Among natural languages with a word order preference, SOV is the most common type (followed by Subject Verb Object; the two types account for more than 75% of natural languages with a preferred order). Languages that prefer SOV structure include Ainu, Akkadian, Amharic, Armenian, Aymara, Basque, Bengali, Burmese, Burushaski, Elamite, Hebrew, Hindi, Hittite, Hopi, Itelmen, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Kurdish, Manchu, Marathi, Mongolian, Navajo, Nepali, Nivkh, Nobiin, Pāli, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Quechua, Sanskrit, Sinhalese and most other Indo-Iranian languages, Somali and virtually all other Cushitic languages, Sumerian, Tamil, Tibetan, Telugu, Tigrinya, Turkic languages, Urdu, Yukaghir, and virtually all Caucasian languages.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Among natural languages with a word order preference, SOV is the most common type (followed by Subject Verb Object; the two types account for more than 75% of natural languages with a preferred order). Languages that prefer SOV structure include Ainu, Akkadian, Amharic, Armenian, Aymara, Basque, Bengali, Burmese, Burushaski, Elamite, Hebrew, Hindi, Hittite, Hopi, Itelmen, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Kurdish, Manchu, Marathi, Mongolian, Navajo, Nepali, Nivkh, Nobiin, Pāli, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Quechua, Sanskrit, Sinhalese and most other Indo-Iranian languages, Somali and virtually all other Cushitic languages, Sumerian, Tamil, Tibetan, Telugu, Tigrinya, Turkic languages, Urdu, Yukaghir, and virtually all Caucasian languages.
Monday, December 15, 2008

Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
A related distinction is between the emotion and the results of the emotion, principally behaviours and emotional expressions. People often behave in certain ways as a direct result of their emotional state, such as crying, fighting or fleeing. Yet again, if one can have the emotion without the corresponding behaviour then we may consider the behaviour not to be essential to the emotion. However some theorists such as the Dutch psychologist Nico Frijda hold a functionalist approach to emotions. Frijda argues that emotions have evolved for a particular function, such as to keep the subject safe. If the behaviours associated with an emotion are the determining factor for the very existence of that emotion then goal-directed behaviour should be regarded as essential to the emotion. Yet since we recognise that the behaviour need not necessarily occur, we can stipulate that emotions involve what are called 'action tendencies'. So for instance, fear involves the tendency to flee, which means that the probability that the subject will flee from a given situation is increased when he is undergoing fear.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Each barrel fires a single shot as it reaches a certain point in the cycle after which it ejects the spent cartridge, loads a new round, and in the process, somewhat cools down. This configuration allowed higher rates of fire without the problem of an overheating single barrel. The Maxim gun, invented in 1884, was the first self-powered machine gun. The first Gatling gun relied on a hand crank for external power. Some time later, Gatling-type weapons were invented that diverted a fraction of gas from the chamber to turn the barrels. Later still, electric motors supplied external power. The gun was designed by the American inventor Dr. Richard J. Gatling in 1861 and patented in 1862.Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The combination of high gain, low noise, high frequency response, and large area of collection has earned photomultipliers an essential place in nuclear and particle physics, astronomy, medical diagnostics including blood tests, medical imaging, motion picture film scanning (telecine), and high-end image scanners known as drum scanners. Semiconductor devices, particularly avalanche photodiodes, are alternatives to photomultipliers; however, photomultipliers are uniquely well-suited for applications requiring low-noise, high-sensitivity detection of light that is imperfectly collimated. While photomultipliers are extraordinarily sensitive and moderately efficient, research is still underway to create a photon-counting light detection device that is much more than 99% efficient. Such a detector is of interest for applications related to quantum information and quantum cryptography. Elements of photomultiplier technology, when integrated differently, are the basis of night vision devices.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Pros:
No restrictions in terms of type of content or size as the user determines what they want.
- No technology required to send the content, only to store/display it.
- No regulations or opt-in process required.
Cons:
- Considerable marketing effort required for users to find the message/content.
- Limited tracking capabilities – only total downloads, page views, etc.
- No personalization – content is received and viewed the same across all audiences
Thursday, October 02, 2008
- the photon can pass straight through the silicon — this (generally) happens for lower energy photons,
- the photon can reflect off the surface,
- the photon can be absorbed by the silicon, if the photon energy is higher than the silicon band gap value. This generates an electron-hole pair and sometimes heat, depending on the band structure.
