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Category Archives: Berlusconi
Libya and Gaza: Double Standards in Conflict Reporting at The New York Times
Hats off to The New York Times for being one of the first, if not the first, to report last Friday that Col. Gaddafi's forces in Libya have been firing cluster bombs into residential neighborhoods of Misurata, the sole city in western Libya still in rebel hands, thereby escalating the possibility of major civilian carnage.
Deployment of the weapon, along with ground-to-ground rockets, represents a significant intensification in the two-month old crisis in Libya sparked by the so-called Arab Spring of democratic rebellions that have surged through the Middle East.
The Libyan uprising, however, is the only one of these insurrections that has seen direct Western military involvement and it was the apparent threat to civilian life of the sort reported this weekend by the NYTimes and other media outlets that brought that about. Following an allegedly bloodcurdling threat from Gaddafi in early March to exact revenge against the citizens of Benghazi, the eastern city that has been the epicenter of the revolt, the United Nations Security Council authorised the use of force to protect civilians.
Justifying US involvement in the NATO-led bombing campaign against Gaddafi's forces that followed, President Barack Obama said: "If we waited one more day, Benghazi . . . could suffer a massacre that would have reverberated across the region and stained the conscience of the world.''
Cluster bombs: a devastating weapon when used against civiians
Gaddafi's use of cluster bombs clearly increases the danger to Libya's civilian population. The munitions, which contain many smaller, shrapnel-packed bomblets are designed to shower wide areas with deadly explosives. On the battlefield they can cut down scores of soldiers at a time but in heavily populated urban neighborhoods the weapon can kill and maim on a massive scale. As The NYTimes put it, describing the deployment of the weapon along with rockets:
Both of these so-called indiscriminate weapons, which strike areas with a dense succession of high-explosive munitions, by their nature cannot be fired precisely. When fired into populated areas, they place civilians at grave risk.
The dangers were evident beside one of the impact craters on Friday (in Misurata), where eight people had been killed while standing in a bread-line. Where a crowd had assembled for food, bits of human flesh had been blasted against a cinder-block wall.
The NYTimes' report came just as other media outlets, such as The Boston Globe, were beginning to offer a platform to more skeptical analyses of the rationale for war in Libya. These pointed out that not only did Gaddafi not threaten a civilian massacre in Benghazi – this claim was made instead by rebels – he had offered an amnesty to those who threw their weapons away and even offered rebels an escape route to Egypt. The use of cluster bombs, however, tilts the balance the other way, strengthening the view that Gaddafi is prepared to kill his own people in order to survive.
Nonetheless cynics will be suspicious about this report and its timing. After all, it comes as the Western-led effort in the oil-rich North African state is badly running out of steam and disagreements over tactics and strategy are rife amongst the NATO allies. Gaddafi has also taken advantage of confusion in his enemy's camp and has forced the rebels to flee from eastern cities they had captured. With the rebels' rag tag army once more on the run, NATO and its political leadership are facing a humiliating setback at the hands of one of the Arab world's most eccentric leaders.
Gaddafi and Obama in happier days
By coincidence or not, the three Western leaders spearheading the NATO campaign, Barack Obama, Britain's David Cameron and France's Nicolas Sarkozy, put their names to an Op-Ed which appeared this weekend in major US and European newspapers that appeared to admit for the first time that the aim of the operation was now not just to protect civilian lives but to effect the ousting of the Libyan dictator.
Prior to this Obama, for one, was keen to rule out any charge that he and his allies planned to overthrow Gaddafi. "Broadening our military mission to include regime change would be a mistake", he told the American public last month. It was a stance dictated by the knowledge that doing otherwise would not go down well in the Arab world. It was one thing to drop bombs on Arab cities in the name of humanitarian exigency, but, in the context of Bush's war in Iraq, an entirely different matter when the goal was to get rid of a government. In the wake of a growing stalemate in Libya, however, that had changed. Now, the trio of war leaders said in their Op-Ed: "Colonel Gaddafi must go, and go for good".
The cynic will say that the curtain has now been pulled aside to reveal the real motives behind the NATO campaign, for which the expression of humanitarian concern was a convenient cover. The real goal was to extract payback from an Arab leader who was a real thorn in the West's flesh not that long ago, whether by cocking a snook at the Reagan White House, funding and arming groups like the IRA which came close to assassinating a British prime minister or stirring up trouble in a host of Arab and African countries whose leaders were allies of the West.
Muammar and Tony: the former British PM is on the payroll, says Gaddafis son, Saif
According to this scenario this was too good an opportunity to settle some old scores, notwithstanding Gaddafi's humbling, not to say embarrassing efforts to ingratiate himself with the West in recent years (his new pals included Tony Blair, who was on the family payroll according to Gaddafi's son Saif, and Silvio Berlusconi who is said to have got the idea of hosting his now infamous "bunga-bunga parties" from Gaddafi). That Libya also produces the highest grade oil of any Arab state and that the people who are slated to take over from Gaddafi will likely be grateful to the West in all the most suitable and appropriate ways is a bonus, and a big one at that.
Muammar and Silvio: Gaddafi "introduced Italian leader to bunga-bunga parties"
All of this may well be true but to suggest, as some might, that The New York Times story is therefore a very timely and convenient excuse for NATO to escalate the war against Gaddafi would be a good deal more credible if the story itself was dodgy and on the level of say Judith Miller's notorious aluminum tubes report, a piece of fiction which helped the Bush White House raise the spectre of a nuclear-armed Saddam Hussein to justify the Iraq war while staining The NYTimes' reputation, some say indelibly.
But that doesn't seem to be the case. The NYTimes reporter, CJ Chivers was able to examine and photograph remnants of three mortars fired last week at Misurata, each filled with twenty-one "submunitions", i.e. smaller bombs designed to kill people and penetrate armor. He was also able to trace the bombs to their Spanish manufacturer, Instalaza and quoted Human Rights Watch, the New York-based advocacy group which verified that cluster bombs were being used by the Libyan government forces.
A young Iraqi victim of American cluster bombs
For good measure, Chivers noted that the United States is not amongst the countries who have signed a Convention barring their use, implying therefore that any attempt by America to make a human rights issue out of all this would sound hypocritical to say the least. (US forces also used the weapon in Iraq, causing sometimes terrible civilian casualties) He also spoke to eye witnesses who had been nearby when the cluster mortars landed and exploded. So all in all a solid, well-reported piece of journalism and an article of which The New York Times can be justifiably proud.
I mention all of this by way of contrast and the contrast is to the same paper's coverage of the Israeli invasion of Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009, a military operation that was code named Operation Cast Lead and whose principal victims were also civilians. According to Palestinians sources quoted in the Goldstone Report between 1390 and 1440 people were killed by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) during that two or three week-long incursion and the vast majority, perhaps as many as 75 per cent, were ordinary, non-involved Gaza citizens. Over 100 women were killed and possibly as many as 350 of the fatalities were children. The Israelis have starkly different numbers which claim that the bulk of the dead were militants or combatants but have failed to produce evidence to back up their figures.
The civilian death toll was perhaps not on the same scale that Barack Obama seemed to suggest would have happened in Benghazi but for the intervention of the US and her allies but nonetheless it was large enough to suggest that the aim of the operation was less to punish the Hamas activists who were firing rockets into Israel and more to teach the population of Gaza a brutal lesson for voting Hamas into power and/or continuing to give them support.
The disparity between civilian and military casualties was large enough by itself to warrant the suspicion that this or something like it was the real mission goal and so was the choice of weaponry employed by the Israelis in Gaza's packed, built up areas where the average population density is some 4,500 people per square kilometer.
The scale of civilian killings in Gaza was sufficiently large to inflame international public opinion and to oblige the United Nations to launch an investigation into Operation Cast Lead. The results of that investigation, the Goldstone Report, have damaged, possibly beyond repair, Israel's already tarnished reputation for disrespecting the rights of Palestinian Arabs.
There is little doubt that the most controversial and disturbing weapon deployed in Gaza by Israel was white phosphorous (WP), a substance that is used conventionally to generate smoke and provide cover for troop movements. For that reason it is not a banned weapon. But using it in densely populated urban areas is an entirely different matter. Israel claimed it used WP legally, to give her soldiers a smokescreen but on the ground, in the tightly packed streets of Gaza it killed, maimed and terrified civilians.
An unforgettable image of Israels incursion into Gaza: a white phosphorous shell explodes above a Palestinian neighborhood
WP is used in two ways. Encased into artillery shells, it can be fired at ground targets like normal ordnance or it can be fused to explode in mid-air, showering down multiple streams of deep-yellow colored phosphorous embers. The chemical ignites when exposed to oxygen and can only be doused, but not extinguished by a covering of dirt of sand.
The effect of white phosphorous raining down on Gaza's civilian population was devastating. Doctors interviewed by the Goldstone team spoke of horrifying burn injuries to its victims. WP sticks to the flesh and will burn until all the phosphorous is exhausted. In some cases victims were treated only to return the next day with wounds that were smoking with remnants of WP still burning deep into tissue and sometimes into the bone.
Medical staff learned that the only effective way to treat WP victims was to cut away large portions of flesh around the affected area. Some had limbs amputated, others were burned to death. Although there is little doubt that many more Gazans were killed by conventional weapons the gruesome, indiscriminate cruelty of white phosphorous marked it out as a truly horrifying and repellant weapon.
This is what is like to be on the receiving end of a white phosphorous shell
The Goldstone team indicted Israel for its use of the weapon, saying it had breached Articles 18 and 19 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which declare hospitals off-limits during wartime and parts of Protocol One of the Convention, effectively saying that Israel had undertaken military operations while disregarding the consequences for civilians. The Convention bars the use of WP against civilians and while Goldstone didn't charge Israel with deliberately flouting the law, the report did say that the IDF was "systematically reckless" in its use of the weapon in built-up areas. One member of the Goldstone mission, former Irish Army officer, Colonel Desmond Travers has estimated that some 3,500 white phosphorous shells, containing around 400,000 individual wedges of the chemical were fired by the IDF during the incursion of Gaza.
