Judge upholds suspension of Christian counselor
July 29, 2010—US District Court Judge George Caram Steeh, a 1998 Bill Clinton appointee to the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Steeh, who is the former President of the Arab-American Bar Association, dismissed a lawsuit filed against Eastern Michigan University [EMU] by a Christian graduate student, Julea Ward, who was expelled by the university because she refused to affirm that homosexual behavior was normal.Ward enrolled in an EMU program with expectations that she would complete the program and become a high school student counselor As a student counselor, Ward counseled student "clients" in a university-operated clinic. In one instance she encountered a "client" who had recently been involved in a homosexual relationship that went bad. The "client" had previously been counseled about that relationship. He wanted to be treated for depression—which would entail further counseling about that relationship. Because of her opposition to homosexuality, Ward asked her faculty supervisor if she could refer the client to another counselor.
She explained her religious views precluded her from telling the client that his homosexual behavior was normal.
The university told Ward she would be allowed to stay in the program only if she underwent a "remediation reeducation program" (diversity training) so she could see "the error of her ways" and alter her views about homosexuality. She refused. Telling her that her conduct violated the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics, she was expelled.
Alliance Defense Fund senior counsel David French, who represented Ward in her efforts to force the school to reinstate her told the media that "...Christian students shouldn't be expelled for holding to and abiding by their beliefs. To reach its decision, the courts had to do something that's never been done in federal court: uphold an extremely broad and vague university speech code." It is a speech code defined by the American Civil Liberties Union working in conjunction with the American bar Association beginning in 1989.
In May of that year the ABA distributed to their membership a little noticed or talked about brochure advertising a seminar "...for attorneys who want to be on the leading edge of an explosive new are area of law"—suing churches, Christian leaders, Christian activists and schools that cross the line. The reason? The utopians attempting to create world government were quick to grasp the reality that the patriotism that fuels nationalism is rooted in Christian faith. It became clear to the globalists that before American sovereignty could be breached, the social progressives who were determined to destroy the nation with the aid of corrupt political hacks, judges and bureaucrats who would attack the underpinnings of the 1st Amendment and destroy both religious freedom and free speech.
One of Julea Ward's lawyers, Jeremy Tedesco told Fox News Radio that while the ruling did not explicitly say so, its clear the decision could allow colleges and universities across the nation the expel Christian students for voicing explicit Christian tenets under a host of different scenarios. The Alliance Defense Fund also defended another counseling student at Augusta State University in Georgia. Jennifer Keeton was told to stop sharing her Christian beliefs if she wanted to graduate from Augusta. Keeton's ADF lawsuit argued that she was told she would have to undergo a "reeducation program" and attend "diversity sensitivity classes" if she expected to graduate. Through the efforts of the social progressives the 1st Amendment has successfully morphed into Articles 13 and 14 of the UN's Covenant on Human Rights. The 1st Amendment no longer exists for Christians if social progressives or the deviants they need to get elected object.
Augusta State University issued a statement that the University does not discriminate on the basis of students' moral, religious, political or personal beliefs. Except, it appears unless those moral, religious or personal beliefs are Christian.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Jon Christian Ryter's Conservative World
Source Quality Content … Continuously
Written on July 30th, 2010 at 01:07 am by Georgina Laidlaw
Source Quality Content … Continuously
What does every blogger need more of? Quality content!
This is the first of a series of six posts that tackle key content questions. Today, we’re looking specifically at content sources: places where you can get ideas and information that, with a little work, you can turn into quality blog posts.
Your posts may be text, images or video; they could deal with any topic. But every blogger needs post ideas, and all of us hit uninspired patches through which we still need to produce compelling content to a regular schedule.
Thinking strategically about the content sources you use can deliver several benefits:
- It provides its own inspiration: can’t think of a personal story to share today? No problem — use one of the many other content sources at your disposal.
- It can make your life easier: instead of scrounging around one or two sources of ideas, you can find and track great sources through which you’ll gain access to a constant flow of post ideas.
- It helps ensure you don’t omit important information: if your blog covers a growing market space, there are probably news items and events that you’ll want to make sure you cover. Monitoring key content sources will help you deliver the essential stories to your readers at the right time.
- It can help you to think intelligently about how you pitch each post: a greater choice of content sources offers you more opportunities to creatively reach specific reader segments in ways that resonate specifically with them.
- It can give you a wider range of tools with which to achieve your blogging objectives: try different content sources, and over time you may well find that different types of information produce posts that serve particular objectives. We all know, for example, that a review post can provide affiliate opportunities that can translate directly into revenue. Work out which post types help achieve specific audience, promotion or revenue goals, and identify content sources for those posts, and you’ll be able to focus on making the content resonate with your audience, rather than spending your time searching for basic post ideas.
I usually see content sources as falling into two categories: internal and external sources.
Internal Content Sources
Internal content sources are those that exist within my operation, myself, and my audience. They include:
- feedback and audience discussion around past posts
- the audience itself
- my experiences, perspective, and opinion
- my network of colleagues and contacts
It’s essential that you stay abreast of what’s happening on your site. Existing discussions can help you identify topics that unite your audience in sharing, learning, or debate — all of which helps build community.
It’ll also provide one means for engaging with your audience (along with social media and other sources of direct audience contact). Sure, your site stats are helpful as a frame of reference, but nothing beats actual user engagement for getting ideas about what your blog’s readers want to know, what makes them laugh, and what motivates them.
