How You Can Help Typhoon Haiyan Victims
Millions of people in the Philippines need help after Typhoon Haiyan ripped through the country -- and relief organizations are already on the ground. (A U.S. military commander told NPR that it "looks like a 50-mile-wide tornado" flattened everything in one city.) Here's a listing of groups that are assisting with the typhoon relief effort:
UNICEF says that as many as 4 million children could be affected by the disaster. Children need shelter, clean water, medicine and food. UNICEF staff in the Philippines are working to help. In Copenhagen, 60 metric tons of emergency supplies — for children's health, medical and shelter needs — have been prepared for an emergency airlift. To donate, click here. Or call 1-800-FOR-KIDS.
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is also helping in the Philippines. The Red Cross said it deployed two disaster relief specialists over the weekend to assist in the assessment and relief efforts. The Red Cross is also sending telecommunication specialists and a satellite system. Philippine Red Cross volunteer rescue and relief teams are assisting in search and rescue efforts and distributing food and relief supplies to survivors. Currently, 1,200 evacuation centers are housing more than 330,000 people left homeless by the storm, the Red Cross reports. To donate, click here.


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This month’s Health Policy News Index finds more than six in 10 say they followed
news about long waiting lists for those seeking care at Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities closely.
That makes the VA story the most closely followed health story in the first half of 2014, with slightly
more people following it than followed several ACA enrollment stories earlier this year.
Drew Altman, in The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, discusses how the Department of Veterans Affairs health system scandal creates an opportunity for a fix, maybe with bipartisan support.
Drew Altman, in The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, discusses “what lessons NOT to learn” from the recent healthcare.gov and VA health care failures.
This partnership poll from The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation explores the views and experiences of adults who served in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars as members of the U.S. military in the period after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The majority of veterans of these conflicts say that Americans appreciate their service and that gestures of support are genuine, but many report a number of challenges, including economic struggles, worse physical and mental health than prior to their engagement, and feeling disconnected from civilian life.
This report provides an overview of the Department of Defense’s infectious disease efforts related to global health. The report looks at how DoD’s infectious disease activities are organized internally and coordinated with other U.S. government agencies and partners.
The Department of Defense’s Role in U.S. Global Health Policy and Programs: Briefing and Panel Discussion
This event examines the role of the Department of Defense (DoD) in global health and how it intersects with the global health efforts of the U.S. government (USG) and other organizations.
This report provides the first comprehensive look at the role of the Department of Defense (DoD) in global health, examining its organizational structure, activities, strategy, policy, and budget for activities related to global health.


Randy Neugebauer talked Farm Bill, Unemployment, and Other Hot Topics [Audio]
Monday on Lubbock’s First News, Congressman Randy Neugebauer talked about the efforts to decide on a Farm Bill and Budget agreement, along with the unemployment benefits, and the Affordable Care Act.
He said that farmers are hoping for progress so they can begin planning for the 2014 crop. Farm Bill and a provision for unemployment benefits together. He said the idea is that the savings of the Farm Bill can make up for the costs of extending the benefits. Neugebauer believes combining the issues is bad policy and should not be placed together for voting. “The unemployment benefits is a different issue and we need to take that issue and address it separately.”
Neugebauer noted the progress toward approving a budget. He discussed the necessity of forming a bill that can be approved by the January 15 deadline. He also discussed the negative effects of the Affordable Care Act and how that might affect the November elections.
Listen to the full interview:
Or listen on your mobile device: KFYO LFN Randy Neugebauer January 06 2014 // KFYO.com


When it comes to investing, if you have no idea what you’re doing, you’re very well may end up losing a lot of money. Becoming successful with investments isn’t an overnight thing; it takes a great deal of studying the market and understanding how everything works. For those first time investors out there, here are a few tips.
Understand the Market and Stick to What You Know
It’s important that you take business classes to help you understand how things work. This will require at least a semester of studying. The University of the Potomac has a wide selection of business classes that will help when it comes time to invest. There’s also a ton of articles and books dedicated to investing.
When you invest your money, stick with what you know. For example, if you work with technology, stick with technology companies. Never invest in something that you know nothing about just because you think it’ll surge. Blindly investing in things will get you nowhere.
View Things Long-Term
There’s a lot of risks associated with investing, and if you’re in this for pure profit, you’ll be sorely disappointed. That being said, if you invest in things for the long haul, you will likely see better results. Things take a while to grow, and investments are no different. You should be prepared to hold on to your investments for at least five years.
Diversify and Globalize Your Portfolio
Rather than placing all of your proverbial eggs in one basket, spread out your investment. By diversifying your portfolio, you’re strengthening your investments. If one fails, the other will make up for it. A great balance to your investments is crucial, and you’re more likely to have success. Also consider investing in multiple asset classes.
Diversifying your portfolio is the best option, but globally diversifying it is ideal. Different countries have different economic strengths, so you may have more luck with an investment in an emerging economy versus an investment domestically. There’s a number of technology based specialist funds that you can invest in, such as AXA Framlington Global Technology Funds.
Freeze Your Emotions
This one is extremely important. When it comes to investments, you have to understand that things will go up and down. They’ll reach new highs, and they’ll dip to new lows, but the important thing is that you don’t have a knee-jerk reaction to it. React with what you know, not with how you feel. Reacting based purely on emotion is a great way to lose a lot of money.
Avoid Popular Choices and Don’t Pay Attention to History
Just because a ton of people are investing in a certain thing doesn’t mean it’s a great choice. Remember the dot com crash around the year 2000? Use your training and knowledge and invest for the long haul. Stick with what you know and invest in things that you feel will turn a profit in a few years.
The performance of the thing you’re investing is not an indicator of how the investment will perform in the future. Researching the history of an investment and investing based on the history alone is an extremely risky move and will likely make you lose a lot of money. You should invest with no expectations of future performance based on history.
Even if you’ve had all the training in the world, getting help from a professional would be a great idea. Stockbrokers or certified financial planners will be able to solve any issues that you have and can assist you in building up your portfolio.
Investing isn’t easy. It’s extremely unlikely that you put your money in something and see an immediate return. If you use these tips, however, you’re going to be infinitely more ready than a lot of other first-time investors. Can you think of any other tips you’d give to first-time investors? Did you have any luck the first time you invested? Leave a comment below and let us know.


By Kyle Barry (I possess the sole rights to all the photo's in this post and do not permit any use what so ever with out my sole consent)
Landscape photography is among the favourite choices for a great number of enthusiast photographers. No matter where you live you will always be surrounded by landscapes begging to be captured. Landscapes are ever changing from dusk til dawn and season to season making each shot unique by nature.
For landscapes you should ensure you have the following gear:
- Spare batteries: for your camera and flash gun (you don't know how long you'll be waiting for that right moment and how many photo's you'll take to get there)
- Lenses: The lens of choice is a wide angle lens (in the 16-85mm range) if your kit allows it an ultra wide angle lens (12-24mm) should also accompany you. Fish eye lenses make for interesting shots but are not essential as well as a short telephoto lens.
- Camera body: this goes without saying.
- Filters: Neutral density (ND) filters are a favourite as they allow for long exposures and eliminate over-exposure. UV filters and polarizing filters should always be in your kit bag as it increases colour saturation and limits reflections on surfaces such as water. Colour filters are nice to have but not essential as you can just retouch and apply in the post-processing stage.
- Tripod: Tripods work great for steady shots and opt for a a lightweight tripod as you'll be carrying it a lot. If you are worried that a lightweight tripod may not be stable ensure that the center column has a hook for you to hang your kit bag, this will ensure balance and sturdiness.
- Remote release: this is not essential but great to have for long exposures to minimise camera shake. If you do not have one set your camera's timer and take it from there.
Always be aware of the rule of thirds this will result in balanced shots, look at lines running through your shot specifically the horizon which should be in the upper or lower third of the frame. look at where the sun is in your frame, try having it on the side as you'll get interesting shadows and often favourable lens flare. Always find something that leads you into the shot for example a walkway, river, road etc.
Make use of the foreground
Taking pictures with your camera in portrait orientation will result in strong images especially where there is detailed foreground. In portrait orientation you can create a sense of distance and scale making images look more dramatic. Try shooting at low angles to get close to the foreground and bring out the textures that it possesses. Look to find rocks, water, flowers etc.
Even though blue skies might sound like the ideal weather conditions for landscape photography bad weather boasts the most exciting shots. Thick grey clouds and stormy weather creates amazing textures and really tells stories when you look at the picture. It's all about waiting as you never know what the weather will do next, one moment the skies may be dull and lifeless the next moment clouds may part and rays of light might create an eloquent backdrop! So bad weather is not always bad news, be patient!
I'll leave you with this final thought, photography is an art, not a science! There is no right and wrong there are only guidelines! Don't be afraid to bend or break the rules and always challenge yourself and experiment with what you are doing!


Curtain Call: A deaf in the family
|By Mary C. Cusack|
Peppermint Creek drama explores family communication in a different wayFor those who have wished they could tune out their family during a Christmas fight over who ruined the childhood of whom, Peppermint Creek Theatre Co.’s “Tribes” will serve as a cautionary tale. There is a fate worse than suffering petty familial bickering: Sitting on the sidelines in silence.
“Tribes” is a tightly written, multi-layered story about a person’s role in various social structures. Billy (Devin Fraught) was born deaf to a hearing family. They raised him to read lips and speak instead of learning sign language. His well-meaning parents believed this would give him a more normal life.
As the play opens, all of the adult children have returned to the nest, lorded over by former professor Christopher (Michael Hays) and aspiring novelist Beth (Jackie Payne). Eldest son Daniel (Chad Badgero) is in the throes of a break-up, and vacillates between writing a dissertation and smoking pot. Daughter Ruth (Crysta Harper) is trying to build a career as a singer.
Billy comes home from college and is thrust into the non-stop chaos of a family of creative types who are constantly trying to hoard all of the attention. Their fast-paced patter is more than even a hearing person can process, so Billy has no chance of keeping up. Instead he sits quietly, waiting for someone to fill him in on the goings-on.
Billy meets Sylvia (Meghan Malusek), a woman born to deaf parents who is gradually losing her hearing. She teaches Billy to sign, and he soon embraces the deaf community and culture. He finally feels a sense of belonging, which leads him to perceive that he’s been a mascot for, not a member of, his family.
Although the script investigates relationships in multiple configurations, the most fascinating is that between Daniel and Billy. In the beginning, Daniel is too wrapped up in his own melodrama to pay attention to Billy, and at times seems either jealous or resentful of his brother’s presence. But as Billy pursues his independence, it becomes apparent that Billy provides a sense of security and stability for Daniel that is critical to his well-being.
Badgero is excellent in this role. His vicious sibling rivalry with Ruth rings true, as does the tender need he projects upon Billy. Faught’s performance as Billy is amazing, from the vocal control he exhibits as a deaf speaker to the range of emotion he expresses. At first quiet and seemingly content in his silent world, when he finally explodes in resentment it is cathartic, if not a bit misplaced.
Malusek brings grace to her role, especially when showing the poetic beauty of sign language. She also reflects the vulnerability of a young woman facing her impending disability realistically with fear, anger and acceptance.
As with real life, the denouement lacks a clear resolution. The end signifies the beginning of the next phase in the evolution of this family unit who will face what comes with newfound solidarity.
Peppermint Creek Theatre Co. 8 p.m. Thursday– Saturday, April 3-5 $15/$10 students & seniors 6025 Curry Lane, Lansing (517) 372-0945, peppermintcreek.org


Team figure skating in the Olympics: How would it work?
The International Olympic Committee's executive board announced Monday it is "looking favorably'' at the addition of seven events for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and it has given President Jacques Rogge the final say in the matter. Rogge is expected to make his decision at the end of April.
Among the seven is a team event in figure skating. "I am 99.9% sure this will happen,'' International Skating Union President Ottavio Cinquanta said Tuesday. And one of the drawing cards to the event, in Cinquanta's eyes, is the opportunity for lineup discussions to become a hot topic, just as they are in other sports. "This would be something spicy,'' Cinquanta said.
How would a team figure-skating event be structured and scored? Philip Hersh has the answers in his Globetrotting blog.


Sudan and South Sudan inch back from the brink of war
JOHANNESBURG -- Sudan claimed Friday it had driven South Sudan forces out of the strategic Sudanese oil town of Heglig, while South Sudan President Salva Kiir -- facing international condemnation -- ordered his troops to withdraw.
The withdrawal saw the fractious neighbors step back from the brink of war after a sudden escalation in tensions following South Sudan’s seizure last week of Heglig, Sudan’s most important oil producing area.
It wasn't clear whether South Sudan withdrew under international pressure, prompting Sudan to claim victory, or whether its forces were driven out, as Khartoum claimed.
South Sudan had been under enormous international pressure to pull its troops out of Heglig, an occupation U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called “illegal” Thursday. He also condemned Sudan’s bombings of South Sudan.
Sudan President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir claimed Friday to have retaken Heglig by force after a fierce battle. South Sudan didn’t clarify its position on the northern claim it had forced a retreat. Both sides often provide blustering, contradictory versions of events on the disputed border.
South Sudan separated peacefully from Sudan in July. The two sides had fought a 22-year civil war that resulted in 2 million deaths but agreed to a 2005 peace deal that allowed the south to secede in 2011 if it wished.
The peace deal left many of the most intractable differences unresolved between the neighbors, including the border, now in serious dispute, and shares of oil revenues, another major source of tension.
Last week’s escalation of hostilities and rhetoric sparked fears the two countries were headed back into a ruinous civil war that would destroy the oil sector both countries depend on, and cost many civilian lives.
In Khartoum, Sudanese Defense Minister Abdel-Rahim Hussein issued a statement Friday saying that his forces had defeated the opposition in Heglig in time for Friday prayers.
“Your victorious Armed Forces have managed to liberate Heglig city by force from the remnants of the South Sudan army and its mercenaries. Your armed forces have entered at 2:20 p.m. and held Friday prayers inside the city, " he said in a statement, the Sudan official news agency reported.
A military spokesman for the South Sudan government, Philip Aguer, said Friday’s withdrawal did not mean his country had abandoned the area.
“It doesn't mean we are abandoning the area. If our territory is being occupied we will not wait for the international community," Aguer said. He said the southern army was ready to react to any Sudanese incursions and respond if Sudan did not cease bombing in South Sudan.
Both sides claim Heglig, but the international community sees it as part of Sudan. Sudan occupies another disputed border area, Abyei.
-- Robyn Dixon
Photo: People cheer Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir in Khartoum on Friday Credit: Abd Raouf / Associated Press


Friday, March 28, 2008
News agencies all over the world are reporting on the historic U.S./EU Air Transport Agreement, dubbed "Open Skies," which goes into effect this Sunday. Under the Agreement, the old restrictions on which airlines have access to the lucrative transatlantic route between the United States and Europe have been abolished. Many commentators are hopeful that the Agreement will bring about greater choice for consumers and result in lower airline costs. However, as the BBC News has correctly reported, the current cost of fuel is likely to offset these anticipated price reductions. What the BBC failed to get right-and what should be made perfectly clear-is that the Agreement still maintains the old strictures on foreign investment. Contrary to the BBC's claim that U.S. airlines will be able to buy up to 49% shares in their European rivals while foreign investment in U.S. airlines is capped at 25%, the Agreement provides that European investors can acquire 49% equity stock in U.S. carrier with the possibility of gaining more, subject to Department of Transportation approval. The 25% limit applies only to voting stock. Under the Agreement, the EU is permitted to impose a reciprocal 25% voting stock on U.S. investment-a much tighter cap than what existed prior to the Agreement.
News agencies have also picked up on the fact that a "second stage" of negotiations between the U.S. and EU is set to begin on May 15. One of the key issues for those talks will be opening up foreign investment. Jacques Barrot, the EU Transport Commissioner, has already vowed to suspend rights under the current Agreement if a satisfactory outcome on the matter is not reached by 2010. According to Barrot, the next stage of negotiations "will aim to achieve full liberalisation in traffic rights, new possibilities for investments by European companies in the United States and for U.S. companies in Europe, measuring the effect on the environment and constraints on exercising traffic rights, access to transport programs financed by the U.S. government, and leasing aircrafts with crew."
As readers of the blog may recall, the International Aviation Law Institute, in cooperation with the International Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University, convened an experts' Working Group in Dublin, Ireland last November to begin discussing the "second stage" issues. This fall, the Institute will provide a full treatment of the evolution, implications, and future of the new U.S./EU open skies agreement in Professor Brian Havel's new book, Beyond Open Skies.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
American Airlines announced today that it has grounded two-thirds of its MD-80 fleet, prompting 171 of its 2,200 daily flights to be canceled. Concerns over the connection of wiring within the aircraft spurred American to action. American Airlines is hopeful that the inspections, which only take a matter of hours, will be prompt and allow them to put the MD-80’s back into service. In an official statement, American noted that a Federal Aviation Administration audit led to concerns over the wiring. However, the decision to ground the planes was American's. This matter comes on the heels of public backlash against the FAA for lax inspections of Southwest Airline’s fleet. While that incident ultimately led to FAA issuing a stiff $10.2 million fine against Southwest, a Congressional investigation of the incident and the FAA’s handling of the situation is still on the horizon.
In addition to the current American Airlines situation, the FAA has also ordered the inspection of hundreds of Boeing 737 aircraft after concerns that a faulty bolt may be causing fuel leaks. The order includes both older and newer models of the aircraft, though at this time no action has been taken to ground any of the aircraft under inspection. Airlines have ninety days following the order’s effective date of April 8 to complete the inspections. While the FAA only has direct authority over U.S. airlines, it is likely that the order will be followed in other countries whose airlines utilize the Boeing 737.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
As expected, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals struck down New York State's Airline Passenger Bill of Rights Act. In a unanimous decision, the court found the act expressly preempted by the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. Also of concern to the court was the potential of giving free reign to state regulation of the airline industry. "If New York's view regarding the scope of regularity authority carried the day," so the court observed, "another state could be free to enact a law prohibiting the service of soda on flights departing from its airports, while another could require allergen-free food options on all outbound flights, unraveling the centralized federal framework for air travel." The court was not unsympathetic to the aims of the New York statute: "Although the goals of the [statute] are laudable and circumstances motivating its enactment deplorable, only the federal government has the authority to enact such a law."
It remains to be seen what the next course of action may be on the part of New York State or consumer advocacy groups. News outlets are already reporting that New York State attorney Andrew M. Cuomo is contemplating an appeal to the Supreme Court. So far there is no word on what, if any, action federal legislators may attempt to take.
Readers of the Aviation Law Blog may recall Frans Vreede’s guest post from February 5 on the Dutch Ticket Tax. In that post, Mr. Vreede set down an argument against the Netherlands’ imposition of a $67 per ticket tax on all departures bound for outside the territory of the European Union ($17 for those within). As Mr. Vreede’s post made clear, the tax may be in violation of Article 15 of the Chicago Convention and may also run afoul of the U.S./EU Air Transport Agreement. Despite this, a Dutch court in the Hague has rejected claims of the tax’s illegality.
Led by the Amsterdam airport Schiphol Group, the challenge to the new ticket tax fell to a narrow reading by the court. On a first sight reading of the case, the judge took Article 15’s omission of the word "tax" from the list of impermissible charges to be indicative of its inapplicability. The court failed to consider the purpose behind the article itself, i.e., as a prohibition to setting charges which have no relationship to the use of airports or their facilities. While the court’s decision marks an obvious setback for civil aviation in the Netherlands, an appeal to the country’s Supreme Court to review the decision’s merits is likely.


Friday, November 1, 2013
Marie Boyd (South Carolina) has posted Zoning for Apartments: A Study of the Role of Law in the Control of Apartment Houses in New Haven, Connecticut 1912-1932, 33 Pace L. Rev. 600 (2013). In it, she reviews building records and Sanborn maps to give her reader a complete picture of the restrictions placed on apartment development before and after New Haven's first zoning ordinance in 1926. Here's the abstract:
This article seeks to contribute to the legal and policy debates over zoning by providing a more detailed examination of the impact of apartments on both pre-zoning land use patterns and the zoning process during the formative initial stages of zoning in the United States than has been provided in the literature to date. Specifically, this Article analyzes the impact of apartments on both pre-zoning land use patterns and the zoning process in New Haven, Connecticut. It focuses on the period beginning with the selection of New Haven’s first Zoning Commission in 1922, and concluding with the passage of New Haven’s first zoning ordinance in 1926. Through this detailed historical account of the realities of zoning, this Article demonstrates how — due to delays in the enactment of zoning — New Haven’s first zoning ordinance, rather than shaping the future growth of the regulated area, was instead shaped by existing land use patterns and political considerations.


The Russian dance group Berezka Ensemble, aka the Little Birch Tree Choreographic Group has perfected a dance step which when combined with their folk dress costume, creates the illusion of the dancers gliding across the floor as if on ice. The effect is quite mesmerizing and captivating. “Берёзка” (“Beryozka” or “Berezka”) means “Birch” in Russian. More info, including vintage versions of the dance, a version featuring costumes with LED lights, and video of rehearsals illustrating the “secret” of the dance step on the Open Culture website.
(h/t to AGD and boingboing)
We at San Diego Free Press love watching all kinds of video. Those short visual stories entertain, inform, and agitate in a way completely different from the written word.
Since our platform is about expressing ideas and ideals instead of cash flow, clicks, or fundraising, we have the freedom to include a wide range of topics and formats that might not work elsewhere. We don’t need or want paid content, promotional materials, or story lines designed to please donors.
So the idea here is to present videos one or more of the editors feel speaks to them. Sometimes it will be news. Sometimes it will be history. And a lot of the time it will be culture. You can not and should not separate these things: it is diversity and intersectionality that makes our movement strong.
Feel free to suggest videos at firstname.lastname@example.org


The waste management campaign that was started by the SPED III team in Thrikkadavoor Panchayath, Quilon, Kerala, is aimed at promoting systematic waste management and reducing the use of plastic products. To sustain the campaign, the team realized that it was critical to introduce the manufacturing and marketing of various paper products into the community. They got the idea that if the production and sales of paper products became a part of people’s livelihoods, they would have more incentive to use paper and avoid plastic.
A large number of the women in the community were unemployed and eager to find a source of income, so they worked together with the SPED III team to find an alternative livelihood that would change the entire ambiance of the community. Mrs. Felsy in Pallivettachira village said that, “We were unaware about the possibilities and opportunities that are available in the community. Once we came to recognize it, we were filled with great confidence and immense enthusiasm”.
Exploring the options
SPED III team was eagerly searching for an alternative livelihood to support the group of women who are actively propagating the systematic waste management and anti-plastic campaign. The team felt strongly that the livelihood project should be sustainable and ecofriendly. The leader of opposition in Thrikkadavoor Panchayath stated that “the Panchayath committee and VAT committees in various villages suggested for paper bag, paper plate products, paper cups and other paper based product manufacturing. But when we think about its feasibility we realize that it needs huge investment and risk”.
The SPED III team identified some companies that are encouraging home-based production of paper stars. These stars are used in India to decorate homes and communities during celebrations, especially Christmas. The companies provide free training and supply raw material at a low cost, then purchase the finished products at a reasonable margin. After receiving the necessary training to make the stars, the SPED III team and the beneficiaries began to network with star making companies. They were also provided with training to market their product and negotiate and bargain with the companies. The training was a blessing and opened up new opportunities to the poor and unemployed women.
Now it has becomes a sustainable and regular source of income to 400 women. Mrs. Moly Babu, Ward member, Venkekkara village shared that “when we came to experience the star making, we did not believe that it would becomes sure source of income, but now we realized that it is a less expensive and marketable product and it is providing a sustainable and remarkable income to us”. The entire community whole heartedly agreed that the star making training was lighting the lamps of change for many lives and families.
Mr .Prasanth. B, the Grama Panchayath president also expressed that they were doubtful about the success of star making as a livelihood, but the community and the SPED III team proved that it could be a lucrative project for the women. “I would like to appreciate the SPED III team for their sincere efforts and innovative ideas.”
Now the women are manufacturing two kinds of stars at different rates. The raw materials are purchased by the workers themselves and they sell the finished product to various star making companies in Kollam town. They were earning a reasonable income ranging from Rs. 1500 to Rs. 6500 ($30-$130) in a month.
According to Mrs. Jincy from Pallivaettachiara village, “The training was a blessing to me. Prior to the star making training, I was an unemployed house wife without income. But now I am very proud to be an earning member in my family and happy to be economically self-reliant. I am living in a rented house with my husband and two children. My husband is an alcoholic and completely ignored the family. Prior to the star making training I didn’t have any means of living. But now I am able to achieve nearly Rs.5000 ($100) as my monthly income and to ensure decent standards of living to my children.”
A big thanks to Quilon Social Service Society for providing us with this case study!


From the stories I've read, it looks like Asimov did a great job at skirting the details of how the positronic brain really works. This is what has spawned the same question, namely how to implement the three laws in an artificial brain. NHL did a great job at summarizing the robots as computer entities with a bunch of sensors and actuators attached to them. But then he took the usual way of seeing the computer as a mega-computing machine in some way. We don't have this kind of mega-computing abilities as human beings, though we are able to assess risks ourselves, and are able to take action. However, as common sense may fail us (quite often actually), it would be a very good augmentation and should be seen as an additional independent module if you will. That module, when fed with memories or some facts extracted from the senses, would give even more information in the form of usable outputs to other parts of an artificial brain.
Jeff Hawkins said in his book On Intelligence, we should maybe not talk about "artificial intelligence," but rather "true intelligence induced by an artificial device." I would suggest anyone interested in this kind of stuff to read this very interesting book. For me it was an inspiring one. As I'm "working" in the Machine Learning field, I was rather frustrated by the directions taken so far in this field, as was Hawkins some time ago.
Maybe we should tackle the problem from the perspective of mimicking biology more closely, as his work suggests, by using a so-called "hierarchical temporal memory." Intelligence (and therefore memory) is actually made of a hierarchy of associations of a multitude of stimuli (including action's feedbacks) encoded in the form of circuits in the brain. If some behaviors are deeply rooted in us, this is in part because of some kinds of rewards our brain releases from time to time in the form of hormones. Hormones facilitate (or inhibits) the building of particular associations the brain deems good (bad) for us (which are not necessarily good (bad) in the absolute... unfortunately). In this sense and with regard to the three laws, I think that for it to be really adapted to our societies, a robot should have limited means of action first (fewer actuators for instance), and should be exposed to society and its environment as much as possible before being allowed to fully interact with them. Some desired behaviors and associations could be enforced with facilitated fixed stimuli to give strong hints at what is good or bad in a particular context. These fixed stimuli are the closest things I can come up with to encode the three laws in practice. These associations should be frozen in some way in order for them to be sufficiently effective. Humans could develop bad or good habits that can be hard to change after all. By making that ones particularly hard to change we should be okay.
I don't think perfection will ever be attained with this kind of architecture. In some cases it would fail, as humans themselves do, but with the information provided by some extra modules, like the "mega-computing" one, this could be somewhat alleviated. I'm willing to bet that an artificial brain in the sense of a computing machine alone will never go as far as that either. In fact, the human brain intelligence itself could largely be surpassed by intelligence induced by those kind of devices. It could build up instead of being lost at some point (like at the end of a human subject's life). All a human being is left with is language to extract their intelligence or knowledge out of their own brain. Unfortunately, it takes time to transfer that knowledge to another brain in this way. Further, no matter how hard you try, it is often altered in the process. Another issue is that sometimes we never make crucial associations that are, however, latent and at the verge of being made if given a little more time. Conclusion, a lot of time is lost. You never see more than the tip of the intelligence iceberg within a single brain in such a short lifetime as ours. Maybe a solution to our limitations would be to find a way for our brains to communicate with such a device. It would be a lot harder I think but not impossible. Ethics would also be pointing its nose I suppose.
I would appreciate if this were on a forum where I could talk more about it because I digress a lot. I'm not the one who came up with that by the way... Hawkins transferred it to my brain through his book. And for him we should maybe consider forms of intelligent agents in a broader sense, not necessarily human- or animal-like entities. Also feel free to stole these ideas for you next book :).


“You have cancer,” could be one of the most difficult phrases to hear. Those powerful words can leave anyone devastated. But if you or a loved one hears those words articulated by a doctor, know there is hope.
After a cancer diagnosis, your mind may immediately turn to how you are going to beat the disease through treatment — and rightly so. But did you know there are ways to enhance your cancer care beyond traditional medicine?
While traditional cancer treatments are focused on helping your body to fight cancer, integrative medicine programs can supplement your treatment plan, bringing a new dimension to medical care.
While traditional cancer treatments are focused on helping your body to fight cancer, integrative medicine programs can supplement your treatment plan, bringing a new dimension to medical care. When you’re facing chronic illness, these programs integrate holistic care to address nutritional, physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life.
According to a recent study, weight gain can have a negative impact on recurrence rates and survival for patients battling early-stage cancer. Studies also indicate that understanding the importance of a healthy diet and exercise regime before treatment can help patients recover faster, decrease their body mass index and improve recurrence rates.
Triple-negative breast cancer survivor Karen Rosenkrans knows firsthand the importance of applying integrative treatment methods to address mind, body and spirit.
Finding strength by building healthy habits
Karen was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in 2006.
Two years after beginning treatment at a different hospital, Karen transferred to Baylor University Medical Center — a decision that made all the difference in her cancer journey. She was able to participate in a triple-negative clinical trial. It has taken her eight years for her body to repair the damage from the chemotherapy.
“During that time I learned so many new recipes and incorporated healthy eating habits into my daily life,” she said. “I’m now 70 years old and I am stronger now than I was before going through cancer treatment, thanks to the team at Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center.”
Now cancer-free, the healthy habits Karen’s built continue to propel her healthy, active lifestyle.
“When I transferred to Baylor Scott & White, it felt like family, which is why I still go there weekly for yoga classes,” she said. “Sometimes I go there just to read or go in the chapel to think about why I am here, and reflect on how grateful I am to be alive.”
Cancer impacts your whole person — emotionally, socially, spiritually and in your family life — and it’s important to care for all aspects.
At Baylor University Medical Center, part of Baylor Scott & White Health, you can find support groups, exercise and meditation classes, music and art therapy, cooking classes and more. These programs are designed to care for patients beyond their clinical needs. Cancer impacts your whole person — emotionally, socially, spiritually and in your family life — and it’s important to care for all aspects.
These integrative medicine programs help patients and survivors not only cope with the physical and emotional impact of cancer treatment, but also in the recovery and healing process that comes later.
The health benefits of integrative medicine
“Whenever I consult with breast cancer patients, I always educate them about the importance of healthy self-care and proper nutrition in bolstering their overall health and well-being during cancer treatments,” said Dr. Shannon Poppito, clinical psychologist on the medical staff at Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Dallas.
Specializing in psycho-oncology, she provides integrated behavioral health oncology consultation services to cancer patients.
“When it comes to breast cancer, it’s key to maintain a healthy diet and exercise,” Dr. Poppito said. “It’s especially important for estrogen-positive breast cancer patients to keep their weight within healthy limits, cut down on white processed refined sugars and flours, and initiate a regular exercise plan.”
If you’re battling cancer, talk to your doctor about the possibility of incorporating integrative medicine.


Link Bait: Tutorial and Course - Link Bait Tutorial and Link Bait Course, The Ultimate Guide to Link Bait. Learn Link Bait Tutorial and Link Bait Course at Link Bait Tutorial and Course.
Link Bait Tutorial and Course - Link Bait tutorial and Link Bait course, the ultimate guide to Link Bait, including facts and information about Link Bait. Link Bait Tutorial and Course is one of the ultimate SEO Tutorials and Courses created by SEO University to help you learn and understand Link Bait and the related SEO technologies, as well as facts and information about Link Bait.
In general, a website that earns links over time will be seen as valuable by search engines. Link bait is not a new concept, it is an extremely effective form of white hat search engine optimization technique creating interesting content with the intent of creating maximum Internet buzz to get as many people to link to your site as possible. Having great content is your most basic link-baiting technique. You can also think of link bait as content "hooks".
Link bait is any content or feature within a web site that is designed to bait viewers to place links to it from other web sites. Link bait is something interesting enough to catch people's attention. Typically, users on social networking sites, social bookmarking sites, or blogs will place a link to a web site in some copy that further entices a fellow member or visitor to click. It is an extremely powerful form of marketing because it is viral in nature, and links like these are exactly what search engine algorithm wants to see.
Soliciting links via link exchanging is less effective than it once was to the end of improving rankings. Link bait creation is one of the newer popularized concepts in link building. It is frequently, with a lot of luck and some skill, an economical and ethical way to get links to a website; it is considered to be a white hat search engine optimization technique universally.
Link bait is a hit-or-miss link building technique. Do not expect success with every attempt. However, one clever idea, when implemented, may yield thousands of links.
Link bait will be generated as a matter of course on any web site with quality content. However, learning to recognize content as such is useful in itself. Social bookmarking sites such as Digg can help to promote content. Including hooks to such services may provide an easy "call to action" for users to promote you. This is a popular technique especially used to promote news, blogs, products, and articles.
There are many ways to hook a link, in general, the following types of content hooks will work well:
Providing timely news information on any topic can be the main catalyst for retaining and gaining visitor traffic. Being the first web site to report a pertinent news story will typically get your web site cited as a source via links as the news spreads. Posting an op-ed with a different and refreshing opinion on news may also get some attention. Debate always encourages dialogue, and it is viral in nature.
These are resources that people will tend to link to by virtue of the fact that they provide useful information. You can provide information in many different formats, including whitepapers, case studies, research, and various statistics. For example, posting a "how-to" article for how to set up a web server is an informational hook. A user will read the article one day, it will help him, and then the user will post a link to it somewhere indicating that it was helpful. As time progresses, this may happen several times, and many links will accumulate.
Enticing people with gifts, contests, awards, sales, and discounts are traditional ways to attract attention.
You can promote your site by using jokes, funny pictures (videos or sounds), and even controversial information. People love to laugh, and humorous content is very viral in nature. A good joke is always going to spread. Traffic increases like that are almost always accompanied by links as a lasting effect. Fun games also work, because people send those around as well.
Providing free software and widgets is another way to promote your online assets.
Website widgets are simple, self-contained, value-added units of functionality. They are typically confined to small blocks of screen real estate on one or all the pages of your website. Any information that you can package in a way that provides unique value to other websites can be made into a widget.
Everything starts with an idea. Creating custom widgets can be as simple or as complex as required. You can create some website widgets by simply creating custom HTML pages. Others you can create by utilizing Atom/RSS feeds, Java applets, and Flash.
Let's suppose you own a website that sells many different brands of alarm clocks. To promote your website, you want to create your own link bait. Specifically, you want to create a simple digital alarm clock widget (called Wake Up Service) that any website can link to or use. When the widget is used on other websites, you specify the condition that your link must be present to use the widget.
On your website, you also want to ensure that your link bait is highly visible (typically placed at a strategic location for easy recognition). You can decide to use a pop-up window widget or one that renders in the same browser window.
Online games and multiplayer games can be addicting and can bring visitors back to your site time and again.
Saying something unpopular or mean will likely get links and attention, but it may be the wrong type of attention. Be careful with this technique.
All forms of link bait have one thing in common: they promote your name, site, and brand. Great link bait fosters accelerated link building and site recognition. When done right, link bait can become extremely viral.
Link bait is not a new concept, it is just a concise term that describes an effective search engine optimization technique. Although some SEO companies shun the term as just another word for viral marketing, in fact, the term and concept is quite useful. Deliberately creating link bait can provide a large return on investment, and even learning to recognize link bait when it is created as a matter of course is useful, because it can prompt a search engine marketer to provide hooks to services such as social bookmarking services to aid in the propagation of the bait.


Yes, I looked it up. There won’t be an earlier Ash Wednesday for 19 years (February 7, 2035), or Easter for that matter. And it’s an interesting thing, that we expect Easter during this time but aren’t always exactly sure when it’ll come. So, for many of us, I’m sure this Lenten season really crept up on you!
And it’s around this time that many of us scramble for things to give up… late-night snacking, sweets, watching TV/movies, etc. Or the opposite, you find ways to supplement your daily spiritual life by reading more of the bible, attending an extra worship service or early morning prayer, etc.
But how are you really preparing for Easter?
Every Ash Wednesday we go through this routine of giving something up, maybe even going to church, and wearing a cross of ash on our foreheads. But all of these things are just actions, motions, and gestures if underneath them all there is no purpose.
Take Easter, for instance. The days leading up to Jesus dying on the cross, His actions weren’t meaningless. He prepared and He was ready. Luke 9:51 even says that Jesus RESOLUTELY set out for Jerusalem! If we’re to prepare ourselves for Easter as well, we need to be determined, have the right intentions, and get ready for the cross.
We hope that whatever it is you choose to do (or not do), you do so with purpose and do so with resolve! Do it intentionally and prayerfully for the journey ahead.
What do you intend on doing in these 40 days? Stick with it!
Reflection Song: Because Of Your Love


Intertitle from Thompson's film War As It Really Is (1916)
"In the Jaws of Death""Much detail is clearly screened in the corpses and skeletons piled about deserted fortifications", commented a review by Motion Picture News. Starting with some remarkable aerial views of the Entente fleet at Thessaloniki, Thompson's film covered the western front from the French side. Press reports indicated he was at the Somme battlefield on July 2, 1916, when he was severely wounded by by a piece of shell. A print of the movie has survived in the U.S. Signal Corps collection of the National Archives in Washington, DC. To give an idea of the frontline footage we have uploaded scenes on YouTube from reel 7 following the intertitle "In the Jaws of Death", showing a French infantry attack on the German lines under heavy artillery fire. The film clip has been edited with a contemporary score by composer Gustav Holst from his musical suite The Planets/Mars.
Thompson's war films have been described in more detail in our latest book American Cinematographers in the Great War.
Also, here is a download link to the production file of Thompson's war movie, from the collection of the National Archives in Washington, D.C.


‘After a day relaxing in his apartment in Pisa, The Travel Bug demanded his humans take him to find some fascinating facts about Florence…’
As they’re very obedient humans, the packed him into the car and flitted away to the capital of the region of Tuscany. These are the fascinating facts about Florence that Travel Bug discovered…
Travel Bug discovered that the photos that millions of tourists take of the Statue of Michelangelo’s David outside the gallery is not actually the real thing. This statue outside the Palazzo Vecchio is only a copy!
The real Statue of David is kept in the slightly safer venue of Galleria dell’Academia. This means there are two statues of David, but only one can genuinely be called Michelangelo’s.
Travel Bug was rather surprised to see that David doesn’t wear any clothes. It must be a bit cold in the winter time. Maybe David’s Mum brings him a blanket at night or he sleeps in a warm bed next to some humans, as Travel Bug does…
1/3 of the most important works of in IN THE WORLD are located in Florence. This is according to UNESCO.
Travel Bug promised his humans he wouldn’t touch anything he’s not supposed to as he doesn’t want to get squished by an angry security guard. Or his humans before they’re dragged off to jail.
During World War 2, the Germans blew up every bridge in Florence, with the exception of the famous Ponte Vecchio.
Apparently, Hitler thought this bridge was far too beautiful to destroy. The Travel Bug agrees – but he thinks everything in Florence is beautiful.
Do you have any fascinating facts about Florence to share with The Travel Bug?
Hasta pronto, amigos!


Religious School Mission Statement
Congregation Sinai Religious School partners with the Sinai community to create an environment that is conducive to learning and understanding Judaism within the framework of the Conservative Movement.
We strive to give children and families the tools and experiences that will help them to live a Jewish life.
We endeavor to impart a love for Judaism and for Eretz Yisrael, engagement with God, and a commitment to mitzvot and tikkun olam.
Religious School Goals
To develop an appreciation of Judaism and a sense of pride in being Jewish by providing a positive, experiential atmosphere for learning prayers, history, and holidays using art forms, music, cooking, and other projects.
To engage with God, Torah, and mitzvot within the framework of the Conservative Movement and to incorporate them into our lives in a meaningful way.
To develop of sense of Jewish responsibility towards all people throughout the world through tzedakah (charity) and gemilut chasadim (acts of loving-kindness).
To develop an appreciation and identification with Klal Yisrael and to foster a sense of community with Jews in Israel and around the world.
To develop synagogue competence, including understanding the structure and meaning of Jewish prayer and the ability to participate in congregational services.
To develop basic Hebrew reading and writing skills.


Implementing sales techniques to successfully meet goals is most effective when used as part of a sales plan. There are many techniques to choose from, and with practice, small business owners and their sales staff will find the methods most suited to their personal style and business. Common sales techniques used by successful salespeople include breaking down large goals into smaller targets, setting activity goals, focusing on customer service and pursuing qualified sales leads.
Manage Your Sales Target
Remove the stress of a high sales target by breaking down the annual goal into quarterly, monthly and weekly dollar goals. A goal of $1,000 in new sales sounds less daunting than a goal of $52,000, so focus on achieving a weekly sales target. Challenge yourself and your team to meet the weekly goal by posting your progress on a chart in the lunchroom or staffroom, and reward top performers with small weekly prizes such as a gift certificate to a local coffee shop.
Set Activity Goals
Include a sales activities target as part of your plan. Study previous activity records and review the number of phone calls, emails, referrals, appointments and follow-up contacts made by the most successful salespeople in your office or industry. Use these figures as a basis to set activity goals for pro-active sales activities. Review your own activity each week, and evaluate what works to increase sales and what doesn't. Adjust your activity goals accordingly.
Provide Excellent Customer Service
Instead of worrying about achieving your sales goal, concentrate on providing excellent service to the customer. Develop a personal sales script using language you are comfortable with to introduce new clients to new products or services. Give customers your undivided attention and focus on meeting their needs rather than "selling" anything. Anticipate questions, concerns, and future issues. Providing excellent customer service consistently results in repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals, increasing your sales and decreasing required prospecting time.
Prospecting vs. Cold Calling
Prospecting refers to searching for and cultivating relationships with customers who are more likely to purchase your product than the average person. Typically, there is a direct connection between prospecting activity and increased sales, so it's important to know how many prospects you need in the pipeline each month to hit your sales target for the year. Calculate the percentage of prospects that typically buy from you. Whether it's 5% or 25% of pitches that close, this critical piece of information lets you compute how many active prospects you need in the funnel at any given time by dividing your yearly sales target by your success rate, then dividing that number by the length of your sales cycle.
Focus on identifying target customers and getting quality sales referrals from existing customers to populate your pool of prospects. This is a more efficient way to achieve a sales target than "cold calling" or trying to sell to the general public.


This week’s blog installment takes the form of Luke’s sermon from yesterday (Sunday 30th August) at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, London.
Read, comment and join the conversation!
Does anyone want to fathom a guess at what that number could mean?
[Encourage guessing from the congregation.]
Well in fact, today marks that it is only 116 days until Christmas. We have well and truly passed the halfway mark so I recommend that you get your lists together and get shopping before everyone else does when Debenhams puts their decorations up in early October. In fact, Selfridges already has their Christmas store up and running. Just saying.
I am unashamedly the biggest fan of Christmas. I love it all: the tree, the food, the decorations, the presents, and the never-ending playlists of Christmas songs that I just don’t get tired of… all of it! I especially love the countdown and the air of expectation and excitement and I do not believe the knowing it’s only 116 days until Christmas it at all excessive.
I love the afterglow of Christmas too; that Boxing Day feeling of snug warmth. You see, Christmas for me really, is the gift that keeps on giving.
As Christians we believe that Christmas marks (slightly inaccurately) the birth of Christ – the moment which has forever altered history by God choosing to become one of us. It’s a familiar story that even those that profess no Christian faith probably have some sense of understanding about.
Being close to God is incredibly important to “us Christians”. We talk about it rather a lot. Actually, we talk more about feeling distant from God than we do about feeling close. We’re also very good at making people feel distant from God and asking them lots of obnoxious questions along the way: “why do you feel God is absent?” or “can you think of anything in particular that may have separated you from God?” Which basically translates as: “you must have done something wrong, so own up and be done with it.”
Duncan read to us earlier from the book of Deuteronomy which expresses the importance of the law in Jewish tradition. Through the law, which God revealed to Moses and Moses delivered to the Israelites, those who were born into the Jewish faith could seek a closeness of God’s presence that the Gentile would never be able to find. The closeness, or nearness, of God was directly partnered with the law, as we heard in Deuteronomy 4:7 & 8:
“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?”
By obeying God’s laws, the Israelites were brought closer into the presence of God and therefore, we logically progress, when they disobeyed the law (as we read in the Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament, that they so often did) they experienced a separation, a remoteness from the One who created them.
Prior to the law which Moses received, we learn of circumstances in which humanity managed a stirling job of disobeying God’s best – Adam and Eve started the whole mess when they chose to selectively choose which of God’s commands they were to follow and thus experienced a very physical separation from God, as we learn in Genesis chapter 3. Humanity’s figurative Mummy and Daddy had just taken from the fruit and are suddenly very aware, that all is not as it was moments before and so it reads in Genesis:
“8 Then they heard the Lord God walking in the garden during the cool part of the day, and the man and his wife hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said, “Where are you?” 10 The man answered, “I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” 11 God asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “You gave this woman to me and she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “How could you have done such a thing?” She answered, “The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit.” 14 The Lord God said to the snake,
“Because you did this,
a curse will be put on you.
You will be cursed as no other animal, tame or wild, will ever be.
You will crawl on your stomach,
and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
15 I will make you and the woman
enemies to each other.
Your descendants and her descendants
will be enemies.
One of her descendants will crush your head,
and you will bite his heel.”
16 Then God said to the woman,
“I will cause you to have much trouble
when you are pregnant,
and when you give birth to children,
you will have great pain.
You will greatly desire your husband,
but he will rule over you.”
17 Then God said to the man, “You listened to what your wife said, and you ate fruit from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat.
“So I will put a curse on the ground,
and you will have to work very hard for your food.
In pain you will eat its food
all the days of your life.
18 The ground will produce thorns and weeds for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 You will sweat and work hard for your food.
Later you will return to the ground,
because you were taken from it.
You are dust,
and when you die, you will return to the dust.”
20 The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made clothes from animal skins for the man and his wife and dressed them. 22 Then the Lord God said, “Humans have become like one of us; they know good and evil. We must keep them from eating some of the fruit from the tree of life, or they will live forever.” 23 So the Lord God forced Adam out of the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 After God forced humans out of the garden, he placed angels and a sword of fire that flashed around in every direction on its eastern border. This kept people from getting to the tree of life.”
By their own actions, Adam and Eve became quite literally removed from the presence of God – so much so that a flaming-sword wielding angel prevented them for ever returning to that intimate closeness they had previously experienced in the Garden. Drama.
At times, we read, humanity goes out of its way to hide from God – to remove themselves from the presence of the divine. Over the last few weeks, we have been following the narrative of Jonah, and how he had a remarkable talent of trying to avoid God and his presence. Unfortunately his remarkable efforts didn’t quite stretch to becoming remarkable realities and God time and time again brought Jonah back into his presence. This should, I hope, give us some comfort – that even the God of the flaming-sword wielding angel (the ultimate nightclub bouncer, I think we’d all agree) still fights to bring us back into his presence, even when we do all we can to get out of it.
The other thing about God’s presence is that everyone believes they have the market on it.
The Israelis believe just as adamantly as the Palestinians, that they are in the presence of God and that the defence of the land is divinely ordained.
In every courthouse in the United States you’ll find the words “In God We Trust” displayed for all to see; stating boldly that through the presence of God, justice will be fought for and won.
Acts of terror perpetrated by the likes of Al-Qaida and ISIS are carried out in the name of God – believing that whatever harm they inflict on the infidel is to the glory and witness of the divine.
Do any of these, in our opinion, convey what we believe to be the presence of God?
How does our behaviour, if it does indeed at all, express that presence?
For the Pharisees in our Gospel reading, God’s presence was only accessible through a series of ritualistic behaviour – that if completed incorrectly or not at all would bar the perpetrator from fully experiencing the divine.
Such legalistic action was a warping of the law given by God to the Israelites and that warping became the very foundation for much of the Jewish understanding of who and how God was. By enforcing rules for every aspect of life, the Temple itself had the monopoly on access to the presence of God – something that the incarnation of Christ subverted.
For Christ, it matters very little what we do with our hands or say with our mouths if our heart, our intentions perhaps, aren’t orientated to God. In fact, Jesus argues, it’s all very good living according to the instruction of the Temple, but what really is of concern is what comes from within us – our inner most thoughts and behaviours – it is those that have the ability to cause disconnect from God. And perhaps, more dangerously, cause a rift between others and the presence of God.
It is this morning’s passage from James that really sets the final tone and brings both the texts from Deuteronomy and Mark together. For James, there is little worth in hearing of the goodness of God’s presence, if we then don’t go out and act upon it – truly as if our lives have been changed.
Our Old Testament is filled with recollections of humanity being drawn into God’s presence and then promptly finding a startling way of getting out of it. Our New Testament is a warning to all those who bar others from seeking God and dwelling in His presence. The passage in James takes us then to the “so what?” of the sermon. Dawn, one of the ministry team here at Bloomsbury, uses a phrase which I will credit her for because I’m not sure if she was the author of it or not: “What God… and so what?” We have the what kind of God – the God who time and time again draws us into his presence, but so what?
The “so what” is fundamental to our expression as 21st Century Christians – we live in a world that we might often feel is so completely devoid of God’s presence. So what?
If you type into Google: “God’s presence” you get all kinds of results – some moderately helpful, perhaps pointing to different pieces of Scripture, some… less than moderately helpful. It seems that seeking some sort of spiritual presence is all the rage still. The irony? God’s presence is so, well, “present” that a 21 step programme through a month of rigid and self-deprecating prayer and Bible study isn’t going to make Him more “present”.
For Jesus, and therefore the authors of texts which follow – such as James, God’s presence wasn’t an adjective for receiving something, but rather a verb for getting out there and doing something. It’s oh so very easy for us to sit back and decree “isn’t it AWFUL, you know… EVERYTHING that’s happening in the world at the moment?” but as James so astutely wrote:
“22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
Have we looked into the perfect law of liberty and continued in it? And then, not forgetting what our own reflection looks like, have we gone out to be a doer of the work – which I think we’d all admit is plentiful?
It can seem daunting, I know, to stand at the precipice of all that need, all that hurt, all that anger and angst. In arriving to Church today you would have passed through one of the most diverse cities in the world. A city filled with the richest and poorest, the healthiest and those that need desperate medical attention. A city filled with awe-inspiring buildings but with a history of neglect and elitism. Nevertheless, a city filled with the presence of God.
But did you notice, that James didn’t suggest that we go out and tackle the causes of all these issues head on, issues that he too would have faced in a society dominated by patriarchal structure and class system? No, his, advice on how to be in and share God’s presence?
“27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”
Who are your orphans and widows to visit?
During our evening services we take time each week to reflect on the presence of God – it’s a method of reducing the large scale and intimidating question of “where is God and so what?” to something more accessible. More personal. The questions are worded in such a way that acknowledges even when we are feeling as if God has well and truly left the building, He is in fact still there – should we just turn to find Him.
Where, in our experience this week, have we wanted to say with Jacob, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place’?
Where, in our experience this week, have we wanted to say with the Psalmist, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me’?
And let’s continue in that silence, lifting our hearts, minds and actions to the One who made it all.
[Pause for silence.]


We often write about the incredible efficiency and durability of SunPower solar panels. What makes the difference between this manufacturer and other producers on the market? The key lies with the silicon and the construction. The result is the industry leading solar panel for power output and reliability.
Monocrystalline versus Polycrystalline
Monocrystalline silicon is made from one single crystal of silicon. Put simply, the manufacturer takes raw silicon, heats it and forms it into a single long bar that is actually one large crystal. This is a careful process that produces silicon without impurities that can then be cut into very thin wafers for use by the solar electrical industry. Monocrystalline silicon is the efficiency leader for this photovoltaic element and provides SunPower solar panels with their sleek, black appearance.
Polycrystalline silicon is made by melting many fragments of silicon in place, forming a wafer. Therefore, you can also call them multi-crystalline, since this process creates many crystals in every wafer, not just a slice from one big one. This process is obviously cheaper, since the manufacturing process is simpler. The tradeoff is that any photovoltaic cell made using this process is less efficient. These photocells are blue in color.
Maxeon versus Competing Technologies
SunPower uses what they call Maxeon cell technology for producing solar cells. The durability in Maxeon cells chiefly comes from using a solid copper foundation for the photovoltaic cell. Competitors tend to use cheaper metallic strips to transmit electrons, and these corrode and break far more quickly than a solid copper sheet.
How does this difference in construction translate into real world durability? Average solar panels lose 1% of their power generating capacity per year. So if you had a 3000-watt system in your first year, next year you would only produce 2970 watts with cheap solar panels. In a very short time, your system is not producing the energy you expected.
In contrast, SunPower solar panels only lose .25% of their generating power per year. Therefore, that same 3000 watts of production would be 2992 watts the following year — a minor drop off. It illustrates that when it comes to solar panels, you get what you pay for, and the best investment for your money is monocrystalline silicon with SunPower technology.


I recently met Michael Clancy at the National Right to Life Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. I could not believe that it’s been 10 years since the famous photo (at right) taken by Michael was first published.
Michael was a freelance photojournalist who was documenting an in utero operation on a baby with spina bifida. Suddenly, the baby (later named Samuel) reached out of the womb to grab the surgeon’s finger. Samuel was only 21 weeks old at that time.
Fox News recently published an article about Samuel and what he’s doing now, including winning first place in swimming competitions.
In the article, Michael says that he was pro-choice before the assignment that led to the photograph. But because of what he witnessed during this surgery, he became pro-life. Now he is a full-time motivational speaker for pro-life groups. Click here to go to his website to read the story and see his speaking schedule.
Maybe it’s just me, but…I think we should never forget that the baby in the womb is exactly that–a baby! Regardless of how the pro-choice folks try to denigrate the life in the womb by calling him a “glob of cells,” “mass of tissue,” or the “product of conception,” we must always return to the one undeniable fact that the life in the womb is a human life that is worthy of our love and protection. With compassion and hope, let’s show mothers (and fathers) struggling with life and death choices understand that there are alternatives to abortion when told that the baby they are carrying is “less than perfect.”


Last week I shared that I had the opportunity to guest post at Polkadot Pretties. Here’s an altered version of the “Use Your Stash” Challenge I shared with Claire’s readers!
First, dig into your stash and find a bunch of coordinating scraps and take out your trusty circle punch. Let’s learn how to make three fun 3D cards with these materials!
To make your 3D circle element, first punch 3 circle shapes, fold each in half, then adhere them back to back to form the 3D shape. I then used baker’s twine and additional scraps to make the hot air balloon design seen above.
Here’s a close up on that layering action. To adhere, just apply glue on the backside of the gingham shape seen in the center and all three of these pieces will form your 3D shape. Tip: use a bone folder to create crisp folds for this shape!
For this next card, I used multiple 3D circles and the same spool of baker’s twine to create a bunch of balloons for a happy ‘sending warm fuzzies” design.
In addition to this 3D circle element, this last version also uses one of my favorite technique for using up scraps: making a punch collage. I created several of these little 3D circles, laid them out in a grid like pattern and mixed in punched holes and stamped sentiments. In the end I’ll be able to thank someone very special with this handmade thank you card, all made from paper scraps!
(Supplies: Patterned Papers: Martha Stewart Crafts, Echo Park; Stamps: Hero Arts, Inkadinkado; Punches: EK Tools)


Fifteen Christian Values’
What does a Christian faith school look like and feel like?
Back in 2009 the National Society came up with its ‘Christian
Values for Schools’ agenda which St. George’s, along with other Church of
England Schools, has embraced. The fifteen values which characterise our school
include: Reverence, Wisdom, Thankfulness,Humility, Endurance,
Service, Compassion, Trust, Peace, Forgiveness, Friendship, Justice,
Hope, Creation and Koinonia (a Greek word
meaning ‘Christian Community’). These form our
themes for worship and are values we try to live out
in our relationships with each other.Many of
these values have overlaps with the values of
other faiths, and, where we can make links from
other traditions, we do. At the same time we
have a distinctively Christian approach to these values
which is influenced by the emphasis we put on the person of Jesus.
Our Christian gifts cross in the Main Hall.
Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God and God made human. We give him titles such as ‘Christ’ meaning ‘God’s anointed one’ which recognises his status, ‘Lord’ because he is our guide and teacher in life, and ‘Saviour’ because we believe he saved us from the consequences of our sin and allowed us to have a life-giving relationship with God.
Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, are central and fundamental to our view of the world, so the Christian gifts or values that we espouse at school will always link back to him. Consequently, Jesus is mentioned in every act of worship, in our bible readings, stories and prayers. (Please see: http://www.christianvalues4schools.co.uk/ and https://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2009/05/pr4909.aspx for more information.)


In the essay "Arizona Statehood and Constitution" the author discusses chronological narrative explaining and evaluating all the events that contribute to the formation of Arizona as a state. In the process of investigation, key events from the history are enclosed here,…
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This was the oldest period in the history of Arizona. The earliest inhabitants of this period introduced various cultures and traditions and started living at community level sharing their needs. These earliest people were known as Paleo. In 2000 BC, Cochise culture was developed in Arizona. Those Cochise people introduced agriculture in that area. They used to grow several crops especially corn. In 300 BC, Hohokam people settled in the southern parts of Arizona. They were more developed people and introduced new ways of refined living and civilization. They used to construct irrigation canals, roads and agricultural communities, and villages in the region. So, Hohokam along with Anasazi people paved the new ways to success. In 500 A.D. Hohokam people contributed more and more to the creation and establishment of more advanced and extensive irrigation networks. In 700 to 1100 A.D., Pueblo period came to its peak and they flourished in the regions nearby Arizona. They were the pit dwellers and built many elaborated residences in that region. They used more extensive material like stone slabs, bricks, sticks and mud in the building process. Underground chambers were also developed and cotton fiber was introduced first by these inhabitants. Although the status of a state is recently achieved by Arizona its history goes back to thousands of years almost 12,000 years back. 1) The Spanish Period (1528 to 1821) In the time period 1528- 1536, Spanish colonist steadily began to enter in the region of Arizona via waterways from the coast of current day Texas...
They were especially attracted by the deposits of silvers present there. They were quite interested in exploring the regions because of hidden treasures. In 1539, a Spanish colonist Fray Marcos searched out the city of Cibola. His discoveries for silver deposits encouraged more exploration in the region. In 1629, Franciscans were the first Europeans who planned out more missions in various parts of the region including San Xavier, Guevavi and San Miguel. In 1736, Spanish succeeded to explore more deposits and large chunks of silver near Arizonac Camp. With such discoveries, Spanish also accomplished their goals having forts in the region. Tubac Presidio was the first fort established by Spanish community in the region of Arizona. Jesuits were also replaced from key positions by Franciscans. In 1765, Charles III of Spain did a major rearrangement of military on the area extended northward. Franciscans were given the place in mission planning and implementation. It is also obvious from history that during the mid of eighteenth century, the pioneers and Spanish colonist also tried to expand the territory of Arizona towards North. However, they were stopped by some Native American tribes including Apache and Tohono O’ odham. Those tribes also began violating acts on the local villagers of the region. They also launched raids and captured the livestock of the local people. However, as a whole we may conclude that the Spanish Arizona had survived economy. Several small scale silver and gold mining operations were also held in that time period. 2) Mexican Period (1821 to 1848) However, in1821, Mexico gained independence from Spanish Rule. The independence was gained as a result of a long war which had demolished the industry of silver mining and also
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These tribes are today known as the Apaches and Navajo. The first non-native in Arizona was Estevanico; an African slave shipwrecked off the Florida coast in 1529 and reached Arizona eight years later. Marcos de Niza who was a Franciscan Friar planned to make an expedition north and asked for Cabeza de Vaca’s help.
citizen certain fundamental liberties and rights. With regard to criminal procedures, the foremost of these rights is the assumption of innocence. Though not explicitly written into the Constitution, this presumption has been interpreted by several court rulings as implied in the Eighth and Fifth Amendments.
Many Americans believe that both legal and illegal immigration resulted in immigrants looting their employment opportunities. The call for4 restricting or prohibiting illegal immigration is growing across America at present. Arizona took the drastic step in controlling illegal immigration recently.
(Kain, Erick “Why Arizona's Controversial Immigration Law is Bad for Business”) This paper shall take a closer look at the controversial sections of the state law and discuss the reasons as to why those sections prove to be a very bad idea both for the law and the state of Arizona.
nstitution aims at providing a better system of governance and provides checks and balances through which they can monitor the performance of the government. It also established three branches of the government (the judiciary, the executive and the legislative arms of
The author deals with the history of Utah statehood and the role of Mormons in this demand. He focuses on the persecution faced by Mormons during statehood campaign. Mormons entered what is now the present state of Utah for the first time in 1847 after they had faced years of persecution in the Midwest.
The process of amending this constitution is fair because when amendments are proposed, the citizens must approve all the changes. The proposed amendments including the limit of local government tax levy
And at present, the way Congress spends federal funds, it is going beyond the powers that the Constitution vested it.
In the article of Moore, he claimed that in the earlier days, the federal government only had limited funds and only a number of things to spend on.
General welfare has also made its appearance in parts of the constitution of United States such as in the description of the role of the congress on article 1 section 8 of the constitution. In as far as, it is an implied term; it is very notable how its
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Everything we have and don’t have in life is a reflection of our choices. Everything we are, Everywhere we go…Things we do and people we attract and habits we repeat are CHOICES. They are a reflection of the choices we make. I’ve realized when things don’t go as smoothly as I’d like I can get down on myself, upset or nonchalantly say “yeah that’s life” but Life gives us back what we put in. I cannot play the blame game. Neither can you.
So it is my mission to give more than I take, to love more than hate, to learn more than teach, to practice what I preach and sew seeds that I want to reap by building good habits.
To listen more than I talk, to walk that walk and be about my business and my family’s business because I am my Sistars and brothas keeper.
We all have a role to play so what new habits will you be building?
What old habits will we be destroying?
What talents and skills will we be feeding?
That is the life we will be leading, once the work is done we can ease on down the yellow brick road!
But Will we do the work?
I rarely use the word *hate*….
Unless you hating
But as of late
Call me a hater
Cause there’s a term that causes me frustration
Been hearing it used loosely in every situation
So can you help me understand
What’s “under investigation”?
Who investigates the individuals doing the investigating?
Counter production if its internal station to station
How many guilty verdicts are the people still awaiting? Not even counting the low profile situations.
Not even counting the Trayvons and Emmit Till.s
I’m talking bout the ones getting gunned down eating a meal.
I’m talking bout traffic stops getting murdered at the wheel
I’m talking bout ya friend that was just walking down the hill
I’m talking bout ya hands is up and gettin murked still
So I’m really starting to hate the term
It seems as if instead of *under
They getting *over on the nation
It’s a massive disrespect slap in the face to all creation
But when it come to throwing niggas in jail, over trivial details,
seems as if they always come to quick deliberation
giving 20 year verdicts without any hesitation
Unbothered by broken homes and broken hearts and ruined lives behind these bars from the time these “niggers” facing
Where the proof at? Little dibble dabbles on discoveries
But on a video red handed these devils reap the luxuries
Under the umbrella of protection
What a disgusting reflection
of history repeating itself
Gang members doing time for drug & murder crimes
So all badges & guns should be on the shelf
How does a criminal investigate oneself?
How many verdicts are the people still awaiting?
How many conclusions came through regarding them boys in blue that got they wrist slapped and on paid vacations?
Distracted by entertainment and other non important situations
Hoping people forget by dragging it out and disrupting the demonstrations
Using militia force on people protesting for peace
Protesting for justice
2 things the law supposed to be
But unless I got it twisted look like opposition to me
Who is really
Red rum in these streets from city to city
Red rum Red rum
We see who the killers are
Sticking out by they red thumbs
But I guess
We spose to believe and accept the okey doke
Like we dumb son.
Y’all ” under investigation”
“One thing about Storms….. they may wreak havoc…but they come & they go”
Many of us are good with keeping up appearances. In a day and age of perfection, beauty, status, social media, advanced technology etc. The ability to fake the funk is easier than ever. Everything can be photo shopped, leased, nipped & tucked! Forget keeping up with the Jones’ everybody trying to keep up with the Kardashians! Ha! Aaahhh…. the Luxury life.. Those who have it flaunt it, those who don’t, want it. When are we going to get real? Really keep it 100. And respect when people do keep it 100. No matter what is going on in your life just know you’re not alone. It is OK to fall off your high horse sometimes…..just saddle back up! Its OK to be REAL and have flaws. Singers like Beyonce’ make songs about ” I woke up like this #flawless” is unrealistic. Yeah it sounds good but we all have flaws. Some of us just pay lots of money to correct the physical ones! But flaws are what makes each and every one of us unique. It saddens me when some people experience a life altering event and they get so down on themselves and depressed, some even committing suicide because life is not going in their favor at the moment. That saddens me and is unfortunate because life is like weather. You have good days….. The sun is shining, it’s feeling good and you’re doing great feeling wonderful and those days may last a while. But just like you have those good days here comes the rain, the storm clouds, snow, hail, tornados, floods & earthquakes and those days may last a little while. No one likes to be in the midst of the storm, it’s unpleasant but as long as you can endure it, it will pass! It’s always darkest before the dawn. But hang in there! This may be your coldest winter ever but stay hopeful and persevere because you will be ever grateful for your warmest summer ever!
There’s nothing wrong with expressing yourself and being real. We sometimes tend to share the great news with family, friends & social media and when things are sour we may keep a facade of being ok when in actuality we may be going through something. Not everything is for social media. Some things may need privacy or professional help, but just keep going! Do not give up! Storms don’t last forever.


In 2015 the Hawaiian Legislature set a collective for the (UH) University of Hawaii to be “net zero”, by 2035, which means that the amount of renewable energy created must equal the amount consumed.
Now due to the effort, the University is inching closer and closer to this goal, which means that UH’s Maui College would become the first university to make this happen.
Across the United States, there is an increase in cities that have made the pledge towards 100% renewable energy. Hawaii is the only state to make this pledge by 2045 in a benchmark made three years ago. This decision made by the University is going to help the entire state as they move forward on this ambitious goal.
Johnson Controls is partnering with UH, they are known for developing the systems and Pacific Current, which is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries.
Four other Oahu-based UH campuses have also promised to slash their carbon footprint with their own energy and infrastructure. The campuses have come up with a whole bunch of solution ideas that are set to become a reality; with a combination of solar shade canopies, distributed energy storage and energy efficiency measures.
The coalition of campuses Oahu that is committed to this mission include, Leeward Community College, Kapi’olani Community College, and Windward Community College, and with their combined efforts they will see a reduction of fossil fuel energy by 98 percent, 74 percent, 97 percent, and 70 percent respectively.
The Vice President for Community Colleges John Morton said, “We are proud to move the entire University of Hawaii System closer to its net-zero energy mandate, to celebrate UH Maui College’s achievement and to position the Oahu community college campuses within reach of 100 percent renewable energy generation.”
The University spokesman, Michael Unebasami has also promised a network of solar panels that will power the campus’ 78-acre grounds by the next year.
According to Fast Company educational opportunities for UH’s students is also an appealing aspect of the Johnson Controls project to turn the entire school 100% energy free.
“While the new energy efficiency measures and solar arrays will save the UH system around $78 million, that’s not what makes it unique: Johnson Controls and UH have also partnered on an educational program, featuring curriculum, an internship program, and workshops for faculty and students, that will roll out alongside the new energy systems.”
The University of Hawaii is the only public system of higher education in Hawaii, and it includes 10 campuses with dozens of educational, training, and research across the state. With over 49,000 students it looks like this might become a reality faster than we think.
Do you think that more colleges should move to 100% renewable energy?


This is the computing support site for the Computer Science Laboratory (CSLab) in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. CSLab is the departmental computing facility that provides computing services and infrastructure for Computer Science research. For teaching, computing services for courses are provided by the Computer Science Teaching Laboratories.
Connect to our Networks
One of the first priorities of a new member of our department is to obtain network connectivity. This can be done easily in two ways via either our 'Red' wired network (so named for the colour of the cables) or our wireless network. Before you begin, make sure you or someone helping you has obtained a CSLab Account. You will need this when you register your devices for our network services.
Method 1: If you have an available (i.e. unused) red cable at your location, plug it into your device. Try to open http://red-register.cs.toronto.edu (many websites will redirect you to this site in any event) after you plug it in, and you will be presented with the registration page.
Method 2: Connect your devices wirelessly. Go to Wireless and follow the instructions there, and you will be able to register your device.
Please refer to our Email page for more info regarding this.
Points of Contact (PoC)
Each research group has a PoC, who serves as the primary computing support for the group. If the documentation on these pages is not sufficient to solve a particular problem, PoC can be contacted by email, phone or in person.
Backing Up Data
Once you have configured your system to operate on the CSLab network, you should take advantage of the CSLab file servers to save your important data to your home directory. In fact, we urge you to do so in order to avoid data loss. Not only do we backup up our file servers daily, we back them up to media that are securely stored in a different building. This means that if we are contacted in a timely manner, we will often be able to restore lost data for you. Please refer to the page on Self Administered Machines for details.


Construction on the Olympic Aquatics Center for the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, has hit a snag following the recent reveal of falsified earthquake safety data by Tokyo-based firm KYB.
Earlier this month, SwimSwam reported that the Japanese hydraulics company KYB had manipulated earthquake safety data for nearly 100 buildings throughout Japan, including some venues for the 2020 Summer Games. Now it has been confirmed that the Olympic Aquatics Center, where swimming, diving, and artistic (synchronized) swimming will take place during the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, is one of the buildings affected by the false data.
The Olympic Aquatics Center, which houses 32 hydraulic oil dampeners, will have to replace all 32 dampeners if it is confirmed safety data for the Aquatics Center was also falsified. The Japan News reports that a Tokyo government official said of the delays: “With the tight construction schedule, it’s a totally unexpected situation for us,” the official said. “We must immediately take measures to deal with the problem.”
Furthermore, the official is quoted to have said of firm KYB: “Even if the maker responsible for the data falsification told us [the dampers] are safe, we can’t trust them,” a senior metropolitan government official said. “We cannot waste even a single day.”
If Tokyo 2020 must replace all 32 dampeners, the process could further postpone the already behind-schedule Olympic Aquatics Center, which hit its first delay when it was determined that the topsoil on which the facility was being constructed was contaminated. Now, according to The Japan News, the Olympic Aquatics Center is on schedule to be the last venue completed before the Games open in July of 2020.
Further construction delays–though unrelated to the KYB scandal–include the Ariake Tennis Park, which is now stalled due to the “collapse of a contractor” in charge of renovating the facility, which will host both tennis and wheelchair tennis in 2020. M-Tec Co., the Japan-based company that undertook the $14.3 million project, recently filed for bankruptcy, seeking protection from its creditors with the Tokyo District Court, pursuant to Japan’s Civil Rehabilitation Law.
An official from the Japanese Tennis Affiliation said that should tennis and wheelchair tennis be affected by a delay in the construction process, the issue would become and “international problem.” While the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has plans to begin searching for a new contractor to complete the renovations, new work cannot begin and construction materials currently on-site cannot be moved due to an asset protection order handed down by the Tokyo District Court, which bans the removal of construction-related materials from the site.