In 2007, which celebrity started a charitable organization called SixDegrees.org?

SixDegrees.org | Giving local causes a little celebrity Kevin Bacon turned the Six Degrees game connecting him to other Hollywood actors into a game-changing nonprofit aimed at using everyday activities to connect people and causes. It’s social networking for social good. We shine a light on volunteer-driven causes Dad's Garage hams it up when Kevin Bacon drops in unannounced on Atlanta's Baconfest fundraiser. Are you involved with a project that has mobilized or energized local community members to make change? Submit one of your charitable activities to put it on the radar for impromptu drop-ins or shout-outs. Celebrities, we make doing good fun and easy. Carolyn Malachi mentors members of the Taratibu Youth Association and included them in a recent music video. You already know a little star power can make a big difference in this world. But did you know that simply enjoying your existing interests can also benefit a cause? Whether you like food, fishing, running, reading, magic, gardening, gaming or anything in between, we can connect you with cool people using these interests to make change in communities across the globe. Go beyond the Charity Gala; give us a call to have a little fun with your do-gooding.


The German pedagogue Friedrich Fröbel who recognized that children have unique needs and capabilities introduced what concept of modern education?

Friedrich Fröbel - Razor Robotics Friedrich Fröbel 21 June 1852(1852-06-21) (aged 70) Schweina, Germany Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel or Froebel (  listen  ) ( German: [ˈfʁiːdʁɪç ˈvɪlhɛlm ˈaʊɡʊst ˈfʁøːbəl]; 21 April 1782 – 21 June 1852) was a German pedagogue, a student of Pestalozzi who laid the foundation for modern education based on the recognition that children have unique needs and capabilities. He created the concept of the "kindergarten" and also coined the word now used in German and English. He also developed the educational toys known as Froebel Gifts. Biography House in Oberweißbach where Friedrich Fröbel was born Friedrich Fröbel was born at Oberweißbach in the Principality of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in Thuringia. A cousin of his was the mother of Henriette Schrader-Breymann, and Henriette became a student of his. Fröbel's father, who died in 1802, was the pastor of the orthodox Lutheran (alt-lutherisch) parish there. The church and Lutheran Christian faith were pillars in Fröbel's own early education. Oberweißbach was a wealthy village in the Thuringian Forest and had been known centuries long for its natural herb remedies, tinctures, bitters, soaps and salves. Families had their own inherited areas of the forest where herbs and roots were grown and harvested. Each family prepared, bottled, and produced their individual products which were taken throughout Europe on trade routes passed from father to son, who were affectionately called "Buckelapotheker" or Rucksack Pharmacists. They adorned the church with art acquired from their travels, many pieces of which can still be seen in the renovated structure. The pulpit from which Fröbel heard his father preach is the largest in all Europe and can fit a pastor and 12 men, a direct reference to Christ's apostles. Shortly after Fröbel's birth, his mother's health began to fail. She died when he was nine months old, profoundly influencing his life. In 1792, Fröbel went to live in the small town of Stadt-Ilm with his uncle, a gentle and affectionate man. At the age of 15 Fröbel, who loved nature, became the apprentice to a forester. In 1799, he decided to leave his apprenticeship and study mathematics and botany in Jena. From 1802 to 1805, he worked as a land surveyor. On 11 September 1818, Fröbel wed Wilhelmine Henriette Hoffmeister (b. 1780) in Berlin. The union was childless. Wilhelmine died in 1839, and Fröbel married again in 1851. His second wife was Louise Levin. Career He began as an educator in 1805 at the Musterschule (a secondary school) in Frankfurt, where he learned about Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi’s ideas. He later worked with Pestalozzi in Switzerland where his ideas further developed. From 1806 Fröbel was the live-in teacher for a Frankfurt noble family’s three sons. He lived with the three children from 1808 to 1810 at Pestalozzi’s institute in Yverdon-les-Bains in Switzerland. In 1811, Fröbel once again went back to school in Göttingen and Berlin, eventually leaving without earning a certificate. He became a teacher at the Plamannsche Schule in Berlin, a boarding school for boys, and at that time also a pedagogical and patriotic centre. Allgemeine Deutsche Erziehungsanstalt in Keilhau, nowadays the Keilhau Free Fröbel School During his service in the Lützow Free Corps in 1813 and 1814 – when he was involved in two campaigns against Napoleon – Fröbel befriended Wilhelm Middendorf, a theologian and fellow pedagogue, and Heinrich Langethal, also a pedagogue. After Waterloo and the Congress of Vienna, Fröbel found himself a civilian once again and became an assistant at the Museum of Mineralogy under Christian Samuel Weiss. This did not, however, last very long, and by 1816 he had quit and founded the Allgemeine Deutsche Erziehungsanstalt (German General Education Institute) in Griesheim near Arnstadt in Thuringia. A year later he moved this to Keilhau near (now in) Rudolstadt. In 1831, work was continued there by the other cofounders Wilhelm Middendorf and Heinrich Langethal. In 1820, Fröbel published the first of his five Keilhau pamphlets, An unser


In navigation, what is the process of estimating one's current position based upon a previously determined position and advancing it using estimated speed over elapsed time, and course?

Dead reckoning - Appropedia: The sustainability wiki Appropedia needs your support - Please Donate Today Dead reckoning Jump to: navigation , search Dead reckoning (DR) is the process of estimating one's current position based upon a previously determined position, or fix, and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds over elapsed time, and course. Contents 5 External links Workings and requirements[ edit ] In practice dead reckoning works by noting down your current position regularly by taking into account your previous position and determining where you are now having used a certain compass coarse. You are able to determine where you are now since you know the time that has elapsed since your last position the speed by which you were travelling and any events that changed your direction of travel (ie wind, currents, ...) So before being able to use dead reckoning it is vital that you have pencil, and a map of the area on which meridians and parallells are marked. For reasons of accuracy, you need a detailed map and have the parallells marked per 5 minutes (5') you know the variation in the area in which you are travelling you have a compass, accurate watch, and (preferably) instruments to record strength of the wind, currents, ... have recorded the time of travelling, ... in a (ship's) log Compensating for compass incorrection, drift (wind) and drift (current)[ edit ] File:Plotting a course.JPG Plotting a coarse When plotting a course, there are 2 incorrections associated with the use of the compass that need to be corrected. Also, the drift from wind and current needs to be compensated. Formula: Compass course + magnetic deviation + magnetic variation + drift (wind) + drift (current) = Course over water (or ship track) Note: Compass course + magnetic deviation + magnetic variation = True course Note: Compass course + magnetic deviation + magnetic variation + drift (wind) = Course over ground (or airship track) Magnetic deviation[ edit ] Compass deviation table The magnetic deviation is the incorrection which occurs due to the presence of metal parts/objects on the ship. On wooden (or plastic) vessels it is nonexistent. On metal ships, a compass deviation table (see right image) needs to be present. The deviation varies depending on the heading. Magnetic variation[ edit ] The magnetic variation is an icorrection caused by the earth itself; it varies depending on the location and the year. The variation can be either west or east. If the variation is west, it means that the magnetic north is west of the true north. It then receives a - sign. If the variation is east, it means that the magnetic north is east of the true north. It then receives a + sign. Note: on most (nautical) maps, the variation is often shown for the particular location of the map on a compass rose (solely for the year of purchase of the map) Measuring distance on your (paper) map[ edit ] Given that the circumferenece of a meridian is exactly 40 000 km; 1 minute on the meridian (1') is exactly 1,852 km. One degree is 111,12 km [1] . The minutes/degrees of the parallels can't be used (since the parallells differ in size; ie the 0° parallell is much longer than those more towards the north or south pole. The required length can be simply taken over from the meridian using a thumbscrew compass and used to draw out the course/track. Given that 1,852km is exactly the length of 1 nautical mile (knot), it facilitates things as well; we can simply extent the measured distance by the amount of hours we travelled at a given amount of knots/h. Drift (wind) and drift(current)[ edit ] The amount of drift will differ depending on the strength/exact heading; however a counteracting of 5° (in the opposite direction) is often taken as a baseline for drift (wind) and 10° for drift (current) when any drift is encountered. Taking a bearing now and then[ edit ] A significant disadvantage of dead reckoning is that since new positions are calculated solely from previous positions, the errors of the process are cumulative, so the error in the position fix


While recovering from wounds received in World War I, Dewitt Wallace had the idea to gather a sampling of articles from various publications; this resulted in the birth of what popular magazine?