When a photon is absorbed, its energy is given to an electron in the crystal lattice. Usually this electron is in the valence band, and is tightly bound in covalent bonds between neighboring atoms, and hence unable to move far. The energy given to it by the photon "excites" it into the conduction band, where it is free to move around within the semiconductor. The covalent bond that the electron was previously a part of now has one fewer electron — this is known as a hole. The presence of a missing covalent bond allows the bonded electrons of neighboring atoms to move into the "hole," leaving another hole behind, and in this way a hole can move through the lattice. Thus, it can be said that photons absorbed in the semiconductor create mobile electron-hole pairs.
A photon need only have greater energy than that of the band gap in order to excite an electron from the valence band into the conduction band. However, the solar frequency spectrum approximates a black body spectrum at ~6000 K, and as such, much of the solar radiation reaching the Earth is composed of photons with energies greater than the band gap of silicon. These higher energy photons will be absorbed by the solar cell, but the difference in energy between these photons and the silicon band gap is converted into heat (via lattice vibrations — called phonons) rather than into usable electrical energy.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
There are two methods of data collection: direct and indirect. Direct data come from vital statistics registries that track all births and deaths as well as certain changes in legal status such as marriage, divorce, and migration (registration of place of residence). In developed countries with good registration systems (such as the United States and much of Europe), registry statistics are the best method for estimating the number of births and deaths.
The census is the other common direct method of collecting demographic data. A census is usually conducted by a national government and attempts to enumerate every person in a country. However, in contrast to vital statistics data, which are typically collected continuously and summarized on an annual basis, censuses typically occur only every 10 years or so, and thus are not usually the best source of data on births and deaths. Analyses are conducted after a census to estimate how much over or undercounting took place. Censuses do more than just count people. They typically collect information about families or households, as well as about such individual characteristics as age, sex, marital status, literacy/education, employment status and occupation, and geographical location. They may also collect data on migration (or place of birth or of previous residence), language, religion, nationality (or ethnicity or race), and citizenship. In countries in which the vital registration system may be incomplete, the censuses are also used as a direct source of information about fertility and mortality; for example the censuses of the People's Republic of China gather information on births and deaths that occurred in the 18 months immediately preceding the census.
Indirect methods of data collections are required in countries where full data are not available, such as is the case in much of the developing world. One of these techniques is the sister method, where survey researchers ask women how many of their sisters have died or had children and at what age. With these surveys, researchers can then indirectly estimate birth or death rates for the entire population. Other indirect methods include asking people about siblings, parents, and children.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
The Architecture Development Method (ADM) is applied to develop an enterprise architecture which will meet the business and information technology needs of an organization. It may be tailored to the organization's needs and is then employed to manage the execution of architecture planning activities. The process flow can be seen as an image located here: Architecture Development Cycle .The process is iterative and cyclic. Each step checks with Requirements. Phase C involves some combination of both Data Architecture and Applications Architecture.Additional clarity can be added between steps B. and C. in order to provide a complete Information Architecture.Performance Engineering working practices are applied to the Requirements phase, and to the Business Architecture, Information System Architecture, and Technology architecture phases. Within Information System Architecture, it is applied to both the Data Architecture and Application Architecture.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Anthropology is the study of humanity. Anthropology has origins in the natural sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences. Ethnography is both one of its primary methods and the text that is written as a result of the practice of anthropology and its elements.
Since the work of Franz Boas and Bronisław Malinowski in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, anthropology has been distinguished from other social science disciplines by its emphasis on in-depth examination of context, cross-cultural comparisons (socio-cultural anthropology is by nature a comparative discipline), and the importance it places on long-term, experiential immersion in the area of research, often known as participant-observation. Cultural anthropology in particular has emphasized cultural relativity and the use of findings to frame cultural critiques. This has been particularly prominent in the United States, from Boas's arguments against 19th-century racial ideology, through Margaret Mead's advocacy for gender equality and sexual liberation, to current criticisms of post-colonial oppression and promotion of multiculturalism.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
"Neolithic" means "New Stone Age." This was a period of primitive technological and social development, toward the end of the "Stone Age." Beginning in the 10th millennium BCE (12,000 BP), the Neolithic period saw the development of early villages, agriculture, animal domestication, tools and the onset of the earliest recorded incidents of warfare.The Neolithic term is commonly used in the Old World, as its application to cultures in the Americas and Oceania that did not fully develop metal-working technology raises problems.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
A wireless access point connects a group of wireless devices to an adjacent wired LAN. An access point is similar to a network hub, relaying data between connected wireless devices in addition to a (usually) single connected wired device, most often an ethernet hub or switch, allowing wireless devices to communicate with other wired devices.
