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Posted by Greymaster on September 30th, 2019
Weimaraners in Field Trials: Season Summary 2018/19:
Hunting Weimaraner Introduction:
For an explanation of how these tabulations are arrived at, please see the section entitled "Basis of Preparation – Background" at the end of this document.
Field Trial Season 2018/19:
As far as can be ascertained, 10 Weimaraners ran in field trials in the 2018/19 season. With six dogs featuring in the 11 awards, under four handlers, with the highest award being a 4th place in Open achieved by Burton's Trubon Flysse Trevive (b) (b 11/04/2011) at the BWWGS Open at Cornwood, Devon on 24/10/2018 under judges M Firmin and R Chellumbrun.
In the preceding season, 13 handlers ran 15 dogs, with 4 dogs featuring in the awards to 3 handlers. In 2017/18 a total of 11 awards were made
Field Trial Season 2018/19 Awards:
The season's first award to a Weimaraner went to Burton's Trubon Grafyte Treve (d) (b 13/09/2014) when he secured a 3rd place in the N&SHPRFTC's Novice field trial on 1st October 2018 at Glemham Estate, under judges R Dockwray and H Lampart.
This was followed up in quick succession with a 4th place in the GSPA All Aged field trial at Hawkhurst, Kent on 02/10/2019, under judges F Alcock and G Saint. On 08/01/2019, in another All Aged at the same venue at the LMC trial under judges S Kimberley and A Parr, Graf achieved a second place.
Graf gained a further two awards over the remainder of the season, a 3rd in the HVC All Aged trial at Plumpton College on 17/01/2019 under judges J Field and A Parr, and a CoM in the GSPC Open trial at Stow Bardolph on 29/01/2019 under judges N Cox and S Robson.
At season's end, Trubon Grafyte Treve was awarded the Weimaraner Association's Pharisees Cup for outstanding performance in field trials for 2018/19. Graf was the top performing Weimaraner in field trials and secured recognition as FT Hunting Weimaraner of the Season 2018/19. With Suzi Burton being the top FT handler in 2018/19.
A notable achievement in his first season of HPR trialling was made by handler Austin Lindley, with Trubon Harleigh Trojan (d) (27/03/2016), (sired by Trubon Graf Treve). Harleigh secured a 1st place under judges R Dockwray and B Dymond, at an HVC Novice trial at Hawkhurst, Kent in one of the last trials of the season, (while his sire Graf was earning a CoM in an Open trial (discussed above)). This first place added to the second place earned at a HWVC Novice trial at Bridgham on 14/01/2019 under judges R Gould and S Pleasance.
At season's end Austin was awarded the Weimaraner Association's Brandon Trophy for the Novice Handler making the most progress during the 2018/19 season.
A summary of all the Weimaraners in the awards during 2018/19 is at Annexe 1 to this document.
The 2018/19 awards can be summarized as follows:
All-Aged
Six dogs under four handlers secured the above awards.
In 2017/18 3 Handlers running 15 dogs secured 11 awards.
Weimaraner All-Time Field Awards Tables:
The 36 points earned over the 2018/19 season by Trubon Flysse Trevive consolidated her position at 2nd in the WATFA table for dog on 512 points, gaining ground on FT Ch Wobrooke of Fleetapple, "Brooke", who has been All Time Leading Weimaraner since 1984. There is just 12 points separating these two dogs. Flysse, already All Time Most Awarded Weimaraner with 28 awards, could reach the pinnacle in the 2019/20 season. FT Ch Wobrooke of Fleetapple has achieved 23 field trial awards in his lifetime.
Two seasons ago, Trubon Grafyte Treve was at 33rd place in the All Time Table for Dogs, and by winning 48 points in the 2017/18 season, he was propelled to 19th place in that season Table for Dogs. This season, his tally of 107 points has launched him into 8th place.
Trubon Harleigh Trojan's season 2018/19 tally of 45 points puts him at 4th place in the fourth tier.
Bakker's Ostara Van De Tuindershof tops the second-tier table for dogs on 101 points.
The 143 points earned in 2018/19 by handler Suzi Burton's two dogs strengthened her leadership of the WATFA table for handlers with a lifetime to date tally of 1,695 points.
Ostara Van De Tuindershof's 16 points from her All Aged win elevated handler Kimm Bakker to 16th in the handlers table, from 22nd place previously.
Handler Austin Lindley's season tally of 45 points puts him at 34th in the WATFA table for handlers.
Basis of Preparation – Background:
The Hunting Weimaraner maintains a database of UK Field Trial Awards for Weimaraners and their handlers, originally compiled in 2012 from a variety of historical sources, and updated each field trial season since then from ongoing field trial results.
Season and all-time rankings are then calculated for dogs and handlers based on a weighted points allocation determined by the place in the awards and the stake at which the awards were earned. These tables are known as the WATFA tables, (Weimaraner All-Time Field Award tables).
The WATFA tables, and the database from which they are derived make it possible to compare the relative achievements of Weimaraners and their handlers in field trials, over the years, and for each season. Other field awards, such as those earned at Gundog Working Tests and Pointing Tests do not feature in the Hunting Weimaraner database, although the various Weimaraner breed clubs will make annual awards based on results in all three field disciplines.
HPR field trials can be held on game in the UK from the 12th August to 1st February following, inclusive. These dates are aligned to the UK shooting season. The collection of data concerning Weimaraners running in field trials in any season relies on the goodwill of owner/handlers and other HPR enthusiasts sending notice of the participation of Weimaraners, and of awards, to the writer. There are other, ad hoc sources, but no publicly available central repository of field trial runners and handlers. Errors and omissions are possible and the writer would be pleased to receive notices of such to allow any corrections to be made.
Nigel Wroe
Click for pdf version of Weimaraners in Field Trials 2018/19, with ranking tables.
Posted in Articles, Field Trials
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Weimaraners in The Field 2019/20 »


A Form G-319, Statement Regarding Family and Earnings for the Special Guaranty Computation, including minor children protects their rights to student benefits when they attain age 18, provided there is no break in entitlement between the month they attain age 18 and the month they become entitled as full-time students.
Employees who have children in elementary or high school at educational institutions, or in home schooling, in the month their children attain age 18, need only submit Form G-320 Student Questionnaire for Special Guaranty Computation to furnish the RRB with verification of the full-time school attendance in order to include the students in the Special Guaranty at age 18. The RRB also requires the documentation listed in Part I for home schooling cases.


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You are here: Home»Exile
Cultural Event
Writers, Exile
City Of Asylum Exiled Writers Residencies
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm
O'Hara Student Center, Dining Room
University Center for International Studies
This presentation will feature exiled writers who are part of City of Asylum's Exiled Writer Residency Program, which is a long-term residency for literary writers who are in exile from their home countries and under threat of persecution because of their writing. The goal of this sanctuary program, which is operated on the Northside in Pittsburgh, is to enable each writer-in-residence to continue to write while transitioning to a stable, independent life in exile.
Read more about City Of Asylum Exiled Writers Residencies
Iranian, Writer, Exile
Moniru Ravanipur at City of Asylum
City of Asylum 330 Sampsonia Way Pittsburgh, PA 15212
City of Asylum, The Ellis School
Moniru Ravanipur is an Iranian writer in exile, who has been a resident writer at City of Asylum Las Vegas as well as a Fellow at the International Writers Project at Brown University. She is an outspoken activist on behalf of Iranian women and the author of a dozen books including Ahl-e Ghargh (The Drowned), Del-e Fulad (Heart of Steel), and Kowli Kenar-e Atash (Gypsy by Fire). She was among 17 activists to face trial in Iran for their participation in the 2000 Berlin Conference, for which they were accused of taking part in anti-Iran propaganda.
info@cityofasylumpittsburgh.org
Read more about Moniru Ravanipur at City of Asylum

