now part of all shipping browser versions. Any future effort to make <canvas> accessible will be optional and will only make <canvas> semi-accessible.»
It would be interesting to hear your views on the (in)accessibility of <canvas> one day.
Hi Leif,
I think it is important to understand the role <canvas> will play in future Web apps and why current efforts to make <canvas> accessible will be inadequate.
We are starting to see entire applications being built using <canvas>, including all interactive UI such as dialog boxes. So ARIA cannot be used to make these kinds of apps accessible. Efforts to make <canvas> somewhat accessible by drawing boxes around interactive areas is also not practical for such applications because there is so much interactive UI.
Another type of applications what will come down the road will use <canvas> to draw UI and capture keyboard/mouse movements for apps running on the server. This is similar to X Window System, Remote Desktop Services, Citrix, etc. Just to get an idea of what is coming, have a look at the Amiga Workbench Emulator app. Even though this app is purely client-side, you can see how this can be converted into an X Window/Remote Desktop/Citrix type environment.
I think it is not that hard to see that the future Web will be far less accessible that today's.
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ZURICH — An American referee was picked to officiate at the World Cup for the first time since 2002.
Mark Geiger, a 39-year-old high school math teacher from Beachwood, N.J., was among 25 referees selected Tuesday by FIFA.
Geiger has officiated Major League Soccer games since 2004, called matches during the 2012 Olympic men's soccer tournament and refereed during Brazil's 3-2 overtime win over Portugal in the final of the 2011 Under-20 World Cup. Last month he called Monterrey's victory over Egypt's Al-Ahly in the fifth-place match of the Club World Cup.
The last American referee at the World Cup was Brian Hall, who officiated Italy-Ecuador and England-Nigeria matches in 2002. Other U.S. referees at recent World Cups were Vincent Mauro (Belgium-South Korea in 1990), Arturo Angeles (Argentina-Greece in 1994) and Esse Baharmast (Spain-Nigeria and Brazil-Norway in 1998).
No American has refereed beyond the group stage.
Like all the other World Cup refs, Geiger will be joined by his regular team of two assistants: His are American Sean Hurd and Canadian Joe Fletcher.
Howard Webb was chosen by FIFA over fellow Englishman Mark Clattenburg. Webb issued 14 yellow cards and one red during Spain's win over the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final.
Webb is among five holdovers from the 2010 World Cup, joined by El Salvador's Joel Aguilar, Uzbekistan's Ravshan Irmatov, Japan's Yuichi Nishimura and New Zealand's Peter O'Leary.
For the first time since 1974, there will be no French referee at the World Cup. Stephane Lannoy, who worked at the 2010 tournament, was on the original long list of candidates but was cut Wednesday.
Referees were picked "on their personality and their quality in football understanding by being able to read the game and the teams' tactical approaches towards each game," FIFA said.
Europe provides nine of the 25 officiating teams, South America has five and Asia four. North and Central American and the Caribbean has three along with Africa, and Oceania has one.
A referee and his assistants can be dropped if they fail a fitness test before the tournament starts June 12.

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David Gordon of Long Branch bested 273 other entries to capture the second Simulcast Series Challenge Qualifier of 2014. In doing so, Gordon took home first prize of $13,700 and automatically qualified - along with the rest of the Top 20 finishers - for the SSC Finals on Saturday, April 26. The Top 10 finishers of the Sunday qualifier also took home cash prizes, while the top two finishers in the Finals earn a berth in the 2015 DRF/NTRA NHC in Las Vegas.
Gordon topped a qualifier that boasted a solid 274 entries and had players contesting races from Gulfstream, Tampa Bay and Calder - the last being a late substitution for a cancelled Aqueduct. Players needed to bet a minimum of $10 a race on a minimum of 10 races from the three tracks in win, place and/or show pools only.
The official Top 20 order of finish is as follows:


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The account of Alma, who was the son of Alma, the first and chief judge over the people of Nephi, and also the high priest over the Church. An account of the reign of the judges, and the wars and contentions among the people. And also an account of a war between the Nephites and the Lamanites, according to the record of Alma, the first and chief judge.
- Chapter 1
Nehor teaches false doctrines, establishes a church, introduces priestcraft, and slays Gideon—Nehor is executed for his crimes—Priestcrafts and persecutions spread among the people—The priests support themselves, the people care for the poor, and the Church prospers. About 91–88 B.C.
- Chapter 2
Amlici seeks to be king and is rejected by the voice of the people—His followers make him king—The Amlicites make war on the Nephites and are defeated—The Lamanites and Amlicites join forces and are defeated—Alma slays Amlici. About 87 B.C.
- Chapter 3
The Amlicites had marked themselves according to the prophetic word—The Lamanites had been cursed for their rebellion—Men bring their own curses upon themselves—The Nephites defeat another Lamanite army. About 87–86 B.C.
- Chapter 4
Alma baptizes thousands of converts—Iniquity enters the Church, and the Church's progress is hindered—Nephihah is appointed chief judge—Alma, as high priest, devotes himself to the ministry. About 86–83 B.C.
The words which Alma, the High Priest according to the holy order of God, delivered to the people in their cities and villages throughout the land.
Beginning with chapter 5.
- Chapter 5
To gain salvation, men must repent and keep the commandments, be born again, cleanse their garments through the blood of Christ, be humble and strip themselves of pride and envy, and do the works of righteousness—The Good Shepherd calls His people—Those who do evil works are children of the devil—Alma testifies of the truth of his doctrine and commands men to repent—The names of the righteous will be written in the book of life. About 83 B.C.
