Bisazza goes beyond tiles

A FOLDING screen with movable individual panels, a plush lounge chair adorned with glass tiles, and a gold quilted leather ottoman that looks like it belongs in a velvet-roped club—Bisazza’s latest Home Collection is upping the ante on luxury living.

The foremost expert in glass mosaics for interiors and exteriors, the Italian label has collaborated with celebrated figures in the world of design, such as German architect Jürgen Mayer H. and art direction and graphic studio Marco Braga & Storage in Milan, to create a line of furniture and home accessories using mosaics with other premium materials. Prolific Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola boldly juxtaposes a classic European bucolic scene on a contemporary room divider, where mobile panels are cut into random angular shapes. Dutch designer Tord Boontjie decks out a side-drawer commode in a flurry of vivid hues in pixel-like configuration, transforming an otherwise non-descript cabinet into a standout piece.

The Home Collection, which also carries mirrors, mosaic panels and lighting fixtures, “is positioned to become a complete solution provider in interior decoration,” said Rommel Caparas, area sales manager.If you're a first time buyer looking to buy mosaic your foot on the property ladder.

With 10 flagship stores and 5,The original modern lamps lamp with its high-gloss lacquered metal shade is known for its concentrated downward light.000 local retailers worldwide, “Bisazza has been aggressively expanding its portfolio of products. The new division Bisazza Bagno, launched last year, extends the brand’s reach into bathrooms, beyond surface applications. As of 2012, it has already collaborated with three famous designers—Jaime Hayon, Marcel Wanders and Nendo,” he noted.This document provides a guide to using the Ventilation system in your house to provide adequate fresh air to residents.

A Dutch force of nature, Wanders stays true to form by creating a surreal collection heightened by the masterful use of dramatic forms and colors. Since 2005, Bisazza has been a member of the Fondazione Altagamma, an elite group of Italian luxury brands that operate at the “highest end of the market.” The 56-year-old company is the only tile maker to join the charmed circle that includes Gucci, Ferrari, Salvatore Ferragamo and Versace.

“Bisazza is one of the most recognized luxury design brands and a world leader in the production of glass mosaics,” said Caparas. “In the same way a fashion company is dressing up men and women, Bisazza is dressing up home and commercial areas. That is why most of its flagship stores are also located in the fashion capitals of the world—Paris, Milan and New York.Customized bobblehead made from your own photos,”

Glass mosaics have multiple applications, from floors and walls, to kitchen backsplashes, swimming pools and fa?ades. “We are the most authoritative here in the Philippines when it comes to mosaic installation, especially for swimming pools, computer pattern decoration and cut-by-hand mosaic decoration. We are the only one in the country that does hand-cut patterns for glass mosaic,” he emphasized. Bisazza also has its own line of adhesives and grout, a special formula that is resistant to stains, discolorations and dirt buildup. Installation comes with a five-year warranty, while the glass tiles are covered by a lifetime warranty against discoloration and cracking. Its prestigious image notwithstanding, Bisazza isn’t only for those with deep pockets. “Since it has different ranges of mosaic, from the simple vetricolor up to the 24-karat gold mosaic, Bisazza could cater to simple middle-income residential houses to the most luxurious houses one could ever imagine,” he said.

The Italian firm used to have an assembly and distribution plant in Cavite for the whole Asia-Pacific region—I had the opportunity to visit the facilities back then when I was editing a magazine—until China’s more efficient infrastructure and shipping capabilities became too attractive to ignore. “By 2012, the Bisazza management has already given full empowerment and ownership of Bisazza assembly and distribution to its local top management through its new company name iMaverick International Corp. This gives the local top management more flexibility and customized solutions to the needs and wants of the local market,” he explained.Service and equipment provider in professional Car park management system. Bisazza is the only brand in the local market that has loose mosaic tile stocks, giving customers more tailored options and making design coordination easier, he added. You can even purchase one square foot of mosaic—only in the Philippines—to use as tile border. If you want to everyone know you’re using an authentic Bisazza tile, you can also have the logo installed.

Tap A File is a new application for Windows 8 and Windows RT devices that you can use to add any file on the system to the start screen of the operating system. Use has been optimized for touch-enabled devices, but mouse and keyboard are supported as well. To start, simply click on the one and only button displayed when you start the application. This opens a built-in file browser that you need to use to pick the file that you want to pin to the start screen.

You are taken back to the first page of the application where you need to click (or tap) on the button again to add the file. It is not really clear why you need to tap it again, as it would make sense to automatically add the file after you have selected it.

You can only add one file at a time, which can be problematic if you want to add several files to the start screen. Tile A File is the only option for Windows RT users right now to add any file to the start screen. Windows 8 users on the other hand may instead use the previously reviewed Start Screen Pinner application as it is easier to use.

Nighthawk Bluetooth Microphone Combo System

The Nighthawk Bluetooth Microphone Combo System has been recognized and deemed to receive the prestigious CES 2013 Design and Engineering Honoree award in Las Vegas. The innovative Nighthawk is the ideal tool to meet the demands of the power user who is constantly on the go and needs a Bluetooth earphone solution that can keep up with the demands of their ever-changing environment.

Whether at work or at leisure, the Nighthawk allows for easy transition between tasks. In turn, this enhances the user's productivity and safety.Shop for high quality wholesale parking sensor system products on DHgate and get worldwide delivery. The Nighthawk was specifically designed to be rugged and durable, with a high value placed on longevity, quality performance, and safety. Rest assured that this is not your typical Bluetooth device that is going to fracture easily or breakdown when communication matters most.

For the consumer who is in search of an alternative to low-quality, uncomfortable Bluetooth headsets, the Nighthawk promises to deliver much more. In fact, the Nighthawk has received the law enforcement community's testimonial, stating that the Nighthawk dependably withstands rigorous environmental conditions.

Greater clarity. With the Nighthawk worn on the chest area, the microphone is in the direction of the mouth, reducing ambient noise which enables transmission to be heard clearly.Handmade oil paintings for sale for sale at museum quality, A preamp is also introduced inside the Nighthawk allowing optimal speaker output. Even in the loudest environment one can hear quality communication without a problem.

More comfort and safety. The Nighthawk is conveniently worn on the garment by way of a rotatable clip or lanyard. This reduces the weight on the ear and the possible risk of radiation.

From on-person to hands-free. The Nighthawk packages features an attachable external speaker. Plug the accompanying speaker into the Nighthawk, clip the unit to the car visor and safely transition to hands-free communication while driving.

Control MP3 Bluetooth devices. The Nighthawk pairs with Bluetooth compatible MP3 players and performs as a device controller. Navigation is simple, supporting functions such as: Play, pause, skip and selecting tracks. The user can listen comfortably and control their tunes when on the move.

Free recording app for smartphones. By employing the optional exclusive recording application, the Nighthawk functions as a wireless interview microphone delivering consistent audio levels recording directly to the user's smartphone. The Nighthawk is the perfect companion for conducting professional interviews, recording lectures, meetings, or taking simple voice memos.

For the on-the-go professional, the Nighthawk is a useful multi-functional tool that improves mobility and safety through 360 degree situational awareness and ease of transition between tasks. It is the combination of these unique functions that distinguish the Nighthawk from other Bluetooth devices on the market today. The Nighthawk Bluetooth Microphone Combo System is a must-have device for active, mobile individuals in today's fast-paced environment.

The Nighthawk Bluetooth Microphone Combo System will be available beginning January 2013 with an MSRP of $119.99. The Nighthawk will be available at www.bluewi.Republic parking system is a privately owned professional parking management company based in Chattanooga,org, through most online retailers and distributors.

The American Animal Hospital Association further found that three-fourths of pet owners would go into debt to care for their pet.

A 700-page economic study commissioned by the veterinary profession determined that dog and cat owners would spend an average of $92 a month to maintain their companion animal's health, or more than $13,250 in veterinary expenditures alone during the pet's lifetime.

Premium plans may run as high as $800 a year per geriatric animal, but much less for adolescents, and while claims may be rarely made,Original handmade custom bobbleheads dolls made to look like the photo you provide to us. the premium will frequently be lower than the cost to self-insure.

It also will allow you to better absorb the impact of high veterinary bills without carrying excessive credit-card or CareCredit interest.

That said,Modern and modern lighting and lights to enhance your home. pet insurance does not work like human medical insurance in one critical respect: Unlike insurance for humans, which, aside from a co-pay, allows you to tender the claim to insurance, wait and see what part they cover, and then pay the balance not covered at some later time, insurance for pets requires you to front the entire cost and get reimbursed by the insurer afterward.

Digital Dilemma

In general, edition numbers vary for reasons both pragmatic and market-driven. Traditionally, the edition run of a print on paper is determined partially by its technology; most printmaking media such as etching plates degrade with repeated use. Therefore, if you want the last print to look as good as the first, you have to limit the overall number of prints produced so that every print is of nearly the same quality. It has less to do with being physically produced by the artist -- many editions are contracted out to printing houses -- and more to do with the inverse relationship between edition size and print quality.

