text:
When a new study is released with numbers on median (i.e., half-higher, half-lower) damage awards, the one thing you should realize it's not going to be capturing are "runaway" outcomes, which by definition are the outliers. If 98 lawsuits end in awards of $5,000 each, one ends in an award of $500,000, and one ends in an award of $50,000,000, then the median award among the 100 will be exactly $5,000, even though the mean, or average, will exceed $500,000. Those particular numbers are purely by way of example, but in all real-world instances I know of in which both measures are available, mean or average awards come out higher than median, and often very much higher (which has implications for the way cases settle before trial "in the shadow of" possible outcomes, as the vast majority do; these settlement flows of course do not show up in figures on trial awards). Median trial numbers are obviously badly flawed as a way of trying to assess such questions as whether the amount of money moving through the system is high or low, rising or falling.
To put it differently, could you please refrain next time from asserting that median numbers "debunk tales of runaway civil trial damages", when they quite plainly do no such thing?


text:
VINS celebrates 40 years of conservation
By Christian Avard
Staff Writer | December 02,2012
Vyto Starinskas / Staff Photo
A red tail hawk flies out of employee Katie Christman's hands during a raptor environmental educational demonstration at the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences on Friday.
QUECHEE — An Upper Valley landmark known for conservation efforts marked a major milestone this fall.
The Vermont Institute for Natural Sciences in Quechee celebrated 40 years of successful wildlife preservation and environmental education programs. VINS is a renowned environmental organization and its work has impacted the local community, the state and beyond. VINS' success can be traced back to its origins when local residents took action to protect local habitat from industrial pollution.
The Ottauquechee River is a critical water source for the Upper Valley. It starts high up in the Green Mountains and meanders east until it joins the Connecticut River.
The Ottauquechee was heavily polluted in the early 1970s, when mills were dumping waste upstream. A group of Woodstock citizens got together, cleaned up the river and stopped the mills from causing further harm.
"So that was the start," VINS President John Dolan said. "They became successful pretty quickly. So then they thought 'OK, what do we do now?'"
VINS began as an organization in 1972 and operated out of a Woodstock storefront. They moved into a old farm building on Church Hill Road in Woodstock in the late 1970s and began new programs.
VINS conducted ornithological research and the rehabilitation of avian wildlife. The work was prompted by VINS co-founders Sally and David Laughlin, Richard Farrar, June McKnight and Jenepher Lingelbach, Dolan said.
"The staff initially took in injured raptors because nobody else knew where to bring them," Dolan said. "(Sally) took care of injured birds in her backyard and had a number of enclosures with injured owls, hawks and falcons that were brought to her for treatment. It really evolved into a professional rehabilitation operation."
As VINS settled in, a new program was established, Environmental Learning for the Future, an award-winning environmental education program for elementary-age children.
ELF is designed to give children an understanding of and appreciation for the natural world and increase scientific and environmental literacy. The ELF curriculum includes a textbook called "Hands On Nature" and is used throughout New England schools.
As VINS grew in the 1990s, so did its programs, and a new facility was needed. VINS moved to a new location near the Quechee Gorge in 2004 and built a new nature center that includes a rehabilitation and release center, exhibits, nature trails and more.
VINS established an in-house ornithological research group that studied native birds of Vermont. According to Dolan, the group was instrumental in removing the Bicknell's Thrush, a songbird, and the Vermont Loon from the endangered species list.
"The nature center was a significant development for VINS. It became a destination, it drew a lot of people from across the country and raised our profile," Dolan said.
The final and perhaps the most influential contribution to VINS' success is the support from volunteers, donors, researchers and conservationists who shared a concern for wildlife and local habitat.
"A lot of what you see at the center comes from tens of thousands of volunteers that helped us out over the last 40 years," Dolan said. "I've been with VINS for six years but I can see from where I sit the very rich legacy that staff, donors and volunteers left behind: a tremendous knowledge of natural sciences and reputation for quality programing in environmental education. VINS has always maintained high standards of quality in everything it's done."
To learn more, visit _URL_.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
Second quantization and atomic spontaneous emission inside one-dimensional photonic crystals via a quasinormal-modes approach.
PHYS REV E
, Article 056614. 10.1103/PhysRevE.70.056614.
An extension of the second quantization scheme based on the quasinormal-modes theory to one-dimensional photonic band gap (PBG) structures is discussed. Such structures, treated as-double open optical cavities. are studied as part of a compound closed system including the electromagnetic radiative external bath. The electromagnetic field inside the photonic crystal is successfully represented by a new class of modes called quasinormal modes. Starting from this representation we introduce the Feymnan's propagator to calculate the decay rate of a dipole inside a PBG structure. related to the density of modes,. in,the presence of the vacuum fluctuations outside the one-dimensional cavity.
|Title:||Second quantization and atomic spontaneous emission inside one-dimensional photonic crystals via a quasinormal-modes approach|
|Keywords:||2-COMPONENT EIGENFUNCTION EXPANSION, EXCESS SPONTANEOUS EMISSION, DAMPED HARMONIC-OSCILLATOR, HERMITIAN OPTICAL-SYSTEMS, BAND-GAP STRUCTURES, DIPOLE EMISSION, WAVE-EQUATION, FINITE, CAVITY, LOCALIZATION|
Archive Staff Only

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
m (linked to future monopod page)
m (1 revision(s))
Revision as of 21:56, 13 July 2006
To prevent parallax problems, panographers often use a tripod or monopod in conjunction with panoramic heads to place the no-parallax point of the camera at the centre of rotation. A cheaper and more portable alternative is to shoot handheld and use a philopod to keep the camera in position.
Philopods are named after Philippe Hurbain who describes the Philopod technique on his website.
A philopod is basically a piece of string tied around the no-parallax point on the lens, a weight at the other end of the string allows the camera to be positioned over a feature on the ground.
This may not be quite as accurate as a properly calibrated panoramic head, but there are other advantages:
- Speed of set-up.
- No tripod that needs to be painted out of the nadir.
- Ability to use small variations in pitch angles to capture the entire scene without separate zenith and nadir shots.
This last technique should be a separate tutorial, but the simplest variation is to shoot four portrait fisheye pictures around at 90 degrees apart. If the first and third images are tilted down by 10 degrees or so, they capture the nadir with a good overlap - The second and fourth images can be tilted-up similarly to capture the zenith.


text:
Ever since Pong's release in the 1970s, decades of gamers have been barraged with stereotyped messages like video games will make you fat, rot your brain, and will lead you to do nothing with your life. The great news about these stereotypes is that they are scientifically untrue. If Pong is a parent to traditional consoles and PC gaming, then VR is the grandchild. A world without them means that virtual worlds and their unique physical and mental health benefits would never exist.
VR for the Body
Stereotype #1: Video Games Will Make You Fat
In VR Fitness Insider's article "VR is Officially Exercise: A Personal Trainer's Take on the Tech and its Workout" Raphael Konforti explained how an Australian study linked playing VR games to physical exercise. Sure, sedentary VR games where you'll be sitting in a chair and pointing your controller for movement and as a weapon during gameplay do exist. But much like a two-sided coin, there are also VR games that require you to stand up and get your whole body moving.
With standalone headsets in development, VR manufacturers are improving how their external and internal sensors process your head and body positioning. These advancements in tracking during gameplay and exercise really helps to motivate users to push themselves physically. Meaning, there's no cheating in VR.
You may get your trainer to take it easy on you, but you can't fake it with a computer and an algorithm, it's cut and dry. You either complete those deep squats and lunges fully in order to pass onto the next corner, objective, and skill tier, or you stay where you are. Staying static isn't fun and exciting, so naturally, people keep moving to play the game, get steps in, burn calories, and lose track of time.
VR Games to Challenge Your Body
- Knockout League
- Redfoot Bluefoot Dancing for Vive Trackers
- VR Fitness
- Vision Therapy VR
VR for the Mind
Stereotype #2: Video Games Will Rot Your Brain
It's easy to see how parents would contribute their child's shrinking social circle, growing waistline, or lack of energy to sitting in front of a television screen for hours after school. Yet, this assumption isn't entirely accurate. A 2009 Nielsen report indicated that children spend up to 24 hours a week, and teens spend up to 22 hours a week watching TV, with an extra hour to two playing sedentary video games. It may seem like they've found a cause to children's health concerns — TV and video games. Yet, mental and physical health professionals argue the opposite.
Peter Gray, a research professor at Boston College, wrote an article "Cognitive Benefits of Playing Video Games", indicating the ways that playing video games actually improves brain function. Gray explained that research has proved that video games can improve "basic mental processes — such as perception, attention, memory, and decision-making." This throws out the dusty idea that video games will somehow impair your thoughts or dumb you down.
The Boston College researcher expressed that playing action games, where you need to "move rapidly, keep track of many items at once, hold a good deal of information in their mind at once, and make split-second decisions" are actually a sign of "the basic building blocks of intelligence." VR games are known to involve and activate a player's entire body along as they use one or two controllers, to move around and interact with objects inside a virtual world. This body awareness and rapid mental processing of actions taken in VR games won't likely get you into MENSA for being a genius, but you'll feel like one after you play a round or two.
Like any hobby that's turned into exercise (or vice versa), using VR isn't isolated to shooting, sword fighting, dancing, or adventure games. There are also games that are good for your brain's overall health as well. Help yourself, a friend, or a family member improve their memory, promote flexible thinking, and help reduce anxiety and stress with VR games. Heidi Godman, the executive editor for Harvard Health Blog, says that getting daily exercise keeps brain cells and blood vessels healthy and regenerative. She notes that both aerobic exercise and muscle training will reduce stress and anxiety due to the release of brain-friendly and memory-boosting chemicals.
VR advancements expand so quickly that there are even doctors who are helping paralyzed patients develop muscle control in their limbs with long-term use. There's also a brain-controlled and hands-free VR game called Neurable that has patients, neurologists, doctors, and the public on the edge of their seats. Using the allure of virtual worlds as a viable mental and physical activity has done so much for so many, that the military uses VR and therapy together as a way for soldiers suffering from PTSD to get some mental peace.
PTSD and other mental health issues affect 30% of soldiers within the first 3 to 4 months after they've returned home. Those who serve in the military deserve the best treatment because they fought to protect our lives at the risk of their own. Doctors like James Lake, a physician and author of the article "Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for PTSD in the Military" highlight the benefits of therapists using virtual reality with a combination of exposure therapy, yoga, being mindful, and EEG biofeedback as a way to relieve PTSD in soldiers. Lake explained that therapist-guided VR graded exposure therapy (VRGET) studies showed that "multisensory exposure and VRGET reported significant reductions in severity of PTSD symptoms in active duty combatants who had failed to respond to other forms of exposure therapy."
Virtual Games to Challenge Your Brain
- Skill Master VR
- VR Meditation SkyRun
- Guided Meditation VR
- Puzzle Island VR
- Hurl VR
- The Puzzle Room VR (Escape The Room)
- Brain Training Game – Cerevrum
Mind and Body Possibilities
Stereotype #3: Playing Video Games Will Lead You To Do Nothing With Your Life
Clearly, none of the innovative designers, developers, doctors, scientists, and therapists using VR ever listened to those 3 unfair stereotypes. There is no doubt that VR platforms and games will help millions of people all over the world find a gamified physical activity they can turn to when they've had a rough day or simply want to have fun exercising. VR is an always evolving technology, finding applications in health care, mental health, and in our very own government. Now it's time to apply it to our own lives and brains, one VR game at a time.


