Driftwood ? Philosophy department revitalized

After taking a string of hard administrative punches, the Philosophy department, under Department Chair Robert Stufflebeam, has become a flexible and effective academic program at the forefront of an ever evolving University strategy. With only 31 active majors, the 20 plus courses offered within Philosophy this semester are filled not by philosophers, but teachers, scientists, businessmen, engineers, and other liberal artists.

The Department simply surviving in the midst of historic budget cuts is something UNO can hang its blue, velvet hat on.

?We?re one of only two philosophy departments at state schools in Louisiana ? they?ve managed to shut all the other ones down.? said Stufflebeam.

Dr. Frank Schalow debates
with philosophy student, Katie Hanzalik.
Photo courtesy of Valaria Duckworth/ Driftwood.

?You can?t have the University without a philosophy department.? said a Philosophy/Political Science junior, who wished to remain anonymous for sake of integrity. ?Philosophy is the cornerstone of academic endeavors.?

There are four full time faculty in the department, each bringing their own skill set to the table. Stufflebeam is the ?analytic?, specializing in the philosophy of science, language and mind, with a degree in the pioneering field of the philosophy of neuroscience. Dr. Clarence Phillips, the ?pragmatist?, coordinates UNO?s annual Darwin Day conference on evolutionary psychology. Dr. Frank Schalow is world renowned for his study of German philosopher Martin Heidegger.

The newest addition is Chris Surprenant, specializing in moral/political philosophy, and responsible of the Alexis de Tocqueville Lecture Series. The ?retired? Former-Department Chair Dr. Edward Johnson also remains very active in the department, with a UNO legacy that spans four decades, and a moral specialty that ranges from business to bio ethics.

For those looking to pursue an exclusively online bachelor?s degree at UNO, Philosophy is the first and only game in town.

?We?re hoping the online degree will be able to increase the number of majors who graduate.? said Stufflebeam.

For the virtual degree to come fully online in the Fall, offices such as the Registrar, Admissions, and even Marketing and Communications needs to get on board.

?Everyone involved knows what needs to be done ? the issue is implementation.?

As far as recruiting new majors, the department is using two methods in conjunction; one is high-lighting the versatility of the degree itself as well as the viability of pairing the program with another major -

?Being a philosophy major isn?t about regurgitating a bunch of philosophical facts ? it?s learning how to think ? and everybody has to reason well, at least occasionally.? said Stufflebeam.

? the second is cold hard cash.

The name Carl Muckley has become a prominent name in the College of Liberal Arts. Muckley bequeathed $1.8 million dollars to the Philosophy Department, and a similar amount to the History Department. These funds will be used in a variety of ways to support philosophy majors, including a $500 ?signing bonus? for students who change their major to philosophy, or introduce philosophy as their second major. Then there are various awards for majors of sophomore, junior and senior standing.

The most nuanced of the awards are those awarded to every graduating major ? yes, the UNO Philosophy Department will pay you to graduate with their degree.

And there are only general stipulations behind the scholarship; no department is allowed to award funds that exceed the cost of the education.

?You can?t make money by going to school.? concluded Stufflebeam.

But with the Philosophy Department, you might not have to spend it.

Philosophy is, by design, a crucial part of any discipline ? which is why any student, no matter the major or experience level is invited to take advantage of the program at UNO ? ?It?s not like it?s rocket surgery?

Source: http://driftwood.uno.edu/philosophy-department-revitalized/

rosh hashanah boardwalk empire iOS 6 Release Date Canelo Alvarez Chavez vs Martinez Yunel Escobar Irish Daily Star

A$AP Rocky On #1 Billboard Debut: 'The Proof Is In The Pudding'

Rapper tops album chart with sales of 139,000.
By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Rob Markman

A$AP Rocky's Long.Live.A$AP
Photo: Sony

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700653/asap-rocky-long-live-asap-album-billboard.jhtml

lottery winner lottery numbers mega millions lottery jackpot winning numbers mega millions megamillions drawing olbermann

Underwater CO₂ shows potential as barrier to Asian carp

Jan. 23, 2013 ? As the Asian carp population grows and the threat of the invasive species entering Lake Michigan through one of the Chicago canals is monitored, a University of Illinois researcher believes using two barrier methods is better than one.

Cory Suski experimented with adding carbon dioxide (CO?) into the water as a supplemental tool to work in tandem with the electric fence, which has been used to divert the carp from entering the canal, with the goal of providing a second line of defense. Suski found that carbon dioxide is quick and effective in repelling fish from an area.

