Apple on Wednesday announced the launch of iTunes U as a dedicated area within the iTunes Store, offering free content from top U.S. colleges and universities. Participating institutions include Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley, Duke and MIT.
"It's just an amazing way for lifelong learners to get more material," said Chris Bell, Apple's director of worldwide marketing for iTunes. "This really opens up the world of digitial education."
The content on iTunes U runs the gamut from lectures to language lessons, lab demonstrations, sports highlights and campus tours. Other participating institutions include NJIT, Queen’s University, Texas A&M, Otis College of Art and Design, Arizona State and more.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Obama: Improve mental health care
By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer
CONWAY, N.H. - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Sunday the country is not providing enough mental health services for active duty troops and veterans. He proposed spending hundreds of million dollars more each year for better care.
"We cannot expect our young men and women to serve in our armed forces, if we are not making sure they get the treatment they deserve," Obama said during a town hall-style meeting that drew more than 1,000 people to a middle school gym.
"That should be part of the sacred pact we make with our veterans," he said.
The Illinois senator urged the Pentagon to recruit more mental health professions to help identify and treat problems. He said improvements are needed at every stage of military service: recruitment, deployment and re-entry into civilian life.
"Let's lead, by showing the world how we treat our veterans when they come home. ... We still don't make sure those who have problems have the adequate counseling; we don't help families the way we should," Obama said.
According to Obama's plan, mental health treatment would be a regular part of military life. There would be improved screening and treatment and no denial of benefits due to pre-existing conditions. Military families would receive more counseling and support.
Obama aides said he would propose increasing the Veterans Affairs Department's budget. The changes he advocates are expected to cost several hundred million dollars a year, they said.
To help cover the cost, Obama proposed better collection of unpaid taxes owed by defense contractors. A second source could come from recovering more money from third-party payers at Defense Department and VA hospitals.
An internal VA review released this month said veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are at increased risk of suicide because not all agency health clinics have 24-hour mental care available.
The report by department's inspector general was the first comprehensive look at VA mental health care, particularly suicide prevention.
Already strained troops and veterans say they are suffering more psychological problems due to repeated and extended deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Earlier in May, a panel of medical experts said the surge in the number of veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder requires development of better tests to evaluate affected personnel and determine how best to compensate them.
CONWAY, N.H. - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Sunday the country is not providing enough mental health services for active duty troops and veterans. He proposed spending hundreds of million dollars more each year for better care.
"We cannot expect our young men and women to serve in our armed forces, if we are not making sure they get the treatment they deserve," Obama said during a town hall-style meeting that drew more than 1,000 people to a middle school gym.
"That should be part of the sacred pact we make with our veterans," he said.
The Illinois senator urged the Pentagon to recruit more mental health professions to help identify and treat problems. He said improvements are needed at every stage of military service: recruitment, deployment and re-entry into civilian life.
"Let's lead, by showing the world how we treat our veterans when they come home. ... We still don't make sure those who have problems have the adequate counseling; we don't help families the way we should," Obama said.
According to Obama's plan, mental health treatment would be a regular part of military life. There would be improved screening and treatment and no denial of benefits due to pre-existing conditions. Military families would receive more counseling and support.
Obama aides said he would propose increasing the Veterans Affairs Department's budget. The changes he advocates are expected to cost several hundred million dollars a year, they said.
To help cover the cost, Obama proposed better collection of unpaid taxes owed by defense contractors. A second source could come from recovering more money from third-party payers at Defense Department and VA hospitals.
An internal VA review released this month said veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are at increased risk of suicide because not all agency health clinics have 24-hour mental care available.
The report by department's inspector general was the first comprehensive look at VA mental health care, particularly suicide prevention.
Already strained troops and veterans say they are suffering more psychological problems due to repeated and extended deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Earlier in May, a panel of medical experts said the surge in the number of veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder requires development of better tests to evaluate affected personnel and determine how best to compensate them.
Let's Say Thanks
San Diego Students Salute Troops, Sign Record Number of Postcards Jerome Abaya, 17, and Angelica Diaz, 18, from Morse High School pile and sort postcards for U.S. troops that were signed by students from the San Diego Unified School District as a Memorial Day tribute. Earlier this week, students from all 178 schools in the district signed more than 65,000 cards, making it the largest card drive held by Xerox Corporation's Let's Say Thanks program, a free and easy way for the public to send postcards to U.S. servicemen and women stationed overseas.
Please visit letssaythanks.com and send your support, free, to U.S. troops stationed overseas.
Photo Credit: Robert Benson
Memorial Day events: Portland
May 28 – 10 a.m. – Major Gen. Raymond F. Rees, the Adjutant General, Oregon National Guard, will speak
at the Willamette National Cemetery for the 57th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony. An Oregon Air National Guard flyover has been requested. The program includes music by the Fort Vancouver Pipe Band. A joint military Color Guard will present honors and provide a rifle salute.
Contact: George Allen, 503-273-5250
10 a.m. – The names of 801 Oregon Vietnam veterans who were killed during the war will be read at the
Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
11 a.m. – During the annual ceremony at the Memorial, veterans groups will post the colors and present wreaths. Guest speakers will be announced. The Portland Police Highland Guard will play Amazing Grace. The Oregon Army National Guard will retire Colors. An Oregon Air National Guard flyover has been requested. The Memorial is located in Washington
Park across from the Metro Park Zoo at 400 S.W. Canyon Road.