text:
Tilt lenses have their tilt-range specified in degrees, typically around ±8°. It seems that this number corresponds to how much a lens physically tilts along one axis. The effect is to tilt the plane of focus by some angle.
Can one calculate the focus plane angle from the tilt-angle of the lens?
Can we compute the lens tilt needed to tilt the focus plane to a desired angle?


text:
Definition of unsterile in English:
Not sterile or sterilized: unsterile needles
More example sentences
- He believes that AIDS may have its origin in unsterile hypodermic needles and antibiotics.
- Panicky use of unsterile needles may transmit HIV, hepatitis C, or other infections.
- I always have been taught that the back of the gown is considered unsterile and that personnel in sterile attire should not have their back to sterile supplies or fields.
Definition of unsterile in:
- US English dictionary
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.


text:
Much of the work researching online communities focuses on positive benefits. These are brought to people through sharing their interests, knowledge, and friendship online. Groups like the Social Computing Group and the Community Technologies Group build tools and research methods to understand and enhance such positive aspects of online community. The CODII project takes a different approach by examining how people organise themselves online to disseminate illegal images. The goal of the project is to design tools that help hotlines and moderators identify and remove illegal online content.
This project grows from a working relationship with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). The IWF are the charity who run the UK hotline that helps identify illegal online images in order for them to be removed, especial images of child abuse. The IWF is one of a number of hotlines affiliated to the international association INHOPE.
Our approach is to take an understanding of the area gleaned from working with the IWF, and combine it with a technological and social science understanding of online community systems. This combination helps us to build novel and useful tools.
To date we have worked on two tools. The first was an enhancement of the IWF's Bulk Image Viewer. The Bulk Image Viewer is used for rapidly scanning newsgroup images. The second was an Unreferenced Picture Finder used to locate hidden pictures on websites.
The next stage of research is to build a tool for moderators of online community platforms. This tool will unite:
- novel image visualization techniques,
- social clustering, and
- linguistic analysis.


text:
With installed wind energy capacity now over 539 GW, many turbines are reaching the mid to late stage of their operational life expectancy. Typically wind turbines have a life of about 20 years, but many only operate for the duration of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) under which they were constructed — which may only be 15 years.
Creating a strategic plan for asset life extension is critical for efficient management of wind farms. Clir Renewables recently launched a new product feature that allows for variable scenario analysis to determine the best way to operate assets.
As turbines age, owners and operators need to know how long their turbines are going to last. They often end up setting aside increasing amounts of budget for unplanned maintenance to ensure the asset is operating in a safe and profitable manner as various components approach the end of their design life.
However, an in-depth analysis of turbine data allows for the creation of strategic maintenance plans. These maintenance plans are created to prevent unexpected component failures and extend the operational life of the turbines. This is often undertaken as a one-off study assessing existing site data, which is unable to take into consideration true site conditions of the future.
Clir Renewables has tackled the industry issue of life extension analysis by developing detection tools enabling clients to assess and quantify the potential for life extension of their assets beyond 20 years and provide guidance for their maintenance planning.
Clir's software regularly analyzes wind-farm data, providing clients clear access to the information they need to make operational decisions in real time. Analytical models consider a wide range of data including wind flow conditions, component temperatures, and vibrational data. Each data set is then compared to the turbine design and loading parameters to quantify the operational risks turbines and individual components are exposed to. The software takes design loading conditions on a certification and site basis, compares it to real-world conditions derived from turbine data to quantify what risks turbines are exposed to and to what degree the turbines are operating within themselves.
This understanding gives Clir's clients actionable information to assist in long-term strategic maintenance planning and avoid unexpected component failures.
With Clir's software, continual assessment of component health ensures owners and operators are better informed about the condition of their assets and can build operational strategies in line with their long-term plans. The data can be fed into financial models, O&M strategies and assist in deciding whether to 'sweat' the assets during the PPA or extend their operational life past the agreement.
"Using automated algorithms and machine learning to assess wind turbine performance is an important advancement in the optimization of the wind industry," said Selena Farris, Data Scientist at Clir Renewables. "Continually assessing multiple data points across a site or portfolio means decisions are based on up-to-date rather than historical data. Better informed decisions reduce risk which can only be positive."
Filed Under: News, O&M, Software


text:
Floating gardens (Mexico, Bangladesh)
Floating gardens extend the growing area of rural communities where land is scarce. They are built by piling mud on top of anchored reeds in the water to construct a fertile bed for growing vegetables. The method is both cheap and sustainable.
The method dates from pre-Hispanic times in Mexico, when the Aztecs constructed chinampas or floating gardens in the canals of Lago Texcoco. The gardens became one of the most productive farming systems ever developed. By the time the Conquistadors came, the area of Xochimilco had become a rich agricultural district where many of the city's flowers, fruits and vegetables were grown. The gardens still produce flowers, fruits and vegetables today, and have become a favourite spot for both locals and tourists alike.
Floating gardens are amongst the options promoted to support the lives of the rural poor Bangladesh. Crops produced include Kang Kong (leafy vegetables), okra (lady's finger), gourd, brinjal (aubergine), pumpkin, and onions. When the rafts decay they are broken up and used as compost. A new raft is prepared for the next crop. The lives of once destitute families have been transformed by cultivating floating vegetable gardens on the Brahmaputra waters. As one farmer put it: "This has made a great difference to my life. Now I have enough food in the floods and I can give some to help my relatives as well". Training on the construction and use of floating gardens is provided by Practical Action and Gono Unnayan Kendro (GUK), a local NGO.
green growth opportunities in the Greater Mekong