Vol. 10: #2 • Tidbits Peruses a Few Magazines • (1/5/2014) Tidbits of Coachella Valley by Tidbits of Coachella Valley - issuu issuu Co W IS acheELC IT lla VOM O alleE FREE R y S V Weekly Readers Nationwide! Valley Wide! of Coachella Valley The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read ...and you’re one of them. Published by: AdVenture Media 79 TUNE-UP S E R V I N G YOU For Advertising Call (760) 320-0997 * NO OVERTIME CHARGES | 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICES Contact us today to schedule a convenient appointment ® Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Pric 760-235-4423 CallTheGeneral.com License #686310. Promo code 04110. *Per System. Not valid with other offers or on previous purchases. $99 ADVERTISING PROOF Final Changes DUE: 5:00 NO OVERTIME CHARGES + 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICES THE CABAZON OUTLETS Front Page - prem. position OVERTIME CHARGES + 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICES July 7, 2013 - Sept. 29, NO2013 Vol. X Issue No. 2 ! l a i c e p S New Year TIDBITS PERUSES A FEW HEATING or A/C Ad Proof: Cabazon Outlets 3” x 4” • Front Page “Box” ad Final Changes Due: 5 PM Mon., 7/1/13 ! For Advertising Call (760) 320-0997 • TidbitsPalmSprings.com Week of January 5, 2014 Proudly Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corre 760-346-5500 Office: 760-320-0997 by Kathy Wolfe Fax: 760-320-1630 72-270 Highway 111 Ste B4 Palm Desert Professional Weight Control Centers A Nursing Corporation Valley Patios Expires Jan 31 2014 www.professionalweightcontrol.com Front pg 4C T.F. Did you know that about 7,500 magazines are published in America? Some are very familiar titles, ADVERTISING PROOF others -- not so much. This week Tidbits takes someFinal Changes DUE: 5:00 p.m time to look at the history of magazines, that portion Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  of the print industry that has long been one of our Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections Office: 760-320-0997 Fax: 760-320-1630 favorite sources of information and regular reading ADVERTISING PROOF material. PATIO COVERS 24-HR EMERGENCY SERVICES NO OVERTIME CHARGES Changes DUE: Fri, March 29, 2013 5:00 • Benjamin Franklin came up with the ideaFinal of publishing America’s first magazine inPlease 1741.review He carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Pri ADVERTISING PROOF Spewith cializing carefully put his plans in place, but just threeContact days your Tidbits representative immediately in: Final Changes DUE: 5:00 p.m.. changes or corre Please review carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours ● Alum inum -Wo before his American Magazine came out in print, od Office: 760-320-0997 Fax: 760-320-1630 Contact your Tidbits representative immediately with changes or corrections. patio covers Office: 760-320-0997 Fax: 760-320-1630 a man by the name of Andrew Bradford beat him WINTER SAVINGS! ADVERTISING PROOF ● Shade cloth Mention this ad for installation to the punch with General Magazine. Perhaps the inal Changes DUE: 5:00 p.m.. ● Drop Down Shades *Mention this ad at nation wasn’t ready for such publications, because iew carefully. Double check:  Phone Number(s)  Spelling  Prices  Hours ● Awnings Customer Service by Bradford’s magazine lasted just three issues, and Starbucks to receivewith changes or corrections. act your Tidbits representative immediately your FREE VIP Franklin ceased printing his after issue number Office: 760-320-0997 Fax: 760-320-1630 SAVINGS CARD for Property of six. A few others, including Christian History in additional discounts AdVenture Media, Inc. 1743, tried their hand at publishing and also failed. 20 minutes West of Palm Springs FREE Estimates! Dr. Sohail Ahmad $200 OFF ANY PURCHASE OVER $1,500 on IDoor -10 at Morongo Trail Exit 104 So. Calif. Sliding 48750 Seminole Drive • Cabazon, CA 92230 Front pg premium. 4C T.F. ( ) Tel 951 922-3000 • cabazonoutlets.com • It wasn’t until 1821 that the first truly successful U.S. magazine, The Saturday Evening Post, gained enough popularity with the American p


What ubiquitous font created by designer Vincent Connare was said to have been inspired by the graphic novels The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen?

Blog - view-fonts.com Blog Contact Us Comic Sans: The Font We Love To Hate Since it was released by Microsoft twenty years ago, the Comic Sans font has been much-maligned in the typography world. Like the drunk uncle that no one likes to speak of or acknowledge, Comic Sans gets no love and even less respect. Vincent Connare, a Microsoft employee, created the Comic Sans font as a supplemental font in 1994 for the Windows Plus Pack. Based off of the lettering style of The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen comic books. It was later included as part of Microsoft Comic Chat. When Microsoft released Windows 95, Comic Sans was included as part of the Operating Systems standard font set and has been included in every Windows version since. Critics of the font complain not only of ubiquitous font’s prevalence, but also of its use in the most serious of subjects. Examples of this “inappropriateness” include its use in a public letter by Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert announcing LeBron James’s decision to leave the team. The Vatican used the Comic Sans font for web publication of photos of Pope Benedict XVI upon his retirement. Serge Haroche, Nobel Laurette in Physics, used Comic Sans in his Nobel lecture in December 2012. The font was even used on the 2004 Canada Day 25-cent collector coin. So reviled is the font, a website, Ban Comic Sans (www.bancomicsans.com), whose Ban Comic Sans Manifesto includes the passage, “We believe in the gospel message ‘ban comic sans.’ It shall be salvation to all who are literate.” Another website, Comic Sans Criminals (www.comicsanscriminal.com), includes a Comic Sans Pledge that visitors can print and sign. The pledger commits to “…seriously consider whether Comic Sans as an appropriate font choice before using it…” The site also provides alternative comic book and dyslexia fonts for download. Not all hate the font, however. Consider the fact that it’s still being used by scores of typographically-challenged people worldwide every day. Comic Sans also gets much love in the Netherlands where Comic Sans Day has been held every first Friday in July since 2009. Some Dutch companies, KLM included, have their entire websites in Comic Sans on that day. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better (or worse depending on your point of view), meet Comic Neue (www.comicneue.com), a font described like Comic Sans, but with some key differences designed to make it less unsightly. Comic Neue, according to font designer. Craig Rozynski, “aspires to be the casual script choice for everyone including the typographically savvy.” The site offers Comic Neue for free download. Love it or hate it, Comic Sans has been around for twenty years and, like that drunk uncle, doesn’t seem likely to leave any time soon.


What is the common name of the computational problem whose task, when given a list of cities and the distances between them is to find the shortest possible tour that visits each city once?

Demystifying computer science for molecular ecologists - Belcaid - 2015 - Molecular Ecology - Wiley Online Library Demystifying computer science for molecular ecologists Authors The Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kane'ohe, HI, USA Correspondence: Mahdi Belcaid, Fax: (808) 236-7443; E-mail: mahdi@hawaii.edu Funding Information Abstract In this age of data-driven science and high-throughput biology, computational thinking is becoming an increasingly important skill for tackling both new and long-standing biological questions. However, despite its obvious importance and conspicuous integration into many areas of biology, computer science is still viewed as an obscure field that has, thus far, permeated into only a few of the biology curricula across the nation. A national survey has shown that lack of computational literacy in environmental sciences is the norm rather than the exception [Valle & Berdanier (2012) Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 93, 373–389]. In this article, we seek to introduce a few important concepts in computer science with the aim of providing a context-specific introduction aimed at research biologists. Our goal was to help biologists understand some of the most important mainstream computational concepts to better appreciate bioinformatics methods and trade-offs that are not obvious to the uninitiated. Standard PDF (910.5 KB) Introduction Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have produced a substantial decrease in the cost and the complexity of generating sequence data and are allowing researchers to tackle questions that were not previously possible. Along with this remarkable progress in data acquisition, parallel advances in computational sciences, such as in machine learning and high-performance computing, are allowing researchers to answer complex biological problems using creative computational and quantitative techniques. For example, it is now possible to identify germline and somatic variants in thousands of individuals at reasonable costs, by employing powerful algorithms to analyse data sets generated using reduced-representation methods, such as RAD-seq (Marx 2013 ; Pabinger et al. 2014 ). The scale and the complexity of these new problems require computational infrastructures beyond those typically available in a traditional molecular ecology laboratory, and the computational background required to mine these data sets can be a major handicap. As such, a basic understanding of computer science is becoming an essential part in training the next generation of data-enabled biologists, not only as a tool during the inevitable integration of computer science in biology, but also to foster productive interactions in the new era of multidisciplinary and large-scale biology. While an increasing number of undergraduate and graduate programmes are including bioinformatics, programming or computer science in their curricula, precious few students seem to understand the principal computational concepts underlying the tools they use on a regular basis in their research (Pevzner & Sharmir 2009 ; Valle & Berdanier 2012 ). Computer science is a discipline that lays the theoretical foundations for the systematic study of processes that describe and transform information (Brookshear & Brookshear 2003 ). Its applications are widespread and encompass, among other topics, the design of computer systems, algorithms, artificial intelligence and data mining. In recent years, computer science has carved out an important niche in biology by contributing the theoretical foundations required to answer fundamental biological questions. This tight integration of computer science in biology has in fact led to the creation of a new field of research called bioinformatics. It consists of the application of informatics techniques, such as applied mathematics, computer science and statistics, to organize and understand the information associated with biological molecules (Luscombe et al. 2001 ). Here, we provide an introduction to computer science for molecular ecologists to understand the con


"""Truth is a pathless land. Man cannot come to it through any organization, through any creed, through any dogma, priest or ritual, nor through any philosophical knowledge or psychological technique."" This statement made in 1929 is the core of which Indian philosopher's teaching?"