But, of course, there is no limit to the amount of digital copies you can generate from an original file, because unlike prints on paper, the reproduction quality never deteriorates no matter how many CDs or DVDs you burn. So should you limit the number of copies available? It's a great question, but the answer isn't arbitrary even though it may be artificial.

One factor to remember in digital editioning is that it's contingent on the art-historical precedent set by the conventions of more traditional media. Capital-A Art typically has an aura, in part because the art object is singular (a painting) or because the technology that produced it can only last through a limited number of runs (lithography stones, ceramic molds). This has a direct bearing on digital editioning -- generally, when a new technology is introduced to the arts it has to fit into the established paradigm.

In addition to its reliance on preexisting standards absorbed from other media, editioning of digital work is also market-driven. In a capitalist society, restricted supply means increased value, so when the medium itself is cheap and infinitely reproducible,Shop for high quality wholesale parking sensor system products on DHgate and get worldwide delivery. value can be contrived by limiting its availability.

In the case of digital editioning, historical precedence and market forces conspire -- sometimes to an absurd extent. For instance, some videos are now created in editions that include "artist's proofs" -- a term used in traditional printing for the very first prints, of higher quality resulting from the fresh printing stone. Print-on-paper APs, it can be reasoned, are more valuable because they are generally sharper and more colorful than subsequent prints; but video APs have no such enhanced clarity, making them into something between an embarrassment and an in-joke.

All skepticism aside, creating a limited run of a digital work is a perfectly legitimate practice. Doing so is a promise to collectors that you will not devalue their purchase by making additional copies of the work at a later date. And if you do limit the edition, it is important that you stick to this promise, painful though it may be in the long run if demand for the work increases. The question of whether or not to limit an edition of a digital work hinges on your priorities. If wide distribution is your first priority then it would be more advantageous to produce a larger edition or an open edition. If you desire a high financial value for the work then a limited edition and the scarcity it creates will serve you better.

But beware, there are many factors that will make a big difference to the success of an editioned project. For example, if you are very early on in your career and your reputation is not widespread enough to add any value to the work, then it might be better to create a large or open edition that will get your work in front of more people. On the other hand, if the work will be exhibited at a gallery that has a good history of sales and you can reasonably expect to sell most of the works in the edition, then limiting it will allow you to command a higher price.

One resource for ideas about editioning is the recording of the 2009 panel discussion at the Centre for Contemporary Photography in Australia entitled, "Editioning: Photography and Video." The first speaker, Elena Galimberti (who collaboratively built the Australian Video Art Archive), discusses the minutiae of editioning videos, noting,Modern and modern lighting and lights to enhance your home. "Emerging artists will generally offer early works in larger editions, lowering the price to more accessible levels. As an artist becomes more established, the edition size will usually decrease." Another issue that Galimberti touches on briefly in her remarks is the manner in which the perceived value of an edition may be enhanced by certificates of authenticity, signed copies, special packaging, or other related ephemera. If you're working with a commercial gallery, creating related materials that accompany the CD or DVD can reinforce a sense of significance and value. And when in doubt, the gallerist or dealer should be able to help you decide on an edition size.

However, if you prefer to try for the widest possible distribution,Handmade oil paintings for sale for sale at museum quality, or if the idea of accessible dissemination fits more closely with the conceptual goals of your work, you may choose to produce unlimited open edition. It's important to note that an uneditioned work is not necessarily free for those who exhibit it. The Electronic Arts Intermix Online Resource Guide explains that the creator of an open-edition video can still enforce, "restrictions governing who may make copies, how they are made, and how they may be used.Republic parking system is a privately owned professional parking management company based in Chattanooga,.. With uneditioned video, artists are typically paid a royalty when the work is exhibited or sold. Thus, exhibitors pay a fee for the inclusion of an uneditioned work in an exhibition or screening." That is, they pay if you want them to; remember that you make the rules here.

Of course, interactive digital artwork is a relatively new field that fits rather poorly into traditional structures governing the distribution of editioned works. The EAI also has a section on best practices for computer-based arts, noting, "...most works and exhibitions need to be considered on a case-by-case basis.Original handmade custom bobbleheads dolls made to look like the photo you provide to us... Although distinctions between single-channel video, video installation and computer-based arts continue to blur, the interactive attributes of many computer-based installations create unique requirements." It’s likely that there exists an entirely novel solution to the problem of editioning your next project, one that serves the needs of producer and consumers, and will be as new as the media on which it is based. Good luck!

Berry outline success of acquisitions

Whether it’s making another blockbuster purchase or shedding an ill-fitting business unit, the packaging industry is well-versed in the art of acquisitions and divestitures.

Experts from two companies — Kevin Kwilinski, president and CEO of Portola Packaging, and Curt Begle, president of Berry Plastic’s Rigid Closed-Top Division — shared their success strategies at Plastics Caps & Closures 2012, held in September in the US.

“Really, what [divestitures] mean for us is, “How do we focus?’ And once you’re focused, you figure out what doesn’t make sense anymore,” Kwilinski said.

After emerging from prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2008, Illinois-based Portola has adopted a dogma of focus and lean manufacturing.

In three years,A new Lamp shade is a quick and easy way to bring a fresh look to your home. the company has gone from 1,100 employees down to 700 through manufacturing optimisation and rationalisation. Officials have zeroed in on key businesses — ones where Portola has a strategic advantage and a “right to win”, Kwilinski said.

In June, Portola exited the cosmetics market — shuttering its Portola Tech division, closing the associated plants in Rhode Island and China and liquidating the assets.

The cosmetics business depends on short runs, frequent product changes and lots of tooling investment — all things Portola isn’t good at, Kwilinski said.

Shedding Portola Tech simplifies the business. It also allows Portola to invest in its core business of compression moulded, tamper-evident caps, and continue to improve efficiency, which will lead to a higher return on investment, he said.

Portola is a low-cost supplier with some unique offerings, but instead of offering a “solution to every problem,” the company aims to offer the best solution for specific needs, he said.

“It’s all about us focusing on what we can win at and making sure that all the resources we have are focused on that key objective,” he added.

That’s not to say that Portola doesn’t pursue acquisitions. In 2010, the company purchased Integra-Seal Industries of Tennessee, a small moulder of tamper-evident closures. Integra-seal was a competitor with a less-efficient manufacturing base, according to Kwilinski, and Portola was able to integrate the newly acquired products into its own manufacturing platform.

“It’s really about knowing who you are … and making sure that acquisition is going to support the ultimate goal that you’re trying to achieve,” he said.

Berry, meanwhile, is known for its taste for diverse acquisitions. The packaging powerhouse has completed 30 acquisitions since 1998 — 10 of those in the last five years — and has looked at 115 potential deals in the last 12 months, Begle said.

Considering that some of acquisitions involved multiple businesses,Chances are, you've never setup a real time Location system. Berry has faced a number of challenges trying to make it all fit, Begle said, adding that for Berry, the most important thing is “staying core to what we are”.

When looking at an acquisition, Berry considers several key areas: the company’s customer base, products, end markets, geographic location, competitive advantages and, most importantly, its people.

“From our standpoint, we find that to be the most critical,” he said. “We can buy all the best machines in the world, have the best product lines, have the best customers, but if we don’t have people on the other end of the line … [if] they aren’t committed to the company, [if] they aren’t committed to the excellence that goes out the door, then it’s all going to fail,” he said.

Berry has pre- and post-acquisition strategies for preserving and cultivating talent. They identify the most influential and valuable employees, along with those critical people who are most at risk of leaving, and figure out how to make them a part of the new business model.

There’s a big focus on communicating “the Berry story” — the company’s vision, its history, its strategy, products and manufacturing platform, and employee success stories — along with clearing up misconceptions. On closing day, Berry already has a management team in place ready to tell that story and answer questions,A new Lamp shade is a quick and easy way to bring a fresh look to your home. Begle said.

Since most Berry employees have been on both sides of the M&A fence, they can sympathize with employees of newly acquired companies, he added. “Everybody kind of knows what you’re going through, what your anxieties are, what questions you have, and we’re able to head that off at the start.”

Being open and honest, and honoring commitments, is vital, he said. “If you say you’re going to do something, you better well do it because you’re going to lose all credibility with the people and that’s probably not going to be a winning strategy long-term.”

Their stories may be different, but both Berry and Portola officials understand the importance of keeping everyone on point.

Each company employs a uniform information technology system across its plants so they’re all on the same page.

All of Portola’s employees have completed lean-manufacturing training and 70% of them have participated in “lean events” during the last few years,King′s Chandelier has offered fine Chandelier and sconces made in North Carolina of Swarovski and other European crystal. ingraining the practice in the company’s culture, Kwilinski said.

