Thomas Curley, 73, of Cedar Road, Ribbleton pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to 14 counts of historic abuse dating back to the early nineties. Two of the charges were attempted rape, the other 12 were indecent assault.The frail pensioner, who appeared in the dock on crutches, escaped a life term because his offences over a 12-year period - which also involved a third, unconnected, boy - were committed before sentencing rules were tightened up.
Two of the victims, now adults, were in court as Judge Pamela Badley told Curley: “The family trusted you and the way you repaid that trust was to perform acts that these days would be called rape.“You don’t see yourself as a child sex offender. You don’t see yourself as presenting a potential risk to children. But your pattern of behaviour is such that young people have been at risk from you and will be in the future.”
Curley befriended the family and then set about abusing the eldest of the two boys on an almost daily basis when he was just six.Most of the offences, said prosecuting barrister Jeremy Grout-Smith, happened when he was babysitting, or when he called to take the children to school. He also assaulted the boy on a fishing trip and when he accompanied him on his paper round.
When the victim reached 16 and threatened to kill Curley with a knife, he turned his attention to the boy’s younger brother, abusing him several times a week for between 18 months and two years.“He was a trusted, close family friend,” said Mr Grout-Smith. “He won the family’s trust and gained free access to their home.”
The court heard Curley became more physical and aggressive and at times grabbed the eldest boy by the throat or tied his hands before abusing him.The impact on the family, said Mr Grout-Smith, had been ?“devastating.” The abuse had a “catastrophic” effect on the eldest brother in particular. He felt Curley owned him and made him feel worthless and full of self-loathing. He turned to drink and drugs to cope with the abuse and Indoor Positioning System.
The youngest brother felt he was “a piece of meat,” was stripped of his confidence and was disgusted with himself. He too turned to cannabis.“The whole family has been tortured by Curley’s evil conduct towards the boys,” added Mr Grout-Smith. Defending Curley, who had previous child sex convictions dating back to 1955, Jane Dagnall told the court her client had himself been a victim of abuse as a child. “He is at risk of self-harm and has made suicide attempts in the past,” she said.
Judge Badley told him he was guilty of “depraved and disgusting behaviour towards children.”The older brother, she said, “was only six when he had the misfortune to be put in close proximity to you. His family have gone through agonies of regret over this.“I have considered whether a life sentence is available, but there are no complete rape offences here so I must move on from that.
“Despite you advanced age I am of the opinion that there is a significant risk to the public. This is a lengthy sentence and it is certainly one where your victims will be counting the days.”
The last time Dan Braniff fomented a seniors’ revolution, he was a sprightly 74. This time he’s a less nimble 82, but the issue compels him to sound the bugle again.
His first crusade ended in victory, although it took a change of government to get it. In 2005, Braniff and a few friends — “five old geezers” as he put it — launched a campaign to persuade former prime minister Paul Martin to allow married seniors to split their retirement income equally, reducing their tax bill. They managed to enlist 2.5 million people.
Braniff expects this battle to be bigger. Pensioners across Canada will be sideswiped if Ottawa gives American telecommunications giant Verizon privileged access to the Canadian telecommunications market. Many have a large portion of their savings invested in Bell, Rogers and Telus.
As a former executive of Bell Canada, Braniff is more exposed than most. But he is by no means alone. Robert Farmer, president of the Canadian Federation of Pensioners, which represents a quarter of a million retirees, fired off a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, warning that the failure of any of the big three Canadian telecommunications companies would bring “irreparable harm to all pensioners.”
Bernard Dussault, former chief actuary of the Canada Pension Plan, issued an analysis calling seniors the forgotten victims of the government’s scheme to intervene in the telecommunications market. “The three wireless incumbents represent a core investment for most Canadian pensions, savings plans, RRSPs, RRIFs and numerous nest eggs,” he wrote, pointing out their market value had dropped by about $15 billion since Aug. 9.
No one is accusing the government of deliberately putting the incomes of pensioners at risk. But federal officials would be trading seniors’ security for the possibility of lower cellphones rates under the rules the Tories have set for next year’s wireless spectrum auction.
Industry Canada has stipulated that Bell, Rogers and Telus would each be restricted to bidding on 25 per cent of the 700-megahertz band (which provides the highest-speed service). New entrants, such as Verizon, would be allowed to bid for 50 per cent of the new frequency.
Read the full products at www.ecived.com/en/!
Showing posts with label communications device. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communications device. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
How the Video Game Sacked Its Rivals
The year was 1988. George Michael’s “Faith” was top of the pops. “Roseanne” was the number-one show on TV. Bruce Willis, starring in “Die Hard,” still had hair. As a sophomore at Bowdoin College, I was rocking a wicked moustache. And a game called “John Madden Football” from Electronic Arts slipped onto the market for the primitive consoles and computers of the era.
On Tuesday, the Madden franchise turns 25, with versions of “Madden 25” for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and next-generation consoles going on sale. Madden stands pretty much alone, with EA’s wallet ensuring few others will be able to match its might in licensing National Football League teams and players or bearing the development costs to set industry standards in motion graphics and realism.
It wasn’t always that way. The original Madden game was several years in the making, and when it came out, it was essentially a football version of the stats-and-blocky-graphics hit, “Earl Weaver Baseball.”
In 1988, it was the most-realistic pro football simulation out there, but because there were no NFL team or player licenses for football computer games, teams were only loosely based on the Hands free access. Players were colored blips on a green-and-white-lined screen. Play success was based on stats. You could only play one-off exhibition games, but you could store those games in progress on a floppy disk.
Even then, you could see the possibilities. That has long been the hallmark of the EA game, as it took out competitor after competitor. Does anyone remember Joe Montana Football, also an EA game? NFL 2K? NFL Game Day? NFL Fever? NFL Blitz? They were all roadkill under the wheels of the ever-growing Madden team bus.
I remember playing Madden for the first time in a computer lab. I wasn’t hooked. It wasn’t as good or easy to play as Earl Weaver Baseball, and in 1991, I switched briefly to Joe Montana Football. That was a more arcade-like experience, with fewer choices and easier-to-master computer controls.
But with a great leap in computer processing power, I switched back to Madden — now cool enough to have just one, single name — in the mid-1990s. I bought and played each annual update religiously, reveling in the ever-improving and more-realistic graphics and gameplay.
I also cussed over some of the developers’ decisions to change controls or introduce new features that scratched the shine off the user experience or marred gameplay. EA and developers are under constant pressure to innovate what’s basically the same game, year after year. Some years, they succeeded. In others, they failed.
For this column, I hark back to earlier versions of Madden, giving you the five memorable features, good and bad. I am leaving out the amazing advances in graphics that we’ve seen through the years, because new and faster hardware have largely made that all possible for pretty much every game.
from the very first version, Madden was about customization, however simple-structured. Back then, there was a blank team you could name, and a roster you could populate, providing ratings for the players. I remember the roster crashed regularly on my PC, and I was forever trying to figure out how to save the roster I had spent hours building before the next crash. Now, customization of rosters or creation of players (first seen in Madden NFL 1996) is all very visual and is handled through menus and icons. You can make your player look any way you want, give him tattoos, gear, rtls, helmet styles and fit him out with other purchased or unlocked kit. Player ratings can be set and adjusted whenever you like. You can earn boosts. Ultimate Team, the online customizable team you assembled through card packs, trying to improve skills and chemistry, first appeared in 2010 and has become a favorite mode for online gamers.
Madden NFL 1999 first let you step back and think about more than calling plays. Using the new franchise mode, you could behave like a general manager, trading players, signing free agents and carrying your new team through over several seasons. Several seasons later, Madden NFL 2004 added owner functions, like letting you bring in consultants to advise on your franchise decisions and set ticket prices to draw in crowds. Madden NFL 2006 recognized that super-rich players could also make or break a franchise and let you take control of your career from your rookie year to the Hall of Fame via Superstar Mode. Madden started letting you play head-to-head with other gamers in Madden NFL 2003, but it wasn’t until Madden NFL 2010 that you could finally take your franchise online and play it against other players. This year, Madden 25 has merged Superstar Mode and the Online Franchise mode, letting you hop between coach or player without having to start a new dynasty. And Owner Mode is back as part of the Connected Franchise feature.
In the real game of football, a quarterback has multiple choices for receivers. In the early days of electronic football games, it wasn’t like that. You locked in one play for one receiver and hurled the ball in his general direction. If he was covered, you either ran the ball or threw it out of bounds. Then came Madden NFL 1994 and the introduction of choice. Early icon passing was done via multiple, tiled windows through which you picked a receiver. That has since been gradually improved and modified to let you pick any receiver you want, on the fly, with a single button push on your controller. Precision passing, both as a named feature and a refinement of the single-choice pass, was a welcome refinement. Just like in the NFL, the quarterback can do a touch or lob pass with a tap of a button or fire a bullet by holding the button down and slightly alter the receiver’s route with a touch of a stick, allowing him to reach around, behind or in front of a defender. The subtlety makes all the difference in a skilled player’s hands and has made Madden inherently more-realistic and fun.
Less fun was the introduction of the Vision Cone in Madden NFL 2006. Supposedly tied to the quarterback’s skill level and tendencies, it totally skewed the game in an unrealistic direction, favoring pocket passers. Great passers had a cone that encompassed nearly everything, from sideline to sideline, while scrambling and running quarterbacks were nearly blind when they stepped back to pass, meaning they were far more-likely to be off-target. Good thing that cone disappeared without a further word and hasn’t been seen since.
Read the full products at http://www.ecived.com/en/!
On Tuesday, the Madden franchise turns 25, with versions of “Madden 25” for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and next-generation consoles going on sale. Madden stands pretty much alone, with EA’s wallet ensuring few others will be able to match its might in licensing National Football League teams and players or bearing the development costs to set industry standards in motion graphics and realism.
It wasn’t always that way. The original Madden game was several years in the making, and when it came out, it was essentially a football version of the stats-and-blocky-graphics hit, “Earl Weaver Baseball.”
In 1988, it was the most-realistic pro football simulation out there, but because there were no NFL team or player licenses for football computer games, teams were only loosely based on the Hands free access. Players were colored blips on a green-and-white-lined screen. Play success was based on stats. You could only play one-off exhibition games, but you could store those games in progress on a floppy disk.
Even then, you could see the possibilities. That has long been the hallmark of the EA game, as it took out competitor after competitor. Does anyone remember Joe Montana Football, also an EA game? NFL 2K? NFL Game Day? NFL Fever? NFL Blitz? They were all roadkill under the wheels of the ever-growing Madden team bus.
I remember playing Madden for the first time in a computer lab. I wasn’t hooked. It wasn’t as good or easy to play as Earl Weaver Baseball, and in 1991, I switched briefly to Joe Montana Football. That was a more arcade-like experience, with fewer choices and easier-to-master computer controls.
But with a great leap in computer processing power, I switched back to Madden — now cool enough to have just one, single name — in the mid-1990s. I bought and played each annual update religiously, reveling in the ever-improving and more-realistic graphics and gameplay.
I also cussed over some of the developers’ decisions to change controls or introduce new features that scratched the shine off the user experience or marred gameplay. EA and developers are under constant pressure to innovate what’s basically the same game, year after year. Some years, they succeeded. In others, they failed.
For this column, I hark back to earlier versions of Madden, giving you the five memorable features, good and bad. I am leaving out the amazing advances in graphics that we’ve seen through the years, because new and faster hardware have largely made that all possible for pretty much every game.
from the very first version, Madden was about customization, however simple-structured. Back then, there was a blank team you could name, and a roster you could populate, providing ratings for the players. I remember the roster crashed regularly on my PC, and I was forever trying to figure out how to save the roster I had spent hours building before the next crash. Now, customization of rosters or creation of players (first seen in Madden NFL 1996) is all very visual and is handled through menus and icons. You can make your player look any way you want, give him tattoos, gear, rtls, helmet styles and fit him out with other purchased or unlocked kit. Player ratings can be set and adjusted whenever you like. You can earn boosts. Ultimate Team, the online customizable team you assembled through card packs, trying to improve skills and chemistry, first appeared in 2010 and has become a favorite mode for online gamers.
Madden NFL 1999 first let you step back and think about more than calling plays. Using the new franchise mode, you could behave like a general manager, trading players, signing free agents and carrying your new team through over several seasons. Several seasons later, Madden NFL 2004 added owner functions, like letting you bring in consultants to advise on your franchise decisions and set ticket prices to draw in crowds. Madden NFL 2006 recognized that super-rich players could also make or break a franchise and let you take control of your career from your rookie year to the Hall of Fame via Superstar Mode. Madden started letting you play head-to-head with other gamers in Madden NFL 2003, but it wasn’t until Madden NFL 2010 that you could finally take your franchise online and play it against other players. This year, Madden 25 has merged Superstar Mode and the Online Franchise mode, letting you hop between coach or player without having to start a new dynasty. And Owner Mode is back as part of the Connected Franchise feature.
In the real game of football, a quarterback has multiple choices for receivers. In the early days of electronic football games, it wasn’t like that. You locked in one play for one receiver and hurled the ball in his general direction. If he was covered, you either ran the ball or threw it out of bounds. Then came Madden NFL 1994 and the introduction of choice. Early icon passing was done via multiple, tiled windows through which you picked a receiver. That has since been gradually improved and modified to let you pick any receiver you want, on the fly, with a single button push on your controller. Precision passing, both as a named feature and a refinement of the single-choice pass, was a welcome refinement. Just like in the NFL, the quarterback can do a touch or lob pass with a tap of a button or fire a bullet by holding the button down and slightly alter the receiver’s route with a touch of a stick, allowing him to reach around, behind or in front of a defender. The subtlety makes all the difference in a skilled player’s hands and has made Madden inherently more-realistic and fun.
Less fun was the introduction of the Vision Cone in Madden NFL 2006. Supposedly tied to the quarterback’s skill level and tendencies, it totally skewed the game in an unrealistic direction, favoring pocket passers. Great passers had a cone that encompassed nearly everything, from sideline to sideline, while scrambling and running quarterbacks were nearly blind when they stepped back to pass, meaning they were far more-likely to be off-target. Good thing that cone disappeared without a further word and hasn’t been seen since.
Read the full products at http://www.ecived.com/en/!
Mutoh America Exhibits
Mutoh will be introducing a new G7-enabled process control solution for its ValueJet family. Working in conjunction with ColorMetrix Technologies and SA International, Mutoh will demonstrate an enhanced version of its ColorVerify process control software with G7-based calibration, providing its users with an advanced set of tools for ensuring consistent color reproduction over time.
The new ValueJet 1617H - 64" hybrid printer prints on both rigid and roll substrates, with CMYK plus white ink, up to a half inch thick. Perfect for any sign shop looking to expand applications, increase production and save floor space. Print packaging prototypes, trade show graphics, POP signage, vehicle wraps and indoor and outdoor signage. The VJ1617H will be show in Mutoh's booth as well as the "Inkjet Candy Store," booth 1631.
Mutoh will also be demonstrating print/cut solutions with the new ValueCut Cutting Plotters. Available in three different cut widths, the ValueCut plotters are ideal for home, office and professional users providing the finest cutting quality with unsurpassed tracking capabilities. All models come standard with a roll support system for Indoor Positioning System, perfect tracking and multi-segment registration for long run cut job accuracy.
With the new ValueJet 1617H, Mutoh will also be presenting printing demonstrations on the ValueJet 1624 - 64" and 1324 - 54" printers. With blazing print speeds up to 600 sqft/hr (VJ1624), the VJ1624 and VJ1324 include a two year warranty, SA International FlexiPrint software and take-up system. Both printers have Smart Printing features including: Intelligent Interweave print technique that virtually eliminates banding, ValueJet Status Monitor app for remote printer monitoring, and can both printers can be equipped with Mutoh's SpectroVue VM-10 on-printer spectrophotometer for easy customized profile creation. The ValueJet 1624 printer is known as the "Wrapper's Choice" printer for speed, size and quality. Mutoh will be showcasing vehicle wrap tips and tricks at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily.
Mutoh will also be partnering with the Printerverse, booth 5440, providing an interactive booth for print professionals that includes seminars, meet and greets, social media forum and more.
An iPad or laptop, along with a cell phone or smartphone, will be a staple in some students’ backpacks this fall, as a growing number of districts now allow students to bring their own electronic devices with them to use in school.Once banned from school, schools are now recognizing today’s students are tomorrow’s digital citizens, and have adopted “bring your own device” policies.
The policy is new for Carlisle Area, Cumberland Valley and East Pennsboro Area school districts this year. Mechanicsburg Area School District piloted it last year, and is expanding it this year.Lower Dauphin, Northern York and West Shore school districts adopted the practice last school year, and Derry Twp. and Harrisburg Academy have had “bring your own” practices for two years.
Hazen said young people have some form in technology in their hands almost constantly. “For them to come to school and suddenly disconnect” isn’t realistic, he said. “School shouldn’t be a technology- free zone. We should try and incorporate it as best we can in daily practice.”
At Cumberland Valley, the reaction to the “bring your own device” policy was “very positive” when it was unveiled last spring, said Amy Lena, district supervisor of curriculum, instruction and indoor Tracking.“Of course there are some people who are a little nervous, because we don’t know what it will be like on a full scale,” she added.
But students “need to know how to be digital citizens. By allowing them to bring devices into the classroom, they can learn to use them in a real world situation,” Lena said. Students will learn how to evaluate Internet sites, and learn why some are not appropriate or credible as sources.
At Lower Dauphin High School, students can use cell phones “door-to-door,” Hazen said. “We allow teachers to regulate how they manage their classrooms, rather than making it a blanket rule,” Hazen said.
“It has worked really well in terms of students knowing what the rules were,” Hazen said. “Putting them away for tests – the kids get that.”One of the first uses in Cumberland Valley classrooms will be to allow students to provide immediate feedback or answers to teachers, either through their Internet-ready device or response pads the district purchased.
Students will also be able to type their work directly on their electronic tablet or laptop. That answers the questions posed by students who had been asking why they have to do a rough draft on paper, rather than type it, Lena said.“We will also save money, since we will not need to print as much, and can give it to them electronically,” she said. “We still will have.
devices available, since not everyone will be able to bring them right away.” But the district doesn’t have enough to give to every student, which is where the “bring your own” initiative helps.Lena said she isn’t sure how many students will be bringing their devices. The district did a survey on home Internet access, which showed most have some type of device at home.
As to whether the policy will highlight difference between the affluent and less fortunate, Lena doesn’t foresee it being an issue.