text:
Stuart Johnson, Deseret News
Utah had a problem in 1903.
The St. Louis World's Fair had invited the state to participate in a parade of states. The parade was only few months away, and Utah was unprepared: It had no state flag.
Utah's first governor, Heber M. Wells, needed a flag fast, so he asked for help from Julia P.M. Farnsworth, regent of the Utah State Society of the Daughters of the Revolution.
The Daughters of the Revolution — a who's who of turn-of-the-19th-century Utah women — raised money by $1 donations and contracted with the ZCMI art department to make the flag. Agnes Teudt Fernelius, an immigrant from Goteborg, Sweden, embroidered the state seal with white thread on blue homespun Utah silk.
On May 1, 1903, in St. Louis, the delegation from the Union's youngest state marched proudly with the flag in the parade of states. The delegation, which included President Joseph F. Smith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sen. Reed Smoot, Gov. Wells and others, had met earlier where the World's Fair, officially known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, would take place the next year. A photograph was taken of the delegation standing around the flag where the Utah pavilion would be built.
More than a century later, in 2008, Ronald Fox found the photograph of the flag. Fox is a history buff and an indefatigable artifact hunter. Like a pit bull, he latched onto the idea of finding the flag.
The Utah State History department didn't have a record of the flag. Fox looked everywhere: The Daughters of Utah Pioneers, the LDS Church's collections, Fort Douglas Museum and the museum at the former state Capitol in Fillmore.
As Fox researched, he learned that it wasn't until March 9, 1911 — 99 years ago Tuesday — that the 1903 flag was declared by the Legislature as the official state flag of Utah.
Fox met flag expert John Hartvigsen in December 2009. Hartvigsen remembered seeing a beautifully embroidered 1922 Utah flag in the Utah State Historical Society Museum's collection. Fox knew that the 1922 flag wasn't listed in the museum's index of cataloged items. "That led me to believe that (the 1903) flag was there," Fox said.
Fox decided to go back to the beginning of his search and called Philip F. Notarianni, Utah State history director. Notarianni agreed to make a thorough search.
A few days later, in early February, Fox received a call from Michele Elnicky, a curator at the museum. Her team had found the flag. It had been inside a box that had been placed inside another box long before their cataloging system had been implemented.
The 1903 blue-and-white flag's reign as Utah's official flag was short-lived. After President Theodore Roosevelt announced plans for the USS Utah, a full-color flag was created for the battleship. That design, with minor changes, became the new Utah state flag by legislative decree in 1913.
The 1903 flag continued to be used as a "governor's flag" for about a decade. It was eventually retired to a box in the state archives, donated to the historical society, misplaced inside another box and lost to memory.
When Fox ended his two-year search, he could see that the flag's blue homespun Utah silk was torn in many places and in need of conservation and restoration work. Agnes Teudt Fernelius' intricate 107-year-old embroidery, however, was still in perfect condition.
Utah's first flag will be shown to the public for the first time in decades today from 1 to 3 p.m. at the state Capitol during the announcement of an exhibit titled "Utah in the Union: The Story of the 45th State."
Utah state flag facts:
1896: State seal designed by Harry E. Edmunds and C. M. Jackson.
1903: First Utah flag is embroidered with white thread on Utah homespun blue silk.
1913: Wm. H. Horstmann Co. makes a Utah flag for the USS Utah battleship — and adds, without instructions, a gold circle around the state seal.
1922: Emma W. "Dolly" McMonegal creates beautiful multicolored embroidered flag of Utah. She forgets to put the year 1847 on the flag and has to add it later below the shield. All current Utah flags are based on this version of the flag — even though state law requires 1847 to be on the shield, not below it.
2010: Paul Swenson of Colonial Flag donates funds to have the 1903 Utah flag conserved and restored.
- XanGo co-founder accuses partners of...
- Frances Monson, wife of LDS prophet, passes away
- Utah State runner Brittany Fisher gaining...
- Search for Susan Cox Powell is over, West...
- Airport TRAX ridership remains strong weeks...
- Mia Love announces she's officially running...
- Early diagnosis may be key in slowing...
- Mitt Romney to live in Utah — at least...
- Frances Monson, wife of LDS prophet,... 66
- Mia Love announces she's officially... 39
- GOP delegates reject changes to... 31
- Utah GOP convention agenda includes... 22
- XanGo co-founder accuses partners of... 21
- Utah facing $1.2 billion-dollar water... 10
- New app helps consumers purchase... 9
- Fly a flag for Cody: Army confirms Utah... 9


heat island effect
Higher-temperature 'dome' created over an urban or industrial area by hot air layers forming at building top or chimney top level. This dome is about 5°C to 7°C (about 40°F to 45°F) warmer than air above it and the ground level temperature, and can trap all polluting emissions within its confines. Most noticeable at night and early morning periods, it normally disperses by midday when the ambient temperature increases. See also temperature inversion.
Use heat island effect in a sentence
 - You should understand how the heat island effect works and try to make sure it doesn't hurt anything in your warehouse.
 3 people found this helpful
 - I learned about the heat island effect and I hoped that it would not happen to my hometown, because I liked it there.
 2 people found this helpful
 - One of the things that the company's board had to consider, in light of their new "green" policies, was the heat island effect, and how their factories could work to minimize their contribution to this sort of damaging, environmental pollution.
 9 people found this helpful
Show more usage examples...
Related Videos
Have a question about heat island effect? Ask for help in the


text:
FRIENDSWOOD FRIENDS CEMETERY
The Friendswood Friends Cemetery is certified by the Texas Historical Commission as a "Texas Historic Cemetery." It was established in 1895 just months after the first settlers arrived. Friendswood co-founder, Frank J. Brown, donated the land and laid out the cemetery with its two private roads crossing at the center. A burial site was needed for young Newton Knode who was killed instantly by a falling tree while he was cutting firewood. Many Friendswood pioneers and their descendents are buried here as are other former city and church leaders.
"Cemeteries are like open history books whose pages are tablets of stone." 1
You are welcome to explore the cemetery on your own. An annotated map (cemetery layout) is provided to help you locate several of our early pioneers' grave sites. An overview video is displayed below. Also, if you are interested in pursuing Friendswood history further, we suggest that you visit the Frank J. Brown Heritage Museum located at 108 Skyview.
1. Historic Cemeteries in Texas – Texas Historical Commission web site. _URL_


Is There Any Legal Value To Warnings Concerning Cellular Phone Dangers At Gas Stations?
IMG_0418 2After using a gasoline station in McLean, Virginia for years, I noticed for the first time this sign tucked away on the side on station. It is a sign that would seem to ignore reality since drivers routinely use cell phone and electrical devices (such as car radio, tablets, readers, and video players at gasoline stations. In light of such observed and common practice, what legal value does this sign have for the station.
Such signs are routinely posted to create a legal defense by triggering assumption of the risk or claiming that the sign makes accidents less foreseeable. In states that have decreased or eliminated the use of assumption of the risk in light of the rise of comparative negligence principles, such signs are often cited as a basis for the reduction of any award based on plaintiff's conduct. It can also be cited as fulfilling a duty to warn business invitees of a latent risk.
However, if it is dangerous to use cellphones at gasoline stations, is this enough given the almost universal practice of making calls while pumping gas?
In Casas v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 201 F.3d 435, the Fourth Circuit considered a slip and fall where a warning was given in the form of a sign on the wet floor of the store. However, the Fourth Circuit noted that the court must still determine "whether the warning given was adequate under the circumstances." This requires a consideration of "the number, location, and adequacy of the warnings given by defendant." Is one sign sufficient warning? Indeed, is any sign sufficient warning if there is widespread violations of the rule? Clearly, the danger is not high given the extent of violations that can be observed at most stations.
This danger has been downplayed despite occasional stories of fires involving cellphone use.
Mythbusters did this segment on the claimed risk. However, some government offices maintain that there is a danger as with this warning in Canada.
23 thoughts on "Is There Any Legal Value To Warnings Concerning Cellular Phone Dangers At Gas Stations?"
 1. Hey mom and pop gas station owner, I hate to tell ya but an automobile is itself an electric device. It also will send out sparks from the gas engine. So keep your darn pumps in good working condition and don't let your meat loaf so to speak. Also, where is the windshield cleaning squeegee, the cleaner, the towels, the air for the tires, the clean bathroom, the soda pop machine that doesn't steal quarters, the cashier that can speak the King's English?
 2. From the young people I see hypnotized by their cell phones they would not even realize if they did burst into flaMes. "OMG, hot flashes, just like my mo…m..wait I…AHHHHHH."
 3. If static electricity is a problem with your car, remember the rubber tires are insulators. The car is not grounded, but when you touch it, you are the ground, which is why you can get the jolt. Or even strike a spark that might set off an explosion at the pump.
 There is a simple solution. Get a grounding strap, sometimes called a static wick. You may have noticed chains dangling from the frames of big trucks dragging along the ground. Those are cheap, but unless you drive a truck, doubt you want the sound of a chain dragging echoing through your family sedan. Good static wicks are made of rubber or plastic with wires embedded in them. Attach the bracket end to your car, and the rubberized material is heavy enough to drag the ground. As it wears away, fresh wire ends are exposed, so it is always grounded. If you go to the auto parts store and the clerk does not have grey hair, they will probably have no idea what you are asking for. One of the better known brands of static straps at the link.
 4. To answer the question: there is no value to the posted sign because the sign doesn't tell patrons what the danger is. Is the danger that an electrical spark will blow up the whole gas station? Or, is the danger that a distracted patron will be struck by a vehicle? Or, that fumes from the gas would effect cell phone operation such that government surveillance of your phone call would be impossible? Or, that Buddy, the Class D mechanic, just got out of the mental hospital and still thinks cell phone transmissions are messing up his brain and might get violent? If Buddy takes a tire iron to a customer, I don't think that sign is going to protect the owner from much of anything. Seriously, patrons might be willing to accept the risk of some dangers but not others.
 5. However, some government offices maintain that there is a danger as with this warning in Canada." – JT
 The defense would be a legal fiction. 😉
 6. I want a sign for my bathtub that reads:
 WARNING! High risk of slips and falls.
 7. If you study electronics and radio transmissions, they in fact can not only do things unintended but were the basis of the video depicting Senators who passed the Digital Millennium Act and gave Motorola a monopoly. Digit technology guys is gruesome in what it can actually do to those who don't know much about electricity, radio or sub-atomic charged particles and high powered magnetics. It's a shame–the naïve joke about tin foil hats, except, that only makes you an antennae. LOL People need to get educated in high tech or they will be of themselves, victims of others with an agenda. Cell Phones do remember, are not different in transmissions, than ON STAR which allows remote radio to unlock doors and do all kinds of other things to your vehicle's flash card and computer's vehicle brain. Wake up America.
 8. The author of the article should go to a different gas station. I don't like smokers at the pumps. Ya see a lot of that down here in NC.
 9. OS
 since most autos have plastic door handles inside and out, static discharge is a problem. Paul is right, don't get back in the car, and always touch the outside of the car at least once with your bare hand. i know it's a pain when it's cold but that is when the risk of static discharge is greatest.
 insofar as cell phones, who knows. most people would be better off if they put them down once in a while and paid a little more attention to what's going on around them.
 we're not the great multi-taskers we think we are.
 10. I have seen studies that the main cause of gas pump explosions is static electricity from people. The scenario is as follows…person pulls up to pump, gets out and starts the pump pumping, gets back into car because its cold(wet, snowy, windy, boring, etc) to stand by the car, pump stops, person gets out of car and without touching car reaches for the pump handle to extract it from the car when a static discharge between them and the car/ground happens.
 Lesson, Do Not get back into your car when pumping gas. Before reaching for the pump handle (whether you got back in your car or not), touch the car away from the pump handle, continue touching the car with one hand while you grab the pump handle with the other.
 11. What you describe is, of course, under these circumstances, not an effective warning viewed from the standpoint of public safety. It doesn't bring a person from the point of ingrained habit to the different point of new awareness of a danger – this is the issue.
 Viewed from the jury box – after the fact – when the deed is done – "when you can't undo the harm" – "when they should have known better" – "when the harmed didn't take personal responsibility" – and "when I wouldn't have done such a stupid thing" it may be viewed very differently.
 12. I have seen several security camera videos of people using cell phones at gas pumps, and the pump exploding into flames. However, in every one of those I have seen, the customer does something like sit down in the car seat, then get up. That is usually a trigger for a static spark as anyone who has touched a car on a cool dry day can attest.
 Airplane fueling is something I am familiar with. It is mandatory for the fueler to attach a ground lead to the airplane, and the fuel truck be grounded. That is usually with a dangling strip of wire or chain under the truck that touches the ground. The ground lead is a long wire that runs from the truck to the plane and is attached to the plane with an alligator clip. Fuel flowing through a hose and nozzle can create static electricity.
 As for cell phones and other modern gadgets, their risk of creating a hazardous spark is virtually none. They use very little electricity, hardly more than your digital watch. The service station would be on sounder legal ground if they provided ground wires (no pun intended) or some sort of way to ground vehicles. They already require you to sit portable fuel containers on the ground before filling. Filling a gas can in the back of a pickup truck, for example, is asking for trouble.
 13. They may not want people to be using the gas pumps while distracted by those devices, like it is with laws about using them while driving.
Comments are closed.