Specifically, Goldstone's people found that WP shells had been fired at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency at a time when the UN complex was being used to shelter some 700 civilians – one shell landed near a large oil tank and disaster was averted only by brave and speedy action on the part of staff members – and that the same weapon had been used against two hospitals, the Al Quds in Gaza city and the Al Wafa in the east of the city. The Goldstone report also chronicled the case of the Abu Halima family, about whose harrowing fate it had this to say:
On 4 January 2009, the bombardment reportedly increased as Israeli troops moved into and took control of al-Atatra neighbourhood. The Abu Halima family was sheltering in the home of Muhammad Sa'ad Abu Halima and Sabah Abu Halima in Sifaya village. The house has two floors; the ground floor is used for storage and the living quarters are on the upper floor. According to Sabah Abu Halima, 16 members of her immediate family were sheltering on the upper floor.
In the afternoon, after hearing that a shell had hit the adjacent house of Sabah Abu Halima's brother-in-law, most of the family moved from the bedroom into a hallway in the middle of the upper floor, where they thought they would be better protected. At around 4.30 p.m., a white phosphorous shell came through the ceiling into the room where they were sheltering.
According to family members who survived, there was intense fire and white smoke in the room, the walls of which were glowing red. Five members of the family died immediately or within a short period: Muhammad Sa'ad Abu Halima (aged 45) and four of his children, sons Abd al-Rahim Sa'ad (aged 14), Zaid (aged 12) and Hamza (aged 8), and daughter Shahid (aged 18 months). Muhammad Sa'ad and Abd al-Rahim Sa'ad were decapitated, the others burnt to death. Five members of the family escaped and suffered various degrees of burns: Sabah Abu Halima, her sons Youssef (aged 16) and Ali (aged 4), daughter-in-law Ghada (aged 21), and Ghada's daughter Farah (aged 2).
One horrifying consequence of a white phosphorous attack
So how did The New York Times cover the deployment of white phosphorous by the IDF in Gaza? Again by way of contrast, the best way to start answering that question is perhaps to look at how one its European rivals covered the same story. The paper in question is The Times of London. Now this is a paper that is part of Rupert Murdoch's stable and the people at The New York Times tend to look down their collective noses at anything published by News International. After all, many of Murdoch's publications do have a reputation for tabloid-like trashiness, a scant respect for the facts and little in the way of ethical standards: take a look, for instance, at the phone hacking scandal currently embroiling The News of the World in London.
Not all of Murdoch's children are brats, however, and The Times can sometimes rise majestically to the occasion. Its coverage of Israel's deployment of white phosphorous was one such instance. The paper's first story appeared on January 5th under the headline 'Israel rains fire on Gaza with phosphorous shells' and two days later, on January 8th, followed that up with a story about the horrifying injuries caused by WP, while noting that the IDF's official denials that the weapon was in use and identifying the shells as being of US origin: "There is also evidence that the rounds have injured Palestinian civilians, causing severe burns. The use of white phosphorous against civilians is prohibited under international law". Another story on January 12th provided more detailed evidence of widespread civilian casualties caused by the weapon.
On January 15th, The Times reported that the UNWRA complex in Gaza had been hit by white phosphorous shells and that the UN General Secretary, Ban Ki-Moon had protested to the Israeli government (a counter claim by Israeli PM, Ehud Olmert that his forces had been forced to reply to Hamas attacks was not supported by Goldstone). It continued in terms that left little doubt the paper believed the Israelis to be liars: "The Israeli military has denied using white phosphorous shells in the Gaza offensive, although an investigation by The Times has revealed that dozens of Palestinians in Gaza have sustained serious injuries from the substance, which burns at extremely high temperatures."
So how did The New York Times compare to its British equivalent? I did a search of the paper's website and archive and trawled Lexis-Nexis for references in the paper to white phosphorous during Operation Cast Lead. In total there were just five reports and with the exception of the last article, filed after the Israelis had withdrawn from Gaza, the NYT's references to WP were perfunctory, repeated IDF and Israeli government explanations for its use and made little if any mention of the death and injury caused to Gazan civilians.
The first was a story on January 11th by Ethan Bronner, the Jerusalem bureau chief for the NYT since March 2008. Although the subject had been well reported by The Times of London and other European newspapers up to a week beforehand, Bronner devoted just one sentence to WP in a report that led with Israel's warnings to Gaza residents about a planned escalation of its incursion. Although Bronner also reported signs of growing international criticism of Israeli tactics and the dangers posed to Gazan civilians, the reference to WP was a meager one that carried echoes of the IDF's line on its use. He wrote: "Human rights groups are also concerned about the Israeli use of white phosphorous, which creates smoke on a battlefield, at low altitudes or crowded areas, because it can burn like a kind of napalm."
The second report came on January 16th, five days later and dealt with the shelling of the UNWRA complex. The article dwelt on Israeli doubts about the UN's neutrality and complaints about its "institutional bias", carried the IDF claim that its shelling was in response to Hamas fire and devoted just two paragraphs in a 1600 word article to the use of White Phosphorus.
Bylined Isabel Kershner, the story had this to say about the weapon:
Citing agency representatives who were present during the attack, Mr Gunness (a UNWRA spokesman) said three white phosphorous shells had hit the compound, causing fires that raged for hours, an allegation to which the Israeli military did not respond.
White phosphorous is a standard, legal weapon in armies, long used as a way to light up an area or to create a thick white smoke to obscure troop movements. While using it against civilians, or in an area where many civilians are likely to be affected, can be a violation of international law, Israel has denied using the substance improperly. On Wednesday, Hamas fired a phosphorous mortar shell into Israel, but no-one was hurt.
On January 22nd, the day after Israel withdrew from Gaza, The New York Times carried two pieces on WP, one by Ethan Bronner and Alan Cowell which reported that Israel had established a military investigation "to look into the issue" of alleged misuse of WP following allegations reported in what an IDF spokesman called "the foreign press". It was the first admission by the paper that Israel's use of white phosphorous had angered and incensed international opinion.
A second piece, solely by Ethan Bronner, finally put a human face to the consequences of white phosphorous use and reported on the ordeal of the Abu Halima family. Five members of the family, four children and their father, had perished in a WP attack over two weeks earlier and the incident had been widely reported, both in The Times of London and other European outlets, but it was only now that The New York Times was giving the story any coverage.
Ethan Bronner
Bronner quoted Sabah Abu Halima, the surviving widow, at length and also doctors who had treated survivors and had seen the horrific injuries up close. One doctor said that in a few cases the damage done by WP was so acute that "seemingly limited burns led to the patients' deaths." Sabah Abu Halima's grief was so profound, she said she wanted to see Israel's foreign minister and president "burn like my children burned".
It was a good piece of reporting that well reflected the horrors visited upon Palestinian civilians by Israeli white phosphorous. But it came far too late, like the horse that bolted the stable. It also smacked of catch up by the Gray Lady, as if someone in the New York HQ had realized that the paper really ought to say something about the matter given the level of international concern over Israel's behavior in Gaza. But by this stage the horse had galloped several fields away.
It could be said in the paper's defense that The New York Times was hampered, as was all the media, by Israeli government restrictions on media access to the Gaza war zone. Reporters like Ethan Bronner and Isabel Kershner couldn't actually report from the ground, could not see the evidence or lack thereof for themselves and couldn't get to speak to victims like Sabah Abu Halima, much less look into her eyes as she voiced her allegations. All their reports, bar the second Bronner piece on January 22nd, carried the Jerusalem dateline. Only when the IDF had evacuated could Ethan Bronner get into Gaza to speak to Palestinians.
That all sounds reasonable except for one thing. Like the NYT, The Times of London's reports were all datelined Jersualem and for its detailed coverage of events on the ground in Gaza the paper seemingly relied on local stringers. And it managed to report in considerable detail both the use of WP and the devastating injuries being caused. So what about The New York Times? Did the paper have someone on the ground in Gaza and if so, why didn't its coverage match its English counterpart?
Well yes, the paper did have someone on the ground in Gaza. Her name was Taghreed El-Khodary, a Palestinian journalist and she was the paper's local correspondent, able to go places and speak to people inaccessible to Bronner and Kershner. On January 19th, 2009, she featured in a lengthy readers' Q&A session reported in the Lede blog on the NYT website where she was asked about evidence that she had seen about the use of WP. She replied, inter alia: "I could find evidence of the use of white phosphorus bombs……As a result, we wrote about the use of the phosphorus. Israel used white phosphorus in densely populated areas."
Taghreed El-Khodary
Ms El-Khodary may well have written about white phosphorous but if so, her reports about its use, the evidence she had found and her assertion that the weapon was used in "densely populated areas" never appeared in her paper, at least no edition available in any archive that I could search.
In all of this, it may entirely be a coincidence that the NYT's Jerusalem bureau chief Ethan Bronner has what many would see as a major conflict of interest. He is married to an Israeli citizen and his son is a soldier in the Israeli army. Philip Weiss in his Mondoweiss blog reported on The New York Times response when Bronner's background became known: "When it broke the news last year, Electronic Intifada said that it was a conflict of interest; and the newspaper's public editor concurred; he said that Bronner should be reassigned to some other beat. The Times' executive editor, Bill Keller, has kept Bronner in Jerusalem, presumably hoping that the issue dies down and no one says anything about it." (Taghreed El-Khodary resigned when the NYT refused to reassign Bronner and spoke of her "disappointment" at the paper's decision). The NYT's other Jerusalem-based correspondent Isabel Kershner is an Israeli citizen.
Perhaps it is unfair to suggest that such considerations would or could affect how a journalist covers a particular story or how a newspaper should regard his or her stories. But put it this way. If CJ Chivers was a Libyan citizen, or was married to one, and had a son who was fighting for the rebels in Benghazi and all this was known to the world, would The New York Times have been just as quick to publish his story about Gaddafi's use of cluster bombs, just as confident that it could weather the inevitable controversy?
Posted in Al Jazeera, Benghazi, Berlusconi, Cameron, Cluster bombs, Geneva Convention, Goldstone report, Israel, Misurata, Muammar Gaddafi, New York Times, Obama, Palestinians, Sarkozy, The Times of London, Tony Blair, Tripoli, White phosphorous


