বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৯ নভেম্বর, ২০১২

Does human transformation of land threaten future sustainability?

ScienceDaily (Nov. 27, 2012) ? Social and physical scientists have long been concerned about the effects of humans on Earth's surface -- in part through deforestation, encroachment of urban areas onto traditionally agricultural lands, and erosion of soils -- and the implications these changes have on Earth's ability to provide for an ever-growing population. The December 2012 GSA Today science article presents examples of land transformation by humans and documents some of the effects of these changes.

Researchers Roger Hooke of the University of Maine, USA, and Jos? F. Mart?n-Duque and Javier Pedraza of Complutense University, Spain, examine factors such as available agricultural land area and discuss some of the implications of their findings in light of human population growth and its relationship to planetary resources.

Overall, they find that just over 50% of Earth's total land surface has been modified by human activity. Because many of these modifications also result in reduction of land available for agriculture -- either by degradation of land quality by processes such as soil erosion, or by transforming agriculture lands to urban uses -- Hooke and colleagues argue that these changes to our planet's land surface also influence the ability of these same lands to sustain local, regional, and, ultimately, global population.

Comparing projections of future changes in land-use with projections of population growth leads them to also suggest that human population may be entering, or already in, a state of "overshoot" -- where the needs of the present population exceed the long-term carrying capacity of a region. Solutions may not be easy to arrive at, but would need to involve a combination of efforts aimed to reduce demand for resources, develop new technical solutions to resource limitations, and to reduce the rate of growth of population.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Geological Society of America.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Roger LeB et al. Land transformation by humans: A review. GSA Today, 2012 DOI: 10.1130/GSATG151A.1

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/LQkCUiVLfRw/121127154209.htm

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Automakers gear up for a green holiday season

5 hrs.

If the upcoming L.A. Auto Show is any indication, American motorists are in for a green holiday season.

A preliminary estimate shows as many as 50 new cars, trucks and crossovers will make their debut during the annual event, the first big U.S. auto show of the 2013 model?year.?

A sizable chunk of those new models will be battery-based, including everything from conventional hybrids to pure battery-electric vehicles. But the L.A.?show also will point out how even conventional gasoline powertrain technology continues to become more and more environmentally friendly.

Among the most significant debuts already announced for Los Angeles, Honda will introduce its first plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle, the Accord PHEV.??

Ford will offer a pair of its own plug-ins, the Fusion Energi sedan and the C-Max Energi ?people-mover.???

The list of pure battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs, will include the new Fiat 500e and the Chevrolet Spark EV, General Motors first fully electrified model since it pulled the EV1 from production just before the turn of the new Millennium.

During a recent two-day media background session, GM revealed some ambitious plans for its electrification program ? which began with the December 2010 launch of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in and which will soon add both the Spark EV and the upcoming Cadillac ELR plug-in. In all, the maker hopes to sell 500,000 battery-based vehicles between now and 2017.

?Plug-based solutions will play a significant role in our technology portfolio going forward,? said global product development chief Mary Barra.

Nissan may be even more ambitious.? Before the end of the decade, it intends to be selling as many as 500,000 battery-based vehicles annually, with products including the planned Infiniti LE battery-electric vehicle set to join the Nissan Leaf it launched about the same time the Chevy Volt hit showrooms.

For its part, the Fusion and C-Max Energi plug-ins will be part of a wave of eight advanced battery vehicles Ford plans to launch within the next couple years, according to Ken Czubay, the maker?s vice president of U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service.

But not everyone is quite so upbeat. Though he will try to wear a smile during the debut of the 500e, Fiat/Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has dubbed battery cars ?economic lemons,? a reference to the reality that the underlying technology is so expensive manufacturers have to absorb a significant portion of the price tag in order to win over consumers.??

By some estimates, the current crop of BEVs and PHEVs cost at least $10,000 more to produce than they are selling for ??before a buyer works in the available federal and state tax credits.

And even then, a new study by J.D. Power and Associates warns that, ?Electric vehicles will remain a very small part of the U.S. market unless automakers can lower prices and demonstrate the economic benefits to consumers.?

No wonder the brand new Honda Fit EV and Toyota RAV4-EV models that will be displayed in L.A. will only be sold at a limited number of California dealerships for at least the next few years.? Critics deride those offerings as ?compliance cars,? built only to satisfy strict zero-emission vehicle, or ZEV, mandates enacted by the demanding California Air Resources Board.

?No one wants to be locked out of the California market,? acknowledges John Mendel, the top American executive at Honda, one of the major makers required to meet the ZEV rules.

Ironically, the L.A.?Auto Show will, yet again, give skeptics the opportunity to promote alternatives to battery power.? The new Dodge Dart Aero model approaches the fuel-efficiency of comparably sized hybrids, note the organizers of the annual Green Car of the Year Award which is announced during the media days at the LA show.

The new Mazda CX-5 SkyActiv crossover will also be in contention, another model that relies on the latest breakthroughs in conventional gas power.?

And the Ford Fusion was named a finalist as much for its advanced, gas-powered EcoBoost engine as for its hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. Only the new Toyota Prius C and Ford C-Max models, among the five finalists, are exclusively battery-based.

The Green Car of the Year Award has notably honored diesels on several occasions. And past winner Audi will bring four new diesels to the LA Auto Show this year, including high-mileage versions of its A6, A7, A8 and Q5 models. Set to start rolling out next year, they?re expected to deliver hybrid-like fuel economy ?but without sacrificing performance,? proclaims Audi of America President Scott Keogh.

While Californians may like to think of their state as the greenest in the country, the reality is that they still appreciate muscle. According to Mercedes-Benz, a full 25 percent of all the maker?s high-performance AMG models are sold in Southern California.

So, no surprise that among the several debuts planned by the German maker it will reveal the fastest production car it has ever built, the 622-horsepower SLS AMG Black Series. (For the moment, Mercedes has not yet committed to bringing a battery-powered version of the 2-seater, the SLS E-Cell, to the U.S. market.)

Bentley, Jaguar and Porsche will also reveal new high-performance products at the LA Convention Center. But these days, one can be mean and green. Or, at least, greener. The new Porsche Carrera 4S will get a big bump in horsepower ? even while delivering about 15% better fuel economy than the outgoing model.

And BMW will bring to LA a version of its upcoming i8 plug-in, the first in a new line of sporty, battery-based vehicles that will also include the i3 battery-electric city car.