text:
The Monterey Cypress is one of the most beautiful and desired trees on the planet, and it grew up right in our backyard.
by Neil Khosla
Sep. 1, 2015—The Monterey Cypress looks like it's fresh out of a Dr. Seuss book. It has a lopsided profile and a windswept mat of evergreen leaves resting atop a twisted trunk. With a closer look, the cypress blooms into a beautiful coniferous giant. Its branches radiate in all directions, forming a broad umbrella that protects everything below.
Its native range is confined to the Monterey Bay Area. This native habitat is where it grows naturally, without help from people.
The only natural Monterey Cypress forests are in Point Lobos State Reserve and in the Del Monte Forest. But because of its beauty and ability to protect homes and crops from intense winds, the Monterey Cypress is planted around the world. Individual cypress trees can be found scattered all over the San Francisco Bay Area. It even thrives in Europe, Africa, and Australia.
The Monterey Cypress (or for aspiring taxonomists: Hesperocyparis macrocarp) belongs to a large family of trees called Cupressaceae. This family has a lot of well-known members, including the Coast Redwood, Giant Sequoia, and Italian Cypress.
Like their relatives, Monterey Cypresses reach extreme heights, widths, and ages. With heights reaching 130 feet, and trunks over six feet wide, these conifers are giant beacons along California's coast. Their tremendous presence is quite lasting. The oldest living Monterey Cypresses are over 250 years old, and stand alongside the sea on 17-mile drive.
Though the California coast is a hotspot for plant diversity, it is impossible for most plants to survive the salty conditions near the sea. When seabreezes spray over the shores, salt sucks all of the water out of the plants. For this reason, there are very few large plants standing along the sandy cliffs of Highway 1 – except for the Monterey Cypress.
This tree is a part of an elite group of salt-tolerant plants called halophytes. A halophyte (or "salt-plant") finds ways to divert salt away from sensitive areas. To avoid shriveling up, halophytes do not allow salt to reach their leaves. Instead, they stop it at the root of the problem: the roots. When salt is excluded from the roots of the tree, it is unable to travel up to the moist leaves. Halophytes are not common plants, and constitute only 2% of all known plant species.
A Pressing Issue
But the Monterey Cypress does not have a clever solution for avoiding dehydration by drought. California's drought is drying up more than just reservoirs. Coastal fog is rapidly disappearing into thin air. This spells disaster for the native Monterey Cypresses.
Fog is basically a floating mass of extremely tiny water particles. It sifts through coastal flora, leaving behind droplets of water that plants use to stay hydrated. In drought conditions, fog levels drop drastically. This is detrimental for coastal plants like redwoods and cypresses that depend on the fog. As the fog rolls out of the bay, the cypress trees dry up – and dry trees are fire magnets.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the Monterey Cypress as "threatened". Because of all the tourist and camping activity along the coast, the threat of fire in local forests is extremely high. Small campfires can grow into rampant blazes that decimate entire forests. Since there are only two remaining native forests of Monterey Cypresses, one big fire could push the species to the brink of extinction.
Not So Fun(gi)
Dehydration pales in comparison to the tree's medical history. The Monterey Cypress was discovered to be patient zero for a disease that attacks many species of cypress trees around the world. This affliction is called cypress canker disease, and is caused by a lethal fungus called Seiridium.
Cypress canker disease is not a threat to native Monterey Cypress trees. It only affects cypress trees outside of the Monterey Bay. The disease is believed to have begun in the 1920's, when Monterey natives were first transplanted in California's Central Valley and in Europe.
Away from their natural home, the trees lost some of their defense mechanisms and became vulnerable to attack. Then, the Seiridium fungus latched on and infected the cypress. The poisonous fungus girdles, (or constricts) the tree's branches, preventing the tree from transporting essential nutrients to its leaves and trunk. Then, the diseased cypress tree suffocates to death.
Although this disease started with our local cypress, it has since jumped to several other species worldwide. Treacherous Seiridium spores detach from infected trees, fly through the air, and latch onto other nearby cypresses. Treatment for the cypress canker disease is limited and often not very fruitful, making this disease that much more deadly.
Local Monterey Cypresses
Despite the diseases abroad, local Monterey Cypress forests are thriving. In fact, they're bursting at the seams with the iconic Monterey Bay trees. The beautiful evergreen conifers are the center of many artists' attention, especially one famous tree in particular.
Check out the only natural Monterey Cypress forests on the planet. Remember: they are a threatened species and are extremely rare in the wild, so hold back on the campfires when near these unique cypresses:
Make like a cypress tree and get out there!


Locate: A New Generation of Personal Security
Priavo's locate app is a 24/7 monitored personal safety service. This travel safety platform gives travellers the confidence to conduct business wherever they are in the world. A simple shake or tap of your phone activates locate sending your location and details to your emergency contacts, enabling a robust response.
Once installed onto a smart device 'locate' can track individuals enabling organisations to monitor and respond to employees as they travel. 'Locate' provides up-to-date country information and security advice that is relevant to the destination being visited.
'Locate' can be activated in a time of distress by shaking or tapping your smartphone screen. Upon activation, your phone immediately records a short video clip which, along with your exact location, is sent in real time to the 'locate' control centre and to your emergency contacts via SMS and Email.
When significant incidents or events occur, companies can quickly establish the latest location of any employees, contact them instantly through its mass notification feature and activate a set of pre-determined crisis response procedures.
Track, monitor and respond to employees as they travel. Users location is automatically displayed.
A simple shake of the phone sends notifications to chosen emergency contacts with the user's current location. Video and audio are automatically captured.
Share meetings and itineraries: users set start and end points, emergency contacts are then provided real-time movement updates for the duration.
Defined areas are marked on the map: identify 'green' safe zones and 'red' danger zones. Employees receive an alert when they enter a marked area.
Up-to-date risk summaries for all countries are provided highlighting key travel risks, cultural and security considerations.
If an incident occurs, send notifications to all affected employees with instructions, regardless of where they are in the world.
Request a demo
Locate Travel App
15 + 15 =


text:
1st century AD
Heron of Alexandria is credited with the invention of the windmill. He harnessed the power of the wind to power an organ. The windmill blades were attached to an axle that drove a set of pistons up and down to provide power to the organ.
9th century AD
The Persians built vertical axis windmills that were probably used to pump water or to grind corn. The vertical sails were most likely made out of reeds and wood. The sails were in cased within a set of Read More »