Thinking objectively about your own experiences in the field, as well as those of your contacts, can unearth some intriguing ideas and information that can immediately help you to develop posts. But beyond that, your passion for your field should see you investigating ideas with colleagues, and forming your own opinions about industry developments. Those unique perspectives can provide a wealth of post ideas — from interviews and news-style reports to the kinds of opinion and analysis posts that stick in readers’ minds, and keep them coming back to check the comments long after they’ve read your post.
External Content Sources
External content sources lie beyond my immediate sphere of operation. They include:
- other media focused on the same topic, including offline media, such as interest magazines and industry publications, forums, user groups, social network trends and discussions, and more.
- other people focused on the same topic, including thought leaders, commentators, reviewers, passionate hobbyists, and organisational heads.
I like to subscribe to media that focus on the same topic as my blog, so I’m constantly fed content ideas through story alerts, media releases, and news updates. The same goes for tracking people who lead opinion or have expertise in my area — by subscribing to their blogs, regularly visiting their sites, and following them on social networks, I can keep a grip not just on the news, but on the discussions and thinking that occur in the broader arena in which I operate.
The posts that arise from these sources might be as pragmatic as a product or service review, daily reports from an industry conference, or ongoing commentary on a major development in your area of interest. Or they can be as theoretical as an essay taking in various industry-leading opinions, advice, and responses on a particular topic. The posts may be yours, or those of a guest blogger you’ve sourced through your offsite research. In any case, your blog won’t be short of content.
Continuous Content
Sourcing regular, quality content is every blogger’s challenge. But with that challenge comes the hurdles of variety, insight, exclusivity and personality. At the heart of it all, you’ll need a continuous content sourcing approach.
To source content continually, you’ll need to build content sourcing into your schedule, and into your brain. Yes, you’ll need to dedicate time to content-sourcing tasks, like flicking through RSS feeds, reading, researching, interviewing, networking, and so on. But all that becomes easy if you treat everything you do around your blog topic as a potential content sourcing opportunity.
Soon, you’ll no longer sit down to write a blog post and start by wracking your brains for ideas. Instead, you’ll find content ideas pop up everywhere. You’ll stop asking yourself, “What will I write about?” and find yourself picking and choosing from a plethora of ideas that “just come to you”.
What’s your favourite source of quality content ideas?
About the Author: Georgina has more than ten years’ experience writing and editing for web, print and voice. She now blogs for WebWorkerDaily and SitePoint, and consults on content to a range of other clients.
iWon News - US gas stations: Stay BP or change name to Amoco?
By HARRY R. WEBER
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - BP gas station owners across the country are divided over whether the oil giant stained by its handling of the Gulf spill should rebrand U.S. outlets as Amoco or another name as part of its effort to repair the company's badly damaged reputation.
Some who have seen their sales plunge because of protests say BP has already sought a fresh start by naming an American to replace its gaffe-prone British CEO, so why not change the name on gas stations marquees as a further symbol of that culture shift.
Others worry that a name change is a big deal that is risky given all the marketing dollars already spent building up the BP brand. They also believe a successful turnaround with the existing brand will have a bigger payoff.
In the aftermath of the oil spill, some BP-branded gas stations reported sales declines of 10 percent to 40 percent from Florida to Illinois. BP later responded by offering distributors of BP gasoline cash in their pockets, reductions in credit card
fees and help with more national advertising.
The BP name and green-and-yellow sunflower logo took over after BP merged with Amoco in the late 1990s, replacing the Amoco name and its blue-and-red torch inside an oval logo.
There is precedent for such a drastic move to return to the Amoco name or to go with a new name. Think AirTran after the ValuJet crash and Xe Services after the killing of civilians by Blackwater Worldwide guards in Iraq.
John Kleine, who heads a trade group that represents distributors of BP gasoline in the U.S., told The Associated Press that interest in changing names has not reached a fever pitch by any means, but it has supporters and is percolating among station owners ahead of their annual convention with BP executives in October.
"Is it on the minds of people? Sure," Kleine said. "It would not be a topic of conversation if not for the oil spill."
Kleine noted that many distributors would still like BP to try to rebuild its existing brand, and if that cannot be done, then to consider alternatives.
Distributors in many cases also own and operate stations.
Two BP officials said in e-mails that the company is not considering rebranding U.S. gas stations.
BP owns just a fraction of the more than 11,000 stations across the U.S. that sell its fuel mostly under the BP banner. ARCO, a BP affiliate, is predominant in the West. Kleine said the Amoco name is no longer supposed to be used, but acknowledged in rare cases it may still exist in a few locations. Most BP-branded stations are owned by local people whose primary connection to the oil company is the logo and a contract to buy gasoline.
Bob Juckniess, who owns 10 BP-branded stations in the Chicago area, is in the camp that wants BP to consider rebranding to Amoco at U.S. outlets.
"The BP brand is very tarnished right now, not just the brand but the reputation as a company is tarnished," said Juckniess. He added, "Amoco was very well known and had a great reputation as a name and a brand."
Juckniess said he feels so strongly about the issue that he would "urge BP to look at the ramifications of such a change."
It is noteworthy that Bob Dudley, the American who will replace Tony Hayward as CEO on Oct. 1, worked for 20 years at Amoco Corp.
On the other side of the debate is Jeff Miller, whose company owns, operates and supplies roughly 56 BP-branded stations primarily in southeastern Virginia.
He said that if BP does the job right and invests back in its brand and customer base, it stands to gain more by not changing the name at U.S. stations.
"When you look at all the case histories of all that have done it well, whether it is Toyota, Tylenol or Exxon
Miller said he has heard from a number of station owners who have suggested BP rebrand U.S. stations as Amoco, but he describes that as a "knee-jerk reaction.""I think you get a better return by working on repairing your reputation than starting fresh," he said.