Portola sets long-term goals with defined results for every department. Employee’s objectives tie into these overarching goals,Custom Rubber Bracelets and silicone bracelet, keeping the entire company focused.

Berry relies on teamwork and its “gung-ho” culture to make integrations seamless, according to Begle. The company has 900 teams across its 82 plants, focused on everything from website design to quality control, he said.

Employees are held to specific and tangible goals, and complete evaluations and surveys are done every two years, he said.

Berry also has plant ambassadors — peer-selected employees who travel to plants and see how things are going. It’s a way of fostering company culture and reaching all of the company’s more than 150,000 employees.

Both companies are optimistic about the path they’re on.

“It took us a few years to get our feet under us,” Kwilinski said. “But now that we’ve done it we have … an opportunity to go grow the business and we’re very excited about what the future holds for us.”

Ugliness in Ohio

Oh god, Ohio.Custom Rubber Bracelets and silicone bracelet, It feels like life has stopped in anticipation. My sister in Portland wrote me an email yesterday that, I think, perfectly captures the awful situation this country is in, waiting for this ridiculous state to tell us what our future will be.

“I can’t decide how I feel about Cincinnati playing such a critical role in the future of our entire WORLD. It ‘s kind of unsettling to think about, having grown up with those people.”

I’m back among those people.Choose from our large selection of Cable Ties. I was in New Orleans, I was trying to get an apartment and maybe even a job. I spent Halloween week as drunk as a human costumed as a cowboy and living off borrowed money can be. It was New Orleans. But it’s really insane not to be in Ohio right now–by rights everyone in the country ought to have some way to be here,You'll be able to spot your bag from a mile away with these elegant and colorful leather luggage tag. just to see the place where this thing’s going to be decided and hear the ridiculous babble and the murmurs of machinations on both sides and to understand firsthand just how small and frantic the final portion of this process has really turned out to be. Everyone watching is tired and confused and has lost all perspective from looking too long. I remember during the last World Cup, an announcer in one of the late games calling a string of passes and then remarking, with no context and without any apparent prompting, “You know, we’re all going slowly mad here.” This is the feeling in Ohio the day before a presidential election.

Obama spoke last night at an arena on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. I called Jason, his beleaguered press guy in Southwest Ohio, who said I could get in if I made it by seven, when they’d shut down the press entrance. I left New Orleans at eight in the morning and between Slidell and Birmingham I averaged 105 on the speedometer. I lost an hour crossing into Eastern time in Kentucky, and I made it to Cincinnati at 6:48 P.M. I parked and ran at 6:55. I found a cop who said I was too late but that I could try the Secret Service, and I found a Secret Service agent who at 6:59 said that I was too late and that he’d shut everything down five minutes ago. I protested. “Seven o’clock,” he said. “It’s seven now!” I said. “So you’re late,” he said. “But we’ve been talking for thirty seconds. Probably forty-five.” I said. “Do you have your credentials?” I said I’d left them in New Orleans. He said that he would take me to Jason, but that if Jason didn’t immediately recognize me “I’ll take you by the arm and escort you off this campus.A new Lamp shade is a quick and easy way to bring a fresh look to your home.”

We went in. Jason gave me a look that said he had more important things to be dealing with right then. “James, man,” he said. “You really...Man, James. I can’t keep doing this for you.” The agent left me. It turned out that Jason had for a while thought that I wrote for Vibe magazine.

Stevie Wonder was playing. Jason told me that the fire department count was 13,500 people in the arena and another 2,000 watching a video stream in an overflow tent. Mark Mallory, Cincinnati’s mayor, spoke and spoke shockingly well for a mayor speaking to 13,500 people. “We all know this election comes down to Ohio.Chances are, you've never setup a real time Location system.” Cheers. “And within Ohio this election comes down to Hamilton County.” Cheers. “And within Hamilton County this election comes down to Cincinnati.” Louder cheers. And within Cincinnati this election comes down to this room.” The arena exploded. The atmosphere was exactly that of a home crowd of a favored team, game seven of the World Series. I was leaning on a railing separating the crowd from the press corral, and behind me I heard a girl, obviously a U.C. student, ask “wait, who is this talking anyway?”

The black minister who gave the invocation called out "God! You who have ordained this man's steps," and thanked him for peace and prosperity. Obama came on. A bald white man immediately began shouting from the balcony of the arena. It's hard to articulate the hurt and the rage in the crowd. People shouted grotesquely. It was about half college students. Almost all the adults were black. Obama smiled and waved. He spoke again. The man started yelling again. Sherriff's deputies came to remove him. He hung onto the guardrail of the balcony, he kicked at them, and screamed and twisted his face. The crowd cheered while this was going on. It was ugly. I was worried he'd jump. It took three deputies to get him off the rail. Obama started again. Then a thick white guy in a baseball cap yelled from another balcony. It looked like the thing was going to go off the rails. The crowd began shouting some things that a talk radio host might consider racially inflammatory. He was taken out by one deputy. The crowd thundered...Obama spoke.

The Last Naive Election

The two parties that dominate US politics, Democratic and Republican, both serve the military banking complex. Both of them sanction one war after another, protect the criminal banks and corporations, and side with Israel on every issue. When it comes to money and war, they differ not at all, but the Democrats are presented as being more sympathetic towards women, minorities and gay people, while the Republicans are painted as defenders of traditional values. In every election, however, these two parties will get roughly 98% of the votes, and Congress will be divided roughly 50/50 among them. This is convenient, since each party can blame the other for whatever ills the country, though they both have had a hand in ruining it. These two parties work together to advance the agenda of their sponsors, the banks and corporations, many of them military contractors, that really run this country. A gargantuan source of corruption, the Pentagon funnels huge amount of money to these companies, but American politicians have been bought off by these same companies, so of course they will make sure the US war budget remains obscenely large. For politicians who don't toe the line, their private indiscretions, perversions or crimes can be aired out by the corporate media, as happened to Eliot Spitzer, for example, so American politicians are kept in check through both bribery and blackmail. With so much going to war, there's little left for anything else, and that's one reason the US is falling apart. Many Americans go along with this because US industries have been mostly gutted,Offering lowest priced printed lanyard in Canada. except for weapon manufacturing. The US now accounts for 53% of arms sales worldwide. While posing as a peace maker, it is most nakedly a merchant of death.

Promoting endless war and enabling banking frauds,Chances are, you've never setup a real time Location system. these political parties work together to wreak havoc on the world, and on the American populace itself, yet Americans keep voting for them. In many countries, there are easily half a dozen, or more, parties represented in parliament, but the American congress only has two, with one or two token "independents." After 21 years, for example, the Green Party has managed to elect no senator, congressman or even a state governor. Its presidential candidate usually gets only 1% of the votes. Third party candidates, then, stand no chance because the corporate media will not pay them any attention. The US mainstream media are owned by only half a dozen corporations or so, and these are the same companies that benefit from Pentagon contracts, so of course the talking heads on TV will push a war agenda, all the while pretending to be objective. Fox News caters to Republicans, while CNN appeals more to Democrats, but they are both propaganda mouthpieces for the military banking complex. Neither one will raise questions about 9/11; the obviously staged death of Bin Laden, with its conveniently missing corpse; the Federal Reserve banking cartel; Israel's serial crimes; or why Uncle Sam is using al-Qaeda terrorists to wage war against Syria, all the while pretending to fight al-Qaeda. No urgent issues are seriously examined on these TV channels, but they will each spend two weeks discussing Michael Jackson's death.

Soldiers are inserted into televised sporting events and even music videos. When the media don't push war,Promotional custom keychain at ePromos Promotional Products. they tranquilize the populace with trivial nonsense. Your average American is overwhelmed by so much pointless noise broadcast nearly all day into his skull, he can hardly think straight, and of course his attention span is shot.

Many Americans still don't know that their media is one big joke, and so is their democracy with its sham elections. Americans are kept satisfied by the relatively high standard of living that still exists here, but this wealth is illusory. This is the most indebted country on earth, and merchandises still flow here thanks to the reserved currency status of the US Dollar, as enforced by American guns pointing in all directions, but this unsustainable and indefensible situation is unraveling even as we speak.Custom Rubber Bracelets and silicone bracelet, One day soon Americans will wake up to their trYou'll be able to spot your bag from a mile away with these elegant and colorful leather luggage tag.ue poverty.

Currency of information loses its value

Some, maybe even most, vice-chancellors are reluctantly coming to the view that the only way out is to charge students higher fees because everyone knows that the government can't, or won't, pay any more.

But there is now solid evidence from the US that raising fees merely delays the agony. Eventually a point is reached where students realise there is insufficient return on their investment to bother with university.

