Perineal massage is the practice of massaging the perineum to make it more flexible in preparation for childbirth. The intention is to attempt to prevent tearing of the perineum during birth, the need for an episiotomy or an instrument (forceps or vacuum extraction) delivery.

Randomized clinical trials of perineal massage have shown its effectiveness in reducing class two and three level tears to be on the order of 5 to 7 percent (over not doing the massage). Thus some consider it of marginal utility.

External links

• http://www.umich.edu/~umperl/massage.htm (note: contains explicit illustration)
• http://www.childbirth.org/articles/massage.html
• Georgina Stamp, Gillian Kruzins, Caroline Crowther. Perineal massage in labour and prevention of perineal trauma: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2001 May 26; 322 (7297): 1277–1280
• Labrecque M, Eason E, Marcoux S. Randomized trial of perineal massage during pregnancy: perineal symptoms three months after delivery. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2000 Jan;182(1 Pt 1):76-80.

, born is a Japanese kabuki and film actor.

Background

Nakamura made his kabuki debut at the age of eight. 21 years later and despite being a relative latecomer to the silver screen, the 30-year-old Kabuki actor was in his first film 2002 with Ping Pong, in which he portrayed a skin-headed, demonically intense table-tennis champion named Dragon. His film debut won Nakamura a Best Newcomer award at the 2003 Japanese Academy Awards. Since then, Nakamura has starred in a string of high-profile movies as well as TV dramas.

International fame

Nakamura came to international attention in 2004 after starring in the highly successful romance movie Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu (Be With You) with Yūko Takeuchi, when the two co-starred as a couple separated by death. The two co-stars married for a short time after filming was complete, from May 10, 2005 until they divorced on November 1, 2006.

Nakamura plays a Japanese sword expert who is Jet Li’s final opponent in the Hong Kong/China martial arts movie Fearless starring international Kung Fu star Jet Li, set in 1910s Imperial China.

Selected filmography

References

External links

• Nakamura Shido Kabuki actors profile(Japanese site)
• Shido Nakamura profile on HogaCentral
• jdorama entry

The Twelve Chairs, a 1928 novel by Soviet writers Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov, has been adapted for film numerous times, including:

• Las doce sillas, 1962 Spanish language Cuban film directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea. ([1])
• The Twelve Chairs, 1970 film directed by Mel Brooks, starring Frank Langella, Ron Moody, and Dom DeLuise.
• The Twelve Chairs, 1971 film directed by Leonid Gaidai, starring Archil Gomiashvili, Sergei Filippov, and Yuri Nikulin.
• The Twelve Chairs, 1976 miniseries directed by Mark Zakharov, starring Andrei Mironov, Anatoli Papanov, and Oleg Tabakov.
• The Rockford Files episode # 5 “Tall Girl in a Red Wagon” has a “The Twelve Chairs” like theme of black Comedy of “red herrings” and impossible plot holes in which Jim Rockford chases a never seen cache of missing money-and his only reward is being shot and nearly killed. All suspects apparently also end up chasing after the missing money as well.

A typical 1918 Great War division of Kitchener’s Army would have comprised the following units:

• Divisional HQ.
  • Infantry
  • 3 brigades, each comprising 3 battalions, with 36 machine guns each.
  • 3 light trench mortar batteries with 8 x 3 in (76 mm) Stokes

• Artillery
  • H.Q. Divisional Artillery
  • 2 field artillery brigades, 8 batteries - 6 x 18 pounders (8 kg) and 2 4,5 Howitzers
  • 2 medium trench mortar batteries with 6 x 2 in (51 mm)
  • 1 divisional ammunition column

• Engineers
  • H.Q. Divisional Engineers
  • 3 field companies

• Signals Service
  • 1 signal company

• Pioneers
  • 1 pioneer battalion, comprising 4 companies, with 16 Vickers machine guns each
  • 3 field ambulances
  • 1 sanitary section
  • 1 mobile veterinary section
  • 1 motor ambulance workshop
  • 1 divisional train

Number of troops and equipment:

• All ranks: 16,035
• Horses & mules: 3,838
• Guns: 48
  • 18 pounder (8 kg): 36
  • 4.5 in (114 mm) howitzer: 12
  • trench mortars: 36
    • Stokes: 24
    • Medium: 12
    • Machine guns: 400
      • • Vickers: 64
          
        • Lewis: 336
• Assorted carts & vehicles: 870
• Cycles: 341
• Motor cycles: 44
• Motor cars: 11
• Motor lorries: 3
• Motor ambulances: 21

Toss bombing (sometimes known as loft bombing) is a method of bombing where the attacking aircraft pulls upwards and releases its bomb load, giving the bomb additional forward velocity. Although this might seem the direct opposite to dive bombing, where the plane pitches downwards to aim at its target, toss bombing is often performed with a short dive before the bomber raises its nose and releases its bomb. This can help give both the bomb and aircraft extra momentum, thereby helping the aircraft regain altitude after the release.

Toss bombing is usually performed at low altitude, with the aircraft pulling up at the last moment at an angle that helps the bomb cover some horizontal distance in spite of its low release. Release usually occurs at about 35°–75° above the horizontal, causing the bomb to be tossed forward, much like an underarm throw of a ball.

Toss bombing is used by pilots wishing to evade detection or dropping particularly powerful loads, such as nuclear weapons, on their targets. In the former case, remaining at a low altitude for as long as possible allows the bomber to avoid radar and visual tracking, and in the latter case, gaining altitude post release can help the bomber to avoid the subsequent blast from the bomb.

Due to the intense pilot workload involved with flying and entering the window of opportunity, some aircraft are equipped with a “Toss Bomb Computer” (in US nuclear delivery, a part of the Low Altitude Bombing System) that enables the pilot to release the bomb at the correct angle. The Toss Bomb Computer takes airspeed inputs from the aircraft’s Pitot system, altitude inputs from the static system, attitude inputs from the gyroscopic system and inputs from weapons selectors signifying the type of bomb. While deployed in Europe with NATO, RCAF CF-104 fighter-bombers carried a Toss Bomb Computer until their nuclear role was eliminated by the Canadian government effective 1 January 1972.

A more dynamic variant of toss bombing, called over-the-shoulder bombing, or the LABS (Low Altitude Bombing System) maneuver (known to pilots as the “idiots loop”), is a particular kind of loft bombing where the bomb is released past the vertical so it is tossed back towards the target. This tactic was first made public in 1957 at Eglin AFB, when a B–47 entered its bombing run at low altitude, pulled up sharply (3.5 g) into a half loop, releasing its bomb under computer control at a predetermined point in its climb, then executed a half roll, completing a maneuver similar to an Immelmann turn or Half Cuban Eight. The bomb continued upward for some time in a high arc before falling on a target which was a considerable distance from its point of release. In the meantime, the maneuver had allowed the bomber to change direction and distance itself from the target.

References

• “Over-the-Shoulder” Fact Sheet, National Museum of the United States Air Force

See also

• Tactical bombing
• Strategic bombing
• Carpet bombing
• Terror bombing

Periodicity is the quality of occurring at regular intervals or periods (in time or space) and can occur in different contexts:

• A clock marks time at periodic intervals.
• A metronome ticks at periodic intervals of time.
• A publication published at periodic intervals can be called a “periodical”, for example a magazine.
• In mathematics, a function whose output contains values that repeat periodically is called a periodic function.
• In chemistry, the periodic table is a table which classifies the chemical elements by means of the periodicity of their chemical properties.
• In physics, period is the number of cycles as a result of time (time/cycle). The amount of time it takes to complete one full revolution. Period is also the inverse of frequency.
• In music theory, periodicity is described as “predictability gives rise to expectations”.
• Standing waves crest at periodic intervals of distance.
• In finance, the periodicity of a loan describes the interval between payments.

The measure of periodicity in time is frequency which has the metric units of hertz.

Periodic Table

When used in the periodic table, periodicity is the way in which properties of elements are repeated, depending on their location in the periodic table.

See also

• Cycle
• Simultaneity
• Synchronicity

A fish-drum () or pao pei is a traditional Chinese instrument.

It is composed of a long cylinder, often of bamboo, over one end of which is stretched a piece of prepared fish skin or snakeskin. Two items that resemble projecting golf clubs are the ends of long slips of bamboo used as castanets.

Elder Zhang Guo, one of the Eight Immortals, is sometimes depicted holding one.

External links

• A fish-drum seen in the stitching of a Daoist priest’s robe

Full Body Massage (1995) is a softcore made-for-cable movie directed by Nicolas Roeg and starring Mimi Rogers getting a nude full body massage while talking about relationships with the masseur (Bryan Brown).

Plot

Nina, an art dealer, has her weekly massage appointment and is surprised to find out her usual masseur, Douglas, has sent a replacement named Fitch.

The pair develop an easy rapport during the session, with talk about past relationships. As Nina lies topless on the massage table, Fitch also takes time to explain various massage techniques, including those used by Hopi medicine men.

Reception

The film has been compared to La Belle Noiseuse, which starred Emmanuelle Béart as an kelley likes to suck lollipops on the weekends much of the 240-minute feature nude, discussing relationships with the artist.Full Body Massage (1995) from Johnny Web (Uncle Scoopy), retrieved on 2007-01-16.

Cast

• Mimi Rogers as Nina
• Bryan Brown as Fitch
• Christopher Burgard as Douglas
• Elizabeth Barondes as Alice
• Gareth Williams as Harry Willis
• Patrick Neil Quinn as Andy
• Heather Gunn as DeeDee
• Gabriella Hall as Young Nina (as Laura Saldivar)
• Brian McLane as Young Fitch
• William Fuller as Fitch’s father
• Lynette Bennett as Fitch’s Mother
• Rachel Nolin as Fitch’s sister
• Michael Edmonds as Hopi medicine man
• Ross McKerras as Rancher
• Michael Robert Nyman as Rancher 2

References

External links

Keep It Like a Secret was the fourth full-length album released by indie rock band Built to Spill, and their second for Warner Bros. The core line-up of the band had not changed since Perfect from Now On: singer/guitarist Doug Martsch, bassist Brett Nelson, and drummer Scott Plouf. The album was recorded at Bear Creek studios in Woodinville, Washington by Phil Ek, with overdubs at Avast! Recording Co. in Seattle, Washington. Keep It Like a Secret was released on February 2, 1999. The album spawned two EPs: Carry the Zero and Center of the Universe.

Additional musicians

• Sam Coomes - keyboards on “Broken Chairs”

Track listing

All songs written by Built to Spill except as “Broken Chairs,” which included lyrics by Uhuru Black.

1. “The Plan” – 3:29
2. “Center of the Universe” – 2:43
3. “Carry the Zero” – 5:44
4. “Sidewalk” – 3:51
5. “Bad Light” – 3:22
6. “Time Trap” – 5:22
7. “Else” – 4:09
8. “You Were Right” – 4:45
9. “Temporarily Blind” – 4:48
10. “Broken Chairs” – 8:40

External link

Interview about the making of Keep It Like a Secret

Welfare Cadillac is a political phrase used in the United States for an anecdote intended to illustrate a case of a person or group receiving public benefits where the benefits are not actually needed by the recipient or are obtained by fraud.

The imagery is of a person arriving at a welfare office in a Cadillac automobile to pick up a welfare payment. The implication is that the person does not need the benefit, since a Cadillac is an expensive car, that the benefits are so generous that the person can drive a Cadillac while most working people drive cheaper cars, or that the person is “gaming the system” to receive sufficient funds to purchase and keep an expensive car. Secondary is the argument that if the vehicle were acquired honestly, that the person should sell the car before accepting taxpayer funds.

In modern politics, the term describes a story, real or imagined, that is supposed to demonstrate that people are cheating to receive government subsidies or that payments are going to people “who don’t really need them.” An unusual example of a person receiving an apparently unneeded benefit may be used to delegitimize an entire program.

See also

• Welfare queen
• Welfare fraud

Joe Andrew is the former National Chair of the Democratic National Committee. Asked to serve by President Bill Clinton, he chaired the Committee from 1999 to 2001. He was one of the youngest National Chairs in the nearly 200 year history of the DNC and one of the most successful. Joe brought the Party out of debt, raised nearly a quarter of a billion dollars, hired and managed the most diverse staff in the party’s history, and successfully served as the CEO of an organization with thousands of employees on election day.

Today, Joe is a partner with the law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP in Washington, DC in the Corporate and Securities, Venture Capital and Public Law & Policy Strategies practice groups. He represents Fortune 1000 companies in mergers and acquisitions with an eye toward the larger governmental and policy implications involved in each transaction. A widely regarded negotiator, he has led teams that have negotiated major contracts, merged or acquired companies, formed joint ventures and founded new companies.

Joe is the Chairman of the New Democratic Network, an organization dedicated to modernizing the Democratic Party, and co-founder and Chairman of the Board of The Blue Fund, a mutual fund which invests in companies meeting standards of social responsibility, environmental sustainability, community participation and respect for human rights, and whose political contributions demonstrate a commitment to these values.

Joe is an entrepreneur, a published author, frequent speaker on political and demographic trends, a board member of several not-for-profit organizations, and a member of various progressive policy organizations. In addition to his corporate legal background, he is a leader in historic preservation and smart growth and urban planning. He frequently speaks on election law reform and electronic voting. His spy novel, The Disciples, was published by Simon & Schuster.

External links

• Democratic National Committee
• Diebold hires top Dem for PR Blitz

A back office is a part of most corporations where tasks dedicated to running the company itself take place. Examples of back-office tasks include IT departments that keep the phones and computers running, accounting, and human resources. These tasks are often supported by back office systems: secure e-commerce software that processes company information (i.e. a database). A back office system will keep a record of the company’s sales and purchase transactions, and update the inventory as needed. Invoices, receipts, and reports can also be produced by the back office system.

In banking the back office is the heavyweight IT processing systems that handle position keeping, clearance, and settlement. In investment firms, the back office is the administrative functions that support the trading of securities, including recordkeeping, trade confirmation, trade settlement, and regulatory compliance. If used in sales, the back office fulfills customers’ orders and may usually perform the duties involved in customer support call centers.

Sometimes back offices may be somewhere other than the main headquarters of a company. Much of the time they are in suburban areas with cheaper rent, or these functions are outsourced to contractors in other countries. This global back office is referred to as cross-border business-process outsourcing.

The term comes from the building layout of early companies where the front office would contain the sales and other customer-facing staff and the back office would be those manufacturing or developing the products or involved in administration but without being seen by customers. Although the operations of a back office are usually not thought of, they are a major contributor to a business

See also

• Front office
• Middle Office
• Virtual office

References

• Business Link (2006). Maintaining your web content and technology. http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?r.s=sl&type=RESOURCES&itemId=1075383691. Retrieved Jun. 25, 2006.
• Haag, S. et al Management Information Systems for the Information Age (3rd Canadian ed.) Toronto: McGraw-Hill
• Investorwords.com (2005). Back Office. http://www.investorwords.com/376/back_office.html. Retrieved Jun. 24, 2006.
• MSN Encarta Dictionary (2006). Back Office. http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561532699/back_office.html. Retrieved Jun. 24, 2006.
• General and Administrative Services (G&A Services). http://www.gaserv.com

Urząd Ochrony Państwa (UOP) (Office for State Protection) was the intelligence agency of Poland. It was founded on April 6, 1990, as a department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 1996 it was transformed into a separate government agency under the supervision of the Prime Minister. It was responsible for intelligence, counter-intelligence and government electronic security, including telephone wiretaps.

The UOP replaced the communist-era Służba Bezpieczeństwa (SB), whose responsibilities had additionally included the suppression of opposition to the government prior to 1989.

In June 2002, the agency was split into two separate entities - Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego (Internal Security Agency), which deals with internal security of the country, and Agencja Wywiadu (Intelligence Agency), which deals with foreign intelligence.

See also

• Instruction UOP nr 0015/92

External links

• Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego homepage

In fencing, a body cord serves as the connection between a fencer and the reel. There are two types: one for epee, and another for foil/saber.

Description

Epee body cords consist of two sets of three prongs each connected by a wire. One set plugs into the fencer’s weapon, with the other connecting to the reel. Foil and saber body cords have only two prongs (or a twist-lock bayonet connector) on the weapon side, with the third wire connecting instead to the fencer’s lamé. The need in foil and saber to distinguish between on- and off-target touches requires a wired connection to valid target area.

How it works

The three wires of the body cord are known as the A, B, and C lines. At the reel connector (and both connectors for Epee cords) The B pin is in the middle, the A pin is 1.5 cm to one side of B, and the C pin is 2 cm to the other side of B. This asymmetrical arrangement ensures that the cord cannot be plugged in the wrong way around.

The A line is the “lamé” line, the B line is the “weapon” line, and the C line is the ground. Although it works somewhat differently for each weapon, a valid touch always involves the connection of the A and B lines. In all three weapons, the C line is connected to the body of the weapon, and sometimes (normally in high-level competition) to the fencing strip as well, which must be made of metal in this case.

In foil, the A line is connected to the lamé and the B line runs up a wire to the tip of the weapon. The B line is normally connected to the C line through the tip. When the tip is depressed, the circuit is broken and one of three things can happen:

• The tip is touching your opponent’s lamé (their A line): Valid touch
• The tip is touching your opponent’s weapon or the grounded strip: nothing, as the current is still flowing to the C line.
• The tip is not touching either of the above: Off-target hit (white light).

In Epee, the A and B lines run up separate wires to the tip (there is no lamé). When the tip is depressed, it connects the A and B lines, resulting in a valid touch. However, if the tip is touching your opponents weapon (their C line) or the grounded strip, nothing will happen when it is depressed as the current is being redirected to the C line. Grounded strips are particularly important in Epee as without one, a touch to the floor will register as a valid touch (rather than off-target as in Foil) on the machine.

In Sabre, similarly to Foil, the A line is connected to the lamé, but both the B and C lines are connected to the body of the weapon. Any contact between your B/C line (doesn’t matter which, as they are always connected) and your opponent’s A line (their lamé) will result in a valid touch. There is no need for grounded strips in Sabre, as hitting something other than your opponent’s lame does nothing.

On the strip

Typically, a fencer will wear a body cord under his or her jacket. The wire is threaded through the sleeve of the weapon arm as it is being donned. Most gloves feature a small hole designed around the use of a body cord. In officially sanctioned tournaments, the plug that fits into the weapon must be secured with an additional device, usually a small clip.

The other end of the wire is connected to the reel as well as a D-clip on the fencer’s jacket in order to prevent it from disconnecting during a bout. In addition, foilists and saberists must connect their alligator clips to their lamés. Fencers are forced by regulation to attach the lamé clip to their weapon arm side, in order to prevent accidental or intentional removal.

Regulation also stipulates that any fencer who brings a defective body cord to the strip be penalized with a yellow card. However, should one’s body cord fail in the middle of a bout, no penalty is awarded. In both cases, the fencer is not allowed to disrobe in order to change cords; this leads to the common practice of replacing the body cord by tying the new cord around the defective cord and pulling it through the sleeve.

Repair

Body cords must be kept in good working order lest their condition deteriorate. Common causes of broken body cords include breaks and damage to the prongs. Many body cords are made with clear plastic insulation so that any corrosion of the copper wire can be seen more easily.

Watsu, a portmanteau of water and shiatsu, is a form of body massage performed while lying in warm water (around 35 °C or 95 °F). The receiver of Watsu treatment is continuously supported by the therapist while he or she rocks and gently stretches the body. Because it is performed in the water, the body is free to be manipulated and stretched in ways impossible while on the land.

History

Watsu was created by therapist Harold Dull in the early 1980’s, then director of the Harbin School of Shiatsu and Massage in northern California. The technique slowly evolved as he began to incorporate aspects of Zen shiatsu into his therapy.

Forms

The three main forms of Watsu are Waterdance or Wasser Tanzen, Healing Dance, and the Jahara Technique. Waterdance was created in 1987 by Arjana Brunschwiler and Aman Schroter and involved the client being lowered completely beneath the surface. Healing Dance was created by Alexander Georgeakopoulos and is a mix between Waterdance and traditional Watsu techniques. The Jahara Technique is known as the “gentlest” of the forms because of its constant support and gentle bodywork.

Organization

Watsu and all the above therapies are represented by WABA: The Worldwide Aquatic Bodywork Association, a non-profit organization for the promotion of aquatic bodywork.

External links

• The Worldwide Aquatic Bodywork Association
• Watsu® & Aquatic Bodywork Association of New Zealand
• Watsu® & Aquatic Bodywork in Europe

Shurfine International is a distributor of private label and store brands for independent supermarkets and convenience stores throughout the United States. It is a unit of Topco Associates, LLC, was founded in 1948, and is based in Skokie, Illinois.

Shurfine Markets

Shurfine Markets is a collection of independent supermarkets in Pennsylvania and Maryland. These markets are a retailers’ cooperative. Nine Shurfine Markets are owned by Associated Wholesalers, Inc..

Brands

• Shurfine
• Shurfresh
• Price Saver
• Shurtech Automotive
• Shursaving
• Western Family

External links

• Shurfine web site
• Shurfine Markets web site
• Associated Wholesalers web site

A bosun’s chair or boatswain’s chair is a device used to suspend a person from a rope in order to perform work aloft. It is distinguished from a climbing harness by the inclusion of a more or less rigid seat, providing more comfort than even the best-padded straps for long-term use. In exchange, the bosun’s chair does not allow the freedom of movement necessary for climbing, and the occupant is generally hoisted or lowered into place using the rope alone.

Some bosun’s chairs consist of little more than a short plank and a suitable set of ropes to suspend it from; these are usually used with a separate harness in case the user should slip off the plank. Other bosun’s chairs, particularly the type commonly carried on yachts for masthead repair, incorporate more straps so that the wearer cannot fall out, though they still include a rigid or semi-rigid seat.

As well as on ships and boats where they originated, bosun’s chairs are also used for working at height on buildings and other structures.

Knots that can be used for a Bosun’s Chair

• French Bowline
• Spanish bowline

See Also

• Boatswain
• Deck department

The Oldsmobile Series 70 Dynamic Cruiser was an automobile from General Motors in the 1940s. Two models were produced, the 76 which used a straight-6 engine and the 78 which used a straight-8. The 78 model was retired after the 1949 introduction of the new Oldsmobile 88, which was based on the Series 70 and introduced the new Rocket V8. The 76 was also retired after 1950.

The 76 was available in the following body styles:

• Station wagon
• Convertible
• Holiday coupé
• Club coupé (2-door)

The Chairman of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto or Metro Chairman was the leader of Metropolitan Toronto, Canada, and the most senior political figure in the municipality. The Metro Chairman was elected by the members of Metropolitan Toronto Council.

New Level of Government

The position was created in 1954 when Metropolitan Toronto was created by the province of Ontario. Frederick Gardiner was appointed by the Premier of Ontario Leslie Frost as the first Metro Chairman. He was subsequently re-elected to the position by Metro Council.

Metro’s first two chairmen — Frederick Gardiner and William R. Allen — were both honoured with an expressway bearing their name upon retirement.

Appointed Chairs

For Metro’s first three decades, the Metro Chairman was not required to be an elected member of Metro Council, and it was customary for a new Metro Chairman to resign from his previous position upon becoming chairman.

Elected Chairs

In 1987, Metro Council was reformed by the province so that Metro councillors were directly elected to the body. (They had previously been drawn from among local city and borough councils.) Under this reform, the chair was required to be an elected member of Metro Council.

Amalgamation

The position ceased to when the six municipalities of Metro Toronto were amalgamated into the City of Toronto. The newly created position of mayor for the resulting single-tier “megacity” replaced not only the mayors of the former Metro areas, but also abolished the office of Metro Chairman.

Chairmen of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto

• Frederick Gardiner (1953-1962)
• William R. Allen (1962-1969)
• Albert Campbell (1969-1973)
• Paul Godfrey (1973-1984)
• Dennis Flynn (1984-1987)
• Alan Tonks (1987-1997)

See also

• Gardiner Expressway
• William R. Allen Road
• List of Toronto mayors - the “megacity” mayor replaced the Metro Chairman in 1998

In the mathematical field of set theory, inner model theory is the study of certain models of ZFC or some fragment or strengthening thereof. Ordinarily these models are transitive subsets or subclasses of the von Neumann universe V, or sometimes of a generic extension of V. Inner model theory studies the relationships of these models to determinacy, large cardinals, and descriptive set theory. Despite the name, it is considered more a branch of set theory than of model theory.

In 1993 John Carroll (1916 - 2003) published “Human cognitive abilities: A survey of factor-analytic studies”, which outlined his hierarchical, Three-Stratum Theory of cognitive abilities. The theory is based on a factor analytic study of correlation of individual differences variables from measures including psychological tests, school marks, and competence ratings. The factor analysis suggests three layers or strata, with each layer attempting to account for the variation in factor loadings at the next lower level. Thus, the three strata are defined as representing narrow, broad, and general cognitive ability.

General ( Stratum III ) : General intelligence factor

Broad ( Stratum II ) : fluid intelligence, crystallised intelligence, general memory and learning, broad visual perception, broad auditory perception, broad retrieval ability, broad cognitive speediness and processing speed.

Narrow ( Stratum I ) : 69 narrow abilities, each related to a specific Stratum II domain.

Carroll argues that factors are not mere artifacts of a mathematical process. The factors do describe stable and observable differences among individuals in the performance of tasks. The existence of physiological explanations for the differences in ability (e.g., muscle firing rates) does nothing to limit the effectiveness of factors in accounting for behavioral differences.

Carroll proposes a taxonomic dimension in the distinction between level factors and speed factors. The tasks that contribute to the identification or level factors can be sorted by difficulty and individuals differentiated by whether they have acquired the skill to perform the tasks. Tasks that contribute to speed factors are distinguished by the relative speed with which individuals can complete them. Carroll suggests that the distinction between level and speed factors may be the broadest taxonomy of cognitive tasks that can be offered. Carroll distinguishes his hierarchical approach from taxonomic approaches such as Guilford’s Structure of Intellect model (three-dimensional model with contents, operations, and products).

See also

• Intelligence
• Individual Differences

Gross spread refers to the fees that underwriters receive for arranging and underwriting an offering of debt or equity securities. The gross spread for an initial public offering (IPO) can be as high as 7% while the gross spread on a debt offering can be as low as 0.05%.

For example, if a company sells $100 million of shares in an IPO and the gross spread is 7%, the underwriting syndicate will receive fees of $7 million. These fees will be divided among the underwriters arranging the offering.

External links

• Underpricing versus Gross Spread: New Evidences on the Effect of Sold Shares at the Time of IPOs
• How do investment banks price underwriting services for American Depository Receipts?
• Underwriter competition and gross spreads in the eurobond market

Massage chairs come in 2 main types.

Traditional massage chairs

Ergonomically designed chairs for positioning a person who will be receiving a massage, similar in function to a massage table. Chairs may be either stationary or portable models.

Massage chairs are easier for the therapist to maneuver than massage tables, and clients do not need to disrobe to receive a chair massage. Due to these two factors, chair massage is often performed in settings such as corporate offices, outdoor festivals, shopping malls, and other public locations.

Robotic massage chairs

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A Robotic massage chair is a chair that contains internal electronic motors and gears designed to massage the person sitting in them. Most robotic massage chairs have some form of controller to vary the type, location, or intensity of massage.

Massaging chairs most frequently resemble recliners. There are many different types and brands, including office-style chairs that operate from internal batteries. A less expensive option is a separate massaging pad that may be used with an existing chair. Some popular brands are Takemi Select, Human Touch, Panasonic, SHSS, OSIM, OTO, VGO, OGAWA.
Massaging chairs vary tremendously in price, style and intensity cheap vibrate only chairs to full intensity Shiatsu models for people who require as close to a real invigorating massage as possible. Some prefer more soothing relaxing massage for them there are some models which even go as far as having TV and music players.
Some people find may a full Shiatsu massage chair is a bit painful at first as they are based on and follow the healing method quite closely, they normally find that it pays dividends if they stick at it.

Course Deviation Indicator (CDI) is an avionics instrument used in aircraft navigation to determine aircraft position relative to a navigation aid such as GPS, VOR and ADF; or to intercept and fly TO or FROM any of the 360 compass “radials” that emanate from the navigation aid.

Amma has several meanings:

As a name:

• In Ghana, girls who are born on a Saturday are named Amma (sometimes spelt Ama), meaning “Saturday born”.

• Amma means mother in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Sinhalese, Bengali, Malayalam, Korean, and some Sino-Tibetan languages
• Amma means grandmother in the Icelandic language
• It is also used to address elderly women as a sign of respect.