Jim Donnini, whose company owns, operates and supplies roughly 75 gas stations in Florida that fly under brands including Chevron, Exxon, Shell, Sunoco and Valero, said Amoco was a very strong brand in Florida.
"Everybody thought they missed their opportunity to keep it that way," Donnini said of BP, referring to the aftermath of the Amoco merger.
Donnini, who doesn't own any BP stations, said he has heard from owners of BP-branded stations in Florida who would like BP to consider a name change at U.S. stations.
"It's really a shame the independent businessmen that fly that BP flag are being victimized," Donnini said.
Monsanto: The evil corporation in your refrigerator
Monsanto: The evil corporation in your refrigerator
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Food
When we consider the rogue's gallery of devilish, over-sized, greedy and disproportionately powerful corporations, we generally come up with outfits like Microsoft, Bechtel, AIG, Halliburton, Goldman-Sachs, Exxon-Mobil and the United States Senate. Yet somehow, Monsanto, arguably the most devilish, over-sized, greedy and disproportionately powerful corporation in the world has been able to more or less skulk between the raindrops -- only a household name in households where documentaries like Food Inc. are regarded as light Friday evening entertainment. My house, for example. But for the most part, if you were to ask an average American for their list of sinister corporations, Monsanto probably wouldn't make the cut.
It should.
Founded by Missouri pharmacist John Francis Queeny in 1901, Monsanto is literally everywhere. Just about every non-organic food product available to consumers has some sort of connection with Monsanto.
Anyone who can read a label knows that corn, soy and cotton can be found in just about every American food product. Upwards of 90% of all corn, soybeans and cotton are grown from genetically engineered seeds, also known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). These genetically enhanced products appear in around 70% of all American processed food products. And Monsanto controls 90% of all genetically engineered seeds. In other words, Monsanto controls -- and owns patents on -- most of the American food supply.
When you consider, as Walletpop originally reported, that one-in-four food labels is inaccurate, that the F.D.A.'s testing is weak at best, then how can we trust one corporation to have so much control over our produce? The answer is, we can't.
Recently, a study by the International Journal of Biological Sciences revealed that Monsanto's Mon 863, Mon 810, and Roundup herbicide-absorbing NK 603 in corn caused kidney and liver damage in laboratory rats. Scientists also discovered damage to the heart, spleen, adrenal glands and even the blood of rats that consumed the mutant corn. A "state of hepatorenal toxicity" the study concluded.
This hasn't slowed down Monsanto's profit machine. In 2008, Monsanto cleared over $2 billion in net profits on $11 billion in revenues. And its 2009 is looking equally as excellent.
Author and food safety advocate Robyn O'Brien told me, "Monsanto is expecting gross margins in Q2 2010 of 62%, its corn and soy price mix to be up 8-10% and its glyphosate revenue to expand to an estimated $1 billion in gross profit by 2012, enabling Monsanto to further drive R&D into seeds and to price those seeds at a premium – further driving price increases on the farm and in the grocery stores."
This, O'Brien says, in the same year when farm income declined by around 34%.
Because Monsanto claims that its GMOs create higher yields and therefore comparatively higher revenues per acre for struggling American farmers, they're certainly a tempting option. On the surface, that is. Monsanto controls its seeds with an iron fist, so even if you happen to own a farm next to another farm upon which Monsanto seeds are used, and if those seeds migrate onto your land, Monsanto can sue you for royalties.
Additionally, if you use seeds from crops grown from Monsanto seeds, a process known as "seed cleaning," you also have to pay royalties to Monsanto or it will sue you. All told, Monsanto has recovered $15 million in royalties by suing farmers, with individual settlements ranging from five figures to millions of dollars each.
Back in 2004, farmer Kem Ralph served eight months in jail and was fined $1.3 million for lying about Monsanto cotton seeds he was hiding in his barn as a favor to a friend. They weren't even his seeds (yeah, that's what they all say!). By way of comparison, the fine in Ralph's home state of Tennessee for, say, cocaine possession, is $2,500.
In keeping with the Orwellian nature of modern marketing, one of the first phrases you see on the front page of the Monsanto website is "we help farmers." Funny. In a cruelly ironical way, that is.
In fairness, the argument in support of Monsanto is generally "it makes more food for lower prices." Of course this is a red herring. Basic economics proves that choice and competition create lower prices. Not monopolies. This applies not only to American grocery stores, but also in terms of feeding developing nations where food is scarcer. Moreover, stronger Monsanto herbicides, compatible with herbicide resistant seeds, are giving rise to mutant Wolverine-ish super weeds that have adapted and are rapidly spreading through the air to farms that don't use Monsanto GMOs, destroying obviously vulnerable crops. Say nothing of the inevitable mutant bugs that will adapt to the pesticides that are implanted into the Monsanto Mon 810 genetic code. And if further studies indicate similar organ damage in humans, the externalized costs to health care systems will begin to seriously out-weigh the benefits of cheaper food.
Ultimately, there are better, healthier ways to make cheaper food. Until then the best thing we can do is to demand further investigations and buy organic products whenever practical.
And if you can't afford to buy organic, O'Brien recommends, "A great first step, given how pervasive these ingredients are in processed foods that often use these ingredients to extend shelf life, is to reduce your exposure to processed foods and stick with pronounceable ingredients and foods that your grandmother would have served her kids."Meanwhile, let's endeavor to make Monsanto a household name. But not in a good way.