Read the full products at http://www.ecived.com/en/!
The new ValueJet 1617H - 64" hybrid printer prints on both rigid and roll substrates, with CMYK plus white ink, up to a half inch thick. Perfect for any sign shop looking to expand applications, increase production and save floor space. Print packaging prototypes, trade show graphics, POP signage, vehicle wraps and indoor and outdoor signage. The VJ1617H will be show in Mutoh's booth as well as the "Inkjet Candy Store," booth 1631.
Mutoh will also be demonstrating print/cut solutions with the new ValueCut Cutting Plotters. Available in three different cut widths, the ValueCut plotters are ideal for home, office and professional users providing the finest cutting quality with unsurpassed tracking capabilities. All models come standard with a roll support system for Indoor Positioning System, perfect tracking and multi-segment registration for long run cut job accuracy.
With the new ValueJet 1617H, Mutoh will also be presenting printing demonstrations on the ValueJet 1624 - 64" and 1324 - 54" printers. With blazing print speeds up to 600 sqft/hr (VJ1624), the VJ1624 and VJ1324 include a two year warranty, SA International FlexiPrint software and take-up system. Both printers have Smart Printing features including: Intelligent Interweave print technique that virtually eliminates banding, ValueJet Status Monitor app for remote printer monitoring, and can both printers can be equipped with Mutoh's SpectroVue VM-10 on-printer spectrophotometer for easy customized profile creation. The ValueJet 1624 printer is known as the "Wrapper's Choice" printer for speed, size and quality. Mutoh will be showcasing vehicle wrap tips and tricks at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily.
Mutoh will also be partnering with the Printerverse, booth 5440, providing an interactive booth for print professionals that includes seminars, meet and greets, social media forum and more.
An iPad or laptop, along with a cell phone or smartphone, will be a staple in some students’ backpacks this fall, as a growing number of districts now allow students to bring their own electronic devices with them to use in school.Once banned from school, schools are now recognizing today’s students are tomorrow’s digital citizens, and have adopted “bring your own device” policies.
The policy is new for Carlisle Area, Cumberland Valley and East Pennsboro Area school districts this year. Mechanicsburg Area School District piloted it last year, and is expanding it this year.Lower Dauphin, Northern York and West Shore school districts adopted the practice last school year, and Derry Twp. and Harrisburg Academy have had “bring your own” practices for two years.
Hazen said young people have some form in technology in their hands almost constantly. “For them to come to school and suddenly disconnect” isn’t realistic, he said. “School shouldn’t be a technology- free zone. We should try and incorporate it as best we can in daily practice.”
At Cumberland Valley, the reaction to the “bring your own device” policy was “very positive” when it was unveiled last spring, said Amy Lena, district supervisor of curriculum, instruction and indoor Tracking.“Of course there are some people who are a little nervous, because we don’t know what it will be like on a full scale,” she added.
But students “need to know how to be digital citizens. By allowing them to bring devices into the classroom, they can learn to use them in a real world situation,” Lena said. Students will learn how to evaluate Internet sites, and learn why some are not appropriate or credible as sources.
At Lower Dauphin High School, students can use cell phones “door-to-door,” Hazen said. “We allow teachers to regulate how they manage their classrooms, rather than making it a blanket rule,” Hazen said.
“It has worked really well in terms of students knowing what the rules were,” Hazen said. “Putting them away for tests – the kids get that.”One of the first uses in Cumberland Valley classrooms will be to allow students to provide immediate feedback or answers to teachers, either through their Internet-ready device or response pads the district purchased.
Students will also be able to type their work directly on their electronic tablet or laptop. That answers the questions posed by students who had been asking why they have to do a rough draft on paper, rather than type it, Lena said.“We will also save money, since we will not need to print as much, and can give it to them electronically,” she said. “We still will have.
devices available, since not everyone will be able to bring them right away.” But the district doesn’t have enough to give to every student, which is where the “bring your own” initiative helps.Lena said she isn’t sure how many students will be bringing their devices. The district did a survey on home Internet access, which showed most have some type of device at home.
As to whether the policy will highlight difference between the affluent and less fortunate, Lena doesn’t foresee it being an issue.
Read the full products at http://www.ecived.com/en/!
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
School around the corner
Getting your child ready for school includes many things such as getting new clothes and school supplies. We would like to add one more thing to the list of things to do before school starts. Get your child’s library card in working order to assure that they will have access to computers or study materials that they may need. Check with the library to see if your child has any overdue books out or fines to pay and give them a clear card to start the school year. If they have lost their card a replacement can be purchased for $1. Call us today at 936-829-5497 for your library card check-up.
Join us for Movie Day at the library on Friday, Aug. 23, at 6 p.m. Our theme for the summer is hunger, so we are asking you to bring one can of tomatoes, tomato sauce, Rotel tomatoes, or spaghetti sauce per family, Hands free access, to be donated to Diboll Christian Outreach. Popcorn will be available. We encourage you to bring your own snacks and drinks to add to your fun. You may also bring pillows and blankets and sit on the floor to watch the movie. Come bring the family and join in the fun! Our movie license will not allow us to publicize the movie title so please call us for more information at 936-829-5497. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
“The Discovery,” by Dan Walsh – When aspiring writer Michael Warner inherits his grandfather’s venerable Charleston estate, he settles in to write his first novel. But within the confines of the stately home, he discovers an unpublished manuscript written by his grandfather, a literary giant whose novels sold in the millions. Though he had kept this novel hidden, he clearly intended that Michael should find it. As Michael delves deep into the exciting tale about spies and sabotage, he discovers something that has the power to change not only his future but his past as well.
“Daybreak,” by Shelley Shepard Gray – When Viola Keim starts working at a nearby Mennonite retirement home, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with resident Atle, whose only living relative, son Edward, is a missionary in Nicaragua. Viola understands the importance of mission work, but she can’t imagine leaving her father in the hands of strangers. It’s not in keeping with her Amish sensibilities. Though she doesn’t know Ed, Viola judges him for abandoning his father. When Ed surprises his father with a visit, both Viola and Ed are surprised by the attraction they have for each other. Despite her feelings, choosing Ed would mean moving to a far-off country and leaving her family behind – something she couldn’t possibly do. Her twin sister, Elsie, is going blind; her family is reeling with the recent discovery that her grandmother hid her past as an Englischer; her father seems forgetful and distracted and seems to be harboring some secrets of his own. Will the demand of family ties mean that her one chance at love slips away?
“Ambush,” Creek by Phil Dunlap – When U.S. Marshal Piedmont Kelly is asked by Cochise Sheriff John Henry Stevens to look into the suspicious activity of three unsavory bounty hunters, he rides into what looks like a battle’s aftermath. Bullet holes riddle a ranch house, but there’s no sign of those engaged in the gunplay. Nor is there any sign that the mysterious resident of the ranch house fits the description of the bounty hunters’ quarry. There’s nothing he can do but go looking for the missing man. Enlisting the tracking skills of his old friend Spotted Dog – the Chiricahua Apache whose life he once saved – the pair follow four horses from the rancher’s house all the way to Desert Belle, a dusty town that holds grim memories for Kelly. They ride straight into a deadly game where $50,000, several lives, and the survival of the Gilded Lily Mine are at stake.
Coverage of cyber attacks has typically focused on the dangers posed by foreign governments, or on the high-visibility strikes of social “hacktivists” like Anonymous or LulzSec. Yet many incidents stem from the work of corrupt inside officials or real time Location system, often abusing their privileged access to networks or using low-tech methods like dumping data to personal USBs and selling them for financial gain.
Defence ministries and companies make particularly attractive targets. For such institutions, the security of confidential information is vital, and any cyber breach can have serious implications for defence plans or costly procurement projects.
In March 2010, Michael Mitchell, a former marketing executive for Kevlar body armour at DuPont, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for selling trade secrets to Kolon Industries, a South Korean competitor, in exchange for consultancy work. A U.S. jury went on in September 2012 to award DuPont damages in the amount of $919.9 million.
The temptation to blame outside actors, however, remains strong across all industries. China and Russia are favourite targets. In 2011, Renault was forced to withdraw allegations of Chinese involvement in a data theft that proved to be an attempt by the firm’s own computer protection officer to fraudulently create work for a friend’s cybersecurity consulting business.
More widely, governments are acting to boost their resilience to cyber attacks. On July 30, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee unanimously passed a new draft cybersecurity bill, despite concerns it waters down a number of changes proposed by the industry and the White House. In India, similarly, the director general of Army Signals HQ called for a vision of cyber as the “fifth dimension of warfare”, amid new worries that the country will not be able to deliver the infrastructure and expertise pledged in its National Cyber Security Policy.
Too little, however, is being done to incorporate anti-corruption efforts into cybersecurity planning, especially in the sensitive area of national defence. This is a mistake. Ensuring strong anti-corruption standards – through clear ethical leadership, risk assessments, internal training and other such good practice – is a key part of securing confidential assets.
The success or failure of defence companies to integrate such measures into their everyday practice also informs whom exactly governments choose to do business with. After all, defence contracts involve the sharing of privileged designs and information. This requires a relationship of mutual trust – especially on the cybersecurity front – which can be greatly undermined if one or more sides cannot be sure of possible corruption in the ranks.
Balance, however, is needed. The traditional focus of cybersecurity is on the restriction and protection of data. Yet such measures must also be paired with opportunities for safe, legitimate exposure of information by whistle-blowers. Employees encountering evidence of corruption in a company with fair, transparent systems for handling whistle-blower complaints will not have to resort to the messy process of leaking incriminating data to “hacktivists” or to the press.
Real cybersecurity, then, means protecting insiders from the corrupt actions of institutions, as much as protecting institutions from corrupt insiders.
It is important to get this nuance right, and to act now. Unveiling plans for a new cyber partnership between the UK Ministry of Defence, intelligence agency GCHQ and companies such as BAE, BT and Lockheed Martin, British minister Philip Dunne described the current cyber environment as a “gunpowder moment” – a potential game-changer, which, like the invention of gunpowder, could have profound security ramifications for us all.
Only organisations free of corruption can best weather this moment of transformation, guarding against external hacker threats, while also empowering whistle-blowers to protect against internal misdeeds. Cyber networks can, like gunpowder, prove a volatile material – a powerful tool in the right hands, but prone to explode spectacularly in the wrong conditions. If defence and industry leaders are not proactive in dealing with insider ethical issues, corruption might just provide the fateful spark.
Read the full products at http://www.ecived.com/en/.
Join us for Movie Day at the library on Friday, Aug. 23, at 6 p.m. Our theme for the summer is hunger, so we are asking you to bring one can of tomatoes, tomato sauce, Rotel tomatoes, or spaghetti sauce per family, Hands free access, to be donated to Diboll Christian Outreach. Popcorn will be available. We encourage you to bring your own snacks and drinks to add to your fun. You may also bring pillows and blankets and sit on the floor to watch the movie. Come bring the family and join in the fun! Our movie license will not allow us to publicize the movie title so please call us for more information at 936-829-5497. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
“The Discovery,” by Dan Walsh – When aspiring writer Michael Warner inherits his grandfather’s venerable Charleston estate, he settles in to write his first novel. But within the confines of the stately home, he discovers an unpublished manuscript written by his grandfather, a literary giant whose novels sold in the millions. Though he had kept this novel hidden, he clearly intended that Michael should find it. As Michael delves deep into the exciting tale about spies and sabotage, he discovers something that has the power to change not only his future but his past as well.
“Daybreak,” by Shelley Shepard Gray – When Viola Keim starts working at a nearby Mennonite retirement home, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with resident Atle, whose only living relative, son Edward, is a missionary in Nicaragua. Viola understands the importance of mission work, but she can’t imagine leaving her father in the hands of strangers. It’s not in keeping with her Amish sensibilities. Though she doesn’t know Ed, Viola judges him for abandoning his father. When Ed surprises his father with a visit, both Viola and Ed are surprised by the attraction they have for each other. Despite her feelings, choosing Ed would mean moving to a far-off country and leaving her family behind – something she couldn’t possibly do. Her twin sister, Elsie, is going blind; her family is reeling with the recent discovery that her grandmother hid her past as an Englischer; her father seems forgetful and distracted and seems to be harboring some secrets of his own. Will the demand of family ties mean that her one chance at love slips away?
“Ambush,” Creek by Phil Dunlap – When U.S. Marshal Piedmont Kelly is asked by Cochise Sheriff John Henry Stevens to look into the suspicious activity of three unsavory bounty hunters, he rides into what looks like a battle’s aftermath. Bullet holes riddle a ranch house, but there’s no sign of those engaged in the gunplay. Nor is there any sign that the mysterious resident of the ranch house fits the description of the bounty hunters’ quarry. There’s nothing he can do but go looking for the missing man. Enlisting the tracking skills of his old friend Spotted Dog – the Chiricahua Apache whose life he once saved – the pair follow four horses from the rancher’s house all the way to Desert Belle, a dusty town that holds grim memories for Kelly. They ride straight into a deadly game where $50,000, several lives, and the survival of the Gilded Lily Mine are at stake.
Coverage of cyber attacks has typically focused on the dangers posed by foreign governments, or on the high-visibility strikes of social “hacktivists” like Anonymous or LulzSec. Yet many incidents stem from the work of corrupt inside officials or real time Location system, often abusing their privileged access to networks or using low-tech methods like dumping data to personal USBs and selling them for financial gain.
Defence ministries and companies make particularly attractive targets. For such institutions, the security of confidential information is vital, and any cyber breach can have serious implications for defence plans or costly procurement projects.
In March 2010, Michael Mitchell, a former marketing executive for Kevlar body armour at DuPont, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for selling trade secrets to Kolon Industries, a South Korean competitor, in exchange for consultancy work. A U.S. jury went on in September 2012 to award DuPont damages in the amount of $919.9 million.
The temptation to blame outside actors, however, remains strong across all industries. China and Russia are favourite targets. In 2011, Renault was forced to withdraw allegations of Chinese involvement in a data theft that proved to be an attempt by the firm’s own computer protection officer to fraudulently create work for a friend’s cybersecurity consulting business.
More widely, governments are acting to boost their resilience to cyber attacks. On July 30, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee unanimously passed a new draft cybersecurity bill, despite concerns it waters down a number of changes proposed by the industry and the White House. In India, similarly, the director general of Army Signals HQ called for a vision of cyber as the “fifth dimension of warfare”, amid new worries that the country will not be able to deliver the infrastructure and expertise pledged in its National Cyber Security Policy.
Too little, however, is being done to incorporate anti-corruption efforts into cybersecurity planning, especially in the sensitive area of national defence. This is a mistake. Ensuring strong anti-corruption standards – through clear ethical leadership, risk assessments, internal training and other such good practice – is a key part of securing confidential assets.
The success or failure of defence companies to integrate such measures into their everyday practice also informs whom exactly governments choose to do business with. After all, defence contracts involve the sharing of privileged designs and information. This requires a relationship of mutual trust – especially on the cybersecurity front – which can be greatly undermined if one or more sides cannot be sure of possible corruption in the ranks.
Balance, however, is needed. The traditional focus of cybersecurity is on the restriction and protection of data. Yet such measures must also be paired with opportunities for safe, legitimate exposure of information by whistle-blowers. Employees encountering evidence of corruption in a company with fair, transparent systems for handling whistle-blower complaints will not have to resort to the messy process of leaking incriminating data to “hacktivists” or to the press.
Real cybersecurity, then, means protecting insiders from the corrupt actions of institutions, as much as protecting institutions from corrupt insiders.
It is important to get this nuance right, and to act now. Unveiling plans for a new cyber partnership between the UK Ministry of Defence, intelligence agency GCHQ and companies such as BAE, BT and Lockheed Martin, British minister Philip Dunne described the current cyber environment as a “gunpowder moment” – a potential game-changer, which, like the invention of gunpowder, could have profound security ramifications for us all.
Only organisations free of corruption can best weather this moment of transformation, guarding against external hacker threats, while also empowering whistle-blowers to protect against internal misdeeds. Cyber networks can, like gunpowder, prove a volatile material – a powerful tool in the right hands, but prone to explode spectacularly in the wrong conditions. If defence and industry leaders are not proactive in dealing with insider ethical issues, corruption might just provide the fateful spark.
Read the full products at http://www.ecived.com/en/.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
How the royal set do parenting
Passers-by may have been forgiven for thinking that the home of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall had been invaded by a rampaging mob. And they would have been right, although those responsible for the screaming and roaring were mostly under five, and no danger to the future of the realm.
After Trooping the Colour, the Duchess's daughter, Laura Lopes, a mother-of-three, invited friends and their children back to Clarence House for tea. By the end of the afternoon the children were, according to a friend of the Lopes family, "so scruffy it was hilarious. They looked like urchins. It was very sweet". At the centre of the maelstrom, twinkling with amusement, was the Prince of Wales.This scene illustrated two things. First, that the Prince has been warming up for his role as a grandfather by enjoying his wife's five grandchildren. "He loves having grandchildren by proxy and he has been looking forward to having his own even more," says the source.
Second, the exuberance of the guests at the tea party offered a glimpse of what growing up will be like for the new third-in-line to the rtls. Prince Charles's grandson will be raised in an atmosphere of informality that his grandfather did not experience.The royal baby will grow up in a palace and live a life of extraordinary privilege but the childcare model that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are preparing for their firstborn is not a million miles away from that of wealthy middle-class couples everywhere from ... well, everywhere from Kensington to Notting Hill in London.
This baby will be brought up by parents who work (part-time, in the Duchess's case, once her maternity leave is over and she is back on royal duty) and who inhabit a social circle that includes aristocrats and landowners as well as businessmen, sportsmen, media people and teachers.The FOCs (friends of the Cambridges) are busy breeding teams of little FOC-ers, so the couple have plenty of people to compare notes with as they enter parenthood. And the Cambridges will rely on their son's grandparents to help.
The Duchess of Cornwall is an extremely hands-on grandparent who never misses a Nativity play or a school concert if she can help it and likes to tell stories of grandmotherly life, such as reading Angelina and the Royal Wedding to her granddaughter, Eliza, before her role as a bridesmaid at William and Kate's wedding. Laura decided not to employ a nanny and when her twins, Louis and Gus, who are now three-and-a-half years old, were born in December 2009, she and the children virtually decamped to Ray Mill House, the Duchess's bolthole in Wiltshire, which she kept after her divorce and which she is said to prefer to the formality of Highgrove.
