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Sculptor to teach animation maquettes at VAB Creative Studio

Category : Uncategorized

Friday, May 26, 2006

Brampton, ON — On Wednesday, May 31 at 6:30 p.m., sculptor Alvaro Cervantes will host a meet and greet at the Visual Arts Brampton Creative Studio. Cervantes will be showing his precise sculptures to guests, and promoting his upcoming multi-week workshop at the studio. The course is open to students who love cartoon, no matter their skill levels or experience sculpting.

“We’re extremely pleased to present such a unique course at VAB,” group president Keith Moreau commented. “Alvaro is a master of his craft, and students are sure to benefit immensely from the experience.”

Alvaro has specialized in maquettes for 16 years, creating sculptures used by companies including Disney, Pixar, and Marvel Comics. His works have served as reference for animators, and as prototypes for toys. Some of his most recent work is for the Disney-Pixar film Cars, which will was released today in theatres. Cervantes has taught the workshop at Oakville’s Sheridan College, home of a respected Animation BA program.

The meet-and-greet is free for everyone. The timing and price of the course will be established by Wednesday.

The Visual Arts Brampton Creative Studio is located in the Bartley’s Square Mall, at the corner of Hurontario and Steeles Avenue. The studio is the only suite in the lower level, and is accessible through a glassed in lobby.

For more information on the meet-and-greet or the course, contact visualartsbrampton@gmail.com, or phone 905-453-9142.

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Under-reporting of human Bird Flu infections poses worldwide threat

Category : Uncategorized

Monday, November 21, 2005

Possible under reporting of bird flu infections in China and other Southeast Asian countries may be promoting an illusory sense that human infections are very limited. Common press reports only describe fewer than 130 people as infected with H5N1 avian flu and that fewer than 70 have died worldwide. Yet, there are enormous problems getting accurate data, especially in a country like China with a population of more than a billion.

“Reporting a suspected bird flu infection in bird or humans is a very unlikely event,” said Dr. Shoshana Zimmerman of the eHealth Institute. She is also a founder of www.birdflubeacon.com, a site dedicated to bird flu issues. “There are very few incentives to report, and lots of reasons to refrain from reporting. From the viewpoint of local rural small farmers, there is little to be gained and much to be lost by reporting an infection. The worse threat is that their flocks could be killed, leaving them destitute.”

There are many factors which mitigate against reporting bird or human infections of bird flu.

  • The deaths of chickens, ducks, and birds are common events for farmer. Even when a large number die at one time they may see no purpose in reporting the deaths.
  • When a human dies in locations with little or no medical services, the rural farmer’s priority for discerning the cause of death may be low.
  • In rural areas most people are not taken to hospitals when they are sick.
  • Bird flu symptoms are not widely known. If the symptoms are not known, they will not be recognized and reports of possible bird or human infections can not be made.
  • The expenses required for detection are those of proper collection and shipment of samples to one of approximately 200 laboratories worldwide, as well as the testing procedure that requires a two week period of waiting before results are obtained.
  • The lack of incentive for countries to report large scale outbreaks as it may lead to widespread panic and economic loss, as occurred with SARS. These factors can be seen at work in the way that the first bird flu death was reported in China,” Dr. Zimmerman stated.

A young woman, Zhou Maoya, died after returning home to the village of Yantan in Annui province to prepare for her wedding. Her family has stated that they did not take her to the hospital because they thought it would not do any good. Officials also note rural Chinese also often cite relatively expensive medical costs as a reason for not seeking treatment when sick.

Although initially authorities attributed her death to pneumonia the resulting political pressure prompted China to invite the World Health Organization to send experts to investigate. The authorities then rescinded the previous position and attributed her death to bird flu based on the similarity of the symptoms that she was reported to exhibit with those of bird flu. The village was quarantined and journalists were denied access. It is not known how many others might be infected in the village. Official announcements were made of plans to vaccinate and cull birds.

A local government official, Fan Qian, told AFP that it was believed Zhou was infected while she was outside of the province.

Fan Tan, a local official, told AFP news that 1,000 birds in Yantan had been culled (killed). Plans were announced to vaccinate 2 million poultry in the area, a huge and difficult task.