On January 15, the Obama Justice Department launched an anti-trust investigation against the corporate behemoth over its next generation of genetically modified "Roundup Ready" soybean seeds. The very next day, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case Monsanto v. Geertson Seed Farms, which challenges the safety of genetically modified agricultural products -- the centerpiece of the Monsanto empire. If the investigation fails, farmers will have to switch over to the next generation of Roundup Ready seeds in 2014. And the cycle of corporate abuse and monopolization will continue.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Schwarzenegger to speak at Bohemian Club conclave | PressDemocrat.com
Schwarzenegger to speak at Bohemian Club conclave
PD FILE, 2009The entrance to the Bohemian Grove in 2009.
Published: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 6:19 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 6:19 p.m.AC = 1234Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is scheduled to address a throng of rich and powerful men on Friday under the towering redwoods at the Bohemian Grove as the annual encampment along the Russian River in Monte Rio enters its final weekend.
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No one other than Bohemian Club members and their guests will hear the governor's speech, which is — like everything that transpires during the 17-day midsummer enclave — done in absolute privacy.
Plutocrats and powerbrokers, including former presidents, annually flock to the 2,700-acre wooded retreat where neither women, other than grove employees, nor outsiders of either gender are permitted.
“It's a private gentleman's club,” club spokesman Sam Singer said. “People are coming to get away from the duties of daily life. They don't desire to be on the front page of The Press Democrat or The New York Times.
“In real life, they get there often enough,” he said.
The club has about 2,000 members.
Mixing their revelry and weird rituals with serious issues, the Bohemians hear from a series of speakers, this year including media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who discussed “the future of news” and former secretaries of state George Shultz and James Baker on international relations and terrorism threats.
The speakers list, including ex-President George H. W. Bush in 1995 and not-yet President Richard Nixon in 1967, remains a well-guarded secret.
But on Thursday night, the club's more artistically inclined members will go public, staging the 99th annual Monte Rio Variety Show at the river community's amphitheater, a fundraiser for three Monte Rio organizations.
The show and barbecue are open to the public and expected to beat last year's record of more than $32,000 in proceeds, divided equally among the Monte Rio Fire Services Foundation, Monte Rio Elementary School Foundation and St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church.
“It's huge,” said Michele McDonell, a show coordinator and church member, referring to the show's $10,000 boost to her congregation.
A sellout is expected, but tickets may be available by telephone through Wednesday night at 865-2234.
The entertainment lineup is not disclosed ahead of time, but the Bohemians “always guarantee a good show,” McDonell said.
Headliners last summer included country music singers Clint Black and Zac Brown, while Bob Weir and the Steve Miller Band have performed in the past.
Personal Health - What Do You Lack? Probably Vitamin D - NYTimes.com
Personal Health
What Do You Lack? Probably Vitamin D
By JANE E. BRODY
Published: July 26, 2010
Vitamin D promises to be the most talked-about and written-about supplement of the decade. While studies continue to refine optimal blood levels and recommended dietary amounts, the fact remains that a huge part of the population — from robust newborns to the frail elderly, and many others in between — are deficient in this essential nutrient.
Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
Related
Health Guide: Vitamin D
More Personal Health Columns
If the findings of existing clinical trials hold up in future research, the potential consequences of this deficiency are likely to go far beyond inadequate bone development and excessive bone loss that can result in falls and fractures. Every tissue in the body, including the brain, heart, muscles and immune system, has receptors for vitamin D, meaning that this nutrient is needed at proper levels for these tissues to function well.
Studies indicate that the effects of a vitamin D deficiency include an elevated risk of developing (and dying from) cancers of the colon, breast and prostate; high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease; osteoarthritis; and immune-system abnormalities that can result in infections and autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
Most people in the modern world have lifestyles that prevent them from acquiring the levels of vitamin D that evolution intended us to have. The sun’s ultraviolet-B rays absorbed through the skin are the body’s main source of this nutrient. Early humans evolved near the equator, where sun exposure is intense year round, and minimally clothed people spent most of the day outdoors.
“As a species, we do not get as much sun exposure as we used to, and dietary sources of vitamin D are minimal,” Dr. Edward Giovannucci, nutrition researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health, wrote in The Archives of Internal Medicine. Previtamin D forms in sun-exposed skin, and 10 to 15 percent of the previtamin is immediately converted to vitamin D, the form found in supplements. Vitamin D, in turn, is changed in the liver to 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the main circulating form. Finally, the kidneys convert 25-hydroxyvitamin D into the nutrient’s biologically active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, also known as vitamin D hormone.
A person’s vitamin D level is measured in the blood as 25-hydroxyvitamin D, considered the best indicator of sufficiency. A recent study showed that maximum bone density is achieved when the blood serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D reaches 40 nanograms per milliliter or more.
“Throughout most of human evolution,” Dr. Giovannucci wrote, “when the vitamin D system was developing, the ‘natural’ level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was probably around 50 nanograms per milliliter or higher. In modern societies, few people attain such high levels.”
A Common Deficiency
Although more foods today are supplemented with vitamin D, experts say it is rarely possible to consume adequate amounts through foods. The main dietary sources are wild-caught oily fish (salmon, mackerel, bluefish, and canned tuna) and fortified milk and baby formula, cereal and orange juice.
People in colder regions form their year’s supply of natural vitamin D in summer, when ultraviolet-B rays are most direct. But the less sun exposure, the darker a person’s skin and the more sunscreen used, the less previtamin D is formed and the lower the serum levels of the vitamin. People who are sun-phobic, babies who are exclusively breast-fed, the elderly and those living in nursing homes are particularly at risk of a serious vitamin D deficiency.
Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University, a leading expert on vitamin D and author of “The Vitamin D Solution” (Hudson Street Press, 2010), said in an interview, “We want everyone to be above 30 nanograms per milliliter, but currently in the United States, Caucasians average 18 to 22 nanograms and African-Americans average 13 to 15 nanograms.” African-American women are 10 times as likely to have levels at or below 15 nanograms as white women, the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found.
Such low levels could account for the high incidence of several chronic diseases in this country, Dr. Holick maintains. For example, he said, in the Northeast, where sun exposure is reduced and vitamin D levels consequently are lower, cancer rates are higher than in the South. Likewise, rates of high blood pressure, heart disease, and prostate cancer are higher among dark-skinned Americans than among whites.
The rising incidence of Type 1 diabetes may be due, in part, to the current practice of protecting the young from sun exposure. When newborn infants in Finland were given 2,000 international units a day, Type 1 diabetes fell by 88 percent, Dr. Holick said.
The current recommended intake of vitamin D, established by the Institute of Medicine, is 200 I.U. a day from birth to age 50 (including pregnant women); 400 for adults aged 50 to 70; and 600 for those older than 70. While a revision upward of these amounts is in the works, most experts expect it will err on the low side. Dr. Holick, among others, recommends a daily supplement of 1,000 to 2,000 units for all sun-deprived individuals, pregnant and lactating women, and adults older than 50. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that breast-fed infants receive a daily supplement of 400 units until they are weaned and consuming a quart or more each day of fortified milk or formula.
Given appropriate sun exposure in summer, it is possible to meet the body’s yearlong need for vitamin D. But so many factors influence the rate of vitamin D formation in skin that it is difficult to establish a universal public health recommendation. Asked for a general recommendation, Dr. Holick suggests going outside in summer unprotected by sunscreen (except for the face, which should always be protected) wearing minimal clothing from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. two or three times a week for 5 to 10 minutes.
Slathering skin with sunscreen with an SPF of 30 will reduce exposure to ultraviolet-B rays by 95 to 98 percent. But if you make enough vitamin D in your skin in summer, it can meet the body’s needs for the rest of the year, Dr. Holick said.
Can You Get Too Much?
If acquired naturally through skin, the body’s supply of vitamin D has a built-in cutoff. When enough is made, further exposure to sunlight will destroy any excess. Not so when the source is an ingested supplement, which goes directly to the liver.
Symptoms of vitamin D toxicity include nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness and weight loss, as well as dangerous amounts of calcium that can result in kidney stones, confusion and abnormal heart rhythms.
But both Dr. Giovannucci and Dr. Holick say it is very hard to reach such toxic levels. Healthy adults have taken 10,000 I.U. a day for six months or longer with no adverse effects. People with a serious vitamin D deficiency are often prescribed weekly doses of 50,000 units until the problem is corrected. To minimize the risk of any long-term toxicity, these experts recommend that adults take a daily supplement of 1,000 to 2,000 units.
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: July 29, 2010
The Personal Health column on Tuesday, about the deficiency of vitamin D in much of the population, referred imprecisely to the publisher of a book by Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University, who said low levels of the vitamin could be contributing to high rates of some chronic diseases. While Penguin did not publish Dr. Holick’s book, “The Vitamin D Solution,” it owns the imprint that did, Hudson Street Press.
Marchwood company building dinghies out of waste material (From This is Hampshire)
Marchwood company building dinghies out of waste material
8:50am Wednesday 28th July 2010
BUSINESS is buoyant for a boat builder from Hampshire after it floated the idea of building dinghies out of its waste.
Bosses at Marchwood based Composite Mouldings Limited (CML), which specialises in building advanced hulls for companies like Pearl Motor Yachts and for the Ministry of Defence, got fed-up with a tottering pile of waste and off-cuts in the workshop.
After consulting their 25 staff for ideas on what to build, they decided to turn it into a new range of dinghy hulls, which they’ve been selling off at boat jumbles for £100 a time. Tommi Buckley, pictured, project manager for CML, said: “We build boats up to 60ft long and there’s a lot of waste – about 15 per cent. So we had a pile of off-cuts and it was overflowing.
“Traditionally we have put it in a bin and we have had to pay someone to take it away and we’re reluctant to do that. So, the solution was to make something out of it.
“Because they are quite small that 15 per cent waste from a 60 foot boat will make several dinghies. We have made 12 dinghies so far and it’s working well.
“We get the apprentice to make them and we sell them for £100. People can then fit them out with rowlocks and a seat for another £50.
“Previously we would have just written the material costs off.”
Business-Plan-Presentation---What-do-Investors-Want-to-See?
Business Plan Presentation - What do Investors Want to See? Created On: 9/16/2009 - in Business Plan Tips - Comments (1) A business plan serves as a guide for your successful business launch and operation and helps you to generate capital. It shows investors and lenders that the owner has all the capabilities to run the business and they can invest in your business without hesitation.
Business plan is a road map to success. Business plan is different from product plan. It must contain a detail description of your company, why you want to start this business; your market analysis, competition, etc., while a product plan only contains description about your product and services.
After developing a business plan, you have to present it to potential investors. It is necessary that your business plan presentation must be that powerful that it will encourage numerous investors to provide you capital. Business plan presentation is a brief description of your entire business plan. For creating a knockout presentation, it is required to keep it short and simple; so, avoid adding irrelevant material.
Some points that investors want to look for in a business plan presentation are: Uniqueness of a company or project, Benefits derived from a capital infusion, how will the company succeed and attain profitability, is management capable of implementing the business plan, are financial projections realistic, and is there an exit strategy for the investor. For a successful presentation and to attract large number of investors, it is essential to include all these points in your business plan PowerPoint presentation.