The LA Auto Show has a tradition of focusing on green technology.? But California itself has a history of setting the trends that eventually sweep across the rest of America. So what you see at the Los Angeles Convention Center later this month is likely to influence what you drive wherever you live in the years ahead.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/automakers-gear-green-holiday-season-1C7185476

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বুধবার, ২৮ নভেম্বর, ২০১২

Union Jack: Minimal progress on the minimum wage

Back in 2008, when incoming President Barack Obama still seemed to incarnate progressive aspirations for a wide-reaching wave of social and economic reforms, he spoke about a very basic policy move to improve the lives of the working poor: an increase in the federal minimum wage. As part of the ?Obama-Biden Plan? to tackle poverty?which noted that the former Illinois Senator was a ?lifelong advocate for the poor??the President-elect promised to raise the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2011, and index it to inflation.

Four years later, the federal minimum wage remains at a paltry $7.25 an hour, paling in embarrassing fashion to its counterparts across the industrialized West. To put that into context, the United Kingdom?s minimum wage is about $9.80 an hour, and France?s is roughly $12 an hour.

The U.S. minimum wage is not even close to a living wage. The poverty line for a family of four is $23,050, which means that any full-time worker earning wages under $11.06 an hour is below that line. For these minimum wage workers, and the tens of millions of other American workers whose wages keep them well below the poverty line, basic necessities like food, transportation, and housing are barely within reach. In fact, a recent report showed that households working the entire year at minimum wage cannot afford the fair market rent for two bedroom housing in any state in the country.

Out of the administration?s many reneged promises during its first term, this ranks among the most inexcusable. That Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress didn?t prioritize this issue out of some genuine concern for the poor isn?t surprising. But what is genuinely shocking is that amid a recession?and now sluggish recovery?raising the minimum wage actually makes basic economic sense, especially when that wage is so low in the first place.

An increase would put more money into the hands of workers, boost consumption, and help generate economic growth. Leaving millions of workers unable to purchase basic goods is just illogical from a purely economic point of view.

Of course, raising the minimum wage isn?t a solution to everything. Past experience has shown that businesses adjust by raising prices?for instance, inflation wiped away much of a wage increase in France in the early 1980s. Also, an increase in the minimum wage clearly does not alter the other structural factors responsible for poverty and accelerating inequality in the American economy, including wage repression, a regressive tax code that?s riddled with corporate loopholes, and the position of the U.S. in the global capitalist economy.

But to the roughly four million workers struggling to get by from paycheck to paycheck, an increase would make a huge difference. It matters if you?re struggling to keep up with increasing food and gas prices, but your paycheck stays the same. And it matters if you?re trying to support a family, but can no longer afford to pay your increasing rent.

Back in 2009, it seemed possible that the Democratic Party, in control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, would champion an increase in the federal minimum wage. Unfortunately, the prospects for that look rather grim at the moment, especially with the obstructionist, anti-poor Republican Party in control of the House.

But if there is any reason to not abandon all hope, recent months have seen an uptick on this front. Democrats from the House Progressive Caucus?the closest thing there is to a social-democratic political formation in the U.S.?introduced a bill this summer to raise the federal minimum wage to its 1968 level and finally index it to inflation. We can hope that this effort, however futile it may be, will continue in the 113th Congress, if only to keep the issue on the agenda.

Meanwhile, as most of Congress refused to budge on the matter, people finally took this issue into their own hands: in Albuquerque, San Jose, and Long Beach, coalitions of labor unions and community activists organized referenda to boost the minimum wage, all of which passed last week.

These victories, small as they are, remind us of the substantial support that exists for an increase, and the need to build a movement to push for it. Perhaps some unions could dedicate resources toward building a movement on the federal level, or perhaps demands might emerge from a potential progressive coalition organized to oppose the so-called ?grand bargain? on deficit reduction.

Ultimately, though, like nearly any other progressive legislation the Left hopes to win during Obama?s second term, an increase in the federal minimum wage will likely come from a social movement with roots among those who need the reform the most, and not from the Congress they elected.

Get a rise out of Cole at cstangler@georgetownvoice.com.

Source: http://georgetownvoice.com/2012/11/15/union-jack-minimal-progress-on-the-minimum-wage/

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রবিবার, ২৫ নভেম্বর, ২০১২

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 gameplay teaser - Gaming Everything


November 24th, 2012 Posted in 360, PC, PS3, Videos Posted By: Valay
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Source: http://gamingeverything.com/33923/sniper-ghost-warrior-2-gameplay-teaser/

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How To Share Your Family Trees Listed On Ancestry - iPentimento ...

Last weekend we were at my brother?s place for a pot luck, and as invariably happens a conversation turned to genealogy research. It warmed my heart to hear a young woman from another generation telling us about what she had been researching and who she was looking for. Now and then, when I can, I try to help? people with their family research, at least a little to get them started or fill in some blanks for them.

From our conversation I found out that this family member had a tree on Ancestry and so I asked her to send me an invitation to view her tree. Unfortunately, she wasn?t sure how to do that! So, I am writing this article and including Ancestry?s fine advice to help out everyone who might be wondering how to share your trees too. Here is what Ancestry advises?.

First of all, a subscription to Ancestry is not required for Family Tree sharing.

A new and easier way to share your tree

With our release last week, we?ve made it easier to invite people to your tree. You can now import your contact list from Yahoo!, Hotmail, Gmail, and AOL accounts to quickly select people you want to send an invitation to. You can still type in individual email addresses if you?d like, but by importing your contact list you can save a little time and effort trying to remember your cousin?s email address.

How to invite friends and family to see your tree

From your tree, click on the ?Share your tree? link in the ?Tree pages? menu next to your tree name.

To find out more and see the visual guides please read the full article here.

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Source: http://ipentimento.com/how-to-share-your-family-trees-listed-on-ancestry/

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10: Sony HDR-CX190 High Definition Handycam 5.3 MP Camcorder ...

Sony HDR-CX190 High Definition Handycam 5.3 MP Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom (2012 Model) - Factory Refurbished by Sony Date first available at Amazon.com: September 25, 2012 Buy new: $209.99 2 used & new from $194.36 (Visit the Hot New Releases in Camcorders list for authoritative information on this product?s current rank.)

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US trucker nabbed with ammo in Mexico is freed

Jabin Bogan, 27, of Dallas, receives a kiss from his mother, Aletha Smith, right, during a news conference shortly after returning to the United States, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012, in El Paso, Texas, following his last week release from a Mexican maximum security prison. The Dallas trucker was imprisoned for months in Mexico on accusations that he had tried to smuggle in assault rifle ammunition. The ammunition belonged to United Nations Ammunition. (AP Photo/The El Paso Times, Victor Calzada) EL DIARIO OUT; JUAREZ MEXICO OUT; IF USE ON LAM OR LAT AND EL DIARIO DE EL PASO OUT.

Jabin Bogan, 27, of Dallas, receives a kiss from his mother, Aletha Smith, right, during a news conference shortly after returning to the United States, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012, in El Paso, Texas, following his last week release from a Mexican maximum security prison. The Dallas trucker was imprisoned for months in Mexico on accusations that he had tried to smuggle in assault rifle ammunition. The ammunition belonged to United Nations Ammunition. (AP Photo/The El Paso Times, Victor Calzada) EL DIARIO OUT; JUAREZ MEXICO OUT; IF USE ON LAM OR LAT AND EL DIARIO DE EL PASO OUT.

A tear begins to roll down Jabin Bogan's cheek as he talks about his release from a Mexican prison, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012, in El Paso, Texas, during a news conference. The Dallas trucker was imprisoned for seven months in Mexico on accusations that he had tried to smuggle in assault rifle ammunition. The ammunition belonged to United Nations Ammunition. (AP Photo/El Paso Times, Victor Calzada)

FILE - In this July 5, 2012 file photo, attorney Emilio de La Rosa, left, and forensics expert Mario Gomez, right, talk to customs and court officials at the Las Americas Bridge in Juarez, Mexico while doing a reconstruction of the events that lead to the arrest of trucker Jabin Bogan. Bogan, a Dallas trucker detained for eight months in Mexico on allegations that he tried to smuggle assault rifle ammunition into the country, is expected to return Friday, Nov. 23, 2012, to the United States, his lawyer said. (AP Photo/ Juan Carlos Llorca, File)

(AP) ? A Dallas trucker imprisoned for seven months in Mexico on accusations that he tried to smuggle assault rifle ammunition into the country broke down in tears Friday when he returned to the U.S., saying he had at times given up hope.

Jabin Bogan maintains he was on his way to Phoenix to deliver the ammunition in April when he took a wrong highway exit and accidentally crossed the border into Mexico. Despite his insistence it was an honest mistake, the 27-year-old was arrested and taken to a Mexican maximum security prison.

"Some days I gave up hope. Some days I felt like God was, to be honest in my heart, like God was laughing. Like he was just punishing me for no reason. I felt like just giving up," he said during a brief news conference in El Paso shortly after arriving back in the U.S.

Bogan tearfully thanked his supporters, and said that at times he felt like taking his own life or someone else's.

"I was the only black American person in the whole prison. God brought me through and I made it," he said.

Bogan was released from the Mexican prison last week but had been detained by immigration authorities until Friday. He was found guilty of possession of military ammunition and sentenced to three years, but the ruling was later commuted for time served and a fine.

He was arrested on April 17 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, just across the border from El Paso. Bogan said he was headed to Phoenix when he got lost, and he told Mexican authorities that a law enforcement officer at the border had told him to continue driving across the international bridge.

Bogan said he attempted to turn back when he realized he had crossed into Mexico, but the layout of the traffic lanes prevented him from returning without first crossing into the truck inspection area in Juarez, where his truck was searched.

He said Friday that when he acknowledged to the agents he had ammunition, "they said, 'in this side of the country it's illegal to have bullets.' And that's when everything went upside down they took me in and never let me out."

During his trial, Mexican customs agents contradicted prosecutors' claim that Bogan had 268,000 bullets hidden under the floorboards of his 18-wheeler's trailer when he was arrested. Agents testified in June that Bogan was trying to make a U-turn back into the U.S. when they found the ammunition bundled on top of wooden pallets inside the trailer.

Bogan was arrested less than 100 feet from a giant billboard that reads, "no more weapons." The sign, unveiled by Mexican President Felipe Calderon two months before Bogan was caught, was made out of seized high-caliber rifles and ammunition.

Calderon has blamed lax U.S. gun laws for the flow of weapons into Mexico.

An appeal filed in August by Bogan's lawyer in Mexico, Emilio de la Rosa, reduced the charge from smuggling to possession of military ammunition. That allowed Bogan to be released after serving a portion of his sentence and paying a fine. He also was sentenced to supervised release, which he can do by mail.

The ammunition belonged to United Nations Ammunition. De la Rosa said the bullets would not be returned to the company.

A spokesman with the Mexican Attorney General did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

Bogan's attorney, Carlos Spector, maintains that Bogan made an honest mistake. But he said his lawyers decided not to fight the case, in part because of the potential political implications.

"He (De la Rosa) knew the options were get him out in six or seven months or sink him with a 30-year-sentence. Asking for a not-guilty sentence was impossible because the Mexican government had to get something out of this," Spector said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-23-Mexico-Ammunition%20Seized/id-58659bb7fb1248c9877ed3f5555b5678

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শনিবার, ২৪ নভেম্বর, ২০১২

Notre Dame-USC: Game of the weekend

No. 1 Notre Dame (11-0) at USC (7-4), 8 p.m. Saturday (ABC)

Line: Notre Dame by 7.

Series Record: Notre Dame leads 43-35-5.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

Notre Dame is on the brink of a trip to the BCS title game, needing only a win in the Coliseum to wrap up the spot. The Irish share one of college football's best intersectional rivalries with USC, which could only gain a measure of solace from a hugely disappointing season by ruining the Irish dream season.

KEY MATCHUP

USC WR Marqise Lee vs. Notre Dame CB Bennett Jackson. The Trojans will rely on their gifted skill-position players to take pressure off QB Max Wittek, and no defensive secondary all season has significantly slowed down Lee, who could improve his Biletnikoff Award hopes with one more monster game. Jackson is a converted receiver who will be tested all night.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Notre Dame: LB Manti Te'o. It's only fitting for the imposing middle linebacker to play his final regular-season game at the Coliseum. He came agonizingly close to choosing USC out of high school before flipping to Notre Dame, where he suffered through early disappointments before finally having a season worthy of his faith in the Irish.

USC: Wittek. The redshirt freshman makes his first career start in place of injured Matt Barkley, and his teammates are confident he'll excel. Wittek is bigger and throws harder than Barkley, with zip on his passes that hurts Lee's hands, but he has played only mop-up duty all season long.

FACTS & FIGURES

Barkley will watch his final regular-season game from the sideline with a sprained shoulder. The Pac-12's career leader in multiple passing statistics will never get to face Notre Dame at the Coliseum, also missing the game two years ago with an injury. ... USC has won nine of the schools' last 10 meetings, losing only in 2010 when Trojans WR Ronald Johnson dropped a sure TD pass in the final minutes of a 20-16 win for Notre Dame, led by QB Tommy Rees. ... Notre Dame has brought the No. 1 ranking to the Coliseum six times, with USC winning two of those matchups. The Irish haven't been No. 1 in this game since 1989. ... USC is 7-11 against all No. 1 opponents. ... Notre Dame has a higher ranking than USC in this matchup for the first time since 2000. ... USC AD Pat Haden spent 12 years as a color analyst on Notre Dame television broadcasts.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-24-T25-Notre%20Dame-USC%20Preview%20Capsule/id-be2e901703e34413aeebd38910f6432f

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শুক্রবার, ২৩ নভেম্বর, ২০১২

Scout.com: Vikings' big guys in cancer patients' corner




As families throughout the country gather today to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, as its name implies, it is a time to give thanks for the blessings. For children going through cancer treatment at the University of Minnesota?s Amplatz Children?s Hospital, there isn?t always a lot to be thankful for aside from being given another day on this earth.

Since joining the Vikings, center John Sullivan has had a special bond with the children who battle cancer at the Amplatz Hospital. Some recover. Some don?t. The names and faces change, but the scourge of childhood cancer remains consistent. On Tuesday, Sullivan and some of his teammates made an annual pre-Thanksgiving pilgrimage to Amplatz to visit the children that will be spending this holiday in a hospital instead of being surrounded by family at home and enjoying the holiday.

Sullivan said that the annual visit to the kids brings joy to them, but it gives as much back to the players involved as it does to the children and their families that are excited to see some of their Vikings heroes.

?We definitely get a lot out of it as well,? Sullivan said. ?It feels good to help out and brighten a kid?s day, especially when they?re facing such tough circumstances. It?s a never-ending problem and we feel like we?ve got to be there to support them all the time. It?s what we need to do.?

Among those who joined Sullivan were fellow offensive tackles Matt Kalil and Troy Kropog ? one a blue-chip first-round draft pick and the other a practice squad tackle waiting for his chance to shine as a Viking. It wasn?t a coincidence that Sullivan brought some of his younger, impressionable teammates to make the visit to Amplatz. He knew it would open their eyes to the plight of these children and their families and the message came through loud and clear.

?I?ve never done anything like that, so I didn?t know what to expect,? Kalil said. ?It?s definitely heart-filling when you see these kids and everything they?re going through. At times, you think your life is tough, but then you see these kids fighting cancer or other diseases and it changes your perspective. Just to be able to go in there and put a smile on their faces and make their day and keep fighting, that was pretty cool. It?s probably one of the best experiences I?ve ever had.?

Kropog got much the same slap of reality when viewing the individual battles being fought by children whose bodies have betrayed them. If anyone needs a smile, it?s a little one fighting an adult disease. Any comfort their Vikings heroes could give them was welcomed with open arms ? by the patients and the players alike.

?It?s a great experience for us as much as it is for the kids,? Kropog said. ?They?re not going to have a great Thanksgiving ? spending it in the hospital away from their friends and a lot of their families. A lot of these kids are from North Dakota and South Dakota. It?s a haul just to get here. I think it?s nice to give them something to look forward to, something to think about other than being stuck in a hospital. It feels good and is very heartwarming to be able to give that good feeling to them. And it?s good for us because it?s nice being able to give back.?

For those who had never seen an NFL player up close and personal, they can be a bit daunting ? to an adult, much less a small child. Most people don?t see 300-pound men that are in shape. It can be a bit intimidating, but Sullivan said that they try to come off as really big kids that are there to be friends, not giants roaming the halls of the hospital.

?I think I?d be kind of scared of some of us if I were a little kid,? Sullivan said. ?We try to do things the right way. You make observations on what you think their interests are based on what you see in the room. You avoid certain topics. Everybody gets prepped on that before we go in the room. We know how to handle it. Most of the times, the parents? reaction is so positive, I think that helps. These kids have been through so much, I don?t think seeing big guys come into their room phases them too much.?

These holiday visits give the children, their parents and their siblings moments that they will cherish and carry with them. But at the same time the impact of those visits is just as strong and equally burned in the memories of the players who make the altruistic memories. They?re giving back some of the love that their fans have shown toward them.

?It makes you feel a lot better being able to help in some small way going into the community,? Kalil said. ?People have given so much supporting our team and watching our games, the effect that the Vikings can have because everyone loves us so much is great. To be able to put smiles on the faces of those kids and their families was very cool for us.?

Anyone who has made one of these hospital visits comes away permanently changed for the better. To witness the fighting spirit of the young patients brings a tear to the eye and a recognition that the problems most of us face on a daily basis pale in comparison to what these families are going through during the holiday season.

?Personally, I feel for these kids,? Kropog said. ?It helps me appreciate the things that I have that sometimes I take for granted. In everyday life, we can get caught up thinking about the things we don?t have. When you see the struggles that these kids are going through so early in life, you really give thanks for what you have.?

Sullivan intends to continue the strong relationship he has forged with Amplatz and also plans to continue bringing young teammates along with him to show them what dozens of his teammates have seen over the years. Giving back is one thing. Paying it forward is another and Sullivan wants to make sure that young cancer patients know they have some pretty big guys in their corner and watching their back.

?It?s something I?m proud to be associated with,? Sullivan said. ?If you can bring a smile to a kid?s face that has gone through as much as these kids have, the reward you get is huge. It?s something I love doing because it?s always great to help these kids and their families and it makes you realize that Thanksgiving is about recognizing the things in your life that you?re thankful for.?


John Holler has been writing about the Vikings for more than a decade for Viking Update. Follow Viking Update on Twitter and discuss this topic on our message boards. To become a subscriber to the Viking Update web site or magazine, click here.

Source: http://min.scout.com/2/1242663.html

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Wreck victims on family's first Thanksgiving apart

BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) ? The children of a Houston-area couple killed during Thursday's massive interstate wreck in Texas say this year was the family's first Thanksgiving apart.

Authorities are investigating the chain-reaction wreck that involved more than 100 vehicles, many of which were left twisted on top of each other. The wreck killed the couple and injured at least 80 other people during heavy fog along Interstate 10 near Beaumont.

Vincent and Debbie Leggio were on their way to Louisiana for a gambling trip when their vehicle was caught in the wreck, sons V.J. and Richard Leggio told KHOU-TV.

"My parents are wonderful loving people ? all who knew them knew that," V.J. Leggio told the station. "They will be sorely missed ? sorely missed."

He said he worked with his father at the family business, Vinco Electric in Pearland, the Houston suburb where his parents lived.

"We had a good relationship," he added. "We got to spend time together golfing and fishing, and I'm so thankful for that now."

Hospitals have released most others injured in the crash, though 12 people were reported in serious condition Thursday night. Phone messages left Friday for law enforcement officials weren't returned.

The wreck occurred southwest of Beaumont, on Texas' Gulf Coast. The heavy fog made it hard for law enforcement to determine at first how many wrecks had occurred.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a crash on the eastbound side of the highway led to other accidents in a dangerous chain reaction. There were multiple crashes on the other side of the highway as well.

Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Chuck Havard told KFDM-TV on Friday that investigators will work to determine whether any drivers will face charges.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wreck-victims-familys-1st-thanksgiving-apart-224236035.html

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6: HOSA F XLR (F) - New Electronic Consumer Reviews Blog

HOSA F XLR (F) - STEREO 1/4? PHONE, 15ft. by Hosa Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973 Buy new: $25.99 $3.99 10 used & new from $3.99 (Visit the Hot New Releases in Compact Stereos list for authoritative information on this product?s current rank.)

Order:
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Source: http://www.wiki-products.com/6-hosa-f-xlr-f-stereo-14-phone-15ft/

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R2 Live Stream: NetHui South 2012 ? Video Stream 2 ? Business ...

Written by Selwyn Manning on Friday, November 23rd, 2012

R2 Live Stream: Video Stream 2 ? Business and Innovation

Welcome to the live webcast from NetHui South 2012, held at Otago University and Otago Museum. 23-24 November 2012.

Stream 2 ? Business and Innovation. Cloud Computing, Big Data and always connected devices. Otago Museum ? Kakapo Room.

Courtesy of R2.co.nz and InternetNZ ? NetHui South has two simultaneus stream sessions during the break-out sessions. Stream 1 ? Dunedin Digital Strategy ? Opportunities and Challenges. Otago Museum ? Hutton Theatre.

  • Click here for live stream 1 on LiveNews.
  • InternetNZ states: NetHui South is a unique two-day conference focussing on the economic, social and cultural opportunities the Internet provides New Zealand. for more and the programme, click here.

    You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

    Source: http://livenews.co.nz/2012/11/live-stream-video-stream-2-business-and-innovation/

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    Zombie Bottle Opener

    Let’s face it, zombies are in at the moment. ?But if you watch all the shows, you’ll know that all they do want to do is eat your brains. Well Neatoshop?has come up with a way of making a zombie useful. ?Their USA-handcrafted Zombie Bottle Opener is made from urethane resin and handpainted, so no [...]

    Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/11/21/zombie-bottle-opener/

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    Bomb kills 3 soldiers, 2 civilians in Pakistan

    QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - A bomb blast killed three soldiers and two civilians in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Wednesday, security officials said.

    The bomb, attached to a motorcycle, exploded near a security vehicle escorting school children, they said. Sixteen people were wounded. A Reuters reporter saw the corpses of three soldiers under the vehicle as it burned.

    There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack in Baluchistan, Pakistan's biggest but poorest province which borders Afghanistan and Iran, and where several militant groups are active.

    Ethnic Baluch separatists are waging an insurgency, demanding more autonomy and control over natural resources. Pro-Taliban militants also operate in the area and Sunni Muslim militants regularly carry out attacks on Baluchistan's Shi'ite Muslim minority.

    In a separate attack, suspected militants shot dead four policemen in the northwestern town of Bannu, a police official said. Pakistan's Taliban movement claimed responsibility.

    (Reporting by Saleem Shahid; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bomb-kills-three-soldiers-pakistan-toll-likely-rise-101003444.html

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    শনিবার, ১৭ নভেম্বর, ২০১২

    Beverly Hills Immigration Law: Rubio Brushes Off 2016, Urges ...

    CNN

    By Ashey Killough

    November 15, 2012

    Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida hit back Thursday at the notion that his upcoming trip to headline a birthday fundraiser for Iowa's governor, Terry Branstad, may be a move to lay some groundwork for a potential presidential run.

    Rubio said "the trip to Iowa has nothing to do with 2016," adding that he accepted the invitation before GOP nominee Mitt Romney lost the presidential election.

    The speaking gig quickly stirred talk of a future White House bid for Rubio, as the event provides the freshman senator the chance to mingle with the Republican class in Iowa, the first state to caucus in a presidential election.

    Rubio said when he agreed to attend the fundraiser, which takes place Saturday, he did so at a time when he "fully believed" Romney would win the election and Rubio would be working for the GOP nominee's re-election in four years.

    In fact, a GOP source told CNN last week that Rubio RSVP'd for the fundraiser in late August at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.

    His comments came in a wide-ranging interview with National Journal's Major Garrett at the Aspen Institute's Washington Ideas Forum, where Rubio also spoke frankly about a renewed sense of urgency in his push for immigration reform. He especially charged forward with a call to help undocumented students brought to the country illegally but now face deportation.

    "They are more like refugees than illegal immigration folks," he said, describing the problem as a "humanitarian" issue. "It behooves us to find a permanent solution."

    Rubio, whose parents emigrated from Cuba, has long been an advocate for immigration reform and drafted legislation that supposedly echoed provisions in the DREAM Act, Democratic-backed legislation aimed to help undocumented students gain legal status. The bill failed to garner enough support in Congress, despite several attempts.

    Before unveiling his immigration plan, however, Rubio shelved the legislation after President Barack Obama issued a directive earlier this year that allows certain people younger than 30, who came to the United States illegally before age 16, to apply for a two-year deferral from deportation.

    Immigration has been a prime topic among Republicans in the days following Romney's presidential loss. CNN national exit polls indicated Latinos turned out in huge numbers for Obama-71%?and a majority of voters overall?61%? said they supported the idea of granting legal status to most illegal immigrants.

    Rubio expanded on the GOP soul searching, saying some in the party could adjust their tone on illegal immigration.

    "Unfortunately conservatives have done an excellent job of defining what we're against but not a good enough job of what we are for," he said. "What we are for is a legal immigration system that works."

    Asked about Romney's comment from the Republican primaries that illegal immigrants should "self-deport" and get in the back of the line in their own countries to apply for legal re-entry, Rubio, who was a leading surrogate for the GOP nominee, cautioned against using such language.

    "It's hard to get people to listen to you...if they think you want to deport their grandmother," he said. "Policy matters, too, but rhetoric is important."

    He later added that illegal immigrants should not be referred to as statistics. "We're speaking about human beings," he said.

    The senator also weighed in on the thickening battle to find a deficit-reduction deal before an end-of-the-year deadline sets off the so-called fiscal cliff. Included in the fiscal cliff are massive spending cuts that were voted on by Congress and approved by Obama last year as an incentive for lawmakers to find a deal. If they failed to act, the bill stipulated, the country would face $1.2 trillion in automatic, across-the-board spending cuts starting in 2013.

    Rubio, who voted against the bill in 2011, said the sequester "was a dumb idea and it's a dumber idea today."

    "It was bipartisan dumb," he added. "People want bipartisan. There you have it."

    Rubio, however, stressed he had a strong "economic objection" to the idea of raising tax rates as a way to bring in revenue, the main push being made by Senate Democrats and Obama. He forcefully argued such a policy would severely affect small business owners, while still not raising nearly enough to close the budget gap.

    Republicans, meanwhile, propose limiting deductions and closing loopholes in the tax code-an approach Democrats say would also fail to raise enough revenue.

    Saying "you can't cut your way" or "tax your way out of this," Rubio argued that the economy also needs more robust training and education in order to boost the work force.

    Pressed on whether he would vote for a deal that included tax rates, Rubio said he would not "vote for anything that's not a solution." Asked to elaborate, he said he would vote for policies that spur "economic growth."

    Source: http://beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.blogspot.com/2012/11/rubio-brushes-off-2016-urges.html

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    শুক্রবার, ১৬ নভেম্বর, ২০১২

    Government surveillance 'on the rise': Google

    14 hrs.

    Government?demands for user data worldwide from Google?have "increased steadily,"?the search giant says in a new report: "One trend has become clear:?Government surveillance is on the rise."

    "Government demands for user data have increased steadily since we first launched the Transparency Report," writes Dorothy Chou, Google senior policy analyst, on the company's?blog?about its latest "transparency report."

    "In the first half of 2012, there were 20,938 inquiries from government entities around the world. Those requests were for information about 34,614 accounts."

    The finding comes in the wake of revelations of government email?snooping in the case of former CIA director David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell.?

    U.S. government agencies continue to make the most requests for user data, Google says: 7,969 such requests in the first half of the year. Google says it complied with 90 percent of those requests.

    Second to the U.S. in the number of government requests for user data: India, with 2,319 requests; then, Brazil (1,566), France (1,546), Germany?(1,533) and the United Kingdom (1,425):

    Here's Google's look at the number of government requests worldwide?to turn over data it has received from 2009, when it started sharing the transparency data, to now:

    "You can see the country-by-country trends for requests to hand over?user data?and to?remove content?from our services in the Transparency Report itself, but in aggregate around the world, the numbers continue to go up," Chou wrote.

    An important note to all of this, Chou adds:?The information shared in the report represents "only an isolated?sliver showing how governments interact with the Internet, since for the most part we don?t know what requests are made of other technology or telecommunications companies."

    Google, she says, is "heartened that in the past year, more companies like Dropbox, LinkedIn, Sonic.net and Twitter have begun to share their statistics too. Our hope is that over time, more data will bolster public debate about how we can best keep the Internet free and open."

    Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on?Facebook,?and on?Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

    Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/government-surveillance-rise-says-google-1C7048164

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    বৃহস্পতিবার, ১৫ নভেম্বর, ২০১২

    Von Miller fined $21K by NFL for hit on Cam Newton

    Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller was fined by the NFL for a late hit on Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

    Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller was fined $21,000 by the NFL on Thursday for a late hit below the knees on Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, reports the Denver Post. While Miller received a roughing the passer penalty during the game, he told the Denver Post that he will appeal the fine.

    After falling down on the pass rush, Miller quickly got back to his feet and lunged at Newton's legs, wrapping him up and apparently not knowing that the quarterback had already released the ball. From the Denver Post:

    "How am I supposed to know if he threw the ball or not?" Miller said. "I was down on the ground -- actually the guard facemasked me and threw me into the quarterback. I'm supposed to what? Stand straight up and continue with the tackle?"

    Miller recorded six tackles and had a forced fumble against the Panthers. Going into the game, the second-year pro said he would celebrate any sack on Newton with the quarterback's famous Superman celebration, and with a sack on the game, Miller got to do just that.

    Denver defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson was also fined $15,000 for a horse collar on Newton during last Sunday's 36-14 victory.

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

    Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MileHighReport/~3/yWexIYvSwQk/von-miller-fined-broncos-hit-cam-newton

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    Obama wants 'conversation' on climate change

    WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama says he wants to begin a national "conversation" on climate change.

    At a news conference Wednesday, Obama said his administration has taken steps to combat global warming, such as sharply increasing fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks.

    But he said, "we haven't done as much as we need to" on global warming, which was virtually ignored during the presidential campaign until Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast.

    Obama did not outline specific legislation, but said he would talk with scientists, engineers and elected officials to find ways to make short-term progress to reduce carbon emissions. After that, he said the country should begin long-term efforts "to make sure that this is not something we're passing on to future generations."

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-wants-conversation-climate-change-200845653--finance.html

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    শনিবার, ১০ নভেম্বর, ২০১২

    Durant helps Thunder edge Bulls 97-91

    CHICAGO (AP) ? Kevin Durant scored eight of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Chicago Bulls 97-91 on Thursday night.

    Durant iced the game with an off-balance jumper off one foot with 35.1 seconds to play.

    Serge Ibaka scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half, and had a team-high nine rebounds for the Thunder, who beat the Bulls for the third time in their last four games at Chicago. Russell Westbrook chipped in with 16 points and 12 assists.

    Luol Deng led the Bulls with 27 points, and Richard Hamilton added 20 points and eight rebounds. Joakim Noah had nine points, 13 rebounds and a team-high six assists.

    Hamilton made a tying jumper with 2:52 to play, but then Durant took over, making a floater from the top of the key over Deng to keep the Bulls at bay.

    Durant was passive for much of the game and didn't attempt a free throw until the closing seconds. He has had just one game without a free-throw attempt since the start of the 2010-11 season.

    The Thunder put together a 7-0 to grab the lead with 8:34 to play. Nick Collison capped the surge with a layup off a pass from Eric Maynor.

    Deng snapped the run with his third 3-pointer of the game. Deng entered the contest 1 for 11 from behind the arc. Chicago ranked last in the league in 3-point makes, attempts and percentage, but hit a season-high five 3s in the game.

    The Thunder responded a six-point run, taking a five-point lead after Ibaka blocked a Deng shot from behind, igniting a fast break and Thabo Sefolosha's layup.

    Kirk Hinrich scored seven points to lead a third-quarter Bulls charge, hitting his second 3-pointer of the game and reaching double figures in scoring for the first time this season. Chicago led 72-66 entering the final period.

    The Bulls jumped to an early eight-point lead, but the Thunder closed the opening period with a 9-2 run to tie the game. Durant scored the last six points of the quarter on two dunks and a jump shot.

    Ibaka scored 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting in the opening quarter and increased that to 15 by the half, when the Thunder led 48-47.

    Jimmy Butler helped Chicago stay close the second quarter, putting up six points, three rebounds and three assists in the period, while playing solid defense on fellow reserve Kevin Martin, who scored 15 points for the Thunder.

    Hinrich finished with 12 points.

    NOTES: It was a season-high point total for Durant, who entered averaging 20.8 points after scoring a league-best 28.0 points per game last season. Durant had scored at least 25 points in his last seven games against Chicago, but his high in Oklahoma City's first four games was just 23. . The Bulls entered second in the league in defensive points allowed per possession. Chicago hadn't allowed a team to score more than 93 points in any of its first four games.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/durant-helps-thunder-edge-bulls-97-91-035237564--spt.html

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    On Election Night, score a victory for traditional media

    While people used social media to share Election Night comments, a surge in news site traffic and robust TV viewership showed so-called legacy media are still the preeminent sources for news.

    By Gloria Goodale,?Staff writer / November 8, 2012

    People watch a television channel broadcasting US presidential election results in a neighborhood affected by Hurricane Sandy in Hoboken, N.J., Nov. 6.

    Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

    Enlarge

    Social media may be the darling of a mobile generation weaned on interactivity and speed, but Election Night this year delivered a small silver lining of good news to so-called legacy media outlets such as newspapers and television.

    Skip to next paragraph

    Recent posts

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    With an average 300 percent increase in traffic?on news sites linked to such outlets as The New York Times and ABC News and with 66 million viewers watching TV, news of the legacy media?s death ? to?paraphrase Mark Twain ? is greatly exaggerated.

    ?Content is still king,? says Len Shyles, communication professor at Villanova University in Philadelphia.

    While many people now interact with social media such as Twitter and Facebook while they are watching TV, Professor Shyles says, ?they are commenting on it, messing around with it, having fun with what they just heard, and sharing it with others.?

    But, he points out, the legacy media is still the pre-eminent source, ?and social media is still ancillary.?

    Legacy media are stage setters for social media actors, agrees Charles Dunn, author of ?The Seven Laws of Presidential leadership.?

    Social media have come into their own as major players in political debate, he says via e-mail,??but legacy media continue to play the primary role in setting the stage for debate and discussion about political issues and personalities.?

    Certainly the allocation of resources in the two campaigns leading up to Tuesday night supports this view.

    According to the most recent report from the Wesleyan Media Project, the number of TV ads aired in the presidential general election passed the one million mark as of Oct. 29. The two candidates, their party committees, and supporting interest groups sponsored 1,015,615 ads since June 1, a 39.1 percent increase over 2008 and a 41 percent increase over 2004.

    A recent student-conducted study from the Farmer School of Business at Miami University in Ohio also supports this media consumption model. When asked what media had the most influence on their knowledge of the issues in this election, 29 percent of student respondents said Fox News, 22 percent said social media such as Facebook and Twitter, and 12 percent said MSNBC.

    Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/nTlaxxcP4Aw/On-Election-Night-score-a-victory-for-traditional-media

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    Turkish army kills 42 Kurdish militants, official says

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    Man killed at Swedish PM's residence

    (AP) ? Swedish media say a man was shot and killed at the prime minister's residence in downtown Stockholm. The prime minister was not in the building.

    Police spokeswoman Tove Hagg confirmed to the AP that a man had been killed. She wouldn't give details but said "there is nothing that indicates a crime."

    Hagg said the man had "full access" to the location but was not a bodyguard or an employee of the government or Parliament.

    Markus Friberg, a spokesman for Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, told the AP the prime minister was not in the building when the shooting happened.

    Friberg said: "The prime minister is fine. He was at an external meeting. He wasn't there."

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-09-Sweden-Shooting/id-591cd8efb9544d40adf1e35936d74461

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    TED Blog | Are orphanages a necessary evil, or is there a better way?

    08 November 2012

    More than 8 million children live in orphanages worldwide. But as Georgette Mulheir shares in today?s brave talk, given at TEDSalon London Spring 2012, an estimated 90% of them are not true orphans. These children are sent to orphanages because a single parent is not adequately able to care for them, because of rampant poverty at home, or because they have a disability or special needs.

    This is something that Mulheir?s organization, Lumos (interesting fact: it was founded by JK Rowling), hopes to change, because children who grow up in orphanages do not integrate seamlessly into larger society. As Mulheir shares, children raised in orphanages are 10 times more likely to be involved in prostitution, 40 times more likely to have a criminal record and ? shockingly ? 500 times more likely to commit suicide.

    Mulheir has visited hundreds of orphanages in 18 countries, and notes a similar feedback loop at work in each ? children have limited contact with caregivers and don?t get the stimulation they need for optimum development. They develop self-soothing behaviors ? like self-harming ? that get them labeled as disabled and keep them in institutions long term. This is not necessarily because orphanage personnel are bad people ? it?s because they simply have too many kids to care for.

    In her talk, Mulheir wonders if there is another way and calls for a radical resource redistribution. She points out that giving support ? both financial and otherwise ? to desperate parents and foster families would cost governments far less than maintaining large care institutions. With the saved funds, better services could be created for children who need them.

    ?Children are amazingly resilient,? says Mulheir. ?We find that if we get them out of institutions and into loving families early on, they recover their developmental delays and go on to lead normal happy lives.

    How bad can orphanages be? Listen to the vivid description in Mulheir?s talk. And after the jump, Mulheir shares a blog post she wrote as she visited an orphanage in November 2009.? She?s happy to report that the last of the children moved out of the institution by summer of 2012.

    Mulheir writes:?

    The first thing that greets you is the smell: it is a specific stench that, unless you?ve experienced it, is hard to define. It is a combination of stale urine, boiled cabbage and fear. ?It remains with you long after you leave the building. And, no matter how much they wash, it is a smell that remains on many children for weeks after they leave an institution and move into a family home.

    This residential special school is a three-hour drive from the capital. It is remote, isolated and inaccessible. It is typical of everything that is wrong with the institutional system of caring for children.

    The main building is familiar to me even before we arrive ? an immense, grey, concrete block, like so many others in the former Soviet bloc. I know the layout immediately, because they were all designed in the same way. I imagine that a factory in some former Soviet republic produced all the institutions for children, in the same way that all trams were produced in what was Czechoslovakia and all the parachutes in what is now Transnistria. An identikit building, designed to homogenise an entire population, and to raise a generation of children loyal to the Party and the State.