Zhang, another official, said authorities had met with all villagers to give them flu vaccinations and to tell them how to protect themselves against the bird flu virus, including not consuming poultry products. It is known that flu vaccinations do not protect against bird flu.

Villagers and local officials minimized the threat. In outlying areas of Yantan, residents said that they did not know of any new outbreaks. Other possible infections have been attributed to similar common causes but there have not been any tests performed validating those attributions.

Fan Litan, a peasant woman from Fantu village, about 2 miles from Yantan, lost many of her ducks, and chickens and also a dog; she has attributed these deaths to the acts of hooligans. She said her family had been extremely frightened when her animals suddenly died. “We were scared to death,” said Fan, standing next to a red sign posted on the outside wall of her home that said: “Prevention and control by the masses is basic for people.” Fan said ducks and chickens are all healthy but she admitted that she had stopped eating poultry. No testing of these birds has been reported yet.

According to a recent AFP report from Liuchang, 59 miles south of Yantan, the obstacles to identifying infections are enormous.

Like many, one Liuchang villager named Wang Hemin said he was concerned and would keep a closer eye on his ducks and chickens, but felt no immediacy since the infection was not in his province. He learned about bird flu on TV, and is aware that officials have come to his village of 2,700 people to warn residents about the virus. They offered guidelines: they told people that poultry which die suddenly could have contracted bird flu and should not be eaten or sold and that such an incident should also immediately be reported. However, the symptoms of H5N1 bird flu were not directly described.

Residents have not yet been fully informed of what symptoms to look for in ill poultry–they are fever, diarrhea, teary eyes and swelling in the legs of the birds. Though a pledge was made earlier in the week to vaccinate 2 million birds immediately, no bird vaccinations in this area have been reported yet.

In another nearby village, Nazahuang, chickens scuttle in and out of houses. One resident, Fan Jiexu, 73, said no officials had yet warned her village to take precautions. Throughout rural areas, it is customary for chickens to scuttle in and out of homes. Ducks and bird often die and are eaten by villagers when it is believed safe to do so.

China has reported 17 avian flu outbreaks as of this week. Despite the Chinese government issued high alerts, critical information is not being adequately communicated to some rural villages. The size of the poultry population, the common and normal occurrence of poultry death on farms, and status of roughly 70% of the poultry population as being kept in backyards are factors complicating infection control.

The head of World Health Organization’s China office, Henk Bekedam, is aware that slow reaction to bird flu threats and difficulty monitoring poultry in the world’s most populous country makes control of its spread challenging.

Testing is required to confirm H5N1 virus, and positive test results lead to the killing of nearby flocks. The incentive for many villagers, officials, and governments to minimize reports of H5N1 virus infections and severe medical and economic complications for making confirmations of infection are obstacles opposing complete and full reporting of the spread and infection rates of the virus.

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Edmund White on writing, incest, life and Larry Kramer

Category : Uncategorized

Thursday, November 8, 2007

What you are about to read is an American life as lived by renowned author Edmund White. His life has been a crossroads, the fulcrum of high-brow Classicism and low-brow Brett Easton Ellisism. It is not for the faint. He has been the toast of the literary elite in New York, London and Paris, befriending artistic luminaries such as Salman Rushdie and Sir Ian McKellen while writing about a family where he was jealous his sister was having sex with his father as he fought off his mother’s amorous pursuit.

The fact is, Edmund White exists. His life exists. To the casual reader, they may find it disquieting that someone like his father existed in 1950’s America and that White’s work is the progeny of his intimate effort to understand his own experience.

Wikinews reporter David Shankbone understood that an interview with Edmund White, who is professor of creative writing at Princeton University, who wrote the seminal biography of Jean Genet, and who no longer can keep track of how many sex partners he has encountered, meant nothing would be off limits. Nothing was. Late in the interview they were joined by his partner Michael Caroll, who discussed White’s enduring feud with influential writer and activist Larry Kramer.

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Tips For Choosing The Right Vacuum Trailers For The Job

byadmin

There are many different types and styles of vacuum trailers on the market. There are those designed for septic pumping services and those which are specially designed to be used in the oil field or in municipal and urban environments. Anywhere there is the need to pump material into or out of a system there will be a need for this specialized type of equipment.

Construction

Typically most vacuum trailers or vacuum tanks on trucks are designed and constructed with stainless steel or carbon steel. Both are very durable, strong and resistant to corrosion and damage even in extreme use conditions. This can include hauling both waste materials, as with a septic pumping service, to cleaning out lagoons, car wash holding tanks, and even bulk used oil tanks.

Generally stainless steel vacuum trailers are used for oilfield and industrial applications. This is because of the corrosion resistance offered by the stainless steel ensures full compliance with all required regulations. For other uses, including transport of waste materials, carbon steel may be an appropriate material.

What to Consider

As the name implies, vacuum trailers and vacuum trucks work by creating a change in pressure, a vacuum, within the tank to draw liquid, slurry or waste materials into the tank. There are also an increasing number of applications for vacuum trucks and trailers to pull up solids, which are often seen in construction and new urban site development projects.

The size of the pump, and the amount of vacuum created, will determine the distance from the truck and the volume of material which will be drawn into the tank. The size of the tank and the amount of vacuum created should be considered when choosing a particular design and model.

Determining the size of the truck and the associated vacuum trailers is really a function of the type of use. For a septic cleaning system a small-sized truck mounted tank may be all required. In oilfield work or for larger industrial waste removal vacuum trailers with larger storage capacity are the ideal choice.

Investing in vacuum trailers for either a local business or for a large oilfield company has its benefits over subcontracting services. Choosing to work with a top manufacturing company with years of experience in designing and building top vacuum trailer styles for general and specialty uses is always the best option.


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United force replay against ‘Boro in FA Cup

Category : Uncategorized

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Middlesbrough 2 2 Manchester United
Match Stats
Attendance 33308
Goalscorers for Middlesbrough Cattermole (44′), Boateng (47′)
Goalscorers for Manchester United Rooney (23′), Ronaldo (68′(pen))
Bookings (Middlesbrough) None
Bookings (Manchester United) Larsson (Yellow (1))

A penalty by Christiano Ronaldo midway through the second half kept Manchester United in the FA Cup earlier today at The Riverside. United, who have their eye on three trophies this year, were forced to scramble back for the draw against Middlesbrough, who have been forced into replays in all three previous rounds, with two going all the way to penalties. United were the strong favourites for the match, and sent Wayne Rooney and Henrik Larsson up front as strike partners, with Ronaldo supporting from midfield. ‘Boro also fielded a strong attacking side, with Yakubu and Mark Viduka leading the way. United was forced into a keeper change before the match, as Edwin Van Der Sar had a calf injury and was replaced by Tomasz Kuszczak.

Middlesbrough had the first of the chances in the game through Stuart Dowing after he received a pass from Julio Arca and was able to run in alone at Kuszczak. The keeper positioned himself well however, and he deflected Downing’s shot out for a corner. United soon was in control of the game, and their first chance came when Larsson passed in a ball to Rooney, but the young Englishmans shot flashed wide. Rooney would not miss on his next chance though, as he received a pass from Giggs and slotted the ball past Mark Schwarzer from outside the penalty area. Kuszczak was then called on again to keep United in the lead when Yakuba did well to turn defender Rio Ferdinand, and released a shot at the net, but Kuszczak dove to make the save. Manchester’s skipper Gary Neville then provided Ryan Giggs with a long cross into the box, but the Welshman’s one-time volley clipped off the opposite post and stayed out of the net. Middlesbrough made United pay for their missed chance before the break, and the 18 year old Lee Cattermole was the goal scorer. Kuszczak made an error of coming out to catch the ball, and he became mixed up with Ferdinand, who headed clear instead. The ball went to Arca however, and the Argentine headed the ball to Cattermole, who controlled, spun, and volleyed neatly past the sprawling Polish keeper, tying the match.

Middlesbrough would start the second half the same way they ended the first; with a goal. Cattermole earned a corner off Heinze, and Downing curled the free kick deep, where skipper George Boateng was waiting to head the ball easily past Kuszczak. The goal was the first for Boateng in all competitions this season. Being a goal down was a shock to United, who have rarely fallen behind after leading this season, and they soon were on the attack. Henrik Larsson had the first of the chances, but his shot was blocked by Parnaby. A flick on by Ferdinand after a Giggs corner hit Boateng’s hand, and the hero soon became the villain as referee Rob Styles rewarded a penalty to Manchester United. Christiano Ronaldo stepped up, and after a studder step slotted the ball past Schwarzer’s right side, even though the German keeper went the right way. The game was tied yet again, and both teams pushed for the win, neither wanting a replay. Middlesbrough looked the most likely to score for much of the rest of the match as Viduka made space for Parnaby to shoot, but the ball was aimed right at Kuszczak who collected easily. ‘Boro then introduced Jason Euell and Lee Dong-gook into the match in an attempt for the win, but the game ended in stalemate instead.

The replay will take place March 19 between the two at Old Trafford, which doesn’t give either club much rest after their March 17 Premiership games, when United take on Bolton at home, and ‘Boro will host Manchester City at the Riverside. Manchester also will be playing their European charity match beforehand, which takes place on the 13th.

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Cars big winner as 34th Annual Annie Awards handed out

Category : Uncategorized

Monday, February 12, 2007

Cars drove home the big prize last night, from the 34th Annual Annie Awards. The animation industry’s highest honor, ASIFA-Hollywood’s Annies recognise contributions to animation, writing, directing, storyboarding, voice acting, composing, and much more.

As mentioned, Pixar took home the big prize last night, after facing stiff competition from four other Happy Feet, Monster House, Open Season, and Over the Hedge.

But the biggest winner of the night didn’t get a “Best Animated Feature” nod at all. Flushed Away won five feature animation categories including Animated Effects (Scott Cegielski), Character Animation (Gabe Hordos), Production Design (Pierre-Olivier Vincent), Voice Acting (Sir Ian McKellan as Toad), Writing (Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Chris Lloyd, Joe Keenan, and Will Davies).

Over The Hedge won awards for Directing (Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick), Storyboarding (Gary Graham), and Character Design (Nicolas Marlet).

Of little surprise, Randy Newman won an Annie for Cars in the “Music in an Animated Feature Production” category. Newman has won many Oscars for his movie music, and has a nomination this year for the song “Our Town”. Newman didn’t attend the Annies, instead picking up a Grammy for “Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media”.

DisneyToon Studios’ Bambi II won “Best Home Entertainment Production”, while “Best Animated Short Subject” went to Blue Sky Studios’ No Time For Nuts, which is based on Ice Age.

“Best Animated Video Game” went to Flushed Away The Game, while a United Airlines ad named “Dragon” won a “Best Animated Television Commercial” Annie for DUCK Studios.

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What Are The Health Benefits Attributed To Regular Use Of Saunas And Steambaths?

Category : Energy Systems

By Adriana J Noton

There are a lot of health benefits attributed to regular use of saunas and steambaths. A room used for hot heat session or dry heat sessions is referred to as a sauna. It has hot, humid temperatures inside which could be more than eighty degrees Celsius. These hot temperatures cause perspiration of the body.

Saunas have undergone tremendous changes in the past years. They were originally underground pits that used firewood to heat them. Their purpose was provision of warmth in winter. Today, solar power, gas or electricity are used to heat them. They come in various types also including smoke saunas, steam saunas and dry saunas.

Baths can be taken using steam. These are called steam baths and they produce water vapor by use of a humidifying steam generator. This vapor is spread to the whole body and this causes perspiration. The temperature in steam baths varies between 43 degrees Celsius and 46 degrees Celsius.

These facilities can be found in places of recreation and homes. Their use is for recreation and therapy. Both cause the body to sweat within a short while.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA68F0VOOq4[/youtube]

The mind and body relax when a person uses sauna and steam bath regularly. The spirit is rejuvenated and refreshed by this relaxation. Excessive stress hormones are burned off and thus the mind is cleansed. If used before sleeping, sound and restful sleep is induced.

Their regular use also gives relieve to people with problems related to respiration. The steam gets rid of any allergens and mucus from the lungs. Catching of common colds is also minimized.

There is improvement of joints movement for sufferers of rheumatic disease. This happens because heat is helpful in managing muscular pains. Heat causes reduction of pain in the joints and causes improvement in the healing process.

Circulation of blood improves for athletes and also volumes of red blood cells and plasma improve. The athletes tolerance to exercise thus improves. Functions of those with high blood pressure and congestive heart failure improve. Lifestyle ailments like obesity or diabetes can also be treated using them.

Perspiring is good for skin to be healthy. It opens up pores and washes away dead skin and cells thus detoxifying your skin. Circulation of blood to your skin is increased giving it a healthier glow. This makes your beauty to improve overall.

Steam baths and saunas are supplied by many firms today. They give customers variety to choose from like infrared saunas that use infrared heaters to emit infrared radiant heat. This heat gets absorbed directly into your body. Insulated outdoor saunas are available too and can be used in the patio. There is also a pre-fab sauna that is ready to use and does not need additional frames or insulation. You can also set up a sauna of your own using sauna heaters and sauna material kits which are also on sale.

There are many more health benefits attributed to regular use of sauna and steambaths. When used regularly, they clear drugs, solvents, heavy metals and organic chemicals from the user’s body. The user becomes healthier as activities of his body organs get stimulated.

About the Author: After a tough workout, enjoy a

relaxing sauna

and burn some additional calories. Saunas are great for your skin and many people use them daily.

Steambaths

are an alternative way to relax.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=583264&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet


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KKE: Interview with the Greek Communist Party

Category : Uncategorized

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Wikinews reporter Iain Macdonald has performed an interview with Dr Isabella Margara, a London-based member of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). In the interview Margara sets out the communist response to current events in Greece as well as discussing the viability of a communist economy for the nation. She also hit back at Petros Tzomakas, a member of another Greek far-left party which criticised KKE in a previous interview.

The interview comes amid tensions in cash-strapped Greece, where the government is introducing controversial austerity measures to try to ease the nation’s debt-problem. An international rescue package has been prepared by European Union member states and the International Monetary Fund – should Greece require a bailout; protests have been held against government attempts to manage the economic situation.

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Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Green candidate Marion Schaffer, Oakville

Category : Uncategorized

Monday, September 24, 2007

Marion Schaffer is running for the Green Party of Ontario in the Ontario provincial election, in the Oakville riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed her regarding her values, her experience, and her campaign.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

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US Justice Department to withdraw Stevens charges

Category : Uncategorized

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The United Stated Department of Justice has asked for corruption charges against former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens to be dropped because evidence was withheld from the defense team by the original prosecutors. The Justice Department has stated that they will not retry Stevens.

In a statement, US Attorney General Eric Holder said, “After careful review, I have concluded that certain information should have been provided to the defense for use at trial. In light of this conclusion, and in consideration of the totality of the circumstances of this particular case, I have determined that it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the indictment and not proceed with a new trial.”

Stevens was convicted in October on seven felony counts of lying on senate disclosure forms about gifts, largely in the form of free renovations to his home, received from an oil service company; his conviction is thought to have been a large factor in his November electoral defeat to former Anchorage mayor Mark Begich, the current junior Senator from Alaska. Stevens immediately appealed his conviction and has maintained his innocence.

The prosecution case has met with a number of procedural difficulties, with US District Court judge Emmet G. Sullivan holding the prosecution in contempt in March for failing to turn over documents concerning an FBI whistleblower’s reports of mishandling of the case. The Justice Department has since replaced the case’s prosecutors, and the allegations of misconduct have held up sentencing from the original convictions.

The filed papers indicate that notes were never turned over from an interview that has the oil contractor estimated the house renovation for far less then he specified at trial.

The original trial team was removed, but in the end Attorney General Eric Holder thought it would be best if the case was dropped. NPR’s source indicate that Holder wish to forcefully transmit that prosecutorial misconduct will not be tolerated. The trying prosecutors are under investigation by the Justice Department for their conduct in the matter.

Stevens, now 85, served as Alaska’s Senator from 1968 to 2009.

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