Truth is a Pathless Land - Meeting Jiddu Krishnamurti -  Jiddu Krishnamurthy - Nadesan Satyendra Truth is a Pathless Land Meeting Jiddu Krishnamurti Nadesan Satyendra , 10 May 1998 Jiddu Krishnamurti 1895 - 1986 from an original painting in oils by Jayalakshmi Satyendra "...I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organised... The moment you follow someone you cease to follow Truth... Then you will naturally ask me why I go the world over, continually speaking. I will tell you for what reason I do this... As an artist paints a picture because he takes delight in that painting, because it is his self-expression, his glory, his well being, so I do this not because I want anything from anyone... You are depending for your spirituality on someone else, for your happiness on someone else, for your enlightenment on someone else....  No man from outside can make you free ..... No one holds the Key to the Kingdom of Happiness. No one has the authority to hold that key. That key is your own self, and in the development and the purification and in the incorruptibility of that self alone is the Kingdom of Eternity..." Jiddu Krishnamurthy speaking on 3 August 1929 announcing the dissolution of the Order of the Star, Ommen Camp It was a cool December evening in Chennai. The year was 1974. My wife and I were visiting a friend in Egmore. Around 5 p.m., my friend said that he had to leave us to listen to a talk by Jiddu Krishnamurthy at Adyar. He asked, 'Why don't both of you come with me?'. I was reluctant. I had attempted to read some of Krishnamurthy's writings some ten years previously and had found him complex and difficult. I told my friend, 'You go ahead, we will meet you again tomorrow'. My friend's response was unexpected. He replied, 'Next to my father, Krishnamurthy is the man whom I love most. Why don't you come'. My friend was what one may call a 'good man' - kind, sincere and helpful and it was more because of the regard that we had for our friend than for Krishnamurthy, that my wife and I went to Adyar that evening. The Krishnmurthy Centre at Adyar is set in spacious surroundings . The talk was scheduled to commence at 5 p.m. in the open air under a large spreading tree. There were about 300-400 persons gathered to hear Krishnamurthy. Many were seated on the ground in front of the small raised dais reserved for the speaker. Behind those who were seated were a few rows of chairs. We sat on the chairs and awaited Krishnamurthy's arrival. Sharp at 5 p.m., a small fair man with chiseled features, dressed in white, walked briskly to the raised platform, seated himself and began talking. There were no introductions. To this day, I have not forgotten Krishnamurthy's first few words, 'If you already know what I am going to say, you need not have come.' I was lounging in my chair. After all I had come because of my friend. But, at these words, I straightened myself and sat up. Krishnamurthy's talk that evening was on the conditioned mind. He spoke about meditation and the control of thought. Who is the controller and who is the controlled, he asked. There was much that I saw for the first time that evening - it was like coming back to the beginning and knowing it for the first time. After that occasion, I heard Krishnamurthy again, this time, in Colombo in 1980. He spoke of time . Thought is time he said. Time was something that had always intrigued me. As a child, at the Galle Face Green in Colombo, I would watch with concern as ships disappeared in the curved horizon of the Indian Ocean. I wondered whether the ships had fallen off the edge. As I grew older, I learnt that the earth was not flat, that it was a globe, that there was no 'edge' and that the ships were safe. But then, as I traveled back home from Galle Face Green at night, seated in the rear seat of my father's small car,


Which great philosopher corresponded with Queen Christina of Sweden in his final years and died in 1650 in Stockholm where he had been invited as a teacher for her?

Christina of Sweden - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [ O.S. 8 December] 1626 – 19 April 1689), later known as Christina     Alexandra [1] and sometimes Countess Dohna, was Queen     regnant of Sweden from 1632 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustavus     Adolphus of Sweden and his wife Maria     Eleonora of Brandenburg . As the heiress     presumptive , at the age of six she succeeded her father on the throne of     Sweden upon his death at the Battle     of Lützen in the Thirty     Years' War . After converting to Catholicism and abdicating her throne, she spent her latter years in France and Rome , where she     was buried in St.     Peter's Basilica . Early life Christina was born in Stockholm ,     and her birth occurred during a rare astrological conjunction that fueled great     speculation on what influence the child, fervently hoped to be a boy, would     later have on the world stage. [2] The king had already sired two daughters, both buried in Riddarholmskyrkan in Stockholm - a nameless princess born in 1620, and then the first princess Christina, who     was born in 1623 and died the following year. So great expectations arose at     Maria Eleonora's third pregnancy in 1626, and the castle filled with shouts of joy when on December 8 she     delivered a child that was first taken for a boy - he was so hairy and screamed     with a strong, hoarse voice. Christina writes in her autobiography, "Deep     embarrassment spread among the women when they discovered their mistake." The king however was larkhappy, stating that "She'll be clever, she has     made fools of us all!" [3] Christina was born with what Scandinavians call a victory-shirt (meaning a more or less intact fetal     membrane clinging to the newborn baby). This could explain the confusion     about Christina's gender; but a victory-shirt was always regarded as a lucky omen .     Gustav Adolf was closely attached to his daughter, who admired him greatly,     whereas her mother remained aloof in her disappointment at the child being a     girl. Before Gustav Adolf left to defend Protestantism in the Thirty     Years' war , he secured his daughter's right to inherit the throne, in case     he never returned. (He was killed in battle in November 1632.) Her father gave orders that Christina should be brought up as a prince, [4] and Christina took the oath as king, not queen, giving rise to the nickname the "Girl King". Her mother, Maria     Eleonora of Brandenburg ,     came from the Hohenzollern family. She was a woman of quite distraught temperament, and her attempts to     bestow guilt on Christina for her difficult birth, or just the horror story     itself, may have prejudiced Christina against the prospect of having to produce     an heir to the throne. Christina wept for three days after her father's departure, although she was     a child who rarely took to tears. Letters still exist, written by her in German     to her father when she was five - school lessons were to her the highlight of     her days. Her mother had fetched the king home from Germany in a coffin, opening     it occasionally to pat the remains - he fell on November 6, 1632, but was not     buried until June 22, 1634, more than 18 months later. His daughter, who had     inherited his looks, suddenly became centre of her mother's attention. From     showing her daughter complete indifference, Maria Eleonora suddenly became     perversely attentive to her. Gustav Adolf had sensibly decided that his     daughter, in case of his death, should be cared for by his sister, Catharina     of Pfalz , who was married to count Johan     Kasimir of Pfalz , and had moved home to Sweden after the outbreak of the     Thirty Years' war. Christina knew the couple well; their children were Maria     Eufrosyne , who later married one of Christina's close friends, and Karl     Gustav , who inhe


Biograph Theater in Chicago is notable as the site of the killing of which notorious personality in 1934?

1000+ images about baby face Nelson and the iceman and john gotti john Dillinger on Pinterest | Crime, Al capone and Gangsters July 22, 1934: Notorious bank robber and J. Edgar Hoover's "Public Enemy No. 1" John Dillinger is killed by FBI agents at a theater in Chicago. See More


In 1821, who was inspired by the night writing invention of a former French Army captain that enabled soldiers to share top-secret information on the battlefield without having to speak?

Louis Braille - iSnare Free Encyclopedia Louis Braille Bust of Louis Braille by Étienne Leroux, Bibliothèque nationale de France Born 6 January 1852(1852-01-06) (aged 43) Paris, France ; French:  [lwi bʁaj] ; 4 January 1809 – 6 January 1852) was a French educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for use by the blind or visually impaired . His system remains known worldwide simply as braille . Blinded in both eyes as a result of an early childhood accident, Braille mastered his disability while still a boy. He excelled in his education and received scholarship to France's Royal Institute for Blind Youth . While still a student there, he began developing a system of tactile code that could allow blind people to read and write quickly and efficiently. Inspired by the military cryptography of Charles Barbier , Braille constructed a new method built specifically for the needs of the blind. He presented his work to his peers for the first time in 1824. In adulthood, Braille served as a professor at the Institute and had an avocation as a musician, but he largely spent the remainder of his life refining and extending his system. It went unused by most educators for many years after his death, but posterity has recognized braille as a revolutionary invention, and it has been adapted for use in languages worldwide. Contents Early life Birthplace of Louis Braille in Coupvray Louis Braille was born in Coupvray , France, a small town about twenty miles east of Paris. He and his three elder siblings – Monique Catherine (b.1793), Louis-Simon (b.1795), and Marie Céline (b.1797) [1] – lived with their parents, Simon-René and Monique, on three hectares of land and vineyards in the countryside. Simon-René maintained a successful enterprise as a leatherer and maker of horse tack . [2] [3] As soon as he could walk, Braille spent time playing in his father's workshop. At the age of three, the child was toying with some of the tools, trying to make holes in a piece of leather with an awl . Squinting closely at the surface, he pressed down hard to drive the point in, and the awl glanced across the tough leather and struck him in one of his eyes. A local physician bound and patched the affected eye and even arranged for Braille to be met the next day in Paris by a surgeon, but no treatment could save the damaged organ. In agony, the young boy suffered for weeks as the wound became severely infected; an infection which then spread to his other eye, likely due to sympathetic ophthalmia . [3] a Louis Braille survived the torment of the infection but by the age of five he was completely blind in both eyes. [4] Due to his young age, Braille did not realize at first that he had lost his sight, and often asked why it was always dark. [5] His parents made many efforts – quite uncommon for the era – to raise their youngest child in a normal fashion, and he prospered in their care. He learned to navigate the village and country paths with canes his father hewed for him, and he grew up seemingly at peace with his disability. [3] Braille's bright and creative mind impressed the local teachers and priests, and he was accommodated with higher education. [2] [6] Education Braille studied in Coupvray until the age of ten. Because of his combination of intelligence and diligence, Braille was permitted to attend one of the first schools for blind children in the world, the Royal Institute for Blind Youth, [7] since renamed to the National Institute for Blind Youth in Paris. [8] Braille, the last of the family's children to leave the household, departed for the school in February 1819. [9] At that time the Royal Institute was an underfunded, ramshackle affair, but it provided a relatively stable environment for blind children to learn and associate together. [10] [11] Haüy system The children were taught how to read by a system devised by the school's founder, Valentin Haüy . Not blind himself, Haüy was a philanthropist who devoted his life to helping the blind. He designed and manufactured a small library of books for the children using a techniqu


Groote Schuur estate in South Africa was the site for the signing of a historic agreement between Nelson Mandela and F. W. de Klerk in 1990. The estate originally belonged to which tycoon?