How to attract angle investors by making PowerPoint presentation?
A solid business plan presentation: Your business plan presentation must be complete, convincing and simple. Angle investors want to see whether you are capable enough of running business successfully and will it yield for them profit on their investment. Add all the relevant details that your angle investors want to know.
A good reason to invest: There are many categories of investors and every category has their own reasons to invest in your organization. It is necessary that you create business plan presentation, which will attract all types of investors. Give them a powerful reason to invest in your business.
A solid management team: You can attract angle investors by hiring a solid management team, who has the potential to take your business to the next level. They must have positive attitude, knowledge and skills to attract large number of audiences towards them.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
ETF investing - Money Matters | Moneyweb
Money Matters
ETF investing
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Warren Ingram answers your questions on which to use and how to invest in these products?
JOHANNESBURG - I received many e-mails after my last article requesting more information about exchange traded funds (ETFs). Most of the people were asking for recommendations about which ETFs to use and how to invest in these products.
THE QUESTIONS
These are two of the questions that were sent to me asking for information and product recommendations about ETFs.
"Hi Warren,
I've just read your article on Moneyweb this morning about saving titled "make your first million".
I have 40k that I would like to put away, and don't need to touch for a long time. I am still young and have a long horizon. What is the best way to get into ETFs without having to pay annual management fees through a broker? and also which ETF would you recommend, a Satrix and if so which one?
Thank you
Giorgio""Good day Warren
I have read your article of making a million and enjoyed it. Please explain what is an ETF investment, please give an example eg, a name of a company.
Regards
Denis"
DISCLAIMER
It is important to note that I am an avid fan of ETFs and have structured solutions in our financial planning business to take advantage of their benefits. This is relevant because you need to know where my preference lies before you read the rest of this article. Having said that, I have no commercial interest in any of the products I am going to recommend in this article. I usually avoid promoting a specific fund or product. However, so many people have been asking for recommendations that I feel it is necessary in this instance. If you invest in any of the ETFs that I recommend, you will know that I will not derive any financial benefit.What is an ETF
An exchange traded fund (ETF) is an investment that allows you to buy a number of different shares or other investments on the stock exchange. ETFs are attractive investments because you get access to a number of different investments (securities) for the cost of a single investment. ETFs usually track a specific stock market index like the Top 40. Well constructed ETFs can be very low-cost investments that can be bought via a stockbroker or directly like a unit trust. The legal structure of ETFs in South Africa is a unit trust, so you get all the regulatory protection offered by unit trusts at the lowest possible cost. The other benefit of ETFs is that they are largely passive investments; that means they don't change at the discretion of a fund manager. The index based ETFs only change when the actual index changes which limits the transaction costs of the investment. In order to understand why ETFs are so good, you need to know why I prefer investing in an index rather than an actively managed fund.Why an index
According to research by Daniel R Wessels from www.indexinvestor.co.za, more than 60% of all unit trusts that invest in shares (equity funds) have not beaten the stock market (All Share Index) over any reasonable period to March 2010. As you can see from the table below, over five years only 17% of all equity funds managed to beat the stock market. If history were to repeat itself over the next five years, you have an 83% chance of underperforming the stock market if you invest in an actively managed fund.Table A: Equity unit trusts vs the All Share Index to March 2010
Equity Funds
1-year
5-year
10-year
Best performing fund
59.7%
23.4%
27.0%
Worst performing fund
24.2%
11.4%
9.9%
Average
42.3%
17.2%
17.1%
Benchmark: ALSI
44.1%
19.9%
17.5%
% Funds beating ALSI
38%
17%
38%
Source Daniel R Wessels, www.indexinvestor.co.za
If you are able to select the best performing actively managed equity unit trust (one that tries to beat the market) you can benefit from fantastic returns. Over ten years, the top performing unit trust beat the market by 10% per year which is astounding performance. That shows there are fund managers who can beat the market over long periods of time. Unfortunately, the odds of selecting the right fund are heavily stacked against you. History tells us that you have more than a 60% chance of being wrong if you try to choose an active manager over a ten year period. That is why index investing is so popular around the world, you can eliminate the risks of poor decisions by fund managers and keep your investment costs down. Investment costs are one of the main reasons why active funds cannot beat the market - high costs destroy returns.
Which ETFS
If you are starting an investment portfolio, it makes sense to select a broad based ETF that invests in a wide range of shares. That means you should look at something like a Top 40 or Swix 40 ETF for your core holding. In my view, the two best Top 40 ETFs are offered by Satrix and BIPS. My reasoning is simple, they offer the lowest cost products which is the most important consideration when choosing between ETF providers.Your core ETF should constitute at least 50% of your overall portfolio. Once you have built up some assets in your core ETF and would like to diversify, you should look at the Divi 30 or Rafi 40 ETFs. At present there is only one Divi fund and it is offered by Satrix. There are two Rafi providers however I prefer the Satrix option as I think the other Rafi providers are simply too expensive.
For most investors, a combination of a Top 40 plus a Rafi or Divi should be sufficient to create a great investment portfolio. However, there are some investors who want to take specific bets on individual sectors eg, financial, mining or industrial. There are a number of sector specific ETFs in the market but I would not consider these unless you are prepared to do more of your own homework. The specialist ETFs require more regular monitoring and may need to be traded more frequently. You can get all the information you need on ETFs from www.etfsa.co.za where they supply detailed information on all the ETFs in the market. This is a great starting point for any ETF investor because you can also start your investment with them.
