November
22
Saturday, December 3, 2005
Mayor Scott Jewell of the city of Dyer, Tennessee did not issue a “stop work order” to Dyer Grain Company late Tuesday afternoon as had been expected. The order would have temporarily halted construction of new grain storage tanks.
Dyer Grain’s efforts at expansion have been blocked several times over the past few years both by zoning restrictions on the height of structures and by citizens groups who filed suit against the grain company and the city’s board of zoning appeals. The lawsuit was dismissed two months ago. The Dyer City Council then amended the zoning ordinance to include “grain storage tanks and bins” in a section of the ordinance listing exclusions, such as free standing spires and towers, to the regular 40 foot height restriction on buildings.
Several citizens spoke at the November 28 city council meeting to address alleged deficiencies in the building permit issued to Dyer Grain. The citizens claimed that according to the site plan filed with the application for the permit, the location of the tanks will violate another provision in the zoning ordinance restricting the height of all structures to the distance from surrounding property lines plus ten feet. The citizens were also concerned over a “grain conveyor” that will cross a city street. Mayor Jewell indicated that he would contact the Gibson County building inspector (who is contracted by the city to act as the municipal inspector) to research the citizens’ concerns.
Jewell contacted Ricky Bailey, Gibson County Building inspector, on Wednesday. Bailey reportedly could find no deficiencies with the permit and, based on this advice, Jewell chose not to issue the stop work order himself. The City Council could still meet and vote to issue the order. The council meets the second Monday of each month.
“The main problem is that the grain company is in an industrial zone — which is located smack in the middle of a low-density residential zone.” Nathan Reed, an elected Alderman of Dyer said, “The property values in the area have increased (with inflation) but not at the same rate as other properties.”
Normal buildings, such as offices and warehouses, can’t exceed 40′ plus 10′ to the eave. The requested change in the ordinance changes the status of the towers from a building to the same status of an antenna or tower.
Mr Reed added, “The height to the eave is 76′, the height to the top of the tank is 105′, the height to the top of the elevator (atop the tank) is 133′. The 133′ is the only measurement that matters now because the change to the zoning ordinance means this is no longer a “building”, but rather the same as an antenna or tower.”
“The grain company specifically requested that change to the ordinace — which was opposed by several citizens…They can build it as high as they like so long as it conforms to the overal height restriction for towers, spires, etc.”
Mr Reed commented on additional concerns, “The citizens are concerned about the health effects of (additional) grain dust, noise, and grain explosions.”
The new construction is expected to generate annual property tax revenues of $10,000 to $16,000.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
A team of eight transplant surgeons in Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, USA, led by reconstructive surgeon Dr. Maria Siemionow, age 58, have successfully performed the first almost total face transplant in the US, and the fourth globally, on a woman so horribly disfigured due to trauma, that cost her an eye. Two weeks ago Dr. Siemionow, in a 23-hour marathon surgery, replaced 80 percent of her face, by transplanting or grafting bone, nerve, blood vessels, muscles and skin harvested from a female donor’s cadaver.
The Clinic surgeons, in Wednesday’s news conference, described the details of the transplant but upon request, the team did not publish her name, age and cause of injury nor the donor’s identity. The patient’s family desired the reason for her transplant to remain confidential. The Los Angeles Times reported that the patient “had no upper jaw, nose, cheeks or lower eyelids and was unable to eat, talk, smile, smell or breathe on her own.” The clinic’s dermatology and plastic surgery chair, Francis Papay, described the nine hours phase of the procedure: “We transferred the skin, all the facial muscles in the upper face and mid-face, the upper lip, all of the nose, most of the sinuses around the nose, the upper jaw including the teeth, the facial nerve.” Thereafter, another team spent three hours sewing the woman’s blood vessels to that of the donor’s face to restore blood circulation, making the graft a success.
The New York Times reported that “three partial face transplants have been performed since 2005, two in France and one in China, all using facial tissue from a dead donor with permission from their families.” “Only the forehead, upper eyelids, lower lip, lower teeth and jaw are hers, the rest of her face comes from a cadaver; she could not eat on her own or breathe without a hole in her windpipe. About 77 square inches of tissue were transplanted from the donor,” it further described the details of the medical marvel. The patient, however, must take lifetime immunosuppressive drugs, also called antirejection drugs, which do not guarantee success. The transplant team said that in case of failure, it would replace the part with a skin graft taken from her own body.
Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, a Brigham and Women’s Hospital surgeon praised the recent medical development. “There are patients who can benefit tremendously from this. It’s great that it happened,” he said.
Leading bioethicist Arthur Caplan of the University of Pennsylvania withheld judgment on the Cleveland transplant amid grave concerns on the post-operation results. “The biggest ethical problem is dealing with failure — if your face rejects. It would be a living hell. If your face is falling off and you can’t eat and you can’t breathe and you’re suffering in a terrible manner that can’t be reversed, you need to put on the table assistance in dying. There are patients who can benefit tremendously from this. It’s great that it happened,” he said.
Dr Alex Clarke, of the Royal Free Hospital had praised the Clinic for its contribution to medicine. “It is a real step forward for people who have severe disfigurement and this operation has been done by a team who have really prepared and worked towards this for a number of years. These transplants have proven that the technical difficulties can be overcome and psychologically the patients are doing well. They have all have reacted positively and have begun to do things they were not able to before. All the things people thought were barriers to this kind of operations have been overcome,” she said.
The first partial face transplant surgery on a living human was performed on Isabelle Dinoire on November 27 2005, when she was 38, by Professor Bernard Devauchelle, assisted by Professor Jean-Michel Dubernard in Amiens, France. Her Labrador dog mauled her in May 2005. A triangle of face tissue including the nose and mouth was taken from a brain-dead female donor and grafted onto the patient. Scientists elsewhere have performed scalp and ear transplants. However, the claim is the first for a mouth and nose transplant. Experts say the mouth and nose are the most difficult parts of the face to transplant.
In 2004, the same Cleveland Clinic, became the first institution to approve this surgery and test it on cadavers. In October 2006, surgeon Peter Butler at London‘s Royal Free Hospital in the UK was given permission by the NHS ethics board to carry out a full face transplant. His team will select four adult patients (children cannot be selected due to concerns over consent), with operations being carried out at six month intervals. In March 2008, the treatment of 30-year-old neurofibromatosis victim Pascal Coler of France ended after having received what his doctors call the worlds first successful full face transplant.
Ethical concerns, psychological impact, problems relating to immunosuppression and consequences of technical failure have prevented teams from performing face transplant operations in the past, even though it has been technically possible to carry out such procedures for years.
Mr Iain Hutchison, of Barts and the London Hospital, warned of several problems with face transplants, such as blood vessels in the donated tissue clotting and immunosuppressants failing or increasing the patient’s risk of cancer. He also pointed out ethical issues with the fact that the procedure requires a “beating heart donor”. The transplant is carried out while the donor is brain dead, but still alive by use of a ventilator.
According to Stephen Wigmore, chair of British Transplantation Society’s ethics committee, it is unknown to what extent facial expressions will function in the long term. He said that it is not certain whether a patient could be left worse off in the case of a face transplant failing.
Mr Michael Earley, a member of the Royal College of Surgeon‘s facial transplantation working party, commented that if successful, the transplant would be “a major breakthrough in facial reconstruction” and “a major step forward for the facially disfigured.”
In Wednesday’s conference, Siemionow said “we know that there are so many patients there in their homes where they are hiding from society because they are afraid to walk to the grocery stores, they are afraid to go the the street.” “Our patient was called names and was humiliated. We very much hope that for this very special group of patients there is a hope that someday they will be able to go comfortably from their houses and enjoy the things we take for granted,” she added.
In response to the medical breakthrough, a British medical group led by Royal Free Hospital’s lead surgeon Dr Peter Butler, said they will finish the world’s first full face transplant within a year. “We hope to make an announcement about a full-face operation in the next 12 months. This latest operation shows how facial transplantation can help a particular group of the most severely facially injured people. These are people who would otherwise live a terrible twilight life, shut away from public gaze,” he said.
November
21
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Larry Stevens is running for the Libertarian Party in the Ontario provincial election, in the Kitchener-Conestoga riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.
Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
The Dubliner, a famous Irish pub in the Digbeth area of Birmingham, has been destroyed by a fire that was started around 4.30am on the 26th July 2006, apparently deliberately.
Reports indicate between 100 and 120 firefighters were tackling the blaze at its height. There was also an explosion reported at the site.
12 people were staying overnight at the pub, all of them managed to escape the fire, although one man had to be treated for smoke inhalation.
November
13
Thursday, October 12, 2006
The office of Gerald Ford said Thursday that the former United States President was admitted to Eisenhower Medical Center for tests in Rancho Mirage, California.
“President Gerald Ford has been admitted to Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California for medical tests. He is doing well,” Ford’s spokeswoman Penny Circle said. The statement didn’t release any information about the tests.
Ford has been hospitalized twice this year. In January, he was hospitalized to treat pneumonia. In July, he was hospitalized at Colorado’s Vail Valley Medical Center due to shortness of breath.
Ford was also hospitalized in August at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for heart procedures. Ford received a pacemaker to regulate his heartbeat. Ford also underwent angioplasty to increase blood flow in his arteries. Ford also suffered a small stroke five years ago.
Gerald Ford became the 38th United States President on August 9, 1974 after Richard Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal. At the age of 93, Ford is the oldest living U.S. President and could next month become the longest living U.S. President ever.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
When the Philadelphia City Council broke its 80 year old building lease with the Cradle of Liberty Council, it set itself on a course to be the largest city in the nation without its own Boy Scout building. The scouts must abandon their building before the end of July. Local scouts now have to go to suburbs for services.
November
12
Submitted by: Ella Wong
Cisco is considered as 1 of the most successful/worth-full names in the area of (IT) information technology. Cisco is also one of the well-recognized names when it comes to technologies and solutions that have helped many IT professionals to become successful in the industry.
To reach success in the field of information technology, it is a must to own a right certification. You have to find the proper certification that can assist you to obtain a great career in the industry. Cisco certifications are top options of most IT professionals for the reason that it can help you to earn a lucrative career in the industry.
600-504, Implementing Cisco Network Programmability (NPENG) is an amazing certification designed for IT professionals who wish to validate his or her skills in implementing, planning, and operating, and designing and troubleshooting enterprise communication and collaboration networks. To acquire the certification, one needs to pass the Cisco 600-504 certification exam.
About the 600-504, Implementing Cisco Network Programmability (NPENG) Exam
The Implementing Cisco Network Programmability (NPENG) test has 55-65 multiple choice questions.
Time duration for this certification exam is only 1 hour and 30 minutes (90 minutes).
Certification Test is only available in English language.
Willing participants can only register and locate testing center at Pearson VUE.
This is a closed book exam and you are not allowed to bring any materials when taking the exam. It is very important to familiarize yourself about the topics of the certification exam. This is important because it helps you to have a higher chance to pass the certification exam if you are knowledgeable. The exam topics and objectives may chance without prior notice.
Topics of 600-504 Certification Exam
The following are some of the topics included for the Implementing Cisco Network Programmability (NPENG) exam:
(16 Percent) Requirements Analysis and Collection
(19 Percent)Develop Design Development
(29 Percent)Implementation and Configuration
(20 Percent)Troubleshooting
(20 Percent)Optimization and Operation
Passing the600-504, Implementing Cisco Network Programmability (NPENG) Exam
To make sure that you can pass the 600-504, Implementing Cisco Network Programmability (NPENG) certification exam; it is a must if you own the proper study materials. You have to obtain the proper study guide and study materials to make sure that you can pass the certification exam.
Passing any Cisco certification exam can be a challenge. If you want to pass the test, it is a must to own the right study materials and tools from the source that can be trusted. Some of the ideal materials that you can use when preparing are pdf, practice exam, CDs, journals, books and others. Before you purchase or download these materials, check if they are updated or not. This gives you an amazing opportunity to pass the certification exam.
In conclusion, passing the 600-504, Implementing Cisco Network Programmability (NPENG) exam is an effective key for you to acquire an amazing career in the competitive field of information technology.
Cisco is considered as 1 of the most successful/worth-full names in the area of (IT) information technology. Cisco is also one of the well-recognized names when it comes to technologies and solutions that have helped many IT professionals to become successful in the industry.
About the Author: Road to the achievement by using our latest and workable study material regarding
certifyguide.com/exam/600-504/
Practice Test and
certifyguide.com/exam/600-502/
PDF Questions.
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=1918842&ca=Education}
November
11
Monday, July 19, 2010
After an investigation, Wikinews has learned that oil spewing from a rupture in the seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico on June 13 was 50 to 60 feet from the Deepwater Horizon leak.
A nearly four and a half minute video posted on YouTube on June 13 was from the Viking Poseidon ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) 1. It shows oil and methane leaking from the seafloor at around 2:48 a.m. on June 13. The ROV monitors the leak for a minute and even gets covered in a plume of oil and sand before it moved on to the next spot. Smaller eruptions were seen as the ROV traveled, making the leak locations vary from 50 to 60 feet from the damaged well.
Until now, there was no way to determine the location of the ROVs in relation to the previously leaking Deepwater Horizon well. Alexander Higgins, an independent computer programmer, developed the ‘Gulf Oil Spill ROV UTM Distance Calculator.’ Using the coordinates for the location of the Deepwater Horizon, and the location of the Viking Poseidon on June 13, Wikinews was able to determine that the first rupture and leak was approximately 50.45 feet from the leaking well or “21.56 feet [n]orth and 45.61 feet [w]est” of the Deepwater leak point.
Higgins told Wikinews how he created the calculator, and says it is “very accurate,” but that the tool would “not give you accurate measurements over a large distance, e.g. from the well head to New Orleans.”
“This tool was created using java script that uses basic Pythagorean theorem ( A 2 + B 2 = C 2 {\displaystyle A^{2}+B^{2}=C^{2}} ) to calculate the distance between two points. The distance is simply ( N 1 ? N 2 ) 2 + ( E 1 ? E 2 ) 2 {\displaystyle {\sqrt {(N_{1}-N_{2})^{2}+(E_{1}-E_{2})^{2}}}} . ROV coordinates match the location within a few feet when looking at the well because obviously the ROV can not be over the exact center because that is where the BOP is,” said Higgins.
BP, who owned and operated the Deepwater Horizon, has denied that any oil or methane gas is leaking from the sea floor. On July 16, Kent Wells, the senior vice president of BP, said on their official Twitter page that “4 ROVs using sonar scanning [are] looking for anomalies in seabed floor. No indications any oil or gas escaping.” Seismic tests were conducted on July 16; Admiral Thad Allen of the United States Coast Guard said that “no anomalies” were found, but also that the tests were “not comprehensive.”
On Sunday, Wikinews contacted BP, who authenticated the video, and asked if any ROVs were sent back to the crack and leak location on June 13 for further investigation. According to their office in London, England, they “sent ROVs to investigate and monitor that and no further signs of oil or gas were found.” They also stated that they “have continued to monitor” and “have also carried out seismic surveys. Nothing found to give concern.” Wikinews also asked if they could confirm the location of the leak and crack, but no response was given.
However, on July 18, the Associated Press reported that there was “seepage” coming from the area at the bottom of the Deepwater well head. For the past two days, ROV cameras showed bubbles coming from the base of well. BP said it would test the bubbles to determine what they are and as of Sunday, COO of BP Doug Suttles says the bubbles are not methane, but further tests are being conducted. “If you can imagine, it is not an easy operation to collect those bubbles so that they can be tested to see what their make-up is.”
Since the June 13 video surfaced, other videos have been posted to YouTube allegedly showing some of the ROVs being tossed around by large amounts of oil seeping through the seafloor. One video showed an alleged eruption spraying oil and debris around the BOA DEEP C 2 ROV before it was tossed from side to side. It then immediately retreated to the surface. Some of the cracks on ocean floors, where oil has leaked from, have occurred naturally. One such oil spill in California in 2005 was the result of a naturally occurring crack in the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Some of those cracks can cause oil to leak through at a rate as high as 5,000 gallons a day, with most of the oil not even reaching the water’s surface. In the Gulf of Mexico, oil leaks through natural cracks at a rate several times less than leaked from the Deepwater well.
“The Deepwater Horizon site releases 3 to 12 times the oil per day compared to that released by natural seeps across the entire Gulf of Mexico. By May 30, the Deepwater Horizon site had released between 468,000 and 741,000 barrels of oil, compared to 60,000 to 150,000 barrels from natural seeps across the entire Gulf of Mexico over the same 39 day period,” said Cutler Cleveland, a Boston University professor at the university’s Department of Geography and Environment.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill started on April 20 after an explosion on the rig. Efforts to put out the fire failed and the rig subsequently sank to the bottom of the Gulf. On April 22, an oil slick appeared on the surface of the Gulf. BP capped the leaking well on July 13 which effectively stopped oil from leaking into the Gulf. The company has been running a pressure integrity test on the 150,000 pound cap for 48 hours. Earlier on July 17, they announced the test would continue for another day. BP hopes for the well’s pressure to rise to or above 7,500 PSI. As of Saturday morning the well’s pressure was just above 6,700 PSI. BP fears anything lower than the expected PSI could mean a leak in the cap or elsewhere, such as oil or methane seeping up from the seafloor.
“We are feeling more comfortable we have integrity. We will keep monitoring and make the decisions as we go forward. The longer the test goes the more confidence we have in it,” said Allen.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Pakistan police stormed the offices of television news broadcaster Geo news in the capital city using tear gas and firing rubber bullets in the building.
Police personnel charged into the facility batons drawn and thrashed offices and attacked the staff of GEO News and its sister affiliates the The News International and Jang newspaper, forcing the channel to go off air for more than six hours on Thursday.
The news channel’s attempts to go on air from the port city of Karachi, some 2700 kilometers away, were thwarted by the pro-Musharraf government of Sindh.
Bomb disposal squad backed by federal paramilitary force stormed the Karachi office forcing an immediate evacuation of the premises. The bomb disposal squad took two and half hours to conduct an office to office sweep of the five story building, resulting in damage to computer and camera equipment.
Geo News continuously airing a prerecorded loop of prayers asking God to bless the nation and guide the leaders by granting them mental abilities to make proper decisions in critical times. The loop also continuously showed the footage of the nation’s founder, Qaid-e-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah, addressing the first constituent assembly of Pakistan and promising freedom of speech and press, along with clips from riots and military bombing of the former East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
President Pervez Musharraf came on live phone call within minutes of resumption of transmissions and said, “I apologize for what has happened, I see this as a conspiracy to uproot my government.”
General Musharraf came to power after a blood-less coup in 1999 by overthrowing the democratically elected government of Nawaz Sharif, charging the government with corruption.
November
5
Everything you need to know about online real estate listings
Once you’ve made the decision of sell your property privately, listing your home up for sale without an agent and getting started is a lot easier than you think. Listing a home ‘for sale by owner’ is an option many people opt for – to save money on the transaction. When it comes to sell property privately, there are many options and routes you can take. Fortunately, there are steps you can takebefore putting your home on the market and advertise your property for saleto increase your chances of receiving a solid offer from a buyer.
All you need is a little guidance and a few tips & tricks to make sure that you are on the right path when it comes to listing your home for sale online without an agent. The websites where you post your listings and the kind of photos you include in your listing makes a ton of difference and can help you attract potential buyers.
Here are a few tips and tricks to help you sell house without agent to make it a fruitful transaction for you without any hassles.
Where to list your house?
These days it’s common for homebuyers to get online to find their next home purchase. Technology can eliminate the need for a realtor. You can sell house without agent by listing it on minustheagent.com.au. By adding a good description of your property and adding a few appropriate images, you can sell your home without an agent in an efficient manner. In addition to this, you can also upload videos, a virtual tour, the floor plan, etc. of the property on the website so that the potential buyer can make a well-informed decision. Plus, with Minus The Agent, you only have to make a one-time payment. Minus The Agent also assists you through every step of the sales process and shares your listing on other leading websites in Australia such as domain.com.au, realestate.com.au, and many more.
Tips for posting photos of your house
– Don’t slope the photos and make sure the roofline of your house is parallel to the photo frame. Be wary of your camera’s angle as this will make your house look level.
– Take a photo of you’re the entrance of your house with the front door open as this will make your home look more inviting.
– Don’t include yourself in any of the photos, accidental or otherwise. Try taking the photos of your bathrooms from angles that won’t show you, your camera, or your flash.
– Make sure your photos are well lit using lamps and window light as dark photos make your house look smaller and dismal than it actually is.
How to stage the property before listing?
– De-clutter your house and organize the space for the pictures that you are going to post online. Buyers have a positive response to the pictures of properties that are clutter-free as it allows them to focus on the actual home instead of the junk and the over-flowing closets.
– Paint the walls with some neutral colors such as whites, beiges, light greys, etc. These colors make your homes look bigger, brighter, and more welcoming. Adding a fresh coat of paint will also help cover the imperfections of your walls.
– Buy more light bulbs to ensure that all the light fixtures and lamps in your house are turned on while clicking the pictures. This ensures the potential buyers that all the electrical fixtures in your house work perfectly and it makes your house well-lit.
– Give your house a deep clean before clicking photos for your online listing. Dirty floors and dusty surfaces make a bad first impression on potential buyers. To make sure your place is in pristine condition, clean the toilets, scrub the bathrooms, wipe down surfaces, mop the floors, and vacuum the rugs.
Minus The Agent is a leading and reliable Australian company that offers assistance in selling, buying or renting a property privately. We help you in selling property online with no commission or hidden costs. Minus the Agent lists you on all the property websites you need to be on, reslestate.com.au, domain.com.au, realcommercial.com.au & many more.If you are considering ‘For Sale By Owner’ for your property, you can list it on the no.1 portal minustheagent.com.au