President Barack Obama led civil rights pioneers Wednesday in a ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech roused the 250,000 people who rallied there decades ago for racial equality.
Large crowds gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, where the first black U.S. president spoke just after 1900 GMT – the same time that King delivered his spellbinding speech.The first march was early in the turbulent 1960s, when the South still had separate restrooms, schools and careers for blacks and whites, and racism lingered across the country. In the two years following the march, President Lyndon Johnson signed the landmark Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act to outlaw discrimination, and King received the Nobel Peace Prize.
“There were couples in love who couldn’t marry. Soldiers who fought for freedom abroad but couldn’t find any at home,” Obama said, speaking of that era. “America changed for you and rtls,” he added later.But he pointed to the nation’s economic disparities as evidence that King’s hopes remain unfulfilled.
Obama has said King is one of two people he admires “more than anybody in American history.” The other is Abraham Lincoln. Thousands of people were in attendance in wet weather.Two former presidents, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, spoke movingly of King’s legacy – and of problems still to overcome.“This march, and that speech, changed America,” Clinton declared.
Carter said King’s efforts had helped not just black Americans, but “In truth, he helped to free all people.”Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker and Jamie Foxx were among the celebrities.Winfrey said King forced the nation “to wake up, look at itself and eventually change.”
International commemorations were being held at London’s Trafalgar Square, as well as in the nations of Japan, Switzerland, Nepal and Liberia. London Mayor Boris Johnson has said King’s speech resonates around the world and continues to inspire people as one of the great pieces of oratory.
Obama considers the 1963 march part of his generation’s “formative memory.” A half-century after the march, he said, is a good time to reflect on how far the country has come and how far it still has to go, particularly after the recent acquittal of George Zimmerman in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager.
Race isn’t a subject Obama likes to talk about in public, but the Martin case is one time he has done so.In an interview Tuesday on Tom Joyner’s radio show, Obama said he imagines that King “would be amazed in many ways about the progress that we’ve made.” He listed advances such as equal rights before the law, an accessible judicial system, thousands of African-American elected officials, African-American CEOs and the doors that the civil rights movement opened for Latinos, women and gays.
The white minivan packed with armed Syrian fighters hurtled along the narrow winding road and passed old stone houses nestled among lush orchards of apples, pomegranates and figs clinging to dry-stone terraces stepped into the soaring pine-covered mountains and rocky ravines of Jabal al-Akrad in Syria's northwestern Latakia province.
The seven men munched on potato chips as revolutionary songs, mainly Islamist but a few secular, played through the van's speakers: "We are your soldiers, Osama. We seek martyrdom," went one.There was another soundtrack playing outside - the roar of MiG fighter jets and the soft thump-thump of helicopter rotor blades before they opened their doors to drop large improvised explosives packed into barrels. A MiG suddenly swooped directly overhead, prompting the van to screech to a halt. The men clambered out and hid under the sprawling branches of a walnut tree by the side of the road.
A rebel 23-mm anti-aircraft gun nearby chased the jet with several thunderous rounds. It was joined by several other anti-aircraft guns of various calibers. All missed their target. A chicken clucked. An old man in a red and white checkered headscarf, riding an ash-gray donkey a shade darker than the color of his whiskers, slowly continued up the steep path, seemingly oblivious to events around him.
After 10 minutes and several circular passes, the jet again dived in low and unleashed its explosive payload into an adjacent hill, creating plumes of white smoke that obscured the gentle, rounded mountaintop like a vertical cloud.
The men of the Ansar al-Din battalion got back into the van and drove toward the many other plumes of smoke rising from the hills. They were headed to one of the most important front lines in the Syrian civil war: the battle for the mountain heartlands of President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect, his ancestral homeland and the backbone of his regime.
Read the full products at www.ecived.com/en/!
Showing posts with label influence fuel demand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label influence fuel demand. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Several Detainees Killed
Shells smashed into a central prison in the embattled Syrian city of Aleppo, killing prisoners, a rights group said Sunday, part of a long battle for control of the ancient city.The explosions killed six prisoners, said the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which communicates with a network of activists on the ground. The explosives hit on Friday night, the Observatory said. It was not clear who fired the shells.
The Observatory reported about 70 soldiers and fighters were killed on Sunday, as well as 40 civilians, in fighting across Syria. The U.N. estimates some 93,000 people have been killed in the civil war.With government forces stepping up offensives, the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood called on the U.S. and Europe to send arms.
"Providing the Free Syrian Army and the revolutionary rebels with appropriate arms is more urgent now than at any time in the past," the movement wrote on social media sites. "We feel cheated and disappointed because the U.S. and Europe have backed out from arming the FSA," it said.
Last month the U.S. decided in principle to provide some weapons to rebel forces, though Western countries are concerned they might land in the hands of extremist Sunni Muslims fighting with the hands free access.The forces include an al-Qaida-linked group which has been fighting for weeks to seize control of the prison in Aleppo, besieging it. The Observatory estimated some 120 prisoners have died in the jail since April from fighting, illness and executions.
Syria's state run news agency SANA said "a number" of rebels were killed in the shelling but did not give an exact number.Aleppo, Syria's largest city, is near the border with Turkey. Many of its ancient monuments and its marketplace, once a magnet for tourists, have been destroyed in fighting.
Rebels and government forces also clashed near the Shiite towns of Nubul and Zahra in Aleppo province, the Observatory and pro-rebel activists reported. The towns have been besieged since at least May by hard-line Sunni rebels seeking to dislodge their enemies.
The Observatory said fighting killed three regime troops, including one foreigner, code for a fighter from the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah.Rebels claim that Assad's forces and Hezbollah fighters are in the two towns. A hard-line Sunni brigade warned last week it would punish Shiites for harboring the forces, suggesting the towns' populations of some 40,000 Shiites could be targeted.
The fighting underscores the growing sectarian nature of the two-year uprising against Assad's regime. It began as peaceful protests but turned into an armed rebellion after a brutal government crackdown. It has since taken on regional dimensions, with Hezbollah fighters joining Assad's forces. Foreign Sunni fighters have joined predominantly Sunni Syrian rebels who are formed in bands ranging from secular to hard-line Islamists.
At home, Assad draws support largely from Syria's minorities, including fellow Alawites – followers of an offshoot of Shiite Islam – as well as Christians, Shiites and Sunnis who fear the hard-line rebels.In recent weeks, Assad's forces, bolstered by Hezbollah fighters, have pushed back to seize rebel-held areas in several parts of Syria.In the central Syrian city of Homs, Assad's forces fired mortar shells from a stronghold of buildings on the edge of the rebel-held area of Khaldiyeh, trying to flush out fighters, said two activists.
Explosions could be heard as they spoke via Skype.The shells were exploding in the densely-built area surrounding the 13th-century mosque of Khalid Ibn al-Walid, famous for its nine domes and two minarets, said a Homs-based activist identified as Nedal. He said parts of the wall surrounding the historic complex were blown away. Other parts were damaged in previous rounds of fighting.
Khaldiyeh-based activist Abu Bilal said fighters were low on weapons. He said the international community, despite promises to arm rebels, had left them hanging in Homs.
She needs food and medical assistance, child care and Supplemental Security Income, among other public support, she says. She and the boys have received more than $150,000 worth of taxpayer-funded benefits in the last five years.
What she fails to tell the state in her application for the help, however, is that she collects thousands of dollars in rent every month from at least $4 million worth of properties in Shorewood, the east side of Milwaukee and elsewhere.
Porush says the properties are not hers, despite Milwaukee County property and tax records and court documents that list her as an owner or having substantial interest."My mother owns all the property," she told the Journal Sentinel. "I don't get a penny."
Porush's 80-year-old mother, Lidia Kolchinsky, lives with her in the downstairs unit of a 4,300-square-foot duplex on N. Shepard Ave. listed in multiple public records as owned by Porush. Kolchinsky's name is included as a co-owner of several of the properties.
Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en/!
The Observatory reported about 70 soldiers and fighters were killed on Sunday, as well as 40 civilians, in fighting across Syria. The U.N. estimates some 93,000 people have been killed in the civil war.With government forces stepping up offensives, the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood called on the U.S. and Europe to send arms.
"Providing the Free Syrian Army and the revolutionary rebels with appropriate arms is more urgent now than at any time in the past," the movement wrote on social media sites. "We feel cheated and disappointed because the U.S. and Europe have backed out from arming the FSA," it said.
Last month the U.S. decided in principle to provide some weapons to rebel forces, though Western countries are concerned they might land in the hands of extremist Sunni Muslims fighting with the hands free access.The forces include an al-Qaida-linked group which has been fighting for weeks to seize control of the prison in Aleppo, besieging it. The Observatory estimated some 120 prisoners have died in the jail since April from fighting, illness and executions.
Syria's state run news agency SANA said "a number" of rebels were killed in the shelling but did not give an exact number.Aleppo, Syria's largest city, is near the border with Turkey. Many of its ancient monuments and its marketplace, once a magnet for tourists, have been destroyed in fighting.
Rebels and government forces also clashed near the Shiite towns of Nubul and Zahra in Aleppo province, the Observatory and pro-rebel activists reported. The towns have been besieged since at least May by hard-line Sunni rebels seeking to dislodge their enemies.
The Observatory said fighting killed three regime troops, including one foreigner, code for a fighter from the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah.Rebels claim that Assad's forces and Hezbollah fighters are in the two towns. A hard-line Sunni brigade warned last week it would punish Shiites for harboring the forces, suggesting the towns' populations of some 40,000 Shiites could be targeted.
The fighting underscores the growing sectarian nature of the two-year uprising against Assad's regime. It began as peaceful protests but turned into an armed rebellion after a brutal government crackdown. It has since taken on regional dimensions, with Hezbollah fighters joining Assad's forces. Foreign Sunni fighters have joined predominantly Sunni Syrian rebels who are formed in bands ranging from secular to hard-line Islamists.
At home, Assad draws support largely from Syria's minorities, including fellow Alawites – followers of an offshoot of Shiite Islam – as well as Christians, Shiites and Sunnis who fear the hard-line rebels.In recent weeks, Assad's forces, bolstered by Hezbollah fighters, have pushed back to seize rebel-held areas in several parts of Syria.In the central Syrian city of Homs, Assad's forces fired mortar shells from a stronghold of buildings on the edge of the rebel-held area of Khaldiyeh, trying to flush out fighters, said two activists.
Explosions could be heard as they spoke via Skype.The shells were exploding in the densely-built area surrounding the 13th-century mosque of Khalid Ibn al-Walid, famous for its nine domes and two minarets, said a Homs-based activist identified as Nedal. He said parts of the wall surrounding the historic complex were blown away. Other parts were damaged in previous rounds of fighting.
Khaldiyeh-based activist Abu Bilal said fighters were low on weapons. He said the international community, despite promises to arm rebels, had left them hanging in Homs.
She needs food and medical assistance, child care and Supplemental Security Income, among other public support, she says. She and the boys have received more than $150,000 worth of taxpayer-funded benefits in the last five years.
What she fails to tell the state in her application for the help, however, is that she collects thousands of dollars in rent every month from at least $4 million worth of properties in Shorewood, the east side of Milwaukee and elsewhere.
Porush says the properties are not hers, despite Milwaukee County property and tax records and court documents that list her as an owner or having substantial interest."My mother owns all the property," she told the Journal Sentinel. "I don't get a penny."
Porush's 80-year-old mother, Lidia Kolchinsky, lives with her in the downstairs unit of a 4,300-square-foot duplex on N. Shepard Ave. listed in multiple public records as owned by Porush. Kolchinsky's name is included as a co-owner of several of the properties.
Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en/!
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Marco Rubio 'Committed To Immigration Reform'
Asked whether Rubio is "100 percent" behind the bill, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he thinks his Florida colleague is simply making an effort to garner more support from Republicans.
"I think he's committed to immigration reform, he's looking for ways to make it better and grow the vote, absolutely," Graham told reporters. "And enhancing border security is the way to do that on the Republican side."
Rubio has been one of the top conservative spokesmen for the bill, which was authored by four Republicans and four Democrats and will likely be taken up by the full Senate next week. While Graham and Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) have been vocal in support of their legislation, Rubio has been the one really touting the need for reform on television and radio, which in turn has attracted ire from those who consider the bill "amnesty."
He has argued that the bill could be strengthened by adding more border security measures. "There will have to be improvements," Rubio said Monday in a video message to constituents, pointing specifically to enforcement mechanisms and the guest worker program.
"I think even the Democrats would concede that," he said. "One of the things we've learned over the last few weeks -- through the open process that happened through the committee process and all the public input that we've gotten -- is how little confidence people have that the federal government will enforce the law."
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who supports the bill, said he doesn't expect it to be difficult to get to 60 votes. Graham seemed more in agreement with him than with Rubio.
"Yeah, we've got 60, I'm sure," Graham told reporters Tuesday. "My goal is to get half the [Senate Republican] conference. From our party's point of view, if this thing falls apart and we get blamed because we're not practical, we created border security mechanisms that were unachievable, we tried to change the structure in a dramatic way and we get the blame, we're toast in 2016."
The South Carolina senator made a similar warning about the structure of the bill when discussing potential changes to the border security triggers, which Rubio has discussed making. Currently, the bill would allow some undocumented immigrants to move toward citizenship once certain advancements have been made in border enforcement plans and implementation, but Rubio and other senators have floated the idea of altering exactly how that process would work. Graham said there could be changes, but the triggers need to stay consistent.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), another member of the gang of eight, said the Democrats are willing to be flexible, but they have "some bottom lines on the triggers," which were already negotiated by the gang of eight and within the Judiciary Committee (Rubio is not a member of that panel). The Democrats insist that the border triggers be achievable and mandated to go into effect even under a new president who opposes a path to citizenship.
Apparently unaware they were being filmed on live TV, Egyptian politicians meeting with Egypt’s president on Monday proposed to sabotage Ethiopia’s plans to build a massive dam on the Nile River upstream.
Some politicians suggested backing rebels to carry out sabotage. But Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi did not directly react to the suggestions, but said in concluding remarks that Egypt respects Ethiopia and its people and will not engage in any aggressive acts against the East African nation.
Mursi called the meeting to review the impact of Ethiopia’s $4.2 billion hydroelectric dam, which would be Africa’s largest. Egypt in the past has threatened to go to war over its “historic rights” to Nile River water.
Meanwhile, an aide to Mursi has apologized after she failed to inform politicians holding talks with the president that they were live on air.
“Due to the importance of the topic it was decided at the last minute to air the meeting live. I forgot to inform the participants about the changes,” presidential aide for political affairs Pakinam el-Sharkawi said.
Mursi’s office later said he had directed his foreign and irrigation ministers to maintain contact with the Ethiopian government to obtain more information on the dam and its likely impact on Egypt’s share of the Nile water.
His office’s statement included a note, saying: “Egypt will never surrender its right to Nile water and all options (to safeguard it) are being considered.”
According to The Associated Press, in the meeting, Younis Makhyoun, leader of an ultraconservative Islamist party, said Egypt should back rebels in Ethiopia or, as a last resort, destroy the dam. He said Egypt made a “strategic error” when it did not object to the dam’s construction.
Makhyoun said Ethiopia is “fragile” because of rebel movements inside the country. “We can communicate with them and use them as a bargaining chip against the Ethiopian government,” he said.
“If all this fails, then there is no choice left for Egypt but to play the final card, which is using the intelligence service to destroy the dam,” said Makhyoun, whose Nour party won about 25 percent of parliament’s seats in elections in late 2011 and early 2012.
Another politician, liberal Ayman Nour, proposed spreading rumors about Egypt obtaining refueling aircraft to create the impression that it plans an airstrike to destroy the dam.Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en!
"I think he's committed to immigration reform, he's looking for ways to make it better and grow the vote, absolutely," Graham told reporters. "And enhancing border security is the way to do that on the Republican side."
Rubio has been one of the top conservative spokesmen for the bill, which was authored by four Republicans and four Democrats and will likely be taken up by the full Senate next week. While Graham and Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) have been vocal in support of their legislation, Rubio has been the one really touting the need for reform on television and radio, which in turn has attracted ire from those who consider the bill "amnesty."
He has argued that the bill could be strengthened by adding more border security measures. "There will have to be improvements," Rubio said Monday in a video message to constituents, pointing specifically to enforcement mechanisms and the guest worker program.
"I think even the Democrats would concede that," he said. "One of the things we've learned over the last few weeks -- through the open process that happened through the committee process and all the public input that we've gotten -- is how little confidence people have that the federal government will enforce the law."
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who supports the bill, said he doesn't expect it to be difficult to get to 60 votes. Graham seemed more in agreement with him than with Rubio.
"Yeah, we've got 60, I'm sure," Graham told reporters Tuesday. "My goal is to get half the [Senate Republican] conference. From our party's point of view, if this thing falls apart and we get blamed because we're not practical, we created border security mechanisms that were unachievable, we tried to change the structure in a dramatic way and we get the blame, we're toast in 2016."
The South Carolina senator made a similar warning about the structure of the bill when discussing potential changes to the border security triggers, which Rubio has discussed making. Currently, the bill would allow some undocumented immigrants to move toward citizenship once certain advancements have been made in border enforcement plans and implementation, but Rubio and other senators have floated the idea of altering exactly how that process would work. Graham said there could be changes, but the triggers need to stay consistent.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), another member of the gang of eight, said the Democrats are willing to be flexible, but they have "some bottom lines on the triggers," which were already negotiated by the gang of eight and within the Judiciary Committee (Rubio is not a member of that panel). The Democrats insist that the border triggers be achievable and mandated to go into effect even under a new president who opposes a path to citizenship.
Apparently unaware they were being filmed on live TV, Egyptian politicians meeting with Egypt’s president on Monday proposed to sabotage Ethiopia’s plans to build a massive dam on the Nile River upstream.
