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Arroyo: 'We cannot leave Copenhagen without a deal'

Arnold — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:12:50 +0000

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has added her voice to the chorus calling on world leaders to reach a substantive and politically binding deal at the UN climate talks.

The 85th head of government to address the Conference of Parties, as the UN forum is called, President Arroyo on Thursday drew a picture of the Philippines as one of the countries most vulnerable to the adverse impact of climate change, saying: “We cannot afford to leave Copenhagen without a deal.”

Unexploded ordnance, a lethal problem in Vietnam

Arnold — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:46:20 +0000

Over a third of the land in six central Vietnamese provinces is lethally contaminated with unexploded bombs and land mines left over from the Vietnam War, a study released Friday said.

The report by Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) and Vietnam’s Ministry of Defence, found that 10,529 people have been killed and over 12,000 wounded in the six provinces since the war ended in 1975.

They interviewed over 33,000 people over a period of almost five years for the study and mapped the areas contaminated with unexploded ordnance (UXOs). They also carried out some decontamination.

“The survey represents an important first step towards developing a national strategy to address UXO contamination in Vietnam,” United States Ambassador Michael Michalak said in the text of a speech prepared for the report’s launch.

The survey, which cost almost two million dollars and was funded by the US State Department, identified 3,260 contaminated areas covering 1.6 million hectares (4.0 million acres).

Seven Athletes Who Went Directly To Jail

Arnold — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:58:02 +0000

It’s been a rough week for former NFL players on the judicial circuit. O.J. Simpson couldn’t beat a robbery and kidnapping charge and now faces life in prison. Former first-round bust running back Lawrence Phillips got slapped with a 10-year...

Six Creative Column Techniques

Arnold — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:56:36 +0000

Grid systems bring visual structure and balance to site design. As a tool grids are useful for organizing and presenting information. Used properly, they can enhance the user experience by creating predictable patterns for users to follow. From designer’s point of view they allow for an organized methodology for planning systematic layouts.

After creating a well-structured and usable grid, consider allowing it to breath. A page without a grid is a usability nightmare. On the other hand, a grid that has creatively overlapping, escaping, or energizing columns leads to a more enjoyable user experience. Discovering or planning areas of the design that will have some freedom will lead to more interesting and appealing design solutions.