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The head of Oracle's cloud business group has said the firm offers greater openness and variety than its largest cloud competitors, and that the battle for platforms and software on an as-a-service model has just begun.
Steve Daheb, senior vice president for Oracle Cloud, was speaking to tahawultech.com at the firm's first ever Dubai OpenWorld conference at Dubai World Trade Centre.
"The infrastructure-as-a-service market is not a case of a ship having sailed – it's early days," he said. "Everyone keeps trying to declare winners in cloud but it's still so early.
Daheb went on to underline how Oracle's strong track record in the database arena and its fondness for open systems gave it an advantage over IaaS leader Amazon Web Services.
"Amazon Web Services is trying to get into the database space and databases that run core apps like ERP, but infrastructure is only one part of offering a solution," he said. "Amazon has very closed systems. You can run an Oracle database on Azure or Oracle, but an Amazon database can only run on Amazon.
"Rather than having things isolated in different apps, we want to pool things together. We've done integrations at the application, data and network layers for years, and ours will be a multi-cloud strategy. We're ensuring our cloud works with legacy on-premise environments.
Daheb moved on to discuss how organisations can manage their expectations around moving to cloud platforms, and initiating technological change at large.
"Authentically, there's not one good answer about how long customers should take to move to cloud and at what pace they need to digitally transform," he said. "Customers are taking a thoughtful approach as to which applications make sense to move and when. It's easy to adopt new HCM, but you may have legacy ERP which you won't move. You may want to shift out of your data centre.
"Whatever their pace is, we'll support it. We go back decades for database versions, and aren't rushing our customers in any way. That puts us in a unique position. We'll work alongside them, which isn't true for other vendors.


This exceptionally soft and lightweight cashmere-blend square scarf is decorated with blush pink and lemon yellow pinstripes, white polka dots and multicoloured contrast brushstrokes. The words "FAIL BETTER", a quote from avant-garde writer, Samuel Beckett, finish this lively composition. Wrap it twice around the neck for an effortless way to add warmth.


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Regal Zonophone (Australia) G 22967 (10-in.)
Victor BS-99163 1 2/16/1936 Rambling yodeler / Cliff Carlisle
Cliff Carlisle (vocalist)
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Regal Zonophone (Australia) G 22967 (10-in.)," accessed February 2, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/object/detail/298672/Regal_Zonophone_Australia_G_22967.
Regal Zonophone (Australia) G 22967 (10-in.). (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/object/detail/298672/Regal_Zonophone_Australia_G_22967.
"Regal Zonophone (Australia) G 22967 (10-in.)." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 2 February 2023.


Source: American Public Transportation Association Fact Book Derived from Table 21 and 34 in Appendix A of Edition 2016.
Notes: Biodiesel was counted in the "other" category until 2008. Current numbers do not indicate methodology for defining what blend qualifies a bus as biodiesel and discretion is advised in the use of these numbers beyond basic trend analyses.
This chart depicts the number of transit buses in use in the United States, categorized by fuel type, from 2007 to 2015. In all years shown, diesel buses represent the largest portion of total buses, with natural gas buses a distant second. Electric and hybrid buses are the fastest growing fuel type as they have increased more than 8 times from 2007 to 2015. The increase in both natural gas buses and electric and hybrid buses is largely due to the favorable economics and clean air benefits in the transit bus applications.


The molecular clock approach is based on the principle that mutations accumulate in the genomes of all organisms over the course of time. The extent of the genetic difference between two lineages should therefore depend on the time elapsed since they diverged from their last common ancestor. "Our study is based on a combination of genetic data from contemporary animals and information derived from well dated fossils, which we analyzed with the help of complex computer algorithms," Dohrmann explains. For the study, the researchers used an unusually large dataset made up of the sequences of 128 proteins from 55 species, including representatives of all the major animal groups, focusing in particular on those that diverged very early.
The analysis confirms the conclusion reached in an earlier study, which dated the origin of animals to the Neoproterozoic Era, which lasted from 1000 to 540 million years ago. However, much to their surprise, the results also suggested that the earliest phyla, and the ancestors of all bilateral animal species (the so-called Bilateria), originated within the – geologically speaking – short time-span of 50 million years. "In addition, this early phase of evolutionary divergence appears to have preceded the extreme climate changes that led to Snowball Earth, a period marked by severe long-term global glaciation that lasted from about 720 to 635 million years ago," Dohrmann says. In order to assess the plausibility of the new findings, the researchers plan to carry out further analyses using more extensive datasets and improved statistical methods." To arrive at well-founded conclusions with respect to the morphology and ecology of the earliest animals, we also need to know more about the environmental conditions that prevailed during the Neoproterozoic, and we need more fossils that can be confidently assigned to specific taxonomic groups", Wörheide says.
If we ever had introduced life appear in the fossil record, it would seem to appear suddenly and everywhere at once just like this does. Mars life would have had an earlier start date and if a large enough impact there sent a large enough cache of simple lifeforms on a statistically unlikely trip, we can thank Mars based life for the ecosystem we enjoy today.
OMG...We are ALL Martians! Ok Astro/Taeko/Cosmo-Nauts, better watch it real good down there when you land. The...BUGs... are...waiting.
And they probably are in some protected parts of that planet, like in deep caves with water at the bottom, or in unlikely remaining hot springs.
What a passel of idiots.


The following was done on Ubuntu 12.04 but should be similar on other recent Linux distributions.
To do proper colour calibration of your monitor you need a colorimeter and some software. The software to use is Argll CMS , this is a command line tool but there are GUI addons provided by other authors. You need a colorimeter compatible with Argll – check here for details of what hardware is supported by Argll. I chose the Pantone Huey as it was readily available and was the cheapest ( note don't buy the Pro version – it is the same hardware – you just get better Windows software which we won't be using anyway ).
Use you favourite tool to install Argyll from the Ubuntu repositories. If you are using Gnome then also install the Gnome CMS colour management system. To make the Huey accessible by a non-root user you need to add some rules to Udev – fortunately Argyll comes with a set of rules that can be copied into place.
Download the package for your distribution from the DispcalGUI site and install it – Ubuntu will fireup the install tool when you click on the Ubuntu package.
Make sure your Huey is plugged into a USB port. Startup Dispcal from your applications menu. It should automagically detect your display. click the symbol between the display device and instrument – it should then show the Huey and the Calibrate and Profile buttons at the bottom of the screen will activate.
Click on Measure for the Whitepoint and put the Huey face up next to the display. This will also measure the ambient light. You should really read the DispcalGUI manual which explains all of the settings that you should change from the defaults.
A grey patch will apear on the screen and a terminal window will also open with instructions. Place the huey on the screen over the patch and select check all from the menu in the terminal window. Follow the instructions given. After calibration you are asked to install the profile created and make it the default one. If you have installed Gnome CMS it will handle the installation and activation of the profile.