This issue of cost has become even more urgent since the advent of massive open online courses. They

demonstrate that universities of the future will not be able to make a living from imparting information because they are no longer the only or even the best aggregators of information. That role was usurped by the internet years ago. The latest and highest quality information can now be found in cyberspace for free. Universities that persist in barricading their courseware behind pay walls and academics who fret about their intellectual property are destined for the scrap heap.

The new university business model will need to begin with the frank admission that information is too cheap to bother selling. Information may require money and hard work to generate, but almost as soon as something has been discovered, it's out there for all to Google. So if the currency of universities is no longer information, how are they supposed to make a living?

Universities of the future will have two basic products to sell: credentials and support services. A credential is a public validation that the student has mastered the topic under investigation and to obtain this, students will need to pay for assessment backed by a reputable institution. And because no two students are alike, there will be a service industry for mentors (formerly known as lecturers) capable of navigating individual students through cyberspace.

Much of this can be achieved through automated programmed instruction but some students, mainly school-leavers, will want to interact face to face with tutors and friends.A smooth and Glossy floor tile not only looks bright and clean, As a result, there will continue to be a market of indeterminate size for on-campus teaching in addition to the online format.

There is more than one potential business model in this new environment. Some universities will experiment with a form of cross-subsidisation. For example, Udacity is proposing to make employers pay to gain access to their graduates. Others will shift revenues to the future by making the initial experience free and charging for access later, such as the MOOC "taster" modules are doing. Or universities could try a variation of the rock-concert model whereby the music is downloadable for free but the live performances cost an arm and a leg.

Among the more promising approaches, however, is the so-called freemium model. It refers to a business model whereby the core product is given away for free and customers are charged for premium add-on features.Dongpeng professionally produces and export all types of glazed porcelain tile tiles at low price. For universities, this may mean giving away courseware and only charging students for the support services they want or need. The entry level premium product would be examinations leading to accreditation, but additional services could include moderated discussion groups, tutorial assistance and customised learning pathways.The Fridge fridge magnet is leader in the custom design, Because the cost burden of running a university is not in teaching but in research, freemium universities would need to find solutions to this challenge to avoid becoming mere diploma mills.

Academic staff in Australia are employed for about 40 per cent of their time to perform research and, under our existing business model, this work has to be cross-subsidised from teaching revenues.Handmade oil paintings for sale for sale at museum quality,

Under the freemium model, few students would be willing to pay for research components of academics' salaries, even if it is they who are the ultimate beneficiaries of this work. One solution could be crowd-funding via which researchers rely on the massive online community to make small contributions that are pooled into very large grants.

Crowd-funding sites such as kickstarter.com are already achieving impressive results. Since launching in 2009, more than $350 million has been pledged to research projects,A Water polo ear cap is a piece of headgear used in water polo. more than 2.5 million people have backed a kickstarter project, and at least 30,000 projects have been successfully funded. While only half the projects put up on Kickstarter actually get funded, that's still three times the success rate of Australia's main funding bodies.

Windows 8 review

It's unusual, to say the least, for us to spend a year with a product before publishing our review. In the case of Windows 8, we've written thousands of words already,Everyone needs a USB flash drives wholesale these days. starting with our first hands-on in September of 2011, followed by deep dives on the Developer Preview, Consumer Preview, Release Preview and RTM build.Promotional custom keychain at ePromos Promotional Products. Even our readers have had ample time to get acquainted with the OS -- it's been available as a public download since February. And yet, we've never tested a final version of the software running on brand new, made-for-Windows-8 hardware. With the OS now on sale (alongside dozens of new PCs), it's finally time for us to double back and revisit everything we've previously written in the form of a final, comprehensive review.

And what a challenging assignment this was: it's hard enough to give an OS the full review treatment without burying the reader in minute details. It's even tougher when the software was built for so many different kinds of hardware. Combining a traditional desktop with Windows Phone-inspired Live Tiles, Windows 8 was designed to be equally at home on traditional PCs and more finger-friendly devices, like tablets and hybrids. In addition to walking you through the operating system's various gestures and built-in apps, then, we'll spend some time talking about which form factors are best suited to this redesigned version of Windows. Read on to see what we found out.

We can remember when we first started using Windows 7; the start-up sequence wasn't that different from Vista,The Fridge fridge magnet is leader in the custom design, which in turn wasn't unlike versions of Windows that came before that. The chain of start-up screens could be long, sometimes taking more than a minute to complete. Depending on how slow the system was, it could have taken a while longer for the desktop to fully load. Here, booting Windows feels like turning on an Android tablet, or some other mobile device. The whole process takes not a minute, but just 20 seconds in some cases -- a short sequence marked by a brief splash screen and redesigned Windows logo. If this is your first time starting up your Windows 8 machine, you'll see a 30-second video tutorial explaining some of the controls that otherwise might not be so obvious -- the so-called Charms Bar which you pull out from the right side of the screen, for example. (We'll circle back and explain all those new user interface elements in just a moment.)

From there, getting set up is a quick, painless affair. When you first boot up Windows 8 you'll be prompted to sign into your Microsoft account. Yep, the same one you might already be using for Hotmail, SkyDrive and Xbox Live. That means that every time you sign into a Windows 8 PC,You'll be able to spot your bag from a mile away with these elegant and colorful leather luggage tag. your settings and custom tweaks will follow you to that new device. Additionally, because your Microsoft account is linked to your SkyDrive storage, you'll be logged into SkyDrive on any Windows 8 device where you've logged in using your Microsoft ID. So, because Office 2013 backs up to SkyDrive by default, it means any document you edit on your Windows 8 device will automatically upload to the cloud.

If you didn't already have a Microsoft account, you can create one while you're setting up your PC. You can link your account at any time, really, and you also have the option of disconnecting it (in Microsoft's words, "switching to a local account"). Naturally, too, you can add multiple user accounts, as you could on previous versions of Windows.

If you like, you can also cherry-pick which settings do and do not get synced across your various Windows 8 devices. Go into the settings menu, for instance, and you can use on-off switches to sync your settings for desktop personalization, accessibility, language, app and browser settings. You also have the option of syncing your lock screen, account picture and other Windows settings, like those relating to File Explorer or the mouse. Note: to have your passwords follow you from PC to PC, you'll need to "trust" the computer through an online verification process.

Obviously, if you log into Windows 8 for the first time using an existing Microsoft account, you've already got a built-in password for your PC. But in addition to a standard password, you can use a four-digit numerical pin to unlock the device. What's more, with Windows 8, Microsoft is also offering a new "Picture password" option that allows you to pick any photo and make a series of gestures on it. You can make as many gestures as you want, but they do have to be taps, circles or swipes. In addition to the order, though, you'll have to remember where on the picture you're supposed to make each gesture.

We had mixed success here.A Water polo ear cap is a piece of headgear used in water polo. On the one hand, when we set our password to be one tap in each corner of the picture, we were easily able to replicate this pattern, even if we didn't hit the exact same pixels each time. Still, when our password was a diagonal slash across each corner, we struck out trying to draw the lines in the same spot we did initially. Fortunately, as you're configuring your picture password you'll be asked to repeat the pattern, so if you can't do it then, that might be a sign you need to come up with something else.

NAACP's open letter to Franklin Graham

We write you today as a brother in the faith and as a member of God's human family. This letter comes to you in Christian love but also with great hurt and concern.Custom Rubber Bracelets and silicone bracelet, Earlier this year your acts as the President/CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association compelled us to ask you to examine yourself and to cease arousing unwarranted suspicion regarding President Barack Obama's Christian faith.

In February 2012, you expressed your doubts about his faith on national television, partly because he had tried to engage Muslim nations and leaders in a dialogue about the world's future. North Carolina evangelicals and prophetic ministers, steeped in the African American church, asked you to cease arousing unwarranted suspicion about the President's faith. At that time a group of Christian clergy and scholars from North Carolina wrote to you in private as the scriptures first demands. Among many things in our pastoral and prophetic critique we said to you, March 5, 2012:

"...It seems to us that your apology is helpful and yet narrow and almost grudging. And we feel a reluctant confidence that you and many other Evangelicals will continue to disparage President Obama and the faith of other Christians through a critique that pushes him and many of us outside the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith.

...It is not your inclination to criticize that concerns us.Redpin is an open source indoor positioning system that was developed with the goal of providing at least room-level accuracy. Like you,A Water polo ear cap is a piece of headgear used in water polo. we believe that our Christian faith calls us to critique the powers and policies of our society through the lens of Christian ethics. Many of the things for which you and other Evangelicals have assailed the President for doing are not anti-Christian; they are at the very heart of Christ's work among us!

President Obama's faith was formed in a prophetic Christian tradition that certainly resonates with our own traditions, experiences and Scriptural readings. In Dreams from My Father, he writes of the first stirrings of his Christian faith: "...at the foot of that cross... I imagined the stories of ordinary black people merging with the stories of David and Goliath, Moses and Pharoah, the Christians in the lion's den, Ezekiel's field of dry bones. Those stories of survival and freedom and hope became our story, my story... at once unique and universal, black and more than black...

