Thursday, 15 June 2017

Venezuela streets brim with revolutionary art| Reuters



CARACAS Blood drips from Hillary Clinton's severed head. The Virgin Mary cradles a machine gun. Karl Marx shares a wall with Hugo Chavez.

An explosion of "revolutionary" graffiti, posters and murals across Venezuela is spreading the Chavez government's ever-more radical messages to try to form a new generation of socialists and counter opposition propaganda.

"Given that capitalism has taken over the media and tries to distort reality, we are taking our vision onto the street," said Eduardo Davila, a young graffiti artist with a pro-government group called "Communication Guerrillas."

The often government-sponsored art fits in with a major push by the Chavez government this year to dominate the public arena, ranging from a presidential Twitter account to training youths in Web skills and painting the houses of th e poor.

The profusion of murals, stencils and slogans on Venezuela's streets has a striking visual effect and a rallying impact on supporters -- even though Chavez's foes dismiss it as a shallow attempt to boost his sinking popularity.

Perhaps the most notable image to spring up recently is a politicized take on Italian master Caravaggio's "David With the Head of Goliath" that shows a young boy with a sword clutching U.S. Secretary of State Clinton's bleeding head.



Further illustrating the quick end to Chavez's early fruitles s overture to Barack Obama, another image shows the U.S. president as a manic-eyed half-human and half-robot next to the slogan: "The Empire's New Toy."

Given the Chavez government's bitter political feud with neighboring Colombia, it is no surprise that Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's former defense minister and now a presidential candidate, appears on a wall with devil's horns and wild eyes.

Elsewhere, in murals full of bellicose symbolism, the Virgin Mary and Jesus carry AK-47s.

Those pictures illustrate the self-described Christian- and Marxist-inspired militancy of Chavez, who quotes as often from the Bible as he does from past revolutionary thinkers.

BRIGHTENING THE BARRIOS

One of the most frequent images to show up is a reproduction of a famous photo from 1989 street riots known as the "Caracazo," showing three men running through the capital's streets carrying the corpse of a comrade shot by soldiers.

"Not forgotten, not forgiven," sa ys a slogan under one picture of the "Caracazo." The event brought vilification on the government of then-President Carlos Andres Perez, whom former soldier Chavez sought to overthrow three years later in a failed military coup.

Chavez himself shows up frequently in street art, his face on one wall in a line including fellow revolutionaries Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Simon Bolivar.

Street artists have formed groups in Caracas and elsewhere with one taking the name Communicational Liberation Army in a spoof of Colombia's guerrilla movement, the National Liberation Army.

Chavez and his followers also are taking their propaganda war to new fronts, including the Internet. Chavez's new Twitter account @chavezcandanga, for example, has become the most followed from Venezuela.

Dozens of teenage students have been formally enrolled and sworn-in as "Communication Guerrillas," taught filming, web and other skills to counter the traditional anti-Chavez bias of Venezuela's private media since he took over in 1999.

"These are our weapons: camera, microphone, recorder, the streets, the pamphlets, the murals," Dayana Serrano, 15, said at a training session for a government initiative that has outraged opposition parties. "We don't have pistols or anything like that and we hope they never give them to us."

Chavez's popularity has dropped this year but, he still retains a near-50 percent approval rating. Much of his popularity comes from social missions in poor neighborhoods -- providing free schools and clinics and painting houses for free.

The "Barrio Tricolor" or "Three-color Neighborhood" mission has gathered pace this year, with soldiers going into poor parts of Caracas to spruce up dilapidated houses with a fresh coat of paint, new roofs and other repairs.

Critics deride the initiative as a cheap, vote-winning tactic limited to areas widely seen from highways, and literally painting over co mmunities' deeper problems.

But for the thousands of residents whose houses are now bedecked in bright Caribbean colors, the gratitude is genuine.

"No other president bothered to do anything for the poor. Chavez is the only one," said 60-year-old Clemencia Linares, as soldiers in T-shirts emblazoned with Chavez's face hammered away at her new roof in a Caracas shanty-town.

"This is nothing short of a miracle."