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2019 Partners
The Tournament Series
BMW Partnerships
2019 BMW Championship
2019 BMW PGA Championship
BMW and the Ryder Cup
en_SM
Plenty of movement on "Moving Day".
Jordan Smith (ENG, -13) leads going into the final round on Sunday.
In the world of golf, the third and penultimate round is often referred to as "Moving Day", as the players strive to make progress up the leaderboard and play their way into contention ahead of Sunday's final round. While Englishmen Jordan Smith (-13) and Matt Fitzpatrick (-12, T2), and Austrian Matthias Schwab (AUT, -12, T2) enjoyed a particularly successful day in this regard, Martin Kaymer found himself heading in the other direction. However, despite being five shots off the lead, Germany's top golfer has still not given up hope of a second BMW International Open title.
Kaymer had to wait until the 16th hole for his first and only birdie in a round of 75 that saw him drop back to eleventh place. Whilst a five-shot deficit is by no means insurmountable on the final day, the two-time major winner will have to putt as well on Sunday as he did in the opening two rounds.
"I played similarly to the first two days, but the putts simply didn't drop. You get days like that in golf. You have to stay calm and try not to play your way out of the tournament," said the 34-year-old. "I am only five shots off the lead, so it is not an absolute nightmare. If I have a similar day tomorrow to the first two rounds then I might be able to make those ahead of me a little bit nervous."
Smith (-6 for the round), Fitzpatrick and Schwab (-7) demonstrated emphatically what is possible on any given day. With the wind stronger than on the previous days, and the greens softer and therefore easier following the rain, the trio hit birdie after birdie to move to the top of the leaderboard.
"I have driven very well this week and hardly missed a fairway. That is the key when the greens are as hard as they were for the first two rounds. Today, the greens were very soft, which meant that you could attack them," said Smith. "I really had my game under control today and feel right at home here in Germany."
Like Kaymer, defending champion Matt Wallace (ENG, -11, T4) and Lee Westwood (ENG, -10, T6), the 2003 BMW International Open winner, are still in with a chance of winning their second title at Germany's most iconic tournament.
With the exception of BMW Friend of the Brand Max Kieffer (-6), who climbed into a tie for 19th place, the remaining Germans who made the cut were unable to make up any ground on Saturday. Like Kaymer, Max Schmitt (-5, T24), Dominic Foos (-2, T46) and Marcel Schneider (even par, T60) will be hoping for a better Sunday.
World-class golf and a Bavarian feel-good atmosphere.
The 31stedition of the iconic German tournament has once again been a huge success.
Command link
Pavan shows nerves of steel to seal play-off win over Fitzpatrick.
Andrea Pavan is the winner of the 31st BMW International Open.
Fabulous Friday.
Kaymer takes the lead, Bhullar wins BMW M8 Hole-in-One Car.
The shot of the tournament.
Bhullar wins the BMW M8 Competition Coupé with an ace.
Kaymer off to a flying start.
Fitting start to the tournament, with oompah band, traditional dress and world-class golf.
"I like to ride my bicycle."
Martin Kaymer, Lena Gercke, Jan Josef Liefers and sport stars open the iconic German tournament.
Tickets for Wentworth
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Joe Augustine – Touching You
Joe Augustine
Touching You
Portland Produces another Fine Pianist
When you think of Portland, Oregon and Jazz Pianists your first thought is probably 'Tom Grant'. If so, the City of Roses has a new thought for you…Jazz pianist and "Steinway Artist" Joe Augustine
Joe's new release, Touching You is a melodic collection of old favorites which ranges from the beautiful pop standard 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' to the Gershwin Classic 'Someone To Watch Over Me', with some pretty smooth stops in between. His distinctive style — playing around within the subdivisions of each beat, steering clear of the downbeat — acknowledges that the spaces between the notes are just as important as the notes themselves.
After more than 30 years at the keyboard, Augustine has mastered the art of taking old songs and creating meticulous, distinctive arrangements so that his listeners hear the music in exciting new ways. "I've spent my life applying a positive, creative energy to my work so that I can virtually become one with the music," he says. This enables his listeners to experience the same "oneness" that Augustine himself feels.
"The artist's craft reveals his character," Augustine believes. "I try to make my positive energy apparent in everything I play, whether in the studio or live. I love what I do, and I sincerely want others to sense that and to experience and love it as much as I do. That's what fuels and satisfies me."
The Augustine sound is somewhere between Oscar Peterson and Dave Grusin with a little Fats Waller stride style tossed in for good measure. Although he also does originals, Augustine primarily reinvents classic pop tunes from virtually every period since the turn of the century.
Be sure to visit the Joe Augustine Website. <?php require($DOCUMENT_ROOT . "_footer.htm"); ??>


ALEXANDRIA, La., March 14, 2012 – Rapides Regional Medical Center has been verified as Louisiana's first Level II Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons' Committee on Trauma (ACSCOT). The verification completes a two-year process by Rapides Regional.
As a Level II trauma center, Rapides Regional Medical Center is the official treatment site for trauma cases involving falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries and spinal cord injuries.
Research shows medical care is most effective when begun within 60 minutes of a traumatic injury. However, nearly 45 million Americans do not have access to a Level I or II trauma center within one hour of being injured. That is equal to the populations of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama combined.
The Rapides Regional Trauma Center will service a wide swath of Louisiana that was without access to trauma services until now.
"The designation of Rapides Regional Medical Center as a Level II Trauma Center will benefit this area of the state in dramatic ways, most notably by reducing the mortality rate for severe traumatic injuries," said Paige Hargrove, Executive Director of the Louisiana Emergency Response Network. "… The addition of Rapides Regional Medical Center as a Level II Trauma Center is a huge milestone in the state's efforts in building a Statewide Trauma Network.
Philip Lindsay, M.D., is the Trauma Services medical director at Rapides Regional Medical Center. Donna Lemoine, RN, BSN, EMT-Paramedic, is the director of trauma services.
The hospital also has in place two trauma registrars, trauma performance improvement coordinator and a team of Critical Care/Trauma Services surgeons available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Dedicated operating room for emergency surgery.
In verifying the Rapides Regional Trauma Center, the ACS' Committee on Trauma sought to ensure Rapides Regional was able to provide not only the hospital resources necessary for trauma care, but also the entire spectrum of care to address the needs of all injured patients. This spectrum encompasses the pre-hospital stage through the rehabilitation process.
Verified trauma centers must meet essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance, as outlined by the American College of Surgeons' Committee on Trauma in its current Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient manual. The verification program provides confirmation that Rapides Regional Trauma Center has demonstrated its commitment to providing the highest quality trauma care for all injured patients.
The only other verified trauma center in Louisiana is the Level I center at Spirit of Charity – Interim LSU Public Hospital in New Orleans.
"Level I Trauma Centers are typically found in state-funded hospitals that provide a trauma residency program and research capabilities," noted Lemoine.
Lemoine said the mission of the Rapides Regional Trauma Center is not centered solely on treatment, but in also helping to prevent traumatic injuries.


The folks at Lemon.ly take a sweet tour with 20 desserts from around the world with stops in France, Poland, Japan and Scotland.
Here's a great visual recipe guide on how to make great tasting homemade pizza with a professional style crust.
Want to melt someone's heart his Valentine's Day? Whip up one of these decadent chocolate desserts and watch Cupid work his magic.
This year the International Day of Italian Cuisine celebrates the Italian classic of spaghetti with tomato sauce - here's a recipe for you all to try at home.
You'll be surprised to know that tomato, potato and nutmeg are all classed as some of the world's deadliest foods.