Contact: Jerry Pero, 503-266-1686
at the Willamette National Cemetery for the 57th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony. An Oregon Air National Guard flyover has been requested. The program includes music by the Fort Vancouver Pipe Band. A joint military Color Guard will present honors and provide a rifle salute.
Contact: George Allen, 503-273-5250
10 a.m. – The names of 801 Oregon Vietnam veterans who were killed during the war will be read at the
Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
11 a.m. – During the annual ceremony at the Memorial, veterans groups will post the colors and present wreaths. Guest speakers will be announced. The Portland Police Highland Guard will play Amazing Grace. The Oregon Army National Guard will retire Colors. An Oregon Air National Guard flyover has been requested. The Memorial is located in Washington
Park across from the Metro Park Zoo at 400 S.W. Canyon Road.
Contact: Jerry Pero, 503-266-1686
Look up
Oregon Air National Guard releases Memorial Day fly-over schedule:
Two F-15 Eagle jet fighters from the 142nd Fighter Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard will fly over events commemorating Memorial Day.
10:00 a.m. Oregon City Mountain View Cemetery
10:03 a.m. Gresham Heroes Memorial
10:10 a.m. Willamette National Cemetery
10:13 a.m. Vietnam Veteran's Memorial
10:16 a.m. Portland Yacht Club
10:50 a.m. Mt. Angel Calvary Cemetery
11:00 a.m. Beaverton Memorial Park
11:03 a.m. Scappoose Heritage Park
11:05 a.m. Woodland Veteran's Memorial, WA
11:15 a.m. Forest Grove Forest View Cemetery
11:30 a.m. Longview Memorial Park, WA
11:32 a.m. Castle Rock, WA
11:40 a.m. Warrenton Oceanview Cemetery
Noon Independence Airport
12:30 p.m. Tualatin Valley Memorial Park Cemetery
All passes will be about a thousand feet above the ground and about 400 mph. The weather or other military needs could cancel the flights.
Two F-15 Eagle jet fighters from the 142nd Fighter Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard will fly over events commemorating Memorial Day.
10:00 a.m. Oregon City Mountain View Cemetery
10:03 a.m. Gresham Heroes Memorial
10:10 a.m. Willamette National Cemetery
10:13 a.m. Vietnam Veteran's Memorial
10:16 a.m. Portland Yacht Club
10:50 a.m. Mt. Angel Calvary Cemetery
11:00 a.m. Beaverton Memorial Park
11:03 a.m. Scappoose Heritage Park
11:05 a.m. Woodland Veteran's Memorial, WA
11:15 a.m. Forest Grove Forest View Cemetery
11:30 a.m. Longview Memorial Park, WA
11:32 a.m. Castle Rock, WA
11:40 a.m. Warrenton Oceanview Cemetery
Noon Independence Airport
12:30 p.m. Tualatin Valley Memorial Park Cemetery
All passes will be about a thousand feet above the ground and about 400 mph. The weather or other military needs could cancel the flights.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Come Tuesday
Phoenix will be watching Tuesday's draft lottery closely.
If Atlanta doesn't get one of the top three selections, the Suns will get the pick as part of the Joe Johnson-Diaw trade. The Suns also have Cleveland's No. 21 pick and their own No. 29 choice.
"You can get an All-Star out of this draft," D'Antoni said. "You add an All-Star to this mix, that's pretty good."
If Atlanta doesn't get one of the top three selections, the Suns will get the pick as part of the Joe Johnson-Diaw trade. The Suns also have Cleveland's No. 21 pick and their own No. 29 choice.
"You can get an All-Star out of this draft," D'Antoni said. "You add an All-Star to this mix, that's pretty good."
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Frozen music
(Reuters) - A Scottish church featured in the best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code" has revealed another mystery hidden in secret code for almost 600 years.
A father and son who became fascinated by symbols carved into the chapel's arches say they have deciphered a musical score encrypted in them.
Thomas Mitchell, a 75-year-old musician and ex-Royal Air Force code breaker, and his composer and pianist son Stuart, described the piece as "frozen music."
Their site details the 27-year project to crack the chapel's code.
They have also scheduled a world premiere at a concert in the chapel on May 18, when four singers will be accompanied by eight musicians playing the piece on mediaeval instruments.
A father and son who became fascinated by symbols carved into the chapel's arches say they have deciphered a musical score encrypted in them.
Thomas Mitchell, a 75-year-old musician and ex-Royal Air Force code breaker, and his composer and pianist son Stuart, described the piece as "frozen music."
Their site details the 27-year project to crack the chapel's code.
They have also scheduled a world premiere at a concert in the chapel on May 18, when four singers will be accompanied by eight musicians playing the piece on mediaeval instruments.
Browse faster on the go
Mobile WiMAX, the high-speed wireless standard for portable devices, has taken another step forward, with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approving the first WiMAX-class laptop card for the Clearwire network.
Yahoo! An easy option to chat
Yahoo, the world's second-largest supplier of instant-messaging, launched a new version on Thursday that works inside a Web browser rather than requiring users to download a separate piece of software.
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