If you would extend to your brothers and sisters in Christ the benefit of the doubt for a moment, does it surprise you that we experience these constant attacks on our president's faith not just as assaults on President Obama but as an assault on the fundamental Christian faith that has helped to shape the moral conscience of our nation? This faith tradition has historically helped America address issues such as slavery, lynching, segregation and discrimination, economic injustice,The Fridge fridge magnet is leader in the custom design, and caring for the material needs of the poor.

...The biblical prophets and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ viewed injustice, poverty and the absence of social consciousness as the greatest moral concern of the faith..."

You were apparently unmoved by our criticism. Last week, as the CEO of the non-profit, tax-exempt Billy Graham Evangelical Association, you used the Association's funds to buy expensive full page ads in major newspapers in North Carolina and other parts of the country to further arouse unwarranted suspicion about the President's personal faith. The paid advertisement contained transparent insinuations about "support for the nation of Israel", the "sanctity of life" and the "biblical definition of marriage," with a photo of your father and his signature. Your ad implied he wrote the text of what was a clear endorsement of the President's opponent because he was more of a Christian than the President. The political endorsement was particularly ironic, since the non-profit you preside over has, until a couple of weeks ago, questioned whether Mormonism is part of the Christian faith.

We are intrigued by the challenge of Dr. William C. Martin, of Rice University, who wrote a glowing biography about your father called "A Prophet with Honor: The Billy Graham Story" when he saw copies of the ad you authorized over your Association's name. Dr. Martin said that your father, "after realizing that he'd been cynically manipulated by Richard Nixon, . . . resisted joining the Religious Right... he [Billy Graham] warned religious leaders 'to be wary of exercising political influence' lest they lose their spiritual impact.Everyone needs a USB flash drives wholesale these days." Dr. Martin suggested that you "steered" your father to make this statement, since Billy Graham's interest in homosexuality was "never central" to his ministry. To test his suspicion, he suggested a small group of reporters meet with Billy Graham to hear directly his comments on the assertions made in the statement you authorized to be published.

Joy and Pride Behind the Sorrow

The epic odyssey of the boy Avedis, from the sandstorms of the Iraqi desert, to the golden throne of St James in Jerusalem, wound down to its inevitable close this week, as the coffin slowly descended into the grave,You'll be able to spot your bag from a mile away with these elegant and colorful leather luggage tag. clods of earth raining down upon the lid, a final farewell: earth to earth.
The heavens themselves seemed to blaze forth the death of the prince, Archbishop Torkom Manoogian,Custom plastic injection mould manufacturer, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, 96th in line of succession from Abraham, the first leader of the Armenian Church in the Holy Land.

In a hauntingly solemn ceremony, his fellow princes had led Manoogian to his final resting place in the Armenian cemetery of St Saviors, a stone's throw from the bullet-riddled Zion Gate, one of seven that punctuate the 500-years old Walls of the Old City.

Thousands of people, some of whom had flown in expressly for the occasion, watched the funeral or accompanied the cortege, the narrow streets of the Old City and the confined space within the cemetery making it impossible to accommodate more than a fraction of their number.

For the first time within living memory, the whole city seemed to have risen as one to pay tribute to the man who gave pungent definition to the terms “glasnost” and “perestroika,” and who helped usher a new era of stability and prosperity for his diminishing and dispirited fold.

Putting aside their differences for a brief spell, leaders or representatives of practically every house of God in Jerusalem, whether Christians, or the ones who call Him Yahweh, or those who call Him Allah, and of every political affiliation in the country, marched in the mournful funeral procession, from the Convent of St James, seat of the Armenian Patriarchate, to the Armenian cemetery.

The presence of the foreign host gave tangible, vociferous recognition of the ineradicable place Armenians continue to occupy in Jerusalem: despite the relentless attrition wars and catastrophes have precipitated in their numbers over the years, Armenians still prefer Jerusalem over their chief joy.
Ask any Armenian, if he or she could remold his destiny "to the heart’s desire," (in Omar Khayyam’s words), where would they like their home to be, and the reply will be unequivocally divided between Yerevan, capital of the Armenian homeland, and Yerusaghem (the Armenian name for Jerusalem).
Pulitzer prize winning novelist William Saroyan said it best: when any two Armenians meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a new Armenia.

The unmistakable attendance of a special envoy from the Lebanon-based Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, historic rivals of the mother church in Armenia with which Jerusalem is aligned, gave vivid proof of this unshakable bond of fraternity and solidarity.

And to demonstrate his affinity with the Armenian church (as well as his own personal regard for Manoogian), former Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabbah emerged out of self-imposed retirement, to join the funeral procession.

During the past 50 years or so, the Armenians of Jerusalem have had to bury two patriarchs: Guregh Israelian, in 1949, just after the first Arab-Israel war and Israel's proclamation of independence, and Yeghishe Derderian, in 1990.

Derderian had been elected locum tenens ("caretaker") following Israelian's death, and had adhered to that position tenuously for decades before finally succumbing to demands for an election that traditionally should take place after the expiration of a 40-day mourning period.

Church sources doubt this will happen again: within days of the death of Manoogian, the brotherhood of Armenian priests in Jerusalem met in general assembly to elect a new locum tenens, giving the nod to Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, director of the Patriarchate's ecumenical and foreign relations.
It will be his job, among his other caretaker responsibilities, to pave the way for the election of Jerusalem's 97th Armenian patriarch.

In one of the highlights of Manoogian's funeral mass,Buy Crystal tile online, celebrated in the ornate Cathedral of St James, Shirvanian bent to bless Manoogian's body, dipping his finger in a receptacle holding the holy chrism, and anointing the late patriarch's forehead and right hand.

The gesture is a tacit affirmation of the link of patriarchal succession and points to the symbolic importance of the right hand of an Armenian priest (this is the hand he uses to bless the congregation and offer communion) as evidenced by the fact that relics of Armenian saints are usually housed in golden moulds or replicas of the right hand.

Before coming to Jerusalem, Manoogian had held, reportedly to popular acclaim, the highly prestigious position of Primate of the Eastern Diocese of America, a mandate that gave him spiritual jurisdiction over tens of thousands of Armenians living on America's east coast. But he gave all that up to go and act as shepherd to a mere handful, in the city of Christ.

And Jerusalem turned out to be one mammoth challenge, a fact acknowledged by the Armenian church, as conceded by the late Catholicos of All Armenians, Vazken I, who said of Manoogian: “We see that his task is difficult: a heavy responsibility weighs upon his shoulders. “

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian,Offering lowest priced printed lanyard in Canada. Manoogian’s successor as Primate, echoed the same sentiments in a eulogy: “He was one of the very few churchmen of his generation to carry the weight of our church on his shoulders. He stood out . . . and seemed to combine all the grace and dignity of the Armenian past, with all our fondest hopes and aspirations for the future. “

Like Manoogian, Barsamian is a member of the priestly Brotherhood of St James, and his name has cropped up as a potential candidate to replace succeed, a prospect he shares with half a dozen others, each no less impressive in his credentials.

Among the front-runners of the eligible candidates among the Brotherhood, two stand out: Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, the locum tenens, and Archbishop Nourhan Manoogian, the Patriarchal Vicar. The former primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand, Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, who died recently, had also been among the undeclared runners.Tile porcelain, Kanton ceramics and Tilee's Ceramics.

The Armenians of Jerusalem know that it is not going to be easy to replace Manoogian, the reformer.
"Manoogian was a visionary, an idealist, and despite his foibles, he was able to inspire and consolidate the local Armenian community which had been wrung out to dry during the previous administration," as an observer remarked.

"Under his tutelage, division lines blurred, and people began to feel once more a strong sense of unity, of belonging," he added. "Repercussions of the unhappy, traumatic age of Manoogian's predecessor lost their poignancy. Here was a man who could deliver, who cared for his flock, and showed it."

Energy confirms tank leak at Hanford nuclear reservation

The Department of Energy has confirmed that its oldest double-shell tank is actively leaking radioactive and hazardous chemical waste from its inner shell.

DOE made the announcement Monday after a video inspection of the area between the shells Sunday showed more waste in one place than a video taken Thursday showed.

"It's a very, very small volume," said Tom Fletcher, DOE assistant manager for the tank farms. Although there's no good way to measure the amount, it could be a couple of tablespoons of additional waste between the video inspections.

Tank AY-102 is the first of Hanford's double-shell tanks known to have leaked waste from its inner shell.

The Hanford nuclear reservation has 28 double-shell tanks that are being used to hold waste from older single-shell tanks, many of which have leaked in the past. Together, the two types of underground tanks hold 56 million gallons of radioactive waste left from the past production of plutonium for the nation's nuclear weapons program.