"In one experiment using tanks, we could actually chase the fish with the gas," Suski said. "Once carbon dioxide reached a threshold, fish would 'choose' to leave the area of the tank that had CO?. The fish initially showed signs of being irritated or agitated after exposure, and eventually they lost equilibrium. If fish cannot leave or are slow to leave the carbon dioxide accumulates to a point where it will act like an anesthetic gas used for patients who are undergoing surgery."

Suski knew that CO? had already been proven to be effective at fish hatcheries. The CO? was used to move fish from one area to another, making it easier to harvest them. He wanted to see if the technique could be applied to the Chicago River canals and at other vulnerable entry points into the Great Lakes.

In addition to studies quantifying behavior and stress physiology in response to CO?, Suski used a laboratory tank called a shuttle box that contains two chambers and a connecting canal. The level of carbon dioxide can be controlled on either side of the box. Tests were performed on bighead carp and silver carp as well as bluegill and largemouth bass so the effects on native species of fish could be confirmed. CO? had the same effect on all four species.

"What we learned is that CO? does not appear to be species specific," Suski said. "This is good because there are other species besides Asian carp that we don't want swimming back and forth between the river and the Great Lakes. The electric fence is also a non-species-specific barrier, and all non-physical barriers have weaknesses. The CO? barrier isn't intended to replace the electric fence. It's another tool, a redundant barrier that further increases the likelihood of stopping fish from getting through," he said.

Because carp are known to jump, Suski was prepared for the possibility that the carp would try to jump out of the shuttle box to escape the carbon dioxide. "We covered the tanks to keep them contained, but they didn't jump," he said.

Suski also conducted an experiment on a larger scale in a small, outdoor pond about 40 feet by 30 feet but without fish. "We wanted to see how easy it would be to put CO? into a lot of water," Suski said. "As it turned out, it's shockingly easy. We did it with a hose and a gas source and just bubbled it in."

Suski said the next step will be to test it in the field on a larger scale, determining the costs and the effect it may have on non-target species and on the environment. The elevated CO? makes the water slightly more acidic so Suski wants to learn how the higher acidity affects fish, the water, and other organisms.

"What we're working on right now is seeing how effective CO? is on small fish," Suski said. "In theory, CO? could eliminate all fish from an area, regardless of their size, whereas we know that for small fish, 1 to 3 inches, the electrical barrier becomes less effective. If smaller fish don't like the CO? and choose to swim away, that's a potential shortcoming of the electrical barrier that CO? can address."

According to Suski, Asian carp grow rapidly and totally disrupt the food chain. All fish depend upon zooplankton (small animals) and phytoplankton (small plants) when they are very small. "Asian carp eat these items that the other fish and other aquatic organisms depend upon, thus pulling the rug out from the bottom of the food chain," Suski said.

Suski said Asian carp are already in the Mississippi River all the way up to Minnesota as well as in South Dakota.

"Once they get into the Great Lakes, there is concern that they could do well there and further spread to other canals throughout eastern North America," Suski said.

Responses of native and invasive fishes to carbon dioxide: Potential for a non-physical barrier to fish dispersal was published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. The research was funded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Dan Kates, Clark Dennis, Matthew R. Noatch, Cory D. Suski, D.L. MacLatchy. Responses of native and invasive fishes to carbon dioxide: potential for a nonphysical barrier to fish dispersal. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 2012; 69 (11): 1748 DOI: 10.1139/f2012-102

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/8JK4zjf_MfI/130123115243.htm

rick perry travis barker get back on board rob lowe peyton manning what is sopa marianne gingrich ibooks author

Re: FTM 2012 finds places on map but still unresolved - Family Tree ...

I just thought I would update you with Ancestry's "plan" to update the PNA.

As stated, I have input updates for the PNA on several occasions and received no acknowledgement from Ancestry. I decided to email Ancestry Support, this is part of the response.

"Please understand that while we receive a large volume of record and location error submissions to our queue, they represent a very small percentage of the total number of records and locations on Ancestry and Family Tree Maker. Due to the volume of error submissions, fixes to errors on Ancestry and updates to Family Tree Maker are posted firstly in the order of those which affect the greatest number of users, and thereafter in the order in which they are reported. This also depends on employee resources. For this reason, there is no foreseeable timeframe as to when these changes will be made. We appreciate your patience."

So don't hold your breath, it would appear that the PNA is low priority because:
1. Ancestry are busy fixing errors of their own doing.
2. They cannot employ staff to key in the changes, despite making millions in profit.
3. THIS IS THE BIG ONE - they don't have a plan!!

This is only one issue of many I have with Ancestry and all have had similar responses. It would appear you need plenty of patience.