Kōrero: Salvation Army
Whārangi 1. The Salvation Army's early days
Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero
Origins of the Salvation Army
In the mid-19th century an English minister, William Booth, left the Methodist church to become a travelling preacher, concentrating on slum areas. In 1865 he and his followers formed the Christian Mission. Renamed the Salvation Army in 1878, this was a noisy and unconventional church, dedicated equally to saving souls and relieving poverty.
Military structure
War was constantly in the news in Britain at the time, and Booth's church was run on strictly military lines. Its 'officers' held ranks such as captain and lieutenant, and wore uniforms, beat drums and waved flags. Morning prayers were known as 'knee drill', donations were 'cartridges', and starting work in a new district was called 'opening fire'. The Salvation Army's magazine was (and still is) titled the War Cry. The new movement spread rapidly across Britain and overseas.
Arrival in New Zealand
In 1882 a devout Dunedin woman named Arabella Valpy wrote to 'General' William Booth, enclosing £200 (around $34,600 in 2018 terms) and asking him to send someone 'to the rescue of perishing souls in this respectable and highly favoured city'1. Early in 1883 two young officers, George Pollard and Edward Wright, arrived in Dunedin with three helpers they had recruited on the voyage. The first Salvation Army meeting in New Zealand was held in Dunedin on 1 April 1883.
New Zealand was then in the grip of economic depression. Unemployment, crime, poverty and prostitution were widespread, especially in the cities, and the Salvation Army's colourful and welcoming meetings proved hugely popular. As the band blared and young officers sang and banged tambourines, 'unsaved' people were invited to 'surrender', or kneel at a bench called the penitent form or mercy seat and ask God to forgive their sins. By 1886 the Army had more than 5,000 members in about 40 corps (local groups).
Waging war
The early Salvation Army meetings were disrupted by groups of larrikins (disorderly young men), who shouted, threw stones and attacked the Salvationists during their services. In Auckland larrikins organised an alternative 'skeleton army', waving its own skull-and-crossbones flag. However the Army thrived on opposition. It set up local corps with militant nicknames such as the Wellington Warriors, Christchurch Conquerors, Invercargill Invincibles and Dunedin Dragoons.
Role of women
Inspired by his wife, Catherine, Booth insisted that women play an equal role with men in the Army's activities. That policy was very appealing in New Zealand, where feminist activism was strong and women gained the vote in 1893. Dressed in distinctive maroon uniforms with 'coal-scuttle' bonnets, women officers were in the forefront of the Army's expansion. By 1892 they made up more than half of its full-time officers and headed its five largest corps. Despite theoretical equality, men have usually held the very highest positions. By 2019, only three of the 21 Generals (international leaders) had been women. An active officer could only be married to another officer, since they served together as a pair.
Work with Māori
Unlike larger churches such as the Anglicans and Catholics, the Salvation Army did not start its work in New Zealand with Māori but in settler communities. However, individual Māori such as Joe Solomon in Kaiapoi and Maraea Morris in Gisborne were recruited in the church's early years.
In 1888 Ernest Holdaway and his wife began a mission to Māori on the Whanganui River. They converted the chief Tamatea Aurunui of Jerusalem, who donated a canoe to help with transport in the roadless region. The mission was named Te Ope Whakaora (the group of lifegivers), and formed concert parties that toured New Zealand and overseas to raise funds. However, in other regions, especially those which had suffered in the land wars, Māori reacted suspiciously to the Army. Holdaway's mission closed after 10 years. Localised missions in Bay of Plenty (to 1928) and East Coast (1933–92) were replaced by a national strategy in the 1990s.
Kupu tāpiri
 1. Quoted in Barbara Sampson, Women of spirit: life-stories of New Zealand Salvation Army women from the last 100 years. Wellington: Salvation Army, 1993, p. 11. Back
Me pēnei te tohu i te whārangi:
Mark Derby, 'Salvation Army - The Salvation Army's early days', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, _URL_ (accessed 31 July 2021)
He kōrero nā Mark Derby, i tāngia i te 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 20 Apr 2018


Quick Answer: Do Rice Make You Gain Weight?
Is Rice healthier than potatoes?
Nutrients found in white rice: Fibre – much less than potatoes.
B vitamins and vitamin E in very small quantities.
Calcium, manganese, magnesium, selenium, phosphorous, and iron in very small quantities.
Low calorie – 200 calories in a cup of cooked rice..
Is Rice better than bread?
What happens if you eat rice everyday?
Is Rice healthier than pasta?
Does eating rice at night make you fat?
Rice encourage your body to store excess fat that it doesn't need and make it harder to lose weight. Quick Tip: Always opt for brown rice as it is full of fiber, vitamins and nutrients. Eating a bowl of brown rice will make you feel full for a long duration.
What should I eat before bed to lose weight?
Should we eat rice at night?
Why does Rice make me gain weight?
The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how much and how quickly a food spikes your blood sugar levels. Foods high on the glycemic index cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels and have been linked to overeating and weight gain (30, 31 ).
Is rice bad for you when trying to lose weight?
Not necessarily. Rice is also low in fat, is an easily digestible, gluten-free grain that offers a number of B vitamins as well. So you may want to re-consider banning it completely from your diet. You do need to be careful while consuming rice on a weight loss diet.
Does eating rice cause belly fat?
Is it OK to eat eggs every day?
Which is healthier chicken or turkey?


text:
Dear Builder's Engineer,
I'm a framer and I hear all the time, "shear off a wall." What's that really mean?
Jerome O., Branchville, South Carolina
If you were in the giant scissor business, I'd have a different answer than the one that follows.
In the world of construction, shear can refer to several things. To engineers it's a certain type of stress inside a structural member due to some applied load. Shear can also mean a lateral load from earthquake or wind. And shear can refer to a construction method of resisting wind and earthquake loads. To shear off a wall is in reference to this third definition.
Shear is one of several stresses, with bending, tension, and compression being the other main ones. To understand what shear really is, let's look at how things fail.
- If a member fails in tension, it is pulled apart. For example, a cable being pulled beyond its tensile capacity snaps in two.
- If a member fails in compression, it crushes. For example, a short post supporting too heavy a load mashes.
- If a member fails in bending it breaks due to too large a bending moment. Breaking a pencil in half with your hands is a good example. (Bending moment is another topic altogether.)
If a member fails in shear it rips. A rip is caused by one side of a member going one way and another side going the other way. The most common examples of shear failures are walls that have been through an earthquake. In these you'll see lots of diagonal cracking especially at doors and windows. That's from in-plane (in the plane of the wall) lateral (sideways) forces racking the wall. Racking is the top of the wall being forced in one direction while the bottom is held stationary or is forced in the other. Door and window corners are particularly vulnerable to these racking shear forces.
Here's another seat-of-the-pants example of shear. Say you have a tall stack of long 1x4s. You and a buddy lift the stack, one guy on each end. The boards sag and bounce as you walk. They do this because the boards can slide on top of each other. Now envision that same stack of 1x4s with a layer of stout glue between each board. After the glue has cured, you and your buddy carry them and are astonished that there is zero sag or bounce. The glue is resisting shear forces between the boards. You have just turned a bunch of puny 1x4s into a mighty glu-lam beam.
Wood glue, in fact, is mainly intended to resist shear, which in this sense means pieces of wood sliding on each other. The glue I spec in my structural designs, Liquid Nails LN-940, is good for 450 pounds per square inch, wood-on-wood shear.
In most stick-framed construction, walls provide resistance to the racking, lateral forces brought on by wind, storms, and earthquakes. The amount of racking resistance a wall provides has everything to do with how it is constructed. A wall of just 2x4s, no plywood or drywall, can support a lot of gravity (downward) load but will provide almost no racking resistance. As a framer, you know this because the only way you can true up a wall is to rack it plumb before any sheathing has been nailed off.
A "shear wall" generally means a wall intended to resist the racking loads applied by wind or seismic events. The word "intended" is key because while any wall can resist some lateral load, not all of them are designed to do so. If a non-shear walls does anyway, that's great and adds to the redundancy of the lateral resisting system. When engineers design buildings, they determine how lateral loads will be distributed and ensure that shear walls are located strategically to resist those loads.
A framed wall with drywall on one or both sides can resist a fair amount of racking force. The building code recognizes this and allows drywall-sheathed walls as shear walls. More typical are plywood or OSB-sheathed shear walls. As you might suspect, wood sheathing has greater shear capacity than drywall.
The capacity of a shear wall also depends a lot on the nailing pattern of the sheathing to studs; whether or not the edges of sheathing have blocking behind them; and other factors.
So when someone says that a wall is to be sheared off, they're really saying, "Make sure that sheathing is applied to the studs with a certain nail pattern so that the wall can be depended upon to take wind and earthquake loads."
We all know that a chain is only as good as its weakest link. A shear wall is but a link in the chain of a building's lateral resisting system. In a future column we'll tear into that topic, also known as load path.
Tim Garrison is an author, public speaker, and professional engineer. He welcomes correspondence via his blog at ConstructionCalc.com.


text:
To set up email with Google Apps, you need to direct your domain's mailflow to your Google Apps account. You do this by pointing your domain's Mail Exchange (or MX records) to Google mail servers. They are configured after enabling your email service. For a complete list of setup steps, see How do I begin?
What are MX records?
MX records are DNS settings associated with your domain that direct its mail to the servers hosting your users' mail accounts. These settings are managed by your domain host, not by Google. To make sure mail always gets delivered, you typically create records for multiple servers, all of which can deliver mail to users. That way, if one server is down, mail can be routed to another server, instead. You determine which servers get tried first by assigning priorities, using values like 10, 20, 30, and so on. The lowest value gets highest priority.
For instance, if the domain example.com has two MX records—10 mail1.example.com and 20 mail2.example.com—mail is delivered first to 10 mail1.example.com because it has the lowest number priority. If that server is down, mail is redirected to :20 mail2.example.com, and so on. If different MX records have the same priority, one server is chosen arbitrarily.
Ready to set up mail now?
To direct your domain's mail to Google Apps, configure your MX records as described below. After that, mail sent to your users will be delivered to their Gmail accounts:
- I'm new to configuring MX records. See configure MX records for step-by-step instructions for setting up MX records with your domain host.
- I know how to configure MX records. See MX record values to find out exactly which values to enter for your MX records.
- Need more help? Troubleshooting MX records walks you through the process of getting MX records working.
Need more information?
Don't want to deliver email directly to users' Gmail accounts? Email delivery options describes more advanced forms of delivery.