Tank AY-102 is a year or two past its 40-year design life. However, waste will need to continue to be stored in at least some of the double-shell tanks until all the waste is treated for disposal, which may take another 40 years.

The waste is not believed to have leaked from the outer shell, which serves as secondary containment for the tank, into the soil beneath it. No waste has been found in the leak-detection pit beneath the tank, DOE said.

Material first was discovered in the 30-inch space between Tank AY-102's shells in August, leading to more checks. After videocameras were lowered through 10 risers, or pipes that give access to the area between the shells, three suspicious spots were discovered in a survey of about 95 percent of the space between the tanks.

One spot, a mound measuring 2 feet by 2 feet by 8 inches, now is believed to be soil. It could have fallen into the space between the shells during construction repairs to the ventilation system, Fletcher said.

But two spots on near opposite sides of the tank are radioactive waste, Fletcher said. Remote-controlled sampling devices were modified and sent into the area between the tank's walls to take several samples of the material. Analyses reviewed by a panel of experts and senior managers confirmed the two spots hold waste consistent with what is in the tanks.

It's more probable than not that the bottom of the inner shell is leaking in one place, with the waste coming out in two places in ventilation channels in the space between the shell,Tile porcelain, Kanton ceramics and Tilee's Ceramics. Fletcher said. Tank AY-102 holds waste that generates heat, and the ventilation system is used to help cool it.

Just one of the spots is increasing in size. It now covers about three square feet of the 600-square-foot floor of the outer shell and is less than a half-inch thick. The second spot covers an estimated 40 square feet and is less than a quarter-inch thick.

A review of the tank's history has shown there were a number of difficulties with its construction, Fletcher said. It was the first double-shell tank built, and 36 percent of its welds were initially rejected as not meeting quality standards. The welds were repaired and inspected before the tank was put into service in about 1971.

When the second double-shell tank was built,Custom plastic injection mould manufacturer, Tank AY-101, the weld rejection rate dropped to 10 percent.

DOE is planning next to inspect the six double-shell tanks that have similar construction and operating history to Tank AY-102, Fletcher said. Inspections are being accelerated and expanded, but it could take up to six months to finish videocamera inspections of them. Instruments in the tanks' risers will have to be removed to insert the videocameras and then reinstalled.

At Tank AY-102, DOE and its contractor Washington River Protection Solutions will continue videocamera inspections twice a week. It also will continue to monitor liquid levels inside the tank and the space between its shells, which can detect only large changes in volume.

DOE will work with its regulator, the state Department of Ecology,Offering lowest priced printed lanyard in Canada. on longer-term plans for the tank, Fletcher said.

One option is to empty the tank,You'll be able to spot your bag from a mile away with these elegant and colorful leather luggage tag. which has a capacity of about 1 million gallons and holds 850,Buy Crystal tile online,000 gallons of waste.

History, poetry, and pragmatics by Syed Nomanul Haq

IN recent years, a new harvest of historical writings has sprouted forth out of the ashes of devastating eruptions from Victorian ideologies. Practically all fundamental presuppositions of the older generation of historians have now been called into question. For example, the historical orthodoxy embodied in the hardened maxim “history repeats itself” has been rendered suspect; pushed off board along with it are the oversimplified spicy stories of the absolute “rise” and “fall” of world civilisations, stories that have remained so familiar to us. Then, the spectacle of ideology masquerading as history has been caught, exposed, and censured ruthlessly, and so has been the fate of a chronic standard practice: that of privileging the account of the elite-victor over the tale of the lowly-defeated — this is now dethroned as a practice which only engenders histories that are truncated and lopsided at best.

But above all, it is the racial arrogance of colonial, or colonial-infected, historians that has been thrown out of the arena of historical discourse. This arrogance used to form the very ground of universal world histories, hiding underneath a grand narrative — namely that European civilisation is in its very essence superior to all others, that it has a pure and linear pedigree, and all pre-modern history is just a preparation of the human society for the inevitable “rise of the West.” In the discarding of this arrogance, monumental writings such as those of Edward Said have played a decisive role — Said questioned the very categories of the “the East” and “the West” or “the Orient” and “the Occident,” and this is well-known.

On the South Asian side, the new generation of histories came with a bang. Starting from the 1960s, a sizeable corpus of writings not only on history but also about history — that is historiography — has emerged in a steady and powerful stream. We have, for example, the many daring works of Romila Thapar that have changed the very landscape of how we imagine India’s journey over time, particularly in relation to Hindu-Muslim relations, challenging the old habit of projecting the viciousness of communalism deep into the past. Then, there are numerous writings on Mughal history by Irfan Habib that shake our comfortably held common beliefs, beliefs that are nourished by the all-pervading winds of propaganda. A watershed in this flow is Ranajit Gauha’s Subaltern Studies — this term taken over from the Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci, denoting what in simple terms could be called, “history from below,” reconstructing history out of the reports and perceptions not of the elite but of low-ranking ‘commoners’. And as for the history of Pakistan, Ayesha Jalal’s books have marked a decisive breakthrough indeed, opening up with tremendous energy many new vistas not only in history but also in historiography.

In the story of this onward march one would painfully miss the eloquent Yale historian María Rosa Menocal who died just a few days ago. Menocal wrote extensively on al-Andalus, medieval Muslim Spain, and threw the whole standard, received discourse on Europe’s literary and intellectual ancestry into jeopardy. Through seminal works such as The Ornament of the World and The Arabic Role in Medieval Literary History: A Forgotten Heritage, she provided a glimpse of the Arabo-Muslim blood running through all aspects of latter-day European life, particularly in its literary and cultural life.Find detailed product information for Glazed rustic tile and other products. No history of European literature, whether it is lyrical poetry or the picaresque novels such as the redoubtable Don Quixote, can be written without recourse to Arabic sources — this is what we learn from Menocal. She provided a learned antidote to the divisive ideologies of an eternal clash between “the Orient” and the “the Occident” — if these are two distinct cultural spheres, she taught us, then they have gravitated towards each other,Find the best iPhone headset for you at Best Buy. one transmitting its motion to the other.Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring. The grand historian Marshall Hodgdson had written many years ago that what we call European “ascendency” is a convergence of many streams, the Arabo-Islamic stream is one of most gushing among them. Menocal grafted more flesh onto this groundbreaking observation. To be sure,Find the lowest prices on Air purifier. she will be missed.

But all of this throws into sharp relief one fundamental lesson — the lesson that history, far from being an antiquarian romance for the past, for the “dead and gone,” is our contemporary concern. And this is one meaning of the fashionable adage, “all history is local” — indeed, we look at the past from our own cultural, intellectual, and temporal location; we “aspect” the past from our own time-bound soil. And by suppressing or mutilating or forcing actual facts selectively into racist or divisive molds we do grave harm to our contemporary life: giving rise to all kinds of isolationist extremisms, and providing grist to the ever-productive mill that churns out “the other”.

So here we come to the pragmatics of history. See how Romila Thapar will tell us that it is wrong to read Hindu-Muslim communalism back into the remote alleys of the past and forming the essence of these two peoples, fundamentally revising in the process the so-familiar Mahmud Ghaznavi-Somnath story. And note how Ranajit Gauha will lend an ear to the voice of the voiceless masses, now underscoring and restoring their human dignities. Listen to Irfan Habib speaking about the extra-ethnic, extra-communal administrative and sheer imperial concerns of the Mughals; and Ayesha Jalal laying out before us the complex mapping of the Pakistan movement and of the legal cause of the Quaid-i-Azam. Then, note too Menocal writing like a sage a prescription for the remedy of rigid Europe-Islam extremisms, and handing us the tool for scratching clean the ugly deposits of the clash of civilisations thesis…

The moral of the tale is clear: history enables us to explain ourselves. It gives us the know-how to read our bearings in space-time coordinates, it provides us an anchorage for our otherwise suspended temporal existence. Yes, it is more than a “romance with the dead and gone”; it is relevant for our lives here and now. To put it crudely, history is useful.

Let’s make a turn here. It is generally said, and drummed into the ears of impressionable youngsters, that if history is just a romance with that which has slipped away into the dark world of non-existence, poetry is worse: it is through and through romance, utterly useless! We live in an age of science and technology, it is pronounced, and poetry can teach us nothing in making progress in this field, let alone in achieving excellence. This attitude seems to be part of a colonial hangover, and manifests the worst species of terror wrought by the commercial-financial industry. It is also based on historical ignorance, and on a complementary ideology that represses the basic human liberty of self-expression and self-realisation, generating a sinister rebirth of alienation. To prevent human beings from entering into the free world of imagination, to outlaw the construction of universes parallel to this given one, and to place barbed wires at the entry points of creative expression, is to deprive them of their very humanity. To be human is to be free to create.