In the mean time I will continue to add invalid place names with the hope that one day Ancestry will place service at the same level of importance as profit and provide the resources to plan and update the PNA.

I ask everyone who reads this thread to email Ancestry Support making a request for the PNA to be updated regularly. It then may go higher up the priority list.

Source: http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/topics.software.famtreemaker/9098.2.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx

Dana Vollmer phillies phillies Ryan Dempster Phelps NBC Olympics Live Olympic medal count

What Capitalism Can't Fix - Phil Buchanan - Harvard Business Review

by Phil Buchanan??|?? 9:00 AM January 23, 2013

Increasingly, I see people looking starry-eyed to business and markets to solve social problems. In so doing, they run the risk of dismissing the impact of nonprofits ? and diminishing the value of organizations that seek to make a difference without creating the potential conflicts that come with the profit motive. My view is that pretending companies and markets hold all the answers actually puts at risk our ability to deal with our most pressing societal problems ? and to help our most vulnerable citizens.

The rhetoric is everywhere ? from the trade press to the mainstream media to business school faculty to corporate titans to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. Former GE CEO Jack Welch, writing in Business Week, characterized the nonprofit sector as a "foreign land" in which performance is not a priority and employees are guaranteed "lifetime employment." Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, wrote last year on the Wired web site, "Let's be real: The nonprofit model is broken. The 20th-century way of "guilting" people into giving to an opaque, inefficient organization with massive overhead is no longer a viable model." In a recent blog post here on HBR.org, Dan Pallotta suggests that nonprofits should use the tools of capitalism such as high pay and providing returns to investors to increase charitable giving.

The rush to disparage nonprofits and the stampede to embrace the idea that for-profits ? or for-profit models ? can more easily combat our toughest social problems deny reality. Many crucial objectives simply cannot be accomplished while generating a financial return. Other objectives can but there is a price to be paid. In health care, for example, research indicates a decline in quality when non-profit hospitals switched to become profit making, as Eduardo Porter explained this month in the New York Times.

The laudable push for companies to commit more energy to dealing with social problems should not obscure the need for strong independent nonprofits that focus on mission not profit. And while nonprofits can learn from companies and companies can learn from nonprofits, it is a mistake to deny differences.

After all, there is a crucial distinction between an institution that reinvests surpluses in its mission and one that faces unrelenting pressure to distribute profit to shareholders. Consider higher education in the United States. Nonprofit universities frequently offer an education that costs more than actual tuition ? the difference made up through charitable gifts and endowment returns ? while for-profit institutions must cover their costs with tuition and create a profit margin. The results ? and the evidence from lawsuits, media reports, and congressional and GAO investigations of for-profit universities ? speak for themselves.

Despite this and many other cautionary tales, an increasing number of people both inside and outside the nonprofit world seem drunk on the Kool-Aid of business superiority. Too often people equate "business thinking" with effectiveness. Even those inside the world of nonprofits and philanthropy have internalized the idea that operating "like a business" means operating effectively (never asking which business: Countrywide Financial? BP? Enron?).

The stereotypes of nonprofits are just that: stereotypes. There are, of course, numerous examples of nonprofit influence and impact ? from work on environmental issues to citizens' rights to reductions in tobacco use to reductions in worldwide child mortality ? but also lesser known examples. Take the work of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a nonprofit whose 18-month campaign to reduce hospital mortality rates has saved an estimated 122,300 lives by inspiring and guiding hospital executives, physicians, and nurses to adopt six basic patient-safety practices. As Peter Fader, a University of Pennsylvania professor and director of the Wharton Customer Analytics Initiative, has observed: Nonprofits often excel at using "their data to better understand their 'customer base.' In this area, big companies with lots of resources really can learn from their cash-strapped nonprofit cousins."

The point is this: No type of organization ? government, business, or nonprofit ? has a monopoly on effectiveness. And nonprofits are typically tackling the most complex problems of all. If those problems could have easily been solved by government or business, they wouldn't exist at all.

I'm a huge believer in free-market capitalism. I have an M.B.A. and have worked as a corporate consultant. But I think we're better off being sober about what markets can and cannot accomplish.

I'd suggest three practical questions to ask in sorting through how to achieve important social goals.

• Does the pursuit of profit conflict with or facilitate the achievement of your goal? How likely are profit and social impact to be in tension? How will that tension be managed or resolved?
• What kind of choices and information do people have? Markets work best when people have choices and when there is good information, so ask, do those conditions apply? Are you looking at an opportunity ? like creating products or technologies that will help poor people in some aspect of their lives ? that lends itself to a free-market solution? Or are you looking at something, like the management of a prison or nursing home system for a state, where a provider is likely to have a virtual monopoly ? meaning management is free to prioritize profit over the social mission without paying any kind of price?
• Finally, are you addressing an issue that actually results from market failure, such as, environmental degradation? If you don't understand capitalism's role in contributing to a problem, you probably won't be able to rely on capitalism to chart a path to the solution.