    Such thoughts are reaffirmed as I enter the lobby of the building: 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, we are greeted by a bust of Lenin. I have been visiting this country for 10 years and I have never seen such open homage to the old regime, whatever people may think privately.

    The Director is also there to meet us, eager to show us around her empire. We walk to her office through corridors that are dark and dank. The floors are wet and, as we walk around the institution, 20 metres ahead of us there is always the same elderly woman mopping the floor furiously. Those children we pass do not raise their eyes to look at us. Even when we try to engage them in conversation, their gazes are fixed, firmly, to the floor.

    We are taken to the Director?s office for the obligatory discussion about the institution?s history and its incredible success as a school.

    ?We have 120 children here,? she tells us. ?They all have special educational needs and we do our very best to provide a good education for them. But more than that, many of these children come from terrible families. Here we provide them with the care they need ? we are their parental home.?

    I think about the stench, the damp, the deadened eyes of the children and wonder what sort of home this is.

    ?We opened in 1956,? she continues, proudly, ?and since then more than 5,000 children have come through this institution. We have many successes to be proud of: some of our ?graduates? have established their own families and now their children are living here with us.?

    There is no irony in her statement. She appears to believe this is a genuine measure of success.

    ?Our children have many problems, illnesses and terribly difficult behaviours,? she explains. ?So many of them have enuresis, but the doctor gives them pills to treat it.?

    Enuresis ? or bedwetting ? is a common problem for children in institutions. Here, it is exacerbated by the toilet situation. I am sure the Director had hoped we would not visit the toilets when she showed us around the building, but we do. The floors are sparkling and, bizarrely, covered in brand new rugs. The stench, however, cannot be hidden. And when I enter each of the five cubicles I find that each is covered in old excrement: none of them is functioning.

    It is clear that there are no toilets here that work. For the 120 children who live here, going to the toilet means visiting the latrine outside. In winter, the temperature falls to minus 25?C. No wonder that so many of the children wet the bed.

    The next stop on our guided tour is the kitchen. Here, two cooks are preparing a chicken dinner for the children. This, I?m later reliably informed, is a rare occasion. The children don?t often receive meat. As we?re there, a piece of meat falls on the floor. One of the cooks picks it up, hesitates, looks at me, and even though she sees that I?m watching, she throws it back into the pot.

    The dining room is next door ? dark, dank, huge and Dickensian. Row upon row of bare tables and wooden benches.

    We move on to the classrooms. Here we meet some of the children and see them at their lessons. The six and seven year olds are so small. My colleague bends down to speak to one the girls.

    ?What are you working on?? she asks.

    ?I want my mum,? she responds, her eyes filling with tears.

    Several of the other children also look on the verge of tears. I sit next to one little boy and try to engage with him. He turns away, refusing to make contact. He is terrified.

    We enter another classroom, filled with 10- and 11-year-olds. They cope better with our visit. They answer our questions, jump up and say a few words in English, and offer to help me improve my Maths. They are all bright kids. I have yet to see one child who I think would need special education. Again, though, there is a girl looking sad. She sits in the corner, on her own. My colleague asks the Director what is wrong with her.

    ?Oh, she was at home with her mum for a month,? the Director responds loudly, ?but she came back to us yesterday and she isn?t used to it yet.?

    The girl begins to cry.

    After visiting several more classrooms we are taken to a room you would find hard to imagine. It?s clearly a type of bathroom, dank and dirty, with rusting pipework and chipped and broken tiles on the wall. In the middle of the room is an odd contraption: half shower, half primitive bidet.

    ?What?s this room for?? I ask.

    ?This is the female hygiene room,? a member of staff responds. ?The girls come here to clean themselves when it is their time of the month.?

    A flustered member of staff tries to demonstrate the contraption, but the water is turned off and the boiler is broken. So we move on.

    Next are the bedrooms. They are not too large, with eight to ten beds per room. There are brand new blankets on the beds. Their colours are so vivid that the contrast to the rest of the building is almost an assault on the eyes. There is, however, nothing personal in the rooms. There are no personal spaces. There are no personal possessions.

    There are just a couple of broken-down cupboards and a shelf. One toothbrush, one tube of toothpaste and one bar of soap sit on the shelf. All of them are still in their packaging, unopened.

    There are three corridors of bedrooms, with 40 children on each corridor. For some bizarre reason, there are boys? and girls? bedrooms on each floor.

    ?How many members of staff are on duty at night?? I ask.

    The answer is three. They are untrained and unqualified. The Director refers to them as babysitters.

    How can one member of staff ensure the protection and safety of 40 children? How easy is it for one child to distract the staff member, while others sneak into bedrooms so they can bully those more vulnerable?

    I have seen it before in institutions where I have made unannounced visits. The staff members are drunk or asleep. The children do what they want. The law of the jungle prevails.

    Finally, we?re taken to the piece de resistance: the hall where the children ?play?. A feast has been prepared for us. So much food. So much variety. I am sure the children never see anything like this. I feel sick. We try to refuse, but in the end we must take a small bite to eat. We do, however, successfully refuse the Director?s invitation to a drink of vodka. It is only 10.30am, but she is clearly disappointed.

    ?What do you think of the reform process and the future of these institutions?? we ask her.

    ?The reform is a very good thing,? she responds. ?We support the reform, but you can?t just leave these children with such terrible families. And if they closed our school, where would our children receive such a good education? We agree with the reform, but only when the community is ready to look after children.?

    I know there is no point explaining to the Director that the educational outcomes of her institution are appalling and that studies show repeatedly that children raised in institutions in this part of the world do not do well as adults. I hold my tongue, because I know that I will never convince this Director of the truth.

    Thankfully, the local county council agrees with us that this institution has to go. They asked us to visit because they want to close it and they want to know if we can help them do this.

    As she leads us to the door, we pass a huge sign on one of the walls. It summarises the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: Children?s right to family, to a good education and healthcare. Their right to speak up and be heard.

    We thank the Director for her hospitality and say goodbye to Lenin and his young charges.

    This place must close. These children deserve better. After our visit, the County Councillor agrees a date for us to meet very soon in order to finalise the plans for closing this institution, so that she can convince all of her colleagues.

    By the summer, we hope to able to start finding families for these children. So they have a place they can truly call home.

    To hear more about what?s it?s like to grow up a ?ward of the state,? listen to Lemn Sissay?s powerful TEDTalk, ?A child of the state.?

    Source: http://blog.ted.com/2012/11/08/are-orphanages-a-necessary-evil-or-is-there-a-better-way/

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