AirPods (2nd-generation): Should you upgrade?
If you would like to remotely access files that are stored on your Mac, there are several ways to do it. But before doing so you will need a way to access your Mac from wherever you are on the Internet. There are a number of "dynamic DNS" services that can do this, but perhaps the most convenient (and arguably best) option is to use Apple's Back to My Mac service.
Create an Apple ID if you don't have one.
Enable the "Back to My Mac" service.
You'll find the option for enabling Back to My Mac within the iCloud system preference.
At this point, any Mac you have similarly configured with iCloud should be able to access the one you set up with Back to My Mac. Keep in mind that Back to My Mac requires that the remote Mac be connected to the Internet. Also, it should be configured to wake on demand so that when it's asleep, it can act on a Back to My Mac request. To help ensure that this happens, launch System Preferences, choose the Energy Saver preference, and enable the Wake for Network Access option.
Another issue you might run into is if your network has a firewall configured that prevents Back to My Mac access. If you can set up Back to My Mac but cannot seem to connect from a remote location, you might need to check your router's settings to ensure UPnP, or NAT-PMP services are enabled. In addition, check or reset your router's firewall (toggle it off, and test the connection), and also update your router's firmware to its latest version. It's a good idea to test such a connection from a local coffee shop before needing to use Back to My Mac for mission critical work.
When Back to My Mac is set up, you have several options for connecting to your remote Mac—opening programs and files directly on it, copying files to and from it, and controlling it remotely from the command line. Here's how they shake out.
The most intuitive way to access and manage your remote Mac is Screen Sharing, which streams the desktop view from your remote computer to the Mac you're currently using. While the performance of this service depends on the speed of your broadband connection, you can use this to work as if you were sitting in front of your Mac.
To enable Screen Sharing, go to the Sharing system preferences, enable the Screen Sharing service, and ensure that your user account is allowed access. By default only administrators are given access, but you can add specific users to the list or select the option to allow all users. When done, you can select your Mac in the Finder sidebar of another Mac configured with the same iCloud account and then click the option to share the remote Mac's screen and open applications and documents on it.
Enable Screen Sharing or File Sharing on your remote Mac and access it from another Mac's Finder window sidebar.
Screen Sharing supports additional options such as synchronized clipboards and drag-and-drop support for file sharing. With these, you can drag files from the Finder in your current Mac to the screen sharing window to copy them to the remote computer. You can similarly copy files from your remote Mac. To use the shared clipboard option (enabled by selecting "User Shared Clipboard" in the Edit menu), copy any selected text or images on either Mac and the data will stream to the clipboard of the other. Then you can paste it by pressing Command-V.
Messages allows you to share a friend's screen.
If you wish to only access your remote Mac's files and not deal with a potentially slow Screen Sharing experience you can do so by accessing your Mac's files directly. Provided you have enabled the File Sharing service in the Sharing system preferences on your remote Mac, when you select that remote Mac in a Finder window's sidebar on your current Mac, you will see the various default and custom shared folders appear, which you can mount and then navigate through to access the files you desire.
Dive into Terminal to access a Mac with Remote Login enabled.
Remote Macs with Screen Sharing and File Sharing enabled will appear in the Finder sidebar. If you enable only Remote Login, the remote Mac won't appear. But you can access it via the Terminal app. To do this, launch Terminal (/Applications/Utilities), and then press Shift-Command-K (or select New Remote Connection from the Shell menu). This produces a New Remote Connection window. Within this window select the Secure Shell service and you should see any enabled Macs in the Server column. From here you can select and connect to these Macs to log into them.
With this information, you can assemble the URL for directly accessing your remote Mac, provided you have the computer name for it (your Mac's computer name is the name entered at the top of the Sharing system preferences). For these purposes, we are going to use the Bonjour name, which uses only lowercase letters, strips out all punctuation, and replaces spaces with dashes. So, for example, if I have "Topher's MacBook Pro" as my computer name, then the bonjour name will be "tophers-macbook-pro" (we are leaving out the .local suffix here).
As a final note, while sharing services have their conveniences, unless you use them regularly you might consider keeping them disabled. While there are no known hacks for these services, and they are built off of reputable and secure coding, best practices are to keep services off that you don't intend to use.


SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Friday its CEO and Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun plans to step down from management, deepening concerns over a leadership vacuum at the tech giant after group scion Jay Y. Lee was jailed for bribery.
The surprise resignation of Samsung's chip and display head came as he was expected to take a bigger role following Lee's arrest in February and the departures of other key executives in the wake of the bribery scandal.
The move came on the same day the South Korean smartphone maker forecast record third-quarter operating profit on the back of the memory chip business which Kwon was instrumental in building into the world leader.
"The timing is nonsensical. Samsung tipped record earnings, it's going to be better in the fourth-quarter, and all that's been driven by Kwon's components business," said Park Ju-gun, head of research firm CEO Score.
Kwon, 64, is seen as Samsung Group No. 2. As well as being chairman of the board and a board director, he heads the components business - including memory chips - and the display business.
In a statement, the man known as "Mr Chip" said the time had come to "start anew with new spirit and young leadership".
The world's biggest maker of memory chips, smartphones and TVs is set to smash its annual profit record this year, thanks partly to soaring demand for memory chips. Semiconductors were Samsung's top earner in the three months through June, making a record 8 trillion won ($7.20 billion).
The global chip industry is undergoing a major shift with Japan's Toshiba Corp partnering with home rival SK Hynix, and other firms consolidating in search of new growth areas like artificial intelligence and automobiles.
Shares in Samsung, worth about $310 billion, fell 1.5 percent on Friday after hitting an all-time high earlier in the day.
The departure of 32-year Samsung veteran Kwon after five years in the top job comes at a time of leadership uncertainty at the company.
Choi Gee-sung, Jay Lee's mentor, quit earlier this year for his alleged role in the bribery scandal, and Samsung Electronics now needs to fill several more key roles with Kwon's exit.
Kwon would serve out his term as chairman of the board and board director until March 2018, the company said. He is also not stepping down immediately from his two other roles.
A Samsung Electronics spokeswoman declined comment on the exact timing of succession and potential successors for Kwon's roles.
While Samsung Group is South Korea's top conglomerate with businesses ranging from smartphones to hotels - it has had no 'Plan B' for taking big decisions following Lee's arrest, people familiar with the matter have said.
"I'm worried about a leadership vacuum at a time when Lee is absent from management," Chung Sun-sup, chief executive of research firm Chaebul.com, said following Kwon's announcement.
The leadership changes also could be an opportunity for a new generation to emerge, he added.


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Histadrut ("sammanslutning") eller HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael (ההסתדרות הכללית של העובדים בארץ ישראל) (hebreiska, fritt översatt: "Allmänna landsorganisationen för arbetare i landet Israel") är Israels fackliga landsorganisation, motsvarande LO i Sverige. Histadrut bildades i december 1920 i Haifa som en judisk fackförening. Den blev senare en av de mäktigaste organisationerna i staten Israel. Sedan Israels ekonomi liberaliserades på 1980-talet har Histadruts inflytande och medlemskap minskat, men den är fortfarande en mäktig kraft i Israels samhällsliv.

Israeliska fackliga organisationer
Fackliga organisationer bildade 1920

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Freienstein small-scale hydropower plant
The former spinning mill in Freienstein (canton Zurich) was constructed in 1836. When it was closed in the 1990s, the two existing turbines were decommissioned. In 2004, in order to put the weir in the River Töss to use again, a new power station building was constructed and the old gates were replaced with new, automatically controlled ones. Today, the power plant generates electricity from renewable energy sources for the equivalent of more than 500 households.
Freienstein, Switzerland
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OECD development assistance committee changes aid rules following hurricanes
Simone Rensch
Crisis-hit states will no longer be denied overseas development aid because they are too wealthy following a change to international rules approved by the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC).
Following the hurricanes that hit the Caribbean this year, many governments were not able to release aid funds to affected countries because they were deemed too rich.
Thirty donor countries met in Paris at the start of this week and agreed on a process to previous aid recipients to receive temporary overseas development assistance (ODA) in the event of humanitarian crisis.
UK international development secretary Priti Patel, who has been pushing for this change, said it was a "real step forward".
"UK leadership has secured significant and important progress in changing the international aid rules, as we committed to in our manifesto," she said.
"As a result of our influence, we've made huge progress on ensuring official development assistance can be used when vulnerable nations are struck by crises or natural disasters."
The DAC said it would create a new mechanism to reclassify countries as ODA-eligible if their income falls low enough, including as a result of a natural disaster.
The UK Department for International Development (DfID) also said its contributions to UN peacekeeping missions, which count as aid, had more than doubled, rising from 7% to 15% following a set of wider reforms to the international aid rules.
It also said 85% of core funding to the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank will count as aid.
As a result of these changes, more than £100m of UK aid spending this year can be counted as aid and contribute to promise to provide 0.7% of national income on aid.
The OECD committee also agreed on the adoption of the blended finance principle, which is "the strategic use of development finance for the mobilisation of additional finance towards sustainable development in developing countries".
Simone Rensch | Reporter | Public Finance International
OECD urges New Zealand to raise it overseas aid game
Government aid flows hit historic high in 2014
Aid rules change to help 'high-income' disaster-hit nations
Protests held in George Weah's Liberia as economy continues to flounder
World must 'step up' to tackle hunger in southern Africa
Record Irish corporation tax takings buck expected decline
Somalia's 'fledgling' economy could see debts wiped
IMF approves PFM reform programme for Angola
We need to work together to improve public sector accounting
Workshop for strategic IT directors at CIPFA London
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Decoding the future


Located in and around Banff National Park, the Sunshine, Lake Louise and Nakiska Ski Resorts have some of the best downhill skiing and snowboarding in Alberta. We decided to spend a few days touring these amazing ski and snowboard resorts while we're still young enough and able-bodied enough to endure the physical challenge.
Lake Louise is the annual home to the World-cup slalom and giant-slalom race. People from all over the world travel here to witness the best skiers in the world fly down the winter slopes in Banff National Park.
Sunshine Village ski resort is my personal favourite. It offers excellent snow, scenic views of the Rocky Mountains and wide, open runs on 3 different mountains.
Nakiska ski resort, located in Kananaskis Provincial Park, is located in the front ranges and played host to the alpine events for the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Unlike the snow in BC, the white-stuff in Alberta is dry and powdery and known as 'Champagne Powder'. Ski season usually starts in November but I wouldn't recommend using your best equipment at this time of the year (too many rocks). The great skiing starts in December when the temperatures are cold and the snow base is thick.
These resorts have lots of terrain and use the latest high-speed, high capacity chairlifts. Lift lines longer than 5 minutes are rare (except during the Christmas holidays and Spring Break in March). There's plenty of groomed runs, fresh-powder & long stretches of moguls for skiers of every level.
We based our Alberta ski-trip out of Canmore, Alberta, so that we'd be within an hour drive of all three resorts. Some people make the daily commute from Calgary, but that adds an extra hour of driving each way (after a day of skiing, all I want to do is eat is laze around). Banff is another option but we chose Canmore this time around since it was more economical.
For convenience, we rented a car and got dropped off at the different ski-resort each day while the non-skiers in our party went on their daily adventures in town.
Canmore is a fun, funky mountain town (with expensive real estate!) that has lots of tourist accommodations, restaurants and other fun things to do.
While we were on the hill all day, our non-skiing friends enjoyed trail-riding, cross-country skiing and even cave-exploring. We missed out on an afternoon at the spa... but didn't mind since we were on the slippery slopes of heaven!
Incidentally, this Rocky Mountain town at the base of the Three Sisters Mountain was so picturesque, we extended our trip by a day and spent a relaxing romantic getaway in town.
We arrived late into Calgary International Airport (or very early for the next ski day). We drove 1.5 hours from the city to the town of Canmore. The Trans-Canada Highway was in great condition but we were warned by the rental-car clerk to check the road conditions frequently since the weather could change quickly in the mountains. We arrived at the hotel, ate a late dinner & hit the sack.
Sunshine is the oldest and largest ski resort in the region. With over 9 meters of snow & powder each year (and tons of sunshine, as you might have guessed) it has lots of varying terrain for all level of skiers.
The runs vary from groomed & easy to steep with moguls. The best part is that all the runs are long! In 1995, the Goat's Eye ski area was opened which almost doubled the amount of ski-able terrain at Sunshine. In this new section, the runs are steeper but never crowded.
I love Sunshine Village, right from the first gondola ride that whisks people up to the skier's village to the end of the 3.8 kilometer ski-out Trail (a real leg-burner so taking the gondola is an alternative). The snow is always good in the winter and the mountain views from the Continental Divide Express chair are spectacular.
Skiing and snowboarding in Canada can be cold. The snow is great below -7 C (the skiis carve and chatter when coming to a stop) but skiing in colder temperatures requires extra layers & determination! The worst part is going up the chairlifts heading into the wind.
Nakiska is located off the beaten path in Kananaskis Provincial Park, about 30 minutes from Canmore. It hosted the downhill alpine events for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics and hasn't changed much since.
Nakiska is never crowded because it tends to be overshadowed by Sunshine & Lake Louise.
Personally, I've found Nakiska to have icy conditions throughout the year. It faces east and is exposed to the sun until mid-afternoon so I think this causes soft snow to form an icy crust. The tiny snow crystals from the extensive snow-making capability may also contribute to the icy conditions.
The views are pretty in the Front Ranges but not as dramatic as the rocky peaks near the other resorts. Also, Albertans mandated that Kananaskis Provincial Park not be developed and the amenities are limited. The one hotel is nice (the G8 summit was held here) but the choice of restaurants is small. The closest night-life can be found 30 minutes away in Canmore.
There's something about the Canadian Rocky Mountains that gets to your heart. The scenic and uncrowded beauty always creates lasting memories... and that's before you hit the slopes!
Lake Louise Ski Resort offers big runs and lots of ski-able terrain. You have the choice of skiing on 3 faces which have different views, snow and grade. The front side is the biggest and has awesome views of the valley. On the other side is the frozen, majestic Lake Louise. The snow is great on this side except in the spring when the lower portion becomes slushy from the warm sun. In winter, it can get a bit windy but you can always escape to the back side.
The Ptarmigan/Paradise Back Bowls is a quiet, snowy area that has long runs blue and black runs. If leg-busting moguls are your thing, you'll love the extended run Paradise Chair. Needless to say, this run is never crowded.
The Larch area is my favourite ski area. Located in the shadow of the Lipalian Mountain, the snow is always deep and soft and rarely icy. The views are unbelievable and the silence is tremendous. You have to experience it to believe it!
Surviving the slopes means resting and relaxing at the end of the ski-day. Our favourite activity was to soak in the Sulphur Hot Springs just south of the town of Banff, near the base of the gondola. The heat from the hot mineral water soaked into the sore muscles and tired bones.
Check out my other posts on skiing at Castle Mountain, Mount Norquay, and other things to do in Alberta.


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Auf dem Horizontalast des Hertzsprung-Russell-Diagramms befinden sich metallarme Sterne mittlerer Masse im Zustand des stabilen Heliumbrennens und des Wasserstoffschalenbrennen nach dem ersten Heliumblitz. Der Horizontalast erscheint ausgeprägt in den HR-Diagrammen von Kugelsternhaufen und bildet die stellare Entwicklungsphase nach der Entwicklung entlang des Roten Riesenastes ab. Der Begriff Horizontalast bezieht sich auf die annähernd horizontale Ausrichtung im Hertzsprung-Russell-Diagramm.

Entwicklung

Nachdem ein Stern auf der Hauptreihe beim zentralen Wasserstoffbrennen den Wasserstoff in seinem Kern verbraucht hat, wandert die Zone des Wasserstoffbrennens schalenförmig nach außen. Darauf reagiert der Stern mit einer Expansion seiner Atmosphäre und einer Absenkung der Oberflächentemperatur. Im Hertzsprung-Russell-Diagramm wandert der Stern den Roten Riesenast hinauf. Der Kern des Sterns besteht überwiegend aus Helium und kann sich mangels thermonuklearer Reaktionen nur durch weitere Kontraktion stabilisieren. Verfügt der Stern über eine Masse zwischen 0,5 und 2,2 Sonnenmassen so steigen Temperatur und Druck soweit an, dass es zu einem Heliumblitz kommt, einem explosionsartigen Zünden des Heliumbrennens im Kern. Das darauf folgende stabile Heliumbrennen erzeugt weitere Energie und der Stern kontrahiert in der Folge. Das neue Gleichgewicht liegt bei einer Leuchtkraft von dem hundertfachen der Sonne. Die Temperatur des Sterns auf dem Horizontalast ist abhängig von dem Massenverlust während der Rote-Riese-Phase. Wenn auch das Helium im Kern erschöpft ist wandert der Stern zurück nach rechts im HR-Diagramm in Richtung des asymptotischen Riesenastes.

RR-Lyrae-Sterne
An jener Stelle, an welcher der Instabilitätsstreifen den Horizontalast kreuzt, befinden sich die RR-Lyrae-Sterne. Dies sind radial pulsierende Veränderliche mit Perioden zwischen 0,2 und 1,2 Tagen. Im Hertzsprung-Russell-Diagramm eines Sternsystems werden diese Sterne häufig nicht eingezeichnet, wodurch scheinbar eine RR-Lyrae-Lücke entsteht. Meistens liegen nicht genügend Daten vor, um den Mittelwert der Helligkeit und des Spektrums zu ermitteln, weshalb diese Veränderlichen nicht aufgenommen werden. Aus der Änderung der Perioden dieser Veränderlichen ist versucht worden, die Entwicklung entlang des Horizontalastes zu beobachten. Bei einer Kontraktion des Durchmessers sollte der Stern nach rechts in den Bereich der höheren Temperaturen wandern und sich dabei die Pulsationsperiode verkürzen. Aber die Schwingungen dieser Sterne sind mit einer Art weißem Rauschen überlagert, sodass noch kein Nachweis über die Entwicklungsgeschwindigkeit der Sterne in dieser Entwicklungsphase vorliegt.

Extreme Horizontalast-Sterne
Die extremen Horizontalast-Sterne sind eine kleine Gruppe von Sternen in einigen Kugelsternhaufen mit Oberflächentemperaturen von bis zu 30.000 K. Sie befinden sich im HR-Diagramm ungefähr in der Mitte zwischen den Weißen Zwergen und den frühen Hauptreihensternen. Zwischen den extremen Horizontalast-Sternen und den normalen blauen Sternen auf dem Horizontalast liegt eine Lücke mit einer Temperaturdifferenz von 10.000 K, innerhalb der keine Sterne beobachtet werden. Als Ursache wird vermutet, dass die extremen Horizontalast-Sterne einen um 15 Prozent höheren Gehalt an Helium aufweisen. Daneben gehören einige der Sterne des extremen Horizontalastes zu den Blauen Unterzwergen mit den Spektraltypen sdB und sdO. Sie entstehen überwiegend durch einen Massentransfer in einem Doppelsternsystem während ein Stern in der Phase eines Roten Riesen ist. Dadurch wird der Kern des Sterns freigelegt und erscheint als ein leuchtkräftiger blauer Stern mit ungewöhnlich kleinem Radius, ein Blauer Unterzwerg.

Das Zweiter-Parameter-Problem
Die Lage des Horizontalastes in Form der Ausdehnung nach links im Hertzsprung-Russell-Diagramm sowie der Leuchtkraft der Sterne und der Steigung des Horizontalastes wird im Wesentlichen von der Metallizität der Sterne bestimmt. Neben dem Metallgehalt der Sterne gibt es noch wenigstens einen weiteren Parameter, der die Lage des Horizontalastes mitbestimmt, da bei Kugelsternhaufen und Zwerggalaxien mit identischer Metallizität die Horizontaläste voneinander abweichen. Es gibt zahlreiche Hypothesen welcher zweite Parameter dafür verantwortlich ist:
 das Alter des Kugelsternhaufens und damit die Masse der Sterne auf dem Horizontalast
 die mittlere Rotationsgeschwindigkeit und die daraus resultierende Durchmischung der Sterne
 die Gesamtmasse des Kugelsternhaufens
 die Konzentration des Kugelsternhaufens
 der Anteil des Heliums in der Atmosphäre der Sterne
 die Dichte im Kern der Sterne
 der Massenverlust in der vorherigen Rote-Riese-Phase durch Sternwind

Roter Klumpen
Bei metallreichen Sternhaufen kann kein Horizontalast beobachtet werden. Dies ist sowohl eine Folge des höheren Metallgehalts als auch des geringen Alters von Sternen der Population I auf dem Roten Riesenast, weshalb sie momentan über eine höhere Masse verfügen als die Population II-Sterne in der Milchstraße. Daher wandern die Sterne nach dem Zünden des zentralen Heliumbrennens nur bis zu einem Spektraltyp G8 III. Im Hertzsprung-Russell-Diagramm wird die dadurch entstehende Struktur als roter Klumpen (engl. ) bezeichnet, da der Rote Riesenast im HR-Diagramm eine kleine Ausbeulung zeigt. Die  absolute visuelle Helligkeit der Sterne des roten Klumpen beträgt +1 für den Spektraltyp K2 III und steigt nur geringfügig auf +0,7 für den Spektraltyp G8 III mit einer geringen Abhängigkeit von der Metallizität. Wegen dieser Helligkeit-Farbe-Beziehung werden die Sterne des Roten Klumpen auch als Entfernungsindikatoren benutzt.

Doppelte Horizontaläste
Bei einigen metallreichen blauen Kugelsternhaufen wie NGC 6440 und NGC 6569 zeigen photometrische Beobachtungen, dass der Horizontalast bei diesen Sternassoziationen aus zwei getrennten Horizontalästen besteht, die über eine geringfügig unterschiedliche Helligkeit verfügen. Da bereits gespaltene Hauptreihen bei Kugelsternhaufen bekannt sind könnten auch die doppelten Horizontaläste eine Folge von zwei unterschiedlichen Populationen und Metallizitäten sein. Demnach stellte die eine Population das Originalmaterial von der Entstehung der Sternhaufen da, während die zweite Generation aus der Asche der massereichen Sternen der ersten Generation und noch vorhandenen Gasresten einige Millionen Jahre später hervorgegangen ist. Alternativ könnten die zwei Populationen auch über einen geringfügig unterschiedlichen Heliumgehalt von einigen Prozent verfügen oder einen Altersunterschied von circa einer Milliarde Jahre haben.

Einzelnachweise

Stellarphysik
Beobachtende Astronomie

cs:Hertzsprungův-Russellův diagram#Horizontální větev


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You can change ListView Background color through XML eg. android:background="#00FFFF"


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POSITIVE NEWS FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Ducks to face discipline for 'no means no' chant
by Katrina Aman | Jan 3, 2015 | COMMUNITY, NEWS | 0 comments
https://oregonoptimist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/NoMeansNoDuckChant.mp4
University of Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said several players will be disciplined internally after they appeared to mock sexual assault allegations made against Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston.
Moments after Oregon defeated Florida State 59-20 in the College Football Playoff national semifinal, a video posted by Bear Heiser of Fox Sports West showed multiple players chanting "No means no," to the tune of the "Warchant" used by Florida fans.
"We are aware of the inappropriate behavior in the postgame," Helfrich said in a statement released by the Ducks on Thursday night. "This is not what our program stands for, and the student-athletes will be disciplined internally."
The short video, uploaded to Vine by Bear Heiser of Fox Sports West, quickly drew strong reactions. Sophomore linebacker Torrodney Prevot and and redshirt freshman Kani Benoit are both seen doing the chant, along with a third player wearing a "WON NOT DONE" T-shirt over his game jersey.
Heiser said the video was taken on the field as players celebrated but he shared a longer, 27-second video with the Associated Press that showed the chant began somewhere off camera. The players in the shorter video, as well as wide reciever Chance Allen, joined in.
The Oregonian posted another video that showed a number of other players chanting.
Winston was never charged after a woman accused him of raping her in 2012. This case has gone through proceedings, with Winston recently cleared of violating Florida State's student code of conduct.
While the sight of the players taunting Winston was jarring, it was hardly shocking Winston in light of considerable resume of trouble. In addition to the very serious allegation of rape, he stole soda from a Burger King and crab legs from a Publix. He was handcuffed for possession of a BB gun and he screamed vulgarity while standing on a table in the FSU student union.
USA Today sports columnist, Christine Brennan, sees a positive aspect in this public display. "The Oregon players will be criticized in the national media, and perhaps we'll hear from them in the coming days, but in the meantime, we should be pleased that they actually know the meaning and impact of the 'no means no,' phrase," she said. "In their own way, [they] shined a light on a famous man accused of rape."
Katrina Aman
Katrina Aman is an aspiring journalist who desires to be a person of positive influence. Particularly passionate about poverty alleviation and civil rights, she hopes her writing takes her where she can improve lives.
Eight-year-old Indiana boy takes initiative to save turtles crossing the road
Canadian woman wards off cougar with Metallica—gets call from James Hetfield
Rosie the Riveters recall WWII days at Flex Studios summer dance camp
Five-year-old girl rescued from Dublin beach by vacationing Virginians
Woman saves her twins after starting the abortion process
Project of OREGON RIGHT TO LIFE Copyright © 2015-2017


This silly 1980s ABC sitcom was Tom Hanks' first break, and it's still close to his heart. Hanks was just 21 when he and Peter Scolari starred as young New York ad men who move into a hotel for women after their apartment building is condemned. To fit in, they dress in drag. Hanks is Kip Wilson/Buffy, Scolari is Henry Desmond/Hildegard in an endearing comedy classic. With Donna Dixon, Holland Taylor, Telma Hopkins, and Wendie Jo Sperber. 37 episodes, 15 ½ hrs, 6 DVDs, CC.