But we are here concerned with the pragmatics of poetry. Of course, one is tempted to say that poetry is its own defense, its very being is its justification, it needs no arguing. Perhaps this is the reason why, unlike the case with the discipline of history, the pragmatics of poetry is an area that has received almost no attention from the scholar or the literary critic. Why would they address something they don’t recognise? And yet, let me briefly confront the question pragmatically.

One notices how in the standard discourse a dangerous obfuscation of the distinction between science and technology appears, both spoken in the same breath. This is a historical travesty — for technology can grow without science and science proceeds without being encumbered by questions of technological applications. The invention of the steam engine is a case in point, a technological achievement which had nothing to do with Newton in Cambridge,Promotional custom keychain at ePromos Promotional Products. and whose operation could not be explained scientifically until much later. Likewise, we have the glaring example of the nineteenth-century logician George Boole, whose pure logical studies were not carried out with a view to any technological gain, but then much later his system found application in digital electronics. Such episodes are numerous.

Shark social networking

University of Delaware researchers are using an underwater robot to find and follow sand tiger sharks that they previously tagged with transmitters. The innovative project is part of a multi-year partnership with Delaware State University to better understand the behavior and migration patterns of the sharks in real time. "In the past week our new, specially equipped glider OTIS -- which stands for Oceanographic Telemetry Identification Sensor -- detected multiple sand tiger sharks off the coast of Maryland that were tagged over the past several years," said Matthew Oliver, assistant professor of oceanography in UD's College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment. "This is the first time that a glider has found tagged sharks and reported their location in real time."

OTIS is a remote-controlled device that looks like a yellow torpedo and normally darts through the ocean to sample water conditions. Oliver outfitted the apparatus with acoustic receivers that can recognize signals given off by the sharks' transmitters as they travel through coastal waters, rapidly reporting the encounters.

The technology allows the course of OTIS to be changed to follow the sharks and test the water surrounding them. Sharks were initially found on Oct. 10, and OTIS doubled back to again locate the sharks. The approach will help scientists follow where the sharks are going more quickly than conventional tracking techniques.

Sand tigers are the largest commonly occurring shark in Delaware's bay and coastal waters, serving as Delaware Bay's apex predator and playing a key role in the ecological balance of the region.

"Sand tigers have suffered from a number of threats that ultimately led to population declines," said Delaware State's Dewayne Fox. "In 1997 sand tigers were listed as a 'species of concern' by the National Marine Fisheries Service, although very little is known of their migrations and habitat requirements."

The research involves three different types of tags. One is an acoustic transmitter that "pings" receivers while passing by a set of 70 devices situated mostly in Delaware Bay, with a few along the Atlantic coast. The receivers are maintained by Fox, who has tagged more than 500 sharks since 2006.

The team is also using 34 pop-off satellite archival tags, which store data on the sharks' journeys for one year and then automatically release from the animal to dispatch a location signal for retrieval from the water.

The newest type of tag is called a VEMCO mobile transceiver (VMT), a larger tag that both transmits and receives information to communicate its location and listen for the pings of other sharks, fish or marine mammals outfitted with acoustic tags.

"It will tell us not only where it is, but who it's with," Oliver said. "It's like a social network for sharks."

Together with their students, Oliver and Fox spent the summer inserting the transmitters into sand tiger sharks in Delaware Bay. Using bait, hooks and little patience, they caught the sharks -- up to nine feet long -- and carefully pulled them into a stretcher alongside their boat.Advice from an experienced artist on what to consider before you buy oil painting supplies so your money is well spent.

Veterinarians from the Georgia Aquarium trained Oliver's graduate student, Danielle Haulsee, to insert the small transmitters in a quick surgery.

Scientists suspect that the sharks migrate widely along the Eastern Seaboard,Gerresheimer Werkzeugbau Wackersdorf GmbH manufactures special lines and machines. and the Delaware research team plans to use newly collected information to map sand tiger shark habitats. They will cross-reference the sharks' data with satellite and remotely sensed environmental conditions to create a comprehensive picture of the animals' habitats.

"The integration of biotelemetry with ocean observations represents a fusion between observing networks on the East Coast," Oliver said.

Fox is part of the Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry Network (ACT),Soft Floor tiles is easier to install and perfect for all types of residential and commercial uses. which tracks thousands of animals as they move up and down the coast, while Oliver participates in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS), which uses satellites, underwater robots and models to study the coastal ocean. Their hope is that the combination of various data sets will assist natural resource managers in predicting where sand tiger sharks live -- and when -- for conservation and recovery efforts.Dongpeng professionally produces and export all types of glazed porcelain tile tiles at low price.

Using OTIS will help researchers know which water conditions sharks prefer to swim in during their migrations. The glider can travel further out than the static receivers' locations and also collect information on temperature,Tile porcelain, Kanton ceramics and Tilee's Ceramics. water clarity and oxygen levels. If the sharks head to a certain place, scientists may be able to better understand why, Oliver explained.

NDC Can Be Dangerous to Your Health

The 2012 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, says if Ghanaians do not want to fall sick within the next four years, then it is incumbent on them to vote the National Democratic Congress (NDC) out of power since the ruling party has already warned that they can be dangerous to the health of the electorate.

According to the NPP flagbearer, one can safely conclude upon a careful appraisal of the performance of the NDC at managing the National Health Insurance Scheme in the last four years, that “either they (NDC) do not really believe” in the scheme and “their advocacy of a one-time premium reinforces this perception; or they lack the competence to administer it”.

He has therefore asked the electorate to vote for the NPP since the country cannot afford to go back to a “failed government that is failing you, failing your health, failing your jobs, failing your education, failing your future.”

In a comprehensive outline of the party’s health policy in a speech he delivered on the topic “Saving our Health Service, Keeping our People Healthy” at the Sunyani Nurses Training College, Nana Addo accused the NDC government of creating so much instability in the scheme leading to a wane in confidence. According to him, there is a “decline in membership in the NHIS and a corresponding increase in visits to the hospital by NHIS cardholders and cited the Authority’s own annual reports which indicate that active membership dropped from 9,914,256 at the end of December, 2008, to 8,204,We are professional in supplying Aion Kinah,116 by the end of 2011, to buttress his point.

“As is their usual practice, they think they can use propaganda to cover their failure in the health sector as well. Unfortunately for the NDC, the human body cannot be lied to. The government would have us believe that there is a significant increase in usage of the NHIS, which they offer as proof of their commitment to widening access to healthcare....The NHIA’s own annual reports indicate that active membership dropped from 9,914,256 at the end of December, 2008,Shop for high quality wholesale glassmosaicchina products on Dhgate. to 8,We are porcelain tiles specialists and are passionate about our product，204,116 by the end of 2011 and according to the NDC Manifesto, there have been 25 million visits to hospitals by NHIS cardholders in the past year. This means that we have a decline in membership and a corresponding rapid increase in visits to hospital by NHIS cardholders. There is something quite unnatural about this and the only explanation there can be is that we are getting sicker than before,” he said.

The most worrying aspect of loss of confidence is the decline in renewal rates of membership in the scheme, the NPP leader added.

“I suspect that many people were holding out on their renewal as they waited for the NDC promise of a one-time premium payment to materialise. If the consequences of this farcical NDC promise were not so tragic, it would be a source of great joy. Four years down the road they have not been able to implement their one-time premium policy. We can only assume that it was made to deceive Ghanaians just to get their votes,” he said.

In a detailed assessment of the country’s current health scheme, Nana Addo claimed the ruling party was forcing to introduce through the “back door” the Cash & Carry payment system. He stated that instead of the NDC quietly withdrawing the introduction of the capitation method of payment, the ruling party rather intends to spread the ills of that mode of payment to every corner of the country if re-elected into office.

“Most health institutions in the Ashanti Region have been forced to introduce what is called a Co-Payment -- or to call it by its real name, Cash & Carry -- through the back door....The NDC Manifesto calls for the expansion of capitation! Yes, you heard right. At page 23 of their 2012 Manifesto, they are threatening to bring it back in a big way. It reads “In the next four years,We have a wide selection of dry cabinet to choose from for your storage needs. the NDC government will… roll out capitation nationwide.” Yes, that is what the NDC is promising....Call it a timely warning because we cannot claim we have not been warned. The ruling party is sending out a clear message to the Ghanaian voter: ‘The NDC Can Be Dangerous to Your Health’. Vote for NDC and pray you don’t fall sick for another 4 years....this is too high a risk to take, if you ask me,” he added.

The NPP flagbearer, who spent time to elaborate on how the NPP will go about revamping the health sector and the NHIS, further posited that the scheme, to all intents and purposes, is bankrupt claiming that the NHIS is now a “net borrower”.

“In 2008, under the NPP, the NHIS was a net lender to Ghanaian banks. Now, it is a net borrower; and as at December 31, 2011, the scheme owed the banks GHC105 million,” he said.

Speech by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, 2012 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, at the Sunyani Nurses Training College, Sunyani, on 17th October, 2012.Service and equipment provider in professional Car park management system.