From Apartheid to Barbarism: Backwards Ever, Forward Never - "Black" Predatory Rulers and the Extinction of Africans From Apartheid to Barbarism: Backwards Ever, Forward Never - "Black" Predatory Rulers and the Extinction of Africans Updated on January 11, 2017 Afrika's Flag Map... African press Review Corn is the main staple in South Africa and this failure is destroying many lives. Monsanto's genetically manipulated corn(maize) failed to produce hardly any seeds- Monsanto says that this was caused by "underfertilization processes in the Lab"!! Some of the Shacks now one can find in South Africa, Soweto, Today Kliptown Shantytown in Soweto * Many poor South Africans still live in Shacks, and these are the updated-type, but they are still shacks, made of corrugated iron RDP houses that are being built by the ANC in place of shacks; the residents are complaining that the houses are crumbling down on the, Mirriam Mazibuko watring her garden in an RDP houseZone 8, Far East Alexandra; It has one room, and she has four children who cannot live with, and they live with Relatives in Johannesburg. Monsatto: In your Local Food Store ow Monsanto: True to its creed and aim, worldwide FAO Food Price Index Lest we forget.... Aluta Kontinua- The Strugglemontinues... The Gap between Rich and Poor widening is not good as shown and stated on this graph The Days when the ANC was one with the African people Oliver Tambo Doris Nyembe - ANC Women's Stalwards The Days of slogans, and pro-ANC Graffiti Those who gave their lives for the Poor and still suffering people of South Africa- They should not be forgotten, for their deeds and giving up their live for Freedom Social media landscape which is wholly responsible for the Revolutions witnessed today in North Africa and the Middle East International Media Companies One of the Seven Media Giants AOL Logo News Corp and its Subsidiaries German Media giant Bertelsmann sells U.S. Book Clubs Viacom One of the New Media Multi-corporations SONY logo Abahlali basMjondolo and other Shantytowns protesters display their disgruntlement with the ANC with Shantowns as their backdrop and mise en scene Forced Removal of Midvaal shack dwellers to make way and land for Big International Capital and Big Local Investors Mr. Ntlantla Vilakazi who has is being forded off his land for a fee of R20,000 AND AN RDP HOUSE Demonstrations against Forced Removals during the present rule of an ANC-led government, which is in cahoots with DA, on this matter Demonstrators against Shacks, lack of housing and their aim to deny the ANC votes due to lack of delivery of social and other services Abahlali baseMjondolo in a demonstration mode against the housing and land policies of the ANC The South African police, under ANC rule, beat up and attacked women and children also men demonstrators and left most injured South Africa is said to be a Rainbow Nation, but has a highly polarized electorate Winie says that ANC's vision is becoming blurred and tinted. Whe we have a system that supports cadre deployment and not national interest, then we have a big problem. ...seen here salutes the crowds in the stadium May Day Rally in Atteridgeville A street in a Shantytown, in Soweto, and could be readily be found in ll shacks throughout South Africa A rooftop view of some of the shanties in South Africa - Kliptown Shantytown Color Graffiti The Freedom Charter was the statement of core principles of the South African Alliance consisting of the African National Congress, S.A. Indian Congress characterized by its opening gambit: "The People Shall Govern". Malnutrition, poverty or HIV/AIDS is also attacking Whites in south Africa/ although Africa suffer disproportionality from all the social ills of Today's South Africa Tough times for White Squatters in South Africa Poor Whites, in South Africa, lining up for some food Living in Tin shacks, these are some of the poor Whites in south Africa Poor Whites now live in White Squatter Camps Afrikaner Community suffers economic Hardship In squatter Camp Mara Udwesthuizen, 64, sits outside her tent hom


In 1872, which British ship was discovered intact in the Atlantic unmanned and apparently abandoned with the incident often being cited as the greatest maritime mystery of all time?

Mary Celeste » TheUnexplained.xyz » The library of the paranormal, unexplained, & secret Disappearances , Unexplained Leave a comment The Mary Celeste (often incorrectly referred to as Marie Celeste following an intervention by Conan Doyle – see below) was a brigantine merchant ship famous for having been discovered on 4 December 1872 in the Atlantic Ocean unmanned and apparently abandoned, despite the fact that the weather was fine and her crew had been experienced and able seamen. The Mary Celeste was in seaworthy condition and still under sail heading towards the Strait of Gibraltar. She had been at sea for a month and had over six months’ worth of food and water on board. Her cargo was virtually untouched and the personal belongings of passengers and crew were still in place, including valuables. The crew was never seen or heard from again. Their disappearance is often cited as the greatest maritime mystery of all time. The fate of her crew has been the subject of much speculation. Theories range from alcoholic fumes, to underwater earthquakes, to waterspouts, to paranormal explanations involving extraterrestrial life, unidentified flying objects (UFOs), sea monsters, and the phenomena of the Bermuda Triangle, although the Mary Celeste is not known to have sailed through the Bermuda Triangle area. The Mary Celeste is often described as the archetypal ghost ship, since she was discovered derelict without any apparent explanation, and her name has become a synonym for similar occurrences. Origins The Mary Celeste was a 282-gross ton brigantine. She was built by the shipbuilders of Joshua Dewis in 1861 as the ship Amazon at the village of Spencer’s Island, Nova Scotia. She was the first of many large ships that were built in that small community. The Amazon was owned by a group of eight investors from Cumberland County and Kings County, Nova Scotia, led by the shipbuilder Joshua Dewis, and William Henry Bigalow, a local merchant. The Amazon was registered at the nearby Nova Scotia town of Parrsboro, the closest local port of registry. The Amazon’s first captain, Robert McLellan, son of one of the owners, contracted pneumonia nine days after taking command, and he died at the very beginning of her maiden voyage. He was the first of three captains to die aboard her. John Nutting Parker, the next captain of the Amazon, struck a fishing boat, and had to steer her back to the shipyard for repairs. At the shipyard, a fire broke out in the middle of the ship. Her first trans-Atlantic crossing was also disastrous for her next captain, after she collided with another vessel in the English Channel near Dover, England. This resulted in the dismissal of the new captain. After this awkward beginning, the brigantine had several profitable and uneventful years under her Nova Scotian owners. She traveled to the West Indies, Central America and South America, and transported a wide range of cargoes. In 1867, the ship ran aground during a storm off Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. After she was salvaged, she was sold for $1,750 to Richard Haines of New York, and was repaired at a cost of $8,825.03. In 1868, she was transferred to the American registry, and the following year was renamed the Mary Celeste. The new owners’ intention was to take her across the Atlantic and make a profit trading with the Adriatic ports. The ownership of this sailing ship was divided into 24 shares, owned by four partners: * James H. Winchester (12) * Captain Benjamin Spooner Briggs (8) * Sylvester Goodwin (2) * Daniel T. Sampson (2) Discovery Sporadic bad weather had been reported in the Atlantic throughout October, although the Dei Gratia encountered none and her journey across the ocean in November was uneventful. Just short of a month later after leaving port, on December 4, 1872 (some reports give December 5, owing to a lack of standard time zones in the 19th century), at approximately 13:00,[clarification needed] the helmsman of the Dei Gratia, John Johnson, sighted a ship about five miles off their port bow through his spyglass. The position An engraving of the


Apart from writing Tom Jones, the English author Henry Fielding also founded which the organization the Bow Street Runners which is seen as the first attempt at creating what unit of London?

Chapter 05.pdf at University of North Texas - StudyBlue StudyBlue File Size: 83 Views: 140 Advertisement Advertisement Page 126 CHAPTER OUTLINE The Limited Authority of American Law Enforcement English Roots The Tithing System The Constable-Watch System The Bow Street Runners The London Metropolitan Police The Development of American Law Enforcement Early American Law Enforcement Law Enforcement in the Cities Law Enforcement in the States and on the Frontier Professionalism and Reform Conflicting Roles Community Policing CompStat History of Four Federal Law Enforcement Agencies The U.S. Marshals Service The Secret Service The Federal Bureau of Investigation The Drug Enforcement Administration The Structure of American Law Enforcement Local Policing and Its Duties IEB Wireframe  http://textflow.mheducation.com/parser.php?secload=5&fake&print 1 of 3  9/3/2014 5:03 PM County Law Enforcement State Law Enforcement Federal Law Enforcement The Department of Homeland Security Department Components Homeland Security and the FBI The War on Terrorism: An Evaluation American Private Security Private Security Officers Reasons for Growth Issues Involving Private Security LEARNING OBJECTIVES After completing this chapter, you should be able to: 1.Briefly describe the jurisdictional limitations of American law enforcement.1. 2.Trace the English origins of American law enforcement.2. 3.Discuss the early development of American law enforcement.3. 4.Describe the major developments that have occurred in American policing.4. 5.Describe the structure of American law enforcement.5. 6.Explain the relationship between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security. 6. 7.Discuss the development and growth of private security in the United States.7. Page 127 Crime Story O n September 19, 2012, the Department of Justice released the results of an 18-month investigation conducted by its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) into the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' (ATF) “Operation Fast and Furious.” Fast and Furious was the brainchild of ATF agents and federal prosecutors in Phoenix, Arizona, who, in the fall of 2009, began allowing firearms to be illegally bought so they could be tracked to the leaders of Mexican drug cartels, who then could be arrested. The ATF agents had been criticized previously for making only small individual arrests for weapons possession rather than focusing on large gun rings. Fast and Furious allowed more than 2,000 illegally bought guns—mostly AK-47 style rifles and FN Herstal 5.7 caliber pistols—to circulate along the border. Chief among the problems with Operation Fast and Furious was that it was initially run largely by a team of only three ATF agents, who were overwhelmed with the flood of guns suddenly flying off the shelves of Phoenix-area gun stores once smugglers learned they were not being stopped or questioned. Even after an influx of more resources, the ATF agents still struggled to conduct effective surveillance. The risk to public safety both in the United States and Mexico was immediately evident. The OIG report criticized the ATF agents and federal prosecutors responsible for Operation Fast and Furious for failing “to conduct the investigation with the urgency, oversight, and attention to public safety that was required.” The OIG investigation revealed “a series of misguided strategies, tactics, errors in judgment, and management failures that permeated AFT Headquarters and the Phoenix Field Division, as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona.” The report also cited the failure of ATF, DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), and ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to share critical information that would have aided the operation. The report recommended that 14 federal law enforcement officials—from field agents in Arizona to top ATF IEB Wireframe  http://textflow.mheducation.com/parser.php?secload=5&fake&print 2 of 3  9/3/2014 5:03 PM and Department of Justice managers in W


What is the American English term for a voting system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, most commonly in single-winner elections?