Wireless adapters allow devices to connect to a wireless network. These adapters connect to devices using various external or internal interconnects such as PCI, miniPCI, USB, ExpressCard, Cardbus and PC card. Most newer laptop computers are equipped with internal adapters. Internal cards are generally more difficult to install.
Wireless routers integrate a WAP, ethernet switch, and internal Router firmware application that provides IP Routing, NAT, and DNS forwarding through an integrated WAN interface. A wireless router allows wired and wireless ethernet LAN devices to connect to a (usually) single WAN device such as cable modem or DSL modem. A wireless router allows all three devices (mainly the access point and router) to be configured through one central utility. This utility is most usually an integrated web server which serves web pages to wired and wireless LAN clients and often optionally to WAN clients. This utility may also be an application that is run on a desktop computer such as Apple's AirPort.
Wireless network bridges connect a wired network to a wireless network. This is different from an access point in the sense that an access point connects wireless devices to a wired network at the data-link layer. Two wireless bridges may be used to connect two wired networks over a wireless link, useful in situations where a wired connection may be unavailable, such as between two separate homes.
Wireless range extenders or wireless repeaters can extend the range of an existing wireless network. Range extenders can be strategically placed to elongate a signal area or allow for the signal area to reach around barriers such as those created in L-shaped corridors. Wireless devices connected through repeaters will suffer from an increased latency for each hop. Additionally, a wireless device connected to any of the repeaters in the chain will have a throughput that is limited by the weakest link between the two nodes in the chain from which the connection originates to where the connection ends.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
The tassel or sword knot is a lanyard -- usually of leather but sometimes of woven gold or silver bullion or more often metallic lace -- looped around the hand to prevent the sword being lost if it is dropped. Although they have a practical function, sword knots often had a decorative design. For example, the British Army generally adopted a white leather strap with a large acorn knot made out of gold wire for infantry officers at the end of the 19th century; such acorn forms of tassels were said to be 'boxed', which was the way of securing the fringe of the tassel along its bottom line such that the strands could not separate and become entangled or lost. Many sword knots were also made of silk with a fine, ornamental alloy gold or silver metal wire woven into it in a specified pattern.
The art and history of tassels are known by its French name, passementerie, or Posamenten as it was called in German. The military output of the artisans called passementiers (ornamental braid, lace, cord, or trimmings makers) is evident in catalogs of various military uniform and regalia makers of centuries past. The broader art form of passementerie, with its divisions of Decor, Clergy and Nobility, Upholstery, Coaches and Livery, and Military, is covered in a few books on that subject, none of which are in English
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The Adaptive Compliant Wing is a wing design developed by FlexSys, Inc. which is flexible so that its shape can be changed in flight.
The wing design features a variable-camber trailing edge which can be deflected up to +/- 10°, so that it acts like a flap-equipped wing, but without the individual segments and gaps typical in a flap system. The wing itself can be twisted up to 1° per foot of span. The wing's shape can be changed at a rate of 30° per second, which is ideal for gust load alleviation.
The development of the Adaptive Compliant Wing is being sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. Initially, the wing was tested in a wind tunnel, and then a 50-inch section of wing was flight tested on board the Scaled Composites White Knight research aircraft in a seven-flight, 20-hour program operated from the Mojave Spaceport.
Monday, July 21, 2008
After its reintroduction in 1997, the dye transfer process was (somewhat unexpectedly) used in several big-budget, modern Hollywood productions. These included Bulworth, Pearl Harbor, and Toy Story. The distinct "look" this process achieves, often sought after by film makers looking to re-create the period of time at which Technicolor was at its most prominent, is difficult to obtain through conventional, high-speed printing methods and is one explanation for the enduring demand and credibility of the process.
The latest motion picture dye IB (imbibition) transfer process developed during the 1990s is greatly superior to the process used during the 1970s and of much higher quality than modern Eastmancolor stocks. The prints exhibited a higher color gamut and color satauration than modern Eastmancolor stock and could be made consistently and accurately for large numbers of prints. There were no longer visible density and contrast variations that occurred most often with earlier three color Technicolor. The new process was also about as sharp as modern Eastmancolor process with slightly higher contrast, but they appeared sharper due to the higher contrast.
