managementupdates

Mother's Care

2009-04-10T02:09:00.000-07:00

A research suggests that young children looked after by their mothers develop better than those cared for in nurseries, or by relatives or child minders. Nearly 1,200 children were monitored from birth to the age of three. The social and emotional development of babies who were cared for by someone other than the mother was "definitely less good".The study said that, Mothers are the best carers, followed by nannies and child minders, then grandparents, and nursery care was the worst

How safe are cell phones?

2009-04-10T01:13:00.000-07:00

Experts say the concern over cell-phone use stems from a form of radiation that's produced when the devices communicate with their base station. Wireless phones transmit via radio frequency (RF), a low-frequency form of radiation that is also used in microwave ovens and AM/FM radios. While high-frequency radiation (the kind used in X-rays) is known to cause cancer at high doses, the risks of this milder form remain unclear. A cell phone's main source of RF is its antenna, from which it sends a signal to the nearest base-station antenna. The further a cell phone is from the base station, the more RF it needs to establish and maintain a connection. So, the theory is that any risks posed by RF would be greater for people who live and work in areas with fewer base stations.

Spyware

2009-03-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

Spyware is software installed on your computer without your consent to monitor or control your computer use. Clues that spyware is on a computer may include a barrage of pop-ups, a browser that takes you to sites you don't want, unexpected toolbars or icons on your computer screen, keys that don't work, random error messages, and sluggish performance when opening programs or saving files. In some cases, there may be no symptoms at all.

To lower your risk of spyware infections:

* Update your operating system and Web browser software, and set your browser security high enough to detect unauthorized downloads.
* Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, and update them all regularly.
* Download free software only from sites you know and trust. Enticing free software downloads frequently bundle other software, including spyware.
* Don't click on links inside pop-ups.
* Don't click on links in spam or pop-ups that claim to offer anti-spyware software; you may unintentionally be installing spyware.

A Desert Park

2009-03-20T06:26:00.000-07:00

Viewed from the road, this desert park only hints at its vitality. Closer examination reveals a fascinating variety of plants and animals that make their home in this land shaped by strong winds, unpredictable torrents of rain, and climatic extremes. Dark night skies, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the attraction of this place. Come see for yourself!

Internet protocol

2009-03-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

The Internet Protocol (IP) is a protocol used for communicating data diagonally a packet-switched internetwork by the Internet Protocol Suite, also referred to as TCP/IP.

IP is the primary protocol in the Internet Layer of the Internet Protocol Suite and has the task of delivering illustrious protocol datagrams (packets) from the source host to the destination host exclusively based on their addresses. For this reason the Internet Protocol defines addressing methods and structures for datagram encapsulation. The first main version of addressing structure, now referred to as Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) is still the leading protocol of the Internet, although the successor, Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) is being deployed actively worldwide.

When cooking or reheating foods in the microwave, keep these TIPS in mind:

2009-03-04T00:07:00.000-08:00

* Cover food with plastic wrap or a glass covering and add a little liquid to food. This creates steam, which readily kills pathogens.

* To ensure uniform heating, turn the dish several times during cooking. Stir soups and stews periodically during reheating to ensure even heating.

* When done cooking, make sure the food is hot and steaming. Use a food thermometer and test the food in 2 or 3 different areas to verify that it has reached a safe internal temperature.

* When defrosting food in the microwave, cook the food immediately. When you thaw food in the microwave, some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during the defrosting process. The internal temperature of the food probably hasn't reached the temperature needed to destroy bacteria and, indeed, may have reached optimal temperatures for bacteria to grow. So don't let the food sit in the danger zone!

Children's Pool

2009-02-18T01:16:00.000-08:00

The Children's Pool (850 Coast Boulevard), also known as the Casa, is a small beach partially protected by a seawall. The original intention was to create a fully protected swimming area, but sand has filled in much of the area inside the wall. This is a very picturesque beach with a panoramic view. During much of the year, seals and sea lions are present on or near the beach and a reserve for these marine mammals, called Seal Rock, is just offshore.

The Children's Pool, is within a short walk of the commercial area of the community of La Jolla. Grassy park areas can be found a short distance to the north and south. Several small beaches are nearby including Wipeout Beach to the south and Shell Beach to the north.

This is a popular beach for scuba divers because of the reefs just offshore. These same reefs can create very strong currents and other hazards, particularly in high surf conditions.

Fire Management on State Nature Preserves

2009-01-24T04:47:00.000-08:00

Effective natural areas management requires use of a diverse array of techniques. One technique used since 1987 by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission is prescribed fire. Prescribed fire helps to restore or improve the conditions of fire-dependent natural communities within selected state nature preserves. These natural communities often provide habitat for rare, threatened and endangered species.

One factor in the rarity of certain species is the history of fire suppression in the United States since European settlement. A number of rare plants require some sort of disturbance regime (e.g. fire, grazing, flooding) to ensure strong and healthy populations. The reintroduction of fire into a disturbance-dependent community can help control the spread of shade-casting woody plants and invasive exotic species that compete with native plants for sunlight and resources.

GPRS

2008-12-27T04:46:00.000-08:00

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet oriented Mobile Data Service available to users of the 2G cellular communication systems Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), as well as in the 3G systems. In the 2G systems, GPRS provides data rates from 56 up to 114 kbit/s.

GPRS data transfer is classically charged per megabyte of traffic transferred, while data communication via traditional circuit switching is billed per minute of connection time, independent of whether the user really is using the capacity or is in an inactive state. GPRS is a best-effort packet switched service, as opposite to circuit switching, where a convinced Quality of Service (QoS) is guaranteed during the connection for non-mobile users.

Hunting Mountain Goat on Kodiak Island

2008-12-16T06:28:00.000-08:00

Thoughts of Kodiak generally conjure up images of a lush island filled with large brown bears and plentiful Sitka black-tailed deer. Yet, the Emerald Isle has another, less obvious, hunting opportunity--fantastic mountain goat hunting.

Kodiak's mountain goat population originated from 11 females and 7 males, which were transplanted from the Kenai Peninsula to the Hidden Basin area during 1952 and 1953. Success of the transplant was not realized until 1964 when 26 goats were observed in the Crown Mountain area. The first hunting season was authorized in 1968, and permits have been issued since then. We currently estimate the goat population on Kodiak at about 1,900 goats with all suitable habitat being utilized.

Hunt areas boundaries and the numbers of drawing permits have changed over the years to reflect population trends and goat movements. Currently, over 1,500 applications are received during the annual winter drawing lottery for less than 500 goat hunting permits distributed in 9 separate hunting areas. The chance of being drawn varies from less than 8% for road accessible areas to greater than 50% for more remote areas. If the department does not reach our harvest goals during the drawing hunts, we may authorize a registration hunt later in the year. When harvest limits are reached, areas are closed by Emergency Order.

Kodiak's goats are comparable in size to their relatives on the Kenai Peninsula, but movements into virgin habitat may result in faster growth rates. In the fall of 2000, a hunter killed a Kodiak goat with horns that were 10 1/4" long and had 5 1/2" bases, large enough to be included in the B&C record book. Undoubtedly there are bigger ones still out there…