Instant-runoff voting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Instant-runoff voting For other types of Run-off voting systems, see Run-off voting . Example Instant-runoff voting ballot v  •  d  •  e Instant-runoff voting (IRV) is the American English term for a voting system used for single-winner elections , in which voters rank candidates in an order of preference. If no candidate is the first preference of a majority of voters, the candidate with the fewest number of first preference rankings is eliminated and that candidate's ballots are redistributed at full value to the remaining candidates according to the next ranking on each ballot. This process is repeated until one candidate obtains a majority of votes among candidates not eliminated. The term "instant runoff" is used because the method is said to simulate a series of runoff elections tallied in rounds, as in an exhaustive ballot election. [1] Instant-runoff voting is sometimes referred to as alternative voting or the Alternative Vote (its oldest name) in the United Kingdom, the preferential ballot or preferential voting in Canada and Australia, and ranked choice voting in the United States. Instant-runoff voting is used to elect members of the Australian House of Representatives , [2] the President of Ireland , [3] the national parliament of Papua New Guinea , and the Fijian House of Representatives . [4] It is also employed by several jurisdictions in the United States , including San Francisco, California and Pierce County, Washington ; to elect the leaders of the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom ; and in the elections of city mayors in a number of countries including Great Britain [5] and New Zealand . [6] Robert's Rules of Order calls preferential voting "especially useful and fair in an election by mail if it is impractical to take more than one ballot. . . . In such cases it makes possible a more representative result than that under a rule that a plurality shall elect. . . . Preferential voting has many variations." The single transferable vote technique used by IRV is the example given. The manual goes on to note that if voters don't rank enough candidates, this may prevent any from receiving a majority and "require the voting to be repeated. . . . Although this type of preferential ballot is preferable to an election by plurality, it affords less freedom of choice than repeated balloting, because it denies voters the opportunity of basing their second or lesser choices on the results of earlier ballots, and because the candidate in last place is automatically eliminated and may thus be prevented from becoming a compromise choice." [7] Contents [ edit ] History Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page . (January 2009) Main article: History and use of instant-runoff voting Instant runoff voting was invented around 1870 by American architect William Robert Ware .[ citation needed ] He evidently based IRV on the single-winner outcome of the single transferable vote , originally developed by Carl Andrae and Thomas Hare . The first known use of IRV in a governmental election was in 1893 in an election for the colonial government of Queensland , in Australia. [8] The system used for this election was a special form known as the contingent vote . IRV in its true form was first used in 1908 in a State election in Western Australia . For more details on this topic, see IRV implementations in United States . Since 2002, Instant Runoff Voting has been adopted in a number of U.S. cities. Most of these adoptions are pending implementation; however, as of November 2008, 44 elections have been held in five counties, cities or towns: San Francisco, California ; Burlington, Vermont ; Takoma Park, Maryland ; Cary, North Carolina ; and Pierce County, Washington . [ edit ] Non-governmental organizations The sequential elimination method used by IRV is described in Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 10th edition. [7] as an example of " preferential voting ," a term covering "any of a n


The Dickin Medal that bears the words 'For Gallantry' and 'We Also Serve' was instituted in 1943 by Maria Dickin to honour the work of whom/what in war?

Variety of animals have earned war medals, C.R. McGuire Animals, like humans, have been involved, injured and died        at war since time began..   In the year 2000, I prepared a special exhibit for the Nepean        Museum on animals and the important role they have played in        our history, other than that of being just pets.   Half the 500-square-foot exhibit illustrated how animals        helped their masters survive and tame the wilderness and eventually        settle what is now Canada. The remainder of the display illustrated        what animals did in war time.   The exhibit was conceived and created four years prior to        an Animal in War Memorial being erected to recognize their contributions        to war efforts. It was unveiled in London, Englands Hyde        Park, on Nov. 3, 2004, and, I believe, it is the first of its        kind.   The exhibit proved to be very popular and I was told by many        that it brought home the fact that over the centuries the horse        and mule, sadly, have suffered some of the most terrible injuries        and deaths while at war.   Through the efforts and dedication of Lloyd Swick, a Canadian        Korean War veteran, the importance of animals at war has also        been recognized in Canada.   Three large bronze plaques mounted on granite are dedicated        to dogs, horses and mules that served with the Canadian Army,        beginning with the First Boer War (1899 to 1902).   The plaques are guarded by a realistic bronze        German Shepherd sculpture complete with equipment that its live        counterparts carry on their backs while on duty in        todays many danger spots.   The Animals in War Memorial is appropriately located next        to the monument commemorating Canadas involvement in the        Boer War and three blocks south of Canadas National War        Memorial.   I was among the crowd in Ottawas Confederation Park        at the unveiling of this impressive memorial on Nov. 3, 2012.   In 1917, Maria Dickin founded the People's Dispensary for        Sick Animals (PDSA) in Great Britain. She recognized the incredible        bravery of animals and their devotion to man and duty at war        and on the home front and decided to create the award        that bears her name.   The Dickin Medal is considered to be the animals Victoria        Cross. Instituted in 1943, it is awarded to animals displaying        conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving or associated        with any branch of the Armed Forces or Civil Defence Units in        all theatres of war, worldwide.   The Dickin Medal is a large, bronze medallion bearing the        words For Gallantry and We Also Serve all within a laurel wreath. The ribbon is striped green - for        water and the Navy, dark brown representing the land and        the Army and Civil Defence units and pale blue - for the sky        and Air Force.   Initially, the medal was presented from 1943 to 1949 to animals        performing outstanding acts of courage during the Second World        War and its aftermath. Like its human equivalent, the medal is        often awarded posthumously.   The largest group of recipients will surprise some readers        because, they are homing pigeons. Before the days in which sophisticated        forms of communication became commonly used by the military,        this bird performed invaluable service up to the end of the Second        World War, by carrying important messages in tiny containers.   As you will find by reading their stories, these loyal and        determined birds flew under extremely harrowing conditions. To        date, the Dickin Medal has been awarded only 64 times. The recipients        include 32 pigeons, 28


When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under 'C H' Rules, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed. Can you expand 'C H'?

Chatham House Rule | Chatham House Home About Chatham House Rule Chatham House Rule The Chatham House Rule originated at Chatham House with the aim of providing anonymity to speakers and to encourage openness and the sharing of information. It is now used throughout the world as an aid to free discussion. The Chatham House Rule reads as follows: When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed. The world-famous Chatham House Rule may be invoked at meetings to encourage openness and the sharing of information. View text version and translations. Explanation of the Rule Meetings do not have to take place at Chatham House, or be organized by Chatham House, to be held under the Rule. Meetings, events and discussions held at Chatham House are normally conducted 'on the record' with the Rule occasionally invoked at the speaker's request. In cases where the Rule is not considered sufficiently strict, an event may be held 'off the record'. Frequently Asked Questions Q. When was the Rule devised? A. In 1927 and refined in 1992 and 2002. Q. Should one refer to the Chatham House Rule or the Chatham House Rules? A. There is only one Rule. Q. What are the benefits of using the Rule? A. It allows people to speak as individuals, and to express views that may not be those of their organizations, and therefore it encourages free discussion. People usually feel more relaxed if they don't have to worry about their reputation or the implications if they are publicly quoted. Q. How is the Rule enforced? A. Chatham House will take disciplinary action against a member or guest who breaks the Rule; this is likely to mean future exclusion from all institute activities including events and conferences. Although such action is rare, the rigorous implementation of the Rule is crucial to its effectiveness and for Chatham House’s reputation as a trusted venue for open and free dialogue. For events held under the Chatham House Rule that are not organized by Chatham House, any actions taken because of a violation of the Rule are entirely at the discretion of the organizer. Q. Is the Rule used for all meetings at Chatham House? A. Not often for Members Events ; more frequently for smaller research meetings, for example where work in progress is discussed or when subject matter is politically sensitive. Most Chatham House conference s are under the Rule. Q. Who uses the Rule these days? A. It is widely used by local government and commercial organizations as well as research organizations. Q. Can participants in a meeting be named as long as what is said is not attributed? A. It is important to think about the spirit of the Rule. For example, sometimes speakers need to be named when publicizing the meeting. The Rule is more about the dissemination of the information after the event - nothing should be done to identify, either explicitly or implicitly, who said what. Q. Can you say within a report what you yourself said at a meeting under the Chatham House Rule? A. Yes if you wish to do so. Q. Can a list of attendees at the meeting be published? A. No - the list of attendees should not be circulated beyond those participating in the meeting. Q. Can I 'tweet' while at an event under the Chatham House Rule? A. The Rule can be used effectively on social media sites such as Twitter as long as the person tweeting or messaging reports only what was said at an event and does not identify - directly or indirectly - the speaker or another participant. This consideration should always guide the way in which event information is disseminated - online as well as offline. If you have a question about the Chatham House Rule that is not answered by the above please contact us . About us


What term is used in the US and Canada to describe the weight gained by students during their first year of study in a college or university?

70% of Students Gain Weight During College: Study - Family - Health.com 70% of Students Gain Weight During College: Study Health / Family 70% of Students Gain Weight During College: Study The Freshman 15 is real, and could be a bigger problem than parents or college students realize. A new study finds 70% of college students gain weight and body fat by graduation, fueled by late night snacking, fattening dorm meals, and a lack of exercise. 14 Ways to Soothe a Sore Throat Getty Images Ah, fall. The air turns cooler. Leaves are falling. And thousands of college students are partying, snacking 24/7, pulling all nighters...and about to pack on the infamous Freshman 15. In the first study to examine weight changes during four years of college, however, researchers suggest that weight gain during the pursuit of higher education may go well beyond the first year, and could be a bigger health threat than parents, students, or scientists realized. Researchers at Auburn University in Alabama followed 131 students over four years of college and found that a whopping 70% of them packed on pounds by graduation (an average of 12, and up to 37 pounds). The overall percentage of students found to be overweight increased from 18% to 31%. The researchers noted gains in body fat composition and waist circumference as well. The new study, published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, flies in the face of previous studies , which found that the average student gains merely 2.5 to 3.5 pounds and accused the media of fomenting the "Freshman 15 Myth." But the researchers in the Auburn study observed that the "growth" they found in the college students consisted primarily of fat mass (meaning natural growth patterns could not account for it). They attributed the weight gain to late night study habits, often fueled by vending machine snacks ; fattening choices in college cafeterias, and a lack of activity. Here are five ways college students can eat healthy and avoid gaining weight: Keep healthy snacks handy. Dorm room refrigerators should be stocked with healthy, satisfying snacks, such as fruit, string cheese, Greek yogurt, hummus, and baby carrots. Drink water . Too many calories from sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages can lead to weight gain. These drinks can also cause spikes in blood sugar that can increase hunger. Stay active . Exercise plays a key role in staying fit and healthy. Boost your daily activity levels by walking to class, going to the gym, or participating in intramural sports. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to overeating and weight gain. Eating breakfast can also jumpstart your metabolism and help you concentrate in class and on tests. Get enough sleep . Sleeping less than six hours each night can affect hormone levels that control appetite, cravings, and metabolism. People who do not get enough sleep often crave high-calorie junk food the body can quickly break down for energy.


"Named for the fictional town in the radio series A Prairie Home Companion, what is the Lake Wobegon effect? (Hint: According to Garrison Keillor, the presenter of the show, here ""all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average"")"

Didier Beck's Weblog via moby’s blog I like Moby very much, and much more live & accoustic! While in the midst of an extensive critically acclaimed US tour in Fall 2009, Moby recorded an intimate live performance at the Montreal iTunes store to a captivated audience. […] For this special recording Moby performed tracks from his most recent album 'Wait For Me,' as well as some other classics from previous albums, with a rare ‘stripped back‘ set consisting of just guitar, piano, violin and vocals.  Joining him for this incredible and unique performance were the very talented lead vocalists from his tour - Kelli Scarr and Inyang Bassey. Available exclusively via iTunes . via Lonely Planet Crazy! In its “fifth eagerly-awaited annual collection of the best places to go and the best things to do around the world for the year ahead”, Lonely Planet , one of the most worldwide renowned source for travelers, has nominated my region, Alsace, as one of the Top 10 Regions to visit in 2010!! As one of the Top 10 Regions for 2010, Southwest Western Australia “offers variety in spades,” Lonely Planet’s book says. […] Other regions to make the list are Alsace, Bali, Fernando Noronha, Goa, Koh Kong Conservation Corridor, Lake Baikal, Oaxaca, Southern Africa and The Lake District. For those who don’t know Lovely Planet: For over 30 years, Lonely Planet has inspired and guided independent travellers to explore the world around them. Our team of expert travel writers are all about on-the-ground research and no-holds-barred opinion. Lonely Planet is passionate about responsible travel and encourages people to make their impact as positive as possible. Whether it be through our trustworthy guidebooks, innovative downloadable digital guides, award-winning website or cutting-edge television programmes, Lonely Planet aims to inspire life-changing travel, where every minute can hold a new experience. $25 $150 (an intermediary “Power” level exists for $60/year) I am wondering, based on this tables, if it would not have been better to compare the “Pro” service from Flickr with the “Standard” level of SmugMug… Anyway, you feel perhaps how far both services are different. Perhaps also not with the same target groups/segmentation of customers. Why I have left Flickr I have left Flickr for mainly three reasons: The huge functional differences between Flickr and SmugMug The lack of innovation and service updates at Flickr. In the last months, nothing happened at Flickr. SmugMug is principally launching new functions and testing new ideas each month! I was impacting by all the controversies and censorship stories (Thomas Hawk is relating some of them here and here ) around Yahoo!/Flickr. It is clear that the price differences is really huge between both services, but you get something from what you are paying! Impact of having moved to SmugMug First, it was quite easy to migrate from Flickr to SmugMug, as you can find a Firefox extension to automatically migrate all your pictures from your Flickr account to SmugMug. The tool is called “ SmuggLr ” and it is free. Secondly, based on my SmugMug Pro Account, I have created a new subdomain called “ visuals.didierbeck.com ” of my own blog “ www.didierbeck.com ”. Both are now similar from each others, although I am definitely not finished with the customization. I will perhaps also merge both (blog and visuals) in the coming time. All my pictures and videos are now published under the “visuals” subdomains. Thirdly, and perhaps the most interesting: the effect of having done these changes had a *huge* impact on the traffic of my pictures! I had about 18’000 views on my Flickr pictures within 2 years. I was many times above 100’000 views per month in 2009 on SmugMug! More data about this just below. Some statistics of my SmugMug in 2009 Some data about 2009 on visuals.didierbeck.com : Number of image views: 755’000 Monthly average in the last 6 months: 105’000 Number of image views linked with Saint Barth: 620’000 (!), i.e. 82% of the overall views (!!) Highest traffic in December with more than 130’000 image vie


What is the correct term for the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest?

What does gleaning mean? This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word gleaning Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: gleaning(Noun) Something learned by gleaning. gleaning(Noun) The act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest. gleaning(Noun) The catching of insects and other invertebrates by plucking them from within foliage, or sometimes from the ground. It may also be applied to where prey is picked off, or from within, natural and man-made surfaces such as rock faces and under the eaves of houses. Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Gleaning


If you were at the home of Joseph Barbara in Apalachin, New York on November 14, 1957, I'd be very wary of you. Who met there?

Apalachin Meeting : definition of Apalachin Meeting and synonyms of Apalachin Meeting (English) This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (April 2007) This article may contain original research . Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references . Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. (April 2009) This article may contain previously unpublished synthesis of published material that conveys ideas not attributable to the original sources. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page . (April 2009) The Apalachin Meeting was a historic summit of the American Mafia held at the home of mobster Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara in Apalachin, New York on November 14, 1957. [1] [2] Allegedly, the meeting was held to discuss various topics including loansharking, narcotics trafficking and gambling along with dividing the illegal operations controlled by the late Albert Anastasia . [3] [4] An estimated 100 Mafiosi members from the United States, Canada and Italy are thought to have been at this meeting. [4] Local and state law enforcement became suspicious because of the large number of expensive cars with license plates from around the country that arrived in what was described as "the sleepy hamlet of Apalachin". [5] After setting up roadblocks the police raided the meeting which caused many of the participants to flee into the woods and area surrounding the Barbara estate. [6] More than 60 underworld bosses were detained and indicted following the raid. One of the most direct and significant outcomes of the Apalachin Meeting was that it helped to confirm the existence of the American Mafia to the public. Some, including Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover , had long refused to acknowledge publicly. [4] [7] [8] Contents   Events leading up to the Apalachin Meeting   Vito Genovese's rise to power Main article: Vito Genovese Boss Vito Genovese , who had fled from New York to Italy avoid a 1937 murder indictment, was living in Naples at the end of World War II when he was arrested and returned to the United States in 1946 to face trial. [9] Genovese was released from jail after the only witness to the murder, Peter LaTempa , was murdered in his jail cell while awaiting the trial. [10] After his release, Genovese began competing with Frank "The Prime Minister" Costello for control over the biggest and most powerful underworld crime family, the Luciano Family of New York. Once Genovese obtained control of the Luciano Family, his intentions were to take control of The Commission and the Mafia, but to accomplish this he had to remove the long-established "Conservative Faction," or old guard Mafia, which controlled the Commission. [11] The Commission's "Conservative Faction" of bosses Bonanno, Profaci, Mangano, Gagliano and Magaddino had exerted a major influence over Cosa Nostra 's politics, policies and rules since the Commission's formation in 1931 and had dominated since the 1936 imprisonment of boss Salvatore "Charlie Lucky" Luciano . [12] By 1951, the New York underworld and the Commission were experiencing a change in the Mafia that caused the formation of factions and infighting amongst the bosses. By 1957, the new "Liberal Faction" had gained enough power and influence to rival the old Mafia power structure and had attempted to gain control of the Commission and Cosa Nostra. At the head of this new faction were Boss Genovese and allies Gaetano Lucchese and Carlo Gambino . The events and conflicts perpetrated by Genovese and his allies from 1951 through 1957, such as the assassination of five New York mafia bosses, were designed to bring about changes in the hierarchy of the New York underworld and the Commission, but by 1957 these changes were leading to a war within Cosa Nostra. Genovese, who now controlled the most powerful family in Cosa Nostra, called for a national meeting of bosses. Genovese elected Buffalo, New Yor


Located at 1651-1653 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., what is the official state guest house for the President of the United States?

Blair House | Blair House is the official state guest house … | Flickr Markus By: Markus Blair House Blair House is the official state guest house for the President of the United States. It is located at 1651-1653 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., opposite the Old Executive Office Building of the White House, off the corner of Lafayette Park   More information   Erbaut wurde das Gebäude 1824 im Federal Style. 1942 wurde es von der US-Regierung gekauft. Seitdem dient es als Unterkunft für Gäste des Präsidenten, vor allem bei Staatsbesuchen. Viele Präsidenten haben die Nacht vor ihrer Amtseinführung im Blair House verbracht.   In den 1980er Jahren wurde das Haus renoviert und erweitert. Das Gebäude erhielt den Namen, da der Politiker und Journalist Francis Preston Blair sen. (1791–1876) das Gebäude 1836 gekauft hatte. Es ist seit 15. Oktober 1966 ein National Historic Landmark. Done


The Bodleian Library, one of the oldest libraries in Europe, is the main research library of which seminal institution?