text: Figure 3: Relative sizes of IGCs in embryos, distinguished by the age. Results are presented as mean ± SEM with the level of significance. Digital images of embryo nuclei stained by antibody against SC35, a marker of speckles/IGCs, were used to measure the size of speckles. The average size of speckles at the stage of early zygote (20 h) was taken as a unit. The intensity of the column color conventionally reflects differences in transcriptional activity of embryo nuclei. The values of the relative size of speckles after the beginning of ZGA differ significantly from the stage of early zygote (20 h) at all stages studied (28 h, 32 h, 46 h, and 55 h), as indicated by asterisks. Not less than 15 embryos were analyzed for each age group; that is, more than 200 speckles were measured for each stage studied.


text:
You are hereStanding Stones
Moel Goedog 6 is a wedged shaped standing stone that has a notch in its upper surface. It stands 0.8 metres high and is part of the Fonlief Hir ancient Track way.
This standing stone found close to Merthyr Farm, Harlech, is the tallest and most prominent of the five stones denoting the supposed prehistoric track way known as Fonlief Hir. The stone stands just over six feet tall and can be seen over a gate in the stone farm wall beside the road.
Standing in the Norman churchyard of All Saints Church, the Rudston Monolith is the highest standing stone in Great Britain at 7.6m (25ft) with a 5m circumference and an estimated weight of 40 Tonnes.
An experiment run by William Strickland in the 18th century suggests the stone may extend underground to a similar depth as it high above ground. Read More »
The standing stones below Stemster Hill, are unusual in that they consist of a U shape, rather than the traditional stone circle. Their real purpose is unknown but they may have had an astronomical usage.
Directions: On a minor road off the A9 and the A99
The Devil's Arrows are three Neolithic Megaliths - the tallest of which is 23 feet high - standing in a crooked alignment of around 580 feet. The fourth stone was destroyed in the 16th century, when Camden noted that it had been pulled down by treasure seekers.
In legend they were thrown by the Devil from Howe Hill to destroy Aldborough, hence their common name. Read More »
This ancient site of worship is similar to Carnak in Brittany in its concept, but on a much smaller scale.
250 stones are set into 22 rows, which sweep in a fan formation down the hillside. The stones are set in a North South alignment, and are quite small in size, all standing under 3 feet in height. Read More »


text:
Postal workers in Ramat Gan have refused to deliver thousands of copies of Hebrew-language Christian materials, including copies of the New Testament. They asserted that distributing the materials would violate Jewish law because it would be proselytizing. Israeli law does not prevent the dissemination of written materials.
It was not clear who mailed the materials. The Israel Postal Company said that as a government entity, it had no right to control what it can or cannot distribute and would therefore ensure that the materials were distributed.1


text:
What is Democratic Socialism?
This booklet provides a general introduction to the Democratic Socialism endorsed in the nations of the British Commonwealth. It was written specifically for the Co-operative Commonwealth Youth Movement, Saskatchewan Section.
Carlyle King, What is Democratic Socialism (Ottawa: Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation, 1943).
What is Democratic Socialism? 1943.pdf (29.83 MB)
Booklet, 36 pages, 12 cm x 17 cm
Ley and Lois Smith War, Memory and Popular Culture Research Collection - Western University - London, Ontario
Second World War


Tips for Using a Rubber Float With Grout
grout float on tile
 Tim Stocker Photography / Getty Images
Anyone who has successfully laid a tile floor or wall knows the satisfaction of a neat tile job. To take a stack of fired ceramic sheets and stick them in place with wet mortar is something approaching magic.
Once you master the skill of tiling, you'll want to tile every part of your house. And the crowning touch of all tile installations is the application of grout. Knowing how to use a rubber float with the grout means the difference between a clean tile job that lasts for years, even decades, and a tile job that cracks and eventually falls apart.
Why Use a Rubber Grout Float?
Grouting is an important part of any tile installation. Grout fills the spaces between tiles, called grout joints, to create a continuous surface.
At first glance, the most logical way to add grout would be to squirt it into the seams, as you already do when caulking other areas of your house. Not so. The way grout is applied is more of the shotgun approach rather than the laser-targeted approach. Large mounds of wet grout are scooped into the entire tire surface—seams and tile surfaces alike. Then, the grout is wiped across the tile. Grout embeds in the tile seams but not on the tile surface. Excess is picked up and redeposited elsewhere on the tile.
The only way to apply grout properly is by using a rubber grout float, which consists of a rectangular non-stick gum rubber or soft nylon pad that is firm but flexible and which prevents the absorption of materials.
The user holds the float with a C-shaped handle. The process of grouting with a float includes filling the joints with freshly mixed grout and scraping the tiles clean of excess grout. It is a simple yet elegant technique that has served tile setters for centuries and it's still used today.
Choose the Right Float: Wall or Floor
Rubber grout floats come in two types: wall floats and floor floats. The chief difference is that wall floats have softer rubber pads than floor floats, which can be quite stiff.
Wall floats are generally easier to use and are better for reaching into corners, so they are a better all-around choice for beginner tilers. The tools you find at the store may not indicate whether they should be used for walls or for floors. Some may be called a universal float.
Compare the softness of the pads to identify the type. Sometimes it is worth spending a little extra for a quality float, especially if you have a large tile job or if you plan to tile other rooms.
Move the Float Diagonally
As a general rule, almost always move the grout float diagonally over the grout joints. This prevents the edge of the float from sinking into the joints and pulling out the grout.
Sometimes you have to work parallel to joints, such as when grouting along the edge of a wall or floor, but do so with care. Otherwise, sweep the float diagonally.
Use a Lower Angle for Filling
Fill the grout joints by spreading the grout across the tiles while holding the float at an angle of about 45 degrees to the tile surface. This is the standard for floor tile. A higher angle might pull out too much grout from the seams, while a lower angle will smear the grout across the tiles.
When tiling walls, you may find a lower angle (about 30 degrees) more effective for filling the joints.
You can also reduce the angle if you reach a problem section that doesn't seem to be taking the grout very well.
Use a Steeper Angle for Cleaning
When all grout joints in a work area have been filled, make a second pass with the float to remove excess grout from the tile faces. This time, hold the float at a steep angle of about 80 to 85 degrees—almost straight up and down. When working carefully, a steep angle can clean the tiles without pulling grout from the joints.
Leave the Grout Haze For Later
A rubber grout float does a nice job of scraping the excess grout from the tile faces, but it cannot make the tiles perfectly clean. It usually leaves a film of chalky grout residue that you clean up with a grout sponge after the grout has set.
Your cleaning pass with the float should remove all blobs and chunks of grout, but you can leave the haze for later. Clean off the grout haze with a special solution called haze cleaner applied with a clean sponge.


text:
from City Hall
The City of Cottonwood is blessed with a plentiful supply of cool, clean drinking water that contains no harmful chemicals or naturally occurring elements such as iron. In fact, it requires no treatment whatsoever as it is pumped from deep in the ground. It does, however, contain microscopic particles of mother earth herself that accumulate over time inside the water lines.
Usually, once a year, the Fire Department assists the Public Works Dept. by flushing these water lines through the fire hydrants in town to ensure that they do not collect sediment in the valves and that they are functional. Prior to flushing, a notice is published informing citizens to expect some sediment in their water. At other times, hydrants may be turned on without prior warning. This occurs when there is a fire, when the fire department conducts training, or when the city crew uses a hydrant to supply water for public works projects.
When the city's water is murky it remains safe but people may not wish to use it for washing laundry, etc. until it clears up. It is an inconvenience that is beneficial--similar to the garden being muddy after it rains. The water usually clears in a short time. It may sometimes be cleared quicker by opening a cold water tap to help flush the lines. The city regrets any inconvenience and asks for people's patience when their water occasionally experiences such sediment situations.
Denis B. Duman, Mayor


text:
Clipping wings is necessary for all of the more social birds that are out of the cage. Birds such as canaries and other finches that stay in the cage don't need their wings clipped. Birds have been known to fly into windows, into pots of boiling water or other food, into ceiling fans, etc. We need to take the responsibility to protect them and this responsibility includes clipping wings.
Watch your veterinarian or bird groomer trim the wings the first time. A proper trim allows the bird to exercise its muscles and to coast to a landing if needed. It should prevent the bird from attaining additional altitude.
One person should restrain the bird wrapped in a towel. The wing should be extended. Using sharp scissors, remove the ends of the outer 6-7 feathers (these are the flight feathers). More of the feather can always be trimmed if needed. If a blood or pin feather is cut, it will bleed. This bleeding usually stops in a short amount of time. If the bird continues to pick at it and it continues to bleed, the feather can be plucked out.
Check the feathers on a monthly basis and trim as necessary. If the outer 2-3 feathers are left unclipped for looks, monitor closely as the bird may be able to fly.
If the bird does manage to escape to the outside world and fly off, immediately put his cage out in the yard with the door open and a big bowl of his favorite food in and on it. Hopefully, within a day or two, your feathered friend will decide the cage isn't so bad after all. Let people know you lost your bird. Put up fliers, call veterinary clinics and humane societies, and put an ad in the paper. Don't give up hope. Some birds are found and caught weeks after the escape. Keep up-to-date photos of the bird. Take pictures from both sides, front, and back. Write down the ID information whether it is from a leg band or a microchip. Having this information will help prove ownership if the need arises.


text:
- (latitude, longitude) points $P_1, P_2,\ldots, P_n$.
- Presumably, all the points should form a dense cloud. However, noise is possible.
- The virtual center of the points.
For instance, 99% of the points may lie within a circle with 1km radius, except for 1% scattered outside that circle at a distance larger than 1km from any point inside the circle. Then this 1% is noise.
Unfortunately, I do not know how to define the noise properly. But the virtual center I am looking for should be close enough to most of the points. If most of the points are close to it, then I do not mind that some be far away.
If it is not too hard, I would like to be able to recognize more than one dense cloud amongst the points. In which case, each cloud could be reduced to its virtual center and thus I will have to find the new virtual super center of the virtual center cloud. That super center is the final result.
I am not a mathematician, so my descriptions are vague. But I am pretty sure that this is a well known problem and it probably has a trivial solution.
This question is similar to Detect Abnormal Points in Point Cloud, however, my space is two dimensional, which probably does not matter. Still.
The points are indeed on the surface of a sphere, a spheroid actually, Earth more precisely. However, the distance between them is not large enough to take the Earth curveture into account, so it may be safely assume that the surface is flat and longitude is X and latitude is Y.