- Chapter 6
The Church in Zarahemla is cleansed and set in order—Alma goes to Gideon to preach. About 83 B.C.
The words of Alma which he delivered to the people in Gideon, according to his own record.
Comprising chapter 7.
- Chapter 7
Christ will be born of Mary—He will loose the bands of death and bear the sins of His people—Those who repent, are baptized, and keep the commandments will have eternal life—Filthiness cannot inherit the kingdom of God—Humility, faith, hope, and charity are required. About 83 B.C.
- Chapter 8
Alma preaches and baptizes in Melek—He is rejected in Ammonihah and leaves—An angel commands him to return and cry repentance unto the people—He is received by Amulek, and the two of them preach in Ammonihah. About 82 B.C.
The words of Alma, and also the words of Amulek, which were declared unto the people who were in the land of Ammonihah. And also they are cast into prison, and delivered by the miraculous power of God which was in them, according to the record of Alma.
Comprising chapters 9 through 14.
- Chapter 9
Alma commands the people of Ammonihah to repent—The Lord will be merciful to the Lamanites in the last days—If the Nephites forsake the light, they will be destroyed by the Lamanites—The Son of God will come soon—He will redeem those who repent, are baptized, and have faith in His name. About 82 B.C.
- Chapter 10
Lehi descended from Manasseh—Amulek recounts the angelic command that he care for Alma—The prayers of the righteous cause the people to be spared—Unrighteous lawyers and judges lay the foundation of the destruction of the people. About 82 B.C.
- Chapter 11
The Nephite monetary system is set forth—Amulek contends with Zeezrom—Christ will not save people in their sins—Only those who inherit the kingdom of heaven are saved—All men will rise in immortality—There is no death after the Resurrection. About 82 B.C.
- Chapter 12
Alma speaks to Zeezrom—The mysteries of God can be given only to the faithful—Men are judged by their thoughts, beliefs, words, and works—The wicked will suffer a spiritual death—This mortal life is a probationary state—The plan of redemption brings to pass the Resurrection and, through faith, a remission of sins—The repentant have a claim on mercy through the Only Begotten Son. About 82 B.C.
- Chapter 13
Men are called as high priests because of their exceeding faith and good works—They are to teach the commandments—Through righteousness they are sanctified and enter into the rest of the Lord—Melchizedek was one of these—Angels are declaring glad tidings throughout the land—They will declare the actual coming of Christ. About 82 B.C.
- Chapter 14
Alma and Amulek are imprisoned and smitten—The believers and their holy scriptures are burned by fire—These martyrs are received by the Lord in glory—The prison walls are rent and fall—Alma and Amulek are delivered, and their persecutors are slain. About 82–81 B.C.
- Chapter 15
Alma and Amulek go to Sidom and establish a church—Alma heals Zeezrom, who joins the Church—Many are baptized, and the Church prospers—Alma and Amulek go to Zarahemla. About 81 B.C.
- Chapter 16
The Lamanites destroy the people of Ammonihah—Zoram leads the Nephites to victory over the Lamanites—Alma and Amulek and many others preach the word—They teach that after His Resurrection Christ will appear to the Nephites. About 81–77 B.C.
An account of the sons of Mosiah, who rejected their rights to the kingdom for the word of God, and went up to the land of Nephi to preach to the Lamanites; their sufferings and deliverance—according to the record of Alma.
Comprising chapters 17 through 27.
- Chapter 17
The sons of Mosiah have the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—They go their several ways to declare the word to the Lamanites—Ammon goes to the land of Ishmael and becomes the servant of King Lamoni—Ammon saves the king's flocks and slays his enemies at the water of Sebus. Verses 1–3, about 77 B.C.; verse 4, about 91–77 B.C.; and verses 5–39, about 91 B.C.
- Chapter 18
King Lamoni supposes that Ammon is the Great Spirit—Ammon teaches the king about the Creation, God's dealings with men, and the redemption that comes through Christ—Lamoni believes and falls to the earth as if dead. About 90 B.C.
- Chapter 19
Lamoni receives the light of everlasting life and sees the Redeemer—His household falls into a trance, and many see angels—Ammon is preserved miraculously—He baptizes many and establishes a church among them. About 90 B.C.
- Chapter 20
The Lord sends Ammon to Middoni to deliver his imprisoned brethren—Ammon and Lamoni meet Lamoni's father, who is king over all the land—Ammon compels the old king to approve the release of his brethren. About 90 B.C.
An account of the preaching of Aaron, and Muloki, and their brethren, to the Lamanites.
Comprising chapters 21 through 25.
- Chapter 21
Aaron teaches the Amalekites about Christ and His Atonement—Aaron and his brethren are imprisoned in Middoni—After their deliverance, they teach in the synagogues and make many converts—Lamoni grants religious freedom to the people in the land of Ishmael. About 90–77 B.C.
- Chapter 22
Aaron teaches Lamoni's father about the Creation, the Fall of Adam, and the plan of redemption through Christ—The king and all his household are converted—The division of the land between the Nephites and the Lamanites is explained. About 90–77 B.C.
- Chapter 23
Religious freedom is proclaimed—The Lamanites in seven lands and cities are converted—They call themselves Anti-Nephi-Lehies and are freed from the curse—The Amalekites and the Amulonites reject the truth. About 90–77 B.C.
- Chapter 24
The Lamanites come against the people of God—The Anti-Nephi-Lehies rejoice in Christ and are visited by angels—They choose to suffer death rather than to defend themselves—More Lamanites are converted. About 90–77 B.C.