There is one thing that you can't escape from at the holidays (and no it's not food!) it's family. We haven't lived with our families in what feels like decades and suddenly we're all expected to live harmoniously under one roof again? So, how can you get everyone into the holiday spirit to guarantee a stress-free and light-hearted holiday experience? Holiday gifts of course! Whether they admit it or not, there's nothing that people love more than receiving gifts. It's the perfect way to say 'I care about you' without actually saying it and what could feel better than receiving love, especially at holiday time. We have reviewed and ranked gifts for each family member based on price, durability, ease of use and more to help you spread the love this holiday season.
Sick of your sister always stealing your charger when shes out of juice? Or sick of never being able to get hold of her because her phone is always dead?! Then this 2-in-1 portable and wall charger is perfect for her! Anker claim that the product 'provides high-speed charging from the wall and on-the-go' and we were excited to see it this really was as convenient as it sounds. First of all, we loved how light and easy to use the battery pack was. Although it's not something that easily slips into your pocket, you can definitely carry it round all day without even knowing it's there. In general, most reviewers also loved the concept of the product: the fact that you are able to use the charger as a wall charger when there is availability, and when there isn't, it works equally as well as a portable charger. In terms of battery life, we found that the pack charges roughly in 2.5 hours and an average smart phone e.g. The iPhone 6, can get two comfortable charges from the battery pack which is super convenient when you're out all day. When plugged into the wall, it's not the fastest charger on the market but will comfortably charge two phones overnight and your sister definitely doesn't need more than that! All in all, a great and thoughtful gift that doesn't break the bank.
What makes this the perfect gift is not only the fact that it's perfect for all ages and all levels, but the fact that it's just so much more than a soccer ball. This smart soccer ball comes with the DribbleUp app free of charge and what's more, there are no batteries so you don't need to worry about lugging spares or chargers with you. It pairs to your mobile phone or tablet, allowing you to train anywhere at any time via daily lessons which can be modified and adapted to ability and experience, allowing your brother to improve his soccer skills without expensive classes or trainers. The app basically acts as a virtual trainer and our testers enjoyed the training options such as live audio and virtual cones that provide training feedback in real time. The ball itself is hand stitched with superb grip and feels just as high quality as pricier professional balls which our testers also loved. We were skeptical about the ball working without Bluetooth or WIFI connections as it works by scanning a code from the ball to your device but we were pleasantly surprised to find that as soon as we scanned the code we were ready to hit the ground kicking! The only thing testers found could be improved was the fact that on a bright, sunny day it's more difficult to see the phone or tablet screen clearly due to the reflection. Nevertheless, at under $100 it's a unique holiday gift guaranteed to keep your brother entertained for hours.
If your dad has just retired and has more time on his hands to get fit and healthy (or just wants to get fit and healthy in general) then the Fitbit Flex 2 is the perfect holiday gift for him. It's a fitness wristband that syncs to an app on your iOS, Android or Windows device and tracks steps, distance, calories burned and more. It also comes equipped with 5 little LED lights that show you how far you need to go to complete your goal. We love this product because it's swim proof (for tracking swimming) and also suitable to wear in the pool, ocean and shower! Our testers found it super easy to use and loved the slim design. To be honest, it's not just suitable for dads but suitable for all the family as the you can replace the black rubber band with more stylish looking bands and chains. The only downside was that although the battery life is okay (roughly 4 days), it actually takes a few hours to fully charge and in order to do so you must remove it and connect it to a dock which you then add to a plug which could be inconvenient for some. This doesn't take away from the fact that this product is under $60, making it the perfect gift for those dads starting out on their fitness journey. If you like the idea of a fitness tracker and you have more to spend, take a look here for more inspiration!
Is your mom always complaining that she never sees you? Here is your chance to change that with the Pix-Star 10.4 Inch Wifi Cloud Digital Photo Frame. This super easy to use photo frame makes it convenient and enjoyable for relatives of all ages to enjoy family photos at the touch of a button. It has 4:3 formatted display which is lit by a low-consumption LED backlight. This Pix-Star frame allows the sending and receiving of pictures, without the need for a computer or a smart phone, to your very own personalized digital photo frame email address. As well as email, there are more than 20 online cloud providers that sync with this Pix-Star frame, including Facebook, Flickr and more. These pictures are then stored in the 4GB memory which can hold up to 20,000 pictures meaning that it's easier to keep up to date on the adventures of your loved ones from all over the world. Some of our reviewers loved that the frame comes equipped with a remote control and buttons on the back. They found that this minimizes the chances of dirty finger prints as all actions can be completed without a touchscreen. However, other reviewers didn't like the fact that they had to reach behind the screen to operate it and felt that it was impractical.
Of course, this article doesn't just refer to immediate family but the gifts are also perfect for aunts, uncles, cousins and friends alike. Our favorite gift that we reviewed was the Anker PowerCore Fusion 5000 portable charger. We loved the fact that it's great value for money, super easy to use and a practical gift without being boring. Most of our reviewers claimed that they will definitely be considering purchasing the Anker PowerCore Fusion 5000 for a loved one this holiday season and we think that you should too!
8 Items Reviewed, Best 4 Selected!
We reviewed the best cotton bed sheets based on durability, quality, comfort and more! Read our review to discover the best cotton bed linens on the market!


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The Bartlett Development Planning Unit
Collective reflections about development practice and cities
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Playing with goldfish: Engaging people through games in the age of the falling attention span
NausicaCastanas11 November 2016
Research in the age of the falling attention span
There is undeniably a great amount of social science research produced around the world. In the field of development, much of it aims to inform the public, perhaps even with the expressive aim of changing behaviours. Yet how can one produce engaging content when it is well documented that the general public cannot focus for more than seconds at a time? There has been substantial research on people's decreasing attention span. In his 1985 book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business, Neil Postman advanced his thesis that television and the emphasis placed on entertainment has altered the way people consume information, and decreased their ability to concentrate on issues they do not find pleasurable[i]. Nicholas Carr focused his study on the advent of the Internet, arguing that our use of the Internet not only makes absorption harder, it actually impacts our ability to be engrossed in written material both online and offline[ii][iii]. Statistics seem to concur with this thesis. A 2008 study found that Internet users spent 10 seconds or less on any given page over 50% of the time, while the average time for a stay on a page was placed between 2-3 seconds[iv]. A 2015 study by Microsoft found that overstimulation through the Internet and smartphones has decreased our attention span from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2015, jokingly compared to the attention span of a goldfish[v].
The evidence is all around us: news videos online last on average under 3 minutes. In development, the trend is very much the same. Most organisations – including DFID, WaterAid and ODI to name a few – now produce a mix of short videos and infographics to present their material. Information is distilled in bite size pieces which audiences can easily digest.
Conversely, when people are engaged, they can focus for longer. And this is where things get interesting. Coming up with engaging ways to communicate information can make all the difference. And what better way to engage someone's attention than turning the subject into a game? Playing games de facto retains the player's attention, and, for that reason, they have long been used in education. Whether it was through educational board games or through the use of computer games in school for math or physics modules, most of us were exposed to learning in game format.
Games can therefore be a great communicative tool, especially for complex information. Openspace, the organisation I am currently working with in Bangkok, has teamed with Dr Wijitbusaba Ann Marome from the Faculty of Architecture and Planning at Thammasat University, to translate the results of a 5-year international research project of the Coastal Cities at Risk (CCaR) on urban resilience into a game.
The Urban Resilience Board Game
Urban Resilience and the CCaR research
Coastal Cities at Risk (CCaR): Building Adaptive Capacity for Managing Climate Change in Coastal Megacities is a research project financed by Canada, looking at climate change and urban resilience, with respect to flooding in Vancouver, Lagos, Manila and Bangkok. CCaR uses modelling through the VENSIM program, using data derived from City System Dynamic model, to input known variables and produce future scenarios for these cities. Interestingly, the causes of flooding are different in each city, which allows for a broad field of study.
Urban Resilience refers to the capacity of a city to bounce back after a shock. The most widespread definition, coined by the Community and Regional Research Initiative on Resilient Communities (CARRI), defines resilience as the "capability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from significant multi-hazard threats with minimum damage to public safety and health, the economy, and national security"[vi]. As evidenced by this definition, urban resilience has adaptability and complexity at heart. It views cities as adaptive systems, where the interactions of a wide set of factors need to be taken into consideration. Moreover, preparedness is key to achieving urban resilience, as anticipating potential future threats to urban settings allows for greater adaptability. This becomes ever more significant given the looming threat of climate change, which already brings an increase in the occurrence and severity of extreme weather phenomena around the world. While urban resilience involves more than natural disasters, these are considered a central aspect of the threats that need to be countered.
In Bangkok, it is very intuitive to focus on flooding. Bangkok floods severely every couple of years, and, with climate change, the intensity is worsening. 2011 witnessed the worst flooding in decades; the year remains engraved in people's minds and imagination, and routinely comes up in conversation as the benchmark for all subsequent flooding. The numbers are staggering: 884 people died, while a further 13.6 million were affected. 65 provinces were classified as disaster zones, and the World Bank estimated the total economic losses at $45.7 billion, making it one of the five most costly natural disasters in history[vii][viii].
To a lesser extent, Bangkok floods semi-regularly. For example, it only takes a heavy night's worth of rain during the rainy season to flood Lat Prao, the area where I live. The CCaR research concludes that flooding in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR) will intensify as both the intensity and frequency of heavy rain will increase.
Perhaps surprisingly, the prevalence of flooding has not been linked to climate change or urban resilience, be it at policy level or in people's minds. It is also telling that there is no government agency responsible for dealing with it. "It ranks low on the scale of political priorities, far behind questions of economic and social development" remarks Dr Marome, the leader of the CCaR team for Bangkok.
Dr Marome stresses the importance of preparing society. "While investing in infrastructure can be very useful, it can only ever represent 70% of dealing with climate change. The remaining 30% needs to be done by people themselves, through preparedness. Japan is a great example of that. The state provides different measures to mitigate earthquakes, from law and regulations to earthquake resistant structures, but society has also adapted. Children are being taught from a very young age how to prepare for earthquakes".
Dr Wijitbusaba Ann Marome, Faculty of Architecture & Planning, Thammasat University
In Bangkok, there is clearly a gap between the people who have the relevant information on the one side, and the wider public and government agencies on the other. The Urban Resilience Board Game tries to bridge this gap, by making information easily accessible to a wider public, beyond the scope of academics and people in the field.
The game is played by 4 or 6 players, each the mayor of a Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR) – Bangkok Metropolis, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, and Samut Sakhon – and a facilitator. Each region has distinct characteristics and conditions, all based on the CCaR research findings: some are more developed, some have issues with waste management, some have issues with social cohesion, or environmental protection. Overall, there are six different urban futures, each affected by four different drivers: socio-economic factors, housing and land use, environment and health, and flood management.
All players are allocated an initial budget, to be used for future investments. The players roll the dice to advance on the board and get handed an event that they need to deal with. Events range from anything between a drug problem among the area's youth to the construction of a fast train linking this area to its neighbours. The player needs to identify the risk, the opportunity, and, where necessary, invest to deal with the event. Points are allocated for correctly identifying each, and all need to be relevant to the specific area's profile. This urges players to link different issues and eventually identify necessary investments in the short or long term.
In action: Playing the Urban Resilience Board Game, June 2016
Rolling a six or completing two rounds triggers a flood round. Flood intensity varies each time, and affects each region differently. An area's resilience ultimately depends on preparedness stemming from investments in the previous rounds. For example, should an area have a serious garbage problem, investment in clean up prior to the flood round would increase resilience, as refuse not only obstructs drainage, thus worsening the flood, but also spreads diseases. During the flood round, all investment proposals need to be voted on by the mayors of the other regions: players need to argue their case to seek approval. The game ends when any participant reaches the end of the board; the player with the most points wins.
The Urban Resilience Board Game thus has a double role: first, it raises awareness about flooding and resilience, allowing people to think about urban resilience and find linkages between different issues. Second, it brings people from different backgrounds together and opens a dialogue that would not otherwise be happening, and certainly not under these conditions. In June 2016, Thammasat University and Openspace organised a workshop with academics, policy makers and representatives from the local government, specifically from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). Many participants had no experience with these issues but all played the board game for two hours. The feedback was extremely positive, as they found the game both informative and entertaining. Interestingly, the game seemed to transcend political red tape, allowing people to consider flooding and urban resilience without the backdrop of the sometimes charged political considerations that happen in Thailand.
In action: The Urban Resilience workshop, June 2016
The appeal for planners is evident. The game opens a platform for people to discuss complex issues in an informal way. Instead of being confined by the structure and convention of a meeting or conference, participants can let their guard down and engage with the material in a new way. More importantly, the subject matter becomes accessible to people with no prior experience. In the guise of explaining the rules and aim of the game, facilitators are actually presenting the basic information for people to understand the core ideas of urban resilience. Yet all of this remains unthreatening; at the end of the day, it is only a game. The players are then pushed to really think about the issues, and see the connection between investments in infrastructure and cooperation with other regions, and achieving urban resilience. Their output is then fed back to the CCaR team and Openspace, who collect the documented actions that players took during the flood round. This is crucial, as it allows for a feedback loop into the research in a very direct way.
In the next months, more workshops will be organised. Moreover, Dr Marome and Thammasat University plan to train members of the public to be facilitators, allowing for greater exposure, perhaps even spilling to other Thai cities in the North. They are also working on having a workshop with urban policy planners from across Asia to play the game. The possibilities are endless, because who would not like to come play with us?
[i] Postman, N. 2005 [1985]. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. London: 2005 Penguin Books
[ii] Carr, N. 2008. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains". The Atlantic. July-August 2008
[iii] Carr, N. 2010. The Shallows: How the Internet Is Changing the Way We Think, Read and Remember. London: W. W. Norton & Company
[iv] Weinreich, H., Obendorf, H., Herder, E. and Mayer, M. 2008. "Not Quite the Average: An Empirical Study of Web Use". ACM Transactions on the Web, Vol. 2, No. 1
[v] Mcspadden, K. 2015. "You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish". The Times, May 2015. Retrieved in September 2016 from http://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/
[vi] Wilbanks, T. 2007. The Research Component of the Community and Regional Resilience Initiative (CARRI). Presentation at the Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado- Boulder; as quoted in C. E. Colten, R. W. Kates, and S. B. Laska. 2008. Community Resilience: Lessons from New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. Retrieved in September 2015 from http://www.resilientus.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/FINAL_COLTEN_9-25-08_1223482263.pdf
[vii] Emergency Operation Center for Flood, Storm and Landslide. 2012. Flood, Storm and Landslide Situation Report. Retrieved in October 2016 from http://disaster.go.th/dpm/flood/flood54/news/news_thai/EOCReport17JAN.pdf [in Thai]
[viii] Impact Forecasting LLC. 2012. 2011 Thailand Floods: Event Recap Report. Retrieved in September 2016 from http://thoughtleadership.aonbenfield.com/Documents/20120314_impact_forecasting_thailand_flood_event_recap.pdf
Nausica is a DPU MSc Environment and Sustainable Development alumna. She is currently completing the DPU/ACHR/CAN Young Professionals Programme in Bangkok, Thailand. All images taken by Nausica Castanas
Filed under Diversity, social complexity & planned intervention
Tags: attention span, climate change, communication, environmental protection, flood management, game, health, housing, Lagos, Manila and Bangkok, Openspace, policy, Research, social cohesion, socio-economic, Thailand, urban resilience, Vancouver, waste management
Diversity, social complexity & planned intervention
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State and Market: Governance and Policy for Development
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Housing, displacement and the elderly: intersectional spatial narratives from Tareek el Jdeede, Beirut
Transmedia Storytelling: Activating Urban Learning for Slum Upgrading
Therapy Gardens – Urban Green Space and Better Health
Crowdsourcing inputs for future impact evaluation? Pilot participatory mapping for liveability and health baselines of a transport-centred project in Cali, Colombia
A Half Full Beirut
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Geothermal Heating And Cooling System Installation - Lancaster, PA - EH Gochnauer & Sons, Inc.
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An out of the way city, Zrenjanin is a hidden spot for tourists who crave authentic historical experiences! Visitors can stroll through the locations that date back to the Middle Ages. The welcoming and warm atmosphere of Zrenjanin makes it an easy city to explore on foot.
Visit the classically built Catholic Church and the City Hall in the Center Square. The picturesque square offers the best views in the city for capturing the spirit of Zrenjanin. Witness the monumental statue dedicated to Peter I of Yugoslavia, a symbol of the resilience of Zrenjanin. To get outside of the city and into nature, visit Carska Bara, a nature preserve that is home to a great diversity of birds and plants. The Carska Bara offers a perfect backdrop for a romantic boat ride.


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Skeen's stellar night not enough vs. Butler
By Mike MillerApr 2, 2011, 10:24 PM EDT
Butler cooled off VCU's hot hand in the Final Four. Well, everyone's except Jamie Skeen.
The senior forward was one of the bright spots in the Rams' 70-62 loss Saturday night, scoring from inside and out. His 27 points (10-of-17 shooting) were a game-high and his 1.34 PPWS showed he did it efficiently. The rest of the Rams were 13 of 41.
The only thing that kept from doing more? An occasional need to rest. He "only" played 32 minutes, though that was also related to foul trouble in the second half.
"We called some stuff for Jamie," coach Shaka Smart said. "Could he have gotten it more? Sure. But I thought he got the ball a pretty good amount."
Skeen also wasn't worried about getting his shot more.
"I wasn't frustrated at all," he said. "We got other good players on the team that can score as well. I don't have to touch the ball every time for us to score."
During VCU's five other tournament wins, that was true. The Rams made 43.8 percent of their 3-point attempts, up six percent from their season average. That didn't happen Saturday. And not only did the Rams miss shots, but they got killed on the boards and had one more turnover than Butler.
But one loss in the Final Four doesn't sour what the Rams have done.
They went from the First Four to the Final Four, reaching the final weekend for the first time in the school's history and becoming just the fourth mid-major team to play in the Final Four since 1980. That's something worth applauding, no matter how it ended up.
"This whole season was great. It was a great run. We made history," Skeen said. "We kept making history. We went deep into the tournament and we did what everybody said we couldn't do. I couldn't be more proud of my teammates."


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Acts of Terrorism and Social Change in the United States
On 10 September, 2001 the citizens of the United States went about their day-to-day activities without any thoughts of a terrorist attack occurring. Americans who were lulled into this mindset by the false pretenses of security and the history that America has never had a multifaceted terroristic attack occur on her soil. However, on the morning of September 11, 2001 this attitude would be ceaselessly changed and change the life of all Americans. The United States has become known as the melting pot of culture due to the diversity of citizens; consequently, this has also led terroristic events committed by individuals and factions to share their ideologies and attempt to bring about social change. This social change may influence an infinitesimal amount of people or it may have a global impact affecting the world in some way, shape, or form. Domestic and international terrorism are two factors which have shaped and continue to shape life in the United States. Domestic events tend to have a more direct impact on American policy and the livelihood of her citizens; whereas, international terrorism may impact in ways not directly understood by the American people. Discussion According to a study published in 2011 by the Heritage Foundation, between the years of 2001-2009 there were 471 terrorist attacks against the United States, of these only 91 of these are what is considered homegrown (Muhlhausen & McNeil, 2011). Some of the most memorable attacks against the United States that occurred domestically in recent years are the: 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, 1996 Atlanta Olympic Bombing, 1999 Columbine Shooting, 2001 the events of September 11, 2012 Sandy Hook Shooting, 2012 Aurora Colorado Shooting, and the 2013 Boston City Ma... ... middle of paper ... ...rm Intelligence after 9/11. Public Administration Review, 700-706. Kurtulus, E. N. (2011). The "New Terrorism" and its Critics. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 476–500. Poulin, M. J., Silver, R. C., Gil-Rivas, V., Holman, E. A., & McIntosh, D. N. (2009). Finding Social Benefits After a Collective Trauma: Perceiving Societal Changes and Well-Being Following 9/11. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 81-90. Rothenburger, L. (2013). Terrorist Groups: Using Internet and Social Media for Disseminating Ideas. Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations, 7-23. Seirmarco, G., Neria, Y., Insel, B., Kiper, D., Doruk, A., Gross, R., & Litz, B. (2011). Religiosity and Mental Health: Changes in Religious Beliefs, Complicated Grief, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Major Depression Following the September 11, 2001 Attacks. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 10-18.
Explains that the united states has become known as the melting pot of culture due to the diversity of citizens. domestic events have a more direct impact on american policy and the livelihood of her citizens; international terrorism may impact in ways not directly understood by the american people.
Explains that terrorists hijacked four planes scheduled for international flights and used them as flying bombs. the department of homeland security created counter-terrorism task forces and developed training to deter future terroristic activities.
Explains that sandy hook elementary school is a gun-free zone in connecticut, but the shooting at columbine high school impacted the views on weapons in the united states and led to the passing of the investigative assistance for violent crimes act of 2012.
Describes how james holmes opened fire on movie goers in aurora, colorado, during the july 20, 2012 opening night of a the dark knight.
Describes how tamerlan and dzhokhar tsarnaev shared extreme religious ideologies at the finish line of the boston marathon.
Opines that the united states must remain poised in order to diminish the impact felt in the aftermath of terrorist acts.
Analyzes barack's we need a strategy that reflects this resilient spirit. vital speeches of the day, 202-208.
Explains that a study published in 2011 by the heritage foundation found 471 terrorist attacks against the united states, of which only 91 were homegrown.
Analyzes how the 1995 oklahoma city bombings brought about nominal change to the nation, and how eric rudolph's extreme religious ideologies led him to conduct multiple terroristic acts during the 1996 atlanta olympic games.
Explains how terrorists' actions are influenced by structural and cultural factors, such as technological advances and socioeconomic status, and the impetus of change.
Cites eisenberg, silver, and rothenburger as s of "growing up in the shadow of terrorism".
The Transformation of the US Through Terror
American citizens lost their sense of safety and security after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 (9/11). The United States (U.S.) became a nation transformed, and a vital debate arose between civil liberties and national security. The attacks on 9/11 should not have come as a surprise, for years Islamist extremists had given warning of their hatred and intent to kill Americans. According to the National Commission On Terrorist Attacks Upon The United States (2004) throughout the 1990s hundreds of people were killed, and thousands wounded resulting from various attacks against the U.S. and several U.S. embassies. Furthermore, across the government, there were failures of management, capabilities, policy, and imagination. No action was taken against these acts of violence, and because of the egotism, on 9/11 the highest price was paid.
Analyzes how americans lost their sense of safety and security after the terrorist attacks on september 11, 2001.
Explains that the fourth amendment provides protection against unreasonable searches and seizures without probable cause and against the improper issue of warrants.
Opines that the patriot act is unconstitutional and violates the protections of the fourth amendment.
Cites the united states government printing office's list of countries by number of troops.
The Psychological Impact of Terrorist Attacks
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) are two stress disorders that occur after a traumatizing experience. PTSD is defined as a disorder that follows a distressing event outside the range of normal human experience and that is characterized by features such as intense fear, avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, and reliving the event. Acute stress disorder is defined as a disorder that is characterized by feelings of anxiety and helplessness and caused by a traumatic event. It also usually occurs within a month of the event and lasts from 2 days to 4 weeks. Dealing with experiences like the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks in 2001 were difficult for people and easily classified as traumatizing experiences. For times like these when a large number of people experience a traumatizing experience and will probably develop PTSD or ASD, there is no precedent for how to treat them. The only tool that can be used at these times is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), to classify the disorder. No real solution exists for a treatment process for an incident of this scale. The three journal articles I will be using show statistical data about how people dealt with these experiences and what percent of them developed PTSD or ASD. They also show how many people showed signs of these disorders but never contacted a professional to help treat it. Even as far away as Brussels, expatriates of the United States felt the effects of the attacks of September 11th.
Explains that ptsd and acute stress disorder occur after a traumatizing experience. the only tool that can be used at these times is the diagnostic and statistical manual (dsm).
Describes a study done on the oklahoma city bombing in 1995 and the body handlers who sorted through rubble and human remains to find all the victims of the tragedy.
Explains how a point system was used to measure physical exposure, and how they were rated on verbal scales. they compared posttraumatic stress and depression to scores 1 year later.
Explains that gender, age, physical blast exposure, knowing anyone killed or injured, prior professional disaster work, and personal disaster experience were not significantly correlated with posttraumatic stress.
Explains that a survey of 124 new york city workers after the attacks on the world trade center predicted ptsd symptoms related to direct exposure to 9/11, worries about future terrorist attacks, and reduced confidence in self.
Analyzes how the survey asked participants to rate their household income in 4 categories ranging from under $20,000 to over $50,000. the results showed that 42% of participants had no direct exposure to the attacks.
Describes a study conducted in brussels after the terrorist attacks on the world trade center and the pentagon on september 11th.
Analyzes the results of the survey, which showed that people's fears and symptoms of distress had gone down, even though it was only 10 weeks after the attacks.
Opines that the studies on the wtc and pentagon attacks show the need for a plan to help people cope with such an attack or disaster.
Explains that living abroad following the september 11 terrorist attacks on america. professional psychology: research and practice, 34 (2), 151-158.
Cites doughty, jones, jordan, nixon, pfefferbaum, and tucker, (2002), predictors of ptsd symptoms following september 11, 2001.
Government Acts to Prevent Future Terrorist Attacks
On September 11, 2001, a sequence of organized suicide attacks, conducted by al-Qaeda, occurred around 8 o'clock that morning. Earlier that morning, the four commercial passenger jet airliners, that were later crashed into buildings, were hijacked by nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists. These terrorists intentionally crashed two of the planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The third was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, and the fourth plane was crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. The passengers of the fourth plane fought the terrorist men by trying to regain control over the plane. These attacks killed over 3,000 people including the nineteen terrorists, and caused many people to realize that the United States will forever be changed. Since that day, the prevention of more terrorist attacks has become the number one focus in America. Over the years, the American society has seen many changes occur regarding government laws that increase security, provide more access to private files, and protect our homeland.
Explains that the 9/11 attacks killed over 3,000 people, including the nineteen terrorists, and caused many people to realize the united states will forever be changed.
Explains the tsa's goal of preventing criminal acts by detecting next-generation threats and completing 190 baseline assessments for security enhancement. the visa security program relies on hsi to pinpoint terrorists before they can reach the us.
Explains that the president created programs that allow him to listen, read, go through, and get into anything so he is able to track down possible terrorists.
Explains that the intelligence reform and terrorism prevention act affects the u.s. federal terrorism laws. the enhanced border security and visa entry reform act of 2002 gives the united states government the power to control our borders.
Opines that mockaitis, tom, "september 11 terrorist attacks." world book advanced, 2014.
Explains that hsi special agents identified an iranian national who applied for a visitor's visa to come to the united states to attend an information technology conference on behalf of his employer.
Explains that the united states department of homeland security (dhs) protects the u.s. from man-made accidents, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks.
Summarizes bush's remarks on signing the intelligence reform and terrorism prevention act of 2004.
Explains seaney, rick, and the enhanced border security and visa reform act of 2002, h.r. 352.
Essay On The Patriot Act
Weinberg Leonard et al. 2004. "The Challenges of Conceptualizing Terrorism." Terrorism and Political Violence. 16 (4) 777-794.
Analyzes the patriot act, a piece of anti-terrorist legislation passed by the u.s. government on october 26th 2011.
Advises against any form of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts, including by suppressing recruitment of members of terrorist groups and eliminating the supply of weapons.
Analyzes how the patriot act has been at the centre of controversies surrounding human rights abuses and invasions of privacy in the name of the defence against terror.
Analyzes how the patriot act had legal repercussions in the domestic sphere. the freedom to read bill focused on the right to read information from whatever source or of whatever content.
Concludes that the patriot act represents a vitally important piece of legislation. the act was the first to publicly introduce the need for severe ant-terror surveillance, indefinite internment, and the sharing of previously private information in the name of action again terrorism.
Explains that the patriot act was bookended by two un resolutions which declared unequivocal support for counterterrorism measures.
Analyzes how the un's recent statements on counter-terrorist measures have changed the perceptions of anti-terrorism legislation and the importance of civil rights.
Explains that dhanapala, jayantha, henderson, nathan c., weinberg leonard et al. 2005, "the united nations' response to 9/11."
Suicidal Warfare: An Honorable Death
Chaliand, Gérard, Arnaud Blin, Edward D. Schneider, Kathryn Pulver, and Jesse Browner. The history of terrorism: from antiquity to al Qaeda. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007.
Explains how the japanese resorted to suicide as a military tactic during world war ii. the kamikaze warriors committed the ultimate act of sacrifice for their country.
Analyzes how the japanese samurai tradition and the bushido code of ethics promoted suicide as a solution for problems.
Explains that the birth of the kamikaze came largely due to desperation in world war ii. the japanese were superior to their opponent in terms of pilot training and aircraft design.
Explains the factors that led to the birth of the kamikaze are not unique and can be seen in the inspiration and creation of many terrorist groups in modern time.
Cites bloom, mia, chaliand, gérard, blin, schneider, pulver, and browner. the history of terrorism: from antiquity to al qaeda.
Crime and Domestic Terrorism in the United States
Crime is a social phenomenon. Crime doesn't have a race, a gender, or an economic status. Anyone can commit crime and we are all capable of crime, but it really just depends on many factors that you come across in life that make you more susceptible to crime. Crime can be as petty as J-walking or as big as murder. The life of just the criminal is not the only one affected when a crime is committed. The shockwave of pain that a crime can make is exponential and nothing brings such a large group of people together to feel that pain than a mass shooting such as the Columbine shooting in 1999 or the Aurora movie theatre shooting in 2012. So many aspects go into the studying of crime and crime itself is always evolving. With crime comes a justice system, a way to deal with people who break these said laws that society puts in place to protect the public. The justice system of the United States is one of the best in the world. A justice system that champions innocent before proven guilty is why the world looks to our justice system as one of the best. With our justice system, just like any other justice system, come flaws. These flaws are perceived by people in different ways. People will be upset with ruling and yes, our system isn't perfect, but like stated above, we have one of the best systems in the world. This studying of crime using different theories has helped us explain the why factor of crime. We always don't know why people create crime but these theories can show us why popular crimes such as violent, property and victimless crimes may occur.
Explains that crime doesn't have a race, gender, or economic status, but it can be as petty as j-walking or as big as murder.
Defines domestic terrorism as the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.
Explains that the washington dc navy yard shooting rampage occurred on september 16, 2013, when a lone gunman, aaron alexis, shot twelve people and injured three others.
Analyzes how the symbolic interactionist theory states that individuals alter their behavior based on how they think or what others think of them.
Explains that vandalism is the behavior that the romans attributed originally to the vandals, in respect of their culture, which was the ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful.
Analyzes how vandalism, gangs, and violence terrorize the streets of atlanta, which is considered one of the most dangerous cities in the united states.
Explains that opportunity theories of crime suggest that offenders make rational choices and choose targets that offer a high reward with little risk and/or effort.
Explains that a victimless crime involves consensual acts that are argued not to threaten or directly violate the rights of any other individual.
Argues that illegal downloading of music and movies has exploded with the help of the internet. copyright laws were designed to defend intellectual property of people who create something that provides a type of benefit to society.
Explains that deterrence is the use of punishment as a threat to keep people from offending and breaking the law.
Explains that the three types of crime that were examined could have had many theories attached to them. violent crimes are interesting, while victimless crime is hard to stop.
American Homeland Security
Millions of innocent lives lost on 9-11-01. A problem not widely discussed in the United States much until September 11, 2001 the date of the attack from terrorist organizations on the world trade centers' New York towers in New York City. The United States of America (USA) has not worried much about self defense or in this case homeland security. Due to the actions on September 11th homeland security has been the main goal of many politicians and voters. Homeland security builds coalitions and partnerships, protects civil rights and civil liberties, and develops human capital.
Explains that the united states of america (usa) has not worried much about self defense or in this case homeland security.
Explains that coalitions and partnerships are one of the key points of homeland security. homeland security was created during the cold war to protect the usa from a nuclear war.
Explains homeland security protects civil rights and civil liberties through the central intelligence agency (cia) and the federal bureau of investigation (fbi).
Explains that homeland security is created to protect the people while bringing in capital. the office of management and budget oversees and coordinates the administrations procurement of financial management.
Concludes that protecting the usa through homeland security creates new organizations, protects citizens, and develops positive capital that the government can use as a source of protection.
Zero Dark Thirty is a Movie Loosely Based on Osama Bin Laden
Historical Significance: The September 11th, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, orchestrated by Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden, were the events that launched the U.S. War on Terrorism. Al-Qaeda's attack on the United States was carried out by members of radicalized Islamic groups, whose objective was to spread jihad against the secular influence of the West. This tragic event provided the historical b...
Explains that the movie zero dark thirty is a fictional account based on the finding and killing of osama bin laden and his associates.
Analyzes how the 9/11 attacks on the world trade center and pentagon, orchestrated by al-qaeda and bin laden, launched the u.s. war on terrorism.
Analyzes how the characters, dan and maya, exemplify the role of u.s. government employees in the track down of osama bin laden.
Analyzes how the film "zero dark thirty" accurately depicted the 21st century and the u.s. involvement in the war on terror.
Essay On How Terrorism Changed America
Terrorism is a great threat to civilization as it has the ability to deter progress and to lock freedom. Terrorism is known universally as the evil of all evils. It has the ability to terminate entire households and it can destroy truth. America has seen its share of terrorist attacks. We Americans condemn these types of behaviors. America has over time revolutionized over terrorism as it adapts to ever changing society. We Americans know that the risk of being involved in a terror attack are on the rise as organizations like ISIS continue to plan them. The following terrorist attacks have changed America prompting extra security at airports and to travel bans in some locations around the world. I will primarily focus on five attacks of terrorism on the American people. Those attacks are 9/11, Beltway Sniper Attacks of 2002, Attempted Bombing of Time Square, Boston Marathon Bombing, and Chattanooga Recruiting Center Shootings. These attacks have damped the hearts of many Americans as most of us tend to look over our shoulders more than ever. My main focus is the impact terrorism and terrorists have had on the lives of many Americans
Explains that terrorism is a great threat to civilization as it has the ability to deter progress and to lock freedom.
Analyzes how the terror attacks of 9/11 prompted new security measures to be put in place. the terror attack alone alarmed the whole world.
Explains that terrorism usually doesn't have a intended target, such as the attempted bombing of times square in new york.
Analyzes how the virginia supreme court ruled that 'beltway sniper john a. muhammad's "breathtaking cruelty" in masterminding 16 sniper shootings warranted the death penalty.
Explains that terrorism is a major threat to the united states because it destroys communities and diminishes households.
September 11: War Against Terrorism is Necessary
On the fateful morning of September 11, 2001, few of us knew that the history of America, let alone our individual lives, was dramatically and permanently changing. As the day progressed, Americans, one by one, were dumbfounded at the events that had occurred. This is by no means the first terrorist attack in the history of the world. Nor will it be the last. Many cultures over time have been greatly wounded and even overcome by these fiendish terrorist attacks. Thankfully, the United States' history has not been heavily tarnished by these assaults - until now.
Argues that the media, showing the good and unintentionally rewarding the bad, is not the only source of mixed signals and messages. punishment is often double-edged, yet it can also result in negative, even backfiring, consequences.
Explains sidman, murray, "coercion and its fallout." cambridge center for behavioral studies.
Opines that america's history has not been tarnished by these fiendish terrorist attacks. the tragic incidents in new york and washington d.c. have played a profound role.
Opines that the war against terrorism is a needed effort, but its end is not yet in sight.
Narrates president george w. bush's speech to a joint session of congress and the american people.