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require 'spec_helper'

describe JdbcConnection, :jdbc_integration do

  let(:data_source) { JdbcIntegration.real_data_source }
  let(:account) { JdbcIntegration.real_account }
  let(:options) { { :logger => Rails.logger } }
  let(:connection) { JdbcConnection.new(data_source, account, options) }

  let(:db_url) { connection.db_url }
  let(:db_options) { connection.db_options }
  let(:db) { Sequel.connect(db_url, db_options) }

  describe '#connect!' do
    it 'connects!' do
      mock.proxy(Sequel).connect(db_url, hash_including(:test => true))

      connection.connect!
      connection.connected?.should be_true
    end
  end

  describe '#schemas' do
    let(:schema_blacklist) { %w(All Crashdumps DBC dbcmngr Default EXTUSER LockLogShredder PUBLIC SQLJ SysAdmin SYSBAR SYSLIB SYSSPATIAL SystemFe SYSUDTLIB Sys_Calendar TDPUSER TDQCD TDStats tdwm TD_SYSFNLIB TD_SYSXML) }
    let(:schema_list_sql) {
      blacklist = schema_blacklist.join("', '")
      <<-SQL
        SELECT DISTINCT databasename AS name
        FROM DBC.DBASE WHERE databasename NOT IN ('#{blacklist}');
      SQL
    }

    let(:expected) { db.fetch(schema_list_sql).all.map { |row| row[:name] } }
    let(:subject) { connection.schemas }
    let(:use_match_matcher) { true }

    it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'

    context 'when no schema blacklist is specified' do
      let(:schema_blacklist) {[]}
      before do
        mock(ChorusConfig.instance).jdbc_schema_blacklists { Hash.new Set.new }
      end

      it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
    end
  end

  describe '#schema_exists?' do
    let(:schema_name) { JdbcIntegration.schema_name }
    let(:subject) { connection.schema_exists?(schema_name) }
    let(:expected) { true }

    it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'

    context 'when the schema does not exist' do
      let(:schema_name) { 'does_not_exist' }

      it 'returns false' do
        connection.schema_exists?(schema_name).should be_false
      end
    end

    context 'when the schema exists but is in the blacklist' do
      let(:schema_name) { 'DBC' }

      it 'returns false' do
        connection.schema_exists?(schema_name).should be_false
      end
    end
  end

  describe 'methods within a schema' do
    let(:schema_name) { JdbcIntegration.schema_name }
    let(:connection) { JdbcConnection.new(data_source, account, options.merge(:schema => schema_name)) }

    describe '#datasets' do

      context 'fetching all tables and views' do
        let(:dataset_list_sql) {
          <<-SQL
          SELECT tablename AS name, tablekind as ttype FROM dbc.tables where databasename = '#{schema_name}' ORDER BY name
          SQL
        }

        let(:expected) { db.fetch(dataset_list_sql).map { |row| {:name => row[:name].strip, :type => row[:ttype] == 'T' ? 't' : 'v' } } }
        let(:subject) { connection.datasets }
        let(:use_match_matcher) { true }

        it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
      end

      context 'when a limit is passed' do
        let(:expected) { 2 }
        let(:subject) { connection.datasets(:limit => 2).size }

        it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
      end

      context 'when a name filter is passed' do
        let(:subject) { connection.datasets(:name_filter => name_filter) }

        context 'and the filter does not contain LIKE wildcards' do
          let(:name_filter) {'nEWer'}
          let(:dataset_list_sql) {
            <<-SQL
          SELECT tablename AS name, tablekind as ttype FROM dbc.tables where databasename = '#{schema_name}' and name LIKE '%#{name_filter}%' (NOT CASESPECIFIC) ORDER BY name
            SQL
          }
          let(:expected) { db.fetch(dataset_list_sql).map { |row| {:name => row[:name].strip, :type => row[:ttype] == 'T' ? 't' : 'v' } } }

          it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
        end

        context 'and the filter contains LIKE wildcards' do
          let(:name_filter) {'_T'}

          it 'only returns datasets which contain `_T` in their names (it should not use _ as a wildcard)' do
            subject.length.should > 0
            subject.each { |dataset| dataset[:name].should match /_T/i }
          end
        end
      end

      #context 'when showing only tables' do
      #  let(:dataset_list_sql) {
      #    <<-SQL
      #  SELECT 't' as type, TABLE_NAME AS name FROM ALL_TABLES WHERE OWNER = '#{schema_name}'
      #  ORDER BY name
      #    SQL
      #  }
      #  let(:expected) { db.fetch(dataset_list_sql).all }
      #  let(:subject) { connection.datasets(:tables_only => true) }
      #
      #  it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
      #end

      context 'when multiple options are passed' do
        let(:name_filter) {'nEWer'}
        let(:dataset_list_sql) {
          <<-SQL
        SELECT top 1 tablename AS name, tablekind as ttype FROM dbc.tables where databasename = '#{schema_name}' and name LIKE '%#{name_filter}%' (NOT CASESPECIFIC) ORDER BY name
          SQL
        }
        let(:expected) { db.fetch(dataset_list_sql).map { |row| {:name => row[:name].strip, :type => row[:ttype] == 'T' ? 't' : 'v' } }  }
        let(:subject) { connection.datasets(:name_filter => name_filter, :limit => 1) }

        it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
      end
    end

    describe '#datasets_count' do
      let(:connection) { JdbcConnection.new(data_source, account, options.merge(:schema => schema_name)) }
      let(:schema_name) { JdbcIntegration.schema_name }
      let(:dataset_list_sql) {
        <<-SQL
          SELECT COUNT(*) FROM dbc.tables where databasename = '#{schema_name}'
        SQL
      }

      let(:expected) { db.fetch(dataset_list_sql).single_value }
      let(:subject) { connection.datasets_count }

      it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'

      context 'when a name filter is passed' do
        let(:name_filter) {'nEWer'}
        let(:dataset_list_sql) {
          <<-SQL
        SELECT COUNT(*) FROM dbc.tables where databasename = '#{schema_name}' and tablename LIKE '%#{name_filter}%' (NOT CASESPECIFIC)
          SQL
        }
        let(:expected) { db.fetch(dataset_list_sql).single_value }
        let(:subject) { connection.datasets_count(:name_filter => name_filter) }

        it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
      end

    #  context 'when showing only tables' do
    #    let(:dataset_list_sql) {
    #      <<-SQL
    #    SELECT count(*) FROM ALL_TABLES WHERE OWNER = '#{schema_name}'
    #      SQL
    #    }
    #    let(:expected) { db.fetch(dataset_list_sql).single_value }
    #    let(:subject) { connection.datasets_count(:tables_only => true) }
    #
    #    it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
    #  end
    end

    describe '#metadata_for_dataset' do
      let(:schema_name) { JdbcIntegration.schema_name }
      let(:expected) { {:column_count => 2} }
      let(:subject) { connection.metadata_for_dataset('TWO_COLUMN_TABLE') }

      it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'

      context 'the table has lowercase characters' do
        let(:expected) { {:column_count => 3} }
        let(:subject) { connection.metadata_for_dataset('lowercase_table') }

        it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
      end
    end

    describe '#table_exists?' do
      let(:subject) { connection.table_exists?(table_name) }
      let(:expected) { true }

      context 'when the table exists' do

        context 'with uppercase table name' do
          let(:table_name) { 'NEWTABLE' }
          it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
        end

        context 'with a lowercase table name' do
          let(:table_name) { 'lowercase_table' }
          it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
        end
      end

      context 'when the table does not exist' do
        let(:table_name) { 'MISSING_TABLE' }
        let(:expected) { false }

        it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
      end

      context 'when the table name given is nil' do
        let(:table_name) { nil }
        let(:expected) { false }

        it 'returns false before trying to connect' do
          do_not_allow(Sequel).connect
          subject.should == expected
        end
      end
    end

    describe '#view_exists?' do
      let(:subject) { connection.view_exists?(view_name) }

      context 'when the view exists' do
        let(:expected) { true }

        context 'with uppercase view name' do
          let(:view_name) { 'NEWVIEW' }
          it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
        end

        context 'with a lowercase view name' do
          let(:view_name) { 'lowercase_view' }
          it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
        end
      end

      context 'when the view does not exist' do
        let(:view_name) { 'MISSING_VIEW' }
        let(:expected) { false }

        it_behaves_like 'a well-behaved database query'
      end

      context 'when the view name given is nil' do
        let(:view_name) { nil }
        let(:expected) { false }

        it 'returns false before trying to connect' do
          do_not_allow(Sequel).connect
          subject.should == expected
        end
      end
    end

    describe '#column_info' do
      let(:table_name) { 'NEWTABLE' }
      let(:columns_sql) do
        <<-SQL
          SELECT
          TRIM(COLUMNNAME) AS attname,
          TRIM(COLUMNTYPE) AS format_type
          FROM (
          SELECT
          COLUMNNAME,
          COLUMNID,
          CASE WHEN COLUMNTYPE='CV' THEN 'VARCHAR'
               WHEN COLUMNTYPE='I' THEN 'INTEGER'
          END AS COLUMNTYPE
          FROM DBC.COLUMNS
          WHERE DATABASENAME=:schema AND TABLENAME=:table ) TBL ORDER BY COLUMNID
        SQL
      end
      let(:expected) do
        db.fetch(columns_sql, :schema => schema_name, :table => table_name).all
      end

      let(:subject) { connection.column_info(table_name, 'ignored setup sql to be consistent with other datasource connections') }

      it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
    end

    context 'Sequel column parsing' do
      describe '#schema_parse_table' do
        # a pseudo test of sequel's jdbc schema_parse_table implementation, mostly affecting sql server
        # it will skip any columns with :table_schem == 'INFORMATION_SCHEMA' causing it to
        # raise Sequel::Error when there are not non INFORMATION_SCHEMA cols in a table/view
        it 'does not skip information schema columns' do
          connection.with_connection do |c|
            c.send(:'schema_parse_table_skip?', 'any', 'any').should be_false
          end
        end
      end
    end