(Additional reporting by Patricia Rondon, Carlos Rawlins and Efrain Otero in Caracas; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Bill Trott)

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-art-idUSTRE64B3D920100512

Wednesday, 14 June 2017

8 Extra Money Making Ideas For Attorneys

Just like any other business, law firms experience http://lawyers.findlaw.com/ ebbs and flows. Somtimes things are booming and hitting on all cylinders while other times things are just plain slow. During those slow times, attorneys may need money making ideas for using the knowledge Attorney College Station they have as an attorney to generate more income. This article will highlight eight extra money-making ideas for attorneys for generating income outside their practice.



1. Take a state contract for part-time work. In Arkansas (where I live) there are several part-time contracts available for attorneys. Those contracts include public defender positions, attorney ad litem positions, and parent-counsel positions (representing indigent parents in DHS proceedings).

2. Accept appointments. I generally accept two or three appellate appointments per year and am paid by the state to represent indigent clients. Of course you won't receive as high of a rate of pay as with your private clients but you're pretty much guaranteed payment since the State is paying.

3. Become local counsel for a national law firm. There are several national law firms who search for local counsel to represent their clients. These usually pay a flat fee per case and are generally in areas of law such as bankruptcy, foreclosure, or social security disability. Check sites like Craigslist for these types of opportunities.

4. Answer legal questions online. Law Guru and Just Answer are a couple of sites where you can answer state specific questions in your practice area and receive payment. These services allow you to pick which questions Attorney College Station you want to answer so you have control over how much time you spend working on these sites. I answer on Law Guru and have had some pretty interesting questions. So, if you enjoy research this is something you would probably enjoy.

5. Start a legal blog. As an attorney you are an expert. You can use your expertise to start an informative blog about some area of the law. You can monetize the blog in many ways; the easiest of which is Google Adsense.

6. Create a digital product to sell. You can use your expertise to create a product to sell. Many people may not be able to afford to hir you as an attorney but they can afford to buy a book or a diy kit or forms created by an attorney. Think about areas where people often try to represent themselves, such as divorces, and create a product to help them through the process.

7. Write articles on income-sharing sites. This is another way to put your knowledge to work for you and earn some residual income. There are several income-sharing s ites, like Infobarrel or Hubpages, where you can provide beneficial information about your area of practice. Once you write these articles you can start receiving extra income that will continue to come without you doing any additional work.



8. Teach at colleges or votechs. There are opportunities both online and off to teach classes in subjects such as criminal justice or paralegal studies.

These are eight simple extra money making ideas for attorneys to earn extra income in those times that there's a need to do so. I'm sure there are other ways a lso but these will keep you in your professional field, suing the knowledge you already have.

http://www.infobarrel.com/8_Extra_Money_Making_Ideas_For_Attorneys

Friday, 9 June 2017

Fire Sprinkler Recall - CBS News

About 35 million building sprinklers across the country need to be replaced because they might not work during fires, the government and the Pennsylvania manufacturer said Wednesday.

The sprinklers are installed in homes, offices, day-care facilities, hospitals and other buildings, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.



Central Sprinkler Co., of Lansdale, Pa., discovered some of its sprinkler heads have O-ring seals that can corrode, said L. Dennis Kozlowski, chief executive of Tyco International Ltd., which owns the sprinkler company. The firm has received 13 reports of sprinklers failing to work during fires.

"We immediately shared our concerns with the authorities," Kozlowski told reporters. He noted the deterioration of the sprinklers "takes place over a very long period of time."

Tyco will provide fr ee replacements for all the recalled sprinklers, the safety commission said. The first sprinklers replaced will be the oldest, those showing signs of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzdF7T-Gf6A damage or those in buildings such as nursing homes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzdF7T-Gf6A and hospitals.



The recall includes another 167,000 sprinklers sold by Gem Sprinkler Co. and Star Sprinkler Inc., which are also owned by Tyco, the safety co mmission said.

The recalled fire sprinkler heads have the words "CENTRAL" or "STAR", the letters "CSC", the letter "G" in a triangle, or a star-shaped symbol stamped on either the metal frame or the flower-shaped metal piece at one end of the sprinkler head.

About 2.5 million sprinklers installed in other countries, most of them in Canada, are also included in the recall, said Central Sprinkler spokeswoman Anne Buchanan.

People seeking more information about how to replace their sprinklers should call the company toll-free at 1-800-871-3492.