Apply Overview In the heart of the English countryside lies a serene and magical city that has captivated the imagination of visitors for centuries. Renowned throughout the world as a centre of academic excellence, the ‘city of dreaming spires’ is the alma mater of many famous writers, scientists, musicians and politicians. Nowadays, academic, historical, commercial and industrial […] In the heart of the English countryside lies a serene and magical city that has captivated the imagination of visitors for centuries. Renowned throughout the world as a centre of academic excellence, the ‘city of dreaming spires’ is the alma mater of many famous writers, scientists, musicians and politicians. Nowadays, academic, historical, commercial and industrial interests flourish alongside each other in this vibrant, cosmopolitan metropolis. With its medieval chapels and cloisters, cobbled streets and narrow passageways, world-class museums and galleries, charming markets and quaint English pubs: this is the City of Oxford. Oxford University and the Colleges During your stay in Oxford, you will have the opportunity to explore the famous Colleges comprising Oxford University.  In the centre of the City there are around 20 Colleges laid out in traditional style, with limestone buildings arranged around beautifully kept quadrangles. Outside the city centre, there are another 20 Colleges and Permanent Private Halls.  For an interactive online tour you can visit  www.chem.ox.ac.uk/oxfordtour . The Bodleian Library Founded in 1602 and regarded as a masterpiece of English Gothic architecture, the Bodleian is one of the oldest libraries in Europe and today serves as the main research library of the University of Oxford.  The two most famous sections of the library are Duke Humfrey’s Library: the oldest section of the library (it was also used in the ‘Harry Potter’ films as the library!); and the Radcliffe Camera: a domed classical building. The University Parks The Oxford University Parks, more normally referred to as the ‘University Parks’ or just ‘The Parks’, is one large parkland area slightly northeast of the City centre (10 minutes walk). It is open to the public during the day, and boasts beautiful gardens, large sports fields and a cricket pavilion. The Botanic Gardens The University of Oxford Botanic Gardens, the oldest Botanic Gardens in Great Britain, and the third oldest scientific garden in the world, was founded in 1621 as a physic (medicine) garden growing plants for medicinal research.  Today it contains over 8,000 different plant species on 1.8 hectares (4 ½ acres). It is one of the most diverse yet compact collections of plants in the world and includes representatives from over 90% of the higher plant families. The Bridge of Sighs The main buildings at Hertford College are linked together by a corridor called the “Bridge of Sighs,” built in 1913-14 and named after the Ponte dei Sospiri in Venice. Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, is the world’s first university museum. Its first building was built in 1678-1683 to house the collection or cabinet of curiosities Elias Ashmole gave Oxford University in 1677 – the ones he had collected himself as well as those he had acquired from the gardeners, travellers and collectors John Tradescant the Elder and his son of the same name. The collection included antique coins, books, engravings, geological specimens, and zoological specimens – one of which was the stuffed body of the last Dodo ever seen in Europe, but by 1755 it was so moth-eaten it was destroyed, except for its head and one claw. The museum opened on 6 June 1683, with naturalist Robert Plot as the first keeper. The present building dates from 1845. It was designed by Charles Cockerell in a classical style and stands on Beaumont Street. One wing of the building is occupied by the Taylor Institution, the modern languages faculty of the University. The main museum contains the original collections of Elias Ashmole and John Tradescant (father and son), as well as huge collections of


Usually associated with monarchical and aristocratic titles, what is the term for a widow who holds a title or property derived from her deceased husband?

dowager - definition - What is ? What is ? dowager definition : dowager A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property—a "dower"—derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, dowager usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles. In popular usage, the noun dowager may refer to any elderly widow, especially one of both wealth and dignity. ==Use== ===In the United Kingdom=== In the United Kingdom, the widow of a peer may continue to use the style she had during her husband's lifetime, e.g. "Countess of Loamshire", provided that his successor, if any, has no wife to bear the plain title. Otherwise she more properly prefixes either her forename or the word Dowager, e.g. "Jane, Countess of Loamshire" or "Dowager Countess of Loamshire" (In any case she would continue to be called "Lady Loamshire"). The term queen dowager is used in the United Kingdom and several other countries for the widow of a king. ==References==


What does the Japanese word 'karoshi' translate to, which workaholics must be aware of?

“Workaholism” is real - Salon.com Tuesday, Oct 2, 2012 10:38 PM UTC “Workaholism” is real Many view it as a virtue, or even a joke, but a spate of recent studies suggest it should be taken seriously Topics: addiction , Alcoholics Anonymous , Alcoholism , France , Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development , The Fix , Work , Workaholism , Life News This article originally appeared on The Fix . You’re sitting at your desk, scrolling through the Alcoholics Anonymous website, when your boss walks up behind you. Not the best career move you’ll ever make, perhaps.  But let’s say you’re looking at the Workaholics Anonymous site instead, the section about how even when you’re not in the office you’re still toiling away. What then? Does your boss give you a talking to, or does he give you a raise? This rather glib question captures something important about how society views work addiction. Recently, a business strategy website published an article with the headline “Four Famous Workaholics (And The Secrets of Their Success).” It’s hard to imagine any other addiction eliciting this kind of approach: “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Junkies,” say, or “The Sipping Point.” The fact is, people see workaholism in a different light from other dependencies. It’s known as the “respectable addiction,” but this doesn’t quite capture the prevailing attitude toward the condition. Indeed, many balk at the idea that it is a condition. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—which lists caffeine as a dependency—doesn’t even recognize work addiction. Workaholism is something Bill Gates has, and surely no one’s going to suggest that this guy needs to go to a support group. Support groups, nonetheless, exist. Founded in 1983, Workaholics Anonymous (or WA) currently has a little over a thousand members, and holds meetings around the world—Paris, Sydney, London, Reykjavík, Bangkok. Testimonials in its newsletter contain lines like “I was addicted to activity. How to grapple with this baffling malady?” Well, there’s the requisite 12-step program, for one, and the equally familiar appeal to a higher power. But, again, WA must contend with the fact that many people don’t view the malady as baffling so much as they do either virtuous or slightly comical. “People don’t take this seriously—they either laugh at workaholics or dismiss them,” says psychotherapist and “Chained to the Desk” author Bryan Robinson, who is widely recognized as being one of the world’s leading experts on workaholism. “The work ethic is an ingrained idea in our society. What’s wrong with working hard? Hard work got us to the Moon!” He goes on to call this attitude “the glorification of an illness.” Things, however, may be about to change. This year, research institutes from around the world have released a slew of studies clarifying what work addiction is and how it affects the people who have it. In April, Norwegian and British researchers developed what they call “The Bergen Work Addiction Scale,” a standardized list of criteria (“You spend much more time working than originally intended”) aimed at helping people identify if they have an actual addiction rather than a tendency to work too much. In March, meanwhile, Psychology Today cited recent research that outlines four basic types of work addict, namely (to paraphrase): The manic perfectionist, the stress junkie, the muddled multi-tasker, and the guy who never seems able to let a project go. An article in the same publication last year explored the narcissism and sundry neuroses that underlie the disease. Such categorizations may, on the surface, seem largely academic, but there is real-world aim here: namely to make people aware that they have an identifiable condition, and therefore make it more likely that they will seek help. And it is becoming increasingly clear that workaholics do indeed need help. Researchers in New Zealand have found that people who work at least 50 hours a week are up to three times more likely to face alcohol problems. Earlier this month, the American Journal of Epid


The Ryugyong Hotel, a partially constructed concrete skyscraper that was intended to be a hotel was called 'The Worst Building in the History of Mankind' by Esquire in 2008. Where is it located?

1000+ images about The Ryugyong on Pinterest | Around the worlds, World records and Capital city Forward Ryugyong Hotel Where: Pyongyang, North Korea What It Is: Also known as the Hotel of Doom, the Ryugyong once aspired to be the tallest hotel in the world. The project was abandoned in 1992 for economic reasons, but construction resumed in See More


What were found in a cave near Qumran, Jordan by Mohammed Ahmed el-Hamed in 1947 that significantly impacted the world's understanding of religion and history?