    #describe 'primary_key_columns' do
    #  context 'with a primary key' do
    #    let(:expected) { %w(COLUMN2 COLUMN1) }
    #    let(:subject) { connection.primary_key_columns('WITH_COMPOSITE_KEY') }
    #    it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
    #  end
    #
    #  context "without a primary key" do
    #    let(:expected) { [] }
    #    let(:subject) { connection.primary_key_columns('NEWTABLE') }
    #
    #    it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
    #  end
    #end
  end

  describe '#version' do
    let(:subject) { connection.version }
    let(:expected) { /Teradata Database 14\.10.*/ }
    let(:use_match_matcher) { true }

    it_should_behave_like 'a well-behaved database query'
  end

  describe '#stream_sql' do
    let(:sql) { %(SELECT * from "#{JdbcIntegration.schema_name}".NEWTABLE) }

    let(:subject) { connection.stream_sql(sql) { true } }
    let(:expected) { true }

    it_behaves_like 'a well-behaved database query'

    it 'streams all rows of the results' do
      bucket = []
      connection.stream_sql(sql) { |row| bucket << row }

      bucket.length.should == 10
      bucket.each_with_index do |row, index|
        row[:rowname].should == "row_#{row[:id]}"
      end
    end

    it 'stores the statement through the cancelable_query' do
      cancelable_query = Object.new
      mock(cancelable_query).store_statement.with_any_args
      connection.stream_sql(sql, {}, cancelable_query) {}
    end

    context 'when a limit is provided' do
      it 'only processes part of the results' do
        bucket = []
        connection.stream_sql(sql, {:limit => 1}) { |row| bucket << row }

        bucket.size.should == 1
        row = bucket.first
        row[:rowname].should == "row_#{row[:id]}"
      end
    end
  end

  describe '#prepare_and_execute_statement' do
    let(:sql) { %(SELECT * from "#{JdbcIntegration.schema_name}".NEWTABLE) }

    it 'stores the statement through the cancelable_query' do
      cancelable_query = Object.new
      mock(cancelable_query).store_statement.with_any_args
      connection.prepare_and_execute_statement(sql, {}, cancelable_query)
    end
  end

  describe '#create_sql_result' do
    it 'returns a JdbcSqlResult' do
      connection.create_sql_result('warnings', nil).should be_a JdbcSqlResult
    end
  end

  describe '#set_timeout' do
    let (:statement) { Object.new }

    it 'calls setQueryTimeout on statement' do
      mock(statement).set_query_timeout(123)
      connection.set_timeout(123, statement)
    end

  end

  describe '::DatabaseError' do
    let(:message) { 'A message' }
    let(:sequel_exception) {
      exception = Exception.new
      wrapped_exception = Object.new
      stub(exception).wrapped_exception { wrapped_exception }
      stub(exception).message { message }
      exception
    }

    let(:error) { JdbcConnection::DatabaseError.new(sequel_exception) }

    describe '#error_type' do
      it 'returns nil' do
        # needs vendor specific error mapping
        error.error_type.should == :JDBC_ERROR
      end
    end

    describe 'sanitizing exception messages' do
      let(:message) { (1..500).to_a.join }

      it 'truncates the message to the first 300 characters' do
        error.message.should == (1..136).to_a.join
      end
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Addiction Treatment / Rehabs / California / Valley Glen
Addiction Treatment in Valley Glen, California
Looking for Addiction Treatment and Drug Rehab in Valley Glen, California?
List of Addiction Treatment Centers near Valley Glen California
List of Addiction Counseling Services near Valley Glen California
List of Addiction Hospitals near Valley Glen California
List of Addiction Mental Health Programs near Valley Glen California
Additional information about Valley Glen, California
Addiction Treatment in Valley Glen, California provides a full range of mental health services to those struggling with an addiction, including residential treatment and outpatient care. Services are available for alcoholics and those suffering from other addictions such as drugs, sex and gambling.
Most of the treatment facilities are private, which makes it affordable for many people. Those with disabilities and low incomes can receive treatment at a facility that offers a level of care that will meet their needs.
The majority of these treatment centers are long-term care facilities. Residents are provided the same benefits as in-patient care at a hospital, including emergency and basic care, 24 hour onsite nursing care, respite care, social workers, and psychiatrists. The staff has special training to deal with the unique needs of residents.
The staff at the long-term care facilities is committed to the success of each resident. They are trained to be caring and sensitive to the needs of each patient and their families. Many of the staff work with families in helping them deal with the physical changes brought about by substance abuse. Others work in rehabilitation to help the addict to change his or her behaviors and thoughts.
Addiction Treatment in Valley Glen, California offers a variety of options for patients who choose to participate in treatment. A variety of programs are available. Many offer both inpatient and outpatient care. The treatment center staff works closely with each patient's family to create the most appropriate program based on the patient's particular needs and lifestyle.
Many outpatient care programs include individual and group therapy and support groups. These groups are intended to help patients stay motivated, focused and accountable for their recovery. These groups can also help patients to build relationships with others and gain new perspectives on life.
Addiction Treatment in Valley Glen, California offers a wide range of treatment options. Some of the treatment options include: Behavioral Health Programs, Drug Abuse Rehabilitation, Group Therapy, Medication-Assisted Treatment and Narcotics Anonymous. The treatments provided vary depending upon each patient's needs and specific addiction.
Treatment facilities provide safe, effective and compassionate medical care for those struggling with addictions. Many of the facilities are accredited by the NAHB. The programs and services offered are designed to help patients regain hope and improve quality of life.
Addiction Treatment in Valley Glen, California utilizes a variety of treatment methods and therapies to provide a successful healing process for its patients. The center provides a wide variety of medication-assisted treatments for mild-to-moderate substance abuse problems and co-occurring psychiatric disorders.
Many of the programs and services provided at the long-term care facilities are geared toward the family members and the individual addict. The programs and services to help patients to be healthier and more self-confident. As patients learn new skills, they learn to better deal with their substance abuse and become more socially and emotionally responsible for their own care.
The Community Program focuses on the needs of families, which are the primary focus for the recovery of a family member. This program helps individuals develop healthy relationships with family members. This program teaches people how to become involved with one another. and develop friendships.
The Substance Abuse Program focuses on educating patients on the addiction and the treatment process. Patients are taught about substance abuse and how it affects family and friends. They are encouraged to take control of their addiction and learn new skills to live a healthier and happier life.
Addiction Treatment in Valley Glen, California is designed to help those who suffer from addiction recover from substance abuse and live a healthier and happier life. Addiction Treatment in Valley Glendale, California is staffed by dedicated and qualified professionals who have been trained in dealing with the issues faced by those suffering from addiction and living with their disease.
HOLY Addiction Care Center
6260 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Ste 103, North Hollywood, CA 91606
Pain and Addiction Medicine Associates – Vadim Lipel, MD
16260 Ventura Blvd, Ste 309, Encino, CA 91436
REVIVE Detox and Addiction Treatment
Rehabilitation Center, Counseling & Mental Health, Addiction Medicine
360 N Vista St, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Addiction Nouvelle Lingerie
9403 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Epiphany Sober Living & Addiction Recovery Services
10655 Cushdon Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Addiction Studio
Tattoo, Piercing
3170 Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Institute of Behavioral Health & Wellness
Career Counseling, College Counseling, Psychologists
10506 Burbank Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601
The Therapy Room
1300 N Maryland Ave, Glendale, CA 91207
Friends of the Family
Psychologists, College Counseling, Career Counseling
16861 Parthenia St, North Hills, CA 91343
Lisa Shield
1342 S Sierra Bonita Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Stacie Cox
2128 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Marsha Mendizza
Sherman Oaks, CA 91405
Valley Presbyterian Hospital
15107 Vanowen St, Van Nuys, CA 91405
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center
Hospitals, Medical Centers
501 S Buena Vista St, Burbank, CA 91505
Sherman Oaks Hospital
4929 Van Nuys Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center
Hospitals, Medical Centers, Surgeons
15031 Rinaldi Street, Mission Hills, CA 91345
Hospitals, Medical Centers, Community Service/Non-Profit
8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
Northridge Hospital Medical Center Family Justice Center
14529 Gault St, Van Nuys, CA 91405
West Valley Counseling Center
18226 Ventura Blvd, Ste 202, Tarzana, CA 91356
Vida Therapy
4400 Coldwater Canyon Ave, Ste 135, Studio City, CA 91604
Tamika Lewis, LCSW
13400 Riverside Dr, Ste 310, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Rebecca Roy, PhD
12001 Ventura Pl, Ste 203, Studio City, CA 91604
Amir Saman Niazmand, PsyD
11500 W Olympic Blvd, Ste 400, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Valley Glen is a terribly diverse community in the southeastern allowance of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. Almost half its residents were born external the United States. Originally ration of Van Nuys and North Hollywood, Valley Glen was officially attributed by the City of L.A. in 2004. The neighborhood includes a community college, seven public schools (including a high school), six private schools, and a city park. Valley Glen is noted for a half-mile-long California-history mural painted on the side of a flood-control channel.
Here is more information on drug rehabs in Valley Glen, California