Lol! Am I the only one who came up with a lot of invisible furniture on the first draft.
This was a really fun space to come up with!!
Can anyone tell me why when I go to vote on the contests that not all of the designs are there? In this contest at least 5 of the winning designs did not come up when I voted and I've been noticing this for a while. Does it happen to anyone else?


Landmark is the best builders in Calicut, prides itself on building quality projects, long-term relationships & lasting competitive advantage, apart from making active community contributions that are worthy of publication in some of the most read local, regional, and industry related online and offline media outlets. We are celebrating our 20 years of success and satisfying our customers. Here are some of the recent newsworthy notes on Landmark Builders and our prestigious projects.


Although first published almost 20 years ago Jakob Nielsen's 10 general principles for interaction design are still incredibly useful and relevant in the field of interaction design. For example, in his principles, he talks about "Consistency and Standards" which is of course, still a core principle of good design and comes up regularly when we are discussing the creation of design guidelines or pattern libraries.
Coming up to almost 10 years working in usability and user experience myself has made me reflect on what I have learned during that time. And specifically, when thinking about good practice in design, what principles I keep coming back to. Building on Nielsen's (and others) principles my seven key (updated) principles for interaction are.
Create a world that users can easily locate themselves in.
Users need to be able to quickly get a sense of where they are, what is going on and where they can go from there. Sensible information architecture and clear navigation are key to this.
Design for limited attention and scanning.
Users have limited time, limited attention and limited patience. Cut unnecessary content (noise) from your site, break content into easily digestible chunks and make key tasks highly visible.
Avoiding jargon is good for everyone but especially important when considering accessibility and making the web experience accessible to all. Gov.uk provide useful guidelines for writing for the web.
Make it obvious how things work.
Design with "affordance" in mind e.g. use visual cues to ensure users are clear on how to engage with design elements. "Norman doors" is the classic example to illustrate this.
Design for how people perceive and group information.
We humans share commonalities in how we perceive and make sense of the world around us. An understanding of principles such as Gestalt allows us to create designs that speak to those commonalities.
Make it easy for people to compare options and make decisions.
Hick's law tells us having fewer options available makes it easier to make a choice. Couple this with strategies such as product reviews ( social proofing) to give users more confidence and help them make a decision.
Design with emotion in mind.
Understand user's emotional states when they engage with your experience. For example, they might be concerned and want to be reassured or may be bored and looking for entertainment. Designing an experience that connects with those emotions adds value and meaning to every interaction.