Some politicians suggested backing rebels to carry out sabotage. But Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi did not directly react to the suggestions, but said in concluding remarks that Egypt respects Ethiopia and its people and will not engage in any aggressive acts against the East African nation.
Mursi called the meeting to review the impact of Ethiopia’s $4.2 billion hydroelectric dam, which would be Africa’s largest. Egypt in the past has threatened to go to war over its “historic rights” to Nile River water.
Meanwhile, an aide to Mursi has apologized after she failed to inform politicians holding talks with the president that they were live on air.
“Due to the importance of the topic it was decided at the last minute to air the meeting live. I forgot to inform the participants about the changes,” presidential aide for political affairs Pakinam el-Sharkawi said.
Mursi’s office later said he had directed his foreign and irrigation ministers to maintain contact with the Ethiopian government to obtain more information on the dam and its likely impact on Egypt’s share of the Nile water.
His office’s statement included a note, saying: “Egypt will never surrender its right to Nile water and all options (to safeguard it) are being considered.”
According to The Associated Press, in the meeting, Younis Makhyoun, leader of an ultraconservative Islamist party, said Egypt should back rebels in Ethiopia or, as a last resort, destroy the dam. He said Egypt made a “strategic error” when it did not object to the dam’s construction.
Makhyoun said Ethiopia is “fragile” because of rebel movements inside the country. “We can communicate with them and use them as a bargaining chip against the Ethiopian government,” he said.
“If all this fails, then there is no choice left for Egypt but to play the final card, which is using the intelligence service to destroy the dam,” said Makhyoun, whose Nour party won about 25 percent of parliament’s seats in elections in late 2011 and early 2012.
Another politician, liberal Ayman Nour, proposed spreading rumors about Egypt obtaining refueling aircraft to create the impression that it plans an airstrike to destroy the dam.Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
How to be cool with your smart phone
Is that an iPhone in your pocket, girly-man? In one of those weird interventions the absurdly wealthy are sometimes prone to, Google boss Sergey Brin claimed this week that smartphones are emasculating. Instead of striding about, chest puffed, head high, crotch pointed towards the horizon, the modern male, he implied, is a pathetic creature, hunched Gollum-like over his handset.
"Is this the way you're meant to interact with other people?" said Brin of that distinctive smartphone 'stoop'. "It's kind of emasculating. Is this what you're meant to do with your body?"
It is, of course, tremendously ironic that the man who helped invent the Google search engine and Android phone – becoming a gadzillioniare several times over in the process – should presume to lecture the rest of us on our telecommunication habits.
Furthermore, his rant has ulterior motives, as Brin is trying to gin up publicity for his Google Glasses, a futuristic set of eyewear that, so he promises, will transfer the mobile-phone experience to your irises.
Such objections aside, might Brin be on to something? Have we become girlishly enslaved to our phones? Has our addiction to tweeting, texting, Facebooking stripped away the manhood of the 21st-century male? Shorn of our phones, might we all be out wrestling alligators, hiking mountains and honing our pecs?
With mobile-phone penetration in Ireland among the world's highest, the question is highly rhetorical. Still, it's never too late for a little self-improvement. So if you can bear to put your handset away for a few minutes – unless you're using it to read this article – we present our ultimate guide to staying cool on your phone.
Plenty of standard accessories are part of a typical bridal ensemble, but one style accent can complement the entire day and especially the moment the ring is placed on her finger: a special manicure.
Nail art today is very diverse and choices span far beyond a few colors and French manicure tip styles. Nails can be decked in any color and highlighted with a wide range of accents.
Nail wraps and stamps are available in a variety of designs and accents such as gems, pearls, bows and other nail jewelry items are part of the growing trend toward 3-D nail art, giving a bride many avenues to express her personal style.
Color choices are typically soft and hues are often selected from the color of the bridemaids' dresses, but creative and striking designs can be achieved in a variety of ways, and on a variety of budgets.
Nail stamping has been growing in popularity in the U.S over the last several years. Its early popularity began in South Korea with a brand of metal stamping plates manufactured by Konad. The plates, which are reusable and will last for many years, are etched with designs ranging from floral and lacy patterns, butterflies, geometric designs, individual flowers, snow flakes and many other designs. Some patterns cover the full nail, others are designed to cover just the tip, and others are individual designs which can be placed alone or repeated on the nail.
Color combinations are nearly unlimited, but high-contrast, opaque colors work best. Many subtle designs can also be created with a light and a dark color in a similar hue, or with two similar colors, but one in frost and one in a creme formula for contrast.
Starter stamping kits are available in most drug store and other retail chains locally and include several plates. Stamping plates with more detailed and themed designs are available from numerous online sellers. The kits consist of a soft, rubber-like stamper which is used to pick up a design etched in the metal plates to be immediately transfered to the nail. The design is made by applying polish to the etched design and wiping the excess with a flat-edged scraper (many experienced stampers use an old credit card for this task).
It is important to work quickly to pick up the design with the stamper and transfer it to the nail before the polish dries. It is also helpful to apply a clear coat over the base color on the nail before stamping. This helps provide a barrier against mistakes and can eliminate the need to repaint the nails after a mistake. Top the final design with another coat of clear top coat applied quickly and gently so as not to smear the design.
The Internet is teeming with nail art blogs packed with pictures, videos and tips and tricks for anyone looking to become a proficient stamper.
There is definitely a learning curve to mastering the art of stamping, which depends a great deal on how much experience one has with painting, crafting or other do-it-yourself activities, along with patience. Any bride wishing to have nicely stamped nails needs to get in plenty of practice time before the big day.
If the challenge of learning to stamp is too daunting, check with local salons to see what options are available. Do some online image searches, print them out and bring them to the manicurist to share favored ideas and styles.
A different but less complicated way to achieve a similar look is with nail polish strips or nail wraps. A wide array of designs are available and strips are shaped to fit most nails. Application is quick and easier than stamping, but still takes practice. Unlike stamping, color choices are limited. Once a package of strips has been opened, it is important to seal the package quickly for reuse or the strips may dry out. Many strips are made of nail polish, so are easy to remove and unlikely to stain natural nails.
Three-dimensional nail art has been trending in Korea and Japan for some time, and many of the items used are available to order online. Pressed dried flowers, plastic roses and other flowers in a variety of colors, metal bejeweled bows, thin slices of Fimo clay in designs like flowers, fruit, butterflies and more are available to create dazzling nail designs. Take a look online by searching "3-D nail art" online to see photos of fabulous and sometimes far out designs others have created.
If a thick layer of 3-D nail bling sounds like a bit too much flash, but is still rather tempting, many opt for a single accent nail on each hand. The ring finger is commonly chosen for the accent nail, but be sure the ring will clear the art and make it into the finger before the words, "With this ring," are spoken. Also consider the thumb nail as an accent, or a combination of two or three of any fingers.
Other simpler tools are available to add interest to nails. inexpensive dotting tools are available online and allow the user to add polka dots of many sizes consistently to the nails. The tool is shaped like a pen and features beaded ends in different sizes. The user dips the bead into nail polish and applies it to the nail in a small drop. Again, the color choices are only limited by the colors of polish available, and can reflect the palette of the bridal party's clothing. Dots can also be used to accent other designs applied to the nails, such as adding a center dot to a flower.
Striping tape is another easy-to use and very inexpensive tool. Adhesive pin stripe tape is available in a variety of metallic colors and is easy to apply and remove. The tape can also be used to separate two colors painted on the nail, giving each side a crisp-looking edge. Tape can be prone to peeling, so it is best applied no more than a day or two before the wedding for best results.
Nail decals have been around for a long time, but modern and more intricate designs are available. The designs slip off a paper backing easily after soaking in water and can be positioned on the nail without much difficulty. Once dry, a clear top coat keeps them in place.
"Is this the way you're meant to interact with other people?" said Brin of that distinctive smartphone 'stoop'. "It's kind of emasculating. Is this what you're meant to do with your body?"
It is, of course, tremendously ironic that the man who helped invent the Google search engine and Android phone – becoming a gadzillioniare several times over in the process – should presume to lecture the rest of us on our telecommunication habits.
Furthermore, his rant has ulterior motives, as Brin is trying to gin up publicity for his Google Glasses, a futuristic set of eyewear that, so he promises, will transfer the mobile-phone experience to your irises.
Such objections aside, might Brin be on to something? Have we become girlishly enslaved to our phones? Has our addiction to tweeting, texting, Facebooking stripped away the manhood of the 21st-century male? Shorn of our phones, might we all be out wrestling alligators, hiking mountains and honing our pecs?
With mobile-phone penetration in Ireland among the world's highest, the question is highly rhetorical. Still, it's never too late for a little self-improvement. So if you can bear to put your handset away for a few minutes – unless you're using it to read this article – we present our ultimate guide to staying cool on your phone.
Plenty of standard accessories are part of a typical bridal ensemble, but one style accent can complement the entire day and especially the moment the ring is placed on her finger: a special manicure.
Nail art today is very diverse and choices span far beyond a few colors and French manicure tip styles. Nails can be decked in any color and highlighted with a wide range of accents.
Nail wraps and stamps are available in a variety of designs and accents such as gems, pearls, bows and other nail jewelry items are part of the growing trend toward 3-D nail art, giving a bride many avenues to express her personal style.
Color choices are typically soft and hues are often selected from the color of the bridemaids' dresses, but creative and striking designs can be achieved in a variety of ways, and on a variety of budgets.
Nail stamping has been growing in popularity in the U.S over the last several years. Its early popularity began in South Korea with a brand of metal stamping plates manufactured by Konad. The plates, which are reusable and will last for many years, are etched with designs ranging from floral and lacy patterns, butterflies, geometric designs, individual flowers, snow flakes and many other designs. Some patterns cover the full nail, others are designed to cover just the tip, and others are individual designs which can be placed alone or repeated on the nail.
Color combinations are nearly unlimited, but high-contrast, opaque colors work best. Many subtle designs can also be created with a light and a dark color in a similar hue, or with two similar colors, but one in frost and one in a creme formula for contrast.
Starter stamping kits are available in most drug store and other retail chains locally and include several plates. Stamping plates with more detailed and themed designs are available from numerous online sellers. The kits consist of a soft, rubber-like stamper which is used to pick up a design etched in the metal plates to be immediately transfered to the nail. The design is made by applying polish to the etched design and wiping the excess with a flat-edged scraper (many experienced stampers use an old credit card for this task).
It is important to work quickly to pick up the design with the stamper and transfer it to the nail before the polish dries. It is also helpful to apply a clear coat over the base color on the nail before stamping. This helps provide a barrier against mistakes and can eliminate the need to repaint the nails after a mistake. Top the final design with another coat of clear top coat applied quickly and gently so as not to smear the design.
The Internet is teeming with nail art blogs packed with pictures, videos and tips and tricks for anyone looking to become a proficient stamper.
There is definitely a learning curve to mastering the art of stamping, which depends a great deal on how much experience one has with painting, crafting or other do-it-yourself activities, along with patience. Any bride wishing to have nicely stamped nails needs to get in plenty of practice time before the big day.
If the challenge of learning to stamp is too daunting, check with local salons to see what options are available. Do some online image searches, print them out and bring them to the manicurist to share favored ideas and styles.
A different but less complicated way to achieve a similar look is with nail polish strips or nail wraps. A wide array of designs are available and strips are shaped to fit most nails. Application is quick and easier than stamping, but still takes practice. Unlike stamping, color choices are limited. Once a package of strips has been opened, it is important to seal the package quickly for reuse or the strips may dry out. Many strips are made of nail polish, so are easy to remove and unlikely to stain natural nails.
Three-dimensional nail art has been trending in Korea and Japan for some time, and many of the items used are available to order online. Pressed dried flowers, plastic roses and other flowers in a variety of colors, metal bejeweled bows, thin slices of Fimo clay in designs like flowers, fruit, butterflies and more are available to create dazzling nail designs. Take a look online by searching "3-D nail art" online to see photos of fabulous and sometimes far out designs others have created.
If a thick layer of 3-D nail bling sounds like a bit too much flash, but is still rather tempting, many opt for a single accent nail on each hand. The ring finger is commonly chosen for the accent nail, but be sure the ring will clear the art and make it into the finger before the words, "With this ring," are spoken. Also consider the thumb nail as an accent, or a combination of two or three of any fingers.
Other simpler tools are available to add interest to nails. inexpensive dotting tools are available online and allow the user to add polka dots of many sizes consistently to the nails. The tool is shaped like a pen and features beaded ends in different sizes. The user dips the bead into nail polish and applies it to the nail in a small drop. Again, the color choices are only limited by the colors of polish available, and can reflect the palette of the bridal party's clothing. Dots can also be used to accent other designs applied to the nails, such as adding a center dot to a flower.
Striping tape is another easy-to use and very inexpensive tool. Adhesive pin stripe tape is available in a variety of metallic colors and is easy to apply and remove. The tape can also be used to separate two colors painted on the nail, giving each side a crisp-looking edge. Tape can be prone to peeling, so it is best applied no more than a day or two before the wedding for best results.
Nail decals have been around for a long time, but modern and more intricate designs are available. The designs slip off a paper backing easily after soaking in water and can be positioned on the nail without much difficulty. Once dry, a clear top coat keeps them in place.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Confessions and pointers of a luxury hotel employee
But first a brief dissertation on what I like to call the “insider” novel, which has been around for centuries. One of the first is “Moll Flanders.” In which Daniel DeFoe gets inside the life of a prostitute and con artist to tell readers what goes on in the life of Moll. Tons of such novels have followed. Think of Arthur Haley, who wrote of the innerworkings of a luxury hostelry in “Hotel,” as well as a wintry slide on the runways of Minneapolis’ Wold Chamberlain in “Airport.”
Speaking of Minnesota, Sinclair Lewis made a living writing insider novels which he painstakingly researched. We learn about med school and doctors in “Arrowsmith,” the theatrical world in “Bethel Merriday,” real estate agent in “Babbitt,” evangelicals in “Elmer Gantry” and more on hotels in “Work of Art.”
More recently, a spate of non-fiction books has appeared, in which employees and former employees lay down their aprons and talk about what it’s like to be a chef, a waiter, a stewardess. Anthony Bourdain made it big a few years back telling readers how to deal with New York restaurants, based on his experiences running a famous New York Bistro.Then came …Steve Dublanica, who wrote “Waiter Rant,” about what irritates and/or pleases New York waiters.
As a former hotel employee I jumped at today’s book, “Heads on Beds,” whose author went to work parking cars at a luxury hotel in New Orleans because, having earned his college degree in philosophy, there were no other jobs open to him.The auto valet works hard at his new job — taught by the blacks and Hispanics he works with. He learns fast and is promoted to front desk clerk and on to a management position in “housekeeping.”
Along the way, he tells readers of his adventures and misadventures with two bit customers who should know better, cunning employees who give him good advice that he doesn’t take. One elderly car parker tells him not take a promotion to “management” . “Try to get on as a bellman. They’re the ones who make the real money.”
Not all hotel customers are awful, just some of them. One famous actor checks into his suite and tells the old black housekeeper not to bother cleaning his suite. The suite is fine, he says, you just sit down for an hour and listen to me play the piano.
As with any insider non-fiction, there are lots of tips for readers about beating the system. If you know the system, argues author Tomsky, you can beat it. Sometimes, he says, it’s cheaper to go with a luxury suite than a standard room. Just make sure you drink all the drinks provided and eat the complimentary meals. After a day or two, the extra tariff will begin to pay for itself.
My favorite technique comes in the chapter about the overpriced minibar in your room. He says if you get a charge on your bill and you haven’t used it, call and refuse to pay. They’ll cancel the charge because they have no way of knowing if you’ve used it. Same goes for if you HAVE used the mini bar. Just tell them you haven’t and they’ll erase the charge. His most egregious example deals with how to rob your mini bar. When you check in make sure you get a non-smoking room. When you get to the room, light up a cigarette and smoke it in the room. Then open the mini-bar and put everything in it in your suitcase. Then call the desk and say you got a smoking room and demand that you and your suitcase be moved.
As a “new theatre fit-out in an existing new shell,” McCall confirms that Spotlight Theatres and its Front Street Bistro are indeed an “anchor for a new mixed-use retail entertainment district. The main project goal was to integrate a theatre and restaurant into one cohesive environment for moviegoers and diners alike, but also to provide an independent experience for those wishing to dine only or those just wanting go to and see a movie. The upscale finishes and sophisticated aesthetics complement the fine dining and sleek bar environment.” Discussing the “sleek, sophisticated and diverse” restaurant “offering upscale food at reasonable prices and a happy-hour scene that is already causing a buzz,” the food expert of The Hartford Courant set the scene further. “Huge glass windows on two sides of the restaurant offer diners and those at the bar a close view of the Front Street area and the boulevard where city traffic and the science center, convention center and insurance buildings provide a cityscape that makes you feel as though you are right in the middle of the best the city offers. Décor is beige and black, simple, clean and modern, with the restaurant and bar separated from the movie theatre operation by the main foyer.” And the very center of that operation is equally on view for all to admire. JKR Partners created what McCall describes as “the open jewel box highlighting the theatre’s digital equipment with a glowing ceiling and floor that are visible from the main promenade.”
Already “known for its pure and balanced acoustics,” as press notes trumpeted, nowadays guests are treated to “plush, new ergonomic seating from renowned French manufacturers Quinette Gallay, as well as added legroom and improved sightlines.” In the process, capacity was reduced to 361 from some 400 seats originally, and the color scheme taken to a rich red velvet from a somewhat more orange-hued velour. The “European styling” of the “elegantly transformed space” included fresh paints and “luxurious” new carpeting. To improve overall circulation, the auditorium doors were relocated to the center, creating “a grand entrance with a dramatic overall perspective.” All the while, a new cross aisle provides “unobstructed views from handicapped-accessible seating areas.” Last but certainly not least, technical upgrades brought improved sound and lighting, and digital-cinema capabilities, of course.