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Suddenly the dryad is drawn to the conversation at the bar, she is itching for adventure after leaving her community. She begins to stand, wanting to approach them.
The warrior princess, trying to keep a low profile, does not get up, but listens from a careful distance, intrigued.
"You have quest in mind, at this moment?" He turned his attention back at the elf-dragon with a whim, "Pardon me, I apologize for centering this conversation around my own interests so far.. but may simply I ask more about this quest of yours?"
Jonathan provided a cheery smile, then turned towards the Inn Keeper. They had a hushed conversation - something about a Dectal figure - then the I.K. walked into a different room. Jonathan stood up, and walked over to Brynwulf and his companion.
"May I speak to your Companion, kind sir?"
A sharp exhale leaves his snout. "Very well." he says, glancing over his shoulder at Jonathan. "Not that he needs my permission to speak." he adds.
"Hey pup, what's your name?" Jonathan asked the wolf, kneeling down beside him.
"My name is Kami", the wolf replied. "How can I help you?"
"I'm looking for somebody who can join my acquaintance, Falvias, over there. Are you and your master interested? It is a quest I am speaking of joining of."
Not waiting for the wolf's answer, the Dryad's fox bounds over to Jonathan and begins pawing furiously at him, as if wishing to be asked on a quest herself.
"What's wrong little fox?" He strokes the foxes coat. "You wanna come too?"
Wrqytrn grabs a nearby napkin and reaches for a pen on the counter, beginning to write what appears to be a letter. He softly chuckles, writing fervently.
The chuckle attracts Jonathan's attention, and he stands, leaving the animals behind.
"What are you doing, sweet cheeks?" He whispers into the Elf's ear, thoroughly startling him.
With Jonathan distracted the dryad joins her companion and introduces herself to the Wolf and Half-Wolf "Hi, I'm Artemisia, this is Freya."
The elf, now on the floor beside his chair, simply clutches the letter close to him.
"Nothing" he responds, "Just writing a letter to a friend of mine"
He gets back to his feet and shoots Jonathan a glance, before tentatively unfurling the napkin and continuing to write.
The half-wolf pivoted on his barstool to face the dryad, planting his hands on his knees. "Brynwulf," he bellowed, with a strange gusto, outstretching a paw.
Artemisia takes his paw in her spindly green hand.
"So what is this about a quest. Hopefully, Freya made it clear that I'm interested."
Jonathan looked back towards the dryad and the others.
"You'll see when Dectal arrives."
"Who's Dectal?" Artemisia is puzzled.
"My... friend. Oh and just a warning, he is a tiefling, but please, don't freak."
Just then the door that the I.K went through slammed open. An angered tiefling stepped through.
"Who the hell wanted to see me?"
Artemisia stumbles backward into Brynwulf, surprised. She regains her composure and furrows her brow quizzically, still wondering about his presence.
Brynwulf nonchalantly turns back to his table in an effort to not draw attention to himself. He keeps his eyes down and takes a sip from his mug, despite it being empty.
The tiefling turned his attention to the group that contained Falvias, Wyqrtyn, and Jonathan. He raised an accusing hand and pointed at the group. "What do you want?" He snarled.
Falvias stiffly turned his head towards the rest of the group, as if silently goggling at them would help him get any answers.


text:
Palodeia () is a village in the Limassol District of Cyprus, located 2 km south of Paramytha and 7 km north of the centre of Limassol. Although the original village is small, Palodeia includes much of the surrounding land which has gradually been suburbanized. This led to a rapid growth in population in the beginning of the 21st century; the population almost doubled from 730 in 2001 to 1568 in 2011. Among the features of interest are two churches and a nursing home for veterans of EOKA, the Melathron.

References

Communities in Limassol District

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


50% or less - This position may require non-emergency travel (50% or less).
Current Federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the Federal service. The time-in-grade requirement must be met within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
One full year of specialized experience at the GS-14 level that demonstrates the following: 1) Leading, planning, prioritizing, and supporting subordinate staff work in accordance with continuity directives; 2) Interacting daily with executive agency officials briefing and advising on emergency contingency plans and policy; and 3) Evaluating emergency management processes, alert & warning protocols, and contingency resources.
To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Top Secret - SCI clearance as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined (Mythbuster), review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit the OPM website at https://www.opm.gov/investigations/background-investigations/.
Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility and to understand the documentation that would be required with your application, click on the links above and contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
This position has been identified as a Testing Designated Position (TDP) because of its security, public health, and/or public safety sensitivity, and you may be subject to random drug testing under FEMA's Drug-Free Workplace Plan (DWP). Refusal to be tested will result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85.00 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.
Interview Requirement: Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.


How did you hear about the Men's NetWork?
The universe, God's will, speaking the Christ story, true human fulfillment, God's Law, the point of it all-these are some of the ideas in Pastor Joel Biermann's explorative video Bible study. In six sessions, he takes us from the beginning to that place where, on the Last Day, we find our greatest realization as humans.


Indoor blinds Adelaide by Sunblinds are manufactured locally here in SA, so speak with our highly skilled consultants who can visit you in your home anywhere in Adelaide and provide a free measure and quote today.
Sun Blinds & Curtains have developed a strong reputation amongst the Adelaide community for providing high quality Indoor Blinds Adelaide at affordable prices.
Sun Blinds & Curtains Adelaide is a specialist supplier of premium quality indoor blinds to the residents of Adelaide. Established for 49 years, we know indoor blinds Adelaide so ask us how we can confidently recommend the right home indoor blinds solution to suit your lifestyle today.
Sunblinds and Curtains are specialist suppliers of premium quality Indoor Blinds to the residents of Adelaide. Our Indoor Blinds are available in a huge range of gorgeous and eye-catching fabrics – we have a fabric to suit every home or office! Indoor Blinds Adelaide are so simple and can blend into any interior style. Our Australian made Indoor Blinds are designed to endure the Australian climate and keep your home or office protected from the elements.
Roller blinds Adelaide are an ideal window shading for any room in your home. We have a large range of modern and traditional roller blinds with many indoor fabrics to choose from, roller blinds with high end lustres for living rooms, stylish roller blinds blackouts for bedrooms and moisture resistant roller blinds for bathrooms and kitchens indoor areas.
Each indoor roller blind is custom made to fit your windows. We can even make your indoor roller blinds using energy saving fabrics. Choosing roller blinds with fabrics with enhanced insulating properties will reduce heat build up in summer and heat loss in winter, reducing heating and cooling costs in your home.
Many of our indoor roller blinds fabrics are also available as romans, verticals and panel indoor roller blinds to give you perfect coordination.
Panel blinds Adelaide are an ideal choice for those who want to make an impact and add something a little different to their interior design scheme. With their flexible nature, not only do they make a sleek window decoration for indoor larger windows, bi-fold or patio doors but they are a fantastic choice for room dividers.
Indoor Panel blinds are an innovative shading solution for larger windows and patio doors. When open the indoor panel blinds are neatly stacked behind one another to allow maximum light to enter the room.
Panel blinds are designed not only to be long lasting and look beautiful, but energy efficient, reducing solar glare during the summer months, which helps with insulating your home through the winter.
Panel blinds provide a modern touch and show sophistication, add panel blinds to your home today. Here at Sunblinds and Curtains we provide a minimalist design so that your home feels and looks larger with modern panel blinds Adelaide.
Vertical Blinds Adelaide offer you the ultimate shading, flexibility and privacy along with modern, clean lines and stunning fabrics. Our made to measure indoor vertical blinds can be drawn neatly to the side to offer you unlimited views, or they can be rotated to allow just the right amount of light into your indoor room to maintain an element of privacy. Vertical blinds are an ideal choice for bi-fold and patio doors for indoor privacy.
Available as 89mm or 127mm louvre widths, indoor vertical blind fabrics also feature special finishes which allow them to be easily maintained to keep your indoor blinds looking great for many years to come.
Indoor Blinds Adelaide – Like what you see?


2480. Seeing that men after death are in the interior memory (which has belonged to their rational) therefore those who in the world have been preeminently skilled in languages, cannot call forth even one syllable of them; and they who have been preeminently versed in the sciences cannot call up anything of their knowledges, and are sometimes more stupid than others. But whatever they have imbibed by means of the languages, or of the sciences, this they bring forth into use, because it has formed their rational. The rational they had so procured is that from which they think and speak. He who has imbibed falsities by means of the languages and sciences, and has confirmed himself in them, reasons from nothing but falsities; but he who has imbibed and confirmed truths, speaks from the truths. It is the affection itself which gives life-the affection of evil which gives life to falsities, and the affection of good which gives life to truths. Everyone thinks from affection, and no one without affection.


Planned Parenthood Federation of America is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members.
HTML code allows to embed Planned Parenthood logo in your website.
Planned Parenthood logo image sizes: 923 x 93 pixels. Format: png. Filesize: 11 KB.
Please warn us if you consider Planned Parenthood logo to be incorrect, obsolete or having wrong description.


For two decades, Chris DeWan has used design to connect people with places, objects, stories, and each other. With a focus on visual communication, he has led a broad range of award-winning traditional and non-traditional interactive media projects. Currently the Design Director at Second Story, part of SapientNitro, Chris oversees the practice of visual, interaction, and motion design across Second Story's studios in Atlanta, New York, and Portland, Oregon, where he is based. Chris studied Graphic Design at the School of Communication Arts in Minneapolis, MN.


This is a general list for 5th & 6th Grades; your child's teacher may request a few additional items at the Back-to-School Open House.
Although students receiving special education services do not have an additional list of supplies to bring for use in the Resource Rooms, any parents willing to donate student supplies for those classrooms are more than welcome to do so. They would greatly appreciate the following: pencils, disinfecting wipes, colored pencils, three-prong folders, tissues, markers, glue (in bottles), craft sticks and fishing line.


You. Me. Ride This Crazy Train - Adventures and Observations on The GO: Man spreaders! I have found your King!
This champ will be hard to dethrone.
I know!!! I'm waiting for a "challenge accepted" moment.
Yes, he is a "man" and yes, he is spread out, but that isn't "manspreading".
It would be manspreading had one knee touching/near the two-seater and the other touching the pole.
His legs are indeed "spread".
But yes, not in the context it applies. But he is definitely douchespreading!
oooo... I like that term better!
It can apply to anyone!
Did his mother teach him any manners?
My little 4 year old nephew used to climb on the furniture so his feet wouldn't touch the floor too.