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text:
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Expanding to Say "Yes": The Ongoing Work of The Citizens Foundation in Pakistan (Part 2 of 2) →
Expanding to Say "Yes": The Ongoing Work of The Citizens Foundation in Pakistan (Part 1 of 2)
Posted on May 1, 2019 by internationalednews | Leave a comment
This week, we share part 1 of a 2-part post on the organization, TCF.
An "Over-Ambitious Goal"
In the early 1990's, Karachi, Pakistan faced many problems. These issues included high levels of political violence and instability. Aiming to identify and combat these problems, six friends from Karachi joined together and asked "what can we as citizens do to make things better?" They were engineers, architects, and business people who felt frustrated and wanted to discuss systemic answers to Pakistan's largest struggles. In these discussions, they made lists of a wide-range of problems. Ultimately, though, they determined that education sat at the root of every issue they identified. Schools in Pakistan faced their own issues, ranging from ghost schools to out of school children or routinely absent teachers. Changing schools, and working to change Pakistan on a large scale would be a monumental task, but, from the start, the founders wanted to set an "impossible target." "If the goal is large enough and big enough," they said, "that's really something that people should take seriously."
With that sentiment, the six friends launched The Citizens Foundation (TCF) in 1995 and immediately set a goal of building 1000 schools in Pakistan. Despite what one described as this "over-ambitious" objective, TCF began methodically, opening five schools. Communities met the schools warmly and attendance and test schools demonstrated early success, which led to recognition and additional funding that enabled TCF to expand across Pakistan. In more than 20 years, TCF has expanded to over 1,500 schools. They have also developed new approaches to developing educational opportunities and moved from a privately funded organization to, in 2016, co-funding and operating government schools at scale in Pakistan.
TCF opened its first 5 schools in 1996, which the 6 founders funded with their own money. In building these schools, TCF directly aimed to serve out-of-school children. Out-of-school youth have been and remain one of the largest issues for Pakistan's education system, with the country still facing the second largest population of out-of-school children in the world. Over decades, the Pakistani government has expanded one- and two-room schools to reach these students, but those schools struggle to deliver quality education. Rather than compete with these government schools, TCF chose to build spacious, purpose-built schools in neighborhoods where no other schooling options existed.
TCF identified areas in Karachi with a large number of out-of-school children and constructed school buildings directly in those neighborhoods. Though many of these neighborhoods had limited electricity, water, and sanitation, TCF did not want to build "poor schools for poor children." Building on the background and expertise of one of the founders who was an architect, the organization had the ambition to build schools that would become recognizable landmarks in the community. Nadia Naviwala, an advisor to TCF today, describes these designs as taking into account "what a child feels like when they walk into a space. The architects wanted the children to feel that the schools were made for them." Early buildings were designed to encourage families to enroll their children in school and to support their continued attendance. The choice to build schools in these neighborhoods, for instance, was later corroborated by research from Harvard LEAPS studies that found children, especially girls, are more likely to attend school if it is walking distance from home. Similarly, TCF found early on that a number of factors, including an all-female staff, can increase girls enrollment in schools. These early lessons also led to figuring ways of recruiting and retaining an all-female staff. For instance, TCF provided transportation to teachers. TCF still employs an entirely female staff in their schools today. Though their schools are co-educational, the female-only staff has helped increase the number of girls in TCF schools and many of their schools have achieved gender parity. In contrast, by 6th grade, nearly 60% of girls are out of school in Pakistan. Crucially, according to Naviwala, the cost per pupil hovers around $12 per month, with parents making nominal, pay-as-you-can-afford contributions of $1 per month on average and as little as 10 cents for all children in the family.
Soon after opening the initial 5 schools, word spread. People from neighboring areas of Karachi began approaching the founders and asking them to build schools in new areas. Through private funding from individuals, TCF expanded, into neighboring areas in Karachi, and, by 1998, to Punjab as well. Around this time, TCF also opened their first secondary school. These new schools followed the same design principles as the first TCF schools, serving as landmarks in their community, keeping class size small, and holding down costs.
Part of the organization's expansion in the 1990's included a greater focus on securing funding internationally. They began by establishing fund-raising chapters in the United Arab Emirates and the UK and have since expanded to a number of other countries including Switzerland and Australia. These chapters helped raise funds for the organization, funds that allowed for constructing new schools and supporting students in multiple provinces in Pakistan. The vision of 1000 no longer seemed overly ambitious.
Expanding Focus
As TCF continued their growth, the organization emerged as a recognizable presence in Pakistan and within the development world. In 2003, the first cohort of students from TCF schools, what TCF calls "Agents of Positive Change," graduated. TCF also continued expanding, opening in new areas of the country such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the Taliban has attacked girls' schools and gunmen shot Malala Yusufzai. These schools followed the initial model TCF developed, including schools built in communities, a focus on out-of-school children, and gender parity. But TCF also began to place even more emphasis on providing pre-service and in-service education for teachers. Simultaneously, TCF developed new programs, including summer camp programs and an adult literacy program for women. These developments reflected the organization's growth and observed needs within schools and communities.
Then, in 2009, TCF made central leadership changes. The new CEO, Syed Asaad Ayub Ahmad, a longtime supporter of TCF's work, previously worked for Shell. Though initially only wanting to give money to the organization, he ended up taking on the leadership role and inheriting over 500 schools. As the new CEO took over, reaching the initial goal of 1000 schools was certainly on the horizon, but he noticed that not much was known about each school. From these observations a new question emerged. How would TCF scale their work while ensuring quality education in each school? "It was a daunting challenge to take up but we decided to not compromise on the quality of education. We were committed to our core values to reach out to more remote locations in an effort to make education accessible to more out of school children," said Asaad.
Animated by this concern, TCF made a renewed commitment to focusing on quality as well as quantity. After an external evaluation from the Aga Khan Foundation, they developed a series of year-to-year exams to assess school quality and set goals for each school. Over time this became a Whole School Index that analyzes and grades every school in the TCF system. The grade is a composite of four interrelated aspects. First, TCF developed a new method for assessing teachers. Teachers take yearly content-based tests in the subject they teach. It is worth noting that in the last four years TCF has seen teacher competency rise by over 20%. Second and relatedly, they developed an assessment for principals in which a member of the head office conducts in-school visits and rates the principal on a rubric based on her leadership abilities (focusing specifically on capacity, achievement, relationships, and passion). Both the school leader assessment and teacher evaluations are linked to salary bonuses. Third, TCF began focusing on student outcomes using an external evaluation (they use an internal exam as well, but it does not contribute to the index). Fourth and finally, they started tracking enrollment more systematically, considering the percentage of available seats in a school that are filled. Again, the composite of these factors, each weighted differently, leads to each school's grade and contributes to goal setting.
Beyond assessment, TCF developed its own curriculum and provided teachers with structured lesson plans. Over time, though, teachers have developed more freedom and flexibility. Additionally, the organization shifted its in-service professional development to leveraging digital tools in teacher training. Rather than traveling to visit other schools, teachers now gather in a room with training videos focused on areas where tests and observation identify they are struggling. School principals lead the trainings. This move to digitization was complicated by most TCF schools not having electricity. They circumvented the problem by installing an LCD television backed up with battery power and with preloaded videos on a USB. The investment in approaching professional development in this way allowed TCF to centrally create resources and share them more readily than if facilitators had to travel to each school site. Developments like these became possible as the head office grew and developed the capacity to create and develop and disseminate products across schools. Recognizing that women in rural areas increasingly have smartphones, TCF has set up a service on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and SMS so that teachers can simply send text messages with questions or issues with their content area and receive a video in response automatically. "Training our teachers is critical in providing quality education at TCF schools. For the first time, TCF has leveraged technology to conduct more effective training," said Riaz Kamlani, VP Outcomes.
The growing capacity of TCF also enabled them to develop their own textbooks. Naviwala sees this development as crucial to figuring out a language policy that in turn was central to improving school quality. With their own textbooks developed by content area specialists, TCF no longer had to rely on a mix of government textbooks in Urdu supplemented by Oxford University books in English. Furthermore, they could make Urdu their central medium of instruction in Urdu. TCF is now moving to mother tongue, with an in-house research team, led by an Acumen Fellow, that is exploring how to develop a curriculum that moves a child from her mother tongue (Dhatki) to the regional language (Sindhi) to the national language (Urdu) and finally to English.
Along with these shifts, TCF continued expanding, even opening its first "college" for the equivalent of 11th and 12th grades, aimed at increasing the numbers of TCF graduates who make it into top-tier universities. TCF became even more recognizable on the international stage with recognition from the Clinton Global Initiative, Skoll Foundation, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, UN Girls Education Initiative, and UNESCO. Throughout their work, TCF maintained a general focus on the same issues and the same broad approach to the problem: private funding and expanding its model. They kept expanding, but said 'no' many times along the way as they continued on the same trajectory. That is, even as they expanded, they were routinely approached by government and private donors with related opportunities to expand in new directions. Hoping to stay focused on their initial objectives, they initially maintained a policy of saying no to these opportunities.
The organization also wishes to share a call to action: You can help change a life by educating the less privileged children in Pakistan and give them a chance to become moderate, enlightened and productive members of the society. Please follow this link to donate: https://link.tcf.org.pk/2vtwngN
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This year was so lucky, happy and wonderful for me! I met so many good people here in MyEC!
I am sorry if I late too much with my photo.. I was in doubt what photo choose for "Wordless Wednesday", at least I took this one..
What makes you more lively?
After reading my post, put down your smartphone, your tablet, your laptop.
OK so what do you actually want to accomplish? Believe it or not, some people actually don't stop to think about the answer to this question before they start on their epic quest for customer service. Well, it depends on what YOU want. Would you simply like an apology, cash refund, or credit for link services?
Some Passing MyEC Memories of 2017 - Which Are Your Favorite Ones?
I was surfing around, looking for New Year images for greetings and an idea came to mind. As days, weeks, months passes by, they leave behind memories in our minds and hearts - Some of them pleasant, others not so pleasant - Let us memorize the pleasant moments.
The title of this blog is a famous proverb in India. I would like to share my view on this first.
I would like to hear your view on this proverb.
I used to run away and hide. It didn't matter where I hide, you would always find me sooner than what I've expected. Why did I run? I was just scared. Why was I scared? People scared me, bonds scared me. They still do.
You found me every time and one day you hugged me and told me to never hide again, that I could find shelter in your arms.
Remember when you had to memorize that LONG poem, then stand in front of everyone to recite? How about when you had to say parts of the multiplication table to prove you had learned it? Scary stuff, and most of us that went through it were not pleased at the time. Educators in many areas have replaced that rote memory work with more interactive forms of learning.


In late 1963, I was working a go-nowhere job for an airport shipping firm when I got an important phone call from George Trow, the night managing editor of the New York Post, telling me that the copyboy's position I'd applied for was available.
Was I still interested, he inquired.
"When should I report," I asked. Easy answer, my having been raised in a newspaper-reading family and believing that newspaper reporters and editors were important people.
Thus, a career began in those hazy distant days.
And oh yes, Mr. Trow said as he cleared his throat, the shift began at 1 a.m., and the pay was $48 a week. I was getting $65 at the airport. I took the job at the Post. One a.m.? $48? My father was aghast.
This was two months after the JFK assassination. The work at the Post was menial: I re-filled paste pots, I took coffee and sandwich orders from the night staff, I kept the reporters well-supplied with copy paper for their stories and the copy editors well-supplied with sharp pencils to edit stories and write headlines. I ran galley proofs and page proofs back and forth between the composing room and the copy desk.
Menial yes, but, it turned out, the start of a 42-year adventure. I worked for several dailies. At each of them we delivered to readers the information they needed, the scores of the sports events they had bet on, the features they enjoyed, some columnists they admired and others they loathed.
In my newspaper decades I covered some presidential campaigns. I wrote a great deal about transportation. Late in career, I got a general column. I interviewed the great Cesar Chavez. I went to Normandy for the 50th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.
Once, I found myself sitting across from Ray Charles who was in town to publicize a singing jingle promoting a new game in the New Jersey Lottery. Charles looked miserable and I had no idea what to ask this genius now reduced to singing commercials late in his career. I filed four dull paragraphs; it was enough.
There were thousands of other stories about politics, about people with interesting careers, about crime. I even found the abandoned creamery in the Catskills where Patricia Hearst spent a year in hiding.
Nowadays the voice in the Oval Office refers to what he has determined to be "Fake News," which, if I understand it, means any news our Fake President doesn't care for. An example: He really doesn't like to be reminded that he drew nearly 3 million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton in last year's election.
In addition to slandering the press as a purveyor of "fake news," Trump maligns the entire news industry by labeling the press "enemies of the American people," which is a lie.
The need for a vibrant First Amendment has become more and more apparent in the months since Trump took office. Perhaps more than ever it has become clear that our democracy's survival depends on a free and unfettered press.
A lot of people have fought to defend the United States Constitution. The Fake President was not one of them.
Would Trump dismiss Jefferson as a fake revolutionary? After all, it was Jefferson who uttered the familiar line that if forced to choose between government without newspapers or newspapers without a government he would prefer the latter.
C'mon, admit it. You've jumped on the bandwagon for the latest health "super food." Well, super spice.
If you haven't yet discovered it, turmeric is a major ingredient in curry. It also makes mustard yellow. It also is believed to have benefits in fighting several chronic debilitating diseases including Alzheimer's, arthritis and even cancer. It's also supposed to be a mood enhancer. Side effects appear to be minimal. It can be ingested in tea, via tablet supplements, cream and, of course, in Indian food.
I added it to my daily regimen of B's, D, aspirin and cod fish oil a couple of weeks ago. That regimen, along with a health-conscious diet and exercise, I can honestly say has helped keep me in relatively good health, especially for a guy who has recently been banged up in an auto accident. (Not my fault and I'm doing fine.) I do believe the diet and supplements are a main reason for my (usually) not looking, feeling or acting my age, which is several years older than the man who likes to remind us that he's the president and we are not.
Volumes have already been written about the emotional health of Donald Trump, our narcissist-in-chief (NIC), and many more are sure to come. Frankly, I don't care anymore. Everything about him is not normal and I refuse to normalize it. But I do wonder about his physical health.
How does someone with great wealth and access, literally, to any food, treatment, fitness coach or exercise regimen that would keep him fit and healthy for many years to come and allow him to continue to enjoy the fruits of his ill-gotten gains well into his nineties — a man also obviously obsessed with his appearance — how does he allow himself to become a belly-hanging, fried-chicken-eating, two-scoops-of-ice-cream guy who had to excuse himself from an event on his diplomatic trip to Saudi Arabia because of "exhaustion"?
Makes me wonder if maybe all those short speeches and quick, in-and-out visits to museums and sites of special interest aren't only because of a short attention span. Maybe he gets tired quickly. Not that we'd ever know. In fact, we know remarkably little about the health of the man who, at 70, was the oldest ever first-time elected president.
The most recent "update," as it were, from Dr. Harold Bornstein, who says he has been Trump's personal doctor for 36 years, came in an interview with the New York Times in February. He told The Times that Trump undergoes regular physical checkups, gets all the important tests and takes a statin to keep his cholesterol and lipid levels at a healthy rate.
Bornstein, who could fairly be called a character, said Trump is healthy, while alternating between telling The Times that Trump's health is "none of your business" (which is not true, since he is the president) and volunteering that he takes a prostate drug that promotes hair growth. Well, at least we know what's important healthwise to the NIC.
Nice to know the doctor is in touch with his Taoist side. But really, who's looking after Trump's health on a daily basis? If he's like most men in their 70's (I'm going to generalize here) he's inclined to skip doing some healthy stuff and do some not-so-healthy stuff instead. I don't think it's sexist to suggest that a lot of older men sometimes depend on someone else, usually a woman, to remind them about taking vitamins, or medicine or exercising or going easy on the dessert or getting enough sleep, etc. I'm speaking from my own experience here, not lecturing.
What we do know about Trump is that, while he's at the White House, his wife, Melania, spends the week in New York City with their young son. Also, she doesn't like to hold hands with him when they're together. We know he watches a lot of TV and gets up early in the morning to tweet angrily about whatever bothers him — and apparently it's a lot. Does he go to bed early? Don't know. We know he likes chocolate cake and Big Macs and french fries and well-done steak with ketchup on the side. Exercise? Well, there is that golf every weekend.
Let me say here that, like a lot of other Americans, I haven't spent a lot of time worrying about the good health of the NIC. Rather, I'm curious about who is and wondering why the man himself doesn't seem to care much. Maybe he thinks he's perfect just the way he is. Or maybe no one dares to mention that he could use to lose a few pounds and maybe even take some turmeric to improve his mood. Skip all that TV and read a book before bed.
Benjamin Franklin said, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." One out of three is good only in baseball, Mr. NIC. We know, because you told us, that you were surprised to discover how hard the job of being president is. It can be emotionally and physically demanding. Everyone wants something from you and no matter what you do, someone is unhappy. It could be exhausting even for someone who's not going to be 71 in two weeks, as you are.
Look, it's up to you, but I think I speak for a lot of Americans in saying if the demands of the job are taking a toll on you physically, no one would think less of you if you said you were stepping down for the good of the country to spend more time with your young son and young wife. Actually, it's a very patriotic thing to do. Ask John Boehner.
Me, I'm going to stick with the turmeric and hope it improves my mood.
Donald Trump and his coterie believe that election is tantamount to gaining unquestioned authority in matters of insult, truth and apology.
You may believe that begging someone's pardon after intended or unintended insult might make the world a little more civil, maybe even a little safer, but Donald Trump seems to hold no such belief.
So far, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has appointed no special prosecutor, which could indicate that Clinton is not quite as wicked as Trump would have you believe.
He's apparently unaware that in America when you charge someone with a crime you're supposed to have evidence.
Someone else operating from the Trump Handbook of Practical Politics is Jeff Sessions, who stepped into a Ringling Bros. bucket when he declared recently that the state of Hawaii is little more than a banana republic – seven insignificant islands floating out there on the briny.
Reacting to an unfavorable ruling by District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu, Sessions told an interviewer: "I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the President of the United States from what appears to be his statutory and Constitutional power." Such judicial orders are precisely what make America unique, far different from a lot of countries.
At issue before Watson was Trump's signing an executive order barring travelers from Muslim dominant countries from entering the United States – the so-called travel ban. Watson didn't think it passed Constitutional muster.
If so, Americans must be "amazed" to learn that their attorney general is "amazed" at what the judges of a great nation do. That is, they interpret the law.
Sessions attributed the hubbub over his island jest to Americans having a lousy sense of humor. Get it? He was just kidding around with those 1.5 million unappreciative Hawaiians, not to mention the rest of us.
Incidentally, yes Watson was appointed by President Obama.
And yes, the Senate vote to confirm him was 94-0.
And yes, one of those yea votes was cast by Jeff Sessions, a senator at the time.
Here's a handy guide to a few older incidents that beg for apology but have received no such thing.
— "I watched in Jersey City New Jersey where thousands and thousands of people [Muslims] were cheering as that building [the World Trade Center] was coming down," Trump said about 9/11. Apparently he was the only person to witness such cheering.
— Trump said he doubted he could get a fair trial in a case to be heard by Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel since Trump was calling for a wall to prevent Mexicans from crossing the border to reach the U.S. and Curiel had that Mexican sounding surname. Therefore, Trump's reasoning went, he could not expect a fair shake from Curiel, except that Curiel is not Mexican but a U.S. citizen born in East Chicago, Indiana, the son of U.S. citizens.
— Trump charged outrageously that President Obama's people tapped some of Trump's phones during the campaign for Hillary Clinton's benefit.


text:
Method, system, and apparatus for a document camera based book scanner and reading machine with an automatic page turner
Disclosed is a portable scanner for digitizing books. The scanner has a first leaf and a second leaf joined to each other at a hinge. A first support member is attached to the first leaf and a second support member is attached to the second leaf. The support members maintain the first leaf at an angle of less than ninety degrees relative to a surface supporting the first leaf. At least one scanning mechanism is connected to one of the first or second leafs. A page turning mechanism flips each page of a book to be scanned and maintain each page in a secure position.
Shen, Ji (San Diego, CA, US)
Pathway Innovations and Technologies, Inc. (San Diego, CA, US)
H04N1/04; H04N1/195; H04N1/40
20120290304 Electronic Holder for Reading Books 2012-11-15 Al-Hasan 704/260
20110267661 BOOK SCANNING DEVICE 2011-11-03 Hayes et al. 358/474
20100296138 APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE CONTENT OF A BOOK 2010-11-25 Jakes et al. 358/494
20030063335 Automatic book page turner for imaging 2003-04-03 Mandel et al. 358/498
6459505 Bound document imager 2002-10-01 Swartz et al. 358/471
DIABY, MOUSTAPHA
Insigne LLP (attn: Trevor Coddington, Esq. 701 Palomar Airport Road Suite 230, Carlsbad, CA, 92011, US)
Parent Case Data:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to and claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/540,189 filed on Sep. 28, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated fully herein by reference.
1. A portable scanner for digitizing books comprising: a handheld and sealable binder case for supporting a book in an open position, the binder case comprising a first leaf and a second leaf joined to each other at a hinge; a first support member attached to the first leaf and a second support member attached to the second leaf, the support members configured to maintain the first leaf at an angle less than ninety degrees relative to a surface supporting the first leaf; at least one scanning device within an arm that is connected directly to one of the first or second leafs, the arm retractable to a position inside the binder case when the binder case is fully closed; and a page turning device configured to flip each page of a book to be scanned and maintain each page in a secure position.
2. A portable book scanner as recited in claim 1 further comprising a second scanning device connected to one of the first or second leafs.
3. A portable book scanner as recited in claim 1 further comprising a preview screen.
4. A portable book scanner as recited in claim 1 further comprising a first book press leaf.
5. A portable book scanner as recited in claim 4 further comprising a second book press leaf.
6. A portable book scanner as recited in claim 5 wherein the book press leafs are pivotable to allow for page turning.
7. A portable book scanner as recited in claim 1 further comprising a processor for optical character recognition.
8. A portable book scanner as recited in claim 7 further comprising a sound generating device for audibly reciting the contents of the book to be scanned.
9. An apparatus for capturing book and media images comprising: a handheld and sealable binder case for supporting a book in an open position; an imager comprising an arm within the binder case and a lens within an end of the arm; and a page flipping apparatus for automated turning or movement of pages or components, the page flipping apparatus comprising a rocking arm, the rocking arm comprising a vacuum arm and at least one roller arm, wherein the arm within the binder case is retractable to a position inside the binder case when the binder case is fully closed.
10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein the vacuum arm is configured to rotate three hundred and sixty degrees.
11. An apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a movement means comprising an air pump exhaust port, the exhaust port being in the binder case.
12. An apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a processor for scanning images obtained via the imager, the processor configured for scanning, digitization, optical character recognition.
13. An apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a speaker system for audible output of the content of the captured images.
14. An apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an image preview means.
15. An apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a connecting port for configuration with peripheral devices, components and machines.
16. An apparatus for capturing book and media images as recited in claim 9 further comprising a means for supporting a book in an open position.
17. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the imager arm is extendible.
18. An apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a second arm within the binder case and a second lens on an end of the second arm.
The present subject matter relates to book scanning, digitization and machine-assisted reading.
Book scanning is the process of converting physical books into digital media such as images, electronic text, or electronic books (e-books) by using an image scanner. Digital books can be easily distributed, reproduced, and read on-screen. There have been a myriad of image and book scanners. However, they are typically very space inefficient, complex, and expensive.
In an ordinary commercial image scanner, the book is placed on a flat glass plate (or platen), and a light and optical array moves across the book underneath the glass. Alternatively, the binding is cut off or the pages are converted to loose leaf sheets, and the pages may then be fed into a feeder for automated processing. However, this is destructive to the book, requires additional processing, and can be time consuming, especially to re-bind or gather the pages into book format. Obviously, for some books, such potentially destructive methods are not possible and certainly not desired for most books or volumes.
In manual book scanners, the glass plate extends to the edge of the scanner, making it easier to line up the book's spine. Other book scanners place the book face up in a v-shaped frame, and photograph the pages from above. The pages must be turned by hand or by automated paper transport devices. Glass or plastic sheets are usually pressed against the page to flatten it. These book scanners are large, cumbersome and not appropriate for personal use.
Scanning at low resolution, for example 300 dpi, is adequate for conversion to digital text output, but for archival reproduction of rare, elaborate or illustrated books, much higher resolution is necessary. Currently, high-end scanners capable of thousands of pages per hour can cost thousands of dollars, but do-it-yourself (DIY), manual book scanners capable of 1200 pages per hour can be built for hundreds of dollars.
However, none of these scanners combine high resolution, high speed processing in a small footprint device at a reasonable cost for personal use. Additionally, DIY scanners, and even higher end scanners, rely on regular digital cameras to take images of the book pages.
Furthermore, regarding automating of the scanning, page turning is typically complex and error prone. Often, robotic arms are used to effect page turning, necessarily increasing the size and cost of the device. The available devices are not suitable or even optimized for personal use.
There is certainly a need for a personal use book digitizing device. With the prolific use of tablet computing devices like the iPad® and Android® devices, it would be desirable for people to digitize their personal book collections into electronic books and read what they own on the go.
Additionally, automatic page turning is important in order for people to really scan or read a book without the laborious effort to turn every page to effect scanning.
True "reading" of a paper book electronically, i.e. the book being first intelligently recognized by a computer, and then read out loud with audible sound benefits many. At least the blind, visually impaired, and other people who prefer audible books desire such technology. Children or other people who are unable to read books themselves due to disability or time constraints also benefit.
After scanning, software adjusts the document images by lining the images up, cropping the images, picture-editing the images, and converting the document images to text and final e-book form. Human proofreaders usually check the output for errors. Even after capturing the pages, typical Visually Impaired Products (VIP) are normally very bulky and only serve to increase the overall size and cost of the device. Thus, an improved form of book scanning, digitization and machine-assisted reading is desired.
The instant subject matter provides a solution to cumbersome, generic and commercial-only book and media digitization products. The subject matter may incorporate a highly compact, CMOS or CCD based document imaging device, with two cameras, each capturing one page of a book opened on each side on a V-shaped stand. The device may be connected via a high speed data port, for example USB or firewire, etc., to a computing device. Optionally, the device may be integrated with a tablet computing device. A vacuum suction picker mechanism may be employed to automate and automatically turn pages of books or media placed therein.
The device of the instant subject matter is portable, has a compact footprint, is user-friendly and many customizable features, enabling its use on a personal level for digitizing books. In one embodiment, two CMOS-based cameras perform document imaging for scanning of books, manuscripts, and other media.
Additionally, real-time processing of the acquired images may be performed to quickly create a "book" as the pages are scanned into eBook formats and other supported formats, such Portable Document Format (PDF), and Tagged Image File Format (TIFF). To convert the raw images, optical character recognition (OCR) is used to turn book pages into a digital text format like ASCII or other similar format, which reduces the file size and allows the text to be reformatted, searched, or processed by other applications. Other formats that may be supported by the device include, among others, Comic Book Archive file, DAISY-ANSI/NISO Z39.86, Desktop Author, DjVu, EPUB, eReader, FictionBook (Fb2), Founder Electronics, Hypertext Markup Language, IEC 62448, Mobipocket, Multimedia eBooks, Newton eBook, Open Electronic Package, Plain text files, Plucker, PostScript, and Text Encoding Initiative.
An integrated on-board tablet device further enables operation of the device anywhere, anytime, independent of a computer (PC or a Mac, etc.).
Alternatively or additionally, the device may perform real-time optical character recognition (OCR) processing with audible read out. Such functions enable turning the book scanner into a reading machine. The device may be connected to headphones or an external speaker, or audio may be heard from the built-in speaker.
Following scanning, the digitized books can be submitted to a "locker," in an optional step, on the device or elsewhere (a connected computer, tablet, drive, server, or "cloud" computing device). Book storage may be networked to further enable accessibility, especially if storage is on a server or "cloud" computing device.
The portable book scanner can also include a second scanning mechanism connected to one of the first or second leafs, a preview screen, and a first book and second press leaf. The press leafs are pivotable to allow for page turning. Also included is a processor for optical character recognition and a sound generating mechanism for audibly reciting the contents of the book to be scanned.
A further embodiment of the inventive subject matter is an apparatus for capturing book and media images that includes a handheld binder case for supporting a book in an open position, an imager comprising an extendible arm and a lens; and a page flipping apparatus for automated turning or movement of pages or components. The page flipping apparatus has a rocking arm with a vacuum arm and at least one roller arm. The vacuum arm is rotatable in three hundred and sixty degrees. This embodiment can include a means for supporting a book in an open position and an air pump exhaust port. An internal processor scans images obtained via the imager and digitizes the images via optical character recognition. A loud speaker, an image preview means and a connecting port (for connecting peripheral devices, components and machines) can also be added in this embodiment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows an example book scanning, digitization and machine-assisted reading device, in a closed position.
FIG. 2 shows further features of the example book scanning, digitization and machine-assisted reading device, shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 depicts an example book scanning, digitization and machine-assisted reading device, in an exploded view.
FIG. 4 shows the example device of FIG. 3, in assembled form, in top and bottom views.
FIG. 5 depicts close-up views of several components seen in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 shows example user operation features of the device.
FIG. 7 shows example page-turning features of the device.
FIG. 8 depicts some of the device features, which allow for adjustability of the device to books of varying size.
FIG. 9 depicts camera arms of an example device, in an extended position.
FIG. 10 depicts possible positioning of the page-turning arm with extended camera arms and a vacuum bar, of an example device.
FIG. 11 depicts one example of camera viewing angles, upon extension of the camera arm(s).
FIGS. 12-14b depict an example sequence of actions corresponding to capturing of book pages and turning a book page to capture subsequent book pages.
Optionally, watermarks may be added when books are scanned. The watermarks may be more visible or discreet, so as to provide owner identifying information, or to act as a deterrent to unauthorized copying and distribution. In a further example, the owner information can be entered into a proprietary or online database to prevent digitized books from being virally distributed online through unauthorized channels. Additional and further digital rights management capability can be added to the device. The applications of the technology of the instant subject matter are almost limitless.
As seen in FIG. 1, an example book scanning, digitization and machine-assisted reading device, is shown in a closed position. The device profile is similar to a book in a closed position, and has an air pump (air) exhaust hole 101, a USB (insertion) port 103 and a DC (plug) insertion hole 102 to facilitate use of the device with a power supply. Optionally, the device is operated using batteries only.
FIG. 2 shows further features of the example book scanning, digitization and machine-assisted reading device 2, shown in FIG. 1. For example, a switch 201 is provided. The switch 201 may be a combination mechanical open/closed switch to secure the device in an open or closed position, and an electrical on/off (power) switch to power the device on/off.
FIG. 3 depicts an example book scanning, digitization and machine-assisted reading device, in an exploded view. The device shows two camera arms 301a and 301b, rotatable about a flipping page rod 302, secured with vacuum arm 315 between two sets of electric rollers 303, mechanical rocking arm 304, book press leaf 311, book press push rod 310, book clamp adjustment piece 309, and mechanical rocking arm prop/strut 307. Flipping book machine support arms 308 provides the device and book 313 placed therein in a position conducive to scanning, and preview screen 305, supported by the display screen prop/strut 306, allows easy view of the screen 305 from a birds-eye viewing angle, so that the user does not need to alternate sitting and standing while operating the device. A built-in speaker 316 further enables user access, and headphone free listening.
As can be seen in FIG. 4, the mechanical rocking arm 304 and related components, move easily from one side of the device to the other, while the device is stably supported by the support arms 308. The vacuum rod 315 has a complete three hundred and sixty five degrees of rotation about a central axis, and vacuum nozzles on one side of it. The speaker 316 is positioned so as to audibly output text read from the scanned book, and should not be affected by the mechanical components.
FIG. 5 depicts close-up views of several components seen in FIG. 4, including the mechanical rocking arm 304, which has a range of motion from the left to the right side of the device, and the rollers 303, page turning rod 302, vacuum arm 315, which may rotate in a complete three hundred and sixty five degrees of rotation together, or independently of each other. The rollers hold the adjoining components securely, while still allowing for smooth and continuous range of movement of the associated components. An air pump 501, connected to the vacuum, is also shown.
Further ergonomic features of the device include operation buttons 601, and preview screen 305 and its corresponding prop/strut 306, as seen in FIG. 6, which together enable operation of the device from a seated or standing position. In a folded configuration, the preview screen may be viewed by a seated user; in an extended propped configuration, the preview screen may be viewed by a standing user; in either configuration, the operation buttons 601 are easily accessible.
FIG. 7 shows the rotating ability of the page turning rod 302. The rod is pinned to the rollers 303 by an extended tab, and pivots about the central axis by these tabs. The device will accommodate books of varying thickness. Pressing hinges 311, on the top and bottom of the device, are adjustable to secure a book in place on the device. They also act to press down on the book pages, to improve scanning quality, reducing ripple along the 'gutter' of the pages, and assist in providing as close to a platen surface as possible. Additionally, the device will accommodate books of varying size. Book clamp adjustment pieces 309 may be moved vertically among the device's center channel to secure a book's spine therein.
The device has a slim profile and is highly portable. As shown in FIG. 9, the camera arms 301 are stored in the sides of the device when not in use, and when needed, may be extended from the device sides to an extended position. The position of the extended camera arms may be lockable. Optionally, the camera arms may be further configurable, to allow for varying angles of extension of the camera arms, and the camera arms may be adjustable so as to adjust the height of the cameras.
FIG. 10 depicts possible positioning of the page-turning arm with extended camera arms and a vacuum bar 1101, of an example device. Page turning arm 1101 has full range of motion whether one or both cameras one in the operating position.
FIG. 11 depicts one example of camera viewing angles, upon extension of the camera arm(s). In one embodiment, the camera arm is positioned to be parallel with the page to be captured, and sufficient to capture a full page in one image. For example, the field of view of the camera lens 1201 of the camera arm can be, at minimum, 69°. The flipping book machine support arms support the device and book therein in a position conducive to scanning. The position may be fixed, for example, at a 30° angle, or may be adjustable so as to obtain a preferred angle and field of view. In additional examples, the length of the camera arm(s) is adjustable and/or the camera lens has physical and/or digital zoom capability, so as to further enhance the adjustability of the device to scan books, pages and media of varying dimensions, thicknesses, types, etc. and meet various user preferences. For example, the user may desire that the captured image or scan is 'larger' than the book, page or media size itself, so as to have additional 'blank,' 'black,' or 'white' space. Optionally software may be used to manually or automatically trim portions of the image or scan deemed extraneous by the user, considered to be additional 'blank,' 'black,' or 'white' space, or to combine images or scans (i.e. to 'recreate' two adjacent 'face-up' pages of a book). These selections may be made using the operation buttons and/or the display screen of the device, may be performed by a personal computing device or other personal computing device connected to the device via USB or other physical or wireless connection to control the actions of the device, or may be performed in a 'post-processing step' after all desired pages or portions of a page, book or other media have been captured by the device.
FIGS. 12-22 depict an example sequence of actions corresponding to capturing of book pages and turning a book page to enable capture of subsequent book pages, employing the device configuration shown in FIG. 11
As seen in FIG. 12, the device is shown opened, and supported by its support arms in a semi-V position. A book has been placed in the device, so that its spine is supported by the book clamp adjustment pieces 309 at the book's top and bottom, and the pressing hinges 311 press at the top and bottom of the 'gutter' of the book so as to further secure the book in place on the device. The preview display screen 305, supported by its strut, allows easy view of the screen to the user from its position near the operation buttons.
The flipping page rod 302 and vacuum arm 315 are positioned at rest, so that the flipping page rod is in a 'high' position, and the vacuum arm has its vacuum nozzles adjacent the page, by the mechanical rocking arms, on the left side of the book, adjacent the page, while the two camera arms 301a and 301b have been positioned, each above an opposing page, to capture the desired page/images. In this first position, the desired image(s) may be captured by the camera(s). Capture of the desired image(s) may be manually prompted by the user, or may be automatic, upon detection by the device of the respective positions of the device components (i.e. upon detection that the flipping page rod and vacuum arm is positioned, on the left side of the book, the capture is made).
Subsequently, the device may be prompted manually, or automatically, to release the pressing hinges at the top and bottom of the book so as to enable flipping of the book's pages 1302. The degree to which the pressing hinges are released may be preset (i.e. fixed for each device, fixed for each operation of the device, inputted by the user at the beginning of operation) or adjustable, and may be manual (i.e. prompted by the user) or automatic (i.e. related to/calculated from the detected height of the flipping page rod and vacuum arm, from the number of pages scanned or to be scanned, etc.). Sequentially, or simultaneously, the vacuum arm activates so that its vacuum nozzles act on the page, providing sufficient vacuum and airflow to add tension to and lift the page (without damaging, overly stressing or overly-tensioning the page), while the mechanical rocking arm activates to move in a smooth and coordinated arc from the left side to the right side of the device, as seen in FIGS. 13-13d. The degree to which the pressing hinges are raised is sufficient to allow the page to clear the pressing hinges without damage.
As seen in FIG. 13c, at least when the mechanical rocking arm (vacuum arm and flipping rod) is mid-way in its trajectory (i.e. when the vacuum arm and flipping rod are at their highest points, relative to the device, and the page 1302 is approximately vertical), although the vacuum arm 315 is static in its position and maintains the vacuum to hold the page, the flipping rod 302 begins to rotate, supported by the rollers as shown in the close-up of the flipping system 1601, to prepare to flip the page. The flipping rod 302 rotates in a controlled motion and speed from its 'high' position parallel to and above the vacuum arm 315, towards the left side of the device, toward the page surface. FIGS. 14a and 14b show the controlled rotating motion of the flipping rod, so that while the vacuum arm maintains its position and vacuum on the page and the mechanical rocking arm moves the page closer to the right side of the device, the flipping rod moves lower in position, until it is immediately adjacent to and touching the page 1302, as seen in FIG. 18. Then, the flipping rod continues to rotate, while the vacuum is diminished or turned off, so that the flexible page is pressed downwards and away from the vacuum arm 315, and while the mechanical rocking arm 302 continues to move in a downwards arc towards the right side of the device, until the flipping rod rests the page against the right side of the book. In this manner the device has effectively flipped or 'turned' the book's pages.
At this time, the pressing hinges may be replaced on the pages of the book. The flipping rod continues to rotate, until it resumes its 'high' position immediately above the vacuum arm. Another image capture can be made at this time, with the mechanical rocking arms positioned on the right side of the device or the user or device may wait to capture another image until the arms are re-positioned on the left side of the device.
Additionally, depending on the size of the book, the positioning of the book on the device, the angle of the support arms of the device, camera length, height, etc., it may be desired to have the vacuum and/or flipping arms of the device positioned at ½″ to 1½″ from the edge of the page to facilitate quick pivoting of the vacuum and flipping arms and enhance speed in turning of pages. However, the device is designed to accommodate a large range of book widths, lengths and thicknesses. In one embodiment, the vacuum and/or flipping arms of the device may be interchangeable with other additional vacuum and/or flipping arms of the device of varying lengths and widths, to accommodate books and media of varying sizes. In a further embodiment, the vacuum and/or flipping arms of the device may be adjustable in length and/or width so as to further enable adjustability without the need to exchange components of the device.
The figures and description above refer to a book or medium in which the pages are turned from the left to the right side of the book. This corresponds to reading in a right to left manner (i.e. the traditional binding of Asian books, such as Chinese, Korean or Japanese, in which the book is read from right to left). However, the device is not limited to this manner, and may be used with Western texts by adjusting the above-discussed configuration in any of a number of ways, for example, inverting the book, activating a right to left turn mechanism, in which the vacuum arm rotates to face the right portion of the page, etc. Accordingly, the device may be pre-configured for a default form of image capture or reading, or may be adjusted prior to each use for Eastern or Western texts.
The user may also optionally activate and configure the reading function(s) of the device, so that the device captures and reads or describes the pages/media in sequence, or one page at a time. The device may optionally contain additional permanent, replaceable or insertable memory/storage media of various sizes to further enable storage of captured images, OCR'd text and other media therein, and various combinations of image capture/reading. For example, the user may annotate or record comments regarding captured images or objects during or after device capture of a book/media. The device may optionally contain a built-in or added-on dictionary to describe or define objects or text that are captured using its cameras.
Optionally, the device may be configured to operate using voice commands, instead of or supplemental to the operation buttons.
What has been described above includes examples of one or more embodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the aforementioned embodiments, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of various embodiments are possible. Accordingly, the described embodiments are intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term "includes" is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising" as "comprising" is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
It will be understood that many additional changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangement of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principal and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.
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POSTED | June 29, 2012 - Fred Helleiner
There have been some interesting surprises for birders at Presqu'ile Provincial Park this week, at least one of which may indicate the start of the fall migration. At a time of year which is often the doldrums of birding, the past week has been remarkably productive.
The WOOD DUCK concentration in the marsh is up to fifteen birds, best seen by looking west from the camp office viewing stand. The only new ducks in the past week were a pair of male GREEN-WINGED TEAL on Gull Island on June 23, one of which was still there the next day. There has also been a male scaup there and both COMMON and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS. An AMERICAN and a LEAST BITTERN flew over the marsh boardwalk within minutes of each other. GREAT EGRETS are a daily sighting flying over the Park, as well as on their nests on High Bluff Island. TURKEY VULTURES were feeding on the beach twice this week, four together on one occasion. An OSPREY and a BROAD-WINGED HAWK have been seen at the calf pasture, the latter on June 25, an unusual date for that species at Presqu'ile. A RUFFED GROUSE was out on one of the roadways.
The first apparently migrant shorebirds were three BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS on the beach on June 24. Since that species is normally a later migrant, those partially moulted birds may have been late spring migrants. The DUNLIN at Owen Point on the next day was in full breeding (alternate) plumage, so was also likely not a returning fall migrant.
On the other hand, a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER at Owen Point yesterday and today may well have been a record early fall migrant. Perhaps a LESSER YELLOWLEGS will be the next to appear. The three AMERICAN WOODCOCKS near the Park store were certainly part of the local breeding population. There were still a few BONAPARTE'S GULLS at Owen Point this past week, including one both yesterday and today. An adult GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL on June 23 was the first in some time.
A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was heard at the calf pasture and a cuckoo of unknown species called briefly at Owen Point today. At 9:45 p.m. on June 26, an EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL called for a couple of minutes behind one of the Bayshore Road houses, before moving off. That species has not been known to appear at Presqu'ile in the summer for a number of years. A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER was at Owen Point on June 24. An ALDER FLYCATCHER at the calf pasture was the first in several weeks. The BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER nest reported last week is deserted with three cold eggs in it. A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW and a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW were also at the calf pasture. ORCHARD ORIOLES continue to be seen here and there. PINE SISKINS have been visiting the feeders at 83 Bayshore Road.
To reach Presqu'ile Provincial Park, follow the signs from Brighton.
Locations within the Park are shown on a map at the back of a tabloid that is available at the Park gate. Access to the offshore islands is restricted at this time of year to prevent disturbance to the colonial nesting birds there. Birders are encouraged to record their observations on the bird sightings board provided near the campground office by The Friends of Presqu'ile Park and to fill out a rare bird report for species not listed there.
Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.
Fred Helleiner


text:
The Left overplays the race card for Obama
It's too bad that the first black president wasn't a conservative.
Not that there wouldn't have been charges of racism and some actual racism, too. But it would have finally dispelled the old myth about the racist Right and the tolerant Left.
As it is, many liberals who once complained about being labeled unpatriotic for their vituperative opposition to George W. Bush are suggesting that anyone who opposes the policies of President Obama is a racist.
Jimmy Carter, who at age 85 has still not tired of inflicting damage to his own party, suggested in an MSNBC interview that the broad-based opposition that has met Obama's proposals is racist.
"I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of the belief among many white people, not just in the South but around the country, that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country," Carter scolded. "It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply."
I wonder, then, how Carter explains his own failed presidency and the gales of resistance that met his proposals. I doubt it was because his secretary of Health and Human Services and ambassador to the United Nations were black. More likely, it was just Carter's dithering.
There are people who oppose Obama's programs who are also racists. And there were racists who opposed President Bush's policies. Consider the cartoons of Condoleezza Rice as a black mammy and accusations that Colin Powell was an Uncle Tom.
Opposition to the Iraq war was no less real because some liberals were racist. It would have been a good topic for some brave African-American studies department, but it didn't have anything to do with Iraq.
The basis for many Democratic claims of racism is the "birther" movement that holds Obama was not born in the United States.
The Democratic survey firm Public Policy Polling found that 24 percent of Americans don't think that Obama was born in the United States. Some thought he was born in the Indonesia of his youth and some thought he was born in his father's native Kenya.
In a 2007 Rasmussen Reports poll, 22 percent of Americans — including 39 percent of Democrats — believed that Bush knew about, but did not stop, the 9/11 attacks. Disgraced "green jobs czar" Van Jones wasn't an outlier, but part of a bloc of liberals who thought Bush committed or allowed mass murder.
You could find 22 percent of Americans who believe that aliens have visited Earth, but that doesn't change NASA's budget.
Different majorities of Americans think the country is going the wrong way, oppose Obama's escalation of the Afghan war, object to the ongoing bailouts of the auto and financial sectors, worry about the unsustainable national debt, and oppose the president's health plan.
The breadth and diversity of opposition to the Obama agenda suggests that the president is struggling not because of his pigmentation or parentage but because he has overloaded the circuits of the American polity.
The White House sees it another way. The peaceful protests in the streets, the anemic polls, and the skeptical public are the results of a sinister effort to ruin Obama because of who he is.
An unnamed White House aide told the Washington Post's Anne Kornblut that whether it is outrage of having Van Jones in the White House or the exposure of ACORN fraud, it is all connected by the sinister threads of personal opposition to the president.
They are battles in a "broader war is about the fate of this presidency and the other side's attempts to delegitimize him and to make him into a failure."
Americans cherish equality.
We recoil at the thought that a person who could do a job as well or better than someone else be deprived of the chance because of the color of their skin. That's why the stories of Jackie Robinson and the Tuskegee Airmen overcoming racism to break barriers for all blacks are points of national pride.
The hope for a post-racial culture that came with Obama's election arose from a belief that the final barrier to equality had been broken.
Many liberals say that strong opposition to the president shows that we have not yet achieved that goal.
But being president isn't like playing second base for the Dodgers or shooting down Messerschmitts. Measuring success or failure is a difficult, long-term proposition.
Equality means being judged on your performance, and if Obama fails it will be because of how he handles the presidency not because of the color of his skin.
For him, success or failure will be colorblind.
Chris Stirewalt is the political editor of The Washington Examiner. He can be reached at cstirewalt@dcexaminer.com
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