In their official announcement of the deal, real estate brokerage Transwestern lauded Maya Cinemas for “developing a chain of megaplex movie theatres, focused on providing high-quality moviegoing experiences in new and redevelopment market areas…in particular, Latino-centric, family-oriented communities in underserved urban and rural areas.” The fact that Maya Cinemas offers “first-run Hollywood movies and Spanish-language films, with an emphasis on state-of-the-art technology and superior customer service” certainly qualified Century Plaza 16 for our focus on diversified communities.
But Pittsburg is also exemplary for additional “Class of 2012” trends, including the revitalization of older cinema facilities, economic impact and technology excellence. Thanks to David Nelson, the Pittsburg City Journal blogger, we have a first-rate moviegoer’s perspective of what Maya Cinemas 16 means to the community. Under the headline “…And What a Treat It Is,” Nelson writes, “If you haven’t attended our ‘brand new’ movie center…you’re in for a delightful experience.” He also gives due credit to the “old” Brenden cinema, “which gave us such pleasure, leading to this new generation of local entertainment.” The “personal eyewitness” account of his first visit to the cinema covers everything from “no problem with parking” before approaching “the beautifully refurbished and festive outside” and entering “a wide open lobby,” to enjoying “huge decorative medallions inlaid to great effect” into the floor. For Nelson, another integral part of “a very attractive presentation to the eye” was “a large snack counter and the usual array of goodies for sale.” Moviegoers on Yelp, who were all as generally smitten by their experiences, also noted the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines and the special toppings. Francisco Z. and his kids gave “5 Stars for sure they have tapatio for your popcorn HECK yea!!!”
Speaking of Minnesota, Sinclair Lewis made a living writing insider novels which he painstakingly researched. We learn about med school and doctors in “Arrowsmith,” the theatrical world in “Bethel Merriday,” real estate agent in “Babbitt,” evangelicals in “Elmer Gantry” and more on hotels in “Work of Art.”
More recently, a spate of non-fiction books has appeared, in which employees and former employees lay down their aprons and talk about what it’s like to be a chef, a waiter, a stewardess. Anthony Bourdain made it big a few years back telling readers how to deal with New York restaurants, based on his experiences running a famous New York Bistro.Then came …Steve Dublanica, who wrote “Waiter Rant,” about what irritates and/or pleases New York waiters.
As a former hotel employee I jumped at today’s book, “Heads on Beds,” whose author went to work parking cars at a luxury hotel in New Orleans because, having earned his college degree in philosophy, there were no other jobs open to him.The auto valet works hard at his new job — taught by the blacks and Hispanics he works with. He learns fast and is promoted to front desk clerk and on to a management position in “housekeeping.”
Along the way, he tells readers of his adventures and misadventures with two bit customers who should know better, cunning employees who give him good advice that he doesn’t take. One elderly car parker tells him not take a promotion to “management” . “Try to get on as a bellman. They’re the ones who make the real money.”
Not all hotel customers are awful, just some of them. One famous actor checks into his suite and tells the old black housekeeper not to bother cleaning his suite. The suite is fine, he says, you just sit down for an hour and listen to me play the piano.
As with any insider non-fiction, there are lots of tips for readers about beating the system. If you know the system, argues author Tomsky, you can beat it. Sometimes, he says, it’s cheaper to go with a luxury suite than a standard room. Just make sure you drink all the drinks provided and eat the complimentary meals. After a day or two, the extra tariff will begin to pay for itself.
My favorite technique comes in the chapter about the overpriced minibar in your room. He says if you get a charge on your bill and you haven’t used it, call and refuse to pay. They’ll cancel the charge because they have no way of knowing if you’ve used it. Same goes for if you HAVE used the mini bar. Just tell them you haven’t and they’ll erase the charge. His most egregious example deals with how to rob your mini bar. When you check in make sure you get a non-smoking room. When you get to the room, light up a cigarette and smoke it in the room. Then open the mini-bar and put everything in it in your suitcase. Then call the desk and say you got a smoking room and demand that you and your suitcase be moved.
As a “new theatre fit-out in an existing new shell,” McCall confirms that Spotlight Theatres and its Front Street Bistro are indeed an “anchor for a new mixed-use retail entertainment district. The main project goal was to integrate a theatre and restaurant into one cohesive environment for moviegoers and diners alike, but also to provide an independent experience for those wishing to dine only or those just wanting go to and see a movie. The upscale finishes and sophisticated aesthetics complement the fine dining and sleek bar environment.” Discussing the “sleek, sophisticated and diverse” restaurant “offering upscale food at reasonable prices and a happy-hour scene that is already causing a buzz,” the food expert of The Hartford Courant set the scene further. “Huge glass windows on two sides of the restaurant offer diners and those at the bar a close view of the Front Street area and the boulevard where city traffic and the science center, convention center and insurance buildings provide a cityscape that makes you feel as though you are right in the middle of the best the city offers. Décor is beige and black, simple, clean and modern, with the restaurant and bar separated from the movie theatre operation by the main foyer.” And the very center of that operation is equally on view for all to admire. JKR Partners created what McCall describes as “the open jewel box highlighting the theatre’s digital equipment with a glowing ceiling and floor that are visible from the main promenade.”
Already “known for its pure and balanced acoustics,” as press notes trumpeted, nowadays guests are treated to “plush, new ergonomic seating from renowned French manufacturers Quinette Gallay, as well as added legroom and improved sightlines.” In the process, capacity was reduced to 361 from some 400 seats originally, and the color scheme taken to a rich red velvet from a somewhat more orange-hued velour. The “European styling” of the “elegantly transformed space” included fresh paints and “luxurious” new carpeting. To improve overall circulation, the auditorium doors were relocated to the center, creating “a grand entrance with a dramatic overall perspective.” All the while, a new cross aisle provides “unobstructed views from handicapped-accessible seating areas.” Last but certainly not least, technical upgrades brought improved sound and lighting, and digital-cinema capabilities, of course.
In their official announcement of the deal, real estate brokerage Transwestern lauded Maya Cinemas for “developing a chain of megaplex movie theatres, focused on providing high-quality moviegoing experiences in new and redevelopment market areas…in particular, Latino-centric, family-oriented communities in underserved urban and rural areas.” The fact that Maya Cinemas offers “first-run Hollywood movies and Spanish-language films, with an emphasis on state-of-the-art technology and superior customer service” certainly qualified Century Plaza 16 for our focus on diversified communities.
But Pittsburg is also exemplary for additional “Class of 2012” trends, including the revitalization of older cinema facilities, economic impact and technology excellence. Thanks to David Nelson, the Pittsburg City Journal blogger, we have a first-rate moviegoer’s perspective of what Maya Cinemas 16 means to the community. Under the headline “…And What a Treat It Is,” Nelson writes, “If you haven’t attended our ‘brand new’ movie center…you’re in for a delightful experience.” He also gives due credit to the “old” Brenden cinema, “which gave us such pleasure, leading to this new generation of local entertainment.” The “personal eyewitness” account of his first visit to the cinema covers everything from “no problem with parking” before approaching “the beautifully refurbished and festive outside” and entering “a wide open lobby,” to enjoying “huge decorative medallions inlaid to great effect” into the floor. For Nelson, another integral part of “a very attractive presentation to the eye” was “a large snack counter and the usual array of goodies for sale.” Moviegoers on Yelp, who were all as generally smitten by their experiences, also noted the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines and the special toppings. Francisco Z. and his kids gave “5 Stars for sure they have tapatio for your popcorn HECK yea!!!”
2012 Patent Filings Rank Xerox Among the World's Top Innovators
The 2012 tally includes patents from Xerox and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), A Xerox Company. Xerox's joint venture in Japan, Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd., received 686 U.S. patents in 2012. When combined, the Xerox group garnered 1,900 U.S. patents, which would have placed Xerox in the top 10 on the IFI Patent Intelligence list worldwide. This issuance is up almost 300 patents over last year - an increase of more than 17 percent.
"Patents are an important measure of our continued investment in innovation but more importantly, it's the people behind the patents who turn these inventions into powerful solutions for our clients," said Sophie Vandebroek, Xerox chief technology officer and president of the Xerox Innovation Group. "We're tapping into the creativity and customer-focus of our scientists and engineers to apply innovation in ways that not only advance our document technology but also simplify complex business processes through Xerox's diverse services in industries such as healthcare, finance, customer care and transportation."
Recently issued patents in the services space include U.S. Patent 8,315,946, which describes the e-Childcare solution that enables Human Services agencies to subsidize child care services while reducing fraud, paperwork, and payment processing overhead to save taxpayer money. US Patent 8,234,237 describes a workflow management system that notes when data is missing from a scanned document, and returns the document to the workflow when the data is provided. U.S Patent 8,195,474 describes a system that scans the databases of a large number of print servers to create a profile of the customer's needs, generating a list of the most useful marketing portals for the account. U.S. Patent 8,190,469 describes elements of the software that runs the PocketPEOTM handheld parking citation device.
Xerox's prolific researchers have filed over 60,000 patents around the world since 1930. The company recently recognized 12 scientists for reaching personal patent milestones, which in total represent 1,550 patents over the past few years. In addition to the National Medal of Technology, the highest honor awarded by the President of the United States, Xerox has received a number of innovation awards including being named to Thomson Reuters' 2012 listing of the World's 100 Most Innovative Companies.
During a media conference on Thursday afternoon, NHS interim president and CEO Sue Matthews outlined a plan to save $10 million, and said the organization is working with staff to realize the other $3 million in savings. Despite being “one of the most efficient hospitals in Ontario” — falling within the 25th percentile for administrative and support expense, the NHS is looking for further efficiencies to try and bring operational costs down - a task she says is happening at other hospitals right across the province, she said. Starting with patient care as the No. 1 priority, she said the NHS senior team has undertaken a lengthy process to review what it can do to improve the bottom line.
“We have to be financially sustainable. It’s not an option for us,” Matthews told reporters at the NHS Ontario Street site. “In light of the economic downturn we have a zero per cent increase of funding for hospitals, despite inflation, which means a negative impact for us.”
That, she said, has spawned the search for the $13 million in savings. It will be a long-term challenge, she said, noting the NHS and other hospitals will “always be in the process” to find further efficiencies.
The hospital, she explained, has to have its savings plan in place by the end of the fiscal year — March 31. The current operational budget is $430 million, and that number will swell by $50-60 million once the new St. Catharines hospital is completely up and running. That means they’ve looked aggressively to find the savings without affecting patient care.
“When we’re looking at ways to save, the first thing we look at is trying to generate revenue rather than savings,” she said, noting there will be a parking rate hike coming. In addition to revenues, they then went into looking at everything from administration and support, program efficiencies, and utilization management, with program consolidation and changes considered a last resort.
Matthews said the hospital has already removed some administrative support, managerial and executive positions in the last year. There were about a dozen employees in total cut, said NHS vice-president of human resources Terry McMahon.
However, more could be coming, Matthews cautioned.
“We don’t know the final number of individuals who will leave the organization in this process,” she said. “This is a very lengthy process, and in the past it takes up to a year sometimes for the process to land. I do know it’s a stressful time for staff... we feel very much for them affected by this and will do everything we can to minimize the impact.”
“There could be some, but the whole approach is let’s look at moving some, early retirements, and minimize it,” he said. “Back in 2009 when we were doing the HIP (hospital improvement plan) that was a similar approach and at the end of the day there were very few (employees) who got laid off.”
There’s been a flurry of new hires relating to services at the new hospital, and Matthews said those positions aren’t in jeopardy.
The NHS is also not filling the equivalent of 12 full-time positions, in addition to reassigning workers to some of the 120 vacancies the organization has. While some part-time staff may be reduced, there will also be the redistribution of hours, and the hospital will also look at providing early retirement or voluntary exit options. They are attempting to avoid layoffs by working closely with the unions, and Matthews said while nurses may move positions, there will be no nurse layoffs.
Some actions underway at this point, accounting for the $10 million in savings, include the parking revenue hike — for visitors and staff, decentralzing the nursing scheduling office ($1 million), centralized food delivery, up to six weeks of closures of operating rooms throughout the year, product standardization ($1 million), consolidation of mental health to the new St. Catharines site ($1 million), lab efficiencies, administrative and support reductions ($1 million), clinical efficiencies and consolidations ($1.8 million) and a group of other much smaller initiatives that equate to about $2.2 million in savings.
“$10 million is not enough ... we are challenging our staff to help us find the additional $3 million,” said Matthews. “Come up with, in addition to the $10 million in savings, savings in sick time and overtime.”
The NHS, she said, has “significantly high overtime” created by some staffing challenges and some of the vacancies, and they want to work with staff to decrease that in addition to the sick time. They’re also putting a focus on infection control by examining specific assessments of what needs to be done in the event of a breakout, but noted cleaning staff numbers aren’t expected to change.
The deficit woes are nothing new for the NHS. The organization struggles with this each year and achieved savings over the last few years, said Matthews, and they’re working hard to fulfill its objectives.
“We’ve committed to be transparent so the public knows, but we also committed to have a balanced budget and we haven’t to date. We have to do that and we have to be aggressive,” she said. “If we don’t... it’s only going to get worse.”
"Patents are an important measure of our continued investment in innovation but more importantly, it's the people behind the patents who turn these inventions into powerful solutions for our clients," said Sophie Vandebroek, Xerox chief technology officer and president of the Xerox Innovation Group. "We're tapping into the creativity and customer-focus of our scientists and engineers to apply innovation in ways that not only advance our document technology but also simplify complex business processes through Xerox's diverse services in industries such as healthcare, finance, customer care and transportation."
Recently issued patents in the services space include U.S. Patent 8,315,946, which describes the e-Childcare solution that enables Human Services agencies to subsidize child care services while reducing fraud, paperwork, and payment processing overhead to save taxpayer money. US Patent 8,234,237 describes a workflow management system that notes when data is missing from a scanned document, and returns the document to the workflow when the data is provided. U.S Patent 8,195,474 describes a system that scans the databases of a large number of print servers to create a profile of the customer's needs, generating a list of the most useful marketing portals for the account. U.S. Patent 8,190,469 describes elements of the software that runs the PocketPEOTM handheld parking citation device.
Xerox's prolific researchers have filed over 60,000 patents around the world since 1930. The company recently recognized 12 scientists for reaching personal patent milestones, which in total represent 1,550 patents over the past few years. In addition to the National Medal of Technology, the highest honor awarded by the President of the United States, Xerox has received a number of innovation awards including being named to Thomson Reuters' 2012 listing of the World's 100 Most Innovative Companies.
During a media conference on Thursday afternoon, NHS interim president and CEO Sue Matthews outlined a plan to save $10 million, and said the organization is working with staff to realize the other $3 million in savings. Despite being “one of the most efficient hospitals in Ontario” — falling within the 25th percentile for administrative and support expense, the NHS is looking for further efficiencies to try and bring operational costs down - a task she says is happening at other hospitals right across the province, she said. Starting with patient care as the No. 1 priority, she said the NHS senior team has undertaken a lengthy process to review what it can do to improve the bottom line.
“We have to be financially sustainable. It’s not an option for us,” Matthews told reporters at the NHS Ontario Street site. “In light of the economic downturn we have a zero per cent increase of funding for hospitals, despite inflation, which means a negative impact for us.”
That, she said, has spawned the search for the $13 million in savings. It will be a long-term challenge, she said, noting the NHS and other hospitals will “always be in the process” to find further efficiencies.
The hospital, she explained, has to have its savings plan in place by the end of the fiscal year — March 31. The current operational budget is $430 million, and that number will swell by $50-60 million once the new St. Catharines hospital is completely up and running. That means they’ve looked aggressively to find the savings without affecting patient care.
“When we’re looking at ways to save, the first thing we look at is trying to generate revenue rather than savings,” she said, noting there will be a parking rate hike coming. In addition to revenues, they then went into looking at everything from administration and support, program efficiencies, and utilization management, with program consolidation and changes considered a last resort.
Matthews said the hospital has already removed some administrative support, managerial and executive positions in the last year. There were about a dozen employees in total cut, said NHS vice-president of human resources Terry McMahon.
However, more could be coming, Matthews cautioned.
“We don’t know the final number of individuals who will leave the organization in this process,” she said. “This is a very lengthy process, and in the past it takes up to a year sometimes for the process to land. I do know it’s a stressful time for staff... we feel very much for them affected by this and will do everything we can to minimize the impact.”
“There could be some, but the whole approach is let’s look at moving some, early retirements, and minimize it,” he said. “Back in 2009 when we were doing the HIP (hospital improvement plan) that was a similar approach and at the end of the day there were very few (employees) who got laid off.”
There’s been a flurry of new hires relating to services at the new hospital, and Matthews said those positions aren’t in jeopardy.
The NHS is also not filling the equivalent of 12 full-time positions, in addition to reassigning workers to some of the 120 vacancies the organization has. While some part-time staff may be reduced, there will also be the redistribution of hours, and the hospital will also look at providing early retirement or voluntary exit options. They are attempting to avoid layoffs by working closely with the unions, and Matthews said while nurses may move positions, there will be no nurse layoffs.
Some actions underway at this point, accounting for the $10 million in savings, include the parking revenue hike — for visitors and staff, decentralzing the nursing scheduling office ($1 million), centralized food delivery, up to six weeks of closures of operating rooms throughout the year, product standardization ($1 million), consolidation of mental health to the new St. Catharines site ($1 million), lab efficiencies, administrative and support reductions ($1 million), clinical efficiencies and consolidations ($1.8 million) and a group of other much smaller initiatives that equate to about $2.2 million in savings.
“$10 million is not enough ... we are challenging our staff to help us find the additional $3 million,” said Matthews. “Come up with, in addition to the $10 million in savings, savings in sick time and overtime.”
