Somewhere so over! the rainbow : the danger of safe-zones

When I see that acronym, I always think of the myriad other Js that could be substituted for Jesus—his answers being relentlessly predictable—and imagine potential outcomes given the specific individual. In truth, I never gave “what would Jesus do?” much thought until I moved to Kentucky, a place where many students sport rubber bracelets featuring those letters and take their affiliation with Christianity, as well as opposition to LGBT people, quite seriously. As a “J” myself, I answered that question in my first years as a junior faculty member with the response, “create a Safe Zone,” which, at the very least, did not seem un-Christian of me, though many disagree. I have spent a great deal of time in the past seven years contemplating Safe Zones— the national university project in the United States aimed at bettering the lives of LGBT students, faculty, and staff on campus—and thinking about the stickers emblazoned with their rainbow logo that decorate many office doors throughout my campus, and many others across this nation. I also think of Judy Garland—The Wizard of Oz “Dorothy” version—when I glimpse them and I’m immediately overcome by that cloyingly saccharine performance and naïve worldview. I like Judy immensely, as I do justice and equality for all, but only when she’s authentically largerthan-life, clearly overmedicated, and impishly brassy in black tights, pumps, short shorts, and a touch too much makeup. When I see her in those braids and that blue gingham dress speaking childishly, I feel I’m beginning to suffocate and that I must choose my words carefully. I respond similarly to the so-called Safe Zone I helped institute and now wish I could drop a house on.peer-reviewe

Men’s Condom Use in Higher-Risk Sex: Trends and Determinants in Five Sub-Saharan Countries

This paper examines men’s condom use at last higher-risk sex (i.e., nonmarital, noncohabiting partner) in five sub-Saharan countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia. The two most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in each country are analyzed to show trends in various indicators. Condom use is an important way to prevent the transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Encouragingly, use of condoms has increased substantially in Burkina Faso, Cameroon,and Tanzania, with smaller increases in Kenya and Zambia. At the same time, levels of higher-risk sex have declined in four of the five countries, although use of a condom at last higher-risk sex remains below 50 percent in Kenya and Zambia. Multivariate analysis shows that higher education is a consistently strong, positive predictor of condom use at last higher-risk sex, whereas higher wealth status is not significant in most surveys. Knowledge that use of condoms can reduce the risk of HIV transmission is a consistently strong, positive predictor of condom use, but urban-rural residence and region are significant only in some surveys. Comparing the two most recent DHS surveys in each of the five countries, there are no clear patterns of change in the predictive strength of explanatory variables. However, there is evidence of widening gaps in condom use by level of education in Cameroon and by urban-rural residence in Kenya. One important policy finding that emerged from this study is that low wealth status is not a barrier to condom use in most countries, but lack of education is.\u

Commentary : the impact of population aging on financial markets

Population ; Financial markets

The Battle of Passchendale: The Experiences of Lieutenant Tom Rutherford, 4th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles

For a man who experienced many battles, 26 October 1917 was a pivotal day for Lieutenant Tom Rutherford. Destined to have a long and distinguished career, his experience that day, in many ways, would shape his military character and strengthen his resolve in defeating the German enemy

Strengthening State Policies to Increase the Education and Skills of Low-Wage Workers

Highlights the need for state-funded workforce development programs to target low-skill, low-wage workers. Describes state programs that direct resources to employers and nonprofits to train entry-level employees, former welfare recipients, and dropouts

Foreword

This report provides a study and a simulation of a feasible system configuration for the implementation of a Stirling engine for electrification of rural areas in Bolivia. The aim of the review is to determine if a hybrid system combining a biomass-fired Stirling engine and photovoltaic technology may respond to a basic electricity need. An introductory literature study about the Stirling engine technology and the energy resources and characteristics of Bolivia leads to a further proposal of the selected system for rural electrification. The chosen Stirling engine for this study is a 3 kW electric output engine combined with a PV array of 0.9 kW and a battery bank with a capacity of 1200 Ah. The power demand that must be satisfied is based on a rural village in the department of Beni with an amount of 24 households. The simulation is performed in the software Homer Energy where an energy balance between the generated power and the demand can be analysed in order to optimise the power generation strategy. Two scenarios are simulated with monthly demands of 45 and 60 kWh per household. Results from the study indicate that the decision on the size of the Stirling engine must be attached to the demand that is going to satisfy in order to avoid insufficient or excessive power production. In addition, although the PV technology allows an increase on the power demand that the system can handle and makes it more flexible, its contribution is not of the same order of the Stirling engine. The described system configuration is able to attend a demand up to 55 kWh/day and a peak power of 3.8 kW. In conclusion, Stirling engines have the potential to become a good solution for rural electrification, especially when making use of CHP strategies to increase the overall efficiency of the energy generation and fulfil both the electric and thermal demands of rural populations.

Promoting Economic Self-Sufficiency as a State TANF Outcome

Urges states to set participants' economic self-sufficiency as a goal for TANF (Temporary Aid to Needy Families) and other workforce development programs, with clear measures, time spans, and benchmarks. Includes four states' TANF reporting requirements