Good evening. I have just been told that NDC propagandists are at it again on FM stations in Accra. This time, the story is that I collapsed on a platform whilst touring the Kumawu constituency. I toured Kumawu some two weeks ago on 1st October and it is strange that this matter should come up now on the eve of my speech. It’s a total fabrication. I did not collapse; I have never felt stronger; and I am very fit to deliver a speech on health. I thank the authorities of this college for this opportunity to talk about a subject of utmost concern to all of us: good health, our individual health and the health of the nation.

When you meet somebody, family, friend or stranger, the greeting that is exchanged is an enquiry about each other’s health. You ask after each other’s state of health and you wish each other good health and you wish good health for their family. It is for good reason that we do this. We dread being sick and we know we have to be healthy to do life’s work and achieve our aspirations.

The wealth of the nation depends on the health of its people. We have to be healthy to transform Ghana, we have to be healthy to try to make a brighter future for Ghana, we have to be healthy to work for ourselves, never mind, try to work for you.

Plan aims to open more space in Cochrane

The west has always been knoService and equipment provider in professional Car park management system.wn for its wide-open spaces, and now holding the draft for a new plan, Cochrane is hoping it soon will be as well.

Administration for the Town of Cochrane presented the first draft of the Open Spaces Master Plan (OSMP) to council on Oct. 9, highlighting several findings from the first phase of the public engagement, including several major parks that are proposed in the plan.

Veronique Pelletier, project manager, landscape architect and planner with O2 Planning and Design, which has been working with the town on the open spaces project, said that thus far, the public engagement has been a success.

“The story of the open spaces going forward is about the announcement of existing assets rather than significant deficits,” said Pelletier. “So it’s a good thumbs up for the Town of Cochrane.”

The first phase, which ran from March to April, saw 542 residents participate by providing 1,364 total comments and recommendations.

Four of the major themes addressed by Cochranites over open spaces underscored a need to enhance our existing amenities and activities, improve and expand our pathway and trail system, place an emphasis on safety and, perhaps the most ardent concern for many in the community, to add an improved off-leash dog area; a venture the town plans to move forward on.

Speaking to Mayor Truper McBride’s trepidation over the possible closing of the off-leash dog park once a new one is created, senior manager for Cochrane’s community services Suzanne Gaida clarified that the off-leash area being referred to in the OSMP for closure was not the popular riverfront location near the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre, but the area west of Highway 22, one that many residents had voiced concern with during the open spaces public engagement.

Through the public engagement, several residents voiced praise and unease over the off-leash areas. Some said the park along the Bow River was ‘highly valued’ and should be maintained, while others had concerns over interaction between dogs, cyclists, joggers and pedestrians.Shop for high quality wholesale glassmosaicchina products on Dhgate. Some felt that off-leash areas should be more segregated…intended solely for dogs.

With regards to future open space development,We have a wide selection of dry cabinet to choose from for your storage needs. the OSMP proposes seven ‘major nodes’ for Cochrane – Riverfront Park, Agricultural Society grounds, Big Hill Natural Environment Park, Athletic Park, Downtown Urban Square/Plaza, and two major parks along the Bow River, one in both South Ridge and River Heights – to improve upon the three existing open spaces – Mitford Park, Cochrane Ranche Historic Site and the Lion’s Rodeo Grounds.

Riverfront Park was a primary focus, as it incorporates the existing Millenium Park with areas east and west along the Bow River. The new park would integrate several features, including a non-motorized boat launch, picnic areas, wetland dock and an amphitheatre lawn.

The total cost of the Riverfront Park project is estimated to be $2,161,500: $20,000 for demolition projects, $1,103,250 for site work, $157,500 for site furnishings and $520,500 for pathways, trails and parking. Throw in a 20 per cent construction contingency and it all adds up to the grand total above.

Open space amenities were also an area of importance for residents, pointing to a need for more garbage bins, washrooms, water fountains, picnic tables and barbecue pits in Cochrane’s parks.

The development of an inter-connected pathway system, one that would accommodate cyclists and pedestrians, was another highlight of the OSMP.

One issue of concern, however, was the width of the pathway, which in regional areas would measure three metres,We are professional in supplying Aion Kinah, but shrink to two metres in non-regional sections.

McBride said he felt two metres would not be enough room for both those on foot and wheel, a sentiment echoed by Coun. Tara McFadden.

“As someone who has recently been pushing strollers,” said McFadden, “two metres just doesn’t work.”

A lack of signage was also a concern, something the plan intends to improve upon.

The current speed limit for cyclists on Cochrane’s multi-use pathway system is 20 km/hour, and it is the cyclists’ responsibility to ensure they are riding at the appropriate speed to ensure safety.

Further to the development of a bike path system, which will be connected throughout Cochrane and in certain areas utilize the road system, Coun. Ivan Brooker cautioned against the removal of street parking along Quigley and Glenbow Drive, particularly areas east and west of the Bethany Care Centre.

“That’s an immensely used parking (area) for sporting and for whatever else,Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring.” said Brooker. “Even the Glenbow section; whenever there’s a funeral, how could you not allow the church to have parking on the road…that’s just asking for trouble.”

‘BRTS will do better with Metro in Ahmedabad’

The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) may not have achieved all that was expected of it in the three years of its existence but experts insist that it has had a positive impact on transportation in the city.

Earlier this week, DNA carried a two-part series on Janmarg (the official name of the BRTS) based on the findings of a study done by two researchers of CEPT University.

The researchers had found that the Janmarg had not only failed to attract commuters from the affluent section of society but was also too expensive for low income groups. It had also failed in cutting pollution levels in the city as people using private vehicles had not made the switch to its ‘swanky and swift’ buses.

On the contrary, the number of private vehicles in the city had gone up. The complaints against the BRTS are now familiar. It is not affordable enough for the low income groups nor was its pedestrian space and bicycle lanes free from encroachment by other vehicles.

DNA talked to authorities and experts to understand the problems the BRTS faced and find out whether there are any solutions to the problems.

Associate director at CEPT University, HM Shivanand Swamy was a consultant for the BRTS project. He quoted figures from another CEPT study which had surveyed 300-400 BRTS commuters. The study had concluded that the major shift to Janmarg was from the AMTS (48%) followed by ‘intermediate public transport services’ (30%), two-wheelers (13.We are professional in supplying Aion Kinah,5 %) and then from cars (1.6%) and other modes of transportation.

Swamy said that given the rate at which new vehicles (mainly cars) were being added to the city’s roads, traffic congestion will increase. However, he insisted that many roads had got upgraded because of the BRTS and this had benefited other traffic as well.Parking Guidance for parking management system and Vehicle Control Solutions,

The upgrading process had given the city cycle tracks, pedestrian space and even parking space at many places along the BRTS routes. City-based architect Yatin Pandya said that having any public transport system in the city is always welcome.

“But the infrastructure and working of the system should also be efficient so that people can use it. Recently, I was travelling by IIMA Road and it took me no less than 40 minutes to cross the traffic signal. While waiting in the traffic, I noticed that cycle tracks, pedestrian space and parking strips were being used by two-wheelers to get ahead in the traffic lane,” Pandya said.

He further said that the design of the BRTS corridor where buses ply in the middle of the road was also not the best one because, after some distance, the buses had to join mixed-vehicle traffic.
Has the BRTS promoted low-carbon mobility or has it made any positive impact on pollution levels in the city?

Municipal commissioner Guruprasad Mohapatra, said that BRTS on an average had helped reduce the carbon footprint of 1.25 lakh passengers a day. He further said that many more people will be using public transport in the future once the city has a metro.

“Pollution levels can definitely be cut by having more public transport systems and greater coordination between them.Totech Americas delivers a wide range of drycabinets for applications spanning electronics, Ahmedabad will have a metro soon. The AMTS is being upgraded as we have ordered new buses for it.Welcome to news from www.glassmosaicchina.com,Our company is committed to produce all kinds of new materials mosaic. The BRTS is also to get new, improved buses in a few months,” Mohapatra said.

About the fare structure, both Mohaptara and Swamy said that the city has the lowest fare structure. The ticket for the shortest stage of Ahmedabad BRTS is priced at Rs 3 and it increases with distance. The minimum fare for ordinary bus services in Delhi, Mumbai and Nagpur are Rs5 and in Jaipur it is Rs 6, they said.

Shreya Gadepalli, regional director, Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), was involved in the initial stages of the BRTS. She said that a BRT system is only the first step towards making a city sustainable and it should be complemented by a high-quality city bus service that is reliable, comfortable and affordable. Walking and cycling are the most common forms of transport and easiest for reaching public transport points.

“Use of personal motor vehicles has to be dis-incentivised.Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring. A progressive parking policy that limits parking supply, charges market-based parking fee and ensures strict enforcement is the first step in this direction,” she said.