Then decide what makes most sense, and don't assume that a pure nonprofit isn't the way to go.

Follow the Scaling Social Impact insight center on Twitter @ScalingSocial and register to stay informed and give us feedback.

Scaling Social Impact
Insights from HBR and the Bridgespan Group

Source: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/01/what_capitalism_cant_fix.html

womens final four josh hutcherson google april fools office space shell houston open mega millions winners anthony davis

Workplace Safety and Economics | Business and Investment Cafe

January 22nd, 2013 by admin Leave a reply ?

It is estimated that over 40 million workers in the United States had to receive emergency medical treatment for workplace-related injuries in the year 2003. ?This is a staggering number when one considers the efforts most companies have put into maintaining a safe workplace. ?In modern times, a number of companies have been found liable for injuries sustained in their places of business. ?There is a relationship that exists between workplace safety and profitability.

Every company, especially those involved in industrial manufacturing, is constantly looking at ways to continuously improve their products and processes. ?They realize that their profits are directly related to the ways and means by which they produce their products. ?Unfortunately, too many companies get caught up in drive for higher profits and tend to allow workplace safety to become an afterthought.

The costs associated with operating a large manufacturing facility in America are astounding. ?Workplace injuries place a massive burden of expense and weakened productivity on a company. ?These injuries can be reduced with proper planning and careful attention to detail. ?Most workplace injuries are preventable. ?There are a number of factors to consider, but maintaining a safe and tidy work area is one of the best ways to prevent injury. ?Workers, too, have a responsibility in keeping themselves safe from harm.

Workplace injuries place a significant burden on health care providers and insurance companies. ?As companies continue to pay higher premiums for employee health care, one of the only means available for cost recovery is to increase the prices of the goods they produce. ?This places the burden of expense on the consumer, and allows companies to ignore the root cause of their workplace injuries. ?The focus here seems to be on maintaining a healthy relationship with shareholders, and not necessarily on maintaining a healthy workforce.

It is interesting to note that there are record numbers of jobs, especially in the industrial sector, being sent overseas. ?There are a number of reasons to account for this. ?One of the most significant reasons is that American companies are able to shave their operating costs down to a fraction of their domestic costs, by capitalizing on cheaper labor in foreign markets. ?Foreign governments, eager for investment, are all too willing to accommodate the interests of big western business. ?Far too often, this comes at the expense of workplace safety.

If companies want to be profitable in the long term, they need to reexamine their approach to workplace safety and the health of their workers. ?Many companies are sending jobs overseas, in order to take advantage of cheap labor and relaxed labor laws. ?American companies can be both profitable and safety conscious. ?Through directed education campaigns and preemptive planning, workplace injuries can be reduced in a significant way. ?Remember: a safe worker is a happy worker, and a happy worker is a productive worker.

Posted in Business, Reference

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 Feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Source: http://www.theolamcafe.com/workplace-safety-economics/

Ichiro minka kelly James Holmes court Rupert Sanders bachelorette penn state Ernie Els

The Decline of the U.S Airline Industry, Defined | Business Travel Blog

As the so called ?decline? of the American airline industry continues the profit being reported from the airlines in 2012 was surprisingly good. Delta Airlines had a nice little rally on Wall Street and nearly all the major airlines reported some profit in 2012. However, the cries from the traveling public have not improved; in fact they are getting worse. This is most likely due to air fares going up in addition with the onset of new fees. It?s really a doubled edged sword. You see, the airlines need to make money and the traveling public?doesn?t?feel they should be paying an extra $25 to $50 for a round-trip ticket to grandma?s house. I won?t side with either; however, the airlines have a very valid argument. In fact, they really?shouldn?t?feel the need to justify their reasoning on hiking fares. Let?s remember, these are multi million dollar machines they are hurling through the air which requires expensive gas, maintenance and professional staffing. In order to keep these things safely air born, you need cash. Where do they get that cash? Not from selling a plane full of $200 round trip fares from JFK to LAX, I can guarantee you that. To fill up a Boeing 757 at the current cost of jet fuel, it would cost the airline $34,811. The airline would be lucky to make a $1000 profit on an LAX to JFK flight or to break even for that matter.

Historically speaking, the American airline industry has always had problems. We have seen countless airlines come and go, some big and some small. In general, if the world was suffering from a problem, the airlines would inherit some part of that problem, one way or another. That may not be the case in today?s world.