Building owners, however, shouldn't shut off their sprinkler systems because of this recall, said Joseph Hirschmugl, a spokesman for Chicago-based Underwriters Laboratories (UL), which provides safety certifications and has been testing the recalled sprinklers.

"People should remember that sprinklers are important life saving devices," he said, noting that the recall is a precaution.

The vast majority of the recalled sprinklers are of the GB or glass-bulb type that contain alcohol or another liquid in a bulb mounted on the sprinkler head. Heat rising from a fire expands the liquid, causing the glass to shatter. That releases the sprinkler's plug and allows water onto the fire. An O-ring seal keeps the plug from leaking.

The testing organization said in April that some glass-bulb sprinklers produced by Central Sprinkler had crystallized deposits or corrosion around the rubber seal, which indicated leaking water.

It has recommended that the sprinklers be replaced since March 2000, but at the time, Brad McGee, a Tyco senior vice president, said it was too early to consider a recall or replacement of the sprinklers.

In 1998, Central Sprinkler recalled 8.4 million Omega brand fire sprinklers because thy could fail in a fire. Those sprinklers, which were installed nationwide in schools, hospitals, hotels, offices and homes, failed to activate in abo ut 20 http://gardening.cals.cornell.edu/ fires during the 1990s, causing injuries and millions of dollars in property damage, the safety commission said at the time.

MMI The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fire-sprinkler-recall/

Thursday, 1 June 2017

Chipotle Will Use Central Kitchen for Some Ingredients After E. Coli Outbreak

An E. coli outbreak linked to the Chipotle restaurant chain has already led to major changes in the company's food production as it works to regain customers' trust.



At least 52 people have been sickened in the multi-state outbreak that officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked to eating at Chipotle. Those infected ranged in age from 1 to 94 years old and became sick from Oct. 19 to Nov. 13, according to the CDC.

While health officials have not determined which specific ingredient was the source of the outbreak, Chipo tle officials and CEO Steven Ells recently announced new food safety measures that could have a long-term impact on how Chipotle sources its ingredients.

Chipotle has long been supportive of using local ingredients fresh in the kitchen, but company officials said they are now doing more in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbQK4Bl3s_I central prep kitchens before food is sent out to stores in order to help guard against bacteria and other pathogens. For example, Chipotle said it is no longer washing and testing whole tomatoes for its salsa before packaging and shipping them to its local stores because it is not realistic to test every one and the testing process might not detect pathogens inside the tomato. Instead, Chipotle said the safest way to prepare the washed tomatoes is by testing them after they are diced. "The tomatoes that are now prepared in our centralized prep kitchens are washed, diced, and then washed again and tested before packaging and shipment to our restaurants," the company said.

In addition, the company said its restaurant teams are putting many fresh produce items in boiling water for 3 to 5 seconds to sanitize them before they are used in food preparation.

Chipotle CEO Steve Ells said the company is implementing multiple new procedures to safeguard customers, but that it was impossible to eliminate any risk.

"It is impossible to ensure that there is a zero percent chance of any kind of food-borne illness anytime anyone eats anywhere," Ells told the Associated Press.

The company said last week that it anticipates some local growers will not be able to adhere to the new strict safety requirements during the next produce season.

"Given the heightened requirements for produce -- chiefly the high resolution testing -- we believe that some of our local growers will not meet these enhanced standards," a Chipotle spokesman told ABC News last week. "We'll certainly look to work with suppliers that do, and to help others where we can, but at the moment, we aren't sure what the local program will look like. What we are sure of is that our commitment to using the very best ingredients we can remains as strong as ever."

Ells has announced that even with the new safety procedures there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbQK4Bl3s_I would be no price increase for consumers or suppliers.

"This is a cost that we will bear," Ells told the AP.



Chipotle did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment on if the food safety measures would affect all produce or just some items.

Last month, the company announced other new measures it has implemented to ensure food safety and handling, including testing fresh produce with DNA- based tests, and end-of-shelf-life testing to ensure ingredients are safe throughout their shelf life, while also looking to improve the supply chain by measuring performance data of vendors and suppliers, and enhancing employee training in food safety and handling.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/chipotle-makes-coli-outbreak-hike-prices/story?id=35798566

Tuesday, 23 May 2017

Landscaping

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including:

living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly called gardening, the art and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRbW3ayDWVQ craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.

natural elements such as landforms, terrain shape and elevation, or bodies of water; and

abstract elements such as the weather and lighting conditions.