*Warren Ingram, CFP®, has been advising people about their money management since 1996. He is a director of Galileo Capital, www.galileocapital.co.za.
Are there specific Money Matters you would like Warren Ingram to cover? Write to him atWarren@galileocapital.co.za
Collecting rainwater now illegal in many states as Big Government claims ownership over our water
Collecting rainwater now illegal in many states as Big Government claims ownership over our water
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor(NaturalNews) Many of the freedoms we enjoy here in the U.S. are quickly eroding as the nation transforms from the land of the free into the land of the enslaved, but what I'm about to share with you takes the assault on our freedoms to a whole new level. You may not be aware of this, but many Western states, including Utah, Washington and Colorado, have long outlawed individuals from collecting rainwater on their own properties because, according to officials, that rain belongs to someone else.
As bizarre as it sounds, laws restricting property owners from "diverting" water that falls on their own homes and land have been on the books for quite some time in many Western states. Only recently, as droughts and renewed interest in water conservation methods have become more common, have individuals and business owners started butting heads with law enforcement over the practice of collecting rainwater for personal use.
Check out this YouTube video of a news report out of Salt Lake City, Utah, about the issue. It's illegal in Utah to divert rainwater without a valid water right, and Mark Miller of Mark Miller Toyota, found this out the hard way.
After constructing a large rainwater collection system at his new dealership to use for washing new cars, Miller found out that the project was actually an "unlawful diversion of rainwater." Even though it makes logical conservation sense to collect rainwater for this type of use since rain is scarce in Utah, it's still considered a violation of water rights which apparently belong exclusively to Utah's various government bodies.
"Utah's the second driest state in the nation. Our laws probably ought to catch up with that," explained Miller in response to the state's ridiculous rainwater collection ban.
Salt Lake City officials worked out a compromise with Miller and are now permitting him to use "their" rainwater, but the fact that individuals like Miller don't actually own the rainwater that falls on their property is a true indicator of what little freedom we actually have here in the U.S. (Access to the rainwater that falls on your own property seems to be a basic right, wouldn't you agree?)
Outlawing rainwater collection in other states
Utah isn't the only state with rainwater collection bans, either. Colorado and Washington also have rainwater collection restrictions that limit the free use of rainwater, but these restrictions vary among different areas of the states and legislators have passed some laws to help ease the restrictions.In Colorado, two new laws were recently passed that exempt certain small-scale rainwater collection systems, like the kind people might install on their homes, from collection restrictions.
Prior to the passage of these laws, Douglas County, Colorado, conducted a study on how rainwater collection affects aquifer and groundwater supplies. The study revealed that letting people collect rainwater on their properties actually reduces demand from water facilities and improves conservation.
Personally, I don't think a study was even necessary to come to this obvious conclusion. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that using rainwater instead of tap water is a smart and useful way to conserve this valuable resource, especially in areas like the West where drought is a major concern.
Additionally, the study revealed that only about three percent of Douglas County's precipitation ended up in the streams and rivers that are supposedly being robbed from by rainwater collectors. The other 97 percent either evaporated or seeped into the ground to be used by plants.
This hints at why bureaucrats can't really use the argument that collecting rainwater prevents that water from getting to where it was intended to go. So little of it actually makes it to the final destination that virtually every household could collect many rain barrels worth of rainwater and it would have practically no effect on the amount that ends up in streams and rivers.
It's all about control, really
As long as people remain unaware and uninformed about important issues, the government will continue to chip away at the freedoms we enjoy. The only reason these water restrictions are finally starting to change for the better is because people started to notice and they worked to do something to reverse the law.Even though these laws restricting water collection have been on the books for more than 100 years in some cases, they're slowly being reversed thanks to efforts by citizens who have decided that enough is enough.
Because if we can't even freely collect the rain that falls all around us, then what, exactly, can we freely do? The rainwater issue highlights a serious overall problem in America today: diminishing freedom and increased government control.
Today, we've basically been reprogrammed to think that we need permission from the government to exercise our inalienable rights, when in fact the government is supposed to derive its power from us. The American Republic was designed so that government would serve the People to protect and uphold freedom and liberty. But increasingly, our own government is restricting people from their rights to engage in commonsense, fundamental actions such as collecting rainwater or buying raw milk from the farmer next door.
Today, we are living under a government that has slowly siphoned off our freedoms, only to occasionally grant us back a few limited ones under the pretense that they're doing us a benevolent favor.
Fight back against enslavement
As long as people believe their rights stem from the government (and not the other way around), they will always be enslaved. And whatever rights and freedoms we think we still have will be quickly eroded by a system of bureaucratic power that seeks only to expand its control.Because the same argument that's now being used to restrict rainwater collection could, of course, be used to declare that you have no right to the air you breathe, either. After all, governments could declare that air to be somebody else's air, and then they could charge you an "air tax" or an "air royalty" and demand you pay money for every breath that keeps you alive.
Think it couldn't happen? Just give it time. The government already claims it owns your land and house, effectively. If you really think you own your home, just stop paying property taxes and see how long you still "own" it. Your county or city will seize it and then sell it to pay off your "tax debt." That proves who really owns it in the first place... and it's not you!
How about the question of who owns your body? According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark office, U.S. corporations and universities already own 20% of your genetic code. Your own body, they claim, is partially the property of someone else.
So if they own your land, your water and your body, how long before they claim to own your air, your mind and even your soul?