We surveyed geothermal engineers to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical geothermal engineer. Here are the results.
How much intelligence is required as a geothermal engineer?
Working as a geothermal engineer typically requires higher levels of intelligence when compared with the average career. This means that geothermal engineers are required to actively learn new things related to their discipline and solve complex problems.


Difference Between Video Conference And Telepresence
Difference Between Video Conference And Telepresence. In this article, you will read about what is video conference, what is telepresence, what is the main difference between video Conference and telepresence, and a comparison between video Conference vs telepresence.
Difference Between Video Conference And Telepresence:
The main difference between the video conference and telepresence is that the video conference is an online meeting between two or more people that can be from various countries in which there is the transmission of video and audio data. While, telepresence means the technology in which a person feels to be present in a specific different location, but in reality, it is not present there. Telepresence uses the technology of virtual reality.
What Is Video Conference?
Difference Between Video Conference And Telepresence - What is video conference
A video conference is an exchange of audio and video at the same time between a various number of people. As many numbers of people of various countries can join the video conference at the same time. Video conferencing is done with the help of computer networks of different people living in separate geographical states. In simple words, videoconference is a meeting of people in which audio-video data is transmitted and other various features like the transmission of text and images.
To do video conferencing, we have to use any video conferencing software or video calling application. We need an online network, microphone, speakers and a video camera for video calling. Many online meetings, training and educational classes are done through video conferencing.
What Is Telepresence?
Difference Between Video Conference And Telepresence - What is telepresence
Tele means 'distant' and presence means 'to be present on a spot'. It means to be present in your required location without being there. Telepresence is a technology called virtual reality and is more advanced than video conferencing. In this technology, a person feels to be present there, although he is in a different location. It is a sophisticated robotic remote control. With the help of this remote control, a person can get connected at a remote location. It can have video conferencing tools and other robotic installations for the conveyance of audio and video. Telepresence has better audio quality and video quality than telepresence.
featured image source: _URL_
Also check: Difference Between VPN and Firewall


Power Generation Using Speed Breakers Seminar Report PDF | 2018
Electricity Generation from Spead Breakers
Power Generation Using Speed Breakers Seminar Report PDF
These seminar reports explain the mechanism of electricity generation from speed breakers. Speed breakers could actually light up small villages off the highway. The number of vehicles passing over speed breaker on road is increasing day by day. Beneath speed breaker, setting up an electro-mechanical unit known to be power hump, could help us conserving this energy and use it for power generation. The rotor (rotating shaft) is directly connected to the prime mover and rotates as the prime mover turns. The rotor contains a magnet that, when turned, produces a moving or rotating magnetic field. The rotor is surrounded by a stationary casing called the stator, which contains the wound copper coils or windings. When the moving magnetic field passes by these windings, electricity is produced in them. By controlling the speed at which the rotor is turned, a steady flow of electricity is produced in the windings. These windings are connected to the electricity network via transmission lines. A vehicle weighing 1,000 kg going up a height of 10 cm on such a rumble strip produces approximately 0.98 kilowatt power. So one such speed-breaker on a busy highway, where about 100 vehicles pass every minute, about one kilo watt of electricity can be produced every single minute. The figure will be huge at the end of the day. A storage module like an inverter will have to be fitted to each such rumble strip to store this electricity. The cost of electricity generation and storage per mega watt from speed-breakers will be nearly Rs 1 crore as opposed to about Rs 8 crore in thermal or hydro power stations. The functioning will be as follows:
 1. The speed breaker on a busy road will be lifted to some height from one side and fixed to the road from other side.
 2. Then there will be a shock absorber kind of mechanism beneath the speedbreaker. The arrangement will be as in a cam and shaft arrangement.
 3. The shaft of the generator placed below will be attached to the cam and the rod connected to the speed breaker vertically will be on cam. This arrangement will make one rotation of generator shaft as soon as a vehicle moves over speed breaker.
 4. The rotations can also be increased using certain mechanism, like gears and all.
 5. Then there will be a circuit storing the electricity generated during day time and the power generated will be used during night.
According to concept it is known as "reciprocating bump". The speed breaker designed is supported on springs. When a vehicle mounts the speed breaker, the load on the springs causes movement which is converted to a rotary motion by using a rack and pinion mechanism. The energy is generated and can be stored in batteries.
Here we have given the links which will help you to make best seminar report on Power Generation Using Speed Breakers. You can follow these documents in pdf to learn in detail and get a good idea about the process of Electricity Generation from Speed Breakers.
Download Seminar Report on Produce Electricity by the use of speed breaker


text:
The element tree is anchored in the
WidgetsBinding and established via
Widget instances are immutable representations of UI configuration data that are "inflated" into
Element instances (via
Element.inflateWidget). Elements therefore serve as widgets' mutable counterparts and are responsible for modeling the relationship between widgets (e.g., the widget tree), storing state and inherited relationships, and participating in the build process, etc.
All elements are associated with a
BuildOwner singleton. This instance is responsible for tracking dirty elements and, during
WidgetsBinding.drawFrame, re-building the element tree as needed. This process triggers several lifecycle events (e.g.,
Elements are assembled into a tree (via
Element.unmount). Whereas these operations are permanent, elements may also be temporarily removed and restored (via
Elements transition through several lifecycle states (
_ElementLifecycle) in response to the following methods:
Element.activate is only called when reactivating),
inactive, can be reactivated via
Element.activate), then finally
Note that deactivating or unmounting an element is a recursive process, generally facilitated by the build owner's inactive elements list (
BuildOwner._inactiveElements). All descendant elements are affected (via
Elements are attached (i.e., mounted) to the element tree when they're first created. They may then be updated (via
Element.update) multiple times as they become dirty (e.g., due to widget changes or notifications). An element may also be deactivated; this removes any associated render objects from the render tree and adds the element to the build owner's list of inactive nodes. This list (
_InactiveElements) automatically deactivates all nodes in the affected subtree and clears all dependencies (e.g., from
Parents are generally responsible for deactivating their children (via
Element.deactivateChild). Deactivation temporarily removes the element (and any associated render objects) from the element tree; unmounting makes this change permanent.
An element may be reactivated within the same frame (e.g., due to tree grafting), otherwise the element will be permanently unmounted by the build owner (via
BuildOwner.finalizeTree which calls
If the element is reactivated, the subtree will be restored and marked dirty, causing it to be rebuilt (re-adopting any render objects which were previously dropped).
Element.updateChild is used to update a child element when its configuration (i.e., widget) changes. If the new widget isn't compatible with the old one (e.g., doesn't exist, has a different type, or has a different key), a fresh element is inflated (via
Element.inflateWidget). Once an element is retrieved or inflated, the new configuration is applied via
Element.update; this might alter an associated render object, notify dependents of a state change, or mutate the element itself.
When an element is re-inflated, it has no access to any existing children; that is, children associated with the old element aren't passed to the new element. Thus, all descendants need to be re-inflated, too (there are no old elements to synchronize).
Global keys are one exception: any children associated with a global key can be restored without being re-inflated.
Elements are mainly broken down into
RenderObjectElements are responsible for configuring render objects and keeping the render object tree and widget tree in sync.
ComponentElements don't directly manage render objects but instead produce intermediate nodes via mechanisms like
Widget.build. Both processes are driven by
Element.performRebuild which is itself triggered by
BuildOwner.buildScope. The latter is run as part of the build process every time the engine requests a frame.
ProxyElement forms a third category of elements that wrap a subtree of elements (and are configured by
ProxyWidget). These generally augment the subtree in some way (e.g.,
InheritedElement injects heritable state). Proxy elements use notifications to inform subscribers when its configuration changes (
ProxyElement.updated which, by default, calls
ProxyElement.notifyClients). Subclasses manage subscribers in an implementation-specific way.
ParentDataElement updates the parent data of all closest descendant render objects (via
ParentDataElement._applyParentData, which is called by
InheritedElement notifies a set of dependents whenever its configuration is changed (i.e., when
InheritedElement.update is invoked).
InheritedElement._dependants is implemented as a mapping since each dependent can provide an arbitrary object to use when determining whether an update is applicable. Dependents are notified by invoking
Render object elements are responsible for managing an associated render object.
RenderObjectElement.update applies updates to this render object to match a new configuration (i.e., widget).
The render object is created (via
RenderObjectWidget.createRenderObject) when its element is first mounted. The render object is retained throughout the life of the element, even when the element is deactivated (and the render object is detached).
A new render object is created if an element is inflated and mounted (e.g., because a new widget couldn't update the old one); at this point, the old render object is destroyed. A slot token is used during this process so the render object can attach and detach itself from the render tree (which can vary from the element tree).
The render object is attached to the render tree when its element is first mounted (via
RenderObjectElement.attachRenderObject). If the element is later deactivated (due to tree grafting), it will be re-attached when the graft is completed (via
RenderObjectElement.inflateWidget, which includes special logic for handling grafting by global key).
The render object is updated (via
RenderObjectWidget.updateRenderObject) when its element is updated (via
Element.update) or rebuilt (via
The render object is detached from its parent (via
RenderObjectElement.detachRenderObject) when the element is deactivated. This is generally managed by the parent (via
Element.deactivateChild) and occurs when children are explicitly removed or reparented due to tree grafting. Deactivating a child calls
Element.detachRenderObject which recursively processes descendants until reaching the nearest render object element boundary.
RenderObjectElement overrides this method to detach its render object, cutting off the recursive walk.
Render objects may have children. However, there may be several intermediate nodes (i.e., component elements) between its
RenderObjectElement and the elements associated with its children. That is, the element tree typically has many more nodes than the render tree.
Slot tokens are passed down the element tree so that these
RenderObjectElement nodes can interact with their render object's parent (via
RenderObjectElement.removeChildRenderObject). Tokens are interpreted in an implementation-specific manner by the ancestor
RenderObjectElement to distinguish render object children.
Elements generally use their widget's children as the source of truth (e.g.,
MultiChildRenderObjectWidget.children). When the element is first mounted, each child is inflated and stored in an internal list (e.g.,
MultiChildRenderObjectElement._children); this list is later used when updating the element.
Elements can be grafted from one part of the tree to another within a single frame. Such elements are "forgotten" by their parents (via
RenderObjectElement.forgetChild) so that they are excluding from iteration and updating. The old parent removes the child when the element is added to its new parent (this happens during inflation, since grafting requires that the widget tree be updated, too).
Elements are responsible for updating any children. To avoid unnecessarily inflation (and potential loss of state), the new and old child lists are synchronized using a linear reconciliation scheme optimized for empty lists, matched lists, and lists with one mismatched region:
The leading elements and widgets are matched by key and updated.
The trailing elements and widgets are matched by key with updates queued (update order is significant).
A mismatched region is identified in the old and new lists.
Old elements are indexed by key.
Old elements without a key are updated with null (deleted).
The index is consulted for each new, mismatched widget.
New widgets with keys in the index update together (re-use).
New widgets without matches are updated with null (inflated).
Remaining elements in the index are updated with null (deleted).
MultiChildRenderObjectElement provide support for common use cases and correspond to the similarly named widget helpers (
The multi-child and single-child variants pair with
RenderObjectWithChildMixin in the render tree.
These use the previous child (or null) as the slot identifier; this is convenient since
ContainerRenderObjectMixin manages children using a linked list.
ComponentElement composes other elements. Rather than managing a render object itself, it produces descendant elements that manage their own render objects through building.
Building is an alternative to storing a static list of children. Components build a single child dynamically whenever they become dirty.
This process is driven by
Element.rebuild which is invoked by the build owner when an element is marked dirty (via
BuildOwner.scheduleBuildFor). Component elements also rebuild when they're first mounted (via
ComponentElement._firstBuild) and when their widget changes (via
StatefulElement, a rebuild may be scheduled spontaneously via
State.setState. In all cases, lifecycle methods are invoked in response to changes to the element tree (for example,
StatefulElement.update will invoke
The actual implementation is supplied by
Element.performRebuild. Component elements override
Element.performRebuild to invoke
ComponentElement.build whereas render object elements update their render object via
ComponentElement.build provides a hook for producing intermediate nodes in the element tree.
StatelessElement.build invokes the widget's build method, whereas
StatefulElement.build invokes the state's build method.
ProxyElement simply returns its widget's child.
Note that if a component element rebuilds, the child element and the newly built widget will still be synchronized (via
Element.updateChild). If the