Rumours that the Duchess of Cambridge will retreat to her parents' home in Berkshire for the first few weeks after the birth may be wide of the mark but the grandparents, especially Carole Middleton, will be heavily involved.The Duchess has already been leaning heavily for advice on the inner circle of the FOCs.The birthing guru of West London poshies has long been Christine Hill, who runs an antenatal class in Chiswick. She is retiring this summer and into the breach (if you'll excuse the pun) comes Marina Fogle, the wife of the real time Location system, Ben. The Fogles are key FOCs, invited to the wedding and there in March this year cheering on the horses as guests of the Cambridges in their box at the Cheltenham Festival.
Marina and her sister, Chiara Hunt, a GP, have recently launched The Bump Class, their own course for pregnant women. Over eight weekly sessions at their South Kensington centre, women are guided through all aspects of the birth, from labour to recommendations of who to invite to the house to cut your hair when you can't face the salon afterwards.They offer private sessions "for people who for whatever reason don't feel that they want to take part in the class or can't". Would any of those people happen to live in Kensington Palace? Fogle laughs gaily at the other end of the phone. "That's an unfair question."
Fogle, who has two children, Ludo and Iona, "prepares you for every type of birth". She advises her clients not to become too attached to their ideal vision of what the perfect birth should be, especially if that vision includes an absence of pain relief or medical intervention.One of Fogle's team is Beverley Turner, a TV presenter and student of hypnosis who advises on deep relaxation techniques. Turner, who is the wife of James Cracknell, the Olympic rowing double-gold medallist and sometime Ben Fogle co-explorer, recently said she hoped the Duchess would breastfeed her baby because for the first time in ten years the number of mothers doing so has dropped. "As if there wasn't enough pressure on her already, what we really need is the Duchess of Cambridge to get her royal orbs out to feed our future monarch," she wrote.
Marina Fogle says a lot of mothers find it hard to breastfeed. "A lot of girls don't realise that problems can be sorted by someone who knows what they are talking about."Before the birth, The Bump Class's breastfeeding consultant gives advice on how to get the baby to latch on and afterwards she holds Skype tutorials and then visits in person, if needed. But Fogle's approach is to tell expectant mothers that "it is important that you are happy with your decision. You don't want a mother with postnatal depression because of guilt over not breastfeeding".
Sarah Dixon, who runs Sarah Dixon Maternity, has worked as a maternity nurse for foreign royals and friends of the young British royals. "Two or three years ago 90 per cent of my babies were bottle-fed but with the government initiative about breastfeeding and people realising the benefits of breastfeeding, that has changed. Obviously, if you have a fully staffed house it is much easier to breastfeed."In recent years, maternity nurses have become almost a standard feature among prosperous parents. Charging about 150 pounds ($250) a night, the maternity nurse will bring the baby to the mother to be fed, advise on technique and then take care of the often frustrating business of settling the baby back to sleep. "The majority of girls in our classes have maternity nurses, at least for a week or two," Fogle says.
She provides a class on how to interview a prospective maternity nurse to ensure that you make a good choice. One woman who employed a maternity nurse who had also worked for one of the Duke and Duchess's closest friends says the downside is that you are sharing your home and the intimate moments with your baby with a stranger. And in this case the stranger was preoccupied. "She was a nightmare. She just didn't shut up. I sat there breastfeeding with her prattling on about her husband's affair. And I ended up making dinner for her."
According to a source familiar with arrangements being made at Kensington Palace in recent weeks, the Cambridges were seeking to secure the services of a maternity nurse, at least for a few weeks. The couple will probably engage a nanny as the baby gets older.Another FOC who will be on hand to offer advice is Trini Foyle, one of Kate's friends from Marlborough College, who takes walks with the Duchess in Kensington Gardens, pushing her young son Alexander in his pram.More expert opinion will be forthcoming from Rose van Cutsem, who is married to Hugh, one of four brothers from a clan that has long been close to the Prince of Wales and his boys. The Duke was an usher at Hugh and Rose's wedding, and their daughter Grace, his goddaughter, was the scene-stealer at the royal wedding, clamping her hands over her ears on the balcony.
Rose is the co-founder of Maggie & Rose, the clubs for parents and young children in Kensington and Chiswick. She is the friend the Duchess should turn to when the baby has been puking all night, her husband is away and KP (Kensington Palace) feels like an HMP. She lives in the country and posts unvarnished Twitter updates on the apparent chaos of family life when her husband is at work in the City and she is at home with Grace, 5, Rafe, 4, and Charles, 18 months. Typical update: "I'm stuck home in the country in a f...ing rainstorm with only warm rose for a friend."
She tweets a picture of her au pair wearing a onesie, calls her children "maniacs" and observes that "having children and tattoos are exactly the same: you think it's a good idea then you have a wrong 'un".Rose takes an old-fashioned view of sleepless children, asking: "Did I dream that a nip of brandy helps growing pains? The said specimen is quiet now anyway..." In contrast to the usual ecstatic response to a baby's first steps, she admits: "My baby started walking today and I pushed him over as I'M NOT READY, is that wrong?"
And if the Duchess ever finds the in-laws too much, Rose will sympathise. She once tweeted: "Mother-in-law just asked if I deliberately made my son look like a girl with his long hair."Maggie & Rose is handily placed, a Bugaboo stroll from Kensington Palace. The club offers art, music, cooking and other creative activities but it has a rival for the cash of those wealthy enough to avoid the ordeal of hanging out in the germ-ridden hellhole that is your typical soft-play centre.
After Trooping the Colour, the Duchess's daughter, Laura Lopes, a mother-of-three, invited friends and their children back to Clarence House for tea. By the end of the afternoon the children were, according to a friend of the Lopes family, "so scruffy it was hilarious. They looked like urchins. It was very sweet". At the centre of the maelstrom, twinkling with amusement, was the Prince of Wales.This scene illustrated two things. First, that the Prince has been warming up for his role as a grandfather by enjoying his wife's five grandchildren. "He loves having grandchildren by proxy and he has been looking forward to having his own even more," says the source.
Second, the exuberance of the guests at the tea party offered a glimpse of what growing up will be like for the new third-in-line to the rtls. Prince Charles's grandson will be raised in an atmosphere of informality that his grandfather did not experience.The royal baby will grow up in a palace and live a life of extraordinary privilege but the childcare model that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are preparing for their firstborn is not a million miles away from that of wealthy middle-class couples everywhere from ... well, everywhere from Kensington to Notting Hill in London.
This baby will be brought up by parents who work (part-time, in the Duchess's case, once her maternity leave is over and she is back on royal duty) and who inhabit a social circle that includes aristocrats and landowners as well as businessmen, sportsmen, media people and teachers.The FOCs (friends of the Cambridges) are busy breeding teams of little FOC-ers, so the couple have plenty of people to compare notes with as they enter parenthood. And the Cambridges will rely on their son's grandparents to help.
The Duchess of Cornwall is an extremely hands-on grandparent who never misses a Nativity play or a school concert if she can help it and likes to tell stories of grandmotherly life, such as reading Angelina and the Royal Wedding to her granddaughter, Eliza, before her role as a bridesmaid at William and Kate's wedding. Laura decided not to employ a nanny and when her twins, Louis and Gus, who are now three-and-a-half years old, were born in December 2009, she and the children virtually decamped to Ray Mill House, the Duchess's bolthole in Wiltshire, which she kept after her divorce and which she is said to prefer to the formality of Highgrove.
Rumours that the Duchess of Cambridge will retreat to her parents' home in Berkshire for the first few weeks after the birth may be wide of the mark but the grandparents, especially Carole Middleton, will be heavily involved.The Duchess has already been leaning heavily for advice on the inner circle of the FOCs.The birthing guru of West London poshies has long been Christine Hill, who runs an antenatal class in Chiswick. She is retiring this summer and into the breach (if you'll excuse the pun) comes Marina Fogle, the wife of the real time Location system, Ben. The Fogles are key FOCs, invited to the wedding and there in March this year cheering on the horses as guests of the Cambridges in their box at the Cheltenham Festival.
Marina and her sister, Chiara Hunt, a GP, have recently launched The Bump Class, their own course for pregnant women. Over eight weekly sessions at their South Kensington centre, women are guided through all aspects of the birth, from labour to recommendations of who to invite to the house to cut your hair when you can't face the salon afterwards.They offer private sessions "for people who for whatever reason don't feel that they want to take part in the class or can't". Would any of those people happen to live in Kensington Palace? Fogle laughs gaily at the other end of the phone. "That's an unfair question."
Fogle, who has two children, Ludo and Iona, "prepares you for every type of birth". She advises her clients not to become too attached to their ideal vision of what the perfect birth should be, especially if that vision includes an absence of pain relief or medical intervention.One of Fogle's team is Beverley Turner, a TV presenter and student of hypnosis who advises on deep relaxation techniques. Turner, who is the wife of James Cracknell, the Olympic rowing double-gold medallist and sometime Ben Fogle co-explorer, recently said she hoped the Duchess would breastfeed her baby because for the first time in ten years the number of mothers doing so has dropped. "As if there wasn't enough pressure on her already, what we really need is the Duchess of Cambridge to get her royal orbs out to feed our future monarch," she wrote.
Marina Fogle says a lot of mothers find it hard to breastfeed. "A lot of girls don't realise that problems can be sorted by someone who knows what they are talking about."Before the birth, The Bump Class's breastfeeding consultant gives advice on how to get the baby to latch on and afterwards she holds Skype tutorials and then visits in person, if needed. But Fogle's approach is to tell expectant mothers that "it is important that you are happy with your decision. You don't want a mother with postnatal depression because of guilt over not breastfeeding".
Sarah Dixon, who runs Sarah Dixon Maternity, has worked as a maternity nurse for foreign royals and friends of the young British royals. "Two or three years ago 90 per cent of my babies were bottle-fed but with the government initiative about breastfeeding and people realising the benefits of breastfeeding, that has changed. Obviously, if you have a fully staffed house it is much easier to breastfeed."In recent years, maternity nurses have become almost a standard feature among prosperous parents. Charging about 150 pounds ($250) a night, the maternity nurse will bring the baby to the mother to be fed, advise on technique and then take care of the often frustrating business of settling the baby back to sleep. "The majority of girls in our classes have maternity nurses, at least for a week or two," Fogle says.
She provides a class on how to interview a prospective maternity nurse to ensure that you make a good choice. One woman who employed a maternity nurse who had also worked for one of the Duke and Duchess's closest friends says the downside is that you are sharing your home and the intimate moments with your baby with a stranger. And in this case the stranger was preoccupied. "She was a nightmare. She just didn't shut up. I sat there breastfeeding with her prattling on about her husband's affair. And I ended up making dinner for her."
According to a source familiar with arrangements being made at Kensington Palace in recent weeks, the Cambridges were seeking to secure the services of a maternity nurse, at least for a few weeks. The couple will probably engage a nanny as the baby gets older.Another FOC who will be on hand to offer advice is Trini Foyle, one of Kate's friends from Marlborough College, who takes walks with the Duchess in Kensington Gardens, pushing her young son Alexander in his pram.More expert opinion will be forthcoming from Rose van Cutsem, who is married to Hugh, one of four brothers from a clan that has long been close to the Prince of Wales and his boys. The Duke was an usher at Hugh and Rose's wedding, and their daughter Grace, his goddaughter, was the scene-stealer at the royal wedding, clamping her hands over her ears on the balcony.
Rose is the co-founder of Maggie & Rose, the clubs for parents and young children in Kensington and Chiswick. She is the friend the Duchess should turn to when the baby has been puking all night, her husband is away and KP (Kensington Palace) feels like an HMP. She lives in the country and posts unvarnished Twitter updates on the apparent chaos of family life when her husband is at work in the City and she is at home with Grace, 5, Rafe, 4, and Charles, 18 months. Typical update: "I'm stuck home in the country in a f...ing rainstorm with only warm rose for a friend."
She tweets a picture of her au pair wearing a onesie, calls her children "maniacs" and observes that "having children and tattoos are exactly the same: you think it's a good idea then you have a wrong 'un".Rose takes an old-fashioned view of sleepless children, asking: "Did I dream that a nip of brandy helps growing pains? The said specimen is quiet now anyway..." In contrast to the usual ecstatic response to a baby's first steps, she admits: "My baby started walking today and I pushed him over as I'M NOT READY, is that wrong?"
And if the Duchess ever finds the in-laws too much, Rose will sympathise. She once tweeted: "Mother-in-law just asked if I deliberately made my son look like a girl with his long hair."Maggie & Rose is handily placed, a Bugaboo stroll from Kensington Palace. The club offers art, music, cooking and other creative activities but it has a rival for the cash of those wealthy enough to avoid the ordeal of hanging out in the germ-ridden hellhole that is your typical soft-play centre.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Perry signs sweeping Texas abortion restrictions
Rick Perry signed sweeping new abortion restrictions on Thursday that could shutter most of the state's clinics that provide the procedure, a final step for the Republican-backed measure after weeks of sometimes raucous protests at the state Capitol.
Supporters credited God's will and prayer as the governor signed the legislation, with protesters' chants of "Shame! Shame! Shame!" echoing from the hallway. Opponents have vowed to fight the law, though no court challenges were immediately filed.
"Today, we celebrate the further cementing of the foundation on which the culture of life in Texas is built upon," Perry told an auditorium full of beaming GOP lawmakers and anti-abortion activists. "It is our responsibility and duty to give voice to the unborn individuals."
The law restricts abortions to surgical centers and requires doctors who work at abortion clinics to have hospital admitting privileges. Only five of the 42 abortion clinics in Texas - the nation's second-largest state - currently meet those new requirements. Clinics will have a year to either upgrade their facilities or shut down after the law takes effect in October.
The law also bans abortions after the 20th week of indoor positioning system, based on the disputed notion that fetuses can feel pain at that point of development, and dictates when abortion-inducing drugs can be taken.
Supporters argue the new law will ensure high-quality health care for women, but opponents view it as over-regulation intended to make abortions harder to obtain.Similar measures in other states have been blocked by federal judges, and opponents in Texas said they'll pursue a similar course."The fight over this law will move to the courts, while the bigger fight for women's access to health care in Texas gains steam," Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said in a statement.
The action fund is the political arm of Planned Parenthood, which announced later Thursday that it would close its clinics in Bryan, Huntsville and Lufkin by the end of August. The group cited years of state budget cuts to women's health programs, not the new law. Only the Bryan facility offers abortions."In recent years, Texas politicians have created an increasingly hostile environment for providers of reproductive health care in underserved communities," said Melaney A. Linton, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.
Perry and other top Republican leaders made passing the law a top priority, in part to please the most conservative wing of the party before the primary election in March. But it touched off weeks of protests that saw thousands of activists on both sides of the issue descend on the Texas Capitol in an outpouring of activism unseen in at least 20 years.
After the regular legislative session ended May 27, Perry added passing the abortion measure to lawmakers' agenda for a 30-day special session. But on the last day to rtls , Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis staged a more than 12-hour, one-woman filibuster hoping to talk past a midnight deadline and kill the legislation.
Republicans used parliamentary objections to silence Davis, but just before midnight hundreds of bill opponents in the Senate gallery screamed and cheered so loudly that all work stopped on the Senate floor below until it was too late. It launched Davis into an overnight political sensation.But Perry called lawmakers back for a second special session - setting up the bill's final approval last week.
"When Governor Perry signed the bill, he signaled a clear break with Texas families," Davis said in a statement Thursday. She said Perry and his party's elected officials "have now taken sides and chosen narrow partisan special interests over mothers, daughters, sisters and every Texan who puts the health of their family, the well-being of their neighbors, and the future of Texas ahead of politics and personal ambitions."
The signing ceremony was moved from Perry's office on the second floor of the Capitol to a basement auditorium, surrounded by dozens of state troopers who tightly controlled who entered and braced for potentially hundreds of activists. Instead, only about two dozen showed up, clutching coat-hangers and signs that read "My Body, My Choice" and "Shame!"
Perry drew applause for warmly greeting and shaking hands with Dem. Sen. Eddie Lucio of Brownsville, the only Senate Democrat who supported the bill.As the governor and other lawmakers spoke, protesters repeatedly chanted "shame!" loud enough to be heard. Once the bill was signed, they hooted and then sang Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It!"David Dewhurst, who oversees the state Senate, blamed "intentional chaos created by the radical left" for the bill not passing sooner.
That was a common sentiment among supporters. The Catholic Association said in a statement: "Rick Perry is a brave man for standing up to the mob tactics of the abortion lobby and has earned the respect of pro-life women and men across the country."
Republican Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, who sponsored the bill in the Texas House and mistakenly suggested during debate that emergency room rape kits could be used to terminate pregnancies, said: "It really was the hand of God" and prayer that helped make the signing possible. Laubenberg told Perry, who announced last week that he wouldn't seek a fourth full term as governor next year, that: "Your eternal legacy will be as a defender of life."
Supporters credited God's will and prayer as the governor signed the legislation, with protesters' chants of "Shame! Shame! Shame!" echoing from the hallway. Opponents have vowed to fight the law, though no court challenges were immediately filed.
"Today, we celebrate the further cementing of the foundation on which the culture of life in Texas is built upon," Perry told an auditorium full of beaming GOP lawmakers and anti-abortion activists. "It is our responsibility and duty to give voice to the unborn individuals."
The law restricts abortions to surgical centers and requires doctors who work at abortion clinics to have hospital admitting privileges. Only five of the 42 abortion clinics in Texas - the nation's second-largest state - currently meet those new requirements. Clinics will have a year to either upgrade their facilities or shut down after the law takes effect in October.
The law also bans abortions after the 20th week of indoor positioning system, based on the disputed notion that fetuses can feel pain at that point of development, and dictates when abortion-inducing drugs can be taken.
Supporters argue the new law will ensure high-quality health care for women, but opponents view it as over-regulation intended to make abortions harder to obtain.Similar measures in other states have been blocked by federal judges, and opponents in Texas said they'll pursue a similar course."The fight over this law will move to the courts, while the bigger fight for women's access to health care in Texas gains steam," Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said in a statement.
The action fund is the political arm of Planned Parenthood, which announced later Thursday that it would close its clinics in Bryan, Huntsville and Lufkin by the end of August. The group cited years of state budget cuts to women's health programs, not the new law. Only the Bryan facility offers abortions."In recent years, Texas politicians have created an increasingly hostile environment for providers of reproductive health care in underserved communities," said Melaney A. Linton, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.
Perry and other top Republican leaders made passing the law a top priority, in part to please the most conservative wing of the party before the primary election in March. But it touched off weeks of protests that saw thousands of activists on both sides of the issue descend on the Texas Capitol in an outpouring of activism unseen in at least 20 years.
After the regular legislative session ended May 27, Perry added passing the abortion measure to lawmakers' agenda for a 30-day special session. But on the last day to rtls , Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis staged a more than 12-hour, one-woman filibuster hoping to talk past a midnight deadline and kill the legislation.
Republicans used parliamentary objections to silence Davis, but just before midnight hundreds of bill opponents in the Senate gallery screamed and cheered so loudly that all work stopped on the Senate floor below until it was too late. It launched Davis into an overnight political sensation.But Perry called lawmakers back for a second special session - setting up the bill's final approval last week.
"When Governor Perry signed the bill, he signaled a clear break with Texas families," Davis said in a statement Thursday. She said Perry and his party's elected officials "have now taken sides and chosen narrow partisan special interests over mothers, daughters, sisters and every Texan who puts the health of their family, the well-being of their neighbors, and the future of Texas ahead of politics and personal ambitions."
The signing ceremony was moved from Perry's office on the second floor of the Capitol to a basement auditorium, surrounded by dozens of state troopers who tightly controlled who entered and braced for potentially hundreds of activists. Instead, only about two dozen showed up, clutching coat-hangers and signs that read "My Body, My Choice" and "Shame!"
Perry drew applause for warmly greeting and shaking hands with Dem. Sen. Eddie Lucio of Brownsville, the only Senate Democrat who supported the bill.As the governor and other lawmakers spoke, protesters repeatedly chanted "shame!" loud enough to be heard. Once the bill was signed, they hooted and then sang Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It!"David Dewhurst, who oversees the state Senate, blamed "intentional chaos created by the radical left" for the bill not passing sooner.
That was a common sentiment among supporters. The Catholic Association said in a statement: "Rick Perry is a brave man for standing up to the mob tactics of the abortion lobby and has earned the respect of pro-life women and men across the country."
Republican Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, who sponsored the bill in the Texas House and mistakenly suggested during debate that emergency room rape kits could be used to terminate pregnancies, said: "It really was the hand of God" and prayer that helped make the signing possible. Laubenberg told Perry, who announced last week that he wouldn't seek a fourth full term as governor next year, that: "Your eternal legacy will be as a defender of life."
Thursday, July 4, 2013
New treatment may prevent disability in stroke patients
Enrique Chapa lay in a hospital emergency room bed about a month ago, disoriented, unable to speak and barely able to move. Paramedics had just rushed in the 75-year-old retired truck driver, who had suffered a major stroke in his home.His wife and son sat outside his room in Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, on the brink of making what needed to be a quick decision that could help Chapa's recovery, as well as countless other future patients.
Physicians had just told them about an experimental study that could give Chapa access to a treatment that potentially could better dissolve the blood clot in his brain and lessen his chance of a long-term disability. They would need their permission to try it on him.Another element: The study is a randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled trial, meaning they wouldn't know if Chapa received the experimental portion of the treatment until the trial is complete.
The family weighed its options, asked to see the device and prayed. “I told them, OK, let's do it,” said his son, Michael Chapa.With that green light, Chapa became the world's first stroke patient to participate in a pivotal Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of Indoor Positioning System, or strokes in which blood clots occur.The therapy involves using a device that delivers ultrasound energy to the brain in combination with a blood clot-busting medication that's currently the only approved treatment for stroke patients.
“If the device is better than no device, then presumably if there's an effect and it helps more patients achieve full recovery from their stroke, then the (Food and Drug Administration) may approve the device for stroke treatment,” said Dr. Andrew Barreto, assistant professor of neurology in the stroke division at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, one of 60 sites worldwide recruiting patients for the trial. “Then we would have our second-approved stroke treatment.”
The device, called the Clotbust-ER, is a hands-free head frame, worn like a helmet, that delivers ultrasound waves through the skull and to the brain using 16 probes, focusing on areas where blood clots are most likely to occur.Barreto, who's also the North American principal investigator on the study, said the waves can open up the blood clot and allow more of the drug to get into the clot, restoring blood flow quicker and potentially reduce damage.
Earlier research using ultrasound technology was done with a single-hand device that required extensive medical training. The latest design can be administered easily in any emergency room.The clinical trial will require a total of 830 patients and take about 21/2 years. Previous research using the device was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.The current trial is sponsored by Cerevast Therapeutics, which used some technology licensed from UTHSC to design and develop the device.
Currently, the medication, tissue plasminogen activator or tPA, is the only approved treatment for ischemic stroke.While the drug works well, it doesn't have as much benefit to those with large blood clots and can cause some brain bleeding, Barreto said.“So we're adding additional treatments to tPA in the hope that we can amplify the effect,” he said.
In 2004, former UTHSC Professor Dr. Andrei Alexandrov published the results of a small safety study he led for the treatment in the New England Journal of Medicine.The study used two groups of 63 patients each: One group received the ultrasound treatment with tPA and the other received just the drug.Those given ultrasound technology with the clot-busting medication didn't suffer any increased risk of bleeding, the research showed. It also found the rate of reopening arteries in the brain blocked by a clot tripled in patients administered ultrasound energy and those patients were also less disabled at 90 days.
“We knew that they can respond to tPA and ultrasound, but there were not studies telling us what to expect at three months,” said Alexandrov, director of the comprehensive stroke center at the University of Alabama Hospital and global principal investigator for the current trial. “That's why we powered the study at 126 patients, relatively large for a safety study, but quite small for the definitive trial.”
There is no evidence that the poor eat more takeaways than any other group in our society. There may be more takeaway outlets in poor areas, but all cohorts of Kiwi society eat them regularly, both rich and poor. The one advantage for the rich is that they can afford to spend a bit more on "healthier" versions of takeaways.
What is driving our obsession with takeaways? One factor is no doubt the recession, during which people have been looking for a cheap, convenient treat.The business model of the convenience and takeaway food industry ensures that the resulting meal will be stacked full of sugar, fat and salt. This cocktail is lethal for one in four Kiwis who are a high risk for getting diabetes - a grisly condition that wipes eight years off your life.
For most Kiwis the excuse that we can't afford to eat healthily are pretty hollow, the truth is we are too lazy - or to be more politically correct, we're too time-short.That raises the question of whether government health policy hasn't priced our time correctly. Or to translate that into English - whether our "free" public health system should make it more expensive for us not to avoid crap food and save the taxpayer some dosh in paying for the consequences - let alone extend our own years of health living.
A health sector that was cheaper to access for those who have taken preventive measures to avoid the consequences of the worst of our fake food - diabetes, cancer, strokes, obesity, sleep apnoea - would be a win-win.A tax on "rubbish" food would provide the funds for the health sector to treat those too slack too avoid it. With such an abuser pays regime in place why would we care about those who eat the seeds of their own demise?
And what of that first group we discussed - the poor who can't afford to do anything else but turn up each night at the local chippie?
Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en/!
Physicians had just told them about an experimental study that could give Chapa access to a treatment that potentially could better dissolve the blood clot in his brain and lessen his chance of a long-term disability. They would need their permission to try it on him.Another element: The study is a randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled trial, meaning they wouldn't know if Chapa received the experimental portion of the treatment until the trial is complete.
The family weighed its options, asked to see the device and prayed. “I told them, OK, let's do it,” said his son, Michael Chapa.With that green light, Chapa became the world's first stroke patient to participate in a pivotal Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of Indoor Positioning System, or strokes in which blood clots occur.The therapy involves using a device that delivers ultrasound energy to the brain in combination with a blood clot-busting medication that's currently the only approved treatment for stroke patients.
“If the device is better than no device, then presumably if there's an effect and it helps more patients achieve full recovery from their stroke, then the (Food and Drug Administration) may approve the device for stroke treatment,” said Dr. Andrew Barreto, assistant professor of neurology in the stroke division at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, one of 60 sites worldwide recruiting patients for the trial. “Then we would have our second-approved stroke treatment.”
The device, called the Clotbust-ER, is a hands-free head frame, worn like a helmet, that delivers ultrasound waves through the skull and to the brain using 16 probes, focusing on areas where blood clots are most likely to occur.Barreto, who's also the North American principal investigator on the study, said the waves can open up the blood clot and allow more of the drug to get into the clot, restoring blood flow quicker and potentially reduce damage.
Earlier research using ultrasound technology was done with a single-hand device that required extensive medical training. The latest design can be administered easily in any emergency room.The clinical trial will require a total of 830 patients and take about 21/2 years. Previous research using the device was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.The current trial is sponsored by Cerevast Therapeutics, which used some technology licensed from UTHSC to design and develop the device.
Currently, the medication, tissue plasminogen activator or tPA, is the only approved treatment for ischemic stroke.While the drug works well, it doesn't have as much benefit to those with large blood clots and can cause some brain bleeding, Barreto said.“So we're adding additional treatments to tPA in the hope that we can amplify the effect,” he said.
In 2004, former UTHSC Professor Dr. Andrei Alexandrov published the results of a small safety study he led for the treatment in the New England Journal of Medicine.The study used two groups of 63 patients each: One group received the ultrasound treatment with tPA and the other received just the drug.Those given ultrasound technology with the clot-busting medication didn't suffer any increased risk of bleeding, the research showed. It also found the rate of reopening arteries in the brain blocked by a clot tripled in patients administered ultrasound energy and those patients were also less disabled at 90 days.
“We knew that they can respond to tPA and ultrasound, but there were not studies telling us what to expect at three months,” said Alexandrov, director of the comprehensive stroke center at the University of Alabama Hospital and global principal investigator for the current trial. “That's why we powered the study at 126 patients, relatively large for a safety study, but quite small for the definitive trial.”
There is no evidence that the poor eat more takeaways than any other group in our society. There may be more takeaway outlets in poor areas, but all cohorts of Kiwi society eat them regularly, both rich and poor. The one advantage for the rich is that they can afford to spend a bit more on "healthier" versions of takeaways.
What is driving our obsession with takeaways? One factor is no doubt the recession, during which people have been looking for a cheap, convenient treat.The business model of the convenience and takeaway food industry ensures that the resulting meal will be stacked full of sugar, fat and salt. This cocktail is lethal for one in four Kiwis who are a high risk for getting diabetes - a grisly condition that wipes eight years off your life.
For most Kiwis the excuse that we can't afford to eat healthily are pretty hollow, the truth is we are too lazy - or to be more politically correct, we're too time-short.That raises the question of whether government health policy hasn't priced our time correctly. Or to translate that into English - whether our "free" public health system should make it more expensive for us not to avoid crap food and save the taxpayer some dosh in paying for the consequences - let alone extend our own years of health living.
A health sector that was cheaper to access for those who have taken preventive measures to avoid the consequences of the worst of our fake food - diabetes, cancer, strokes, obesity, sleep apnoea - would be a win-win.A tax on "rubbish" food would provide the funds for the health sector to treat those too slack too avoid it. With such an abuser pays regime in place why would we care about those who eat the seeds of their own demise?
And what of that first group we discussed - the poor who can't afford to do anything else but turn up each night at the local chippie?
Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en/!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Hernandez faces long legal road in murder case
Aaron Hernandez’s appearance in Attleboro District Court in Massachusetts on Wednesday was just the first step in what could be a long legal process for the former New England Patriots tight end, who faces six felony charges, including first-degree murder.
Hernandez was ordered to remain in jail without bail by Judge Daniel J. O’Shea. He is legally entitled to a bail review hearing in Massachusetts Superior Court, and that could occur within days. His attorneys have not responded to a request for comment on future hearings.
Hernandez’s lawyers argued that because of the constant media presence outside of his home in North Attleborough, Mass., and because of the frequent communication between the defensive team and prosecutors in previous days, Hernandez is not a flight risk.
Hernandez’s next scheduled appearance in O’Hara’s court has been tentatively set for July 24 for a probable cause hearing, though prosecutors could convene a grand jury before that date to seek a formal indictment, said Chris Dearborn, a criminal law professor at Suffolk University in Boston.
Dearborn, a former public defender and defense attorney, said he would expect a grand jury hearing within the next two or three weeks, at which point the case would be transferred to a Superior Court that has jurisdiction over murder cases.
“The standard for the grand jury is probable cause, which really is not a high threshold,” Dearborn said. “It wouldn’t be a shock at all for an indictment to return, and it doesn’t mean anything at all about whether they can prove the case.”
New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez made his first appearance in court shortly after he was arrested and charged with killing a friend, Odin Lloyd a few days after they got into a dispute at a nightclub.
Hernandez was flanked Wednesday by his team of defensive attorneys from two high-profile Boston law firms. Michael Fee, primarily known as a corporate attorney, spoke on Hernandez’s behalf and made the case for bail. Fee called the prosecution’s case “circumstantial” and “not strong” and successfully argued for affidavits regarding the case to be sealed.
Hernandez is also represented by James Sultan and his partner Charles Rankin, who have a long track record of serving as defense attorneys in high-profile cases and for famous clients.
“Jamie Sultan is a very highly respected criminal defense lawyer in Boston,” said David Siegel, a law professor at New England Law Boston.
Sultan represented the Amirault family in post-conviction litigation of the famous Fells Acre Day Care Center child abuse case, and successfully had convictions overturned on appeal. More recently, he won new trials for two clients convicted of murder, winning appeals for Linrose Woodbine in 2012, and Thomas Toolan in 2011.
“Both (Sultan) and Charlie are really, really smart lawyers that are good at identifying issues and solving problems. Both are very talented legal writers and have a reputation for being top-notch appellate lawyers,” said Dearborn, who worked for Sultan and Rankin before moving to academia. “But they both have very good trial skills, and do a phenomenal job in the court room during the trial.”
That legal mettle will be tested in front of a national audience should the defense team choose to appeal the decision by O’Shea to hold Hernandez without bail.
Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was not allowed to post bond when he was arrested in 2000 on murder charges. His Atlanta-based attorney Ed Garland told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday that Hernandez’s team should be “very aggressive to get bond.”
Garland was successful in getting Lewis freed on $1 million bond. Lewis eventually plead guilty to obstruction of justice charges and went on to play 12 more years in the NFL before retiring after last season.
“The first thing I did was file a motion for bond, and then we supported it with all sorts of facts, claiming the weakness of the case, claiming they rushed to judgment, showing all of the positive things we could show, bringing the team owners, and on and on and on. We were able to make a substantial showing that it was a defensible case, and there was no risk of flight,” Garland said.
It was notable to Garland that the Patriots did not show similar support for Hernandez. The team released Hernandez less than two hours after he was arrested, and several hours before the charges were announced publicly at the arraignment.
Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en/!
Hernandez was ordered to remain in jail without bail by Judge Daniel J. O’Shea. He is legally entitled to a bail review hearing in Massachusetts Superior Court, and that could occur within days. His attorneys have not responded to a request for comment on future hearings.
Hernandez’s lawyers argued that because of the constant media presence outside of his home in North Attleborough, Mass., and because of the frequent communication between the defensive team and prosecutors in previous days, Hernandez is not a flight risk.
Hernandez’s next scheduled appearance in O’Hara’s court has been tentatively set for July 24 for a probable cause hearing, though prosecutors could convene a grand jury before that date to seek a formal indictment, said Chris Dearborn, a criminal law professor at Suffolk University in Boston.
Dearborn, a former public defender and defense attorney, said he would expect a grand jury hearing within the next two or three weeks, at which point the case would be transferred to a Superior Court that has jurisdiction over murder cases.
“The standard for the grand jury is probable cause, which really is not a high threshold,” Dearborn said. “It wouldn’t be a shock at all for an indictment to return, and it doesn’t mean anything at all about whether they can prove the case.”
New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez made his first appearance in court shortly after he was arrested and charged with killing a friend, Odin Lloyd a few days after they got into a dispute at a nightclub.
Hernandez was flanked Wednesday by his team of defensive attorneys from two high-profile Boston law firms. Michael Fee, primarily known as a corporate attorney, spoke on Hernandez’s behalf and made the case for bail. Fee called the prosecution’s case “circumstantial” and “not strong” and successfully argued for affidavits regarding the case to be sealed.
Hernandez is also represented by James Sultan and his partner Charles Rankin, who have a long track record of serving as defense attorneys in high-profile cases and for famous clients.
“Jamie Sultan is a very highly respected criminal defense lawyer in Boston,” said David Siegel, a law professor at New England Law Boston.
Sultan represented the Amirault family in post-conviction litigation of the famous Fells Acre Day Care Center child abuse case, and successfully had convictions overturned on appeal. More recently, he won new trials for two clients convicted of murder, winning appeals for Linrose Woodbine in 2012, and Thomas Toolan in 2011.
“Both (Sultan) and Charlie are really, really smart lawyers that are good at identifying issues and solving problems. Both are very talented legal writers and have a reputation for being top-notch appellate lawyers,” said Dearborn, who worked for Sultan and Rankin before moving to academia. “But they both have very good trial skills, and do a phenomenal job in the court room during the trial.”
That legal mettle will be tested in front of a national audience should the defense team choose to appeal the decision by O’Shea to hold Hernandez without bail.
Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was not allowed to post bond when he was arrested in 2000 on murder charges. His Atlanta-based attorney Ed Garland told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday that Hernandez’s team should be “very aggressive to get bond.”
Garland was successful in getting Lewis freed on $1 million bond. Lewis eventually plead guilty to obstruction of justice charges and went on to play 12 more years in the NFL before retiring after last season.
“The first thing I did was file a motion for bond, and then we supported it with all sorts of facts, claiming the weakness of the case, claiming they rushed to judgment, showing all of the positive things we could show, bringing the team owners, and on and on and on. We were able to make a substantial showing that it was a defensible case, and there was no risk of flight,” Garland said.
It was notable to Garland that the Patriots did not show similar support for Hernandez. The team released Hernandez less than two hours after he was arrested, and several hours before the charges were announced publicly at the arraignment.
Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en/!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
National Payments Strategy Workshop Opens In Accra
Mr Terkper said effective payments systems were necessary for the effective implementation of monetary and fiscal policies as well as for financial stability and also served as an essential input for monitoring budgetary and fiscal performance, and for the advancement of financial inclusion and poverty alleviation, which were the key goals of government.
“All over the world, governments and central banks, being responsible for the financial system, are interested in payments system development. This stems from the fact that an efficient payment system is necessary for effective implementation of monetary and fiscal policy and the promotion of financial stability. Electronic payments bolster the effectiveness of fiscal operations through efficient receipts and payments, security of government transactions, elimination of wastes and leakages, and a strong transaction audit trail. It also provides a comprehensive electronic data warehouse on fiscal operations, essential inputs for budget preparation and monitoring fiscal performance,” he noted.
The Finance and Economic Planning Minister noted that, there appeared to be a strong reluctance on the part of the general population to embrace non-cash modes of payment.
“The high demand for cash to pay for goods and services reduces the life span of currency and increases the frequency and cost of currency printing. The large volume of currency in circulation also greatly hampers the implementation of effective monetary policy. Furthermore, cash attracts robberies and other social vices including corruption. A “cash lite” society reduces this attraction and makes Governments’ efforts to fight crime easier because of the ability to track payments from the source to the destination,” Mr Terkper stated.
He, therefore, pledged to work closely with the relevant agencies of government and with the Bank of Ghana to deliver continuous public awareness programs and pursue a financial literacy agenda for both public officials and the general public that would create the necessary demand side synergy for increased usage of electronic payments.
He also called on the media to sensitise the public about new electronic payments systems and urged the Bank of Ghana to review and harmonise the legal regime to create a more enabling environment for new modes of payment to thrive.
Mr Terkper was delivering the keynote address at the opening of a National Payments Strategy Workshop in Accra, yesterday.
The three-day workshop, which is being facilitated by the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Ghana Inter-Bank Payments and Settlements System (GIPSS) and the Standard Chartered Bank, is taking place on the theme: ‘Driving Efficiency and Value through Innovative Solutions’
The workshop is stakeholder collaboration to chart the vision of Ghana’s national payment system landscape and to enhance the efficiency of the modes of payments and transfers in Ghana.
In his opening remarks, Dr Henry Akpenamawu Kofi Wampah, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, said the smooth functioning of payment and settlement systems was crucial for the effective implementation of the central bank’s monetary policy and for maintaining financial and monetary stability.
Dr Wampah noted that several developments had occurred within the payments and settlements landscape since the launch of the first Ghana National Payment Systems Strategy in the year 2000.
He said the major payment infrastructure implemented during the period included the Ghana Interbank Settlement System (RTGS), E-zwich Biometric Cards, Cheque Codeline Clearing System (CCC), Ghana Automated Clearing House (GACH), a National Switch based on smart card technology (Gh-Link), SWIFT Sanctions Screening Engine and the Central Securities Depository (CSD).
He said to enable the orderly and continued development of the payment systems, it had become imperative to draw up a new framework and that the Bank of Ghana would promote the development of a framework that would offer a suite of payment and settlement products, streams and services to meet the various needs of the public, adding that the Bank of Ghana had a statutory responsibility for the payment and settlement systems in the country.
“As a central bank we have a keen interest in the safety and efficiency of payments and settlements system. As you are all aware, the Bank of Ghana has a statutory responsibility for the payment and settlement systems in the country. This responsibility requires the Bank to promote, regulate and supervise these systems to ensure that they are safe, reliable and efficient. The smooth functioning of payment and settlement systems is crucial for the effective implementation of the central bank’s monetary policy and for maintaining financial and monetary stability,” Dr Wampah indicated.
Further dimming the hopes for prospects like Jeremy Kelley and the awesomely named Rodrick Rumble is the fact that 3-4 players are virtual locks to make the team. Only an injury or unforeseen disaster can displace Reggie Wayne or free agent pickup Darrius Heyward-Bey. Wayne is an unquestioned team leader, and DHB, like most high profile free agent signings, will be given more than just a training camp to prove himself if he struggles early.
The two 2012 draftees, T.Y. Hilton and LaVon Brazill, have a leg up on the competition as well. As drafted players each entering their second season, it would take some astounding play from the group of camp hopefuls to unseat them.
Hilton had a strong season, catching 50 passes on 91 targets for 861 yards and 7 touchdowns and returned 26 punts for 300 yards and a touchdown. An explosive player with the potential to be even better this year, Hilton is an obvious safe bet to make the roster and contribute extensively in the slot, but he will need to be considerably more sure-handed than he was as a rookie.
Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en/!
“All over the world, governments and central banks, being responsible for the financial system, are interested in payments system development. This stems from the fact that an efficient payment system is necessary for effective implementation of monetary and fiscal policy and the promotion of financial stability. Electronic payments bolster the effectiveness of fiscal operations through efficient receipts and payments, security of government transactions, elimination of wastes and leakages, and a strong transaction audit trail. It also provides a comprehensive electronic data warehouse on fiscal operations, essential inputs for budget preparation and monitoring fiscal performance,” he noted.
The Finance and Economic Planning Minister noted that, there appeared to be a strong reluctance on the part of the general population to embrace non-cash modes of payment.
“The high demand for cash to pay for goods and services reduces the life span of currency and increases the frequency and cost of currency printing. The large volume of currency in circulation also greatly hampers the implementation of effective monetary policy. Furthermore, cash attracts robberies and other social vices including corruption. A “cash lite” society reduces this attraction and makes Governments’ efforts to fight crime easier because of the ability to track payments from the source to the destination,” Mr Terkper stated.
He, therefore, pledged to work closely with the relevant agencies of government and with the Bank of Ghana to deliver continuous public awareness programs and pursue a financial literacy agenda for both public officials and the general public that would create the necessary demand side synergy for increased usage of electronic payments.
He also called on the media to sensitise the public about new electronic payments systems and urged the Bank of Ghana to review and harmonise the legal regime to create a more enabling environment for new modes of payment to thrive.
Mr Terkper was delivering the keynote address at the opening of a National Payments Strategy Workshop in Accra, yesterday.
The three-day workshop, which is being facilitated by the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Ghana Inter-Bank Payments and Settlements System (GIPSS) and the Standard Chartered Bank, is taking place on the theme: ‘Driving Efficiency and Value through Innovative Solutions’
The workshop is stakeholder collaboration to chart the vision of Ghana’s national payment system landscape and to enhance the efficiency of the modes of payments and transfers in Ghana.
In his opening remarks, Dr Henry Akpenamawu Kofi Wampah, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, said the smooth functioning of payment and settlement systems was crucial for the effective implementation of the central bank’s monetary policy and for maintaining financial and monetary stability.
Dr Wampah noted that several developments had occurred within the payments and settlements landscape since the launch of the first Ghana National Payment Systems Strategy in the year 2000.
He said the major payment infrastructure implemented during the period included the Ghana Interbank Settlement System (RTGS), E-zwich Biometric Cards, Cheque Codeline Clearing System (CCC), Ghana Automated Clearing House (GACH), a National Switch based on smart card technology (Gh-Link), SWIFT Sanctions Screening Engine and the Central Securities Depository (CSD).
He said to enable the orderly and continued development of the payment systems, it had become imperative to draw up a new framework and that the Bank of Ghana would promote the development of a framework that would offer a suite of payment and settlement products, streams and services to meet the various needs of the public, adding that the Bank of Ghana had a statutory responsibility for the payment and settlement systems in the country.
“As a central bank we have a keen interest in the safety and efficiency of payments and settlements system. As you are all aware, the Bank of Ghana has a statutory responsibility for the payment and settlement systems in the country. This responsibility requires the Bank to promote, regulate and supervise these systems to ensure that they are safe, reliable and efficient. The smooth functioning of payment and settlement systems is crucial for the effective implementation of the central bank’s monetary policy and for maintaining financial and monetary stability,” Dr Wampah indicated.
Further dimming the hopes for prospects like Jeremy Kelley and the awesomely named Rodrick Rumble is the fact that 3-4 players are virtual locks to make the team. Only an injury or unforeseen disaster can displace Reggie Wayne or free agent pickup Darrius Heyward-Bey. Wayne is an unquestioned team leader, and DHB, like most high profile free agent signings, will be given more than just a training camp to prove himself if he struggles early.
The two 2012 draftees, T.Y. Hilton and LaVon Brazill, have a leg up on the competition as well. As drafted players each entering their second season, it would take some astounding play from the group of camp hopefuls to unseat them.
Hilton had a strong season, catching 50 passes on 91 targets for 861 yards and 7 touchdowns and returned 26 punts for 300 yards and a touchdown. An explosive player with the potential to be even better this year, Hilton is an obvious safe bet to make the roster and contribute extensively in the slot, but he will need to be considerably more sure-handed than he was as a rookie.
Read the full story at www.ecived.com/en/!
Saturday, June 8, 2013
I saved a toddler trapped on a roof
I had plenty of practice climbing drainpipes as a teenager, when I'd regularly use one to access a girlfriend's bedroom. It wasn't a skill I expected to need again on a sunny bank holiday more than two decades later.
I'd arranged to meet my wife and a couple of friends in the beer garden of a local hotel. As I approached, I could hear raised voices. I thought maybe a group of people had drunk too much and things were about to turn nasty, but as I walked into the garden, I saw everyone looking up, including my wife and friends. Following their gaze, I saw a child in a red hat perched on top of a roof jutting out from the hotel. It made no sense – how had he got there?
I realised the people in the garden had arranged themselves underneath, in the hope that one of them would be able to catch him if he fell. From the other side of the roof, I heard a woman's voice imploring him to sit down and keep still. It was the boy's mother, who had tried to climb up to him and become stranded halfway along a flat roof.
The child ignored his mother's voice and his every movement brought a fresh gasp of anxiety from onlookers. The fire brigade had been called, but no one knew how long they'd take. I imagined the fire engine working its way across the city, slowed by holiday traffic. The thought of looking on helplessly as the boy lost his footing made me feel sick. The knot in the pit of my stomach was too much to bear – scanning the side of the building, I quickly worked out the quickest way up and made for the drainpipe.
It was old and looked as if it might break away from the wall, but I hauled myself up, grabbed on to a gutter that cracked ominously as it took my weight, then quickly heaved myself on to the tiles. Above me, the child paid me little attention and didn't appear to be frightened at all. He was younger than I'd thought – no older than two – and the roof was steeper than it had appeared from the ground. The situation suddenly seemed even more grave. I realised I'd be unable to predict a toddler's responses, and imagined diving across to grab him if he stumbled, knowing there would be nothing to arrest our fall if I did.
My only option now was to keep climbing. I launched myself upwards and tried to ignore the tiles fracturing beneath me, a couple slipping free underfoot and clattering down.
The roof narrowed as it rose and I planted myself as firmly as I could on the ridge, grabbed the boy and swung him on to my lap. In my precarious position, just holding on to him was a indoor Tracking – he wouldn't stop wriggling.
Below me, the hotel's customers remained rooted to the spot, staring up at us, occasionally shouting words of encouragement. My wife, unable to watch, was playing with our four-year-old daughter, attempting to keep her distracted. It occurred to me suddenly that the life of this stranger's child was literally in my hands. I had no doubt he was safer now I was holding on to him, but if we fell, would I be blamed for the consequences?
I also began to question what had led me to act so impulsively. I'm an artist, and over the years I've engaged in many public performance pieces, some of them quite risky – attempting to sell my identity, offering myself for 24 hours as the prize in a raffle, all sorts of projects with unknowable outcomes – but nothing compared with this.
It took only about 15 minutes for the fire brigade to arrive, but I was more than ready. A long ladder slid towards us, and a fireman clambered up, warning me not to move until he was directly below me. I felt a surge of relief as I passed the boy over, then waited to take my own turn climbing down, glad the situation was now in someone else's hands.
I learned later that the boy was called Charlie. His mum had been in the garden with a friend, waiting to be picked up by her husband. She took her eyes off Charlie for only a minute, and it seems he was able to climb so high because a small stepladder was leaning against a trellis, which in turn connected with the roof. No one could have foreseen his fearless ascent.
Whereas rumors once swirled that Microsoft’s Xbox One would require a true always-on connection — one that required the Xbox One to be online literally all the time — the policy turned out to be a simple check-in once every 24 hours. As long as a game is being played on your own Xbox One, rather than a friend’s — which requires an admittedly draconian hourly check-in — you can technically have an internet outage for the majority of the day and still be able to play your games. However, a common argument against an always-online Xbox is that some people just can’t afford an Xbox plus internet service, but no one ever seems to go out and survey to see the extent to which this is true.
This argument assumes that people can afford an Xbox One, games, and a display, but not an internet service. To see if this is true, you’d compare the prices of two groups of products and services. The first is everything you’d need to use an Xbox One without an always-on internet requirement — the Xbox One, a television or monitor with appropriate inputs, and at least one game purchasable from a brick-and-mortar store.
The second group would be an internet connection and a device to utilize the connection — a computer. You’d include the computer in the second group for the same reason you have to include a display and a game in the first group. An Xbox One without a display and a game cannot be used, and an internet connection without an internet-capable device cannot be used.
I'd arranged to meet my wife and a couple of friends in the beer garden of a local hotel. As I approached, I could hear raised voices. I thought maybe a group of people had drunk too much and things were about to turn nasty, but as I walked into the garden, I saw everyone looking up, including my wife and friends. Following their gaze, I saw a child in a red hat perched on top of a roof jutting out from the hotel. It made no sense – how had he got there?
I realised the people in the garden had arranged themselves underneath, in the hope that one of them would be able to catch him if he fell. From the other side of the roof, I heard a woman's voice imploring him to sit down and keep still. It was the boy's mother, who had tried to climb up to him and become stranded halfway along a flat roof.
The child ignored his mother's voice and his every movement brought a fresh gasp of anxiety from onlookers. The fire brigade had been called, but no one knew how long they'd take. I imagined the fire engine working its way across the city, slowed by holiday traffic. The thought of looking on helplessly as the boy lost his footing made me feel sick. The knot in the pit of my stomach was too much to bear – scanning the side of the building, I quickly worked out the quickest way up and made for the drainpipe.
It was old and looked as if it might break away from the wall, but I hauled myself up, grabbed on to a gutter that cracked ominously as it took my weight, then quickly heaved myself on to the tiles. Above me, the child paid me little attention and didn't appear to be frightened at all. He was younger than I'd thought – no older than two – and the roof was steeper than it had appeared from the ground. The situation suddenly seemed even more grave. I realised I'd be unable to predict a toddler's responses, and imagined diving across to grab him if he stumbled, knowing there would be nothing to arrest our fall if I did.
My only option now was to keep climbing. I launched myself upwards and tried to ignore the tiles fracturing beneath me, a couple slipping free underfoot and clattering down.
The roof narrowed as it rose and I planted myself as firmly as I could on the ridge, grabbed the boy and swung him on to my lap. In my precarious position, just holding on to him was a indoor Tracking – he wouldn't stop wriggling.
Below me, the hotel's customers remained rooted to the spot, staring up at us, occasionally shouting words of encouragement. My wife, unable to watch, was playing with our four-year-old daughter, attempting to keep her distracted. It occurred to me suddenly that the life of this stranger's child was literally in my hands. I had no doubt he was safer now I was holding on to him, but if we fell, would I be blamed for the consequences?
I also began to question what had led me to act so impulsively. I'm an artist, and over the years I've engaged in many public performance pieces, some of them quite risky – attempting to sell my identity, offering myself for 24 hours as the prize in a raffle, all sorts of projects with unknowable outcomes – but nothing compared with this.
It took only about 15 minutes for the fire brigade to arrive, but I was more than ready. A long ladder slid towards us, and a fireman clambered up, warning me not to move until he was directly below me. I felt a surge of relief as I passed the boy over, then waited to take my own turn climbing down, glad the situation was now in someone else's hands.
I learned later that the boy was called Charlie. His mum had been in the garden with a friend, waiting to be picked up by her husband. She took her eyes off Charlie for only a minute, and it seems he was able to climb so high because a small stepladder was leaning against a trellis, which in turn connected with the roof. No one could have foreseen his fearless ascent.
Whereas rumors once swirled that Microsoft’s Xbox One would require a true always-on connection — one that required the Xbox One to be online literally all the time — the policy turned out to be a simple check-in once every 24 hours. As long as a game is being played on your own Xbox One, rather than a friend’s — which requires an admittedly draconian hourly check-in — you can technically have an internet outage for the majority of the day and still be able to play your games. However, a common argument against an always-online Xbox is that some people just can’t afford an Xbox plus internet service, but no one ever seems to go out and survey to see the extent to which this is true.
This argument assumes that people can afford an Xbox One, games, and a display, but not an internet service. To see if this is true, you’d compare the prices of two groups of products and services. The first is everything you’d need to use an Xbox One without an always-on internet requirement — the Xbox One, a television or monitor with appropriate inputs, and at least one game purchasable from a brick-and-mortar store.
The second group would be an internet connection and a device to utilize the connection — a computer. You’d include the computer in the second group for the same reason you have to include a display and a game in the first group. An Xbox One without a display and a game cannot be used, and an internet connection without an internet-capable device cannot be used.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
German Electric Vehicle Players Launch Charging Info-Exchange Network
The German chancellor confirmed last week a plan to have one million electric vehicles on the road in Germany by 2020. That calls for cars, charging stations, and electricity—and some kind of organization to connect the parties behind them— with as little fuss as possible. It's an important issue, because Germany's energy sector is very decentralized. The country has more than 1,000 utilities. Many are small local businesses, with most activities only in one city. What matters here is that the driver of an electric car should be able to charge anywhere in the country without signing a thousand contracts.
Enter Hubject. It's a poor name when a German says it because it sounds like abject, but it's a great idea. Germany is good at setting up organizations, so it should work well.
Hubject is a joint-venture between two car manufacturers, BMW and Daimler (Mercedes and Smart), two of the largest utilities, EnBW and RWE, and two huge conglomerate companies, Bosch and Siemens. Hubject invented a protocol (OICP, Open InterCharge Protocol) for exchanging information between an electric car and its driver, a charging station and a utility. If it works as good as expected, drivers will never need to know a thing about it.
Hubject just launched the Intercharge network, and what's relevant to drivers is that with a single Hubject subscription, they will be able to use any charging station in the network. Plug in anywhere as much as you want, and receive one single bill at the end of the month. The Hubject scheme has been several months in the making, but there was a big surprise last week when news broke that the Intercharge network had spread across Germany's borders. Several hundred public charging stations in Belgium, in Austria and in Finland joined the network. France is also working on something similar, with the name of Gireve, but Germany's clearly doing it bigger and better having chargers from several countries right from the Indoor Positioning System.
Volkswagen hasn't made any official statement regarding Hubject yet, but with some of the biggest German companies supporting it, there is a strong possibility that Hubject will become dominant in some areas. And that could change many things. Today, EV drivers are happy to go to the first charging station they manage to find. Sometimes they are unable to use it because a registration or a RFID card is needed. In the future, EV drivers might look for an Intercharge charging station, where they will be certain that it's compatible with their car and that they can charge without trouble (because they will be identified in the system). Nothing's for sure yet, but the idea is that since BMW is one of the founders of Hubject, the upcoming BMW i3 could be Intercharge-ready, with all cars sold with a Hubject subscription (on the German market at least), and all Intercharge stations loaded into the navigation system.
Some people may not like the idea of a single electricity supplier recording all their charging sessions, but the idea of being able to use thousands of chargers in several countries with a single monthly payment is certainly nice. With most drivers still unsure about EVs, the idea of a continent-wide single payment system backed by well-known brands should give added confidence. So electric vehicle owners and shoppers should probably hope the Intercharge network grows fast and big.
Where the S500 comes into its own is with the ports. On an Ultrabook, you'd be stuck with just a few meager sockets, but here there's a full-sized HDMI port, along with VGA, USB 3.0 and a proper Ethernet port too. On the other side, there's a pair of USB 2.0 ports, combined headphone and microphone socket and an SD card reader. This is a great spec for any machine, and is something you just can't cram into the smaller and lighter Ultrabooks.
We do think it's worth noting though, that once an SD card is in the reader, it protrudes from the side of the laptop, and while that's no problem when the PC is sitting on the desk, you could damage the card and the computer if you catch it when moving it about. Small point, but worth remembering.
What's more, typists will like the solid-feeling keyboard which has decent-sized keys and a proper numeric keypad. This all gives the machine a feel that it's really designed for business users who need a solid, dependable PC, rather than something that's the lightest machine on the market. We found accuracy on the keyboard to be reasonable, although it took us awhile to learn the key positions and adapt to the slightly different layout. This is something that you'll soon get used to though.
Enter Hubject. It's a poor name when a German says it because it sounds like abject, but it's a great idea. Germany is good at setting up organizations, so it should work well.
Hubject is a joint-venture between two car manufacturers, BMW and Daimler (Mercedes and Smart), two of the largest utilities, EnBW and RWE, and two huge conglomerate companies, Bosch and Siemens. Hubject invented a protocol (OICP, Open InterCharge Protocol) for exchanging information between an electric car and its driver, a charging station and a utility. If it works as good as expected, drivers will never need to know a thing about it.
Hubject just launched the Intercharge network, and what's relevant to drivers is that with a single Hubject subscription, they will be able to use any charging station in the network. Plug in anywhere as much as you want, and receive one single bill at the end of the month. The Hubject scheme has been several months in the making, but there was a big surprise last week when news broke that the Intercharge network had spread across Germany's borders. Several hundred public charging stations in Belgium, in Austria and in Finland joined the network. France is also working on something similar, with the name of Gireve, but Germany's clearly doing it bigger and better having chargers from several countries right from the Indoor Positioning System.
Volkswagen hasn't made any official statement regarding Hubject yet, but with some of the biggest German companies supporting it, there is a strong possibility that Hubject will become dominant in some areas. And that could change many things. Today, EV drivers are happy to go to the first charging station they manage to find. Sometimes they are unable to use it because a registration or a RFID card is needed. In the future, EV drivers might look for an Intercharge charging station, where they will be certain that it's compatible with their car and that they can charge without trouble (because they will be identified in the system). Nothing's for sure yet, but the idea is that since BMW is one of the founders of Hubject, the upcoming BMW i3 could be Intercharge-ready, with all cars sold with a Hubject subscription (on the German market at least), and all Intercharge stations loaded into the navigation system.
Some people may not like the idea of a single electricity supplier recording all their charging sessions, but the idea of being able to use thousands of chargers in several countries with a single monthly payment is certainly nice. With most drivers still unsure about EVs, the idea of a continent-wide single payment system backed by well-known brands should give added confidence. So electric vehicle owners and shoppers should probably hope the Intercharge network grows fast and big.
Where the S500 comes into its own is with the ports. On an Ultrabook, you'd be stuck with just a few meager sockets, but here there's a full-sized HDMI port, along with VGA, USB 3.0 and a proper Ethernet port too. On the other side, there's a pair of USB 2.0 ports, combined headphone and microphone socket and an SD card reader. This is a great spec for any machine, and is something you just can't cram into the smaller and lighter Ultrabooks.
We do think it's worth noting though, that once an SD card is in the reader, it protrudes from the side of the laptop, and while that's no problem when the PC is sitting on the desk, you could damage the card and the computer if you catch it when moving it about. Small point, but worth remembering.
What's more, typists will like the solid-feeling keyboard which has decent-sized keys and a proper numeric keypad. This all gives the machine a feel that it's really designed for business users who need a solid, dependable PC, rather than something that's the lightest machine on the market. We found accuracy on the keyboard to be reasonable, although it took us awhile to learn the key positions and adapt to the slightly different layout. This is something that you'll soon get used to though.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Atlanta, by the guidebook
Immediately after landing, I wandered over to Map 14, Grant Park/Summerhill, to experience the “oddest Atlanta tourist attraction.” I had placed my utmost faith in this guidebook, and it honored that trust. At least when it came to Page 292.
While travel appsters hover over their gadgets, squinting at a tiny screen, I hoisted my low-tech guidebooks all over Atlanta. I ruffled through their pages on sidewalks, in my rental car and even inside a bathroom at a bar, searching for whatever I needed next: food, culture, a cab, coffee, the police. Though the weight of the books crocheted a knot in my back, at least I didn’t walk into a parking meter.
To cover the entire spectrum of Atlanta, I toted around a small library of guidebooks: Moon Handbooks (for standards and staples), Not for Tourists Guide to Atlanta (as comprehensive as a phone book) and Wallpaper City Guide (sybaritic and stylish).
Each book spoke its own patois, yet sometimes they came together in a cohesive voice – a valuable consensus for an indecisive traveler. Case in point: the Georgian Terrace Hotel, the august early 20th-century property that appeared in all three softbacks, including the very discerning Wallpaper. Leave the equivocating to Yelpers and Trip Advisors.
And yet sometimes they didn’t endorse equally – a conundrum for a waffling traveler. The Cyclorama, considered the largest oil painting in the world, was too anti-aesthetic for Wallpaper, which avoids the campy and the common. Moon provided a thorough write-up, but its description lacked flash. NFT went straight for the superlatives. I go weak for “-ests.”
Neither book truly captured the Cyclorama’s essence, but maybe they were intentionally holding back to protect the secret sauce. I stumbled into the museum unprepared, except for knowing the basic info. To view one of three intact Cycloramas in the country, I had to wait for the next tour. Guests aren’t allowed inside the amphitheater unattended; perhaps the temptation to jump into the painted scene and play Civil War soldier is too strong.
The painting measures 42 feet high and 358 feet in circumference and includes a Natural Museum of History-ish diorama that was added to the foreground in 1936.
Oakland Cemetery, built in 1840, is a living history museum of the Indoor Positioning System, housing the remains of such famous personalities as Gone With the Wind author Margaret Mitchell and Maynard Jackson, the city’s first African American mayor. The main objective of my pilgrimage, however, was to pay tribute to Joseph Jacobs, the pharmacist who introduced Coca-Cola to the world in 1887. Before entering the gates, I stopped into Ria’s Bluebird for a Diet Coke. I later learned that according to my guidebooks, Ria’s serves smokin’ Southern cuisine and is a coveted brunch spot.
Jacobs’s site was devoid of fan souvenirs. Two large urns flanked the simple white marble mausoleum. I grabbed my bottle of soda, took a swig, then sprinkled the rest around his grave. May your fridge be stocked with Coke for all eternity.
Maybe I trusted too much. Yet both Moon and Wallpaper touted the Thursday-night cocktail gatherings at the Museum of Design Atlanta. Free drinks with admission. Maybe I should have called first.
The guidebooks deserted me on a few other occasions as well. Eighty Eight Tofu House, a 24-hour Asian vegetarian restaurant, was out of business, despite its mention on Page 321 of NFT. And the Red Light Cafe no longer hosts hip-hop shows, contrary to Moon’s description.
Nonetheless, the tiny stumbles didn’t overshadow the guidebooks’ great strides of discovery. For example, I owe NFT for lighting the way to the art museum at Spelman College, the historically black college for women.
Wallpaper also earned a hearty handshake for leading me to Westside Provisions District, an urbane collection of clothing stores, restaurants and furniture shops.
I do, however, take all the credit for missing the turn to Westside and ending up at Goat Farm, an artists’ colony established in an old wheelmaking factory. I didn’t find any four-legged barnyard animals, but I bumped into some chickens and artists loafing around a coffeehouse.
I don’t want to sound like an old-timer here–in part because I don’t feel like one mentally or emotionally (physically is sometimes another matter)–but mostly because what I aim to write is not passé or irrelevant to the current situation. The Left has been here before. The historical circumstances were different, but the static situation was eerily similar. Although I could be referring to the 1950s in the United States, when anti-communism was the national faith and leftists were considered on a par with Satan and his dominions by the mainstream media and most of its readers, the period I want to talk about is the 1970s and 1980s.
The New Left was in retreat. A combination of victories and half-victories, massive repression, a retooling of the Democratic Party, and the demise of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) had created a situation where a multitude of organizations existed on the US Left. All too many of them considered their line to be the correct one. None were very willing to compromise, preferring instead to fine tune their particular interpretation of Marx, Lenin and the rest to such a point that instead of gaining adherents, they slowly but surely lost them. By the end of the 1970s, some of these groups were working on the left end of the Democratic Party, hoping to expand the small opening created by George McGovern’s 1972 campaign into creating a genuine left parliamentary opposition in the US. Other groups were fighting amongst themselves, listening to provocateurs in their midsts, or just dissolving into thin air, as it were. Meanwhile, the US right wing was consolidating its forces behind millions and millions of corporate dollars. The result was the election of Ronald Reagan to the White House and the portrayal of Jimmy Carter, the creator of the Carter doctrine (which further bound the Empire’s military to the authoritarian regimes under whose lands the energy industry’s oil profits lay), as a leftist and wimp.
Nothing has been the same since. The Left waged successful campaigns against US support for apartheid, but hardly bothered to oppose the US invasion of Grenada. It was also fairly successful in opposing US support for the Contras in Nicaragua and the bloody regime killing thousands in El Salvador and elsewhere in Central America. Unfortunately, their activities did not foresee the creation of an extralegal funding process for the Contras or the emptiness of the legislation against the human rights violations of the El Salvadorian government. Also, despite one of the broadest campaigns against nuclear weapons in history, the Pentagon and its corporate cohorts placed their missiles throughout Europe. By 1989, the response of the Left to the Bush administration’s invasion of Panama was barely a whimper. Then came Bill Clinton–the popular pretender to the progressives’ throne. In a litany fairly well known, Clinton pushed the neoliberal wet dream known as NAFTA through Congress. Then he “reformed” public assistance to the poor. Then he pushed through the Omnibus Crime and Terrorism Bill, making federal crimes out of a multitude of political activities and increasing the number of federal crimes that were punishable by death. Oh yeah, he reneged on LGBT equality and injected racial coding into his campaign as if he were a modern day Republican. Meanwhile, he and Tony Blair maintained a deadly sanctions regime on Iraq while bombing it at will. Besides all this, Clinton lobbed cruise missiles much like Barack Obama launches armed drones. On top of all this, he helped create the situation that provoked the crash of 2008. No, he wasn’t solely responsible, but the illusion of money where there wasn’t any greatly expanded during his rule. And the Left was rather silent.
While travel appsters hover over their gadgets, squinting at a tiny screen, I hoisted my low-tech guidebooks all over Atlanta. I ruffled through their pages on sidewalks, in my rental car and even inside a bathroom at a bar, searching for whatever I needed next: food, culture, a cab, coffee, the police. Though the weight of the books crocheted a knot in my back, at least I didn’t walk into a parking meter.
To cover the entire spectrum of Atlanta, I toted around a small library of guidebooks: Moon Handbooks (for standards and staples), Not for Tourists Guide to Atlanta (as comprehensive as a phone book) and Wallpaper City Guide (sybaritic and stylish).
Each book spoke its own patois, yet sometimes they came together in a cohesive voice – a valuable consensus for an indecisive traveler. Case in point: the Georgian Terrace Hotel, the august early 20th-century property that appeared in all three softbacks, including the very discerning Wallpaper. Leave the equivocating to Yelpers and Trip Advisors.
And yet sometimes they didn’t endorse equally – a conundrum for a waffling traveler. The Cyclorama, considered the largest oil painting in the world, was too anti-aesthetic for Wallpaper, which avoids the campy and the common. Moon provided a thorough write-up, but its description lacked flash. NFT went straight for the superlatives. I go weak for “-ests.”
Neither book truly captured the Cyclorama’s essence, but maybe they were intentionally holding back to protect the secret sauce. I stumbled into the museum unprepared, except for knowing the basic info. To view one of three intact Cycloramas in the country, I had to wait for the next tour. Guests aren’t allowed inside the amphitheater unattended; perhaps the temptation to jump into the painted scene and play Civil War soldier is too strong.
The painting measures 42 feet high and 358 feet in circumference and includes a Natural Museum of History-ish diorama that was added to the foreground in 1936.
Oakland Cemetery, built in 1840, is a living history museum of the Indoor Positioning System, housing the remains of such famous personalities as Gone With the Wind author Margaret Mitchell and Maynard Jackson, the city’s first African American mayor. The main objective of my pilgrimage, however, was to pay tribute to Joseph Jacobs, the pharmacist who introduced Coca-Cola to the world in 1887. Before entering the gates, I stopped into Ria’s Bluebird for a Diet Coke. I later learned that according to my guidebooks, Ria’s serves smokin’ Southern cuisine and is a coveted brunch spot.
Jacobs’s site was devoid of fan souvenirs. Two large urns flanked the simple white marble mausoleum. I grabbed my bottle of soda, took a swig, then sprinkled the rest around his grave. May your fridge be stocked with Coke for all eternity.
Maybe I trusted too much. Yet both Moon and Wallpaper touted the Thursday-night cocktail gatherings at the Museum of Design Atlanta. Free drinks with admission. Maybe I should have called first.
The guidebooks deserted me on a few other occasions as well. Eighty Eight Tofu House, a 24-hour Asian vegetarian restaurant, was out of business, despite its mention on Page 321 of NFT. And the Red Light Cafe no longer hosts hip-hop shows, contrary to Moon’s description.
Nonetheless, the tiny stumbles didn’t overshadow the guidebooks’ great strides of discovery. For example, I owe NFT for lighting the way to the art museum at Spelman College, the historically black college for women.
Wallpaper also earned a hearty handshake for leading me to Westside Provisions District, an urbane collection of clothing stores, restaurants and furniture shops.
I do, however, take all the credit for missing the turn to Westside and ending up at Goat Farm, an artists’ colony established in an old wheelmaking factory. I didn’t find any four-legged barnyard animals, but I bumped into some chickens and artists loafing around a coffeehouse.
I don’t want to sound like an old-timer here–in part because I don’t feel like one mentally or emotionally (physically is sometimes another matter)–but mostly because what I aim to write is not passé or irrelevant to the current situation. The Left has been here before. The historical circumstances were different, but the static situation was eerily similar. Although I could be referring to the 1950s in the United States, when anti-communism was the national faith and leftists were considered on a par with Satan and his dominions by the mainstream media and most of its readers, the period I want to talk about is the 1970s and 1980s.
The New Left was in retreat. A combination of victories and half-victories, massive repression, a retooling of the Democratic Party, and the demise of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) had created a situation where a multitude of organizations existed on the US Left. All too many of them considered their line to be the correct one. None were very willing to compromise, preferring instead to fine tune their particular interpretation of Marx, Lenin and the rest to such a point that instead of gaining adherents, they slowly but surely lost them. By the end of the 1970s, some of these groups were working on the left end of the Democratic Party, hoping to expand the small opening created by George McGovern’s 1972 campaign into creating a genuine left parliamentary opposition in the US. Other groups were fighting amongst themselves, listening to provocateurs in their midsts, or just dissolving into thin air, as it were. Meanwhile, the US right wing was consolidating its forces behind millions and millions of corporate dollars. The result was the election of Ronald Reagan to the White House and the portrayal of Jimmy Carter, the creator of the Carter doctrine (which further bound the Empire’s military to the authoritarian regimes under whose lands the energy industry’s oil profits lay), as a leftist and wimp.
Nothing has been the same since. The Left waged successful campaigns against US support for apartheid, but hardly bothered to oppose the US invasion of Grenada. It was also fairly successful in opposing US support for the Contras in Nicaragua and the bloody regime killing thousands in El Salvador and elsewhere in Central America. Unfortunately, their activities did not foresee the creation of an extralegal funding process for the Contras or the emptiness of the legislation against the human rights violations of the El Salvadorian government. Also, despite one of the broadest campaigns against nuclear weapons in history, the Pentagon and its corporate cohorts placed their missiles throughout Europe. By 1989, the response of the Left to the Bush administration’s invasion of Panama was barely a whimper. Then came Bill Clinton–the popular pretender to the progressives’ throne. In a litany fairly well known, Clinton pushed the neoliberal wet dream known as NAFTA through Congress. Then he “reformed” public assistance to the poor. Then he pushed through the Omnibus Crime and Terrorism Bill, making federal crimes out of a multitude of political activities and increasing the number of federal crimes that were punishable by death. Oh yeah, he reneged on LGBT equality and injected racial coding into his campaign as if he were a modern day Republican. Meanwhile, he and Tony Blair maintained a deadly sanctions regime on Iraq while bombing it at will. Besides all this, Clinton lobbed cruise missiles much like Barack Obama launches armed drones. On top of all this, he helped create the situation that provoked the crash of 2008. No, he wasn’t solely responsible, but the illusion of money where there wasn’t any greatly expanded during his rule. And the Left was rather silent.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Police arrest 11 in connection with identity theft
The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office announced the arrest of 11 individuals on May 3 who operated an identity theft ring that left more than 70 victims in mroe than 30 different towns with a loss of more than $150,000.
Thirteen police departments, including Englewood Police Department, took part in an identity theft task force in partnership with the "White Collar Crimes Units" of the prosecutor's office.
Throughout 2012 and 2013, police received complaints that unknown individuals had applied for credit accounts under victims' names for various institutions, including Comenity Bank, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks 5th Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Kohl's, Lowe's, and Sears. The victims also received notice in the mail that "Authorized Buyers" were added to these new Hands free access.
Police were able to identify a connection between all the victims, who had recently refinanced or applied for mortgages at NJ Lenders Corporation, a mortgage brokerage company based in Little Falls. The company kept customer files in a Paterson warehouse called C. Marino Records, where warehouse employee and Paterson resident Kyle Davis would pick up records from NJ Lenders Corporation to store at the facility, said Molinelli.
The 48-year-old Davis would allegedly sell victim profiles for approximately $300 a piece to 32-year-old Paterson resident Shontera Jennings, said Molinelli. Jennings would then allegedly use the information to apply for credit card accounts and add "Authorized Buyers" to the accounts, which gave a "bust out crew," or the remaining nine individuals arrested, the ability to purchase items utilizing an "account look-up" method and a proof of identification.
"Account lookup" does not require the use of the physical card to purchase items and instead allows a buyer to purchase items just by showing identification that they are an authorized buyer. This method allowed the crew to buy items before a physical card was issued and the victim became aware of the fake account, said Molinelli.
"Shontera Jennings uses that float time in between when the authorization is given by Macy's for charges to be put onto that card to the time where [the victim] will get [the card]," said Molinelli.
The bust out crew, who would buy everything from pajamas and home goods, would sell these items on the streets of New York City. Since the items were sold on the streets, police were not able to track down the goods, said Molinelli.
The bust out crew, who would buy everything from pajamas and home goods, would sell these items on the streets of New York City. Since the items were sold on the streets, police were not able to track down the goods, said Molinelli.
"The bust out crew is pretty smart," said Molinelli. "They know what sells easily on the streets of New York."
Molinelli said knowledge of the identity theft cases were made possible by victims calling their local police departments. He urged members of the public to not just call their credit card companies when they experience a case of identity theft, but to let the police know so they can work on catching the perpetrators.
Austin Cunningham was known as a champion for Orangeburg, a dedicated man who did more than observe from the sideline. He became involved, from efforts to build a new hospital in the early 1980s to building better race relations across his decades here. He was a driving force behind the Community of Character campaign that others have modeled from Orangeburg County. He was an avid reader, always an individual with wide knowledge and an ability to articulate it.
A non-practicing attorney, Cunningham was a successful entrepreneur and businessman before his retirement focused him solely on public service. The death of the renaissance man in 2009 left a big void for Orangeburg. But he lives on through his many influences — and his writing. Excerpts from his “Nuts and bolts commencement address” are sound advice for those marching into the work world.
“My talks have evolved under four headings: your body; your mind; your money; your character. Your body: It’s the only one you’ll ever have. For the rest of your life, exercise three hours a week. Don’t regard it as time you can’t spare. You can be listening to educational audio tapes. Exercise brings with it vibrancy, vitality, energy, relaxation, serenity. It’s addictive. If you stop it, you miss it.
“For the rest of your life, eat and drink intelligently. If you do, you’ve had your last glass of sweetened tea. Tea is good for you. Drink it plain or stir in the zero-calorie alternative. You have to stir vigorously. Consider it exercise. Sugar contributes only empty, harmful calories. Don’t tell me it doesn’t taste as good. Get used to it! The good life is made up of adjustments. No alcohol in anything approaching excess. Of course no tobacco in any form. Never use fattening dairy products. Skim milk is the only milk for you and me. It has all of the good and none of the bad. Read the advice columns about taking care of your only body.
“Your mind: Read a newspaper every day, seven days a week. Not just the comics, sports, entertainment but the editorial page and news. It will, over five years, give you the equivalent of a college education. If you can’t afford one, run by the library. Change your TV viewing habits. Get accustomed to both C-Spans, Discovery, History, Travel channels. The more you know, the more you want to know. Your mind is precious, the more it’s stretched, the more efficient it gets. Memorize something daily. (Ask yourself. Are you ambitious? Do you really want to get ahead? If so, keep on reading.) Be more curious, more observant. Are you handicapped by walking through life with blinders on? Many young people are. Don’t sleepwalk your life away.
Thirteen police departments, including Englewood Police Department, took part in an identity theft task force in partnership with the "White Collar Crimes Units" of the prosecutor's office.
Throughout 2012 and 2013, police received complaints that unknown individuals had applied for credit accounts under victims' names for various institutions, including Comenity Bank, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks 5th Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Kohl's, Lowe's, and Sears. The victims also received notice in the mail that "Authorized Buyers" were added to these new Hands free access.
Police were able to identify a connection between all the victims, who had recently refinanced or applied for mortgages at NJ Lenders Corporation, a mortgage brokerage company based in Little Falls. The company kept customer files in a Paterson warehouse called C. Marino Records, where warehouse employee and Paterson resident Kyle Davis would pick up records from NJ Lenders Corporation to store at the facility, said Molinelli.
The 48-year-old Davis would allegedly sell victim profiles for approximately $300 a piece to 32-year-old Paterson resident Shontera Jennings, said Molinelli. Jennings would then allegedly use the information to apply for credit card accounts and add "Authorized Buyers" to the accounts, which gave a "bust out crew," or the remaining nine individuals arrested, the ability to purchase items utilizing an "account look-up" method and a proof of identification.
"Account lookup" does not require the use of the physical card to purchase items and instead allows a buyer to purchase items just by showing identification that they are an authorized buyer. This method allowed the crew to buy items before a physical card was issued and the victim became aware of the fake account, said Molinelli.
"Shontera Jennings uses that float time in between when the authorization is given by Macy's for charges to be put onto that card to the time where [the victim] will get [the card]," said Molinelli.
The bust out crew, who would buy everything from pajamas and home goods, would sell these items on the streets of New York City. Since the items were sold on the streets, police were not able to track down the goods, said Molinelli.
The bust out crew, who would buy everything from pajamas and home goods, would sell these items on the streets of New York City. Since the items were sold on the streets, police were not able to track down the goods, said Molinelli.
"The bust out crew is pretty smart," said Molinelli. "They know what sells easily on the streets of New York."
Molinelli said knowledge of the identity theft cases were made possible by victims calling their local police departments. He urged members of the public to not just call their credit card companies when they experience a case of identity theft, but to let the police know so they can work on catching the perpetrators.
Austin Cunningham was known as a champion for Orangeburg, a dedicated man who did more than observe from the sideline. He became involved, from efforts to build a new hospital in the early 1980s to building better race relations across his decades here. He was a driving force behind the Community of Character campaign that others have modeled from Orangeburg County. He was an avid reader, always an individual with wide knowledge and an ability to articulate it.
A non-practicing attorney, Cunningham was a successful entrepreneur and businessman before his retirement focused him solely on public service. The death of the renaissance man in 2009 left a big void for Orangeburg. But he lives on through his many influences — and his writing. Excerpts from his “Nuts and bolts commencement address” are sound advice for those marching into the work world.
“My talks have evolved under four headings: your body; your mind; your money; your character. Your body: It’s the only one you’ll ever have. For the rest of your life, exercise three hours a week. Don’t regard it as time you can’t spare. You can be listening to educational audio tapes. Exercise brings with it vibrancy, vitality, energy, relaxation, serenity. It’s addictive. If you stop it, you miss it.
“For the rest of your life, eat and drink intelligently. If you do, you’ve had your last glass of sweetened tea. Tea is good for you. Drink it plain or stir in the zero-calorie alternative. You have to stir vigorously. Consider it exercise. Sugar contributes only empty, harmful calories. Don’t tell me it doesn’t taste as good. Get used to it! The good life is made up of adjustments. No alcohol in anything approaching excess. Of course no tobacco in any form. Never use fattening dairy products. Skim milk is the only milk for you and me. It has all of the good and none of the bad. Read the advice columns about taking care of your only body.
“Your mind: Read a newspaper every day, seven days a week. Not just the comics, sports, entertainment but the editorial page and news. It will, over five years, give you the equivalent of a college education. If you can’t afford one, run by the library. Change your TV viewing habits. Get accustomed to both C-Spans, Discovery, History, Travel channels. The more you know, the more you want to know. Your mind is precious, the more it’s stretched, the more efficient it gets. Memorize something daily. (Ask yourself. Are you ambitious? Do you really want to get ahead? If so, keep on reading.) Be more curious, more observant. Are you handicapped by walking through life with blinders on? Many young people are. Don’t sleepwalk your life away.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
The Latest from Clarion Marine
In recent years, most of the major 12 Volt manufacturers have separated their marine offerings from their current models. Which is a good thing. Engineering poured into the rigors of surviving the salt water environment is always welcome. Also welcome is the forethought into wired remote controls and wireless controllers that let mariners crank their tunes with ease. For example, if you are in the cockpit (yeah- it doesn’t make sense to me either but the cockpit of the boat is where the guys on Wicked Tuna reel in the fish) and the head unit is located in the helm, how are you going to change SiriusXM stations?
Clarion has poured a lot of their knowledge into this marine lineup. I am especially digging the six-channel XC6610 Class D amplifier. Clarion Marine amp XC6610These can be great for today’s ultra-efficient outboard motors that are constantly monitoring alternator draw to deliver the most nautical miles per gallon. Give me one of those six-channel amps on a nice 22′ outboard, a CMD8 controlling the works, two sets of CMQ coaxials, and a 10″ subwoofer encased in a custom fiberglass box for a fiberglass boat and I’ll be rocking in the redneck yacht club.
Clarion Corporation of America, a market leader in marine audio electronics, announced introduction of the largest assortment of all-new marine products in their history with over a dozen new rtls. The new product line-up includes high-performance marine systems from source units to speakers and amplifiers as well as remote controls.
“Nearly a decade ago, Clarion developed the industry’s first watertight marine stereo which became the benchmark other products compared to for years,” stated Allen H. Gharapetian, Vice President of Marketing for Clarion Corporation of America. “Our passion and commitment for designing and engineering the world’s most reliable, high-quality marine products have positioned Clarion as one of the best known and most trusted brands in the marine industry.”
The new M303 is a single DIN CD Player/Receiver featuring Parrot? Bluetooth for hands-free calling and stereo audio streaming. The built-in microphone and external microphone ready option ensure loud and clear hands-free communication. M303 is designed with an integrated drip shield and features a humi seal coated PCB to help protect against elements. The new M303 is SiriusXM-Ready? and capable of receiving SiriusXM’s commercial-free music, premier sports talk and live events, comedy, news, exclusive talk and entertainment as well as SiriusXM Latino, the most comprehensive Latin music, sports and talk programming in radio. Features include iTunes? Tagging; SiriusXM Replay? for pause, rewind and replay of up to 60 minutes of live SiriusXM content, and Song Alert and Artist Alert for notification when a favorite song or rtls is playing on any channel.
Both CMD8 and M303 models include Pandora internet radio access via an iPod or iPhone USB connection 2-channel RCA auxiliary audio inputs (rear) with rear USB and water resistant caps, and meet or exceed ASTM B117 (Salt/Fog Exposure) and ASTM D4329 (UV Exposure) standards. Both units are also designed to deliver exceptionally smooth sound courtesy of Magna BAS EX dynamic bass enhancement, built in high and low pass filters and Beat EQ 3-Band Parametric Equalizer.
Clarion’s 2013 full range XC series Class D amplifiers are designed with the demanding marine environment in mind. The all-new XC6610 is a 6-channel amplifier while the XC1410 is a 4-channel model offering a truly compact form factor for easy installation and sporting sleek new cosmetics. The XC6610 is designed specifically to protect electronic components, endure the harsh saltwater environment with its corrosion resistant ABYC connectors, and fully comply with the ASTM 4329 (UV Exposure) standard. The XC1410 is a revolutionary compact model at only 7 inches wide, 2 ? inches wide and 1 3/8 inches deep, allowing it to be installed in tight spaces. Clarion marine amplifiers add great looks and powerful, balanced sound to any boat or yacht, enhancing the overall cruise experience.
For 2013, Clarion offers two brand new marine speaker lines, the CMG and the CMQ series. Both series meet or exceed ASTM B117 (Salt/Fog Exposure) and ASTM B4329 (UV Exposure) standards and feature high impact BASF 778 grill and frame, liquid drainage system, rubber mounting gaskets and gold plated terminals to ensure durability in the harsh marine environment. To deliver accurate sound with high efficiency, the units feature ferric oxide magnets and magnetic shielding integrated in the baskets. Power is rated at 100 watts for CMG and 160 watts for CMQ models and there is an impressive 350 watts of power available for subwoofers.
“I hope the opposition accepts the result with an open heart and will allow the democratic process to continue,” Mr. Najib told a press conference after his party’s win was announced. “The results show a trend of polarization which worries the government. If it is not addressed, it can create tension or division in the country."
The 59-year-old Mr. Najib has been prime minister since 2009 but was running in his first election as party leader. He campaigned on his party’s reputation for stable governance and sound economic management, including 5.6 per cent growth in 2012.
Despite the win, three well-known members of Mr. Najib’s cabinet looked likely to lose their parliamentary seats. The National Front appeared to do particularly poorly among ethnic Chinese, who make up almost a quarter of Malaysia’s population but resent the government’s affirmative action policies that favour the Malay majority.
The debate over the fairness of the election seems unlikely to quickly fade. Mr. Anwar told The Globe and Mail before the vote that the government would face “the wrath of the people” if there was evidence the election result had been manipulated.
A tally conducted Sunday by the People’s Alliance showed a dead heat, with each coalition winning 80 seats and 62 more seats not yet decided. Two major pre-election polls had given a slight edge to Mr. Anwar’s coalition, although the lead was within the margin of error in both cases.
Two hours after polls closed – and as results were only starting to trickle in – Mr. Anwar claimed victory via his Facebook and Twitter accounts. “[The People’s Alliance] has won,” he wrote. “We urge [Mr. Najib’s party] and the [Election Commission] to not attempt to hijack the results.”
Once it became clear that the official results would contradict that claim, Mr. Anwar told a press conference about a host of alleged electoral violations.
He said the supposedly indelible ink that was supposed to prevent voter fraud was actually easy to wash off and charged that the results of advance voting by security services had suspiciously favoured the National Front. He also alleged that the government had given identification papers to foreign nationals so they could cast ballots on Sunday, a claim the ruling party denied.
Clarion has poured a lot of their knowledge into this marine lineup. I am especially digging the six-channel XC6610 Class D amplifier. Clarion Marine amp XC6610These can be great for today’s ultra-efficient outboard motors that are constantly monitoring alternator draw to deliver the most nautical miles per gallon. Give me one of those six-channel amps on a nice 22′ outboard, a CMD8 controlling the works, two sets of CMQ coaxials, and a 10″ subwoofer encased in a custom fiberglass box for a fiberglass boat and I’ll be rocking in the redneck yacht club.
Clarion Corporation of America, a market leader in marine audio electronics, announced introduction of the largest assortment of all-new marine products in their history with over a dozen new rtls. The new product line-up includes high-performance marine systems from source units to speakers and amplifiers as well as remote controls.
“Nearly a decade ago, Clarion developed the industry’s first watertight marine stereo which became the benchmark other products compared to for years,” stated Allen H. Gharapetian, Vice President of Marketing for Clarion Corporation of America. “Our passion and commitment for designing and engineering the world’s most reliable, high-quality marine products have positioned Clarion as one of the best known and most trusted brands in the marine industry.”
The new M303 is a single DIN CD Player/Receiver featuring Parrot? Bluetooth for hands-free calling and stereo audio streaming. The built-in microphone and external microphone ready option ensure loud and clear hands-free communication. M303 is designed with an integrated drip shield and features a humi seal coated PCB to help protect against elements. The new M303 is SiriusXM-Ready? and capable of receiving SiriusXM’s commercial-free music, premier sports talk and live events, comedy, news, exclusive talk and entertainment as well as SiriusXM Latino, the most comprehensive Latin music, sports and talk programming in radio. Features include iTunes? Tagging; SiriusXM Replay? for pause, rewind and replay of up to 60 minutes of live SiriusXM content, and Song Alert and Artist Alert for notification when a favorite song or rtls is playing on any channel.
Both CMD8 and M303 models include Pandora internet radio access via an iPod or iPhone USB connection 2-channel RCA auxiliary audio inputs (rear) with rear USB and water resistant caps, and meet or exceed ASTM B117 (Salt/Fog Exposure) and ASTM D4329 (UV Exposure) standards. Both units are also designed to deliver exceptionally smooth sound courtesy of Magna BAS EX dynamic bass enhancement, built in high and low pass filters and Beat EQ 3-Band Parametric Equalizer.
Clarion’s 2013 full range XC series Class D amplifiers are designed with the demanding marine environment in mind. The all-new XC6610 is a 6-channel amplifier while the XC1410 is a 4-channel model offering a truly compact form factor for easy installation and sporting sleek new cosmetics. The XC6610 is designed specifically to protect electronic components, endure the harsh saltwater environment with its corrosion resistant ABYC connectors, and fully comply with the ASTM 4329 (UV Exposure) standard. The XC1410 is a revolutionary compact model at only 7 inches wide, 2 ? inches wide and 1 3/8 inches deep, allowing it to be installed in tight spaces. Clarion marine amplifiers add great looks and powerful, balanced sound to any boat or yacht, enhancing the overall cruise experience.
For 2013, Clarion offers two brand new marine speaker lines, the CMG and the CMQ series. Both series meet or exceed ASTM B117 (Salt/Fog Exposure) and ASTM B4329 (UV Exposure) standards and feature high impact BASF 778 grill and frame, liquid drainage system, rubber mounting gaskets and gold plated terminals to ensure durability in the harsh marine environment. To deliver accurate sound with high efficiency, the units feature ferric oxide magnets and magnetic shielding integrated in the baskets. Power is rated at 100 watts for CMG and 160 watts for CMQ models and there is an impressive 350 watts of power available for subwoofers.
“I hope the opposition accepts the result with an open heart and will allow the democratic process to continue,” Mr. Najib told a press conference after his party’s win was announced. “The results show a trend of polarization which worries the government. If it is not addressed, it can create tension or division in the country."
The 59-year-old Mr. Najib has been prime minister since 2009 but was running in his first election as party leader. He campaigned on his party’s reputation for stable governance and sound economic management, including 5.6 per cent growth in 2012.
Despite the win, three well-known members of Mr. Najib’s cabinet looked likely to lose their parliamentary seats. The National Front appeared to do particularly poorly among ethnic Chinese, who make up almost a quarter of Malaysia’s population but resent the government’s affirmative action policies that favour the Malay majority.
The debate over the fairness of the election seems unlikely to quickly fade. Mr. Anwar told The Globe and Mail before the vote that the government would face “the wrath of the people” if there was evidence the election result had been manipulated.
A tally conducted Sunday by the People’s Alliance showed a dead heat, with each coalition winning 80 seats and 62 more seats not yet decided. Two major pre-election polls had given a slight edge to Mr. Anwar’s coalition, although the lead was within the margin of error in both cases.
Two hours after polls closed – and as results were only starting to trickle in – Mr. Anwar claimed victory via his Facebook and Twitter accounts. “[The People’s Alliance] has won,” he wrote. “We urge [Mr. Najib’s party] and the [Election Commission] to not attempt to hijack the results.”
Once it became clear that the official results would contradict that claim, Mr. Anwar told a press conference about a host of alleged electoral violations.
He said the supposedly indelible ink that was supposed to prevent voter fraud was actually easy to wash off and charged that the results of advance voting by security services had suspiciously favoured the National Front. He also alleged that the government had given identification papers to foreign nationals so they could cast ballots on Sunday, a claim the ruling party denied.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Adyen Shuttle to process mobile Point-of-Sale payments
Adyen Shuttle is a mobile payment terminal that enables merchants to accept chip & PIN card transactions at the point-of-sale, connecting via Bluetooth to any Android or iOS mobile device. The solution is fully EMV (Europay, MasterCard, Visa) compliant, meaning that it can process payments for all credit and debit cards. Crucially, the Adyen Shuttle terminal utilises the same Internet-based reporting interface as Adyen’s online and mobile payment solutions, meaning that merchants can implement a multichannel payment strategy through one, simple integration.
Patrick de Laive, Co-Founder, The Next Web, explained, “For an organizer or business owner it is expensive and often painfully difficult to accept on-site debit and credit card payments. The Adyen Shuttle erases this friction. It is easy to set up, reliable and accepts all card payments as part of an elegant solution. There are simply no more excuses for event organisers not to accept card payments.”
Since its European launch in December 2012, Adyen has seen phenomenal demand for its Shuttle MPOS solution across a very wide range of industry sectors and from businesses of all sizes – small specialist stores right up to multinational brands. Shuttle is currently being used to take card payments at point-of-sale by taxi and delivery firms, market traders, high street fashion retailers, driving schools, bed & breakfasts, boat rental, event organisers, luxury retailers and healthcare brands amongst many others rtls.
All in Solo, a driving school based in Rotterdam, recently started using Adyen to take online reservations for driving lessons and uses Shuttle to take payment at point-of-sale. Rinus Verheij, Managing Director, All in Solo, said “The Adyen payment solution and Shuttle mobile point-of-sale device provides us with a low cost way to easily accept payments for lessons in our driving school cars. The solution will help us grow our business and increases security for our drivers who no longer have to carry cash in cars. The Adyen Shuttle is an essential part of the professional service we deliver to our customers.”
“Shuttle has been developed to bring complete mobility to point-of-sale commerce, and for events such as TNW Conference 2013, it makes accepting credit and debit card transactions easy,” explained Roelant Prins, CCO, Adyen. “We have been delighted with uptake for the Shuttle solution, which offers a natural extension of our online and mobile payment solution, and provides complete integration across all sales channels.”
Last season's Champions League winners went in front when Branislav Ivanovic - victim of Luis Suarez's bite - won a header which went in off Victor Moses, who claimed his third goal in as many Europa League games.
The visitors should have scored again prior to Fernando Torres striking the post before Cesar Azpilicueta was adjudged to have fouled Valentin Stocker and Fabian Schar converted an 87th-minute penalty. However, Chelsea responded and Luiz's late intervention earned the advantage ahead of next week's return at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea, who had lost four of their five prior European away games, missed numerous chances and Luiz's shot skipped around the wall and inside the post after John Terry had been denied by goalkeeper Yann Sommer's point-blank save earlier in stoppage time.
Chelsea, playing in white, had to be patient as Basle started well before Azpilicueta raced down the right and crossed to the near post, where Lampard's prod towards goal was turned away for a corner by Sommer. Lampard's set-piece was met by Ivanovic, whose header deflected off Moses and bounced inside the far post.
Eden Hazard, playing centrally behind Torres, was doing his utmost to find openings in the Basle defence, but all too frequently Chelsea gave the ball away. Torres twice had half-chances before Lampard found Ramires and the Brazilian's dipping shot from the right was saved well by Sommer.
Much of the second half was disjointed and punctuated by mistakes as Chelsea were forced to repel repeated Basle attacks. Fabian Frei shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box and Cole received a yellow card for time wasting at a throw-in before Aleksandar Dragovic was booked for a sliding challenge on Torres, meaning the defender will now miss the second leg.
Hazard made way for Juan Mata and Lampard was replaced by Oscar as Chelsea's search for a second continued to prove elusive. Basle substitute Marcelo Diaz curled an effort narrowly wide and Cech collected at the feet of Mohamed Salah after the winger had been played in by Dragovic. But Chelsea found themselves level when Azpilicueta was ruled to have hauled down Stocker in the area and Schar sent the ball down the middle of Cech's goal.
Patrick de Laive, Co-Founder, The Next Web, explained, “For an organizer or business owner it is expensive and often painfully difficult to accept on-site debit and credit card payments. The Adyen Shuttle erases this friction. It is easy to set up, reliable and accepts all card payments as part of an elegant solution. There are simply no more excuses for event organisers not to accept card payments.”
Since its European launch in December 2012, Adyen has seen phenomenal demand for its Shuttle MPOS solution across a very wide range of industry sectors and from businesses of all sizes – small specialist stores right up to multinational brands. Shuttle is currently being used to take card payments at point-of-sale by taxi and delivery firms, market traders, high street fashion retailers, driving schools, bed & breakfasts, boat rental, event organisers, luxury retailers and healthcare brands amongst many others rtls.
All in Solo, a driving school based in Rotterdam, recently started using Adyen to take online reservations for driving lessons and uses Shuttle to take payment at point-of-sale. Rinus Verheij, Managing Director, All in Solo, said “The Adyen payment solution and Shuttle mobile point-of-sale device provides us with a low cost way to easily accept payments for lessons in our driving school cars. The solution will help us grow our business and increases security for our drivers who no longer have to carry cash in cars. The Adyen Shuttle is an essential part of the professional service we deliver to our customers.”
“Shuttle has been developed to bring complete mobility to point-of-sale commerce, and for events such as TNW Conference 2013, it makes accepting credit and debit card transactions easy,” explained Roelant Prins, CCO, Adyen. “We have been delighted with uptake for the Shuttle solution, which offers a natural extension of our online and mobile payment solution, and provides complete integration across all sales channels.”
Last season's Champions League winners went in front when Branislav Ivanovic - victim of Luis Suarez's bite - won a header which went in off Victor Moses, who claimed his third goal in as many Europa League games.
The visitors should have scored again prior to Fernando Torres striking the post before Cesar Azpilicueta was adjudged to have fouled Valentin Stocker and Fabian Schar converted an 87th-minute penalty. However, Chelsea responded and Luiz's late intervention earned the advantage ahead of next week's return at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea, who had lost four of their five prior European away games, missed numerous chances and Luiz's shot skipped around the wall and inside the post after John Terry had been denied by goalkeeper Yann Sommer's point-blank save earlier in stoppage time.
Chelsea, playing in white, had to be patient as Basle started well before Azpilicueta raced down the right and crossed to the near post, where Lampard's prod towards goal was turned away for a corner by Sommer. Lampard's set-piece was met by Ivanovic, whose header deflected off Moses and bounced inside the far post.
Eden Hazard, playing centrally behind Torres, was doing his utmost to find openings in the Basle defence, but all too frequently Chelsea gave the ball away. Torres twice had half-chances before Lampard found Ramires and the Brazilian's dipping shot from the right was saved well by Sommer.
Much of the second half was disjointed and punctuated by mistakes as Chelsea were forced to repel repeated Basle attacks. Fabian Frei shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box and Cole received a yellow card for time wasting at a throw-in before Aleksandar Dragovic was booked for a sliding challenge on Torres, meaning the defender will now miss the second leg.
Hazard made way for Juan Mata and Lampard was replaced by Oscar as Chelsea's search for a second continued to prove elusive. Basle substitute Marcelo Diaz curled an effort narrowly wide and Cech collected at the feet of Mohamed Salah after the winger had been played in by Dragovic. But Chelsea found themselves level when Azpilicueta was ruled to have hauled down Stocker in the area and Schar sent the ball down the middle of Cech's goal.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Jerpoint Abbey is calling you
To understand the true importance of Jerpoint Abbey, Thomastown, situated after a bend on the road, along the old national primary route to Waterford (N9), you must go back to when it was at the height of its powers before the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1540s.
And you have to walk around the cloister (the square-shaped covered walk) with the ‘Garth’, green area in the centre, and try to imagine the White Monks, their heads bearing the shaved tonsure as they walked in the cloister walkways praying or singing in Gregorian chant. As they passed the beautifully designed and simple structure that have passed down to us, it would have been difficult for them not to be touched by the different images that confronted them as they walked around.
These figures carved in stone include such images as St Anthony of Egypt, the 4th Earl of Ormond, a manticore, a wyvern (legendary winged creature with a dragon’s head, lizard’s body, two legs and a barbed tail), a man with an upset tummy, knights and images of both St Catherine of Alexandria and St Margaret of Antioch. Interestingly both of these female figures are represented three times each in Jerpoint along with a carving of St Mary. These carvings echo some drawings found on medieval manuscripts.
It was very much an all-male, hierarchical system with the under-classed, lay brothers not allowed into the cloister and living in a separate area outside the inner sanctum. And let’s put one thing to rest. St Nicholas (now known as Santa) was not buried here by knights coming back from the Crusades. It’s a lovely, romantic tale but has no basis in truth any there is no written record to support it.
Folklore has it that his remains or a piece of his body or a relic associated with him lie in the abbey but that does not mean to say there is no link to St Nicholas and the area. He is strongly associated with the church named after him, not far from Jerpoint and close to the lost village of Jerpoint which has been lovingly and wonderfully unearthed and brought to life by Joe O’Connell. And it does have a certain aura and who knows the remains of St Nicholas may have ended up there.
The lost town, which grew up beside the abbey and declined dramatically in the 17th Century, is extremely important and greater links between the State-run abbey and the work on the telling the story of that town should be closer, making it an even better experience for visitors.
What should be at the centre of all this history – opening it up to as many people as possible. Brian Keyes wrote extensively in this paper about the lost town of Jerpoint and it is available on the Kilkenny People website.
Jerpoint Abbey still has a huge significance and still has a strong resonance with the surrounding community. Although there have been no funerals in the abbey precincts for the last few years, local families still have plots here and are entitled to be interred here.
The guides at Jerpoint are in possession of a map from early in the 20th Century which shows the various family plots dotted around the abbey and the supervisor, Dr Breda Lynch wouldn’t mind discussing it with anyone who thinks they might be able to name some of the plots.
I think that you have to climb the stairs to the open-air first floor of Jerpoint to really understand the life of the monks. And if there was a higher visitor platform it would make an even greater impression with visitors. If you are from Jerpoint like the retired Bishop of Ossory, Dr Laurence Forristal, you still have great memories of the place and people from here have a great respect and pride in it and maybe that’s why it has lasted so long - the reverence of the community it.
As one commentator has described it: “The dark, biscuit-coloured tower of Jerpoint Abbey, with its battlements, rears above a bend on the road south of Thomastown.”
What an apt description and that colour is in part due to the Dundry stone used in its construction and the fact that it has survived wars and natural calamities to remain relatively intact compared to others is amazing. There are no rich tapestries here, no priceless antiques and no portraits of in-bred toffs with long noses but here you can touch history and appreciate the lifestyle of those who lived and died here.
Receiving a five star tour from one of the most eminent scholars on the Cistercians in Ireland, Dr Breda Lynch, helps your appreciation of Jerpoint and as we walked up the wooden stairs to where the monks dormitory was and because the roof has long since been removed, we can see the Kilkenny-Waterford railway line where, in times past, trains stopped and people got off to view Jerpoint. In the fields below the first floor we can make out the outlines of various outbuildings and defences and the remains of the drainage system which may have included a system of reed beds (eco-friendly monks). But it is the monks and their existence that characterises your visit to their meagre sleeping quarters.
Their day started at two o’clock every morning and they walked down the stairs from the dormitory to the ground floor and into the church where they sang in Gregorian chant the first of the nine prayerful periods. I’m not sure there would be many takers today for the life of a monk in an enclosed order.
These Cistercians, were originally from Citeaux, France and were followers of the Rule of St Benedict which revolved around three basic principles; peace, prayer and work. As stated their day started at 2am and they were allowed a 1lb weight of coarse bread and two dishes of boiled vegetables per day. It gets a little better. They were also allowed eight pints of abbey-made beer every day. This beer was thick and had to be strained before drinking and was lighter than today’s Smithwicks but it was this beer that gave them the energy, we are led to believe, to keep going. They were banned from eating any four legged animal but they could feed on chicken, fowl and fish. However, standing there, Dr Breda explained that in the calefactory in font of us (again without a roof) a fire was lit on All Soul’s Day and quenched on Good Friday. This was the only heat in the entire complex.
Here, four times a year, the poor monks were bled and had up to four pints of blood removed. Yes, 16 pints a year. There was even a special “monastic blood pit” at many monasteries like Jerpoint. In medieval and early modern times it was erroneously thought that “letting blood” was good for all sorts of ailments and was common practice across the medieval world.
And you have to walk around the cloister (the square-shaped covered walk) with the ‘Garth’, green area in the centre, and try to imagine the White Monks, their heads bearing the shaved tonsure as they walked in the cloister walkways praying or singing in Gregorian chant. As they passed the beautifully designed and simple structure that have passed down to us, it would have been difficult for them not to be touched by the different images that confronted them as they walked around.
These figures carved in stone include such images as St Anthony of Egypt, the 4th Earl of Ormond, a manticore, a wyvern (legendary winged creature with a dragon’s head, lizard’s body, two legs and a barbed tail), a man with an upset tummy, knights and images of both St Catherine of Alexandria and St Margaret of Antioch. Interestingly both of these female figures are represented three times each in Jerpoint along with a carving of St Mary. These carvings echo some drawings found on medieval manuscripts.
It was very much an all-male, hierarchical system with the under-classed, lay brothers not allowed into the cloister and living in a separate area outside the inner sanctum. And let’s put one thing to rest. St Nicholas (now known as Santa) was not buried here by knights coming back from the Crusades. It’s a lovely, romantic tale but has no basis in truth any there is no written record to support it.
Folklore has it that his remains or a piece of his body or a relic associated with him lie in the abbey but that does not mean to say there is no link to St Nicholas and the area. He is strongly associated with the church named after him, not far from Jerpoint and close to the lost village of Jerpoint which has been lovingly and wonderfully unearthed and brought to life by Joe O’Connell. And it does have a certain aura and who knows the remains of St Nicholas may have ended up there.
The lost town, which grew up beside the abbey and declined dramatically in the 17th Century, is extremely important and greater links between the State-run abbey and the work on the telling the story of that town should be closer, making it an even better experience for visitors.
What should be at the centre of all this history – opening it up to as many people as possible. Brian Keyes wrote extensively in this paper about the lost town of Jerpoint and it is available on the Kilkenny People website.
Jerpoint Abbey still has a huge significance and still has a strong resonance with the surrounding community. Although there have been no funerals in the abbey precincts for the last few years, local families still have plots here and are entitled to be interred here.
The guides at Jerpoint are in possession of a map from early in the 20th Century which shows the various family plots dotted around the abbey and the supervisor, Dr Breda Lynch wouldn’t mind discussing it with anyone who thinks they might be able to name some of the plots.
I think that you have to climb the stairs to the open-air first floor of Jerpoint to really understand the life of the monks. And if there was a higher visitor platform it would make an even greater impression with visitors. If you are from Jerpoint like the retired Bishop of Ossory, Dr Laurence Forristal, you still have great memories of the place and people from here have a great respect and pride in it and maybe that’s why it has lasted so long - the reverence of the community it.
As one commentator has described it: “The dark, biscuit-coloured tower of Jerpoint Abbey, with its battlements, rears above a bend on the road south of Thomastown.”
What an apt description and that colour is in part due to the Dundry stone used in its construction and the fact that it has survived wars and natural calamities to remain relatively intact compared to others is amazing. There are no rich tapestries here, no priceless antiques and no portraits of in-bred toffs with long noses but here you can touch history and appreciate the lifestyle of those who lived and died here.
Receiving a five star tour from one of the most eminent scholars on the Cistercians in Ireland, Dr Breda Lynch, helps your appreciation of Jerpoint and as we walked up the wooden stairs to where the monks dormitory was and because the roof has long since been removed, we can see the Kilkenny-Waterford railway line where, in times past, trains stopped and people got off to view Jerpoint. In the fields below the first floor we can make out the outlines of various outbuildings and defences and the remains of the drainage system which may have included a system of reed beds (eco-friendly monks). But it is the monks and their existence that characterises your visit to their meagre sleeping quarters.
Their day started at two o’clock every morning and they walked down the stairs from the dormitory to the ground floor and into the church where they sang in Gregorian chant the first of the nine prayerful periods. I’m not sure there would be many takers today for the life of a monk in an enclosed order.
These Cistercians, were originally from Citeaux, France and were followers of the Rule of St Benedict which revolved around three basic principles; peace, prayer and work. As stated their day started at 2am and they were allowed a 1lb weight of coarse bread and two dishes of boiled vegetables per day. It gets a little better. They were also allowed eight pints of abbey-made beer every day. This beer was thick and had to be strained before drinking and was lighter than today’s Smithwicks but it was this beer that gave them the energy, we are led to believe, to keep going. They were banned from eating any four legged animal but they could feed on chicken, fowl and fish. However, standing there, Dr Breda explained that in the calefactory in font of us (again without a roof) a fire was lit on All Soul’s Day and quenched on Good Friday. This was the only heat in the entire complex.
Here, four times a year, the poor monks were bled and had up to four pints of blood removed. Yes, 16 pints a year. There was even a special “monastic blood pit” at many monasteries like Jerpoint. In medieval and early modern times it was erroneously thought that “letting blood” was good for all sorts of ailments and was common practice across the medieval world.
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