Unless we stand up against this tyranny, it will creep upon us, day after day, until we find ourselves totally enslaved by a world of corporate-government collusion where everything of value is owned by powerful corporations -- all enforced at gunpoint by local law enforcement.{SubscribeHealthRangerBlock}
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Does a Wood-Canvas Canoe Need a Keel? « Canoeguy’s Blog
Does a Wood-Canvas Canoe Need a Keel?
July 26, 2010
Rate ThisIf there is an area of controversy in the world of wood-canvas canoes, the question of the keel would be it.
Historically, canoes (and kayaks for that matter) never had keels. Edwin Tappen Adney documented hundreds of indigenous water craft throughout North America in the early part of the 1900’s. His meticulous notes, drawings and scale models are presented in the book “Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America”. It was compiled and edited by Howard Chappelle after Adney’s death. The canoes and skin boats range from small hunting boats around 11’ in length to large cargo vessels over 36’ long. None of these vessels were built with a keel.
As people of European ancestry came in contact with canoes through the 1800’s and tried to build them, they tended to approach the task of boat building from a European perspective. For them, the process of boat building begins with a keel. The rest of the vessel is built around that. So, some early canoe builders added a keel to the vessel. As canoes became a commodity for the general public in the early 1900’s, canoe builders had to appeal to a market that viewed a canoe as just another kind of boat. The general public of the time tended to distrust a boat that lacked a keel. Many people unfamiliar with canoes felt unstable in them and had trouble travelling in a straight line. As a result, most canoes sold in the better part of the 20th century were equipped with a keel. However, it is interesting to note that true working canoes built at the same time (such as the Chestnut Prospector and the Chestnut Ogilvy) were usually keel-free.
This Chestnut Ogilivy is designed to be stable. The wide, flat bottom allows a person to stand up in this canoe comfortably all day long.
To look at it from a design perspective, the stability of a canoe is determined by the hull shape. Wider canoes (36” or more) with flat bottoms tend to have greater “initial stability” than narrow canoes (34” or less) with arched bottoms. What is gained in stability with a wide, flat bottom is lost in hull speed and vice versa (what is gained in hull speed with a narrow, arched bottom is lost in stability). Attaching a strip of wood an inch high to the bottom of a canoe does little to affect stability one way or the other.
This 16' Chestnut Prospector is designed to dance around rocks in rapid rivers. The lift in the ends of the canoe, called rocker, reduces the waterline length and makes the canoe very maneuverable. It tends to travel in a straight line, called tracking, once it is loaded with 700 or 800 pounds.
In terms of tracking, the tendency of a canoe to travel in a straight line increases with the length of the vessel. The longer the waterline length, the better the canoe tracks in the water. What is gained in tracking is lost in maneuverability. Note here that I refer specifically to the waterline length rather than the canoe’s length overall. An unloaded 16’ Chestnut Prospector with 4” of rocker (referring to the lift in the ends of the canoe) will have a waterline length of around 12’. What is lost in tracking is gained in maneuverability. If you are simply looking for a canoe that will travel in a straight line, get a long canoe (17’ or more) with no rocker so as to have a maximum amount of waterline length.
This Chestnut Pal is equipped with a shoe keel. At 3/8" high and 2-3/8" wide, it provides protection to the bottom without interfering with the canoe's ability to sideslip in a rapid river.
Functionally speaking, most canoes are designed to navigate rivers. The rivers of northern Canada present the traveler with many challenges – chief among them; rapids filled with large rocks. In order to negotiate a large rock in a rapid river, the canoe has to be able to slip sideways quickly and easily. In this situation, a keel can become a deadly liability. Many canoes built for rivers (such as the Chestnut Pal) were equipped with a “shoe” keel. This was a strip of wood 3/8’s of an inch high, 2-3/8’s inches wide attached along the centerline of the canoe. It provides protection against sudden encounters with rocks and does not interfere with the ability to sideslip.
In lakes, many people complain that a canoe without a keel will be blown around by the wind. Again, it comes back to learning how to handle the canoe. When travelling on a large lake with the wind in your face, the canoe must be loaded with the majority of the weight in the forward half of the canoe. The canoe will always tend to “weather-vein” – that is, it will orient itself with the lighter end downwind. As long as the weight of the canoe is upwind, the canoe will track easily in the wind.
A good qulaity bedding compound is essential when installing a keel. It seals the keel and prevents leaks.
Speaking as a canoe restorer, I wince slightly whenever I finish preparing a beautifully watertight canvas cover on a canoe and then proceed to drill a dozen holes straight down the centerline of the canoe. I solve the watertight issue by using a top quality marine bedding compound to set the keel. I use Dolphinite bedding compound. It has the consistency of peanut butter and remains flexible for decades. Eventually, the bedding compound dries out and/or the keel is jarred by one too many encounters with rocks in rivers. When the seal is broken, the canoe begins to leak. It is difficult, if not impossible, to remove the keel without damaging the canvas. Therefore, when the canoe starts to leak, it is usually time to re-canvas the canoe.
If the question of keels in canoes were strictly one of form and function, they would not be part of the discussion. You only have to look at any modern Royalex or Kevlar canoe on the market. None of the canoes built today have keels – and rightly so. However, in the world of canoe restoration, it is not just a question of form and function. When my clients bring their canoes to me for restoration, most often they want me to restore to them what they had. Having grown up with their canoe, it has been part of their life and part of the family. For many, their canoe has had a keel for fifty years, so they want the keel re-installed. In this context I say, “Fair enough.” It turns out that wood-canvas canoes are more than form and function. They must also be seen in the context of family history and tradition. For this reason, I have no problem re-installing a keel in a wood-canvas canoe. That said I still hold my breath as I pick up the drill.