Using Earth Files
An Earth File is an XML description of a map. Creating an earth file is the easiest way to configure a map and get up and running quickly. In the osgEarth repository you will find dozens of sample earth files in the tests folder, covering various topics and demonstrating various features. We encourage you to explore and try them out!
Contents of an Earth File
osgEarth uses an XML based file format called an Earth File to specify exactly how source data turns into an OSG scene graph. An Earth File has a.earth extension, but it is XML.
Fundamentally the Earth File allows you to specify:
 - The type of map to create (geocentric or projected)
 - The image, elevation, vector and model sources to use
 - Where the data will be cached
A Simple Earth File
Here is a very simple example that reads data from a GeoTIFF file on the local file system and renders it as a geocentric round Earth scene:

This Earth File creates a geocentric Map named MyMap with a single GeoTIFF image source called bluemarble. The driver attribute tells osgEarth which of its plugins to use to use to load the image. (osgEarth uses a plug-in framework to load different types of data from different sources.)
Some of the sub-elements (under image) are particular to the selected driver. To learn more about drivers and how to configure each one, please refer to the Driver Reference Guide.
Note: the ''version'' number is required!
Multiple Image Layers
osgEarth supports maps with multiple image sources. This allows you to create maps such as base layer with a transportation overlay or provide high resolution insets for specific areas that sit atop a lower resolution base map.
To add multiple images to a Earth File, simply add multiple "image" blocks to your Earth File:

The above map provides two images from local data sources using the GDAL driver. Order is important when defining multiple image sources: osgEarth renders them in the order in which they appear in the Earth File.
Tip: relative paths within an Earth File are interpreted as being relative to the Earth File itself.
Adding Elevation Data
Adding elevation data (sometimes called "terrain data") to an Earth File is very similar to adding images. Use an elevation block like so:

This Earth File has a base bluemarble image as well as a elevation grid that is loaded from a local GeoTIFF file. You can add as many elevation layers as you like; osgEarth will combine them into a single mesh.
As with images, order is important - For example, if you have a base elevation data source with low-resolution coverage of the entire world and a high-resolution inset of a city, you need specify the base data FIRST, followed by the high-resolution inset.
Some osgEarth drivers can generate elevation grids as well as imagery.
Note: osgEarth only supports single-channel 16-bit integer or 32-bit floating point data for use in elevation layers.
Since osgEarth renders data on demand, it sometimes needs to do some work in order to prepare a tile for display. The cache exists so that osgEarth can save the results of this work for next time, instead of processing the tile anew each time. This increases performance and avoids multiple downloads of the same data.
Here's an example cache setup:

This Earth File shows the most basic way to specify a cache for osgEarth. This tells osgEarth to enable caching and to cache to the folder c:/osgearth_cache. The cache path can be relative or absolute; relative paths are relative to the Earth File itself.
There are many ways to configure caching; please refer to the section on Caching for more details.


text:
A non-profit site educating Canadians and Americans
about the differences between human-beings,
natural-persons and artificial-persons
created by God.
|How the Government created your new identity
how you can reclaim your unalienable rights.
created by Man.
|For the text of this web-site is with the absence of the legal-advice.||
|National ID Card:
URGENT AND EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR BRITAIN:
This page has been posted as an introductory page for the National ID Card. A more comprehensive page is begin prepared and should be ready soon. Until such time, this should make you think about the dangers of having a National ID Card:
Question: What is wrong with a National ID Card?
Answer: Nothing, as long as you don't mind being a slave for the rest of your life.
Question: How does a National ID Card make me a slave?
Answer: The Card 'identifies' you as the property of the government.
Question: What is the definition of Identify and/or Identity?
Answer: The definition of Identify and/or Identity means 'the same as'.
Question: How can a National ID Card make me the property of the government?
Answer: The ID Card is only for legal entities, and therefore the Card 'identifies' you to be 'the same as' the legal entity (artificial person) which exists on the Card.
Question: Who has legal title to the ID Card?
Answer: The government has legal title to the ID Card (they created it), and therefore has legal title to the legal entity (artificial person) created thereon. The holder of the ID Card may have equitable title (to use) the Card.
Question: What happens when I agree to have a National ID Card?
Answer: By agreeing to be identified by the Card, you have just agreed (by contract) to be 'the same as' the legal entity which was created by the government. In other words, you have agreed, by contract, to be owned by the government (because they own the entity and now you have agreed to be the same as the entity, so they own you).
Question: Can I terminate the contract if I already have a National ID Card?
Answer: No. According to contract law, unless written otherwise into the contract, the contract will only be terminated when both parties to the contract agree to termination. Although you may wish to terminate the contract, the government will never agree to do so. You are their slave for life, and your property (children, estate, etc.) becomes their property in perpetuity (forever).
Question: Who can identify me?
Answer: You, your God (if he shows up), and possibly your parents (provided babies were not swapped). Practically speaking, only YOU can identify you for sure, nobody else. You have to self-identify, viz: "I am the same as I am, I am I and nobody else."
Question: How can a government tell me who I am?
Answer: The government cannot tell you who you are, but if you agree to be the same as their entity, now they can tell you who you are and make you their slave.
Solution: Know who you are, and don't let anybody else tell you who you are. Whatever you do, DO NOT agree to have a National ID Card if you wish to remain free.
A slave once said "Oh master, please tell me who I am."
For those in BRITAIN who may be forced to have a National ID Card in order to obtain a passport to leave their own country, they should learn, and quote, from the following Artilce 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states:
"1. Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.
Please be aware that the Article 12, as quoted above, does NOT say every person; it clearly says everyone, clearly not including artificial-persons. This Article also appears to indicate that it is not necessary to have a passport in order to travel anywhere in the world.
"Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,"