Pan Am was among the leaders during the glamorous days of commercial air travel, they launched the jet age in the late 1960s as well as becoming the first airline to fly the legendary Boeing 747, launching the era of the wide body jet. Pan Am set the bar for nearly every airline to follow. However, ultimately they eventually took on the burden of cash flow. As the world saw conflict, high oil prices, and a slowing economy, so did Pan Am. In 1991, after a series of financial setbacks and the 1988 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, the airline ceased operations. Experts say the bombing was the beginning of their fate as passengers began to see the airline as a terrorist target and moved on to Pan Am?s competitors. The Persian Gulf War added additional stress as oil prices skyrocketed. Pan Am was finished.

The story of Pan Am is just one example of how an iconic airline which seemed to have a never ending future can suffer a fatal blow in the blink of an eye. Contrary to popular belief, the airlines are far from the money grubbing, fortune 500 companies our popular culture might lead them on to be. They run a unique business like no other. Their survival relies on worldly components like current events, oil prices, the economy, regional conflicts, wars and numerous others problems. However, the passenger demand for a cheap ticket seems to be causing the most damage. Let?s imagine for a second that United Airlines, currently the world?s biggest airline, goes out of business because they couldn?t keep up with the public?s demand for a $200 round trip ticket. It sounds silly doesn?t it? Well, that is the reality of today?s airline industry.

Today, most passengers? loath flying, likely because they know they are getting nothing special for the inconveniences of navigating busy airports, standing in long security lines and dealing with cranky gate agents and flight attendants not to mention, delays. Back in the more glamorous days of flying, people loved the opportunity to fly. They looked forward to boarding an airplane. They knew they would get a hot meal, friendly service, leg room and an overall pleasant experience, and they even dressed up in their Sunday?s best. The lack of those perks has long since passed. As the airlines were forced to cut back on those amenities, they continued by cutting back on jobs, staff salaries and retirement pensions in order to maintain survival. Rightly so, those cuts increased animosity among airline staff and management which ultimately reflects back on you, the traveling public.

Below is a fresh, realistic perspective from an airline pilot we know from one of America?s largest legacy carriers regarding the current state of the airline industry in the U.S. We wanted to know his opinion on it and the ultimate effect it is currently having on his profession.

I think there is a reasonable assumption that the public?s thirst to fly cheap is helping destroy the industry. ?In the 1970s to fly from Visalia, CA to San Francisco a typical fare would have been $300. ?And that?s in the 1970?s. ?While the price of fuel has skyrocketed, although modern airplanes use less, now that same fare would be more than what it costs to fly from San Francisco to Boston. ?And the consumer feels their still getting screwed on the price.

So airlines cut cost and service to match revenue, which ?cheapens? what was once a great service experience. ?Now, since there isn?t much revenue to differentiate an airlines product, travel has become commoditized. ?Instead of selecting ?Airline A? because of their superior service, now travel is largely a seat, a coke and a bag of peanuts industry-wide so the passenger looks at a grid of airlines and chooses the least expensive without much consideration of service, amenities or often, how many stops it takes to get to their destination.

The profession is affected because less revenue means fewer perks and a lighter paycheck. ?Also, that lighter paycheck has dramatically reduced the number of people pursuing a career in professional aviation. ?So with fewer people entering the profession, many deciding to leave for greener career pastures, the depth of experience is whittling away.

Granted the old wives tale is that the plane can fly itself, which it cannot, but the issue is decision making. ?Less experienced pilots may manifest itself into bad decision making. ?Poor decision making in the cockpit is a massive safety hazard. ?I challenge the consumer to browse the archives at the NTSB and notice how many accidents and incidents result from pilot error. ?Most, and we certainly should do what we can to attract the best and brightest pilots, and that takes compensation well ?north? of what the industry expects to pay today?s aviation professional.

Management across the industry can address the issue by having an honest dialogue with the consumer. ?If you want to fly from Des Moines to New York, here is a fare that reflects the actual cost of doing business. ?Included in that fare is compensation for your cockpit and cabin crew, the support network of professional dispatchers, mechanics, flight controllers, ground personnel and the thousands of people behind the scene that form the team to have the jet at the gate, on time, fueled, lease-paid, cleaned and ready to take you to your destination.

The real cost of a cheap ticket is your safety.

Source: http://www.letsflycheaper.com/blog/the-decline-of-the-u-s-airline-industry-defined/

yu darvish mad cow pennsylvania primary jerome simpson hand sanitizer obama on jimmy fallon google drive