Israel (people) facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Israel (people) [Hebrew] Medinat Yisrael CAPITAL: Jerusalem (Yerushalayim, Al-Quds) FLAG: The flag, which was adopted at the First Zionist Congress in 1897, consists of a blue six-pointed Shield of David (Magen David) centered between two blue horizontal stripes on a white field. ANTHEM: Hatikvah (The Hope). MONETARY UNIT: The new Israeli shekel (nis), a paper currency of 100 new agorot, replaced the shekel (is) at a rate of 1,000 to 1 in 1985; the shekel replaced the Israeli pound (il) in 1980 at the rate of 10 pounds per shekel. There are coins of 5, 10, and 50 agora, 1 and 5 shekels and notes of 10, 50, 100, and 200 shekels. nis1 = $0.22422 (or $1 = nis4.46) as of 2005. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is the legal standard, but some local units are used, notably the dunam (equivalent to 1,000 square meters, or about 0.25 acre). HOLIDAYS: Israel officially uses both the Gregorian and the complex Jewish lunisolar calendars, but the latter determines the occurrence of national holidays: Rosh Hashanah (New Year), September or October; Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), September or October; Sukkot (Tabernacles), September or October; Simhat Torah (Rejoicing in the Law), September or October; Pesach ( Passover ), March or April; Independence Day, April or May; and Shavuot (Pentecost), May or June. All Jewish holidays, as well as the Jewish Sabbath (Friday/Saturday), begin just before sundown and end at nightfall 24 hours later. Muslim , Christian, and Druze holidays are observed by the respective minorities. TIME: 2 pm = noon GMT. LOCATION, SIZE, AND EXTENT Situated in southwestern Asia along the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea , Israel claims an area of 20,770 sq km (8,019 sq mi), extending about 320 km (200 mi) n–s and 110 km (70 mi) e–w; at its narrowest, just north of Tel Aviv–Yafo, it is 19 km (12 mi) across. This total includes the Golan Heights area (1,176 sq km/454 sq mi), captured from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967 and annexed on 14 December 1981; the annexation (technically described as the extension of Israeli "law, jurisdiction, and administration" to the region) was condemned by Syria and by unanimous resolution of the UN Security Council. The Labor Government in 1984 indicated that some (possibly all) of the Golan could be returned to Syria in a peace agreement. Other territories captured in 1967 and classified as administered territories were the West Bank (Judea and Samaria ), 5,878 sq km (2,270 sq mi), and the Gaza Strip, 362 sq km (140 sq mi). (The Gaza Strip and Jericho area were transferred in 1994 to Palestinian administration, and six more West Bank cities were included in Palestinian control in 1997. All seven West Bank cities were reoccupied by Israel in 2002, but Jericho was returned to the Palestinians in 2005.) East Jerusalem, captured in 1967, was annexed shortly thereafter. Israel is bordered on the n by Lebanon , on the e by Syria and Jordan , on the s by the Gulf of Aqaba (Gulf of Elat), on the sw by Egypt , and on the w by the Mediterranean Sea. Comparatively, the area occupied by Israel is slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey . The total land boundary length is 1,017 km (632 mi) and the coastline is 273 km (170 mi). Israel's capital city, Jerusalem, is located near the center of the country (including the West Bank). TOPOGRAPHY The country is divided into three major longitudinal strips: the coastal plain, which follows the Mediterranean shoreline in a southward widening band; the hill region, embracing the hills of Galilee in the north, Samaria and Judea in the center, and the Negev in the south; and the Jordan Valley. Except for the Bay of Acre, the sandy coastline is not indented for its entire length. The hill region, averaging 610 m (2,000 ft) in elevation, reaches its highest point at Mt. Meron (1,208 m/3,963 ft). South of the Judean hills, the Negev desert, marked by cliffs and craters and covering about half the total area of Israel proper, extends down to the Gulf of Aqaba on the


If 'mafia' is to Italy and 'triad' is to Hong Kong/China, what is to Japan?

The Mafia in the United States, Italy, China and Japan The Mafia in the United States, Italy, China and Japan The Mafia in the United States, Italy, China and Japan  The Mafia in the United States, Italy, China and Japan Felix Römer 2015-12-14T16:16:06+00:00 Let’s have a look at the Mafia in the United States, Italy, China and Japan. There is a direct connection between the worldwide changes and the adaptability of these criminal organizations. Those organizations can be referred as Mafia Four of them are Italian: the Camorra in Campania, the Sacra Corona Unita in Apulia, the ‘Ndrangheta in Calabria, and the Cosa Nostra in Sicily. The American Mob used to be a branch of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, but is independent today. In China are the Triads (三合會) active and in Japan the Yakuza (ヤクザ). To refer a criminal organization as Mafia, it has to fulfill the following requirements: To refer a criminal organization as Mafia, it has to fulfill the following requirements: It has to have a regional base. For example is the American Cosa Nostra at home in Chicago and New York. The Japanese Yakuza has its home base in Tokyo and Osaka. The Mafia differs from other criminal organizations through its long history. Most mafia structures are older than 200 years. Another point is the Mafia’s principle of secrecy. The less outsiders know about the organization, the less is the organization vulnerable. The Mafia has also a hierarchical organizational structure, which you can see at the example of the Sicilian Mafia: The organization has a pyramidal structure. At the bottom are so called families with around 30 members. Each family controls a city or in the case of Palermo a city district. Several families are affiliated and led by a boss. And this bosses are traditionally led by the boss of the family, which controls Palermo. Another point which differs the Mafia from other criminal organizations are the large number of criminal activities: extortion, gambling, smuggling, usury, manipulation to get public contracts, product counterfeiting, human trafficking, prostitution, cigarettes and drug smuggling of course. Development of the Mafia Formation of the Yakuza (Japan) The Japanese Yakuza accrued during the time of the Tokugawa clans in the 17th century. To that time were 10% of the population samurai. The samurai had loosed their warlike duties and therefore offered the townspeople their protection or the samurai became bandits, which developed later to the Yakuza. After the second world war relied the American military government under General Douglas MacArthur on the Yakuza. They served as anticommunist militia, as strikebreakers and as security service for the liberal democratic party. Formation of the Cosa Nostra in Sicily The formation of the Sicilian Mafia dates back to the 19th century. The system of large landowners was challenged in the region around Palermo. The aristocratic landowners hired private gangs of mercenaries to protect their property from the revolting peasants. Those mercenaries enriched themselves and became independent. They called themselves from then on “Cosa Nostra”, which means “our thing” or “our cause”. After the second world war was the Cosa Nostra able to spread, because the American occupying power appointed people to mayors, who had connections to Mafia clans. They hired them to guard the region against communism and so told the Cosa Nostra the population to vote for the Christian democratic party. Spread of the Mafia As soon as a mafia organization is established, it starts to spread out like a spider web, which is another characteristic of the Mafia. So relied the Cosa Nostra on Sicilians, who searched for work in Northern Italy during the 50s and 60s. Then immigrated Italians to other countries like Germany, France, the United Kingdom or Spain and with them came the Mafia. And remember the 4 Million Italians, which immigrated to the United States during the 19th century. 80% of those immigrants came from Southern Italy. On this breeding ground arose the American Mob. They were mainly active in north ea


In phonetics, what is a sound that is characterized by an open configuration of the vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure above the glottis?

Vowel | India | Fandom powered by Wikia Share In phonetics , a vowel is a sound in spoken language that is characterized by an open configuration of the vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure above the glottis . This contrasts with consonants , which are characterized by a constriction or closure at one or more points along the vocal tract. A vowel is also understood to be syllabic: an equivalent open but non-syllabic sound is called a semivowel . This page uses content from Wikipedia . The original article was at Vowel . The list of authors can be seen in the page history . As with the India Wikia , the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License . Category:


During the 1970s, what name was given to the illegal immigrants/asylum seekers from Vietnam referring to their mode of transport?

Boat people – have our leaders failed? Boat people – have our leaders failed? Kaye Fallick Yesterday was the last sitting day of our Federal Parliament before a six-week recess. During this time 20 MPs will head overseas for study tours, with parliamentary delegations and to attend the Olympic games. In recent days we have seen the asylum seeker debate heat up as an increasing number of refugee boats head toward our shores. Some of these boats are unseaworthy, most are overcrowded, many are sinking and lives are being lost. A bill created by Independent Rob Oakeshott passed the Lower House but was rejected by the Liberal National Party Coalition and the Greens in the Senate. In the absence of a legislative solution, the Prime Minister has now announced an expert panel, led by Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, to address the problem with ‘fresh eyes’. A multi-party parliamentary committee is also planned. Given the call for a bi-partisan approach to the issue of illegal immigrants by MPs from all parties, it is disappointing we have reached yet another impasse. Which raises the question whether our political leaders have failed us – and if our parliamentary system is now incapable of delivering solutions to our national problems. Comment – Have we all failed? So the Oakeshott bill to proceed with offshore processing of asylum seekers has failed to pass the Senate. No surprises there. Mr Abbott has said under no circumstances will his party support a Malaysian solution and the Greens will not support offshore processing, full stop. Putting party politics aside, let’s consider what is going on with our leaders. Over the past few days we have seen politician after politician stand in Federal Parliament and weep tears of frustration and distress over the loss of life occurring in Australian waters as leaky boats founder, causing men, women and children to drown. We have even seen a flutter of hope with a call for a bi-partisan solution from West Australian MP, Dr. Mal Washer. But this all seems to have come to nothing. The bill has failed. The boats will continue to set out and lives, sadly, will probably still be lost. There are two things that stand out. And two questions we really must ask. Firstly, what kind of leaders have we got, who are prepared to go on a six-week break when this matter remains unresolved? How can they go home and pack their bags for a break in Europe or North America or China (call it a study tour if you wish) when there are genuine refugees dying on our doorstop? Has our party system finally broken down? What is the point of electing highly paid representatives who, when the going gets tough, respond by getting going - out the door? How can these people weep and wail and then meekly head off? And before we go back to our own (relatively) comfortable lives, should we all not ask ourselves how much we care, personally, that scores of people have died in our coastal waters over the past few weeks? If a school group of 20 children died at Bondi because of a freak wave, the outpouring of grief and outrage would be relentless. But when the same number of people with different coloured skin, is lost at sea, we somehow seem to discount the tragedy. Surely a life cut short is a tragedy, regardless of age, nationality or circumstance. Where is our sense of humanity? If you do care, have you told your local MP that you want a solution now?


What Chan Buddhist monastery in the Henan province of China is best known to the world for its association with martial arts?

Shaolin Monastery or Shaolin Temple - Zhengzhou, Henan province, China - YouTube Shaolin Monastery or Shaolin Temple - Zhengzhou, Henan province, China Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jul 27, 2014 Shaolin Monastery or Shaolin Temple (Chinese: ???; pinyin: Shàolín Sì; Wade–Giles: Shao4-lin2 Szu4, pronounced [??^??lin sî]; Cantonese Yale: Siulàhm Jí) is a Chán Buddhist temple on Mount Song, near Dengfeng, Zhengzhou, Henan province, China. It is led by Abbot Shi Yongxin. Founded in the fifth century, the monastery is long famous for its association with Chinese martial arts and particularly with Shaolin Kung Fu, and it is the best known Mahayana Buddhist monastery to the Western world.[1] Shaolin Monastery and its famed Pagoda Forest were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 as part of the "Historic Monuments of Dengfeng."[2] more info visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaolin_... shaolin monastery training