Who Dah?'s Gallery :: Undulated Trigger, Trigger!
Here are the only shots of our Undulated Trigger. When I bought the tank, I had no idea he was so aggresive. I was going to post these shots as a 'free to anyone who wants him' series, but he died on September 22, 2003.
If you look close at the shots, you'll see that his stomach was huge. He was a digger, always making tunnels, moving coral around, picking at the Live Rock. I think he was eating sand and couldn't pass it. I think it eventually built up inside him and caused his death.
Trigger was the meanie of the group. I never saw him pick on Puff, and he would snuggle w/ Mush the eel, but he was always chasing Happy around whenever Trigger Happy got near one another.
He was hard to get shots of, always so skitish. Didn't come out much.
Although not the clearest shot, you can see his WAY round belly here.
Here he is again w/ Puff.
One of his favorite caves that he hung out w/ Mushu in a lot.


text:
Stats NZ Home > Browse for statistics > People and communities > Well-being > Civic and human rights > Non-voters in 2008 and 2011 general elections
Non-voters in 2008 and 2011 general elections
Sections on this page
Summary of key points
Reasons people gave for not voting
Characteristics of non-voters
Data from the NZ General Social Survey
Non-voters in 2008 and 2011 general elections: Findings from New Zealand General Social Survey (PDF, 12 pages, 451kB)
Non-voters in 2008 and 2011 general elections: Findings from New Zealand General Social Survey presents reasons people gave for not voting. It includes selected characteristics of the non-voters, including their age, feelings of income adequacy, labour force status, and migrant status.
The data is based on the valid responses from people who answered the 2010 and 2012 New Zealand General Social Surveys (NZGSS), and who were aged 18 years or over in the respective election years (see Data used in this report).
The report is based on self-reported voting behaviour from the NZGSS, and findings can be different from administrative data on voter turnout available from the Electoral Commission.
See Possible differences between NZGSS and Electoral Commission data for more details.
Read the paper online, or download and print the PDF from 'Available files' above. If you have problems viewing the files, see Opening files and PDFs.
In the 2012 NZGSS, 20 percent of people said they hadn't voted in the 2011 General Election (this includes people who said they were not enrolled or not eligible to vote).
21 percent of non-voters said they did not vote in the 2011 General Election because they 'didn't get round to it, forgot or were not interested' to vote.
A further 20 percent of non-voters in the 2011 General Election said they were not eligible or enrolled.
Voting behaviour differed by age, labour force status, migrant status, and income adequacy. Such trends are consistent for both the 2008 and 2011 general elections.
We grouped the reasons people gave for not voting into four broad categories (see table 1 for more detail):
disengaged
perceived barrier
The main reason people gave for not voting in the 2011 General Election was they 'didn't get round to it, forgot or were not interested' to vote. This accounted for 21 percent of the non-voters (and is included in the 'disengaged' category). Another 7.1 percent of the non-voters said they did not think their vote would have made a difference. This is a big increase from 3.9 percent in the 2008 election.
Ten percent of non-voters were 'overseas or away on the election day'. This was the most frequently selected reason in the 'perceived barriers' category.
Over 12 percent of non-voters said they did not register for the 2011 election, which equates to just over 2 percent of the total population aged 18 years and over. About 15 percent of non-voters cited 'other' reasons for not voting in the 2011 election, including not being eligible because of their visa status, or for religious reasons.
Reasons non-voters(1) gave for not voting
2008 and 2011 general elections
Reason for not voting, grouped by broad category 2008 2011
Disengaged 39.3 43.2
I didn't get round to it or I forgot about it/am not interested 20.6 21.0
I didn't think it was worth voting because my vote wouldn't have made a difference 3.9 7.1
I didn't think it was worth voting because it makes no difference which party is in government 8.0 7.0
I didn't think it was worth voting because politicians only care about being in power 5.2 5.1
Dislike politicians, the political system, or all parties 1.6(2) 3.0(2)
Perceived barrier 30.4 30.0
I couldn't vote because I was overseas or away 13.0 10.0
I didn't know enough about the issues or people standing for election 7.3 8.8
I didn't know about the election or how to vote 4.0(2) 4.4(2)
I couldn't vote because I couldn't get to a polling booth 4.1(2) 4.4(2)
I was working/too busy/sick on the day 2.0(2) 2.4(2)
Not registered 10.8 12.3
I couldn't vote because I wasn't registered to vote 10.8 12.3
Other 19.5 14.5
Other (includes religious reasons, not being eligible, and reasons not included above) 19.5 14.5
1. People in the 2010 and 2012 NZGSS who were aged 18 years or over and said they did not vote in the general elections.
2. Relative sampling error is 30–49.9 percent, and should be viewed with caution.
Source: Statistics New Zealand
Analysing the NZGSS data shows the demographic characteristics, such as age, income adequacy, labour force status, and migrant status are associated with non-voting behaviour. The picture is similar for both the 2008 and 2011 general elections.
More non-voters in younger age group
There were more non-voters aged 18–24 years than the older age groups. Only 5.2 percent of people aged 65 years or over did not vote in the 2011 General Election, compared with 42 percent of people aged 18–24 years.
When compared across the two elections, the proportion of non-voters in the 45–64-year-age group increased significantly from 10 percent in 2008 to just over 13 percent in 2011. For other age groups, the voting behaviours were quite similar.
People with inadequate income less likely to vote
People who felt that they did not have enough money to meet everyday needs were less likely to vote. Of those who said they did not have enough money, 28 percent said they did not vote, while of those people who said they had more than enough money to meet everyday needs, fewer than 12 percent said they did not vote in 2011.
Unemployed people less likely to vote
Unemployed people were less likely to vote compared with employed people and those not in the labour force. In the 2011 General Election, 35 percent of unemployed people did not vote. This was almost double the percentage of those not in the labour force, which had a non-voter rate of just under 18 percent. Simple multivariate analysis has shown that there is a strong relationship between age and unemployment – that is a large proportion of youth are unemployed.
When compared across the 2008 and 2011 general elections, the proportion of non-voters only increased by 2 percentage points for the employed group. About 20 percent employed people did not vote in the 2011 General Election.
Recent migrants less likely to vote than long-term migrants
The NZGSS shows that migrant status is also a factor in voting behaviour. We classified migrant status into three groups for this analysis:
long-term migrant
recent migrant.
We classified people who were not born in New Zealand, but arrived in the country more than five years before an election, as long-term migrants. We classified people who arrived in New Zealand five years or less before the election as recent migrants.
Almost 60 percent recent migrants did not vote in the 2011 General Election, this includes people who said they were not eligible because of visa status. The proportion of non-voters decreased for those who had been in New Zealand for longer periods of time. Long-term migrants reported very similar voting behaviour as those born in New Zealand, with 18 percent and 16 percent respectively not voting in the 2011 General Election.
When the 2008 and 2011 general elections are compared for the long-term migrant group, the proportion of non-voters increased by 4 percentage points from 14 percent in 2008 to 18 percent in 2011. For those born in New Zealand or recent migrants, the proportions of non-voters did not change much from the 2008 General Election.
Other characteristics
Those with a strong sense of belonging to New Zealand, and/or higher personal income, and/or higher qualifications are more likely to vote. The NZGSS data also showed that Asian people were the least likely to vote in the 2008 and 2011 elections, compared with those who identified as Māori, Pacific, or European. However, this is due to the large migrant population from Asia, rather than ethnicity by itself.
Proportion of non-voters(1) by self-reported characteristics
Sex Female 18.1 18.5
Male 19.2 21.4
Age group (years) 18–24 39.9 41.8
25–44 26.5 26.2
45–64 9.9 13.3
65 over 6.0 5.2
Ethnic group(2) European 16.0 16.8
Māori 23.6 26.8
Pacific people 22.0 17.6
Asian 32.6 35.3
Feeling of belonging to New Zealand Very strongly 13.7 14.8
Strongly 19.7 21.5
Not very strongly 29.0 28.9
Do not feel they belong to New Zealand 47.2 45.5
Highest qualification No qualification 19.4 21.6
Level 1–4 certificate 19.9 21.2
Level 5–6 diploma 15.3 16.9
Level 7 bachelor's degree and above 18.1 16.2
Income adequacy More than enough 12.5 11.5
Enough 17.0 16.9
Just enough 21.0 23.4
Not enough 22.5 27.9
Labour force status Employed 17.6 19.9
Not in the labour force 18.0 17.8
Unemployed 41.5 35.2
Migrant status Born in New Zealand 15.0 16.3
Long-term migrant 14.1 18.2
Recent migrant 60.3 59.4
Occupation Professional 12.7 14.1
Clerical or administrative worker 10.2(3) 15.2
Manager 13.8 16.6
Community or personal service worker 25.0 22.3
Machinery operator or driver 21.8 24.7
Sales worker 20.8(3) 25.1
Technician or trades worker 23.0 27.3
Labourer 26.6 28.4
Personal income $30,000 or less 21.8 22.8
$30,001 – $70,000 17.7 20.3
$70,001 or more 9.8 9.5
2. People were able to identify with more than one ethnic group.
Data from the New Zealand General Social Survey
About the New Zealand General Social Survey
The objectives of the New Zealand General Social Survey, which is conducted every two years, are to:
complement other measures of societal progress by providing information on the well-being of New Zealanders aged 15 years and over (15+), across a range of aspects of life
provide a view of how well-being varies across different groups within the population
understand the relationships between different aspects of life and overall well-being.
NZGSS 2012, the third survey in the series, collected well-being information from about 8,500 New Zealanders aged 15+ between April 2012 and March 2013. See New Zealand General Social Survey for more information.
Data used in this report
This report used data from the NZGSS of 2010 and 2012, which collected information for the 2008 and 2011 general elections respectively. Weighted data was used to represent the number of people in New Zealand.
The NZGSS data is subjective, which is valuable in that it offers insights into the reasons some people or groups give for not voting in general elections.
The NZGSS asked people aged 18 years or over 'Did you vote in the last general election?'. If they answered 'no', they were asked to choose one of the following reasons:
I didn't know about the election
I couldn't vote because I was overseas
I couldn't vote because I hadn't been in NZ for long enough
I couldn't vote because I couldn't get to a polling booth
I couldn't vote because I was aged less than 18 at the time
I couldn't vote because I wasn't registered to vote
I didn't know enough about how to vote
I didn't know enough about the people standing for election
I didn't know enough about the issues
I didn't think it was worth voting because my vote wouldn't have made a difference
I didn't think it was worth voting because it makes no difference which party is in government
I didn't think it was worth voting because politicians only care about being in power
I meant to vote but didn't get round to it or I forgot about it
other – please specify
We grouped the reasons people gave for not voting into the following four broad categories (note that we included some of the 'other' reasons within relevant categories):
disengagement (includes reasons 20–23 and those who said they were not interested in 24)
perceived barrier (includes reasons 11, 12, 14, 17–19 and those who said they were working, too busy, sick, or away on election day)
not registered (reason 16)
other (includes religious reasons, not being eligible and reasons not included above).
Possible differences between NZGSS and the Electoral Commission data
Non-voters in 2008 and 2011 general elections is based on self-reported voting behaviour, and therefore findings can be different from administrative data on voter turnout available from the Electoral Commission's webpage General elections 1853–2011 – dates and turnout.
Reasons for possible differences include:
NZGSS collects self-reporting voting behaviour.
The voting population used in our analysis is people aged 18 years and over in the election year who provided valid responses to the survey questions.
The voting population used in this report includes people who were not enrolled or not eligible because of visa status, which have been classified under 'other' reasons for not voting.
Personal weights from the survey are used for population estimation.
See the Electoral Commission's research paper, Voter and non-voter satisfaction survey 2011 on voter turnout.
Here are definitions of the variables used in this report.
Age group: Profile of non-voters in 2008 and 2011 general elections uses the same age grouping as the NZGSS first release, except for the young adults group, which starts at the minimum voting age of 18 years old. This is to focus on different experiences at different points in people's lives (eg growing up, learning, working, family formation, child rearing, and retirement). For this report, the age groups are:
young adults – 18 to 24 years
prime working age – 25 to 44 years
middle-aged people – 45 to 64 years
Older people – 65 years and over.
Ethnicity: the ethnic group or groups that respondents identify with or feel they belong to. Ethnicity is self-perceived and people can belong to more than one ethnic group.
Ethnicity is a measure of cultural affiliation, as opposed to race, ancestry, nationality, or citizenship. See New Zealand Standard Classification of Ethnicity 2005 for more information.
Income adequacy: is based on the respondent's self-assessment of their income (and their partner's if applicable). The respondent rates whether they had more than enough money, enough money, just enough money, or not enough money to meet their everyday need for such things as accommodation, food, clothing, and other necessities. This measure is an element of the Economic Living Standard Index (ELSI), and is not asked of respondents who are under 18 years of age.
Labour force status: a respondent's position in the labour-force in one of three groups: employed, unemployed, or not in the labour force. This measure is based on the New Zealand Standard Classification of Labour Force Status 1999 and refers to the respondent's circumstances in defined time periods.
Level of education: measures a person's highest level of formal education, based on the New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications (2003). For this report, the 13 level 1 categories in the register are combined into four groups. Examples of the types of qualification in each group are:
no qualification – no formal qualifications
level 1–4 certificate – eg school certificate, sixth form certificate, university entrance, NCEA or national certificate 1, 2, 3, or 4, trade certificates, and also people with any overseas secondary school qualifications
level 5–6 diploma – eg nursing or teaching diplomas, or advanced trade certificates
level 7 / bachelor's degree and above – eg qualifications from university, such as bachelor's degree, post-graduate diplomas and certificates, master's degree, and doctorate.
Occupation: the major group level of Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations is used in this report. These are:
technician or trades worker
community or personal services worker
clerical or administrative worker
sales worker
machinery operator or driver
labourer.
Personal income: the respondent's before-tax income in the previous 12 months. It is collected as an income range rather than an actual dollar income. Income ranges are:
$70,001 or more.
Sense of belonging: the survey asked people, do you feel that you belong to New Zealand. The response options were:
very strongly
not very strongly
Don't know or refused (excluded from the analysis).
Sex: is also included in the analysis.
ISBN 978-0-478-40873-7 (online)
See also media release, Forgot or not interested – main reasons people don't vote