Several individuals are known as Amma:

• Mata Amritanandamayi (born 1953), an Indian spiritual leader; she is also known as “the hugging saint”
• Mathrusri Anasuya Devi (1923–1985), an Indian spiritual leader, known as Amma, Jillellamudi
• Jayalalithaa Jayaram (born 1948), a Tamil Nadu politician

Amma may also refer to:

• Amma, the supreme creator according to the Dogon people of Mali (see also Fonio)
• Amma, the ancestress of the thralls or serfs in Norse mythology (see Ríg)
• Amma, an ancient Chinese phrase for “push-pull”, usually referring to massage or Asian Bodywork Therapy.

As an acronym Amma or AMMA may mean:

• American Medical Marijuana Association
• American Medical Massage Association

In mathematics, the Mittag-Leffler function E_αβ is special function, a complex function which depends on two complex parameters α and β. It may be defined by the following series when the real part of α is strictly positive:

<math>E_{\alpha, \beta} (z) = \sum_{k=0}^\infty {z^k \over \Gamma (\alpha k + \beta)}.</math>

In this case, the series converges for all values of the argument z, so the Mittag-Leffler function is an entire function. This function is named after Gösta Mittag-Leffler.

Relationship to the error function

The error function is a special case of the Mittag-Leffler function:

<math>w(z)=\exp(-z^2)\operatorname{erfc}(-iz) = E_{1/2,1}(iz).</math>

References

• Fractional Differential Equations. An Introduction to Fractional Derivatives, Fractional Differential Equations, Some Methods of Their Solution and Some of Their Applications. (Mathematics in Science and Engineering, vol. 198), by Igor Podlubny. Hardcover. Publisher: Academic Press; (October 1998). ISBN 0-12-558840-2 (see Chapter 1).

External links

• Mittag-Leffler Function — From MathWorld
• Mittag-Leffler function — MATLAB code

The IBM 3179G is an IBM mainframe computer terminal providing 80×24 or 80×32 characters plus graphics.

3179-G terminals combine text and graphics as separate layers on the screen. Although the text and graphics appear combined on the screen, the text layer actually sits over the graphics layer. The text layer contains the usual IBM 3270-style cells which display characters (letters, numbers, symbols, or invisible control characters). The graphics layer is an area of 720×384 pixels. ‘All Points Addressable’ or ‘vector graphics’ is used to paint each pixel in one of sixteen colors. As well as being separate layers on the screen, the text and graphics layers are sent to the display in separate data streams, making them completely independent.

The G10 model is a standard 122-key typewriter keyboard, while the G20 model offers APL on the same layout. Compatible with IBM System/370, IBM 4300 series, 303x, 308x, IBM 3090, and IBM 9370.

Deep rolling is a method of cold work deformation and burnishing of internal combustion engine crankshaft journal fillets to increase strength and durability. Other types of fillets on shafts or tubes can benefit from this method too. Typically the crankshaft is machined with under-cut fillets as opposed to tangential radiused, although all types can be deep rolled. Most automakers are currently utilizing this technology. The Hegenscheidt-MFD Corporation and ICM (teamed with Lonero Tooling) are the only two Major competitors in this application in North America.

A day spa is a business establishment which people visit for personal care treatments such as massages and facials. It is similar to a beauty salon in that it is only visited for the duration of the treatment. In contrast, a destination spa offers the same services in a hotel setting where people reside for one or more days.

According to the International SPA Association:

Day Spa – A spa offering a variety of professionally administered spa services to clients on a day-use basis.

The term “Day Spa” was coined back in the 1980’s by Catherine Atzen, upon her entry from France to the US. There is some challenge, from Burke Williams of San Francisco, who also claims to have coined the term. Massage and skin care fanatics await official designation from the Day Spa of the World consortium, who are expected to rule on this contentious item in 2007.

Types of services

Typical day spa services include:

• facials — facial cleansing with a variety of products
• massage
• waxing — the removal of body hair with hot wax
• body treatments such as body wraps, aromatherapy
• skin exfoliation — including chemical peels and microdermabrasion

See also

• Destination spa
• Body treatment
• Luxury resorts

External links

Queen of the Troubled Teens was the first single released by Idlewild on the Human Condition label in March 1997. Receiving only small scale acknowledgement initially in Edinburgh record shops, receiving praise from local students and BBC Radio 1’s Steve Lamacq.

The song is a short punchy punk offering - something very different to what the band was producing by the Warnings/Promises era, but indicative of their early sound.

The “Queen of the Troubled Teens” single is the only release by the band to feature original bassist Phil Scanlon.

The song was not included on the physical release of Idlewild’s greatest hits collection Scottish Fiction - Best of 1997-2007 but could be downloaded for free (along with second single “Chandelier”) by fans who entered the CD version of the album into their computer.

Track listing

1. “Queen of the Troubled Teens”
2. “Faster”
   
3. “Self Healer” (Original version)

The Thirteen Chairs (Original title: 12 + 1) is a comedy film released in 1969.

It was based on The Twelve Chairs (Двенадцать Стульев), a (1928) satirical novel by the Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov. It was directed by Nicolas Gessner and Luciano Lucignani, and starred Sharon Tate (her last film before her murder), Vittorio Gassman, Orson Welles, Vittorio De Sica and Tim Brooke-Taylor. Most of it was filmed in Italy.

External links

The term house stock usually refers to a stock that the management of a brokerage firm has
instructed all brokers working for him to promote. The brokerage firm or its owners might
be receiving an undisclosed profit from the sale of the house stock.

Generally, if you could look at the stock holdings of
all the clients of a boiler room brokerage, almost all clients
would hold the set of house stocks.

A house stock differs from a penny stock in that its price can
be in the normal price range of a large cap stock.

Super Chair Suspension is an illusion where a person floats in midair, supported only by the back of a fold-up chair.

A magician places two foldable chairs facing each other, then he puts a board across, on top — bridging the two chairs. Someone lies on top of this board, and the magician wraps her in cloth. He then removes one chair, leaving the board and the girl to hover, supported by the remaining chair. The magician finally removes the board itself, leaving the girl to hover.

The trick can be performed with an untrained audience member: (WindowsMedia video of the trick| Picture of the trick)

Method

The remaining folding chair is specially reinforced and engineered. It holds up an invisible board, hidden in the cloth wrap, that supports the girl on top. It is crucial for the chair to face inward to hide the body.

This illusion benefits from human anatomy. Because the upper body is usually more massive than the lower body, the center of gravity shifts upwards, towards the head. The heads of young children in proportion to their bodies is larger than adults, shifting the center of gravity further upwards, towards the head. This doesn’t allow more of the body to extend past the center of gravity threshold without the body’s center of gravity passing it, keeping the chair stable. The audience is tricked because they assume the body’s center of gravity is the center of the body. This is not true. The center of gravity is usually much higher. The skewed proportion enhances the cantilever effect.

German metrical psalter published in 1602 by the Leipzig Theologian Cornelius Becker. This publication was without melodies and meant to be sung on other well-known Lutheran hymns. Becker included in his Psalter earlier Lutheran Psalmparaphrases (e.g. Aus tiefer Not, Ach Gott vom Himmel sieh darein, Erbarm dich mein, Ein feste Burg ).
Heinrich Schütz welcomed the theological intentions of this new metrical version, and composed the melodies, which he published twice during his lifetime (1628, 1661 (revised and enlarged), together with 4-voiced musical settings. Outside Dresden only a few of these Psalms have become popular.

Pac-Manhattan is a real-life version of Pac-Man created in 2004. It was invented by graduate students at the Interactive Telecommunications Program in the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. It uses Wi-Fi technology, open-source software, and cell phones.

The game is played with ten people: “Pac-Man” and his “controller” (who keeps contact with him via cell phone and keeps track of how much of the city he has covered), and the four ghosts and their controllers. Pac-Man and the Ghosts play out the game on the streets of Manhattan while their respective controllers give them information and strategy advice via cell-phone from the control room.

If the person touches a street sign at a street intersection, it is counted as a power pellet, and the pac-man can chase down the ghosts.

Pac-Man and his controller have an intelligence advantage as a result of Pac-Man’s controller having a bird’s eye view of the game. Pac-Man’s controller can see the current position of all the Ghosts on the streets, although the Ghosts’ controllers cannot see the current position of Pac-Man, only that of the other Ghosts. Thus the Ghosts’ numerical advantage is balanced against Pac-Man’s information advantage.

See also

• Location-based game

External link

• Official Pac-Manhattan website

Lomilomi, (Hawaiian: masseur, masseuse) is the word used today to describe Hawaiian massage, traditionally called lomi (Hawaiian: To rub, press, squeeze, massage; to work in and out, as the claws of a contented cat).

Traditional practice

Lomilomi practitioners use the palms, forearm, fingers, knuckles, elbows, knees, feet, even sticks and stones. Lomilomi practices varied by family, ahupua’a (region) and island.

Traditionally, lomilomi was practiced in four contexts:

1. As a healing practice of native healers — kahuna lā’au lapa’au (healers) and kahuna hāhā (diagnosticians)
2. As a luxury and an aid to digestion, especially by the ruling chiefs (ali’i)
3. As restorative massage within the family
4. By ’ōlohe lua (masters of the Hawaiian martial arts)

Although the word kahuna lomilomi is widely used in contemporary writings, traditionally the people who performed lomilomi were called ka po’e lomilomi (the massage people) or kanaka lomi (massage person). A related term, kauka lomilomi, was coined in 1920 to describe osteopathic physicians. The word kauka is the Hawaiianized version of doctor.

Like all endeavors in old Hawai’i, lomilomi was conducted with prayer and intention.

• Hawaiian kupuna (elder) Auntie Margaret Machado describes lomilomi as “praying” work (Chai 2005: 39).

• Emma Akana Olmstead, a kupuna of Hana, Maui, in the 1930s, said, “When a treatment is to be given, the one who gives the treatment first plucks the herbs to be used. He prays as he picks the herbs. No one should call him back or distract his attention, all should be as still as possible for they do not want the vibration broken. They knew the laws of vibration. They knew the power of the spoken word. They knew Nature. They gathered the vibration of the plentiful.” (Chai 2005: 40)

History of lomilomi

The early Polynesian settlers brought their own form of massage, and like a canoe plant, it evolved to become something uniquely Hawaiian. It was practiced by everyone, from child to chief.

After American missionaries arrived in 1820 and converted many in the Kingdom of Hawaii to Christianity, traditional healing arts were scorned as heathen and primitive. Various laws prohibited “heathen” worship and any related Native Hawaiian healing practices. Lomilomi as part of medical practice went underground. But lomilomi as restorative massage remained popular not only among the Hawaiians, but among foreign residents and visitors as well.

American writer Charles Nordhoff wrote about his experience with lomilomi massage in his 1875 book, Northern California, Oregon, and the Sandwich Islands. [1] For Robert Louis Stevenson it was disagreeable, but English adventurer Isabella Bird found it delightful. (Chai 2005: 77) Not only did foreigners receive lomilomi, they also gave it. According to the first Director of the Bishop Museum, writing in 1908, one of the most skilled practitioners was Sanford Dole (one of the leaders of the overthrow of the Kingdom). (Chai 2005: 26)

Although the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawai’i banned curing through “superstitious methods” in 1886, massage was not subject to legislation until 1945. In 1947, the Board of Massage was established to regulate lomilomi and massage. The law required practitioners to pass a written test on anatomy, physiology and massage theory. Many renowned native healers were unable or unwilling to pass the test, and thus lomilomi as restorative massage was forced underground. In 2001, the Legislature passed Act 304, amending HRS section 453, allowing native practitioners to be certified by the Hawaiian medical board, Papa Ola Lōkahi, or by the various community health centers. This law is controversial among some native practitioners, but those who are certified can provide lomilomi without fear of prosecution under Hawai’i state law. (Chai 2005)

Lomilomi Today

Lomilomi is now a common and popular form of massage throughout the world, especially in Hawai’i, Japan and Europe. Traditionally taught lomilomi practitioners are generally unwilling to work at just any spa or massage office. They prefer to treat selected clients quietly and privately, often in home settings. Lomilomi practitioners may also ask their clients to pray, meditate, change their diets, and engage in other self-help activities usually believed to lie outside the scope of massage. Lomilomi is a holistic healing tradition beyond simple massage.

References and Sources

• R. Makana Risser Chai, Na Mo’olelo Lomilomi: The Traditions of Hawaiian Massage & Healing, Bishop Museum Press. [2]
• R. Makana Risser Chai, Hawaiian Massage Lomilomi: Sacred Touch of Aloha, Hawaiian Insights.[3]
• Nancy Kahalewai, Hawaiian Lomilomi - Big Island Massage, Island Massage Publishing.
• [4]
• Robert Noah Calvert, The History of Massage, Healing Arts Press.[5]
• History of Lomilomi, July 2000 issue of Massage Magazine.

The Wassily Chair, also known as the Model B3 chair, was designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925-26 while he was the head of the cabinet-making workshop at the Bauhaus, in Dessau, Germany. Despite popular belief, the chair was not designed for the non-objective painter Wassily Kandinsky, who was concurrently on the Bauhaus faculty. However, Kandinsky had admired the completed design, and Breuer fabricated a duplicate for Kandinsky’s personal quarters. The chair became known as “Wassily” decades later, when it was re-released by an Italian manufacturer who had learned of the anecdotal Kandinsky connection in the course of its research on the chair’s origins.

This chair was revolutionary in the use of the materials (bent tubular steel and canvas) and methods of manufacturing. It is said that the handlebar of Breuer’s ‘Adler’ bicycle inspired him to use steel tubing to build the chair, and it proved to be an appropriate material because it was available in quantity. The design (and all subsequent steel tubing furniture) was technologically feasible only because the German steel manufacturer Mannesmann had recently perfected a process for making seamless steel tubing. Previously, steel tubing had a welded seam, which would collapse when the tubing was bent.

The Wassily chair, like many other designs of the modernist movement, has been mass-produced since the 1960s, and as a design classic is still available today. Though patent designs are expired, the trademark name rights to the design are owned by Knoll of New York City. Reproductions are produced around the world by other manufacturers, who market the product under different names.

The

zinc-bromine flow battery is a type of hybrid flow battery. A solution of zinc bromide is stored in two tanks. When the battery is charged or discharged the solutions (electrolytes) are pumped through a reactor and back into the tanks. One tank is used to store the electrolyte for the positive electrode reactions and the other for the negative. Zinc-bromine batteries have energy densities of 75 to 85 Wh/kg[1].

Electrochemistry

At the negative electrode zinc is the electroactive species. Zinc has long been used as the negative electrode of primary cells. It is a widely available, relatively inexpensive metal which is electronegative, with a standard reduction potential, E°= -0.76 V vs. SHE. However, it is rather stable in contact with neutral and alkaline aqueous solutions. For this reason it is used today in zinc-carbon and alkaline primaries.

In the zinc-bromine flow battery the negative electrode reaction is the reversible dissolution/ plating of zinc, according to the following equation.

<math>Zn _{(s)} \leftrightarrow Zn^{2+} _{(aq)} + 2e^-</math>

At the positive electrode bromine is reversibly reduced to bromide, (with a standard reduction potential of +1.087 V vs. SHE) according to the following equation.

<math>Br _{2(aq)} + 2e^- \leftrightarrow 2Br^- _{(aq)} </math>

The overall cell reaction is therefore.

<math>Zn _{(s)} + Br _{2(aq)} \leftrightarrow 2Br^- _{(aq)} + Zn^{2+} _{(aq)}</math>

The measured potential difference is around 1.67 V per cell (slightly less than that predicted from the standard reduction potentials).

The two electrode chambers of each cell are divided by a membrane (typically a microporous or ion-exchange variety). This helps to prevent bromine from reaching the positive electrode, where it would react with the zinc, causing the battery to self-discharge. To further reduce the self-discharge, and also to reduce the vapor pressure of bromine, complexing agents are added to the positive electrolyte. These react reversibly with the bromine to form an oily red liquid and reduce the Br₂ concentration in the electrolyte.

Nicolas Gessner (b. 17 August 1931 in Budapest, Hungary) is a Hungarian-born film maker who mostly worked in France.

His movies are often characterized by strange, quirky atmospheres and unusual cast mixing French and international actors. From the early eighties, Gessner mostly worked for television.

Filmography

• The Thirteen Chairs (1969)
• The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)

External links

Kwality Wall’s is a major producer and distributor of ice cream and other dessert products in India. It is a company of Hindustan Lever Limited, the arm of Unilever in India, and is an extension of the Wall’s ice cream brand of Great Britain.

Kwality, the original Indian company, was founded in 1956, and was the first in the region to import machinery for the mass production and sale of ice cream on a commercial scale. In 1995, in view of the growth potential of the frozen confections market, Kwality entered into an agreement with Lever, and has since been known by its current umbrella name. At the same time, other brands acquired by Hindustan Lever, such as Gaylord-Milkfood, were phased out in favor of promoting the Kwality Wall’s brand. This arrangement allows for local production and sale of Wall’s products that are popular in its home market, such as the Cornetto cone, and to create local variations on others, such as the Feast Jaljeera Blast.

External link

• Hindustan Lever Limited Kwality Wall’s website