Technicolor was purchased by French company Thomson in 2001 from the British company Carlton Communications, which discontinued the dye-transfer process in 2002.
The visual aesthetic of dye transfer Technicolor continues to be used in Hollywood, usually in films set in the mid-20th century. Parts of The Aviator, the 2004 biopic of Howard Hughes, were digitally manipulated to imitate color processes that were available during the periods each scene takes place. The two-color look of the film is incorrectly cited as looking like Technicolor's two-color systems, and is in fact a facsimile of Hughes' own color system, Multicolor. The "three-strip" Technicolor look begins after the newsreel footage of Hughes making the first flight around the world.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
However, by comparison to astronomy the geological revolution was much more sudden. What had been rejected for decades by any respectable scientific journal was eagerly accepted within a few short years in the 1960s and 1970s. Any geological description before this had been highly descriptive. All the rocks were described and assorted reasons, sometimes in excruciating detail, were given for why they were where they are. The descriptions are still valid. The reasons, however, today sound much like pre-Copernican astronomy.
One simply has to read the pre-plate descriptions of why the Alps or Himalaya exist to see the difference. In an attempt to answer "how" questions like "How can rocks that are clearly marine in origin exist thousands of meters above sea-level in the Dolomites?", or "How did the convex and concave margins of the Alpine chain form?", any true insight was hidden by complexity that boiled down to technical jargon without much fundamental insight as to the underlying mechanics.
With plate tectonics answers quickly fell into place or a path to the answer became clear. Collisions of converging plates had the force to lift the sea floor to great heights. The cause of marine trenches oddly placed just off island arcs or continents and their associated volcanoes became clear when the processes of subduction at converging plates were understood.
Mysteries were no longer mysteries. Forests of complex and obtuse answers were swept away. Why were there striking parallels in the geology of parts of Africa and South America? Why did Africa and South America look strangely like two pieces that should fit to anyone having done a jigsaw puzzle? Look at some pre-tectonics explanations for complexity. For simplicity and one that explained a great deal more look at plate tectonics. A great rift, similar to the Great Rift Valley in northeastern Africa, had split apart a single continent, eventually forming the Atlantic Ocean, and the forces were still at work in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
We have inherited some of the old terminology, but the underlying concept is as radical and simple as was "The Earth moves" in astronomy.
Monday, July 07, 2008
"Dried plasma" was developed and first used in WWII. Prior to the United States' involvement in the war, liquid plasma and whole blood were used. The "Blood for Britain" program during the early 1940s was quite successful (and popular in the United States) based in part on Dr. Charles Drew's contribution. A large project was begun in August of the year 1940 to collect blood in New York City hospitals for the export of plasma to Britain. Dr. Drew was appointed medical supervisor of the "Plasma for Britain" project. His notable contribution at this time was to transform the test tube methods of many blood researchers, including himself, into the first successful mass production techniques.
Nonetheless, the decision was made to develop a dried plasma package for the armed forces as it would reduce breakage and make the transportation, packaging, and storage much simpler.
The resulting Army-Navy dried plasma package came in two tin cans containing 400 cc bottles. One bottle contained enough distilled water to completely reconstitute the dried plasma contained within the other bottle. In about three minutes, the plasma would be ready to use and could stay fresh for around four hours.
Following the "Plasma for Britain" invention, Dr. Drew was named director of the Red Cross blood bank and assistant director of the National Research Council, in charge of blood collection for the United States Army and Navy. Dr. Drew argued against the armed forces directive that blood/plasma was to be separated by the race of the donor. Dr. Drew argued that there was no racial difference in human blood and that the policy would lead to needless deaths as soldiers and sailors were required to wait for "same race" blood.[citation needed]
By the end of the war the American Red Cross had provided enough blood for over six million plasma packages. Most of the surplus plasma was returned to the United States for civilian use. Serum albumin replaced dried plasma for combat use during the Korean War.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Chemically, DNA consists of two long polymers of simple units called nucleotides, with backbones made of sugars and phosphate groups joined by ester bonds. These two strands run in opposite directions to each other and are therefore anti-parallel. Attached to each sugar is one of four types of molecules called bases. It is the sequence of these four bases along the backbone that encodes information. This information is read using the genetic code, which specifies the sequence of the amino acids within proteins. The code is read by copying stretches of DNA into the related nucleic acid RNA, in a process called transcription.