Landscaping requires expertise in horticulture and artistic design.

Contents

1 Understanding the land

2 Tools

3 See also

4 References

Understanding the land

Construction requires study and observation. It is not the same in different parts of the world. Landscaping varies according to different regions.[1] Therefore, normally local na tural experts are recommended if it is done for the first time. Understanding of the site is one of the chief essentials for successful landscaping. Different natural features like terrain, topography, soil qualities, prevailing winds, depth of the frost line, and the system of native flora and fauna must be taken into account.[2] Sometimes the land is not fit for landscaping. In order to landscape it, the land must be reshaped. This reshaping of land https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRbW3ayDWVQ is called grading.[2]

Removal of earth from the land is called cutting while when earth is added to the slope, it is called filling. Sometimes the grading process may involve removal of excessive waste (landfills), soil and rocks, so designers should take into account while in the planning stage.[3][4]



Tools

In the start, the landscaping contractor makes a letter which is a rough design and layout of what could be done with the land in order to achieve the desired outcome.[2] Different pencils are required to make graphics of the picture. Landscaping[5] has become more technological than natural, as few projects begin without bulldozers, lawnmowers, or chainsaws.[1] Different areas have different qualities of plants. Fertilizers are required for this purpose in excess https://www.lowes.com/pl/Lawn-sprinklers-Garden-hoses-accessories-Watering-irrigation-drainage-Outdoors/4294612478 amounts as natural landscaping is done. Some landscapers prefer to use mix gravel with rocks of varying sizes to add interest in large areas.[6]

See also

Aquascaping

Arboriculture

Ecoscaping

Horticulture

Landscape architecture

Landscape contracting

Landscape design

Landscape ecology

Landscape engineering

Landscape planning

Naturescaping

Sustainable landscaping

Terraforming

Xeriscaping

References

^ a b Natural Landscaping: Designing With Native Plant Communities - John Diekelmann, Robert M. Schuster - Google Books. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-04-10.

^ a b c Landscaping Principles and Practices - Jack Ingels - Google Books. Books.google.co.uk. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2013-04-10.

^ Landscaping - William Slack - Google Books. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-04-10.

^ Taylor's Master Guide to Landscaping - Rita Buchanan - Google Books. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-04-10.

^ John Smith. "Landscaping by landscape gardeners: Methods and Tactics". New Ways Landscaping Design. Retrieved 2016-06-14.

^ Sharon Cohoon and Jim McCausland. "How to Landscape Gravel - Page 2". Sunset.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved 2013-04-10.

v

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Land reclamation

Land rehabilitation

Landscape ecology

Rangeland management

Environmental planning

Leopold matrix

Watertable control

Developed environments

Built-up area

Property

Property

Subdivision (land)

Real estate developer

Land development bank

Land (economics)

Customary land

Related fields

Soil

Soil science

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Soil pollution

Overpopulation

Pollution

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Urban planning

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Agriculture

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Sustainable agriculture

Category Categories: Land use



Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Landscaping&oldid=776521820"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landscaping

Sunday, 14 May 2017

Arsenic Uses

If you are a fan of popular thriller fiction like me, then you must have come across arsenic as a very effective medium for murder by poisoning. This is mainly because white arsenic is odorless and tasteless and is also widely available. But, there are several other uses of arsenic, besides being a rather toxic Sprinkler System Installation Mckinney poison. The atomic number of the chemical element arsenic, is 33 with an atomic mass of 74.92. The density of arsenic is 5.776 grams per cubic centimeter and it is solid at room temperature. Its symbol is As and it has three most common and abundant allotrope. They are, metallic gray arsenic, yellow arsenic and black arsenic. Arsenic is mainly produced as a by-product of smelting concentrates derived from copper, lead and zinc ores. Arsenic is found as a compound and it rarely occurs as a pure element. The chief producer of arsenic is China followed by Peru, Morocco, Namibia, Belgi um, Philippines and Chile. We are going to discuss some uses of arsenic in different fields like medicine, military and other commercial uses.

Some Common Uses of Arsenic

There are http://www.kew.org/ several uses of arsenic in different fields, from agriculture to military.

The primary use Mckinney Sprinkler System of arsenic is for the preservation of wood. Since arsenic is poisonous and it is effective in getting rid of insects, fungi and bacteria, it is used in the treatment of wood. This was one of the most widely used industrial applications of arsenic, although most countries banned its use in consumer products due to its high toxicity.

One of the most important of all arsenic uses is as a doping agent in solid state devices such as transistors. Doping is the process in which an impurity, such as arsenic is added to a semiconductor to increase its conducti vity.



Arsenic, in its inorganic form is used for the production of pressure-treated wood. In wood preservation, chromated copper arsenate is injected into the cellular structure of the wood. Pressure-treated wood is used for commercial, industrial and residential applications including decking, highway noise barriers, landscaping, playground equipment, retaining walls, signposts and utility poles. One of the benefits of using chromated copper arsenate pressure-treated wood is its resistance to rotting and insect attack. The content of chromated copper ar senate in pressure-treated wood is greater where there is higher likelihood of insect infestation. Pressure-treating can increase the wood's life to a great extent.

Arsenic is also used in the leather tanning industry as a preservative. Widely used as a weed killer, it is often sprayed from a small aircraft over fields to destroy any kind of infestation. It is also used as an insecticide as it is effective in treating termite infestation. But due to the growing popularity of organic pesticides, the amount of arsenic used for agricultural purposes have dramatically decreased.

Another use of arsenic is as an anti-friction additive in ball bearings and for hardening lead. Arsenic is also used for manufacturing germanium-arsenide-selenide optical materials. Indium-gallium-arsenide was formerly used for short wave infrared technology.

Arsenic Uses in Medicine

In spite of its toxic properties, arsenic compounds were used in the field of medicine in the 18th and 19th century. Use of arsenic was mostly for the treatment of syphilis, before the discovery of penicillin. Fowler's solution (1% solution of potassium arsenite), discovered in 1786, was used in the treatment of various diseases. Some other arsenic solutions that were used as medicines are arsenic trioxide or Donovan's solution and arsenic trichloride or de Valagin's solution. However, in modern medicine, the use of arsenic for treating certain diseases like cancer is still debatable.



So, we have seen that there are many uses of arsenic besides being the poison of choice for many murders. Several studies have shown a link between arsenic exposure and lung cancer. As it is highly toxic in nature, caution is advised in the use of arsenic.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/arsenic-uses. html

Friday, 12 May 2017

What Do Garden Snakes Eat? It's Not What You Imagined

Garter snakes, commonly known as 'garden snakes', belong to the family Colubridae. They are commonly found in North America. They are also referred to as 'gardener snakes'. They, like all other snakes, are carnivorous. They are opportunistic feeders. Generally, they tend to eat whatever they can easily overpower. They are immune to the toxic skin secretions of toads and, therefore, can eat toads without any http://www.truevalue.com/thumbnail/Lawn-Garden/Hoses-Watering/Underground-Watering-System/pc/10/c/146/1418.uts harm. Mostly, they catch live prey. However, they may eat eggs and carrion, especially if live prey is not easily available..A typical menu for Garter Snakes would include:Small rodents like mice, rabbits,etc.

Snails and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBmN2PTUB7w slugs

Leech es

Earthworms



Frogs, tadpoles, and frog spawn

Toads

Insects like ants



Small reptiles like lizards

Fish (when living close to water bodies)

Eggs, nestlings and small birds

Garden snakes usually hunt in the early morning, late afternoon and early evening, when the temperature is warm. They find their prey using their good sense of smell. They use various hunting methods such as ambushing, craning and peering, in order to capture the prey. They immobilize their prey with their sharp teeth and quick reflexes. Their saliva may be slightly toxic to some of their smaller prey. These snakes swallow their food whole. If the prey is small, it is immediately swallowed alive. If the prey is large, the garden snake unhinges its jaws to ease swallowing. With this ability, the garden snake can swallow a wide variety of prey.

Owing to the low toxicity of their venom, garter snakes are usually harmless to humans. They, therefore, make good pets. However, venomous or not, it is never a good idea to keep reptiles as pets in households that have small children. Kids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBmN2PTUB7w are seldom able to handle these creatures properly and, hence, run a high risk of getting nasty, painful bites.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-do-garden-snakes-eat.html