- Chapter 25
Lamanite aggressions spread—The seed of the priests of Noah perish as Abinadi prophesied—Many Lamanites are converted and join the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi—They believe in Christ and keep the law of Moses. About 90–77 B.C.
- Chapter 26
Ammon glories in the Lord—The faithful are strengthened by the Lord and are given knowledge—By faith men may bring thousands of souls unto repentance—God has all power and comprehends all things. About 90–77 B.C.
- Chapter 27
The Lord commands Ammon to lead the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi to safety—Upon meeting Alma, Ammon's joy exhausts his strength—The Nephites give the Anti-Nephi-Lehies the land of Jershon—They are called the people of Ammon. About 90–77 B.C.
- Chapter 28
The Lamanites are defeated in a tremendous battle—Tens of thousands are slain—The wicked are consigned to a state of endless woe; the righteous attain a never-ending happiness. About 77–76 B.C.
- Chapter 29
Alma desires to cry repentance with angelic zeal—The Lord grants teachers for all nations—Alma glories in the Lord's work and in the success of Ammon and his brethren. About 76 B.C.
- Chapter 30
Korihor, the anti-Christ, ridicules Christ, the Atonement, and the spirit of prophecy—He teaches that there is no God, no fall of man, no penalty for sin, and no Christ—Alma testifies that Christ will come and that all things denote there is a God—Korihor demands a sign and is struck dumb—The devil had appeared to Korihor as an angel and taught him what to say—Korihor is trodden down and dies. About 76–74 B.C.
- Chapter 31
Alma heads a mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites—The Zoramites deny Christ, believe in a false concept of election, and worship with set prayers—The missionaries are filled with the Holy Spirit—Their afflictions are swallowed up in the joy of Christ. About 74 B.C.
- Chapter 32
Alma teaches the poor whose afflictions had humbled them—Faith is a hope in that which is not seen which is true—Alma testifies that angels minister to men, women, and children—Alma compares the word unto a seed—It must be planted and nourished—Then it grows into a tree from which the fruit of eternal life is picked. About 74 B.C.
- Chapter 33
Zenos taught that men should pray and worship in all places, and that judgments are turned away because of the Son—Zenock taught that mercy is bestowed because of the Son—Moses had lifted up in the wilderness a type of the Son of God. About 74 B.C.
- Chapter 34
Amulek testifies that the word is in Christ unto salvation—Unless an atonement is made, all mankind must perish—The whole law of Moses points toward the sacrifice of the Son of God—The eternal plan of redemption is based on faith and repentance—Pray for temporal and spiritual blessings—This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God—Work out your salvation with fear before God. About 74 B.C.
- Chapter 35
The preaching of the word destroys the craft of the Zoramites—They expel the converts, who then join the people of Ammon in Jershon—Alma sorrows because of the wickedness of the people. About 74 B.C.
The commandments of Alma to his son Helaman.
Comprising chapters 36 and 37.
- Chapter 36
Alma testifies to Helaman of his conversion after seeing an angel—He suffered the pains of a damned soul; he called upon the name of Jesus, and was then born of God—Sweet joy filled his soul—He saw concourses of angels praising God—Many converts have tasted and seen as he has tasted and seen. About 74 B.C.
- Chapter 37
The plates of brass and other scriptures are preserved to bring souls to salvation—The Jaredites were destroyed because of their wickedness—Their secret oaths and covenants must be kept from the people—Counsel with the Lord in all your doings—As the Liahona guided the Nephites, so the word of Christ leads men to eternal life. About 74 B.C.
The commandments of Alma to his son Shiblon.
Comprising chapter 38.
- Chapter 38
Shiblon was persecuted for righteousness' sake—Salvation is in Christ, who is the life and the light of the world—Bridle all your passions. About 74 B.C.
The commandments of Alma to his son Corianton.
Comprising chapters 39 through 42.
- Chapter 39
Sexual sin is an abomination—Corianton's sins kept the Zoramites from receiving the word—Christ's redemption is retroactive in saving the faithful who preceded it. About 74 B.C.
- Chapter 40
Christ brings to pass the resurrection of all men—The righteous dead go to paradise and the wicked to outer darkness to await the day of their resurrection—All things will be restored to their proper and perfect frame in the Resurrection. About 74 B.C.
- Chapter 41
In the Resurrection men come forth to a state of endless happiness or endless misery—Wickedness never was happiness—Carnal men are without God in the world—Every person receives again in the Restoration the characteristics and attributes acquired in mortality. About 74 B.C.
- Chapter 42
Mortality is a probationary time to enable man to repent and serve God—The Fall brought temporal and spiritual death upon all mankind—Redemption comes through repentance—God Himself atones for the sins of the world—Mercy is for those who repent—All others are subject to God's justice—Mercy comes because of the Atonement—Only the truly penitent are saved. About 74 B.C.
- Chapter 43
Alma and his sons preach the word—The Zoramites and other Nephite dissenters become Lamanites—The Lamanites come against the Nephites in war—Moroni arms the Nephites with defensive armor—The Lord reveals to Alma the strategy of the Lamanites—The Nephites defend their homes, liberties, families, and religion—The armies of Moroni and Lehi surround the Lamanites. About 74 B.C.
- Chapter 44
Moroni commands the Lamanites to make a covenant of peace or be destroyed—Zerahemnah rejects the offer, and the battle resumes—Moroni's armies defeat the Lamanites. About 74–73 B.C.
The account of the people of Nephi, and their wars and dissensions, in the days of Helaman, according to the record of Helaman, which he kept in his days.
Comprising chapters 45 through 62.
- Chapter 45
Helaman believes the words of Alma—Alma prophesies the destruction of the Nephites—He blesses and curses the land—Alma may have been taken up by the Spirit, even as Moses—Dissension grows in the Church. About 73 B.C.
- Chapter 46
Amalickiah conspires to be king—Moroni raises the title of liberty—He rallies the people to defend their religion—True believers are called Christians—A remnant of Joseph will be preserved—Amalickiah and the dissenters flee to the land of Nephi—Those who will not support the cause of freedom are put to death. About 73–72 B.C.
- Chapter 47
Amalickiah uses treachery, murder, and intrigue to become king of the Lamanites—The Nephite dissenters are more wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites. About 72 B.C.
- Chapter 48
Amalickiah incites the Lamanites against the Nephites—Moroni prepares his people to defend the cause of the Christians—He rejoices in liberty and freedom and is a mighty man of God. About 72 B.C.
- Chapter 49
The invading Lamanites are unable to take the fortified cities of Ammonihah and Noah—Amalickiah curses God and swears to drink the blood of Moroni—Helaman and his brethren continue to strengthen the Church. About 72 B.C.
- Chapter 50
Moroni fortifies the lands of the Nephites—They build many new cities—Wars and destructions befell the Nephites in the days of their wickedness and abominations—Morianton and his dissenters are defeated by Teancum—Nephihah dies, and his son Pahoran fills the judgment seat. About 72–67 B.C.
- Chapter 51
The king-men seek to change the law and set up a king—Pahoran and the freemen are supported by the voice of the people—Moroni compels the king-men to defend their country or be put to death—Amalickiah and the Lamanites capture many fortified cities—Teancum repels the Lamanite invasion and slays Amalickiah in his tent. About 67–66 B.C.
- Chapter 52
Ammoron succeeds Amalickiah as king of the Lamanites—Moroni, Teancum, and Lehi lead the Nephites in a victorious war against the Lamanites—The city of Mulek is retaken, and Jacob the Zoramite is slain. About 66–64 B.C.
- Chapter 53
The Lamanite prisoners are used to fortify the city Bountiful—Dissensions among the Nephites give rise to Lamanite victories—Helaman takes command of the two thousand stripling sons of the people of Ammon. About 64–63 B.C.
- Chapter 54
Ammoron and Moroni negotiate for the exchange of prisoners—Moroni demands that the Lamanites withdraw and cease their murderous attacks—Ammoron demands that the Nephites lay down their arms and become subject to the Lamanites. About 63 B.C.
- Chapter 55
Moroni refuses to exchange prisoners—The Lamanite guards are enticed to become drunk, and the Nephite prisoners are freed—The city of Gid is taken without bloodshed. About 63–62 B.C.
- Chapter 56
Helaman sends an epistle to Moroni, recounting the state of the war with the Lamanites—Antipus and Helaman gain a great victory over the Lamanites—Helaman's two thousand stripling sons fight with miraculous power, and none of them are slain. Verse 1, about 62 B.C.; verses 2–19, about 66 B.C.; and verses 20–57, about 65–64 B.C.
- Chapter 57
Helaman recounts the taking of Antiparah and the surrender and later the defense of Cumeni—His Ammonite striplings fight valiantly; all are wounded, but none are slain—Gid reports the slaying and the escape of the Lamanite prisoners. About 63 B.C.
- Chapter 58
Helaman, Gid, and Teomner take the city of Manti by a stratagem—The Lamanites withdraw—The sons of the people of Ammon are preserved as they stand fast in defense of their liberty and faith. About 63–62 B.C.
- Chapter 59
Moroni asks Pahoran to strengthen the forces of Helaman—The Lamanites take the city of Nephihah—Moroni is angry with the government. About 62 B.C.
- Chapter 60
Moroni complains to Pahoran of the government's neglect of the armies—The Lord suffers the righteous to be slain—The Nephites must use all of their power and means to deliver themselves from their enemies—Moroni threatens to fight against the government unless help is supplied to his armies. About 62 B.C.
- Chapter 61
Pahoran tells Moroni of the insurrection and rebellion against the government—The king-men take Zarahemla and are in league with the Lamanites—Pahoran asks for military aid against the rebels. About 62 B.C.
- Chapter 62
Moroni marches to the aid of Pahoran in the land of Gideon—The king-men who refuse to defend their country are put to death—Pahoran and Moroni retake Nephihah—Many Lamanites join the people of Ammon—Teancum slays Ammoron and is in turn slain—The Lamanites are driven from the land, and peace is established—Helaman returns to the ministry and builds up the Church. About 62–57 B.C.
- Chapter 63
Shiblon and later Helaman take possession of the sacred records—Many Nephites travel to the land northward—Hagoth builds ships, which sail forth in the west sea—Moronihah defeats the Lamanites in battle. About 56–52 B.C.


text:
20650 Surnames | 135483 Records | 2768 Reunions
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Photo #68377
Last Name: Kramer
First Name : George
Middle Name:
Subject's City: Erie
Subject's State: PA
Subject's County: Erie
Subject's Country: United States
Date: 1921-1940
Photographer's City:
Photographer's State:
Type** : B&W
Comments: George Kramer (Nee: ) | Erie PA United States | 1921-1940 | Comments: George Kramer came to Lancaster, PA, before entry of the United States into WW1. His purpose was to avoid being drafted into the German army. His uncle was a Kunzler who ran a butcher business in Lancaster. He boarded with my grandparents; both he and my grandfather were threatened with lynching after the USA entered the war against Germany, despite the fact that he was a pacifist. A brother died in the sinking of a German U-boat, which left him heartbroken. My father remembered him as a very kind person who enjoyed poetry and literature.
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text:
Hmmm it felt weird curling my hair at this length...
Enjoy the rest of your day!
I love the Conical wand!!
Great look :) Your so pretty!!
Ive lost my blacktrack fluidline :(!!!
Hey! Have you tried RIVERSOL skin care? It is beyond amazing <3 Five Star hydration concept, and is being used by TOP makeup artits in North America.
I love this product! you can get free samples on line at http://www.riversol.com
warm wishes
I use the Boobi Brown skin foundation and today i had 3 women ask me how i have such good skin. I was like.. its make-up!!!
Hope your skin calms down soon..orange flower water??
Love that hair on you!! x
BEAUTIFUL!! The conical wand is my absolute favourite :) xxx
Great FOTD! I also have problems with scars from old acne and I recently went into Neals Yard to pick up some of the items you recommended and I also asked the girl in there what she recommended for scars and she suggested Rosehip Oil. Just thought I would mention it because I know its such a big thing for me and wanted to share with you. :) x
i love the curly look but i have a problem with how long it takes and it not staying in for the day. Is the conical better than the old fashioned tong? Also how long does it take you and from washing your hair, what do you put in your hair ie. mousse etc and anything to set it? Thanks
I love the fotd-you look beautiful as usual! Maybe your breakouts are caused by stress? I tend to break out more when I'm really stressed about things like exams.
BEAUTIFUL! Your hair looks gorgeous :D
hi hun...you look so pretty and i quite like the simpel look..the lips really look natural..liking the combo on you.. i suggest you use nyx smokey look lipgloss,if you would ever order online..because that would look smokin hot on you..as for the skin issue..i know exactly what ur going through cuz last weekend i broke out on one side of my face..grrrrrr ..i think because of either olive oil (which i used as a makeup cleanser) or my foundation.. i really recommend honey for a month so you can see if it will make a difference..it worked good on my scars and my scars are a lot darker..well good luck xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The hair's really nice.
Beautiful! I am growing my hair out and can't wait until it's long enough for the conical wand!
I have had awful skin to due exams lately, lots of spots and dry red, sore skin. Not a pretty sight.
Have you tried any Decelor products yet? I highly recommend!
beautiful!! u have beautiful skin and eyes, girl! love your hair!
Didn't know you were the same age as I am :) Love your hair. xxx
Your hair looks lush! Can't wait until my hairs long enough to curl, its currently growing out from a tragic pixie cut :(
Have you tried bio oil for the acne scarimg? It works a treat if you use it nightly and it doesnt feel greasy at all!
Btw which conical wand do you use?
Much Love xx
what the hell!?!? Me too my skin has been a bastard ;( what's up in the air huh? Well, THANK GOD for makeup is all I can say... master of disguise. You look insatiable as always doll ;)
I know how you feel about the skin issues!
Mine has suddenly gone mad again..don't know whats caused it this time. Last time Cetaphil was the cause that made my forehead CRAZY!
It's so annoying isn't it, it's like a never ending bloody battle. Hopefully it'll calm down soon x
looks fab! I need to get one of those conical wands. This is very similar to the look I do everyday. Love it you look gorge!
luv ur blogs-sad to hear about your skin playing up!
i noticed the same with mine recently- I found that i was getting both a mixture of cystic acne and small raised white heads all over- this was esp distressing because i had such clear skin before...
having refused to not believe that my makeup was the cause(since i am obsessed with makeup)-i rellised that there was a link between the break out and the makeup- i found that after not wearing any makeup (yikes yes) for about 3 days it improved. I reintroduced them one by one to find it was the highly pigmented stuff- like the bright mac lipsticks in saint germain, barry m lip colours and nyx round lipsticks...
this is soooo sad because i love the finishes they give...
try switching lipsticks n eyeshadows.may not be foundation-good luck and stay gorgeouss!!
beautiful! I love the curls.
Than you so much for your recommendations and kind words, i really appreciate it. x
@Tali I know the skin foundation is amazing :) my husband even keeps complimenting :) I may have to turn to the orange flower once I get some money :)
@Jo yeah the rosehip seed oil is great, i have that too but hardly ever usae it, thanks for reminding me :) Neals Yard is truly amazing :)
@littlemissmakeup the conical wand is so nice to have as it gives a different effect to the tong, its more "beachy" and tousled. I use a serum and then the heat protector by CHI. x
@Rosa ur 100% right, im SO stressed right now, so they are probably stress related, but im going to add and eliminate some products to see if anythings triggering it off. x
@sherona thanks hun, i will def order the smokey lipgloss if i do ever place an online order or ill request it in a swap, thanks :) hope ur skin clears up too xxxx
@belledujour decleor is probably the only brand i havent tried :) hmmm
@jagratti i used to use bio oil so much and loved it and then it stopped working for me as my skin got too used to it, the conical wand is by babylis, £24.95 (boots)
@anonymous wow i went a whole week without makeup but they were still appearing, like i got some on the side of my face, now its moved to the forhead and chin, its a real pain. luckily i think mines hormonal and stress related, and possibly some irritation caused by products? i will keep u all informed.
Hi, I have been viewing yur blog for a while, and its my first time contacting you, im lovin your style n make up technique. If i could give a suggestions bout skin routine im not in the beauty/ fashion area, im 30 yrs old combi skin NC42 skin tone brown hair n eye colour n there is really nothing i haven tried tested i have used decleor, philosophy, elemis as well as high street products from boots superdrug. My best bet is less is more! I have had many skin upsets over the years, from make up n skin products (n life), please try using homemade goods as follows, as my skin has improved greatly in past few years months. Gram flour (chickpea flour or chana dal pls google found in indian food store or tesco, mixed with rose water to make face mask once a week,u b amazed wit results. fresh cherry tomatoes 2 reduce scarring ( treatment), rose water as toner, n DERMAVEEN SOAP FREE WASH 5.5PH BALANCED (pls google), 2 wash face with (lovin), n AQUEOUS CREAM B.P available everywhere as moisturiser. & intensive spot treatment available at chemist called BREVOXYL- benzoyl peroxide cream- brill- drink loadz water babe n regulate sugar! please let me know how u get on, n stay lucky. xxxxx
JAY x
Sorry to hear about the skin troubles. I have to agree with anon on the chickpea flour with tomato juice, it works wonders for the skin.
Have you added any new hair care products? I find that some of the serums/glossing finishes for hair makes me breakout on the face.
And oh make sure you wipe your cell phone with some alcohol based wipes regularly, I was breaking out on the cheek and chin only on one side .... the culprit was my cellphone!!!
Hope it clears up
When men complimemt make-up you know its good stuff! Hubby has great taste! :)
Omg I thought my skin was so weird! I had FLAWLESS skin up until I was 20. I feel like I'm going backwards! Maybe it's just adult stress or more makeup products, but either way, it really sucks being in your 20's and breaking out! lol
Sorry to hear about your skin giving you trouble, although I wouldn't be able to tell from the pics...
You don't seem to have any acne scarring to me...are you sure it's not sth that a exfoliating/moisturizing combo over time can't help decrease...? xoxo
Hi sweet Bubble!!
I have had the same skin trouble for the past years. Actually, I was a teen without any spots and they hit me at university and now they never go...
Hope we can find the cure soon, hun.
Thanks for the response, what serum do you use? Also can you use the heat protector spray on dry hair, you see ive cut out blow drying as my hair is in bad condition as it is, so I wash my hair at night and sleep on it damp but so its pointless putting the spray on then as it will have lost effect by morning i would imagine. Im currently using a Charles Worthington one but i dont think its protecting my hair, its still as breakable at the ends. :(
You're beautiful! :)


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Glasses Malone Gets Pulled Over By Cops While Leavin His Friends House!
itzDubb reports "Raper Glasses Malone get harrassed after leaving rapper Dubb's house. "
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Mark Morrison
Mark Morrison has a deep interest in health and well-being. Before joining the Peace Corps he worked as a residential counselor for the Seattle Association for the Jewish Disabled, where he found a role for mental health patients to help other patients and to take greater responsibility for their own well-being.
As a Peace Corps volunteer in Samoa he conducted a survey of the special needs population on the island of Savaii, organized construction of a playground and restoration of the Marist Centre for Special Learning, and implemented the first-ever special needs sports and culture days on the island.
Commenting on his decision to come to Duquesne's Policy Center, Mark said, "After Peace Corps, I was looking for a graduate program that would allow me to study a broad range of subjects affecting international development and social justice."
Mark wanted to work at an international relief organization. When he interviewed at Brother's Brother Foundation they hired him on the spot, and he worked there throughout his two years as a Peace Corps Fellow. His supervisor at Brother's Brother wrote, "Mark's help during the hurricanes in 2005 was outstanding. His extra hands made [our work] lighter, and he helped so many in need in his home area of Louisiana."
In the Policy Center Mark concentrated on Policy Analysis and Administration. Building on his interest in health care, his thesis analyzed the role of traditional medicine in modern healthcare policy development in West Africa. "The Social and Public Policy Center at Duquesne University has provided both a positive social network and a very valuable academic experience," Mark said at the time of his graduation.
Brother's Brother offered Mark full-time work as he neared the end of his studies. "For me, it is a perfect fit," said Mark. "I get to live in a wonderful city and remain close to friends and family while continuing to make a positive impact in the lives of many thousands of people around the world who are less fortunate."
Mark took over Brother's Brother's humanitarian program two weeks before school ended, closing out the programs from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the South Asian tsumani. He also worked to bring in a major corporate donor—CROCS shoes—especially helpful for coastal regions damaged by floods. Between May and September 2007 Mark shipped more than 30 containers (10,000 pairs of shoes per container) to over twenty countries, where the shoes are being used as an incentive to attract school-aged children to HIV/AIDS education events. Another initiative involved providing minor surgical instruments to community-based clinics in rural regions throughout Africa.
In April 2008 Mark left Brother's Brother and began work as a community-based rehabilitation advisor for the Belgian NGO, Handicap International in Cambodia. Overseeing a team of 12 young Cambodian field staff, he worked to develop self-help social action groups of disabled people in 48 villages in Siem Reap Province. Mark traveled throughout the country to meet with people in need, focusing on social networking, empowerment, and mobilization.
As his initial contract was about to expire, Mark accepted a new position with Handicap International as Country Disability Advisor. In this capacity he oversees Handicap International in Cambodia's four programs: landmine action, prevention, rehabilitation, and social integration/human rights. He also has responsibility for the company's five-year strategic plan for the country.


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Corinthian Routered Paint BUSHP Series
- Invalid download ID.
Corinthian BAL40 Routered Paint BUSHP Series
Living in Australia offers a lifestyle beyond compare. But the threat of bushfires is never far from your doorstep and needs to be considered when building or renovating. Australian Standards outline different construction practices and building materials for five bushfire hazard levels, known as Bushfire Attack Levels (BALs).
BAL 12.5: Low
BAL 19: Moderate
BAL 29: High
BAL 40: Very high
BAL FZ: Flame zone
The Corinthian Bushfire BAL40 doors are designed and manufactured to meet the regulatory requirements of building in a designated bushfire zone with BAL40 standards . This door is non-glazed and primed finished routered door ready for painting. To determine your home's BAL rating, and any special requirements for building in your area, consult your local council, government, or local fire authority.


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Who Lived In It?
- Index to the Great Register of Voters, 1867 - 1900-1940 online.
- After verifying the Assembly District in which the house was sited, you may find the address, name, age, political affiliation, and sometimes the occupation of the building occupants. The 1867 index is available through www.sfgenealogy.com.
- Index to Great Register of Voters, 1867 - 1922 is available online through Family Search (a free FamilySearch account is required to access the digitized images).
- Through Ancestry Library Edition (available at the Main Library and Branches only) search the California Voter Registrations, 1900-1968 database. For San Francisco the database covers 1900–1940. The database can be searched using the address in quotes through the keyword function.
- United States Federal Census - available through HeritageQuest Online (from outside of the library, San Francisco Public Library card and PIN/password are required to access the database).
- For San Francisco the census dates available are 1860-1940.
- San Francisco City Directories - 1850+ online (Search as "San Francisco directory").
- Use the name of the possible owner or occupant of your property to check the city directories backward and forward from the water date to determine whether that person lived at that address, the length of occupancy of that person, as well as his or her occupation. "Reverse directories," which list the owner or occupant by street address, appear in the directories beginning in 1953.
- San Francisco Blue Book.
- Published annually, some editions list socialites by street address.
- San Francisco, Colma, Daly City Street Address List, 1933.
- Lists addresses alphabetically by street name, with the name of the person or business at that location.
Who Owned It?
- San Francisco Block Book, 1894, 1901, January 1906, October 1906, 1907 (Homesteads only), 1909/1910.
- Indicates lot sizes and the names of property owners.
- Office of the Assessor-Recorder (City Hall, Room 190, 415-554-5596).
- Find ownership records and transfers of property from 1914 to the present. Locate block and lot numbers through the San Francisco Property Information Map.
How Old Is It?
- Sanborn Map Company Fire Insurance Maps, 1886-1950 online (Digital Sanborn Maps for California OR in color FIMO Fire Insurance Maps Online);and 1905 online (David Rumsey Historical Map Collection)
- Published to help assess fire risk for buildings, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps show the footprint for every building in the city. These maps also indicate type of construction, use of structures, addresses, and, sometimes, the names of businesses. Ask for the index at the information desk. SFHC has the only 1905 set in both print and microfilm.
Are There Any Photos Of It?
- San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection
- Search for a building by using the How To Find Photographs of San Francisco Building Guide.
Are There Any Articles Written About It?
- San Francisco Public Library
- San Francisco Chronicle Historical (Newsbank), 1865-1974 (from outside the library, a San Francisco Public Library card and PIN are required to access the database).
- California Digital Newspaper Collection
- San Francisco Call, Apr. 1890-Feb. 1913
Daily Alta California, Dec. 1849-Jun. 1891
- Chronicling America - Library of Congress
- San Francisco Call, 1895-1913
- Architect and Engineer, online (1909-1959).
- Index: for 1930-1959 (vol. 103-217) online Art Full Text (Wilson)
- To limit your search to this journal, enter "Architect and Engineer" and select "Journal Name" from the pull-down menu. (from outside of the library, a San Francisco Public Library card and PIN are required to access the database). Please note: Art Full Text only indexes this journal.
- San Francisco Heritage Newsletter / The Foundation for San Francisco's Architectural Heritage.
- 2000-to date online.
Guides And Helpful Hints
- Research Resources Useful for Researching Historic Buildings
- William Kostura, 1997.
- How to Research Your San Francisco Building
- Jean Kortum, Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board, 1992.
- Find building research tips on our blog:
- www.sfhcbasc.blogspot.com


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Welcome to Milford Hospital. Whether you are a patient or a visitor at our hospital, you can expect that over 800 dedicated employees, physicians and volunteers will be working tirelessly to ensure that you receive excellent care in a safe and comfortable environment.
As a leading healthcare provider in Southern Connecticut, Milford Hospital provides quality, compassionate and cost-effective services that continually meet and exceed our patient needs. I hope you will consider the many quality healthcare services available to you at our hospital and off-site facilities and providers. We offer high quality health care, the most advanced technologies and skilled physicians and nurses who are passionate about what they do.
We hope that this website will provide you with detailed information about Milford Hospital's programs and services. In addition, we would like it to be a resource to you and your family for health and wellness information.
Through this site, we can help you find a Milford Hospital doctor, a quality center of excellence, employment opportunities, volunteering and more. We invite you to explore this site and get to know your community hospital, one that prides itself in medical excellence and personal care!
Thank you for choosing Milford Hospital!


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For city slickers who believe that the bulk of U.S. farmers are illiterate hicks who don't have the brains to make it in the real world, they are themselves ignorant of the tremendous technological advancements made 'down on the farm' over the last few decades.
It's really not surprising that most big city kids think their food magically appears on the store shelves of their local grocery store and haven't an inkling what goes into its production. And many adults have never had the pleasure and opportunity to pick a peach from a fruit orchard, or walk down a field row planted in cucumbers. The truth is that the stereotypic images of yesteryear – of fields filled with cotton pickers and rusty old tractors pulling heavy plows partially hidden in a dust cloud – have been replaced by complicated and sophisticated machinery that in actuality take a lot of smarts to operate.
Suffice it to say that modern agriculture has turned the corner in eliminating a lot of the back-breaking toil many of us associate with farming. These achievements in state-of-the-art farming methods have been developed over decades by growers, academic researchers, Extension agents, and technology companies. Put simply, if growers could use one word to describe the future of agriculture it would be "precision."
To describe the almost unbelievable aspects of modern farming technology, consider a tractor pulling a fertilizer/planter that needs no driver. The equipment is controlled by a sophisticated computer guidance system called Real-Time Kinetics. It uses satellite GPS but also receives signals from a nearby tower. The path it follows is "auto-steered" to the inch so that it achieves "controlled wheel traffic." This means that a large percentage of this field is never driven over or compressed by the weight of the equipment. The lack of overlap pays for the system, but the lack of soil compression dramatically lowers emissions of the potent, ozone destroying and greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide from the field.
Found in the tractor cab is a display unit showing how the rate of fertilizer being applied is adjusted foot-by-foot according to site-specific yield history and soil sampling maps. The fertilizer is "knifed in" just the right distance below the seed so that the developing crop roots will efficiently absorb it. This "precision, variable-rate fertilization" pays for itself in lower fertilizer rates overall, but it greatly reduces the amount of nitrogen that could potentially leach into groundwater.
Precision pays for itself
A combination of global positioning systems, aerial imaging, field mapping and soil sampling can achieve two important main goals: fewer input costs and better yields. The precision approach results in less runoff, so ditches and waterways don't receive as much fertilizer, meaning less pollution. This precision equipment is now one-fifth the cost it was when it was released about eight years ago.
According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, American producers can save significant quantities of energy by implementing precision agriculture practices on their land. For example, if guidance systems were used by 10 percent of the planted acres in the U.S., fuel use would be cut by 16 million gallons, herbicide use by 2 million quarts, and insecticide use by 4 million pounds per year. Less fuel, natural gas, herbicide, and insecticide used on the farm results in financial savings for the producer.
Lastly, using a guidance system on a 1,000-acre farm with a continuous corn crop would reduce overlap from 24 inches to 2 inches, and result in savings of roughly $13,000 a year. Producers find that a guidance system can pay for itself in just two to three years.
You can be impressed by ag's high-tech advancements which represent American innovation at its finest, but farming innovation doesn't stop there. With the scientific breakthroughs in plant biotechnology the innovation can be found in the very seeds that farmers plant and in the products they use to protect their crops. Here the "precision" is in the gene splicing. The facts are that more farmers now plant insect-resistant seeds that require far fewer chemical inputs than conventional varieties. These biotech plant innovations mean that farmers can increase productivity per acre and reduce the need for pesticides. In addition, the adoption of biotechnology has encouraged the use of no-till cultivation, which reduces both herbicide use and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, biotechnology ensures a more affordable and reliable supply of food and fiber for the consuming public.
I realize that the promotion of plant biotech seeds is a sore spot among certain environmental groups, who, if given their choice, would like to see it disappear. But, the evidence is clear that the biotech crops currently on the market are safe to eat and pose no environmental harm. In testimony over the summer delivered to a House Agriculture subcommittee, Roger Beachy, president emeritus of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Mo., said as much.
"Since regulations were first put in place for the products of agricultural biotechnology in 1987, more than 2 billion acres of crops have been grown and harvested in at least 29 countries around the world," Beachy testified.
"These crops have been grown by 15.4 million farmers, 14.4 million of whom are small, resource-poor farmers in developing countries. The harvests of these crops have been consumed in billions upon billions of meals by humans and livestock around the world for the better part of two decades now. In all this vast experience, we have not a single consequence of a novel, negative consequence for health or the environment – not one."
Considering the fact that the world's population will climb to 9 billion by 2050, the potential for feeding a hungry world through innovations such as precision ag and plant biotech research are nearly limitless. These scientific advancements are safe, sustainable and serve consumers by ensuring an abundant and affordable food supply. And given the global food challenges in the future, no one will argue that they will be desperately needed.


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The broker is a Java process that runs in and is supported by the host JVM. As a result, JVM processing is an important determinant of how fast and efficiently a broker can route and deliver messages.
In particular, the JVM's management of memory resources can be critical. Sufficient memory has to be allocated to the JVM to accommodate increasing memory loads. In addition, the JVM periodically reclaims unused memory, and this memory reclamation can delay message processing. The larger the JVM memory heap, the longer the potential delay that might be experienced during memory reclamation.


text:
Norm St. G. needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 97 designs submitted by 37 freelance designers.
APS Lighting-Sound-AV
I founded this company seven years ago to fill a void in our region. Hard work and dedication has paid off and we've become the main resource for sound, lighting and audio visual equipment for theatre and events in southern NH. We pride ourselves in making the customer look good.
Norm St. Germain
We will use the new logo for all forms of media as we target potential corporate, educational and theatrical customers. All marketing materials will utilize the new logo.
This is what I'm looking for:
- something slick, colorful, but simple. We must be able to use this in all forms of media including print (may need to be converted to B&W), web, and signage.
- Company color is Royal Blue, please use in design.
- Our business is "show business", have fun!
- You can see our current logo at: apslightingnh.com.
- We need something straightforward and professional.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.