Within cells, DNA is organized into structures called chromosomes. These chromosomes are duplicated before cells divide, in a process called DNA replication. Eukaryotic organisms (animals, plants, and fungi) store their DNA inside the cell nucleus, while in prokaryotes (bacteria and archae) it is found in the cell's cytoplasm. Within the chromosomes, chromatin proteins such as histones compact and organize DNA. These compact structures guide the interactions between DNA and other proteins, helping control which parts of the DNA are transcribed.
Monday, June 23, 2008
A break beat is the sampling of breaks as drum loops (beats), originally from soul tracks, and using them as the rhythmic basis for hip-hop and rap songs. It was invented by DJ Kool Herc, the first to buy two copies of one record so as to be able to mix between the same break[citation needed] or, as Bronx DJ Afrika Bambaataa describes, "that certain part of the record that everybody waits for--they just let their inner self go and get wild," extending its length through repetition (Toop, 1991). The dance the boys and girls ended up doing to break beats was called the Break, break dancing. Breaking was abandoned in favor of doing the Freak in 1978[citation needed] until it was revived and enhanced by Crazy Legs, Frosty Freeze, and the Rock Steady Crew. More recently electronic artists have created "break beats" from other electronic music. Compare with "breakbeat" below.
Although DJ Kool Herc is usually credited with being the first to cut between two copies of a record, it is likely that there were a number of like-minded DJ's developing the technique at the same time. For example, Walter Gibbons was noted in first-hand accounts by his peers for cutting two copies of the same record in his Discoteque gigs of the mid 1970s[citation needed].
Hip hop break beat compilations include Hardcore Break Beats and Break Beats, and Drum Drops (Toop, 1991).
Monday, June 16, 2008
Through this collaboration, functional specifications were developed to relay a better understanding of the functions of onboard safety and security systems and to provide insight into the safety and efficiency benefits of using the systems. FMCSA has recently released Commercial Motor Vehicle Onboard Safety and Security Systems Technology Product Guides on its website, which provides a portfolio of existing and emerging safety and security system technologies for the motor carrier industry. The purpose of this information on this site is to assist carriers, drivers, fleet managers, and other interested individuals in learning more about available safety and security systems. Currently, FMCSA is working on completing analyses of the costs and benefits of these systems and assessing the use of the systems by the industry. In the future, FMCSA plans to perform expanded testing of onboard safety systems to identify and resolve technology adoption issues, confirm and extrapolate safety and productivity benefits to the broader industry, and develop focused deployment efforts to promote expanded adoption of the systems by industry.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
- Wasting time of motorists and passengers ("opportunity cost"). As a non-productive activity for most people, congestion reduces regional economic health.
- Delays, which may result in late arrival for employment, meetings, and education, resulting in lost business, disciplinary action or other personal losses.
- Inability to forecast travel time accurately, leading to drivers allocating more time to travel "just in case", and less time on productive activities.
- Wasted fuel increases air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions contributing to global warming owing to increased idling, acceleration and braking. Increased fuel use may also in theory cause a rise in fuel costs.
- and tear on vehicles as a result of idling in traffic and frequent acceleration and braking, leading to more frequent repairs and replacements.
- Stressed and frustrated motorists, encouraging road rage and reduced health of motorists.
- Emergencies: blocked traffic may interfere with the passage of emergency vehicles traveling to their destinations where they are urgently needed.
- Spillover effect from congested main arteries to secondary roads and side streets as alternative routes are attempted ('rat running'), which may affect neighborhood amenity and real estate prices.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The lycopod Isoetes bears microphylls with a single
vascular trace.Leaves today are, in almost all
instances, an adaptation to increase the amount of
sunlight that can be captured for photosynthesis. Leaves
certainly evolved more than once, and probably
originated as spiny outgrowths to protect early plants
from herbivory.
The rhyniophytes of the Rhynie chert comprised nothing
more than slender, unornamented axes. The early to
middle Devonian trimerophytes, therefore, are the first
evidence we have of anything that could be considered
leafy. This group of vascular plants are recognisable by
their masses of terminal sporangia, which adorn the ends
of axes which may bifurcate or trifurcate. Some
organisms, such as Psilophyton, bore enations. These are
small, spiny outgrowths of the stem, lacking their own
vascular supply.
Around the same time, the zosterophyllophytes were
becoming important. This group is recognisable by their
kidney-shaped sporangia, which grew on short lateral
branches close to the main axes. They sometimes branched
in a distinctive H-shape. The majority of this group
bore pronounced spines on their axes. However, none of
these had a vascular trace, and the first evidence of
vascularised enations occurs in the Rhynie genus
Asteroxylon. The spines of Asteroxylon had a primitive
vasuclar supply - at the very least, leaf traces could
be seen departing from the central protostele towards
each individual "leaf".
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Publishing on the school website
Schools are contributing to this rich vein of online information by publishing information on the web about their activities. These websites are available to Internet users across the world.
The value
A school website encourages communication with a wider audience including schools in other countries, parents, past pupils, business and the community, and provides up to date information about the school's activities.
The development of such a site by pupils and staff is truly cross-curricular.
The potential risks
Personal Safety
* Feeling uncomfortable
If a website includes a pupil's picture, then this could be downloaded from the web, and edited in an unpleasant or embarrassing way. This new image could be circulated via newsgroups or on another webpage.
Parents have concerns that information about their children may be made available worldwide by schools, and that their children can be identified and traced.
Schools could find themselves the centre of unwarranted media attention if the content of a school's website is not carefully overseen. For example, search engines deal with words individually rather than in context, and deliver sites to the browser based upon those individual words. A website that included the phrase "Ourtown school is a single sex education establishment", could be proffered to a web user who was looking for occurrences of "sex".
* Child protection
A pupil could be traced if their name and picture appear on the school's website. It would be possible for them to be contacted by someone wishing them harm.
The recommendations
* Education Authorities should be approached for guidelines concerning parental permission for publishing pupils' pictures on the web.
* Schools may wish to consider whether pupils are put at risk when pictures of them appear on the school website.
* References to specific pupils should only be made if they do not conflict with the school's Personal Safety Programmed and Child Protection Guidelines.
* School website developers should take special care that pupils' safety and justifies are not compromised.
* The methods that search engines use to index the contents of websites should be borne in mind when producing text for a school website.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Preparing for Safe Internet Use
Although a new experience for many, the Internet is no more than another medium with associated risks, and general risk avoidance strategies are applicable. It remains true that good advice online has its roots in good advice offline.
Every aspect of life brings its own risk and schools cope by: -
* identifying the risks
* understanding the context
* assessing the level of risk
* introducing strategies to maximize the gain, whilst limiting the risk
* integrating new concepts into the curriculum
* sharing best practice
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF YOU HAD A BIKE CRASH AND WEREN'T WEARING A HELMET?
* "You could be paralyzed, killed, or you could suffer damage."
* "You could bust your head open on the sidewalk or a rock."
* "You could go into a coma."
* "You could break your neck or crack your head.
* "You could have serious brain damage and you might have to learn all you know over again."
Monday, April 28, 2008
Bicycle Fact Sheet
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that over 600,000 persons suffered bicycle-related injuries serious enough to require hospital emergency room treatment in 1994. Here are some typical cases:
"Karen applied her hand brakes and lost control of her bicycle. She went down an embankment into a creek, and fractured her shoulder."
"As Jimmy was riding his bicycle downhill, the front wheel of his bicycle suddenly became loose and twisted. Jimmy lost control, fracturing his knee."
"Bob was riding a bike without a chain guard when his foot caught between the pedal and chain. He fell, suffering a concussion and skull fracture."
"Michele was riding her bike alongside a friend's. As her friend moved his bike to the right, the two front wheels collided, causing Michele to fall. She suffered a concussion and fractured a wrist."
These case histories illustrate some major accident patterns associated with bicycles. They are:
* Collision with a car or another bicycle.
* Loss of Control -- This occurs because of a number of factors, including: difficulty in braking; riding too large a bike; riding too fast; riding double; stunting; striking a rut, bump, or obstacle; and riding on slippery surfaces.
* Mechanical and Structural Problems -- These include brake failure; wobbling or disengagement of the wheel or steering mechanism; difficulty in shifting gears; chain slippage; pedals falling off, or spoke breakage.
* Entanglement of a person's feet, hands, or clothing in the bicycle.
* Foot slippage from pedal.
To make bicycles safer, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission developed a mandatory safety standard for bicycles to help eliminate injuries due to mechanical and structural failures.
The CPSC regulations establish strict performance and construction standards for the brakes, wheels, steering system and frame. They require reflectors on the front, back, sides and pedals to make bicycles visible at night; require elimination of uncovered sharp edges and jutting parts; and require brakes on bicycles with seat height of 22 inches or more. New bicycles are required to meet the standards.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers the following safety tips when shopping for a new bike or taking care of an old one:
Selecting the Bicycle
* If you're buying a bicycle for a child, choose one to fit the child's size today, not one he or she will "grow into" later.
* A bicycle should suit the rider's ability and kind of riding.
* Check hand and foot brakes for fast, easy stops without instability or jamming.
* Avoid slippery plastic pedals. Look instead for rubber-treated pedals, or metal pedals with serrated rattrap edges or with firmly attached toe clips.
Using the Bicycle
* Always wear a helmet to help prevent head injuries. CPSC is setting a new mandatory standard for bike helmets.
* Observe all traffic laws and signals, just as automobiles must do. Graphic of a bicycle with safety features pointed out
* Don't ride double or attempt stunts.
* Ride near the curb in the same direction as traffic.
* Find alternate routes, rather than ride through busy intersections and heavy or high-speed traffic.
* Walk -- don't ride -- your bicycle across busy intersections and left turn corners.
* Avoid riding in wet weather. When wet, handbrakes may require a long distance to stop.
* Avoid riding in the dark. If you do, be sure the bike is equipped with a headlight, a taillight and reflectors. Apply retro-reflective trim to clothing, or wear reflective vests and jackets.
* Avoid loose clothing or long coats that can catch in pedals or wheels. Leg clips or bands keep pants legs from tangling in the chain.
* Avoid crossing raised sewer grates.Monday, April 21, 2008
These tapered, metal stakes should be used to secure only the NET to the ground. Net pegs should NOT be used to anchor the movable soccer goal 6. Guidelines for Goal Storage or Securing When Goal is Not in Use The majority of the incidents investigated by CPSC did not occur during a soccer match. Most of the incidents occurred when the goals were unattended. Therefore, it is imperative that all goals are stored properly when not being used. When goals are not being used always:
a) Remove the net,
b) Take appropriate steps to secure goals such as:
1) Place the goal frames face to face and secures them at each goalpost with a lock and chain,
2) Lock and chain to a suitable fixed structure such as a permanent fence (see Figure 4.2),
3) Lock unused goals in a secure storage room after each use,
4) If applicable, fully disassemble the goals for seasonal storage, or
5) If applicable, fold the face of the goal down and lock it to its base.
Monday, April 14, 2008
This anchor type is usually comprised of two or more functional components. The main support requires a permanently secured base that is buried underground. One type (3.2a) of semi permanent anchor connects the underground base to the soccer goal by means of 2 tethers. Another design (3.2b) utilizes a buried anchor tube with a threaded opening at ground level. The goal is positioned over the buried tube and the bolt is passed through the goal ground shoes (bar) and rear ground shoe (bar) and screwed into the threaded hole of the buried tube.
Monday, April 07, 2008
From the Federation of International De Football Associations (FIFA) Laws of the Game, Guide for Referees, July 1993.
"Goal-posts and cross-bars must be made of wood, metal, or other approved material as decided from time to time by the International Football Association Board. They may be square, rectangular, round half round or elliptical in shape."
"Goal-posts and cross-bars made of other materials and in other shapes are not permitted. The goal-posts must be white in color."
"The width and depth of the cross-bar shall not exceed 5 inches (12 cm)."
From the National Federation of State High School Associations' (NFSHSA) 1994-95 National Federation Edition-Soccer Rules Book.
"They shall consist of 2 upright (posts) 4 inches but not more than 5 inches (0.10m by 0.12m)...the tops of the posts shall be joined by a 4 inches but not more than 5 inches (0.10m by 0.12m) horizontal crossbar..."
From the National Collegiate Athletic Associations (NCAA) Rules for Soccer.
"...and shall consist of two wooden or metal posts, ...the width or diameter of the goal-posts and crossbar shall not be less than 4 inches (10.16 cm) nor more than 5 inches (12.7 cm)."
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The Paralympic flame passed by B.C.-Canada Place on via Accademia Albertina today, marking the start of the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games. More than 100 people gathered on the sidewalk outside the house, waving Canadian flags and a large Vancouver 2010 sign to cheer on the athletes and the parade. The crowd was even able to enjoy the turn-over of the torch to the next runner.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Movable soccer goals can fall over and kill or injure children who climb on them or hang from the crossbar. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has reports of at least 28 deaths since 1979 resulting from soccer goals falling over. Both homemade and professionally manufactured soccer goals are involved in these incidents. To help prevent deaths and injuries associated with soccer goals, follow these safety suggestions.
* Securely anchor or counter-weight movable soccer goals at all times (see illustration).
* Never climb on the soccer net or goal framework.
* Always instruct soccer players on the safe handling of and potential dangers associated with movable soccer goals.
* Use movable soccer goals only on level (flat) fields.
* Check all connecting hardware before every use. Replace damaged or missing fasteners immediately.
* Ensure safety labels are clearly visible.
* Remove nets when goals are not in use.
* Anchor or chain goals to nearby fence posts, dugouts, or similar sturdy fixtures when not in use.
* Fully disassemble goals for seasonal storage.
Monday, March 17, 2008
1. Never drive your snowmobile alone or on unfamiliar ground have someone ride along with you, so you can help each other in case of breakdown or accident.
2. Drive only on established and marked trails or in specified use areas.
3. Avoid waterways Frozen lakes and rivers can be fatal. It is almost impossible to judge adequate ice coverage or depth.
4. Avoid driving in bad weather. Check warnings for snow, ice, and wind chill conditions before starting
. 5. Watch the path ahead to avoid rocks, trees, fences (particularly barbed wire), ditches, and other obstacles.
6. Slow down at the top of a hill a cliff, snow bank, or other unforeseen hazard could be on the other side.
7. Don't hurdle snow banks you have control only when your skis are on the ground.
8. Learn the snowmobile traffic laws and regulations for the area. Many states prohibit using snowmobiles on public roads some states have mini-mum age requirements for drivers.
9. be sensible about stopping at roads or railroad tracks. Signal your turns to other drivers avoid tailgating Control speed according to conditions.
10. Use extra caution if driving at night, because un-seen obstacles could be fatal do not drive faster than your headlights will allow you to see Do not open new trails after dark.
11. Never drink while driving your snowmobile. Drinking and driving can prove fatal.
12. be sure the snowmobile is properly maintained in good operating condition. Some cases report that the throttle sticks, leading to loss of control Snowmobiles manufactured before 1983 may not have a "throttle interruption device" designed to shut off the snowmobile in the event the throttle sticks.
Monday, March 10, 2008
MS-DOS (MicroSoft Disk Operating System) is an operating system commercialized by Microsoft. It was the commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems and was the dominant operating system for the PC compatible platform during the 1980s. It has gradually been replaced on consumer desktop computers by a variety of generations of the Windows operating system.
MS-DOS was initially released in 1981 and had eight major versions released before Microsoft stopped development in 2000. It was the key product in Microsoft's growth from a programming languages company to varied software development firm, providing the company with essential revenue and marketing resources.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Dallasaurus (Bell et Polcyn, 2005) is a basal mosasauroid from the Upper Cretaceous of North America. The genus is based upon two partial skeletons recovered from the Arcadia Park Shale (lower Middle Turonian), approximately 15 meters above its contact with the older Kamp Ranch Limestone in Dallas County in north-central Texas.
The holotype specimen (TMM 43209-1, Texas Memorial Museum, University of Texas at Austin) consists of an incomplete and disarticulated skull, along with considerable portions of the postcranial skeleton. The second referred specimen (DMNH 8121-8125, 8143-8149, and 8161-8180, Dallas Museum of Natural History) lacks any skull material and consists entirely of disarticulated postcranial remains.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Spoofing
Caller ID is a simple string of data that can be read and generated very simply by small computer programs and even some inexpensive devices. Although the caller ID information is transmitted in between the first and second rings, before the phone call is connected, it is possible to mislead the phone company as to the origin of the call, thus defeating caller ID. Although misleading the phone company by generating ANI code or by other electronic means is very complex, simpler means do exist. Using services like Vonage or Skype, calling from a payphone, or using a calling card are easy means to fool caller ID.