Abstract: Prenatal lead exposure has known adverse effects on maternal health and infant outcomes across a wide range of maternal blood lead levels. Adverse effects of lead exposure are being identified at lower levels of exposure than previously recognized in both children and adults. In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the first guidelines regarding the screening and management of pregnant and lactating women who have been exposed to lead.
Prenatal lead exposure has known adverse effects on maternal health and infant outcomes across a wide range of maternal blood lead levels (1). Adverse effects of lead exposure are being identified at lower levels of exposure than previously recognized in both children and adults (2–7). In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the first guidelines regarding the screening and management of pregnant and lactating women who have been exposed to lead (8).
Environmental policies and public health education programs have led to significant reductions in cases of lead exposure in the United States (9). Despite these improvements, approximately 1% of women of childbearing age (15–49 years) have blood lead levels greater than or equal to 5 micrograms/dL (8).
Although no threshold has been found to trigger the adverse health effects of lead (8), in nonpregnant adults blood lead levels less than 5 micrograms/dL are considered normal, blood lead levels between 5 micrograms/dL and 10 micrograms/dL require follow-up, and blood lead levels greater than 10 micrograms/dL are managed with environmental assessment and abatement of exposures. Chelation therapy is considered at blood lead levels greater than 40 micrograms/dL for symptomatic individuals, and levels greater than 70 micrograms/dL are considered a medical emergency. In children, treatment is recommended at blood lead levels of 45 micrograms/dL or greater.
The main target for lead toxicity is the nervous system, both in adults and children (10). High levels of exposure can result in delirium, seizures, stupor, coma, or even death. Other overt signs and symptoms of lead toxicity may include hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, ataxia, tremor, headache, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, changes in behavior and concentration, gout, nephropathy, lead colic, and anemia. Health effects of chronic low-level exposure in adults include cognitive decline, hypertension and other cardiovascular effects, decrements in renal function, and adverse reproductive outcome. The developing nervous systems in children make them more susceptible to the neurologic effects of lead toxicity.
Lead readily crosses the placenta by passive diffusion and has been detected in the fetal brain as early as the end of the first trimester (8). Elevated lead levels in pregnancy have been associated with several adverse outcomes, including gestational hypertension, spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, and impaired neurodevelopment (11–14).
Lead exposure has been associated with an increased risk of gestational hypertension, but the magnitude of the effect, the exposure level at which risk begins to increase, and whether risk is most associated with acute or cumulative exposure remain uncertain. Also, it is unclear whether lead-induced increases in blood pressure during pregnancy lead to severe hypertension or preeclampsia (11, 15–18).
Evidence shows that maternal exposure to high levels of lead increases the risk of spontaneous abortion (19). However, data for an association between low or moderate lead levels and spontaneous abortion are inconsistent. The strongest available evidence comes from a prospective study of 668 pregnant women in Mexico City that demonstrated a statistically significant dose–response relationship between low-to-moderate maternal blood lead levels and the risk of spontaneous abortion (12). Yet, another longitudinal study of 351 women in Japan showed no difference in blood lead levels between spontaneous abortion cases (n=15) and ongoing pregnancies (20). Larger prospective studies are needed to further clarify the effects of low and moderate levels of lead on spontaneous abortion risk.
More recent and well-designed studies suggest that maternal lead exposure during pregnancy is inversely related to fetal growth, as reflected by duration of pregnancy and infant size. One study that used a registry-based approach found that offspring of mothers occupationally exposed to lead had an increased risk of low birth weight (relative risk [RR], 1.34; confidence interval [CI], 1.12–1.6) compared with infants of women not exposed to lead (13). A case–control study in Mexico City found umbilical cord blood lead levels to be higher in preterm infants (mean value, 9.8 micrograms/dL) compared with term infants (mean value, 8.4 micrograms/dL) (21). A birth cohort study, also conducted in Mexico City, found maternal bone lead burden to be inversely related to offspring weight (22), length, and head circumference at birth (23).
A large number of studies provide evidence that prenatal lead exposure impairs children's neurodevelopment. Some prospective studies have included children with low levels of prenatal lead exposure and continue to detect inverse associations with neurodevelopment, although these data are less consistent than those related to the high levels of lead exposure. In one study, each 1 microgram/dL increase in umbilical cord blood lead was found to be associated with a reduction of 0.6 points in the mental development index scores of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at age 3 months, with similar results at age 6 months (14, 24). However, another prospective cohort study found that the relationship between prenatal blood lead levels and early childhood IQ is not linear, with the strongest postnatal effects noted at low levels of prenatal exposure (25). The available data are inadequate to establish the presence or absence of an association between maternal lead exposure and major congenital anomalies in the fetus.
Recent emigration from or residency in areas where ambient lead contamination is high—women from countries where leaded gasoline is still being used (or was recently phased out) or where industrial emissions are not well controlled.
Living near a point source of lead—examples include lead mines, smelters, or battery recycling plants (even if the establishment is closed).
Working with lead or living with someone who does—women who work in or who have family members who work in an industry that uses lead (eg, lead production, battery manufacturing, paint manufacturing, ship building, ammunition production, or plastic manufacturing).
Using lead-glazed ceramic pottery—women who cook, store, or serve food in lead-glazed ceramic pottery made in a traditional process and usually imported by individuals outside the normal commercial channels.
Eating nonfood substances (pica)—women who eat or mouth nonfood items that may be contaminated with lead, such as soil or lead-glazed ceramic pottery.
Using alternative or complementary substances, herbs, or therapies—women who use imported home remedies or certain therapeutic herbs traditionally used by East Indian, Indian, Middle Eastern, West Asian, and Hispanic cultures that may be contaminated with lead.
Using imported cosmetics or certain food products—women who use imported cosmetics, such as kohl or surma or certain imported foods or spices that may be contaminated with lead.
Engaging in certain high-risk hobbies or recreational activities—women who engage in high-risk activities (eg, stained glass production or pottery making with certain leaded glazes and paints) or have family members who do.
Renovating or remodeling older homes without lead hazard controls in place—women who have been disturbing lead paint, creating lead dust, or both or have been spending time in such a home environment.
Consumption of lead-contaminated drinking water—women whose homes have leaded pipes or source lines with lead.
Having a history of previous lead exposure or evidence of elevated body burden of lead—women who may have high body burdens of lead from past exposure, particularly those who have deficiencies in certain key nutrients (calcium or iron).
Living with someone identified with an elevated lead level—women who may have exposure in common with a child, close friend, or other relative living in the same environment.
leadandpregnancy2010.pdf. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
Although the benefits of breastfeeding generally outweigh the risks of environmental exposure, the effects of breastfeeding on infant lead levels have been studied. Lead has been detected in the breast milk of women in population-based studies; however, the availability of high-quality data to assess the risk for toxicity to the breastfeeding infant is limited (8). Although infant blood lead levels have been correlated with the duration of breastfeeding (26), the ratio of breast milk lead levels to blood lead levels has been found to be less than 3% (27). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, because of the contribution of lead levels found in infant formula and other infant foods, breastfed infants of mothers with normal blood lead levels are actually exposed to slightly less lead than if they were not breastfed (28).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists do not recommend blood lead testing of all pregnant women in the United States. Obstetric health care providers should consider the possibility of lead exposure in individual pregnant women by evaluating risk factors for exposure as part of a comprehensive health risk assessment and perform blood lead testing if a single risk factor is identified. Assessment of lead exposure should take place at the earliest contact with the pregnant patient.
Important risk factors for lead exposure in pregnant women are listed in Box 1. Lead-based paint is less likely to be an important exposure source for pregnant women than it is for children, except during renovation or remodeling in older homes. Women should take precautions when repainting surfaces with deteriorated paint or performing any remodeling or renovation work that disturbs painted surfaces, such as scraping off paint or tearing out walls (8).
For pregnant women with blood lead levels of 5 micrograms/dL or higher, sources of lead exposure should be identified and women should receive counseling regarding avoidance of further exposure. Confirmatory and follow-up blood lead testing should be performed in accordance with the CDC's recommended schedules (Table 1) and maternal or umbilical cord blood lead levels should be measured at delivery (8). Women with confirmed blood lead levels of 45 micrograms/dL or more should be treated in consultation with clinicians experienced in the management of lead toxicity and high-risk pregnancy. Once the source of lead exposure is identified and eliminated, the initial decrease in blood lead level occurs relatively rapidly because of lead's short (35-day) initial half-life in blood (29). This initial rapid decrease is followed by a slow, continuous decrease over several months to several years because of mobilization of lead from stores in the bone (8). Recommendations for the frequency of blood lead follow-up tests are included in Table 1.
Adequate dietary intake of calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E is known to decrease lead absorption (30, 31). Iron-deficiency anemia is associated with elevated blood lead levels and may increase lead absorption. During pregnancy and lactation, lead from prior exposures can be mobilized from bones because of the increased bone turnover. Pregnant and lactating women with a current or past blood lead level of 5 micrograms/dL or higher should receive specific nutritional recommendations regarding calcium and iron supplementation. A balanced diet that contains 2,000 mg of calcium and 60–120 mg of iron daily is recommended (8). This can be achieved through either food intake or supplementation. Supplements should be divided into doses of 500 mg of calcium and 60 mg of iron to improve absorption.
Women with risk factors for elevated lead levels (Box 1) who have not been screened during pregnancy should be screened postpartum if they plan to breastfeed. Initiation of breastfeeding should be encouraged postpartum in a woman with a blood lead level less than 40 micrograms/dL. A woman with a confirmed blood lead level of 40 micrograms/dL or higher should not initiate breastfeeding and should be advised to pump and discard her breast milk until her blood lead level has decreased to less than 40 micrograms/dL. Blood lead measurements should be repeated every 1–2 weeks after the source of exposure has been identified and removed. At maternal blood lead levels of 5–39 micrograms/dL, breastfeeding should be initiated and accompanied by sequential testing of infant blood lead levels to monitor trends. If the infant's blood lead level is greater than 5 micrograms/dL, breastfeeding should be discontinued until the maternal blood lead level decreases. If no external source is identified, and the maternal blood lead level is greater than 20 micrograms/dL and the infant blood lead level is 5 micrograms/dL or more, breast milk should be suspected as the source and temporary interruption of breastfeeding until the maternal blood lead level decreases should be considered.
In addition to removing the source of lead exposure for the mother and infant, several nutritional interventions have been studied. Calcium supplementation (1,200 mg daily) has been associated with a 5–10% decrease in breast milk lead levels among women over the course of lactation (31–34), suggesting that calcium supplementation also may be an intervention strategy to reduce lead in breast milk from both current and previously accumulated sources. Among women in the postpartum period, increased intakes of vitamin C also have been associated with decreased levels of lead in breast milk.
*Venous blood sample is recommended for maternal blood lead testing.
†The higher the blood lead level on the screening test, the more urgent the need for confirmatory testing.
‡If possible, obtain a maternal blood lead level before delivery because blood lead levels tend to increase over the course of pregnancy.
Modified from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for the identification and management of lead exposure in pregnant and lactating women. Atlanta (GA): CDC; 2010. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/publications/leadandpregnancy2010.pdf. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
Routine blood lead testing of all pregnant women is not recommended.
Risk assessment of lead exposure should take place at the earliest contact with pregnant or lactating women, and blood lead testing should be performed if a single risk factor is identified (Box 1).
Elevated lead levels in pregnancy have been associated with gestational hypertension, spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, and impaired neurodevelopment.
Prenatal lead exposure has known adverse effects on maternal health and infant outcomes across a wide range of maternal blood lead levels.
— Sources of lead exposure should be identified.
— Women should receive counseling regarding avoidance of further exposure and receive specific nutritional recommendations regarding calcium and iron supplementation because these strategies can decrease their lead levels.
— Confirmatory and follow-up blood lead testing should be performed in accordance with the CDC's recommended schedules (Table 1).
Women with confirmed blood lead levels of 45 micrograms/dL or more should be treated in consultation with clinicians experienced in the management of lead toxicity and high-risk pregnancy.
Initiation of breastfeeding should be encouraged postpartum in a woman with a blood lead level less than 40 micrograms/dL.
A breastfeeding woman with a confirmed blood lead level of 40 micrograms/dL or higher should be advised to pump and discard her breast milk until her blood lead level has decreased to less than 40 micrograms/dL.
If no external source is identified, and the maternal blood lead level is greater than 20 micrograms/dL and the infant blood lead level is 5 micrograms/dL or more, breast milk should be suspected as the source and temporary interruption of breastfeeding until the maternal blood lead level decreases should be considered.
Lead screening during pregnancy and lactation. Committee Opinion No. 533. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2012;120:416–20.