The NHS, she said, has “significantly high overtime” created by some staffing challenges and some of the vacancies, and they want to work with staff to decrease that in addition to the sick time. They’re also putting a focus on infection control by examining specific assessments of what needs to be done in the event of a breakout, but noted cleaning staff numbers aren’t expected to change.
The deficit woes are nothing new for the NHS. The organization struggles with this each year and achieved savings over the last few years, said Matthews, and they’re working hard to fulfill its objectives.
“We’ve committed to be transparent so the public knows, but we also committed to have a balanced budget and we haven’t to date. We have to do that and we have to be aggressive,” she said. “If we don’t... it’s only going to get worse.”
Thursday, January 10, 2013
What's on this weekend?
When you can get all the books and information you want on line, what is the purpose today of the spaces in our public libraries? Do we need them? Certainly to sit in the Mitchell Library and reflect on the beautiful and cavernous room whilst listening to an audio performance is one way to use those public spaces! The Quiet Volume is an experience you can have over the next few weeks when you visit the Mitchell Library. You are given an iPod and you sit with another person at a desk and listen to instructions whispered into your headphones - an automatic generated performance. You are directed to read passages from the books in front of you, note the movements and sounds around you, silently acknowledge the person next to you, all the while feeling like a silent imposter in a space where you are meant to concentrate on books and learning. There is a real delight in the immersion of reading the passages and finding you want to read on when you are directed by the voice to go elsewhere. An intimate and slightly disconcerting experience but one that ultimately leaves you feeling refreshed, thoughtful and pleased that these special spaces still exist. $20/$15. 45 minutes.
Enjoy the fabulous views from Georges Head Lookout, Mosman, into the blue expanse of Sydney Harbour. At the same time you will hear the electronic music "Chronometer" by Sir Harrison Birtwhistle (from 1971)! coming out of drains, trees and tunnels. This is not relaxing nor even particularly pleasant music - but its percussive elements somehow work in this unbeatable setting. Settle into the beanbags under the trees, eat a picnic staring out to the water or chase the kids out of the underground tunnels which have a Do Not Enter sign on them clearly tempting the children to race into them and hear the music in an echoed chamber. Free. Drive into Georges Head Lookout and park. Follow the signs to the lookout. On till January 27 dawn to dusk.
Voices from the hijacked spring. The Sabab Theatre of Kuwait brings 6 monologues to the stage which focus on the changes in recent times to the Arab world. Written and directed by Sulayman Al Bassam and performed by Raymond Hosni, Hala Omran and Kym Vercoe, these monologues explore what should be powerful and personal themes in societies which are in civil unrest however the analysis of the issues raised appears very simplistic and patronising. There are moments that are riveting but these disappear as confusion sets in and it is an opportunity missed to hear the real voices of the people living through the turbulent times.
Set in rural Victoria where bushfires have ravaged the landscape for hundreds of years, a local firefighter and father, Tom (Alan Lovell) deals with his troubled 15 year old son Ben (Benjamin Ross). Ben mows the lawns for neighbour Viv (Natassja Djalog) who pays him and tries to befriend him. Ben is repulsed by the old woman whom he thinks is a frumpy simpleton. A steady update between scenes, Tom recounts the years in which bushfires have ravaged the area, the fatalities each time and the buildings destroyed. As a firey, he has insight into the arsonists that start these fires, in his view often young boys craving the attention of male figures in their lives. It is his insight into the unfathomable love of a parent for their child no matter how wrong an action that child can do, that creates a startling fierce and vulnerable moment in this play. The perils of firefighting and parenting - laid bare in 70 minutes. Directed by Zoe Carides as her first major directing production. Original music by John Encarnaco. Straight to the heart writing by Alana Valentine (Parramatta Girls, Run Rabbit Run). Darlinghurst Theatre, Potts Point.
How fabulous to see Belvoir full of kids watching Peter Pan in delight! Ralph Myers' production of JM Barrie's classic is like a sleepover where no one goes to sleep and it is non stop fun! Tommy Murphy has adapted the source texts and as the program notes, has indeed "created a Peter Pan like no other". Yes this is certainly one for the kids but adults will love it too. The set is like being in a friends bedroom with the beds that become ships, crocodiles and hiding spots. Peter Pan is a cool dude with a physicality on stage that makes it seems he really can fly. Captain Hook, the villain no one loves, is a model of an English pirate captain and loving every minute of it! Geraldine Hakewill is a gracious and kind Wendy both as a young girl disappointed Peter won't love her and as a mother who lets her own daughter follow the adventures. A great cast makes this such enjoyable theatre. Paula Arundell, Megan Holloway, Harriet Dyer, John Leary, Jim Bani and Gareth Davies. This is very cool panto. Great costumes from Alice Babidge and music from Stefan Gregory. Tickets $130 for a family package or $65 adults, $45 concession. When and where: Matinees 2pm Saturday and also Wednesday 16 January. Belvoir, Surry Hills
The red and white stripy mischief maker from Dr Seuss is up to no good at the Opera House. The poetry of this book is not brought across so well in this performance and so the magic that you get when you read it seems to have been lost. You will be glad when the wailing Thing 1 and Thing 2 get back into their box! The props are great and look like they have just come straight from the book. It is a very short play.
Purge ruthlessly: As a young plant-hugger I did not heed Vita Sackville-West’s advice that if you don’t like a plant in your garden, “hoik it out.” Perhaps I thought there would always be new garden beds when the old ones overflowed, or lots of gardening friends would appreciate my extras. I certainly didn’t just yank a so-so performer and compost it. But we should all do just that.
Why? No one can afford to tend a bunch of mediocre plants indefinitely. While perennials take at least three years to show their habits and qualities (and woody plants even longer), at some point it is clear that this plant in this location is not a winner. Either you just don’t like it or it does not work because of size, color, whatever. Move it, share it or compost it.
In case you think I’m advocating the whimsical tossing of $11.99 perennials because you don’t care for the shade of pink, I will modify this advice slightly: Location is everything. If it’s a decent plant, try a different location before giving up on it. Ideally, try a new perennial in two or three garden locations, as I once did with Rodgersia. It grew 1 foot tall with puny leaves in good soil in a lightly shaded border, but the one in the soggy bed in deep shade is a lush 3-foot giant. If I’d only planted it in the first spot, I would have hoiked it and never known the plant.
Dividing perennials can be done wrong in two ways. Doing it too early in its life can endanger the plant or set it back severely. Garden center customers often see a pot with a full root system and ask, “Can I divide it?” Usually the answer is, “Not yet.” The plant needs a couple of full seasons to establish its root system and recover from the shock of moving from a pot to the garden.
Later, the common error is not dividing or thinning thoroughly enough. Divide a clump of perennials more severely than your inclination. I have never yet been sorry I took out too much of a spreading ornamental grass or perennial clump. Then give it away – if it’s worthy – or compost it.
A soil improvement plan: This mental exercise of evaluating, thinning and dividing garden plants has left you with blank spaces – opportunities for new plants! But first, it is time for soil homework.
Almost nobody has naturally deep, rich topsoil, or ideal planting mix, unless you have had the luxury of professionally prepared beds. So you must amend the soil every spring – and every time you move plants or add new ones. Put organic matter, usually in the form of compost, under, next to or on top of all the plant’s roots.
First, choose your sources. For most gardeners, catalogs are not necessary or your best. In remote villages in Iowa, sure; you can’t find a garden center with more than 30 varieties. Plant collectors and specialists, sure; you do need the catalog to find a particular Orienpet, Arisaema or daylily.
But in Western New York we have garden centers and nurseries with CNLPs and educated professionals, who spend the winter choosing, growing or tending superior plants for this region. Tell them what you want.
Second, species and cultivars: Native plants and some tried-and-true species are often the best for many reasons. Every new cultivar is not a true improvement. Yet, for a bang-up flower garden, many cultivars are indeed better and longer performers. So it is not easy to choose plants for those blank spots in the garden.
Enjoy the fabulous views from Georges Head Lookout, Mosman, into the blue expanse of Sydney Harbour. At the same time you will hear the electronic music "Chronometer" by Sir Harrison Birtwhistle (from 1971)! coming out of drains, trees and tunnels. This is not relaxing nor even particularly pleasant music - but its percussive elements somehow work in this unbeatable setting. Settle into the beanbags under the trees, eat a picnic staring out to the water or chase the kids out of the underground tunnels which have a Do Not Enter sign on them clearly tempting the children to race into them and hear the music in an echoed chamber. Free. Drive into Georges Head Lookout and park. Follow the signs to the lookout. On till January 27 dawn to dusk.
Voices from the hijacked spring. The Sabab Theatre of Kuwait brings 6 monologues to the stage which focus on the changes in recent times to the Arab world. Written and directed by Sulayman Al Bassam and performed by Raymond Hosni, Hala Omran and Kym Vercoe, these monologues explore what should be powerful and personal themes in societies which are in civil unrest however the analysis of the issues raised appears very simplistic and patronising. There are moments that are riveting but these disappear as confusion sets in and it is an opportunity missed to hear the real voices of the people living through the turbulent times.
Set in rural Victoria where bushfires have ravaged the landscape for hundreds of years, a local firefighter and father, Tom (Alan Lovell) deals with his troubled 15 year old son Ben (Benjamin Ross). Ben mows the lawns for neighbour Viv (Natassja Djalog) who pays him and tries to befriend him. Ben is repulsed by the old woman whom he thinks is a frumpy simpleton. A steady update between scenes, Tom recounts the years in which bushfires have ravaged the area, the fatalities each time and the buildings destroyed. As a firey, he has insight into the arsonists that start these fires, in his view often young boys craving the attention of male figures in their lives. It is his insight into the unfathomable love of a parent for their child no matter how wrong an action that child can do, that creates a startling fierce and vulnerable moment in this play. The perils of firefighting and parenting - laid bare in 70 minutes. Directed by Zoe Carides as her first major directing production. Original music by John Encarnaco. Straight to the heart writing by Alana Valentine (Parramatta Girls, Run Rabbit Run). Darlinghurst Theatre, Potts Point.
How fabulous to see Belvoir full of kids watching Peter Pan in delight! Ralph Myers' production of JM Barrie's classic is like a sleepover where no one goes to sleep and it is non stop fun! Tommy Murphy has adapted the source texts and as the program notes, has indeed "created a Peter Pan like no other". Yes this is certainly one for the kids but adults will love it too. The set is like being in a friends bedroom with the beds that become ships, crocodiles and hiding spots. Peter Pan is a cool dude with a physicality on stage that makes it seems he really can fly. Captain Hook, the villain no one loves, is a model of an English pirate captain and loving every minute of it! Geraldine Hakewill is a gracious and kind Wendy both as a young girl disappointed Peter won't love her and as a mother who lets her own daughter follow the adventures. A great cast makes this such enjoyable theatre. Paula Arundell, Megan Holloway, Harriet Dyer, John Leary, Jim Bani and Gareth Davies. This is very cool panto. Great costumes from Alice Babidge and music from Stefan Gregory. Tickets $130 for a family package or $65 adults, $45 concession. When and where: Matinees 2pm Saturday and also Wednesday 16 January. Belvoir, Surry Hills
The red and white stripy mischief maker from Dr Seuss is up to no good at the Opera House. The poetry of this book is not brought across so well in this performance and so the magic that you get when you read it seems to have been lost. You will be glad when the wailing Thing 1 and Thing 2 get back into their box! The props are great and look like they have just come straight from the book. It is a very short play.
Purge ruthlessly: As a young plant-hugger I did not heed Vita Sackville-West’s advice that if you don’t like a plant in your garden, “hoik it out.” Perhaps I thought there would always be new garden beds when the old ones overflowed, or lots of gardening friends would appreciate my extras. I certainly didn’t just yank a so-so performer and compost it. But we should all do just that.
Why? No one can afford to tend a bunch of mediocre plants indefinitely. While perennials take at least three years to show their habits and qualities (and woody plants even longer), at some point it is clear that this plant in this location is not a winner. Either you just don’t like it or it does not work because of size, color, whatever. Move it, share it or compost it.
In case you think I’m advocating the whimsical tossing of $11.99 perennials because you don’t care for the shade of pink, I will modify this advice slightly: Location is everything. If it’s a decent plant, try a different location before giving up on it. Ideally, try a new perennial in two or three garden locations, as I once did with Rodgersia. It grew 1 foot tall with puny leaves in good soil in a lightly shaded border, but the one in the soggy bed in deep shade is a lush 3-foot giant. If I’d only planted it in the first spot, I would have hoiked it and never known the plant.
Dividing perennials can be done wrong in two ways. Doing it too early in its life can endanger the plant or set it back severely. Garden center customers often see a pot with a full root system and ask, “Can I divide it?” Usually the answer is, “Not yet.” The plant needs a couple of full seasons to establish its root system and recover from the shock of moving from a pot to the garden.
Later, the common error is not dividing or thinning thoroughly enough. Divide a clump of perennials more severely than your inclination. I have never yet been sorry I took out too much of a spreading ornamental grass or perennial clump. Then give it away – if it’s worthy – or compost it.
A soil improvement plan: This mental exercise of evaluating, thinning and dividing garden plants has left you with blank spaces – opportunities for new plants! But first, it is time for soil homework.
Almost nobody has naturally deep, rich topsoil, or ideal planting mix, unless you have had the luxury of professionally prepared beds. So you must amend the soil every spring – and every time you move plants or add new ones. Put organic matter, usually in the form of compost, under, next to or on top of all the plant’s roots.
First, choose your sources. For most gardeners, catalogs are not necessary or your best. In remote villages in Iowa, sure; you can’t find a garden center with more than 30 varieties. Plant collectors and specialists, sure; you do need the catalog to find a particular Orienpet, Arisaema or daylily.
But in Western New York we have garden centers and nurseries with CNLPs and educated professionals, who spend the winter choosing, growing or tending superior plants for this region. Tell them what you want.
Second, species and cultivars: Native plants and some tried-and-true species are often the best for many reasons. Every new cultivar is not a true improvement. Yet, for a bang-up flower garden, many cultivars are indeed better and longer performers. So it is not easy to choose plants for those blank spots in the garden.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Gun Control Could Save Veterans' Lives
In 2006, the Israeli Defense Forces made a relatively simple policy change that required soldiers to leave their weapons at their bases when they headed home for the weekend. The result: a staggering 40 percent drop in the suicide rate among soldiers aged 18-21, according to a November 2010 study.
The study has received some renewed interest in America in the wake of Sandy Hook. While gun-control advocates and critics may debate whether new restrictions would prevent someone like Adam Lanza from shooting up an elementary school, they would almost certainly save the lives of American veterans struggling with their wartime experiences. Members of the U.S. military, unlike their Israeli counterparts, aren't allowed to bring their weapons home, but they don't really need to: America’s gun industry is making a concerted effort to put high-powered weapons right back in their hands.
The gun industry as a whole is shrinking, with the number of households that own guns dropping by more than 40 percent from 1977 to 2010, according to a study by the Violence Policy Center.In an effort to boost sales, the gun industry has started marketing its firearms directly to veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Freedom Group—the country’s largest manufacturer of firearms, owning companies like Remington and Bushmaster—wrote in its 2011 annual report that it expects to see an increase in sales as returning members of the military purchase “firearms for recreational use and to maintain training.”
When looking at the bottom line, marketing to the military makes sense. One of the shining spots in the otherwise languishing industry is assault weapons—generally considered to be semi-automatic weapons originally designed for use on battlefields. Currently, almost all of the top 15 gun manufacturers market some sort of assault weapon. And a 2010 consumer report of modern sporting rifles, also known as assault weapons, found that almost half of all modern sporting rifle owners are current or former members of the military or law enforcement.
According to Josh Sugarmann, the executive director of the Violence Policy, the NRA has been one of the players at the forefront of this push. Sponsored by leading gun manufacturers, the NRA has a program called Life of Duty specifically intended to recruit veterans and law enforcement officials into the NRA. Through these sponsorships, members of the military and law enforcement can sign up for a free membership to the NRA and receive discounted prices on guns and other armor. “It’s not just that the NRA has targeted veterans or law enforcement in the U.S., but they are doing it with the [gun manufacturers],” said Sugarmann. “And that’s the key thing, because they are doing it to target a new market primarily for assault weapons.” The NRA did not return calls for comment.
In addition to marketing these weapons directly to military personnel, the gun companies have started using military imagery in advertisements for weapons that were, after all, designed for the battlefield. Shooting Industry Magazine wrote in July, the same month of the Aurora shooting, “Another major influencing factor of gun ownership is America’s modern military veteran. There are hundreds of thousands of dads, brothers, uncles, wives, sisters, aunts, cousins and extended family and friends, who served or are serving in Iran and Afghanistan. They are respected and admired. They carried firearms to protect our country. That factor, that imagery, has had a huge positive impact on how firearms are viewed in our country.”
But as the Israeli study showed, there are real dangers with putting these powerful weapons in the hands of newly returned soldiers. American veterans are much more likely than the average citizen to commit suicide: While only 1 percent of Americans have served during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, former service members represent 20 percent of suicides in the United States. In December 2011, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that 18 veterans die by suicide each day. And this year, the military has reported its worst year of suicides among active-duty forces since it began tracking these deaths in 2001. As of Nov. 11, there were 323 confirmed or suspected suicides in the military in 2012, a figure that surpassed the previous high of 310 suicides for the entire year in 2009. Last year, suicide was the number one cause of death among soldiers, outpacing the number of deaths on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, a study out of Harvard found a clear connection between suicides and gun ownership. According to the study, suicide rates among children, women and men of all ages are higher in states where more households have guns. In 2004, more than half of the 32,439 Americans who committed suicide used a firearm.
“The suicide rate is the highest it’s ever been, and the [NRA] is putting forth this program that enhances the access to these weapons among a population that may very well be vulnerable,” said Dr. Larry James, Dean of the School of Professional Psychology at Wright State University and a retired Army colonel. “I question that logic.”
The military is aware of these grim statistics, and while it has added significant new suicide prevention programs, it hasn’t yet done anything major to tackle the problem of gun ownership--and many question whether it ever should. But in December, two retired military generals wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post calling for Congress to repeal a provision of the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act that prohibits officers from talking to their troop members about gun ownership. A spokesperson for the military told me that the members of the military go through no other protocol to obtain personal weapons than any other citizen. But given the problem with suicides, how and if the military should know which military members own weapons has been subject of discussion. “There is a list of concerns that everyone is taking a look at,” said Army spokesperson Dave Foster. “I do think they continue to think about it.”
As Washington prepares to debate renewing the assault weapons ban, it ought to consider how it would help returning soldiers. While eliminating militarized weapons is not a substitute for the mental-health care that veterans often need, it could at least save some lives.
This month marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, which President Lincoln issued on Jan. 1, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War. The document declares that all those held as slaves within any state, or part of a state, in rebellion "shall be then, thenceforward and forever free."
Historian Bruce Levine explores the destruction of the old South and the reunified country that emerged from the Civil War in his new book, The Fall of the House of Dixie. He says one result of the document was a flood of black men from the South into the Union Army.
"The black population of the South had been raised on the notion that, among other things, black men could not, of course, be soldiers," Levine tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross, "that black men were not courageous, black men were not disciplined, black men could not act in response in large numbers to military commands, black men would flee at the first opportunity if faced with battle, and the idea that black men in uniform could exist and ... offer them the opportunity to disprove these notions and ... more importantly, actively struggle to do away with slavery, was unbelievably attractive to huge numbers of black people."
As its ranks dwindled and in a last gasp, the Confederacy, too, had a plan to recruit black soldiers. In 1864, Confederate President Jefferson Davis approved a plan to recruit free blacks and slaves into the Confederate army. Quoting Frederick Douglass, Levine calls the logic behind the idea "a species of madness."
One factor that contributed to this madness, he says, "is the drumbeat of self-hypnosis" that told Confederates that "the slaves are loyal, the slaves embrace slavery, the slaves are contented in slavery, the slaves know that black people are inferior and need white people to ... oversee their lives. ... Black people will defend the South that has been good to them. There are, of course, by [then] very many white Southerners who know this is by no means true, but enough of them do believe it so that they're willing to give this a chance."
Considering what might have happened had there been no war at all, Levine thinks slavery could well have lasted into the 20th century, and that it was, in fact, the Confederacy that hastened slavery's end. "In taking what they assumed to be a defensive position in support of slavery," he says, "the leaders of the Confederacy ... radically hastened its eradication."
The study has received some renewed interest in America in the wake of Sandy Hook. While gun-control advocates and critics may debate whether new restrictions would prevent someone like Adam Lanza from shooting up an elementary school, they would almost certainly save the lives of American veterans struggling with their wartime experiences. Members of the U.S. military, unlike their Israeli counterparts, aren't allowed to bring their weapons home, but they don't really need to: America’s gun industry is making a concerted effort to put high-powered weapons right back in their hands.
The gun industry as a whole is shrinking, with the number of households that own guns dropping by more than 40 percent from 1977 to 2010, according to a study by the Violence Policy Center.In an effort to boost sales, the gun industry has started marketing its firearms directly to veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Freedom Group—the country’s largest manufacturer of firearms, owning companies like Remington and Bushmaster—wrote in its 2011 annual report that it expects to see an increase in sales as returning members of the military purchase “firearms for recreational use and to maintain training.”
When looking at the bottom line, marketing to the military makes sense. One of the shining spots in the otherwise languishing industry is assault weapons—generally considered to be semi-automatic weapons originally designed for use on battlefields. Currently, almost all of the top 15 gun manufacturers market some sort of assault weapon. And a 2010 consumer report of modern sporting rifles, also known as assault weapons, found that almost half of all modern sporting rifle owners are current or former members of the military or law enforcement.
According to Josh Sugarmann, the executive director of the Violence Policy, the NRA has been one of the players at the forefront of this push. Sponsored by leading gun manufacturers, the NRA has a program called Life of Duty specifically intended to recruit veterans and law enforcement officials into the NRA. Through these sponsorships, members of the military and law enforcement can sign up for a free membership to the NRA and receive discounted prices on guns and other armor. “It’s not just that the NRA has targeted veterans or law enforcement in the U.S., but they are doing it with the [gun manufacturers],” said Sugarmann. “And that’s the key thing, because they are doing it to target a new market primarily for assault weapons.” The NRA did not return calls for comment.
In addition to marketing these weapons directly to military personnel, the gun companies have started using military imagery in advertisements for weapons that were, after all, designed for the battlefield. Shooting Industry Magazine wrote in July, the same month of the Aurora shooting, “Another major influencing factor of gun ownership is America’s modern military veteran. There are hundreds of thousands of dads, brothers, uncles, wives, sisters, aunts, cousins and extended family and friends, who served or are serving in Iran and Afghanistan. They are respected and admired. They carried firearms to protect our country. That factor, that imagery, has had a huge positive impact on how firearms are viewed in our country.”
But as the Israeli study showed, there are real dangers with putting these powerful weapons in the hands of newly returned soldiers. American veterans are much more likely than the average citizen to commit suicide: While only 1 percent of Americans have served during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, former service members represent 20 percent of suicides in the United States. In December 2011, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that 18 veterans die by suicide each day. And this year, the military has reported its worst year of suicides among active-duty forces since it began tracking these deaths in 2001. As of Nov. 11, there were 323 confirmed or suspected suicides in the military in 2012, a figure that surpassed the previous high of 310 suicides for the entire year in 2009. Last year, suicide was the number one cause of death among soldiers, outpacing the number of deaths on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, a study out of Harvard found a clear connection between suicides and gun ownership. According to the study, suicide rates among children, women and men of all ages are higher in states where more households have guns. In 2004, more than half of the 32,439 Americans who committed suicide used a firearm.
“The suicide rate is the highest it’s ever been, and the [NRA] is putting forth this program that enhances the access to these weapons among a population that may very well be vulnerable,” said Dr. Larry James, Dean of the School of Professional Psychology at Wright State University and a retired Army colonel. “I question that logic.”
The military is aware of these grim statistics, and while it has added significant new suicide prevention programs, it hasn’t yet done anything major to tackle the problem of gun ownership--and many question whether it ever should. But in December, two retired military generals wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post calling for Congress to repeal a provision of the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act that prohibits officers from talking to their troop members about gun ownership. A spokesperson for the military told me that the members of the military go through no other protocol to obtain personal weapons than any other citizen. But given the problem with suicides, how and if the military should know which military members own weapons has been subject of discussion. “There is a list of concerns that everyone is taking a look at,” said Army spokesperson Dave Foster. “I do think they continue to think about it.”
As Washington prepares to debate renewing the assault weapons ban, it ought to consider how it would help returning soldiers. While eliminating militarized weapons is not a substitute for the mental-health care that veterans often need, it could at least save some lives.
This month marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, which President Lincoln issued on Jan. 1, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War. The document declares that all those held as slaves within any state, or part of a state, in rebellion "shall be then, thenceforward and forever free."
Historian Bruce Levine explores the destruction of the old South and the reunified country that emerged from the Civil War in his new book, The Fall of the House of Dixie. He says one result of the document was a flood of black men from the South into the Union Army.
"The black population of the South had been raised on the notion that, among other things, black men could not, of course, be soldiers," Levine tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross, "that black men were not courageous, black men were not disciplined, black men could not act in response in large numbers to military commands, black men would flee at the first opportunity if faced with battle, and the idea that black men in uniform could exist and ... offer them the opportunity to disprove these notions and ... more importantly, actively struggle to do away with slavery, was unbelievably attractive to huge numbers of black people."
As its ranks dwindled and in a last gasp, the Confederacy, too, had a plan to recruit black soldiers. In 1864, Confederate President Jefferson Davis approved a plan to recruit free blacks and slaves into the Confederate army. Quoting Frederick Douglass, Levine calls the logic behind the idea "a species of madness."
One factor that contributed to this madness, he says, "is the drumbeat of self-hypnosis" that told Confederates that "the slaves are loyal, the slaves embrace slavery, the slaves are contented in slavery, the slaves know that black people are inferior and need white people to ... oversee their lives. ... Black people will defend the South that has been good to them. There are, of course, by [then] very many white Southerners who know this is by no means true, but enough of them do believe it so that they're willing to give this a chance."
Considering what might have happened had there been no war at all, Levine thinks slavery could well have lasted into the 20th century, and that it was, in fact, the Confederacy that hastened slavery's end. "In taking what they assumed to be a defensive position in support of slavery," he says, "the leaders of the Confederacy ... radically hastened its eradication."
Thursday, December 27, 2012
As the NPP knocks on the doors of the Supreme Court
Interesting case afoot, right? We are so much invested in it as to wish the NPP Godspeed to the chambers of the Supreme Court to test the legal waters against its fate.
If the matter goes to court, it will become “subjudice,” and we can’t comment on it anymore without committing contempt of court and be held liable for any comment regarded as prejudicial to it. Thus, while we have the chance to comment on it before it enters the judicial labyrinth, we will do so.
We have already beaten this case to a pulp and are virtually left with little new to say about it; but we can still hazard the guess that it won’t be determined soon because of it is meaty and highly charged, being the first of its kind in our country’s history to have excited so much public interest.
As we wait for it to be filed and determined by the Supreme Court, we can only hope that those thumping their chests for a “landslide victory” don’t turn round to do anything to heighten tension. Once the matter is in court, one expects that those aggrieved elements of the NPP will allow the law to run its course and the judges to do their work in peace. However long it may take, the verdict will surely be delivered to tell us what at all it is that this court case can add to our democracy.
I have very serious doubts that anything productive will come out of it to enhance our democratic culture because in one way or the other, if the court agrees with the NPP, many more problems will emerge. For sure, it is to be guessed that the incumbent will not step down, which will worsen the situation. Again, the Electoral Commission may not have the resources to re-run the elections minus the Parliamentary ones as such.
Will it be reasonable for the Supreme Court to isolate only the Presidential elections for re-running? If it does, then, we will have much to contend with. I’ll shelve this aspect for now.
But essentially, our democracy stands to gain very little from a court case of this sort because the matter is already skewed insofar as the substance of the suit doesn’t cover the Parliamentary elections when there is talk of switching of figures there too. Too technical for me to worry my head over.
All in all, though, what we can’t miss is the likelihood of this case dragging on for ages, knowing very well how difficult it will be for the Supreme Court to quickly determine it just because the NPP will produce figures that it has collected to fight its claims that the elections were rigged. Determining the case will go beyond the basis of those figures.
Several other issues will be factored into the proceedings that will make the case a painfully protracted one. The Court can’t miss its constitutional responsibility of interpreting the electoral laws to determine what went wrong as the NPP is alleging. In other words, the constitutional provisions are clear on what can cause an election to be invalidated beyond the mere production of figures from anywhere that a litigant may produce. These are very intricate technicalities that mere figures don’t stand up to.
I have already asked questions to the effect that it is difficult to know why of all the contestants and election monitors—not to mention the Electoral Commission and the NPP’s own agents at the various polling stations throughout the country—it is only the NPP leaders who will have access to what they have quickly tagged as “incontrovertible evidence” with which they are going to pester the Supreme Court to overturn the will of the voters that didn’t favour Akufo-Addo.
Again, the Court can’t determine this case without reference to the reports of the Electoral Commission itself and the various local and international election monitors who saw what happened and concluded that the elections were free, fair, and transparent, not only in the atmosphere surrounding the balloting but also in the tabulation and release of the results.
This is where the CODEO and the ECOWAS Election Monitoring Group will come in. I don’t think that the Supreme Court will be so na?ve as not to broaden the case to go beyond the NPP’s claim of “incontrovertible evidence.”
Submissions will be made by others to suggest that the 2012 Elections passed the test and that the NPP’s figures don’t reflect reality. Is the NPP ready for the fallout? Or does it already have a Plan “C” ready to implement? So far, it has implemented two of such plans:
Plan “A”—street demonstrations to cause mayhem in Accra, Kumasi, and elsewhere that have led to physical assaults on political opponents and the maiming and murder of some.
Plan “B”—gathering whatever evidence it might lay hands on to proceed to the Supreme Court to fight its case while using the mass media and the bar of public opinion to judge itself as the likely victor in the court case. All this is part of the psychological warfare that it has launched against its political opponent, hoping that by so doing, it would condition its followers’ minds for anything else that might be put into action after the court case.
At this stage, I may be speculating as a way of reading deeper meanings into possibilities, but I am quite sure that the NPP will not end matters at the premises of the Supreme Court. Otherwise, it won’t precede the filing of that case with a press conference tomorrow at the Alisa Hotel in Accra. We don’t yet know what will be said at that press conference but we can’t rule out any over-extension of this agenda of protestation.
Having already stood firm against all odds to fight the case at court, the NPP leaders have an onerous duty to sustain the rhythm and continue massaging their supporters’ feeling until the case is dealt with. That’s a tall order.
Meantime, life will not grind to a standstill in the country. The incumbent will continue to function and prepare for January 7, 2013 to be installed in office. The installation will complicate the matter for the NPP and strengthen the administration’s hands on the management of national affairs to such an extent that it could be more than ready to pit itself against the Supreme Court if its verdict is skewed in favour of the NPP.
We will definitely have more constitutional problems to handle at this stage than the NPP’s suit might initially be conceived to solve. I can’t wait for that moment to see how Ghanaians will handle the situation. In effect, if the Supreme Court favours Akufo-Addo, many new developments will make the country ungovernable. The majority that voted for the President will definitely react vigorously in ways that are too frightening to imagine now. In effect, a huge fire will be lit by any such decision.
Will the Court declare Akufo-Addo elected because he would have been deemed to have garnered 50%+1 votes in the court’s estimation? Or that the EC should re-run the Presidential elections for all the candidates? Or that President Mahama should just step down for Akufo-Addo to take his place?
Undeniably, with what majority support in Parliament or even in the 8 regions that voted against him? The country will definitely become ungovernable in that event. I don’t think that’s what anybody wants.
If the matter goes to court, it will become “subjudice,” and we can’t comment on it anymore without committing contempt of court and be held liable for any comment regarded as prejudicial to it. Thus, while we have the chance to comment on it before it enters the judicial labyrinth, we will do so.
We have already beaten this case to a pulp and are virtually left with little new to say about it; but we can still hazard the guess that it won’t be determined soon because of it is meaty and highly charged, being the first of its kind in our country’s history to have excited so much public interest.
As we wait for it to be filed and determined by the Supreme Court, we can only hope that those thumping their chests for a “landslide victory” don’t turn round to do anything to heighten tension. Once the matter is in court, one expects that those aggrieved elements of the NPP will allow the law to run its course and the judges to do their work in peace. However long it may take, the verdict will surely be delivered to tell us what at all it is that this court case can add to our democracy.
I have very serious doubts that anything productive will come out of it to enhance our democratic culture because in one way or the other, if the court agrees with the NPP, many more problems will emerge. For sure, it is to be guessed that the incumbent will not step down, which will worsen the situation. Again, the Electoral Commission may not have the resources to re-run the elections minus the Parliamentary ones as such.
Will it be reasonable for the Supreme Court to isolate only the Presidential elections for re-running? If it does, then, we will have much to contend with. I’ll shelve this aspect for now.
But essentially, our democracy stands to gain very little from a court case of this sort because the matter is already skewed insofar as the substance of the suit doesn’t cover the Parliamentary elections when there is talk of switching of figures there too. Too technical for me to worry my head over.
All in all, though, what we can’t miss is the likelihood of this case dragging on for ages, knowing very well how difficult it will be for the Supreme Court to quickly determine it just because the NPP will produce figures that it has collected to fight its claims that the elections were rigged. Determining the case will go beyond the basis of those figures.
Several other issues will be factored into the proceedings that will make the case a painfully protracted one. The Court can’t miss its constitutional responsibility of interpreting the electoral laws to determine what went wrong as the NPP is alleging. In other words, the constitutional provisions are clear on what can cause an election to be invalidated beyond the mere production of figures from anywhere that a litigant may produce. These are very intricate technicalities that mere figures don’t stand up to.
I have already asked questions to the effect that it is difficult to know why of all the contestants and election monitors—not to mention the Electoral Commission and the NPP’s own agents at the various polling stations throughout the country—it is only the NPP leaders who will have access to what they have quickly tagged as “incontrovertible evidence” with which they are going to pester the Supreme Court to overturn the will of the voters that didn’t favour Akufo-Addo.
Again, the Court can’t determine this case without reference to the reports of the Electoral Commission itself and the various local and international election monitors who saw what happened and concluded that the elections were free, fair, and transparent, not only in the atmosphere surrounding the balloting but also in the tabulation and release of the results.
This is where the CODEO and the ECOWAS Election Monitoring Group will come in. I don’t think that the Supreme Court will be so na?ve as not to broaden the case to go beyond the NPP’s claim of “incontrovertible evidence.”
Submissions will be made by others to suggest that the 2012 Elections passed the test and that the NPP’s figures don’t reflect reality. Is the NPP ready for the fallout? Or does it already have a Plan “C” ready to implement? So far, it has implemented two of such plans:
Plan “A”—street demonstrations to cause mayhem in Accra, Kumasi, and elsewhere that have led to physical assaults on political opponents and the maiming and murder of some.
Plan “B”—gathering whatever evidence it might lay hands on to proceed to the Supreme Court to fight its case while using the mass media and the bar of public opinion to judge itself as the likely victor in the court case. All this is part of the psychological warfare that it has launched against its political opponent, hoping that by so doing, it would condition its followers’ minds for anything else that might be put into action after the court case.
At this stage, I may be speculating as a way of reading deeper meanings into possibilities, but I am quite sure that the NPP will not end matters at the premises of the Supreme Court. Otherwise, it won’t precede the filing of that case with a press conference tomorrow at the Alisa Hotel in Accra. We don’t yet know what will be said at that press conference but we can’t rule out any over-extension of this agenda of protestation.
Having already stood firm against all odds to fight the case at court, the NPP leaders have an onerous duty to sustain the rhythm and continue massaging their supporters’ feeling until the case is dealt with. That’s a tall order.
Meantime, life will not grind to a standstill in the country. The incumbent will continue to function and prepare for January 7, 2013 to be installed in office. The installation will complicate the matter for the NPP and strengthen the administration’s hands on the management of national affairs to such an extent that it could be more than ready to pit itself against the Supreme Court if its verdict is skewed in favour of the NPP.
We will definitely have more constitutional problems to handle at this stage than the NPP’s suit might initially be conceived to solve. I can’t wait for that moment to see how Ghanaians will handle the situation. In effect, if the Supreme Court favours Akufo-Addo, many new developments will make the country ungovernable. The majority that voted for the President will definitely react vigorously in ways that are too frightening to imagine now. In effect, a huge fire will be lit by any such decision.
Will the Court declare Akufo-Addo elected because he would have been deemed to have garnered 50%+1 votes in the court’s estimation? Or that the EC should re-run the Presidential elections for all the candidates? Or that President Mahama should just step down for Akufo-Addo to take his place?
Undeniably, with what majority support in Parliament or even in the 8 regions that voted against him? The country will definitely become ungovernable in that event. I don’t think that’s what anybody wants.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
The True Heir Of Indus Valley Civilization
The vision of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in the 1940s did not only constitute creation of a Muslim political entity at the expense of India’s Hindu domination. It was also embedded in thousands of years of historical and geographical realities. These aspects clearly emerge from Jinnah’s interviews given to foreign correspondents where he described the geopolitical importance of Pakistan. The two nation reality also did not emerge only because of the differences between Hindu and Muslim peoples. It was an outcome of thousands of years of historical, geographical and genetic distinction between the peoples of Indus Valley Civilization and those occupying the Gangetic plains.
The existence of Indus Valley Civilization emerged though the ruins at Harappa in Punjab, Pakistan which were first described by Charles Masson in 1842, in his “Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan, and the Punjab.” Though the site was visited by General Alexander Cunningham in 1856, who later headed the archeological survey of northern India, it was in 1921-22 that the excavations began which unearthed the great civilization buried under the sand for thousands of years.
The irony of it all was that it was General Alexander Cunningham who allowed East Indian Railways which was constructing railway line between the cities of Lahore and Karachi, to use the ancient bricks recovered from these sites as track ballast for the 150 kilometers of nearby stretch and thus destroyed much of the city of Harappa. Mohenjodaro in Sindh, Pakistan was excavated by 1931. Mehrgarh in Balochistan, Pakistan was discovered in 1974 and the excavations continued from 1974-86 and again from 1997-2000. Rehman Dheri in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was excavated from 1976-1980. Based on recent evidence and analyses, archeologists and historians have proclaimed that Indus Valley Civilization is over 9000 years old, making it one of the oldest civilizations of the world.
The South Asian subcontinent is principally divided into two major geographical regions; the Indus Valley and its westerly inclined tributaries, and the Ganges Valley with its easterly inclined tributaries. In his book, “The Indus Saga and the Making of Pakistan,” Aitzaz Ahsan identifies the geographical divide between these two regions as the Gurdaspur-Kathiawar salient, a watershed which is southwesterly inclined down to the Arabian Sea. This watershed also depicted the dividing line between the peoples of Indus Valley Civilization and those of Gangetic plains and also corresponds almost exactly with the current day Pakistan-India border.
Historically, only the Mauryas, Muslims and the British amalgamated these two regions as a unified state. For most of the remaining history, when one empire did not rule both the regions as a unified state, the Indus Valley Civilizational domain was always governed as one separate political entity.
Rather than an unnatural creation as propounded by many, Pakistan much more than the Gangetic plains, is an appropriate and modern embodiment of thousands of years old Indus Valley Civilization. The historical, geographical and its people’s organic linkages with Arab, Persian, Turkic and South Central Asian populace also clearly differentiates it as a distinct and definite independent identity as compared to the rest of India.
The discovery of Indus Valley Civilization in the run up to 1947 independence of Pakistan and India provided Indian nationalist Hindus an opportunity, to embed their Vedic Hindu cultural identity in a civilization, which was one of the oldest civilizations on earth and also predated emergence of Islam. However, the later identification of emergence of Vedic Hindu cultural traditions between 1500 – 600 BC, discounted such linkages. Also, the fact that Indus Valley Civilization’s cultural moorings were discovered mainly in the Indus River Valley, and partly in Ghaggar-Hakra basin and in the Doab, these cultural moorings did not find an extension into the central and lower Ganges Valley in the eastern and central Indian plains. The presence of fortified cities, town planning and drainage system, depiction of specialized epic art form and the architecture of burnt bricks, sea trade, use of seals, weights, measures and script and the custom of burying the dead in cemeteries, presented clear differentiation because of the absence of such depiction in Vedic Hindu literature and culture.
Many adherents of Indian Hindu nationalist ideology believed that India was and is a primarily Hindu nation and has Hindu religious culture in continuity from Vedic Aryans. The mosaic of cultures of the past evolving into composite Indian Hindu culture through the process of history was not based on archeological evidence but what they essentially believed in. In many cases distorting and manipulating or even forging the mute archaeological evidence through depiction of fire places as fire altars, waste pits as sacrificial pits in Harappan era sites and the imaginary reading of Sanskrit legends, was quoted in order to suit their pseudo-ideological and opportunistic interests.
Between 1900-1300 BC the civilization declined and there were no more references to Meluhha (Mesopotamian name for Indus Valley Civilization landmass) in Mesopotamian finds. However, the people who made up this great civilization continued living in places like Mehrgarh, Harappa, Mohenjodaro and other settlements long after that.
The legacy of Indus Valley Civilization lives on in present day Pakistan. Amongst some of the aspects that can still be traced to this legacy are the trade and commerce routes developed by the mentors of this great civilization. Ships from Meluhha regularly sailed from locations near modern day city of Karachi for the ports of Babylon. And they evidently made stops all along the way, as indicated through discovery of seals found in Oman, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain as well.
The city of Peshawar lies on what is thought to have been one of their main overland trade routes. That route is now a major highway that constitutes the eastern approach to the Khyber Pass and links the northwestern Indus River Plain to the highlands of Afghanistan and Central Asia. An old branch of the route runs from Peshawar, south into rugged tribal territory, through the Pakistani cities of Kohat and Bannu and the foothills of the Suleiman Mountains down across the Gomal Plain to the early historical site of Rehman Dheri.
After the decline of this civilization, the religion and language of which has still not been deciphered, at different times these people followed Vedic Hindu culture and traditions, also adopted Buddhism and in the end embraced Islam and are now overwhelmingly Muslim.
The core spread of Indus Valley Civilization primarily lay in Pakistan. The three major cities and many other sites which represent the core of Indus Valley Civilization are all located in Pakistan. However, the Indians still refer to India as the “Home of Indus Valley Civilization,” which is surprising and indeed a misnomer. India needs to realign its history and should seek its identity in its own legacy instead of claiming something to which they do not belong to.
At first it was in Egypt and then in Libya, Al Qaeda today has found yet another haven in the Arab world. Syria now offers the global terror network a perfect sanctuary to re-establish itself and re-launch its jihad. Therefore, it was no surprise that the United States faced perceptible opposition and criticism at a recent meeting of the Friends of Syria in Marrakech when it classified Al Nusra, one of the armed resistance groups operating in the country, as a "foreign terrorist organisation".
"The chairman of the Syrian National Coalition called for the US to reconsider its decision; the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamad Tayfur condemned it as wrong and hastily made. Many other statements of support for Al Nusra followed. The British and French remained silent, as did the EU, this year's Nobel peace prize winner. This was met with horror by many Syrians, the vast majority of whom reject Al Nusra."
It is no secret today that Al Nusra, a ruthless foreign sectarian jihadi organisation, is a despised outfit today in Syria though it remains the most effective fighting force against the Syrian army. Haytham Manna says, its fighters, contrary to those of Al Tawhid brigade, are mainly foreigners and its emir (leader) is appointed from outside Syria.
It is not only the US who believes Al Nusra to be an Al Qaida front, both Syria's armed opposition and the opposition in exile expressed concern about this mysterious new organisation. The Syrian National Council had earlier claimed Al Nusra was formed by Syrian intelligence to tarnish the image of the Free Army. Syrian human rights defenders speak out, too, warning of Al Qaida links. The organisation, many fear, is fast becoming the most attractive group for foreign jihadists in a sectarian war against Alawites, Shias and secular Syrians.
The existence of Indus Valley Civilization emerged though the ruins at Harappa in Punjab, Pakistan which were first described by Charles Masson in 1842, in his “Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan, and the Punjab.” Though the site was visited by General Alexander Cunningham in 1856, who later headed the archeological survey of northern India, it was in 1921-22 that the excavations began which unearthed the great civilization buried under the sand for thousands of years.
The irony of it all was that it was General Alexander Cunningham who allowed East Indian Railways which was constructing railway line between the cities of Lahore and Karachi, to use the ancient bricks recovered from these sites as track ballast for the 150 kilometers of nearby stretch and thus destroyed much of the city of Harappa. Mohenjodaro in Sindh, Pakistan was excavated by 1931. Mehrgarh in Balochistan, Pakistan was discovered in 1974 and the excavations continued from 1974-86 and again from 1997-2000. Rehman Dheri in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was excavated from 1976-1980. Based on recent evidence and analyses, archeologists and historians have proclaimed that Indus Valley Civilization is over 9000 years old, making it one of the oldest civilizations of the world.
The South Asian subcontinent is principally divided into two major geographical regions; the Indus Valley and its westerly inclined tributaries, and the Ganges Valley with its easterly inclined tributaries. In his book, “The Indus Saga and the Making of Pakistan,” Aitzaz Ahsan identifies the geographical divide between these two regions as the Gurdaspur-Kathiawar salient, a watershed which is southwesterly inclined down to the Arabian Sea. This watershed also depicted the dividing line between the peoples of Indus Valley Civilization and those of Gangetic plains and also corresponds almost exactly with the current day Pakistan-India border.
Historically, only the Mauryas, Muslims and the British amalgamated these two regions as a unified state. For most of the remaining history, when one empire did not rule both the regions as a unified state, the Indus Valley Civilizational domain was always governed as one separate political entity.
Rather than an unnatural creation as propounded by many, Pakistan much more than the Gangetic plains, is an appropriate and modern embodiment of thousands of years old Indus Valley Civilization. The historical, geographical and its people’s organic linkages with Arab, Persian, Turkic and South Central Asian populace also clearly differentiates it as a distinct and definite independent identity as compared to the rest of India.
The discovery of Indus Valley Civilization in the run up to 1947 independence of Pakistan and India provided Indian nationalist Hindus an opportunity, to embed their Vedic Hindu cultural identity in a civilization, which was one of the oldest civilizations on earth and also predated emergence of Islam. However, the later identification of emergence of Vedic Hindu cultural traditions between 1500 – 600 BC, discounted such linkages. Also, the fact that Indus Valley Civilization’s cultural moorings were discovered mainly in the Indus River Valley, and partly in Ghaggar-Hakra basin and in the Doab, these cultural moorings did not find an extension into the central and lower Ganges Valley in the eastern and central Indian plains. The presence of fortified cities, town planning and drainage system, depiction of specialized epic art form and the architecture of burnt bricks, sea trade, use of seals, weights, measures and script and the custom of burying the dead in cemeteries, presented clear differentiation because of the absence of such depiction in Vedic Hindu literature and culture.
Many adherents of Indian Hindu nationalist ideology believed that India was and is a primarily Hindu nation and has Hindu religious culture in continuity from Vedic Aryans. The mosaic of cultures of the past evolving into composite Indian Hindu culture through the process of history was not based on archeological evidence but what they essentially believed in. In many cases distorting and manipulating or even forging the mute archaeological evidence through depiction of fire places as fire altars, waste pits as sacrificial pits in Harappan era sites and the imaginary reading of Sanskrit legends, was quoted in order to suit their pseudo-ideological and opportunistic interests.
Between 1900-1300 BC the civilization declined and there were no more references to Meluhha (Mesopotamian name for Indus Valley Civilization landmass) in Mesopotamian finds. However, the people who made up this great civilization continued living in places like Mehrgarh, Harappa, Mohenjodaro and other settlements long after that.
The legacy of Indus Valley Civilization lives on in present day Pakistan. Amongst some of the aspects that can still be traced to this legacy are the trade and commerce routes developed by the mentors of this great civilization. Ships from Meluhha regularly sailed from locations near modern day city of Karachi for the ports of Babylon. And they evidently made stops all along the way, as indicated through discovery of seals found in Oman, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain as well.
The city of Peshawar lies on what is thought to have been one of their main overland trade routes. That route is now a major highway that constitutes the eastern approach to the Khyber Pass and links the northwestern Indus River Plain to the highlands of Afghanistan and Central Asia. An old branch of the route runs from Peshawar, south into rugged tribal territory, through the Pakistani cities of Kohat and Bannu and the foothills of the Suleiman Mountains down across the Gomal Plain to the early historical site of Rehman Dheri.
After the decline of this civilization, the religion and language of which has still not been deciphered, at different times these people followed Vedic Hindu culture and traditions, also adopted Buddhism and in the end embraced Islam and are now overwhelmingly Muslim.
The core spread of Indus Valley Civilization primarily lay in Pakistan. The three major cities and many other sites which represent the core of Indus Valley Civilization are all located in Pakistan. However, the Indians still refer to India as the “Home of Indus Valley Civilization,” which is surprising and indeed a misnomer. India needs to realign its history and should seek its identity in its own legacy instead of claiming something to which they do not belong to.
At first it was in Egypt and then in Libya, Al Qaeda today has found yet another haven in the Arab world. Syria now offers the global terror network a perfect sanctuary to re-establish itself and re-launch its jihad. Therefore, it was no surprise that the United States faced perceptible opposition and criticism at a recent meeting of the Friends of Syria in Marrakech when it classified Al Nusra, one of the armed resistance groups operating in the country, as a "foreign terrorist organisation".
"The chairman of the Syrian National Coalition called for the US to reconsider its decision; the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamad Tayfur condemned it as wrong and hastily made. Many other statements of support for Al Nusra followed. The British and French remained silent, as did the EU, this year's Nobel peace prize winner. This was met with horror by many Syrians, the vast majority of whom reject Al Nusra."
It is no secret today that Al Nusra, a ruthless foreign sectarian jihadi organisation, is a despised outfit today in Syria though it remains the most effective fighting force against the Syrian army. Haytham Manna says, its fighters, contrary to those of Al Tawhid brigade, are mainly foreigners and its emir (leader) is appointed from outside Syria.
It is not only the US who believes Al Nusra to be an Al Qaida front, both Syria's armed opposition and the opposition in exile expressed concern about this mysterious new organisation. The Syrian National Council had earlier claimed Al Nusra was formed by Syrian intelligence to tarnish the image of the Free Army. Syrian human rights defenders speak out, too, warning of Al Qaida links. The organisation, many fear, is fast becoming the most attractive group for foreign jihadists in a sectarian war against Alawites, Shias and secular Syrians.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The value of true beauty
George and Janet Fox didn’t have children. They were atheists. And due to their own chilly upbringings, they tended to poke fun at feelings they deemed sentimental.
Even though Uncle George and Aunt Janet were liked by friends and family in British Columbia, they regularly disappeared at Christmas, heading to California to be alone over the holidays.
Elaborate tree ornaments. Christmas cards galore. Stacks of holly-covered napkins. Bright red and green candles. And even a tall ruby angel with a golden halo, gently holding in her hand a sparkling star.
In their rather sneaky way, my beloved uncle and aunt had been into Christmas after all; they caught the spirit of the season by embracing things they considered beautiful.
Beauty can have that power. When a person feels transfixed by beauty, through nature, art, music or even the “beautiful” game of soccer, it can evoke a kind of spiritual feeling.
The experience of beauty can offer relief from numbness and despair, says spiritual writer Jay McDaniel, who frequently speaks in Vancouver. As such, he says, beauty often evokes gratitude.
In that way I sense my uncle and aunt’s hidden appreciation of Christmas beauty might point to something universal about this time of year.
Beauty has a way of grabbing hold of almost everyone, even those who are a bit crusty. Indeed, a case could be made that the Christmas season is, ultimately, a celebration of beauty.
Defying the season’s long nights and melancholy, Metro Vancouverities queue to be bedazzled.
The eyes of the young widen with the magic of “two million twinkling lights” on the Stanley Park miniature train ride. VanDusen Gardens’ Festival of Lights features gnomes and carols in a fantasia.
Thousands immerse themselves in Capilano Canyon’s forest lights while crossing the precarious suspension bridge. Young and old gather in lines at the Hyatt to witness amazing gingerbread houses.
People rush for tickets for everything from school winter concerts to the Marcus Mosely Chorale Christmas.
The West Coast air is filled with splendour, as carols spill out to the streets, from trendy clothing stores and historic churches.
Sanctuaries, bursting with their stained-glass windows, uplifting arches and warm candles, are suddenly packed.
Many who dress in their finest for spiritual services yearn for a realm of wonder and awe.
And millions of objets d’art come out of storage.
Objects like my uncle and aunt’s half-metre-high ruby angel, which seemed, despite their atheism, to convey an almost explicit religiousness.
Along with Santa, reindeer and chocolate trees, such Christmas paraphernalia are beautiful to some, schmaltzy to others. It’s often hard to make the distinction.
A glowing seasonal candle symbolizes the elusive nature of beauty. So does the strange calming trance induced by crackling fireplaces, even those on cable television screens.
The appeal of the Christian manger scene, featuring the guiding stars and baby Jesus, also depends on the eye of the beholder. It is an image of eternal hope, based on one Middle Eastern man’s short life; captured through the centuries in sculptures and icons.
Although beauty has, in recent decades, caught the attention of scientists and experimental psychologists, it has long been the obsession of artists, novelists and poets.
Far-reaching philosophers and theologians, from Aristotle to Hans Urs von Balthasar, also seize on the subject of beauty – injecting the crucial caveat that it has much to do with goodness.
Their important insight helps explains why movies such as A Christmas Carol and A Wonderful Life have become seasonal classics.
They are beautiful stories about troubled characters, Ebenezer Scrooge and George Bailey, who, through wondrous happenings, overcome greed, cynicism and despair.
Such transformative stories help illustrate why, when most of us talk of “beautiful” people, we are often not speaking of eyes, hips or hair. Sometimes beautiful people look rather ordinary.
And the Bible, from which the Christmas story springs, speaks a great deal of beauty. It describes the beauty of women, men, children, old people, nature, houses, flocks, temples and good actions.
But the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery notes beauty is also put in perspective in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures; they describe beauty as dangerous when used to deceive or seduce.
And, as the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast also spells out, the Bible makes clear that outer beauty does not entail inner beauty. And that physical beauty fades.
Nevertheless, Balthasar, a major Catholic theologian, made beauty a central part of his vision.
“God is one, good, true and beautiful,” said Balthasar, considered the premier theologian of both Pope John Paul and Pope Benedict XVI.
The 20th century-Swiss thinker, who endured the horror of two world wars, suggested the best way to spiritually appeal to non-religious people is to ask them to ponder their experience of beauty. He called it “the esthetical encounter.”
“Though people may glaze over when one makes claims of truth and goodness, their ears seem to perk up at the mention of beauty: The flash of lightning across the sky, the dramatic auburn colours of a late summer sunset, a sublime snatch of music whether it be Mozart’s Requiem or a David Gilmour guitar solo,” writes Monsignor John Cihak of the Catholic archdiocese of Portland, Ore.
“Since most non-believers like to consider themselves open-minded, Balthasar capitalized on that desire by helping them see the mystery of Being as revealed in beauty.”
Balthasar not only believed churches should be elegant, and the celebration of ritual passionate, but that most of all the lives of Christians must be beautiful, radiating divine love.
For Christians, Balthasar took an extra step. He linked beauty with the incarnation of God in human form, which is what is marked each year at the birth of Jesus, the Messiah.
Which raises a hard question surrounding celebrating a baby who would end up suffering a horrible death: How can beauty be associated with a crucifixion?
Balthasar’s answer was Jesus’s death on the cross was the “supreme moment of transcending beauty, a revelation of love visible in the world, yet pointing to a love beyond this world.”
Even though Uncle George and Aunt Janet were liked by friends and family in British Columbia, they regularly disappeared at Christmas, heading to California to be alone over the holidays.
Elaborate tree ornaments. Christmas cards galore. Stacks of holly-covered napkins. Bright red and green candles. And even a tall ruby angel with a golden halo, gently holding in her hand a sparkling star.
In their rather sneaky way, my beloved uncle and aunt had been into Christmas after all; they caught the spirit of the season by embracing things they considered beautiful.
Beauty can have that power. When a person feels transfixed by beauty, through nature, art, music or even the “beautiful” game of soccer, it can evoke a kind of spiritual feeling.
The experience of beauty can offer relief from numbness and despair, says spiritual writer Jay McDaniel, who frequently speaks in Vancouver. As such, he says, beauty often evokes gratitude.
In that way I sense my uncle and aunt’s hidden appreciation of Christmas beauty might point to something universal about this time of year.
Beauty has a way of grabbing hold of almost everyone, even those who are a bit crusty. Indeed, a case could be made that the Christmas season is, ultimately, a celebration of beauty.
Defying the season’s long nights and melancholy, Metro Vancouverities queue to be bedazzled.
The eyes of the young widen with the magic of “two million twinkling lights” on the Stanley Park miniature train ride. VanDusen Gardens’ Festival of Lights features gnomes and carols in a fantasia.
Thousands immerse themselves in Capilano Canyon’s forest lights while crossing the precarious suspension bridge. Young and old gather in lines at the Hyatt to witness amazing gingerbread houses.
People rush for tickets for everything from school winter concerts to the Marcus Mosely Chorale Christmas.
The West Coast air is filled with splendour, as carols spill out to the streets, from trendy clothing stores and historic churches.
Sanctuaries, bursting with their stained-glass windows, uplifting arches and warm candles, are suddenly packed.
Many who dress in their finest for spiritual services yearn for a realm of wonder and awe.
And millions of objets d’art come out of storage.
Objects like my uncle and aunt’s half-metre-high ruby angel, which seemed, despite their atheism, to convey an almost explicit religiousness.
Along with Santa, reindeer and chocolate trees, such Christmas paraphernalia are beautiful to some, schmaltzy to others. It’s often hard to make the distinction.
A glowing seasonal candle symbolizes the elusive nature of beauty. So does the strange calming trance induced by crackling fireplaces, even those on cable television screens.
The appeal of the Christian manger scene, featuring the guiding stars and baby Jesus, also depends on the eye of the beholder. It is an image of eternal hope, based on one Middle Eastern man’s short life; captured through the centuries in sculptures and icons.
Although beauty has, in recent decades, caught the attention of scientists and experimental psychologists, it has long been the obsession of artists, novelists and poets.
Far-reaching philosophers and theologians, from Aristotle to Hans Urs von Balthasar, also seize on the subject of beauty – injecting the crucial caveat that it has much to do with goodness.
Their important insight helps explains why movies such as A Christmas Carol and A Wonderful Life have become seasonal classics.
They are beautiful stories about troubled characters, Ebenezer Scrooge and George Bailey, who, through wondrous happenings, overcome greed, cynicism and despair.
Such transformative stories help illustrate why, when most of us talk of “beautiful” people, we are often not speaking of eyes, hips or hair. Sometimes beautiful people look rather ordinary.
And the Bible, from which the Christmas story springs, speaks a great deal of beauty. It describes the beauty of women, men, children, old people, nature, houses, flocks, temples and good actions.
But the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery notes beauty is also put in perspective in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures; they describe beauty as dangerous when used to deceive or seduce.
And, as the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast also spells out, the Bible makes clear that outer beauty does not entail inner beauty. And that physical beauty fades.
Nevertheless, Balthasar, a major Catholic theologian, made beauty a central part of his vision.
“God is one, good, true and beautiful,” said Balthasar, considered the premier theologian of both Pope John Paul and Pope Benedict XVI.
The 20th century-Swiss thinker, who endured the horror of two world wars, suggested the best way to spiritually appeal to non-religious people is to ask them to ponder their experience of beauty. He called it “the esthetical encounter.”
“Though people may glaze over when one makes claims of truth and goodness, their ears seem to perk up at the mention of beauty: The flash of lightning across the sky, the dramatic auburn colours of a late summer sunset, a sublime snatch of music whether it be Mozart’s Requiem or a David Gilmour guitar solo,” writes Monsignor John Cihak of the Catholic archdiocese of Portland, Ore.
“Since most non-believers like to consider themselves open-minded, Balthasar capitalized on that desire by helping them see the mystery of Being as revealed in beauty.”
Balthasar not only believed churches should be elegant, and the celebration of ritual passionate, but that most of all the lives of Christians must be beautiful, radiating divine love.
For Christians, Balthasar took an extra step. He linked beauty with the incarnation of God in human form, which is what is marked each year at the birth of Jesus, the Messiah.
Which raises a hard question surrounding celebrating a baby who would end up suffering a horrible death: How can beauty be associated with a crucifixion?
Balthasar’s answer was Jesus’s death on the cross was the “supreme moment of transcending beauty, a revelation of love visible in the world, yet pointing to a love beyond this world.”
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
How to Use Tracking Technology to React to Attendee Behavior
Wi-Fi, sensors, radio-frequency identification, and other technologies are creating new opportunities for planners to track and respond to attendee behavior at events such as trade shows and conventions. Control Group is a technology firm that has worked with clients such as Chevron and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to design interactive, data-driven experiences.
“The opportunity to do something at an event that is extremely original, distinctive, and that is also sensitive and not overpowering is more available now than it has ever been. That is due to the emergence and consumerization of some really great sensing and communication technology,” said Control Group C.E.O. Campbell Hyers. “Your competition is not just other events and other booths. Your competition is hotels, cruise lines, retail stores, the home—places people are being wowed all the time by what we call magic.”
Control Group demonstrated this capability at the O’Reilly Where Conference in April. The company built a Wi-Fi network to capture real-time location patterns of attendees through their Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The data indicated the types and concentration of devices in the room at any given moment, for example indicating the booths that attracted the most people. “The purpose was to allow people at that conference who are interested in proximity marketing and intelligence to have a conversation about what it means to have that sort of information,” said Hyers. This type of tracking can also be used to make the space and signage react differently based on a person’s movement. “If I am returning to a space that [has], let’s say a display screen, it would be good if you didn’t repeat what I had previously experienced. There’s knowledge that can be gained from knowing you have a returning person. For example, to let the booth manager know, ‘Hey somebody is here for a second time. You should seek them out,’” said Hyers.
At the World Petroleum Conference in Qatar last December, Control Group created a 12- by 80-foot interactive display wall for Chevron. “Rather than creating a whole bunch of touch-screen interfaces—honestly, I think there is too much of that in the industry—there was an infrared sensor that could detect when [attendees] were walking and when they stopped. And when they stopped, materials start to present themselves on the screen. If the person leans forward to the screen, the material further unveils itself. [It's] almost turning your body into the point-and-click device,” said Hyers. The technology is transparent to the attendees, which is the most effective way to use it. “Do not try to make someone learn a new interface to interact with your communications effort. Allow them to do the most natural thing they do in order to get access to your message or product,” said Hyers.
Sensors can provide data on what people are touching and holding, and that data can trigger the type of information presented within that display. “For example, it’s a vacuum cleaner [display]. If you see a lot of people are giving it a subtle shake to check its weight, you learn a little bit about the sales process. That is an opportunity to pull something up on the screen that provides more information about weight,” said Hyers.
Hyers stressed that these are just three examples. Tracking and motion-sensor systems are constantly evolving and therefore planners should “forget about what the technology can do. Instead figure out what you need to do. Then turn to a deep set of resources to achieve your ambition,” he said. The overall goal when integrating this type of technology into an event should be to provide a service not just a stunt. “Your event can provide an exchange where people can leverage some of these interactive technologies to learn and experience something new versus just having some crazy effect on a screen that looks cool and makes people feel silly. There’s a distinction there. Try to create an interaction that provides value to both parties,” he said.
Tracking systems can raise concerns about privacy, and these solutions can be developed with or without opt-in parameters, depending on the needs of the event. “Privacy is different for every audience. The way you need to reflect your consideration of privacy at a legal conference may be much different than at a gaming conference. Your products are successful because you have insight into your audience. It’s incumbent upon you to know, as Facebook calls it, where the ‘creepy’ line is and to work around that,” said Hyers.
One of the biggest challenges for everyday users of information is the explosion of content that is available to people. Content comes from the Internet, internal document management systems, and even across multiple network file servers and local files on personal computers. For everyday users, finding a way of getting access to the right information from this mess of content is a major challenge. Finding a systematic way to help these people understand what is good content across the organization and helping users get access not just to the entire set of content but to content organized for their use in a specific situation is pivotal to increasing organizational agility and productivity.
BTC has created a tool that understands the behavior of users, measuring every interaction with content – how they use it, share it, edit it, and more. Called ContentIQ, BTC’s system lets the organization and the users themselves immediately understand the value of content with a richly based but simple “content score” along with user scores and a social badging system that everybody enjoys using. Once the content is added to the system, the client device reports back to centralized data store information about content usage, including but not limited to – which user uses which piece of content, what pages of a document are viewed, how long a document is viewed, if the content is forwarded or shared within or from the system, what rating a series of users gave the content, comments made on the content by a series of users, what time of day the content was used and which location the content was used from and a range of other potential factors influencing the use of the content.
The server can create calculated sets of information referring to content that has been added to the system that a user – or set of users – would find relevant to their work or personal interest needs. The relevance of the content is determined by analyzing a number of factors from the data obtained from the external device including: how others in a similar group have used the content, how long they have used it and if they have used it in a similar or related location.
“The opportunity to do something at an event that is extremely original, distinctive, and that is also sensitive and not overpowering is more available now than it has ever been. That is due to the emergence and consumerization of some really great sensing and communication technology,” said Control Group C.E.O. Campbell Hyers. “Your competition is not just other events and other booths. Your competition is hotels, cruise lines, retail stores, the home—places people are being wowed all the time by what we call magic.”
Control Group demonstrated this capability at the O’Reilly Where Conference in April. The company built a Wi-Fi network to capture real-time location patterns of attendees through their Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The data indicated the types and concentration of devices in the room at any given moment, for example indicating the booths that attracted the most people. “The purpose was to allow people at that conference who are interested in proximity marketing and intelligence to have a conversation about what it means to have that sort of information,” said Hyers. This type of tracking can also be used to make the space and signage react differently based on a person’s movement. “If I am returning to a space that [has], let’s say a display screen, it would be good if you didn’t repeat what I had previously experienced. There’s knowledge that can be gained from knowing you have a returning person. For example, to let the booth manager know, ‘Hey somebody is here for a second time. You should seek them out,’” said Hyers.
At the World Petroleum Conference in Qatar last December, Control Group created a 12- by 80-foot interactive display wall for Chevron. “Rather than creating a whole bunch of touch-screen interfaces—honestly, I think there is too much of that in the industry—there was an infrared sensor that could detect when [attendees] were walking and when they stopped. And when they stopped, materials start to present themselves on the screen. If the person leans forward to the screen, the material further unveils itself. [It's] almost turning your body into the point-and-click device,” said Hyers. The technology is transparent to the attendees, which is the most effective way to use it. “Do not try to make someone learn a new interface to interact with your communications effort. Allow them to do the most natural thing they do in order to get access to your message or product,” said Hyers.
Sensors can provide data on what people are touching and holding, and that data can trigger the type of information presented within that display. “For example, it’s a vacuum cleaner [display]. If you see a lot of people are giving it a subtle shake to check its weight, you learn a little bit about the sales process. That is an opportunity to pull something up on the screen that provides more information about weight,” said Hyers.
Hyers stressed that these are just three examples. Tracking and motion-sensor systems are constantly evolving and therefore planners should “forget about what the technology can do. Instead figure out what you need to do. Then turn to a deep set of resources to achieve your ambition,” he said. The overall goal when integrating this type of technology into an event should be to provide a service not just a stunt. “Your event can provide an exchange where people can leverage some of these interactive technologies to learn and experience something new versus just having some crazy effect on a screen that looks cool and makes people feel silly. There’s a distinction there. Try to create an interaction that provides value to both parties,” he said.
Tracking systems can raise concerns about privacy, and these solutions can be developed with or without opt-in parameters, depending on the needs of the event. “Privacy is different for every audience. The way you need to reflect your consideration of privacy at a legal conference may be much different than at a gaming conference. Your products are successful because you have insight into your audience. It’s incumbent upon you to know, as Facebook calls it, where the ‘creepy’ line is and to work around that,” said Hyers.
One of the biggest challenges for everyday users of information is the explosion of content that is available to people. Content comes from the Internet, internal document management systems, and even across multiple network file servers and local files on personal computers. For everyday users, finding a way of getting access to the right information from this mess of content is a major challenge. Finding a systematic way to help these people understand what is good content across the organization and helping users get access not just to the entire set of content but to content organized for their use in a specific situation is pivotal to increasing organizational agility and productivity.
BTC has created a tool that understands the behavior of users, measuring every interaction with content – how they use it, share it, edit it, and more. Called ContentIQ, BTC’s system lets the organization and the users themselves immediately understand the value of content with a richly based but simple “content score” along with user scores and a social badging system that everybody enjoys using. Once the content is added to the system, the client device reports back to centralized data store information about content usage, including but not limited to – which user uses which piece of content, what pages of a document are viewed, how long a document is viewed, if the content is forwarded or shared within or from the system, what rating a series of users gave the content, comments made on the content by a series of users, what time of day the content was used and which location the content was used from and a range of other potential factors influencing the use of the content.
The server can create calculated sets of information referring to content that has been added to the system that a user – or set of users – would find relevant to their work or personal interest needs. The relevance of the content is determined by analyzing a number of factors from the data obtained from the external device including: how others in a similar group have used the content, how long they have used it and if they have used it in a similar or related location.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Shreveport siblings visit WWII Memorial
This time Brookshire's Food and Pharmacy and subsidiary Super 1 Foods picked up the tab for Tooley, his brother, 92-year-old Ed Tooley of Shreveport, and more than 20 other men in their 80s and 90s -- all World War II veterans.
Brookshire's instituted the program in 2010 and have since taken dozens of veterans to the country's capital to visit various war memorials.
Fel Tooley found out about the program through his brother, who called him one day and asked if he'd like to make the trip. The answer was a resounding yes, and the brothers each filled out their applications.
Fel Tooley -- the youngest veteran on this trip -- was drafted just at the end of World War II. He served in the Navy from 1944 to 1945 in the hospital corps. His career was spent stationed in California. Ed Tooley was a colonel in the Air Force and stationed mainly in Burma during the war.
"The trip was outstanding," Fel Tooley said. "It would take me an hour just to explain all the things we did."
The veterans were treated like royalty from the moment their escorts -- representatives of Super 1 Foods and Brookshire's -- arrived. Causal meals, fine dining and even a 1950s-themed dinner service complete with dancers in zoot suits, thanks to the Arlington, Va., Knights of Columbus.
But the real reason for this trip and the others like it is to provide these service men and women (though no women were on the latest trip) with the opportunity to see the National World War II Memorial erected in Washington, D.C., in 2008. Other programs of this kind exist, and Brookshire's public relations manager, Sam Anderson of Tyler, Texas, where the grocery store is headquartered, said his company takes special care to select veterans who have never before seen the World War II memorial.
"It's a way to say to these veterans thank you very much for your service," Anderson said. "What I've seen on these trips is an awful amount of gratitude expressed to these veterans as they go around to different sites in D.C. It is not uncommon for people to stop them on the street and express their gratitude for the veterans' service to this country. There is still a feeling of patriotism in this country."
Once in Washington, D.C., the veterans were divided into smaller groups and provided with T-shirts, hats, jackets and wheelchairs before touring monuments and memorials.
When the groups reached the World War II Memorial, the emotions took hold.
"When we got to the memorial, they had chairs set out for us, and we had lunch right there," Fel Tooley said. "It was very moving for all of them. We were all from different branches -- there were Marines from Iwo Jima there -- they were from all over. The 'Wall of Stars' gets you more than anything."
That wall, officially titled the Freedom Wall, has 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war.
Once home, each veteran received a packet containing photographs taken on the trip, as well as 30 or 40 letters from school children thanking the men for their service.
"If you read them, you'd just laugh and cry," Fel Tooley said.
Still, there's more to look forward to for the latest group of veterans. On Dec. 6, the group will reunite in Shreveport for a dinner hosted by Brookshire's.
"The veterans have been very, very grateful for this experience," Anderson said. "They are honored that we have provided this for them, when in reality it is actually we who are honored to do this for them."
Brookshire's instituted the program in 2010 and have since taken dozens of veterans to the country's capital to visit various war memorials.
Fel Tooley found out about the program through his brother, who called him one day and asked if he'd like to make the trip. The answer was a resounding yes, and the brothers each filled out their applications.
Fel Tooley -- the youngest veteran on this trip -- was drafted just at the end of World War II. He served in the Navy from 1944 to 1945 in the hospital corps. His career was spent stationed in California. Ed Tooley was a colonel in the Air Force and stationed mainly in Burma during the war.
"The trip was outstanding," Fel Tooley said. "It would take me an hour just to explain all the things we did."
The veterans were treated like royalty from the moment their escorts -- representatives of Super 1 Foods and Brookshire's -- arrived. Causal meals, fine dining and even a 1950s-themed dinner service complete with dancers in zoot suits, thanks to the Arlington, Va., Knights of Columbus.
But the real reason for this trip and the others like it is to provide these service men and women (though no women were on the latest trip) with the opportunity to see the National World War II Memorial erected in Washington, D.C., in 2008. Other programs of this kind exist, and Brookshire's public relations manager, Sam Anderson of Tyler, Texas, where the grocery store is headquartered, said his company takes special care to select veterans who have never before seen the World War II memorial.
"It's a way to say to these veterans thank you very much for your service," Anderson said. "What I've seen on these trips is an awful amount of gratitude expressed to these veterans as they go around to different sites in D.C. It is not uncommon for people to stop them on the street and express their gratitude for the veterans' service to this country. There is still a feeling of patriotism in this country."
Once in Washington, D.C., the veterans were divided into smaller groups and provided with T-shirts, hats, jackets and wheelchairs before touring monuments and memorials.
When the groups reached the World War II Memorial, the emotions took hold.
"When we got to the memorial, they had chairs set out for us, and we had lunch right there," Fel Tooley said. "It was very moving for all of them. We were all from different branches -- there were Marines from Iwo Jima there -- they were from all over. The 'Wall of Stars' gets you more than anything."
That wall, officially titled the Freedom Wall, has 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war.
Once home, each veteran received a packet containing photographs taken on the trip, as well as 30 or 40 letters from school children thanking the men for their service.
"If you read them, you'd just laugh and cry," Fel Tooley said.
Still, there's more to look forward to for the latest group of veterans. On Dec. 6, the group will reunite in Shreveport for a dinner hosted by Brookshire's.
"The veterans have been very, very grateful for this experience," Anderson said. "They are honored that we have provided this for them, when in reality it is actually we who are honored to do this for them."
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Applied Releases Latest Version of Agency Management System
Applied Systems announces the general release of TAM 12, the newest version of the most insurance software vendor’s agency and broker management software.
Applied reports TAM 12 delivers enhanced capabilities for writing insurance policies in the commercial middle market. Among them are reverse alerts, which support real-time communication from agents to carriers, including attachments. For Canadian customers, it includes new capabilities for writing commercial lines policies.
TAM 12 supports the new Canadian eDoc XML standard from The Centre for Study of Insurance Operations (CSIO), which allows for electronic documents to be transmitted in broker downloads, yielding broker cost efficiencies and improving customer service and retention. It also provides an improved French user interface and help files.
In addition, TAM 12 provides enhanced integration with Compu-Quote, providing the ability to attach a PDF file that contains carrier details, premium summary and underwriting. TAM also creates a default description in the activity note with year, make, model, total premium and premium per vehicle for an auto quote and location, total premium and premium per location for a property quote for Canadian brokers. As previously announced, Applied Systems acquired Compu-Quote earlier this year.
“At Applied Systems, we are committed to innovation that will continue to drive the business of insurance,” says Applied Systems CEO Reid French. “Advancements in TAM remain core to our innovation focus. With the delivery of TAM 12, agents and brokers will benefit from further automation of their business operations, enabling them to increase profitability and enhance customer satisfaction.”
More agents and brokers utilize Applied TAM than any other agency management software in North America, according to French. TAMOnline, the hosted version of TAM, eliminates the need and cost for agents and brokers to manage hardware, software upgrades and application security. TAMOnline also provides increased application access and flexibility to allow agencies to more effectively manage client and policy information, he added.
With Hike, a user can message contacts regardless of whether they have the app installed. Sending messages to another Hike user is free globally. One can also message via SMS friends who don’t have the app installed. The company is giving 100 free SMS every month to message those friends who aren’t on Hike. Friends can reply to these SMS at standard rates and the message comes right back into Hike. A user gets 50 free SMS per month for each friend they have invited to Hike.
There are a plethora of messaging platforms globally such as WhatsApp and Nimbuzz that are agnostic to handsets, operators and operating systems. Then there are also platforms from handset makers such as BlackBerry Messenger, iMessenger from Apple and Samsung’s ChatOn.
But Mittal reckons that the SMS facility on Hike gives BSB an edge over the others. “In countries like India only a few people have smartphones and, therefore, having the ability to combine SMS with instant messaging is a huge differentiator,” he said.
Applied reports TAM 12 delivers enhanced capabilities for writing insurance policies in the commercial middle market. Among them are reverse alerts, which support real-time communication from agents to carriers, including attachments. For Canadian customers, it includes new capabilities for writing commercial lines policies.
TAM 12 supports the new Canadian eDoc XML standard from The Centre for Study of Insurance Operations (CSIO), which allows for electronic documents to be transmitted in broker downloads, yielding broker cost efficiencies and improving customer service and retention. It also provides an improved French user interface and help files.
In addition, TAM 12 provides enhanced integration with Compu-Quote, providing the ability to attach a PDF file that contains carrier details, premium summary and underwriting. TAM also creates a default description in the activity note with year, make, model, total premium and premium per vehicle for an auto quote and location, total premium and premium per location for a property quote for Canadian brokers. As previously announced, Applied Systems acquired Compu-Quote earlier this year.
“At Applied Systems, we are committed to innovation that will continue to drive the business of insurance,” says Applied Systems CEO Reid French. “Advancements in TAM remain core to our innovation focus. With the delivery of TAM 12, agents and brokers will benefit from further automation of their business operations, enabling them to increase profitability and enhance customer satisfaction.”
More agents and brokers utilize Applied TAM than any other agency management software in North America, according to French. TAMOnline, the hosted version of TAM, eliminates the need and cost for agents and brokers to manage hardware, software upgrades and application security. TAMOnline also provides increased application access and flexibility to allow agencies to more effectively manage client and policy information, he added.
With Hike, a user can message contacts regardless of whether they have the app installed. Sending messages to another Hike user is free globally. One can also message via SMS friends who don’t have the app installed. The company is giving 100 free SMS every month to message those friends who aren’t on Hike. Friends can reply to these SMS at standard rates and the message comes right back into Hike. A user gets 50 free SMS per month for each friend they have invited to Hike.
There are a plethora of messaging platforms globally such as WhatsApp and Nimbuzz that are agnostic to handsets, operators and operating systems. Then there are also platforms from handset makers such as BlackBerry Messenger, iMessenger from Apple and Samsung’s ChatOn.
But Mittal reckons that the SMS facility on Hike gives BSB an edge over the others. “In countries like India only a few people have smartphones and, therefore, having the ability to combine SMS with instant messaging is a huge differentiator,” he said.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
This is a good time for unions and developers to cooperate
I was practically giddy when I heard the news that Peter Green and his two handsome sons, Alexander and Andrew were buying the Hamilton Princess. There’s nothing like the winning combination of big cash and optimism with a pinch of moxie. Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, they made an investment in their own backyard. They bought local and despite the doom and gloom, they still believe in Bermuda.
Believing in Bermuda and Bermuda’s potential is not the same thing as believing that the recession is near an end. The Green family did what smart business people do and took the long term view.
While an economic recovery is possibly three years away, the family has rightly anticipated that construction materials to renovate and expand the hotel will be less expensive in a competitive market. Despite our shrinking international business sector, the Hamilton Princess still attracts business executives for its convenient location.
But perhaps the most compelling reason for purchasing the Princess is the Green family’s love of Bermuda since Alexander and Andrew are Bermudian. Their commitment to Bermuda isn’t just about deal making. This is certainly not the case when other investors come to the island to look at properties. There’s no personal history to help persuade them that investing in Bermuda feels right. It’s whether the numbers are right.
The real deal breaker from preventing hotel projects from going forward is the cost of labour. Bermudians, compared with their counterparts in the rest of the world, are paid handsomely. Yes, the cost of living is expensive in Bermuda but it is elsewhere, too. When potential investors/developers contemplate building a new hotel in Bermuda the numbers don’t add up.
Forget for a moment the actual cost of building a hotel which will be extraordinary, think about the day in day out costs of labour. After you’ve bought the construction, factored in the out-of-this-world electricity costs, bought the soap, the towels, the bed linens and you name it, hotels then have to pay staff. Bermuda’s tourism season, at least right now, is too short to make the high cost of construction and staff worthwhile.
Want to see hotels get built? This is a perfect time for union leaders to sit down with their members and discuss how they can really compete in a global market. It’s time to throw out the old assumptions about what you deserve and think about what you need and what could make you whole in this economy. It’s time to contemplate the value of zero. Zero in your bank account, zero jobs and zero ability to pay your bills.
Union leaders can use their skills and pre-negotiate with developers and investors on behalf of hotel, trade and construction workers for wages and benefits.
This is an opportunity to work in partnership with developers and investors towards the mutual goal of getting Bermudians working.
Believing in Bermuda and Bermuda’s potential is not the same thing as believing that the recession is near an end. The Green family did what smart business people do and took the long term view.
While an economic recovery is possibly three years away, the family has rightly anticipated that construction materials to renovate and expand the hotel will be less expensive in a competitive market. Despite our shrinking international business sector, the Hamilton Princess still attracts business executives for its convenient location.
But perhaps the most compelling reason for purchasing the Princess is the Green family’s love of Bermuda since Alexander and Andrew are Bermudian. Their commitment to Bermuda isn’t just about deal making. This is certainly not the case when other investors come to the island to look at properties. There’s no personal history to help persuade them that investing in Bermuda feels right. It’s whether the numbers are right.
The real deal breaker from preventing hotel projects from going forward is the cost of labour. Bermudians, compared with their counterparts in the rest of the world, are paid handsomely. Yes, the cost of living is expensive in Bermuda but it is elsewhere, too. When potential investors/developers contemplate building a new hotel in Bermuda the numbers don’t add up.
Forget for a moment the actual cost of building a hotel which will be extraordinary, think about the day in day out costs of labour. After you’ve bought the construction, factored in the out-of-this-world electricity costs, bought the soap, the towels, the bed linens and you name it, hotels then have to pay staff. Bermuda’s tourism season, at least right now, is too short to make the high cost of construction and staff worthwhile.
Want to see hotels get built? This is a perfect time for union leaders to sit down with their members and discuss how they can really compete in a global market. It’s time to throw out the old assumptions about what you deserve and think about what you need and what could make you whole in this economy. It’s time to contemplate the value of zero. Zero in your bank account, zero jobs and zero ability to pay your bills.
Union leaders can use their skills and pre-negotiate with developers and investors on behalf of hotel, trade and construction workers for wages and benefits.
This is an opportunity to work in partnership with developers and investors towards the mutual goal of getting Bermudians working.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Rolling Stones announce just 4 concert dates
The legendary band, celebrating its 50th anniversary, said Monday it would return to the stage this year with four concerts in Britain and the United States. The shows will take place on Nov. 25 and 29 at London's O2 Arena, followed by gigs on Dec. 13 and 15 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, just outside of New York.
Those were the only dates announced, which doesn't sound like good news for Bay Area fans. Even if it is their 50th anniversary, it doesn't sound like they going to replicate that outside-of-Livermore thing for old time's sake.
The shows will mark the first time in five years that the Stones have performed live, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood all coming together once more. The band said it was the "crowning glory" of celebrations marking its 50th anniversary of its first gig.
"Everybody loves a celebration, and London and New York are two good places to do it in!" Jagger said in a statement.
Their last global tour, "A Bigger Bang," earned more than $500 million between 2005 and 2007.
The Stones are releasing "GRRR!" in November, a greatest hits collection that includes two new songs, "Doom and Gloom," which debuted last week, and "One More Shot." Both were recorded recently in Paris and represent the first new recordings since the 2005 album "A Bigger Bang."
The tour comes despite some famously testy times. Richards and Jagger have been creative catalysts and sparring partners -- sentiments aggravated two years ago when Richards published his autobiography "Life," in which he wrote unflattering things about Jagger's pants.
They've nonetheless appeared amicably together during events that marked their 50th anniversary. A documentary about the band, "Crossfire Hurricane," premieres at the London Film Festival on Thursday.
In another milestone marking their five decades of music, the Museum of Modern Art in New York will host "The Rolling Stones: 50 Years on Film," a retrospective chronicling the band from the mid-1960s until today. This exhibition will be open Nov. 15.
"Nowadays it's harder because everyone is on Facebook and everyone knows where you are all the time, and everyone's twittering," she is quoted as saying in author Talia Soghomonion's e-book, "Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner -- In Their Own Words."
"Like I'm going to die because somebody is going to say where I am and somebody is going to kill me. Someone's going to Twitter my location and then it's going to be like, boom," she explained.
Neither Stewart nor her (maybe) boyfriend Robert Pattinson has an official Twitter account or Facebook page. Which makes sense, since plenty of "Twiilght" fans think vampires and werewolves are real. But Stewart does seem to understand that this whole Internet thing can be advantageous in some ways.
"I actually think too much of anything can be scary, but at the same time it's also an opportunity. I mean mass communication is a good thing. It's actually a really great thing, it's just scary," she explained.
This isn't the first time Stewart has complained about the Internet being bad.
"You can Google my name and one of the first things that comes up is an image of me sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe with my ex-boyfriend (Michael Angarano) and my dog. It was the day ('Twilight') came out.
Those were the only dates announced, which doesn't sound like good news for Bay Area fans. Even if it is their 50th anniversary, it doesn't sound like they going to replicate that outside-of-Livermore thing for old time's sake.
The shows will mark the first time in five years that the Stones have performed live, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood all coming together once more. The band said it was the "crowning glory" of celebrations marking its 50th anniversary of its first gig.
"Everybody loves a celebration, and London and New York are two good places to do it in!" Jagger said in a statement.
Their last global tour, "A Bigger Bang," earned more than $500 million between 2005 and 2007.
The Stones are releasing "GRRR!" in November, a greatest hits collection that includes two new songs, "Doom and Gloom," which debuted last week, and "One More Shot." Both were recorded recently in Paris and represent the first new recordings since the 2005 album "A Bigger Bang."
The tour comes despite some famously testy times. Richards and Jagger have been creative catalysts and sparring partners -- sentiments aggravated two years ago when Richards published his autobiography "Life," in which he wrote unflattering things about Jagger's pants.
They've nonetheless appeared amicably together during events that marked their 50th anniversary. A documentary about the band, "Crossfire Hurricane," premieres at the London Film Festival on Thursday.
In another milestone marking their five decades of music, the Museum of Modern Art in New York will host "The Rolling Stones: 50 Years on Film," a retrospective chronicling the band from the mid-1960s until today. This exhibition will be open Nov. 15.
"Nowadays it's harder because everyone is on Facebook and everyone knows where you are all the time, and everyone's twittering," she is quoted as saying in author Talia Soghomonion's e-book, "Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner -- In Their Own Words."
"Like I'm going to die because somebody is going to say where I am and somebody is going to kill me. Someone's going to Twitter my location and then it's going to be like, boom," she explained.
Neither Stewart nor her (maybe) boyfriend Robert Pattinson has an official Twitter account or Facebook page. Which makes sense, since plenty of "Twiilght" fans think vampires and werewolves are real. But Stewart does seem to understand that this whole Internet thing can be advantageous in some ways.
"I actually think too much of anything can be scary, but at the same time it's also an opportunity. I mean mass communication is a good thing. It's actually a really great thing, it's just scary," she explained.
This isn't the first time Stewart has complained about the Internet being bad.
"You can Google my name and one of the first things that comes up is an image of me sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe with my ex-boyfriend (Michael Angarano) and my dog. It was the day ('Twilight') came out.
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