text:
Reasonably Catholic: Keeping the Faith
by reasonablycatholic	Leave a comment
Churchgoing: down but not out, say expert observers from two sides of the Atlantic
Click below to hear the episode:
https://reasonablycatholic.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/reasonably-in-action01.mp3
Andrew Walsh, associate director of the Leonard E. Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life, and Rosie Dawson, a longtime BBC producer of religion programs, talk about trends in religion.
Categories: Program news | Permalink.
"We are still a house divided": a jurist and Civil War expert on mending the breach
https://reasonablycatholic.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/reasonably-in-action0.mp3
RI Supreme Court Chief Justice (Ret.) Frank J. WIlliams is a longtime mediator of disputes. With the nation so polarized, he talks about how it might be brought together. Chief Williams is an expert on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War and recently donated to Mississippi State University the Frank J. and Virginia Collection of materials he's been collecting for more than 50 years.
Thanks to everyone who responded to my begging by donating so generously to WESU's spring pledge drive! More people gave in support of Reasonably Catholic: Keeping the Faith — raising close to $2,000 — than any other program on the station's schedule. Good for you for getting how, now more than ever, non-commercial radio makes a difference!
Welcome to the official web site of Reasonably Catholic: Keeping the Faithproduced and hosted by Maria Johnson. It's a thoughtful discussion of progressive issues of faith and action, typically featuring interviews, but also offering the occasional book panel and religious news coverage.
Reasonably Catholic: Keeping the Faithbroadcast schedule:
• WESU, Middletown, CT, 88.1 FM, live stream at www.wesufm.org, every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesday of the month, 4:00-4:55 p.m.
Download or listen to archived shows.
Thanks, everyone, for supporting "Reasonably Catholic" these last seven years
Humanist Tom Krattenmaker graces the last-ever episode of 'Reasonably Catholic'
'You don't think you'll ever smile again': The Unique Grief of Suicide
In 'Holy Envy,' Spiritual Contrarian Barbara Brown Taylor Gets Some Distance on Christianity
Sound, light, and sacred space: the challenge of future church design
'There comes a time when you question,' says the priest, and 'it's tempting to flee.'
Copyright © 2012-2019 Maria Johnson or respective copyright holders. All rights reserved. No part of the content of www.reasonablycatholic.com, including but not limited to archived shows, may be published or distributed without express written permission.


A creamy, warm vanilla fragrance with hints of musk, malt and buttermilk.
Reeds are made of natural bamboo and the glass jar is recyclable. The square diffuser will be shipped in a beautiful presentation box.


text:
Q: lifecycle event for rebuilding swiftui app in xcode? dealing with window size in SwiftUI can be quite annoying...
I want to clear the user default value for remembering the window size.
this is easy if the app is terminated...
func applicationWillTerminate(_ notification: Notification) {
    for key in UserDefaults.standard.dictionaryRepresentation().keys.filter({ $0.contains("NSWindow Frame") }) {
        UserDefaults.standard.removeObject(forKey: key)
    }
}

how/can I handle this when using cmd+r to rebuild the app in xcode... I haven't found a life cycle method that seems to work for this

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange