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Three different stories of Italian social mores are presented. In “Adelina”, unemployed Carmine Sbaratti and his wife Adelina Sbaratti survive through Adelina selling black market cigarettes on the street. They are unable to pay for the furniture they bought (which is under Adelina’s name), but are able to avoid the bailiff when he comes for the money or to repossess. They come up with a longer term solution to avoid Adelina being prosecuted for non-payment, but that solution has a profound effect on the family, especially Carmine. In “Anna”, Anna Molteni, the spoiled wife of a successful businessman, and an artist named Renzo are on the cusp of an affair. Anna is feeling neglected in the marriage, as her husband seems more concerned about success and money than her. But a car accident shows both Anna and Renzo if an affair with each other is really what they want. In “Mara”, Mara is a prostitute who works out of her apartment… –IMDb
Few European film-makers combined artistic ambitions with a genuine populist spirit in the manner of Vittorio De Sica. In his prolific career, the actor-director made many films on social subjects which nonetheless engaged a mass audience. A Neapolitan by birth, De Sica came from humble roots, working as a theatre actor in the early 1920s. His stage success led De Sica to films where he proved to be a popular actor, mounting more than thirty film credits before his directorial debut with Rosa Scarlatte (which he co-directed with Giuseppe Amato). Even after his success as a director, De Sica was a much sought after performer; appearing in such classics as Max Ophüls’ Madame de… and Roberto Rossellini’s Il Generale della Rovere.
De Sica’s fourth outing as a director was his first collaboration with screenwriter and film theorist Cesare Zavattini. The Children Are Watching Us anticipated neorealism in its detached focus on a young boy’s growing isolation from his mother. De Sica’s… read more
In three parts: the first is enjoyable; the final part - genuinely brilliant; the second lets it down.
"Adelina" Few films feel this full of love. "The darling..." Sophia Loren is as deep as she is beautiful; A Hepburn-esque quality delivered with vivacious strength. "Deep" themes discussed in a bright mood. This film is proof you don't have to be dark to be taken seriously. Beautiful repeating diagonal lines with the character MS. This is like a fun version of the Three Colors trilogy... Sexy can be profound.
Enjoyable 60s Italian comedy built around the star presence of Sophia Loren and Marcello Matroianni, both in top form as usual. It's often more mildly amusing than really funny, with the first segment going a bit too far over the top, though the second and third are nice subtle satires. Not quite memorable enough to be a classic, but an entertaining couple of hours with two great stars. | <urn:uuid:e5333d34-7739-4e44-9bd8-81771a7e4a22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mubi.com/films/yesterday-today-and-tomorrow | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970949 | 660 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The Popolo Spirituale, Spiritual People, is a living, collective entity in constant development which is born of the integration of the characteristics, experiences and aspirations of all who choose to be a part of it. The Popolo energetically connects its members and contains their personal experiences and conquests, thanks to which it is enriched and becomes ever more complex.
In Damanhurian Philosophy, a super entity of this type is considered a living body with its own intelligence and with resources greater than those derived from the simple numerical sum of its members. We can compare the Popolo Spirituale to a human body in which the interaction of individual cells develop unimaginable functions when you consider the simple sum of their potential.
Being a “Popolo” means sharing ideals, culture, art and building models of life adhering to its principles, valuing the differences and integrating them within a common dream: the awakening of humanity. It is an instrument that takes human potential to a magical dimension, a container of spiritual force from which, for those who choose to be a part of it, can receive energy and inspiration. Being connected energetically and with your thoughts to this great container helps develop more quickly the individual because it allows access to the ideas and experiences of others.
In an historic moment when many small nations and cultures are disappearing and with them a large part of the spiritual and cultural richness of humanity, Damanhur has chosen to create this new human group with its own philosophic, artistic, social and cultural expression to contribute significantly to the story of humanity.
The Popolo Spirituale is open to all spiritual seekers from all over the world, to those that feel close to the objectives of Damanhur and want to take part in this opportunity to connect to a collective project and be a point of light on the planet. There are many people that do not live in Damanhur are a part of the Popolo Spirituale, wanting to be a part of the collective even while choosing to not participate in the social model of the federation. | <urn:uuid:3a482639-c731-4e2b-969e-603271509c64> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://damanhur.org/living-in-damanhur/1285-the-spiritual-people?font-size=larger | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949798 | 415 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Top lawyers in the India district where a woman was gang-raped are saying that they will not represent the six men accused in the attack, which led to her death.
The 11 lawyers who make up the executive board of the Saket Bar Association on Wednesday vowed not to represent any of the accused assailants because of the nature of the crime. The brutal attack galvanized the nation and has led to protests by outraged citizens.
In addition, the bar association has appealed to its 7,000 members to also refrain from representing the accused, said the association's president, Rajpal Kasana.
"We are not taking this case on the grounds of humanity," he said.
The boycott by the bar association does not mean the accused will not have lawyers. Attorneys from other districts or ones appointed by the court will likely fill that role.
"We want it to be clear that we will not obstruct or stand in the way of any lawyer who is court-appointed or who represents these assailants -- we do realize that they will be defended by someone, most possibly legal aid," Kasana said.
The call for local lawyers to avoid defending the accused is unprecedented, but justified because "everyone is emotionally attached to this case," he said.
The 23-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, died last week in a Singapore hospital, where she received treatment after being airlifted from New Delhi.
Attackers assaulted the woman and her male companion on a bus December 16, robbing them of their belongings before dumping them at the side of a road, police said.
The male companion was eventually discharged from a hospital.
Singapore doctors said the woman died "peacefully" early Saturday, surrounded by her family and Indian Embassy officials. She had been in "extremely critical condition" since her arrival.
The brutal attack and the woman's death have sparked widespread debate over the way the country handles sexual assaults, and the treatment of women in Indian society.
Lawmakers are weighing a proposal to toughen the country's anti-rape law. Some have suggested a new law should be named after the woman, while others have said it's illegal to reveal her identity.
The victim's father told CNN affiliate IBN that he supported naming a new law after his daughter.
"All I ask is that the law is the toughest it can be," he said. "The death penalty is compulsory for a crime so grave the assailants must be hanged. The courts must give these men the death penalty."
India's Supreme Court on Thursday will hear a petition asking it to suspend all lawmakers who face charges for crimes against women. The petition was filed in the aftermath of the brutal gang-rape, which sent thousands of outraged protesters to the streets for days.
"This unfortunate episode has galvanized the nation," said Jagdeep S. Chhokar, an official with the Association for Democratic Reforms, which tracks political candidate's criminal records.
Chhokar said six Indian state lawmakers are facing rape charges in unrelated cases, and two people in the federal parliament are also facing charges of crimes against women that fall short of charges of rape.
The group says that in the past five years, political parties across India have nominated 260 candidates facing charges of crimes against women such as assault and outraging the modesty of a woman. | <urn:uuid:0e02060a-06f8-4dca-a106-e2c648c23dcf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news4jax.com/news/Lawyers-boycott-defense-of-India-suspects/-/475880/17985888/-/3fs8xfz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980106 | 680 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (b. November 3, 1955),wad Deputy President of South Africa from 2005 to 2008.She was the first woman to hold the position and is the highest ranking woman in the history of South Africa. She is married to the former head of the National Prosecuting Authority, Bulelani Ngcuka. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka was born in Clermont, Durban on November 3 1955 to Michael and Sabbath Mlambo. Phumzile moved to Inanda where she attended the Ohlange High School where she matriculated. She then attended the University of Lesotho in 1980 where she obtained her BA in Social Science and Education. She then worked in KwaZulu-Natal as a teacher from 1981 to 1983. Mlambo-Ngcuka was a founder member and director of the Young Women’s International Programme at the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) office in Geneva from 1984 to 1987. She was elected as a Member of Parliament in 1994 where she chaired the Service Portfolio committee. In 1996 she was appointed the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and has been in the ANC’s national executive committee since 1997. In 1999 she was promoted to Minister of Minerals and Energy. | <urn:uuid:6aa635db-d8d0-4bb9-b49a-94ceec4dd945> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aspenenvironment.org/speakers/bio/98/450/phumzile-mlambo-ngcuka | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98467 | 272 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Suniva, a spin-off of Georgia Tech’s Center for Excellence in Photovoltaics and one of the more interesting solar cell makers developing higher and higher conversion efficiencies, announced that a $141 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy. This adds to the more than $375 million they have raised through the private markets, from partners such as New Enterprise Associates, Advanced Equities, Warburg Pincus, Apex Venture Partners, and HIG Ventures.
Private investments have been limited for solar companies over the past several years. Part of this can be accounted for by the risk of the technology advancement, while another large hindrance is the capital-intensive nature of the business. It can be relatively inexpensive to prove new high-efficiency solar cell technology compared to the hundreds of millions, if not billions, required to scale up to thousands of megawatts required for most utilities.
The DOE has stepped in to help bridge the gap with this investment and two earlier ones. The DOE initially guaranteed a $535 million loan for Solydra, which has since filed to go public. The second was a $1.37 billion loan guarantee to BrightSource Energy.
This loan will be a huge help for Suniva, but not so much for the state of Georgia. Suniva plans to use the loan guarantee to build a second solar cell manufacturing plant in Michigan. Estimates state that this will create 500 permanent jobs and 2,000 temporary constructions jobs.
Read the full press release here. | <urn:uuid:34fa7fa2-ed62-461a-85fb-518bd480b0da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.southerntechnologyleaders.com/news/venture-capital/atlanta-based-suniva-receives-141m-loan-guarantee-from-u-s-department-of-eneregy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947904 | 309 | 1.820313 | 2 |
AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to millions of articles from top publications available through your library.
(From Aberdeen Evening Express)
IN THE UK each year, around 150,000 people have a stroke.
And more than one million people are living with the effects of this. Eric Sinclair from Aboyne is one of them.
In 2004, while Eric was visiting his son in Oslo he had a stroke.
'We had been for dinner and had arranged to play golf the next morning. I got back to my hotel and watched some TV -- I was feeling fine,' said the 63-year-old.
'The next morning I woke up unable to move. I didn't really know anything about strokes, so I had no idea what was happening. It was a terrifying experience.'
A stroke … | <urn:uuid:270c4db0-232b-46eb-a58a-abb2a25a2c25> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-289181213/act-fast-recognise-symptoms.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986705 | 165 | 1.523438 | 2 |
As I have said many times “Obama can get a better climate bill in 2010” “” although that is true only if he and Congress have a coherent strategy to do just that (which at this point, they don’t, see below).
Since the CBO has made clear that health care reform is tougher than climate action (also see here) and since conservatives see blood in the water (see TP’s Inhofe: If GOP Can ‘Stall’ Or ‘Block’ Health Care Reform, It Will Be ‘A Huge Gain’ For The 2010 Elections) and since the Senate will try to do health care first and since tortoise-like Senate floor debates are a lot longer than hare-like House debates, it is all but impossible to imagine the Senate vote on a climate bill before November.
And I’d say it’s at least 50-50 the vote isn’t until December or January, which would put a final bill, conferenced and passed again by both House and Senate, on Obama’s desk maybe in March. That should not be a surprise to CP readers.
No hurry. Right now, the House bill starts its first cap in 2012, but in any case the cap doesn’t actually start to bite for several more years after that, so it is far more important that the one shot we get in the Senate is our best shot. And we need time for several reasons: | <urn:uuid:39f2ccb9-4a44-447c-a46c-bf791a088e78> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thinkprogress.org/climate/issue/?m=20090727&mobile=nc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96455 | 309 | 1.53125 | 2 |
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Forum Addresses Okinawa’s Future
Jan. 02, 2011 - Jan. 09, 2011
At the Asia-Pacific Journal (APJ)/Okinawa University co-sponsored forum in Naha on December 19, 2010, the main theme was "Where is Okinawa going?" Speakers at three sessions – environmental, geopolitical, and economic – mixed discussion with nearly 200 participants on goals and ideals while addressing serious contemporary challenges.
Kawamura Masami and Yoshikawa Hideki, leaders of Okinawa BD (Citizens’ Network for Biological Diversity in Okinawa), an NGO that fielded the largest representation at the international biodiversity conference in Nagoya (COP10) in October, emphasized civil society engagement to empower Okinawans to resist violations of the environment and human rights as represented by US military base-building projects promoted and subsidized by Japan's government.
Amid rising tension in East Asia, typified by the China-Japan conflict over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, historian Arasaki Moriteru and APJ coordinator Gavan McCormack spoke of the danger of Okinawans getting caught up in the Japanese national narrative of their islands as “inherent territory” of Japan. Arasaki stressed Okinawa's significance as a "space of livelihood" for people in the area's fishing community, while McCormack presented an international vision of Okinawa as a place in the Asia-Pacific notable for its tradition of serving as a peaceful bridge between China, Korea, Japan and insular areas.
Political scientist Shimabukuro Jun pointed out that Okinawa’s history of "economic development” has only reinforced its status as a military colony and made it an integral part of the post-war AMPO (US-Japan security treaty) system, in which the US military overrides Japan's peace constitution. Shimabukuro called for a redefined local autonomy and legislation that would provide Okinawa with "regional sovereignty."
Miyagi Yasuhiro, a former Nago assembly member who led the 1997 plebiscite that said "no" to the Henoko base plan, explained that Nago never prospered under the system of subsidies (bribes) from the Japanese government in exchange for hosting military bases. He urged Okinawans to unite in opposing military base expansion, and to engage in new environmentally sound forms of economic and social planning.
The forum unexpectedly took place between two events that symbolize the unceasing pressure from the Japanese and US governments to accept deepening militarization of Okinawa. On December 17 & 18, Japanese Prime Minister Kan Naoto visited Okinawa. Kan abjectly apologized to Okinawa’s recently re-elected Governor Nakaima Hirokazu for the failure of the Democratic Party of Japan that controls Japan's central government to honor its pledge to move the Futenma Air Station outside Okinawa. He sought Nakaima's understanding for a May 2010 Japan-US agreement to build a replacement base in Henoko (Nago City). Kan said it was not the “best” plan, but a “better” plan. Nakaima, who was re-elected on a platform of moving Futenma out of Okinawa, replied that all plans to build a replacement base within Okinawa were "bad."
Immediately after the forum on December 22, some 100 members of the Okinawa Defense Bureau (the Okinawan branch of the Japanese Ministry of Defense) arrived in Takae, a village in Yanbaru Forest in Northern Okinawa rich with 4,000 species of wildlife, to re-start construction of new US helipads. The Bureau plans to "relocate" six helipads around Takae in exchange for the US Marine Corps returning half of its massive jungle training facility. The helipad relocation plan, part of the US-Japan SACO agreement reached in 1996, is less well known than the plan to relocate the Futenma base facility to Henoko. But Takae residents and supporters have been protesting the helipad construction plan since 2007 in round-the-clock demonstrations, particularly the planned stationing of the accident-prone V-22 Osprey. On December 23, as if to illustrate the dangers of the new facility, a US helicopter hovered 15 meters above tents sheltering participants in a sit-in, reportedly blowing away the tents and threatening injury to the protesters. Residents have filed a complaint with the Okinawa Defense Bureau.
On January 8, supporters of the Takae protest plan to demonstrate in front of the US Embassy and the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo. See the Peace Philosophy Centre for information about the demonstration. Also, see “Voice of Takae,” a brochure produced by Takae activists, and a Foreign Policy In Focus article for more information on what is at stake in Takae.
The struggle of Okinawa’s citizenry against the combined state power of Japan and the US will continue in the wake of new pressures from Japan and the US. APJ has produced several reports on the political, economic and social issues that swirl around the frontline US military bases in Okinawa and will post additional reports in the coming weeks. | <urn:uuid:93d3c0c8-c201-405e-a2be-8d9626e594b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.japanfocus.org/events/view/20 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938607 | 1,138 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Insights by Goldie
Restarting organic standards?
Sound Consumer | May 2010
by Goldie Caughlan
Quality Standards Specialist
In the beginning
The official organic advisory body created in the 1990 Organic Foods Production Act is the 15-member National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The NOSB’s role is to provide information and advice on organic issues to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
During my term on the NOSB as a consumer representative from 2002 to 2006, I learned a lot — mostly that a peek behind the curtain at Oz isn’t necessarily what one imagines or hopes for!
Congress had vested the NOSB with considerably more authority and a more extensive workload than is typical for other unpaid citizen boards.
This appeared to rankle certain USDA career staff during my time there, especially the deputy administrator and National Organic Program (NOP) manager. The latter’s volatile personality and resentful attitude frequently undermined NOSB authority and derailed NOSB actions and recommendations.
Ironically, the same staff was key to supporting the NOSB’s performance of responsibilities. Their lack of professional respect and inadequate support for NOSB work was a serious disservice to all organic stakeholders and the public.
The Bush administration was not supportive of the NOP and chronically underfunded the program — contributing to serious understaffing, training, poor morale and lax management. Years of increasingly overburdening staff with an expanding workload compounded the problems, ironically worsened by the rapid growth of the organic industry.
A new era
The Obama administration promised to bring healthy changes in agriculture, yet the appointment of Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture raised concerns, due to his ties to biotech and industrial interests. Hope for meaningful change, however, was revived with the appointment of Dr. Kathleen Merrigan to serve as Vilsack’s deputy administrator, overseeing the NOP.
Merrigan had been director of a respected agriculture, food and environment program at Tufts University and her organic credentials included authoring the Organic Food Production Act. She also served on the NOSB from 1995 to 1999 and spent two years as director of the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service, concentrating on launching the national organic standards, which took effect in 2001.
Merrigan is regarded as a brilliant choice to be Vilsack’s deputy and she rolled in and began to clean up the debris at the NOP.
Merrigan soon announced that an “in-depth audit” of the entire NOP was being conducted by the federal Office of the Inspector General (OIG). She followed up with a surprising disclosure that the USDA was seeking an outside, independent audit from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a division of the Department of Commerce.
Many organic stakeholders, especially the National Organic Coalition, had called for this type of audit for some time out of concern that organic stakeholders — and the public — must have strong confidence in the organic standards. The USDA obviously agreed.
The NIST report is expected to be rigorous, pinpointing strengths and weaknesses of the NOP’s regulatory process and of more than 100 organic certification bodies — both national and international. NIST is known for airtight standards and it’s likely that many specifics will be noted for ushering in better training and oversight, up and down the system.
OIG, meanwhile, delivered its report in March with recommendations to USDA officials. A new NOP director, Miles McEvoy, had taken over just a few months before after resigning his 20-year post as Washington state’s organic program manager. McEvoy was Merrigan’s choice, knowing his exceptionally extensive background and impeccable reputation.
McEvoy soon declared “an age of enforcement” (see Organics in 2010: Age of Enforcement, February 2010 Sound Consumer) — an apt term, since many of the 14 recommendations made by OIG (which McEvoy promptly accepted and agreed with) reflect the previous lack of adequate or timely enforcement of serious regulatory breaches.
Some of OIG’s recommendations to the NOP were:
- strengthen internal enforcement procedures to determine what actions should be imposed on program violators — including civil penalties — and to issue appropriate actions
- timely resolve and track all complaints, from receipt through disposition
- implement a plan for achieving full oversight and enforcement by the California State Organic Program, obtaining an opinion on residue testing and establishing a means to conduct annual evaluations of all accreditation processes
- implement proper supervision for foreign organic certifiers.
I understand that the ink on the report was barely dry when McEvoy took a number of actions, levied penalties, and cancelled the certification status of certain facilities operating illegally. Many problems had dragged on for years — but no more! | <urn:uuid:78979b59-64dc-4c6e-a3fc-942117ca7ad4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/sc/1005/goldie.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95944 | 999 | 1.640625 | 2 |
The Mellon Arena has a "secret" potential for lowering air conditioning and ventilating loads, which could save a lot of money. The "secret" lies in a simple timing procedure for opening and closing the roof during the summer.
Here it is:
After a nighttime event at the arena is over, and the people have left, the roof should be kept closed. At the coolest time of the next day (usually between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m.), the roof should be completely opened.
The cooler (and heavier) outside air would dump into the arena and flush out the warmer (lighter) air that was left over from the previous nighttime event. After the flushing, the roof should be quickly closed again, so that the arena contains only the cool, fresh morning air.
At the start of the next event, people would begin to fill up the seats, adding their heat to the arena. Ordinarily the air conditioning and ventilating systems would then start up full blast to keep down the temperature of the air in the dome. However, if the timing scheme were used, these systems would not have to work hard, because the arena would be initially filled with cool, fresh morning air.
This timing scheme should be considered among the many pros and cons of preserving the Igloo.
JOHN C. SCHMERTZ
The writer is a retired mechanical engineer. | <urn:uuid:045728e8-df2e-4685-87b4-a88156a99709> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.post-gazette.com/index.php/home/archives/19090-its-green-potential- | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963875 | 287 | 1.796875 | 2 |
North County GOP congressman Darrell Issa is among the leaders in a fight against the closure of Drakes Bay Oyster Company in Northern California. Issa, current head of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, criticized the National Park Service last year for arguing that the Marin County oyster farm’s permit should not be renewed.
“Since 2007, the NPS has been advocating that the Drakes Bay Oyster Co. cease operations at Point Reyes National Seashore because — according to NPS — the oyster farm is harming the local harbor seal population,” Issa wrote to interior secretary Ken Salazar on October 20.
“Allegations that NPS knowingly relied on flawed science to support that conclusion as part of an effort to remove DBOC have come from a wide range of stakeholders and disinterested parties. If true, the NPS, a bureau of the Department of the Interior, will have closed the doors on a family-owned small business without a valid scientific basis.”
Owner Kevin Lunny bought the oyster operation, on the shores of the Drakes Estero north of San Francisco, from the Johnson Oyster Co. in 2005. With it came a 40-year lease — originally issued when the National Park Service bought the land in 1972 — which ended last November.
Now the Drakes Bay Oyster Co., which is responsible for about 40 percent of the oysters produced in California, is facing a court battle after being denied an extension to their federal lease.
The ruling cites a negative impact on eel grass and harbor seals, among other things, and comes after several years of deliberation between environmental activists, senator Dianne Feinstein, the National Park Service, and interior secretary Salazar.
Salazar’s refusal to renew the permit puts an end to over 80 years of shellfish farming in the 2200-acre estuary and signals the closure of California’s last remaining oyster cannery.
Drakes Estero is chartered to become the only federal marine wilderness area on the West Coast outside of Alaska.
Feinstein, who penned the 2009 legislation that gave Salazar exclusive control over the permit’s renewal, said the Park Service’s environmental review contained “false and misleading science” — science that cost taxpayers over $1 million in environmental assessment studies, according to records.
“The National Park Service has not just shut down our business, but has misrepresented the law, our contracts with the State of California, and the results of scientific studies,” Drakes Bay Oyster Co.’s website states.
Bay Area oyster advocate Kyle Melton points a finger at the Obama administration for what he calls “caving in to the rich conservationists of Marin County.... I’m not going to preach about the great virtue of conservationism over capitalism or vice versa; my heart lies with the public interest,” Melton says.
“Drakes Bay Oyster Company has been, in one form or another, a boon to this community for almost 80 years, not just for the succulent jewel of the sea with which they grace our bar tops, but also for the sustainably-focused vision of haute cuisine so often perverted by the same limousine liberal community currently lobbying for the restoration of their McMansions’ pristine ocean views.”
He goes on to note that, while refusing to renew permits for the oyster farm, Salazar re-approved nearby cattle ranches, including one belonging to Drakes Bay Oyster Co. owner Kevin Lunny.
“Where would you rather live,” Melton posits, “Normandy or Coalinga?”
On December 3, government accountability group Cause of Action, along with Stoel Rives and SSL law firms, filed a lawsuit against the federal government on behalf of Drakes Bay Oyster Co. and Lunny.
The suit alleges that Salazar and the National Park Service “ignored the U.S. Constitution [and] violated the National Environmental Policy Act and countless other pieces of legislation.”
“Our family business is not going to sit back and let the government steam roll our community, which has been incredibly supportive of us,” Lunny said in a written statement issued by Cause of Action.
“We are not walking away, instead we are fighting for our community, our employees, and our family against a federal government that seems to value lies over the truth and special interests over the welfare of a community.”
The small-business-versus-federal-regulators theme of the lawsuit is made more pronounced by the fact that Cause of Action, which is taking on the case free of charge, is run by Dan Epstein, a former staffer for the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation.
Charles Koch and his brother David are financiers of the Tea Party movement.
Epstein is also the former lead Republican attorney for the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which launched an investigation into the National Park Service at congressman Issa’s request.
The contentious debacle has already captured the attention of many national media outlets, not to mention a bushel of incensed oysterphiles.
An online petition to the Obama administration sought to reverse the Department of the Interior’s decision by attempting (yet failing) to collect 25,000 signatures by January 1.
The pending closure also inspired two independent short films and a change.org petition that fell 184 signatures shy of its target 10,000 signatures for a ten-year permit.
On February 6, Drakes Bay Oyster Co. filed an appeal with the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a U.S. District Court ruled that the operation was not allowed to stay open while its lawsuit against the government proceeds.
Drakes Bay oysters rarely end up on San Diego plates. (The nearby Carlsbad Aquafarm, in part, takes care of that, in addition to suppliers from Baja California, Canada, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and the East Coast), as the Bay Area alone consumes much of the half-million pounds of shucked oyster meat harvested by the farm each year.
Regardless, slashed supply coupled with a high demand for quality seafood will inevitably raise market prices, with end consumers footing the bill.
Seafood lovers got a break on February 25, when a Ninth Circuit judge ruled in favor of Drakes Bay, allowing the company to remain open while the appeals court considers their case. (February 28 was the closure date the U.S. District Court had mandated.)
“Even more important than high prices is the loss of jobs [80 at Drakes Bay] and the loss of variety,” says Mark Bailey, the former CEO of Chesapeake Fish Company — a seafood distributor located next to Seaport Village that handles over 12 million pounds of fish annually.
Bailey, who largely dealt with oysters from Carlsbad Aquafarm, became aware of Drakes Bay’s permit issue sometime last year.
“I thought it was just a formality,” Bailey says. “It’s a low-impact industry.” | <urn:uuid:e9318d72-bb7b-4ad3-9714-93c90998f0c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2013/feb/27/citylights2-oysters-obama/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952816 | 1,501 | 1.84375 | 2 |
The Daily: August 9
Yesterday saw a short break in Team GB's medal rush. The British women's hockey team was knocked out of the semi-finals, losing 2:1 to Argentina. Argentina will now go on to compete against New Zealand in the Bronze medal match on Friday. Yesterday also saw a Saudi Arabian female athlete compete in the Olympics for the first time ever. Although finishing 45s behind the winner, 80,000 spectators cheered her on to the finish line. Today all eyes shall turn to former winner of the 200m final, Usain Bolt, in a bid to retain his title.
Stray hair to reveal possible Van Gogh masterpiece
A three-inch strand of red hair has been removed from what is believed to be a Van Gogh masterpiece. 'Still Life with Peonies' was first found in 1977 in a Belgian attic and now belongs to Cologne art collector, Markus Roubrocks. The DNA test to confirm the match will be carried out against Van Gogh's living relatives. Mr Roubrocks, having inherited the painting from his father, has always been sure of its creator. If a match is to be found it will make Roubrocks a multi-millionaire, with the value of the painting expected to rocket to £39 million.
Stressed men drawn to the larger lady
Research has shown that men in stressful situations are naturally drawn to a wider variety of female body shapes. The results by researchers from London and Newcastle have shown that men rate larger ladies as more attractive after encountering stressful scenarios, such as public speaking and interviews. They believe arguments to suggest that personal BMI preferences are fairly solid is inaccurate, and can fluctuate under different 'environmental conditions'. Evidence has also shown that in areas where food is scarce, men prefer larger builds in their partner, with more relaxed and plentiful surroundings giving the opposite result.
Fossils confirm new human species
Researchers have announced fossils found in Northern Kenya confirm a new species of human existed 2 million years ago. The fossils found are of a face and two jawbones containing teeth. Back in 1972 it was thought that a skull found proved the existence of another species, known as the Humo Rudolfensis. However as the only fossil found, it was difficult to prove. Thus with this new-found evidence, it now believed that three different species of humans have previously co-existed on Earth. These findings add to the growing body of evidence which support a linear evolutionary process, from early primates to the modern humans.
Agatha Christie memorial to be placed in West End
The West End, home to London's theatreland, is to receive an 8.2ft memorial tribute for the much loved crime novelist, Agatha Christie. Planning permission from Westminster Council has granted the £2.5 million bronze cast, and it is due to be erected by the end of the year. Sculptor Ben Twiston-Davies is to create the piece that is to feature a cut-out oval at the top of a book, in which a portrait bust of the author will stand. It will be placed in Covent Garden, which has previously been home to eight theatres that have shown Christie's work.
Daily tip from the lady archive
“PEOPLE cannot help being influenced by their surroundings and their environment; therefore how all important it is that both of these should be healthy and cheery, for health and happiness both go hand-in-hand.”The Lady. The Blessing of Old Health, 18th November 1920 | <urn:uuid:f46daf53-7802-43b5-9f4f-2ed78c900525> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lady.co.uk/magazine/842-the-daily-9-august | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969646 | 716 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Red dots indicate locations of Tropical Cyclone (TC) Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres (Honolulu, La Réunion, Miami, Nadi, New Delhi, and Tokyo).
Background:One of the recommendations of the Sixth International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones (San Jose, Costa Rica, 21 to 30 November 2006), a quadrennial gathering of tropical cyclone researchers, forecasters and warning specialists from all regions affected by tropical cyclones, is to establish a working group of experts to develop a common set of metrics for evaluating the skill of seasonal forecasts of tropical cyclone activity and report on a central website hosted by WMO. In response to this recommendation, an expert team meeting was organized by WMO in Boulder on 24-25 April 2008. The meeting was chaired by Dr Suzana Camargo (USA) and attended by four members of the expert team and three invited experts. This website is to provide a self-consistent set of seasonal tropical cyclone forecasts, their descriptions and links to the original forecasts.
Disclaimer:This site is operated, administered and maintained by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). All contents included on this site are for informative purposes only. WMO endeavours to ensure, but cannot and does not guarantee the accuracy, accessibility, integrity and timeliness of the information available on this website. WMO may make changes to the content of this website at any time without notice. The designations employed in this website are in conformity with United Nations practice. The presentation of material therein does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WMO concerning the legal status of any country, area or terriroty or of its authrorities, or concerning the delimitation of its borders.Hyperlinks to other websites are provided as a convenience only. They imply neither responsibility for, nor approval of, the information contained in those other websites on the part of WMO.
WMO shall not be liable for any damages incurred as a result of the use of its website. | <urn:uuid:4d9f8a2c-e7db-4f66-9092-7121a5d3e550> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/arep/wwrp/tmr/SeasonalFcst.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937345 | 411 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Born in Israel, studied art in Jerusalem and then in Paris. His first Paris show opened at the Craven Gallery in 1953 with works consisting exclusively of kinetic, movable and changeable art. He is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of kinetic art.
In the Main Library, he conceptualizes his work as reading the pages of a book. His aim is to have the spectator actively participate in the formation of the artwork, which evolves with changes in physical perspective.
Public Art and Design By This Artist
"Color and Rhythm, a Visual Orchestration" | <urn:uuid:e83fc617-b83e-4cae-947f-31655f3a5ecc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.co.broward.fl.us/Arts/PublicArt/PadTour/Artist/Pages/YaacovAgam.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961048 | 115 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Every moment of life is an opportunity to create the name we make for ourselves. It is the hardest to sustain, and the most important to discover.
Read Whole Story
I always hated my name, and I often wondered what it would be like to have a name other than my own.
It is from personal experience that I endorse and prescribe what Vedantic psychology has known for thousands of years. Change the name and you change the person.
My father says I should use a pseudonym. "They won't publish you if they see your name. They'll know you're not one of them. They'll know you're one of us."
There is a two-fold complaint nestled in the plumy thicket of today's screed, good people. And while they (the individual issues of the complaint) are...
The man who has won Macedonia's presidential elections has pledged to solve a dispute with Greece over his country's name, which has delayed its entry...
John McCain has been hiding something. Something that calls into question his honesty and forthrightness with the American people. Can you trust John Sydney McCain to be president? There are questions but no answers.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene says the most popular name for boys last year was Michael, according to its 2006 baby name d...
Get top stories and blogs posts emailed to you each day. | <urn:uuid:880d08aa-3b48-4afd-a980-62e0b85d1b45> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/name | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980766 | 285 | 1.820313 | 2 |
In Debates, China's a Trade Foe; in Silicon Valley, It's a Partner
HOST: Both President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney have singled out China's trade policies for some severe criticism during this month's presidential debates. But KQED’s Peter Jon Shuler reports that tactic is getting mixed reviews in Silicon Valley, where China is both a competitor and a business partner.
SHULER: Campaign saber-rattling doesn't necessarily rattle business relationships between Silicon Valley and China. Head of marketing for TrustGo mobile security Jeff Becker says Chinese business people he talks to understand the difference between trade policy and campaign rhetoric.
JEFF BECKER: "I think we’ll continue to see more and more partnerships happening between China and the US. And I don’t think the presidential candidates’ statements are really going to have much of a cooling effect on that."
But CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Carl Guardino urges the candidates to exercise caution.
CARL GUARDINO: "Often it’s the individual employer who is then left trying to pick up the pieces with that government. And that’s a very hard position for one employer, even if it’s a big employer trying to stand up to an entire nation."
Guardino says federal officials need to negotiate legitimate differences with China and tone down the rhetoric. | <urn:uuid:9cd85299-a053-445e-9a13-a425705f57d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2012/10/23/109946/in_debates_chinas_a_trade_foe_in_silicon_valley_its_a_partner?category=politics | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942124 | 288 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Almost half of young Irishmen believe sexy clothes put women at risk
New surveys shows conservative beliefs among young males
Almost half of all young Irish men believe that women increase the risk of sexual assault when they dress provocatively, according to a new survey.
The Irish based study shows that a significant proportion of male students believe that women who claim to have raped are partly responsible for it, the Evening Herald reports.
Almost 3,000 college students participated in a survey about their attitudes and awareness of sexual violence in May. The majority of students were in their late teens in first and second year of university.
According to the results, due to be published by the Sexual Violence Centre in Cork later this month, between 40 and 50 percent of males approved of the following three statements.
“Many women claim rape if they have consented to sexual relationships but have changed their minds afterwards (49.3percent of male students agreed with this statement).
“A woman who goes out alone at night or wears provocative clothing, puts herself in a position to be raped (44.6percent).
“Women often claim rape to protect their reputations (40.1percent)."
Ireland’s Sexual Violence Centre said that 80 percent of teenage sexual assault victims know their attacker and are less likely to report the incidents because of the Internet.
“One of the big concerns about modern technology is that incidents like these cannot be kept private, and young people will insult the victim, telling her she's a slut and so on," Mary Crilly, Director of the Sexual Violence Centre told the Evening Herald.
Irish farmer tells superstar Rihanna to ‘cover up
"They will use the Internet as a way to favor the assailant, all he has to say is that it was consensual and the majority will believe him because double standards are alive and well.
"It's not so much pornography online that has caused this increase in the number of incidents, because plenty of young boys watch the same videos and are not raping anyone.
"The ones who do it, do it because they can get away with it, they can say the girl was a tease and with attitudes not changing but clothes getting more revealing, people will believe them."
"It's heartbreaking to hear a young 14- or 15-year-old say that they feel it was their own fault because they were wearing a short skirt or had a drink. We should be judging the people who chose to take advantage of them when they were in a vulnerable position more than anything else," she added.
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- Sleazy secrets and the American Dream of... | <urn:uuid:7a1987dc-4766-4926-b52f-cc15b1bf86ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Almost-half-of-young-Irishmen-believe-sexy-clothes-put-women-at-risk-130718488.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963402 | 636 | 1.757813 | 2 |
LISBON - The state is investigating a foamy material bubbling up from strip-mined property in Center Township that is in the process of being reclaimed.
Mike Settles, a spokesman for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, said the agency has conducted preliminary tests that have ruled out any kind of chemical spill.
"We're not sure what it is but it's not chemically related ... It doesn't sound like a serious situation," he said.
The property is owned by Rosebud Mining and located south of Lisbon on state Route 164 at the intersection of Mattix Road. The OEPA was notified by the Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency after passing motorists reported seeing piles of foam up to 10 feet high in some instances bubbling from the ground.
Edie Dillard, interim director of the county EMA, said Willie Brantingham visited the site but deferred to the OEPA after determining it was not the result of any accident. Brantingham is information coordinator for the Local Emergency Planning Committee.
Settles said the reclaimed property has been seeded and covered with lime, fertilizer and hay. The foam was bubbling up from the hillside and flowing into a stormwater discharge pond that eventually empties into the West Fork of the Little Beaver Creek after passing through wetlands.
As a precaution, the OEPA sealed off further discharge into the pond until they get the results back of tests performed by Rosebud. The OEPA also used an aeration device to break up the foam.
Although the OEPA is hesitant to offer any theories on what created the foam, Settles said their staff spoke with a neighboring farmer about what was going on.
"A local farmer said he's seen this before, when old hay has been used (for seeding). That's just speculation at this point. We'll know more when get the test results," he said. | <urn:uuid:65793f43-731e-413f-8ad8-cf794e133bd2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.morningjournalnews.com/page/content.detail/id/543794/Foam-near-road-not-considered-dangerous.html?nav=5006 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970825 | 384 | 1.84375 | 2 |
In the summer 2008, when concerns were growing that a weaker economy was approaching, the ECB raised its rates – a step that had to be reversed pretty quickly as we know. Quite embarrassing.
And what happened this time? Another commodity boom “tricked” the ECB into raising rates at the worst possible time, even though there were no signs of a pass-through of the currently higher headline inflation to core inflation, and thus, to medium term headline inflation. Now, this step will probably be reversed quickly, too. Why? Because even Germany might be heading for a recession.
As Henry Kaspar has pointed out repeatedly on my (other) blog, I shouldn’t criticise the ECB for following its mandate. Even though we all know that the ECB broke its own rules in the past when there was a need to do so, there certainly is some truth to that. (Update: Karl Whelan points out in an email that the mandate of the ECB is “price stability”, so the ECB might actually have more discretion than is commonly assumed). So let me instead address those European economists that keep missing that monetary policy is a huge part of the problem, and potentially a big part of a shorter and longer term fix for the Eurozone.
First of all, what is monetary policy supposed to accomplish? Very broadly speaking: macroeconomic stability. An important aspect is to keep aggregate demand (AD) on a stable and predictable path. The reason is simple: prices and wages don’t adjust quickly enough to accommodate nominal changes that are caused by changes in the demand for the medium of exchange (aka money). So better keep the nominal values on a predictable and stable path, so that there is no need for across-the-board adjustments.
Usually, an inflation-based approach is sufficient, and it has stabilized inflation throughout a large part of the world, which is historically a big achievement. Whether it has contributed to the build-up of the current crisis is still an open question. In times of a severe crisis, however, this approach has clearly proved inadequate, as the focus on inflation has allowed AD to plummet 10% (!) below trend:
Such a drop in AD would be devastating for any economy, not only a currency union. It is time to realize that the policy of the ECB has been extremely tight since 2008, measured by the concept of macroeconomic stability and is therefore an important cause of the current mess.
Second, countries in a currency union experience asynchronous business cycles. This is a problem because monetary policy cannot be tailored to all different cycles. So even though there is some differentiation that the central bank can impose, a large part of the adjustment has to come through changes in prices and wages – a painful process as Germany learned during the first decade of the Euro. And as for anything else that is painful, there is one rule: get it over with quickly.
How can you overcome nominal rigidities quickly? Wages rarely decline nominally (see this Krugman post for some nice graphs), which means there is a(nother) zero lower bound. When some countries need to adjust wages and prices downwards, it is best to be further away from this threshold. The reason is simple: if the best you can do is to keep wages constant, the higher the general price increase, the more the decline in real wages. A higher nominal growth during normal times increases your room for manoeuvre during adjustment periods.
The essence of this: choose a higher inflation, or even better, nominal spending target the more diverse (read: suboptimal) your currency union is. For the Euro area, an inflation target of below 2% is inadequate. This seems so painstakingly obvious, and yet you will have a hard time finding European, let alone German!, economists who share this view – even though the evidence from the Gold standard era supports this argument, too.
Finally, economic historians like Kenneth Rogoff point out that we are currently in a situation of high debt and over-leverage that happens only rarely. When it does, the decline and adjustment usually takes many years – unless the central bank takes decisive action to prevent a severe drop in AD. This may entail temporarily higher inflation, as a period of deleveraging may hurt growth. But it is worth it, as Kenneth writes:
[In 2008] I argued that the only practical way to shorten the coming period of painful deleveraging and slow growth would be a sustained burst of moderate inflation, say, 4-6% for several years. Of course, inflation is an unfair and arbitrary transfer of income from savers to debtors. But, at the end of the day, such a transfer is the most direct approach to faster recovery. Eventually, it will take place one way or another, anyway, as Europe is painfully learning. … Some observers regard any suggestion of even modestly elevated inflation as a form of heresy. But Great Contractions, as opposed to recessions, are very infrequent events, occurring perhaps once every 70 or 80 years. These are times when central banks need to spend some of the credibility that they accumulate in normal times.
Higher nominal spending growth (or inflation) is therefore an important building block to solve the current, short term European crisis – even if you disagree with my argument above that monetary policy since 2008 is one of the major culprits for leading us into this mess. The ECB’s achievement to keep inflation at 2% is a Pyrrhic victory, as Ryan Avent ironically describes:
If the euro zone does fall apart, a fitting epitaph might read, “The ECB feared 3% inflation”.
I sincerely do hope that I read the wrong newspapers and missed all those European economists and commentators screaming all these things (or even better: that I am wrong). But whenever I try to hear something, there is just silence – or Axel Weber lashing out at Olivier Blanchard. Meanwhile, European policy makers and central bankers are wrecking one of the most fascinating projects in human history, the unity and friendship among the countries of Europe. This is beyond depressing. Way beyond. | <urn:uuid:ba13eb97-6184-46e7-a740-98317c87bef5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/tag/interest-rates/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961361 | 1,273 | 1.679688 | 2 |
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Report: White House could blunt impact of sequestration - at least for a while
Thursday - 11/8/2012, 4:19pm EST
The $1.2 trillion in cuts over 10 years — $109 billion next year alone, split equally between Defense and civilian agencies — have led many budget and defense analysts to warn of a looming fiscal cliff. But a new report from independent watchdog group OMB Watch suggests the White House has a few tools at its disposal to blunt the impact of the cuts.
OMB's apportionment authority
The first is the Office of Management and Budget's authority to control the rate of federal spending over the course of the fiscal year, known as apportionment.
"Congress, constitutionally, has the authority to set the budget, but once they pass those appropriations bills, it is up to the administration — the President — to decide how that money will be spent over the course of the year," said Patrick Lester, the director of federal fiscal policy at OMB Watch and the report's author, in an interview In Depth with Francis Rose.
If Congress and the administration agree on a broad budget deal early next year — even after sequestration goes into effect — it's likely the cuts will wind up having only a short-term effect, according to the report.
Essentially, in the first few weeks after sequestration is triggered, OMB could ramp up spending "just enough to prevent those cuts from really biting," Lester said.
At most, though, that only buys the administration about a month, he said. OMB's legal authority to use apportionment in this way is also unclear, the report cautioned. In fact, under current law, OMB is directed to use apportionment to prevent overspending in the early part of a fiscal year, the report stated.
Agencies can shift funds
Agencies, themselves, also have some options to "cushion the impact" of sequestration, the report noted. Once Congress appropriates funding, agencies are tasked with obligating those funds to specific programs or projects.
The agencies control the rate at which funds are obligated over the fiscal year, and many agencies are allowed to carry over unobligated funds from one year to the next.
Other methods of shifting funding include transfers, which move funding between appropriated line-items and reprogramming, which allows managers to shift funding within an appropriation.
According to the report, both methods offer "substantial ability to redirect cuts away from sensitive areas of spending to other areas that be less sensitive in the first few weeks of the year."
None of these methods would exactly be unfamiliar territory for agencies.
Lester told Federal News Radio because of the increasing prevalence of last-minute continuing resolutions, agencies are now "quite used to basically pinching their pennies at the beginning of the fiscal year waiting to see what that final bill looks like."
Personnel costs present challenge
However, federal managers will face constraints in attempting to shield federal employees from cuts.
"It is more difficult to delay spending on employee compensation and benefits because these costs are incurred throughout the year," Lester wrote in the report. And managers often have less flexibility to reprogram funds because "some budget accounts are so overwhelmingly dominated by personnel-related costs that avoiding personnel cuts becomes difficult, if not impossible."
That leaves layoffs, known as reductions-in-force (RIF), and furloughs on the table, Lester wrote in the report.
However, in the continuing resolution approved by Congress in September, lawmakers created an escape hatch of sorts, allowing OMB to accelerate spending in the early months of the year to avoid furloughs. Also, the law, which created the sequester, has allowed the President to exempt military personnel costs. | <urn:uuid:95475107-60bf-4d07-9960-66ffdda70375> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.federalnewsradio.com/1069/3111639/Report-White-House-could-blunt-impact-of-sequestration---at-least-for-a-while?nid=52 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950948 | 936 | 1.601563 | 2 |
On Monday April 18th, the bill known as the Family Reunification Act of 2011(HF 749) had a hearing in the Civil Law Committee. The discussion of the bill was fascinating and contentious, with very different views from people concerned about child well-being. You can listen here. The committee voted to pass the bill and refer to the Judiciary Committee.
The best place to start listening is at 7:00 minutes. Representative Holberg steps in for the bill's author, Rep. Smith. Rep. Holberg gives a compelling overview of the potential for rehabilitation amongst parents and the importance of reunification for children who've been residing in foster care. The bill creates an avenue for parents who had their parental rights terminated, and have since made substantial progress in their lives and can now provide a safe, healthy, loving home.
Testimony in support:
Ron Elwood, Legal Aid:
"Nine other states have provided a limited right for families to legally reunite with their children. Relatively few petitions occur in those states." Elwood lists the 20+ organizations that support the bill, a broad array of government, provider and advocacy groups. He reinforces the high standard that petitioners (parents) must clear before reunification is granted; the process for this is rigorous for children. For youth who are over 18 years of age, the process is less rigorous and more focused on consent of the parties.
Marquita Stephens, African American Adoption Agency Director
"Over the years, we've seen several instances when kids would have benefited from being reunited with their families had that been legally possible. Based on the prevailing research and our experience, we suggest that the bill be passed."
Mark Haase, VP Council on Crime and Justice
Mark Haase testified on the importance of reunification for parents. As a member of the Second Chance Coalition, he advocates for full restoration of people's status as a parent, so that they may contribute to their families and make amends to previous mistakes. "This bill has strong safeguards in place to protect children. We think it is a safe bill that will allow some people to be restored to their families. We think it will help children. It will help us as a state; one example is by reducing costs to the state of supporting these children in care."
Kimberly White, Parent of three children in the foster care system
"In 2005, I was in a real bad situation. Since 2007, I have been clean and have been getting my life together. I want to have healthy relationships with my children. My mom adopted my children and passed away shortly after their adoption. I am here because I want to help others like myself have lost their rights and are now in a position to take care of their children."
Questions from House members:
Rep. Hilstrom question for Elwood:
"The standard is very, very high to terminate parental rights on a child....Why not change the process of termination and prevent terminations and continue support services to families in need?
I do not support this proposal at all. Every child wants to be loved and always looks back and says, 'My parent is coming back for me'. And this gives false hope."
Rep. Lesch, DFL Lead:
"I am a co-author on this bill...I think this is going to be applied in a few select situations. I think this is a body that believes in redemption for parents that have screwed up and come around again...I think an open door of redemption is absolutely critical...this body places the best interest of children at the top. But to do that in a vacuum and not recognize the possibility of redemption is not the kind of State I want to live in...I think it will be applied in the most important and select circumstances."
Rep. Mahoney expressed some concerns about the young age of some children who will be impacted by the bill, and feels more comfortable with older children expressing their desire to reunify.
Rep. Peterson wondered whether there a risk that the potential for reunification will prevent youth from desiring or agreeing to adoption?
Testimony in opposition:
Mr. Kingrey, MN County Attorney's Association
"A number of county social workers in a field have concerns about this bill. After terminating parental rights, children need to heal...it flies in the face of permanency and the child moving on in a foster care situation or adoption." Kingrey has concerns about the burden that will befall counties to re-investigate cases that request reunification.
After testimony and questions, the committee passed the bill and referred it to the Judiciary Committee. | <urn:uuid:969010f1-d776-4bb2-944c-be3a9953cc49> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cascw/policy/2011/04/family-reunification-act-moves.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966071 | 945 | 1.757813 | 2 |
This course is an introduction to the art of directing in the theatre. Students will become aware of the responsibilities of the director in the areas of research and analysis, organization, blocking, coaching and communication. Students will direct actors in scenes.
No corequisites or prerequisites
Terms Offered: Spring
There are no sections matching your filters.
Textbook information will be available online for each term's courses 45 days prior to the first day of classes for the term.
Each course offered by Seminole State is listed alphabetically and organized by the course prefix, catalog number and description. The courses in this catalog are identified by prefixes and numbers that were assigned by Florida's Statewide Course Numbering System, a system used by all public postsecondary institutions in Florida and 32 non-public institutions. Seminole State controls the description, credit and content of its own courses. | <urn:uuid:1aa95ea0-2b03-48ec-b28e-015e85564554> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.seminolestate.edu/catalog/courses/course/TPP2300 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930874 | 179 | 1.59375 | 2 |
New business specializes in handmade items for every holiday
Several years ago, Kimberly Reuther, 40, and April Backwell, 36, were in a bind. While their sons were members of a local Cub Scout pack, the tradition of selling candy bars was no longer successful enough to pay for summer camp.
Desperate for a new idea, the pair decided to begin making wreaths for the kids to sell. With just 20 youngsters hitting the streets, the pack sold 550 wreaths in the first year.
'It took on a life of its own,' Reuther said. 'And other people started asking about them, so we started a company to sell them.'
Within the Cub Scout pack, Reuther and Backwell were limited in what they could do with the funds they raised. By opening a store, the pair could make money and help other groups interested in fundraising with the same model.
So far, Boy Scouts Troop 186 and Cub Scouts Troop 186 as well as Clackamas River Outdoor School and Eagle Creek Elementary are selling the wreaths. Thriftway and True Value in Estacada also are selling the wreaths.
While the Christmas wreaths are obviously a big hit, Reuther and Backwell understand that for this to be a sustainable model, they must expand their inventory.
'We're working on trying to do wreaths for the entire year, whether it's Valentine's day, Easter, the Fourth of July or welcoming a baby,' Reuther said. 'We have some irons in the fire to make this sustainable, and our intentions are that next year we'll get there.'
A big part of that sustainability will stem from how much business they can generate in their new home at 262 S. Broadway, next to the Estacada Food Bank.
The company was officially licensed on Oct.14 while the storefront opened the day after Thanksgiving, and yet walk-ins and sales are still relatively sparse.
'Not a lot of people know we're here, but people are definitely curious,' Reuther said. 'It's funny to see people look into the window.' | <urn:uuid:6377888b-69dc-420e-ad3f-09154e60f7a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://portlandtribune.com/component/content/article?id=16887 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969215 | 436 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Veloso's influence as a composer and activist also was the subject of a video featuring Sting and Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar that was shown at the tribute Wednesday at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Veloso said in the video that he never decided to become a musician, but fate and the circumstances of life in Brazil moved him in that direction.
Considered among the most influential Brazilian artists of modern times, the 70-year-old entertainer has recorded more than 40 albums, and won eight Latin Grammys and two Grammy Awards. With his eponymous 1968 album, Veloso launched a new style of music, tropicalia, that saw his Brazilian musical roots mixed with other contemporary styles, including blues, psychedelic rock and the sounds of the Beatles.
The movement comprised a new generation of artists, including Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa and Maria Bethania, who openly expressed political opinion in their music.
In accepting the honor, Veloso said, "It's too much."
The Latin Grammy Awards are scheduled to be presented Thursday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The show will be broadcast live on Univision. | <urn:uuid:99119b13-6b74-4b49-8947-211e0bf5ef1e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_22003003/stars-honor-veloso-latin-grammys-person-year | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968898 | 234 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Museum of the Week - Georgetown County Museum
Posted 8/10/2011 9:04:00 AM
When you step inside Georgetown County’s charming museum
, you’re a temporary local. You might have never heard of Dr. Frances Doyle, and you might not have known that the 1923 film Pied Piper Malone was filmed in Georgetown, but the museum’s collection is put together with such warmth and pride that Georgetown’s stories seem like ones passed down from your own grandmother.
is rightfully proud of Doyle. In 1949, she graduated from the Medical College of South Carolina and became one of the area’s first female physicians. She became a pediatrician in Georgetown, and the museum’s exhibit highlights the important role she played in the community, not only in keeping its children healthy but also in breaking down boundaries and opening people’s minds.
As for Pied Piper Malone, it was a 1923 silent film by Booth Tarkington – shot on location in Georgetown – about a young man torn between his love of the sea and his love for the charming local school marm. Paramount Pictures brought in most of the actors by train from California, but a few lucky local children were chosen to be extras in the film. The museum uses motion picture stills and local memories of the film to bring you back to a time before “talkies.”
Perhaps one of the most interesting features at the museum is its Oral History collection, a series of videotaped interviews with senior citizens who grew up in Georgetown. Make sure to watch the first video, Memories of Georgetown, which is an interview with Patricia Davis Doyle, President Emeritus of the Georgetown Historical Society.
The Georgetown County Museum
is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The museum closes at 4 p.m. Monday-Friday during the months of January-March. Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, $2 for students ages 6-18 and free for kids younger than 6. | <urn:uuid:09cd2aac-b2d0-46e5-ac39-342fed5ebee6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.discoversouthcarolina.com/Insider/Arts_and_Culture_2011/Blog/5571 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965892 | 435 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Pfc. Leonard F. Mason and his family were honored on Tuesday when the Bell County Fiscal Court, Middlesboro Mayor Bill Kelley, Pineville Mayor Sherwin Rader and state Rep. Rick Nelson unveiled the Pfc. Leonard Foster Mason Medal of Honor Memorial Highway road sign.
Mason, a Bell County native, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor, which is the highest declaration awarded to any soldier in the United States for his actions, for his efforts during the landing of Guam on July 22, 1944.
On that day, Mason’s platoon was attacked by enemy machine guns. The platoon remained trapped inside a gully. Acting on his own will, Mason emerged from the gully and cleared a hostile position. Mason received several wounds and died the following day.
He was with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Division when the event occurred. He was an automatic rifleman.
In due time, the U.S. Navy named a destroyer after him, which launched in January 1946. It served in many locations, including Korea from 1950 to 1953.
“The Medal of Honor is special,” said Brock. “Since the 1880s, approximately 3,500 (soldiers) are all that have ever been awarded (the Medal of Honor).”
Nelson had a message to all the young people in attendance at the dedication ceremony.
“When you watch a basketball player or a baseball player…they are not really a hero. You may think they are, but they are not,” said Nelson. “The hero is Leonard Mason and all the folks that are veterans.”
“This gentleman grew up in our small county during hard times and left his mark on this world,” said Kelley about Mason.
Joyce Johnson, Mason’s sister, was present for the ceremony on Tuesday. She received a flag during the Honor Guard ceremony, following the dedication ceremony. The Honor Guard lowered the United States flag to half mast during the ceremony.
James Madison from the Bell County Historical Society read the citation for Mason. The Honor Guard presented the colors and held a 21-gun salute before Taps was played.
Anthony Cloud can be reached via email at firstname.lastname@example.org or by phone at 606-248-1010, ext. 208. | <urn:uuid:504fec23-c87c-4942-a1cf-72c3381e2eaa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.middlesborodailynews.com/view/full_story/21697278/article-Local-hero-honored?instance=popular | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982385 | 495 | 1.53125 | 2 |
People of Northwest Public Radio
Mon June 4, 2012
Bill Clinton Campaigns As Obama's No. 1 Surrogate
Originally published on Mon June 4, 2012 8:10 am
Former President Bill Clinton and President Obama used to have a famously rocky relationship. But the days when Clinton tried to help his wife, now secretary of state, defeat Obama in the 2008 primaries are ancient history.
Former Clinton strategist Carter Eskew says the ex-president is almost always an asset for Obama.
"Bill Clinton can do a lot of things for Barack Obama," Eskew says. "He can raise a lot of money. He has very good political instincts and good political ideas. And in an interesting way, Bill Clinton may be able to carry the positive narrative for Barack Obama better than Obama can."
As Obama tries to explain his economic plan to cut the deficit while investing in clean energy, education and infrastructure, he can look to the script Clinton wrote in the 1990s. And Clinton, as a former commander in chief, can help in other ways. He appeared in the first Obama re-election campaign ad — describing the risk Obama took when he ordered the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
And the former president can skewer Republican challenger Mitt Romney. In this example, Clinton was speaking at a fiscal policy summit: "It's like Romney said, 'I'm running for the president of the student body of this extreme right-wing group, and the real argument was that I couldn't be their president because I wasn't right wing enough, so I had to get over there and pretend that I was.' "
Clinton's point was that it's hard to know who Romney really is.
But sometimes Obama's No. 1 surrogate messes up the talking points. Like the other day on CNN, when Clinton undercut the Obama campaign's attacks on Romney's record as a businessman and a governor.
"There's no question that, in terms of getting up, going to the office and basically performing the essential functions of the office, a man who's been governor and had a sterling business career crosses the qualification threshold," Clinton said.
It would be hard to keep the active and voluble former president off the political scene, and for better or worse, he has become the president's highest-profile advocate. But what's more surprising is that he has been given a role in Romney's stump speech.
In Des Moines, Iowa, recently, Romney reminded voters that almost a generation ago, Clinton announced that the era of "Big Government" was over.
"President Clinton was signaling to his own party that Democrats should no longer try to govern by proposing a new program for every problem," Romney said. "President Obama tucked away the Clinton doctrine in his large drawer of discarded ideas, along with transparency and bipartisanship."
After the laughter subsided, Romney went on, "It's enough to make you wonder if maybe it was a personal beef with the Clintons, but probably it runs much deeper than that."
Was Romney trying to revive the feud between the Obamas and the Clintons? That seems unlikely. Instead, says Republican strategist Keith Appell, Romney is trying to target Clinton fans — rural, white, working-class voters in swing states.
"The Romney campaign sees an opportunity to get those people in his column, and not only in states like West Virginia, which is probably going to go for Romney anyway, but people across the border in Ohio and in Pennsylvania," Appell says. "A lot of those folks are Hillary Clinton supporters and fans of Bill Clinton, and they're up for grabs."
Those voters, says Appell, remember that under Clinton, budgets got balanced and welfare was ended — the kinds of positive economic news they're not seeing under Obama.
But former Clinton adviser Paul Begala says that tactic could backfire on Romney.
"All he's doing is setting himself up for a fall," Begala says. "So he goes to, say, southern Ohio, critical swing area, pretty Republican area but the kind of place where President Clinton is very popular, even though it's a pretty Republican area, and he says things like that — well, then Bill Clinton can come in and he'll have the last word."
And the last word from Bill Clinton will be: Vote for Barack Obama. | <urn:uuid:109928af-a275-4cd4-988c-0c7171d7ad18> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nwpr.org/post/bill-clinton-campaigns-obamas-no-1-surrogate | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979189 | 885 | 1.578125 | 2 |
President and CEO of iBiquity
In an interview with Bob Struble, president and CEO of iBiquity, he explains why innovation is important to him and his company and what the government should do to aid innovators. Watch his video as a Finalist in CEA’s Innovation Entrepreneur Award, Small Business of the Year. Winners of the Award will be announced at CEA's Industry Forum in October.
How do you define innovation and what does it mean to you and iBiquity?
I’d define innovation as producing something new, different, better and useful. In the business world it requires taking a look around and asking: how could we do that better? What new or enhanced products and services would better meet consumer demands or solve specific customer problems? How can we creatively combine the tools and techniques at our disposal to solve that problem? We try to innovate continuously at iBiquity. HD Radio Technology was designed to upgrade AM/FM to meet listeners’ expectations in the digital world. And we work every day to innovate around that core technology to better it – improving performance, adding new features, lowering cost, pairing with other consumer technologies. Innovation is Job #1 at iBiquity and any successful technology company.
What has been the rewarding part of pioneering HD Radio Technology?
AM/FM radio is part of most people’s every day lives. 93 percent of Americans listen to radio on a regular basis. So we are taking an engrained piece of our culture and upgrading it for the digital age. Our vision is that ultimately all radios, and there are a billion or so out there in the US, will become HD Radio receivers. It is intensely rewarding to travel across the country, tune up and down the radio dial and hear hundreds of new digital HD2 and HD3 stations made possible by our innovations. I tell our engineers, you will be able to point to the car radio your grand kids will listen to years from now and say, ‘my design is in there, my code is in there, I did
that. Pretty cool.
What is one thing the government can do to assist innovators and entrepreneurs?
Lay up. Follow the CEA Innovation agenda. Establish the environment that will let creative, hungry companies innovate. Get the federal deficit under control to reduce business uncertainty. Simplify our tax code so our brightest innovators can work on building companies, not on figuring out how to file slick tax returns. Allow free trade so great new products like HD Radio Technology, which like most technology products employs a global ecosystem, don’t encounter illogical barriers. And implement an immigration policy that allows the best and brightest to stay in the US, so we can have the raw material – innovative minds – to build that next great product. | <urn:uuid:7ba448cb-59af-4b53-9d41-3f3d3488f668> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.declareinnovation.com/Innovator-of-the-Week/Bob-Struble.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944497 | 575 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The Illuminati Formula to Create an Undetectable
Total Mind Control Slave
CHAPTER 5B: The Skill of Lying, The Art of
Deceit (Billy Graham)
By Fritz Springmeier & Cisco Wheeler
Billy Graham's Active Role in Satanic Ritual
Before we get into the details, we’ll take an overview. Satanists thrive
on power. Satan loves to give his followers power. Satan took Christ to the
mountaintop and told Christ that he’d have a "crusade" and
bring every one to follow Christ, if Christ would just bow down and worship
him. Christ refused. Billy Graham accepted it. We know a great deal how the
Satanists took Billy Graham, the brush salesman and made him into the famous
evangelist that he has become. Additionally, we also know from victims of
Satanism, that have come out of it, that Billy Graham has been a Satanist
himself. How can this be? And how can we know this?
One of the best witnesses is a Monarch program survivor, who
has escaped from being a high-level Pentagon slave. This survivor witnessed
Billy Graham working for the Illuminati. This survivor also carried messages
for the Satanic hierarchy and personally knows that Billy Graham has been
carrying messages from the top secret Illuminati to Presidents and heads of
state. This person’s information has been backed up by independent witnesses.
A second ex-Satanist also remembers Billy Graham as a Satanist. Still another
person, an ex-Illuminati person, who has MPD stood in front of Billy Graham
and watched his eyes. This person said that it was very clear that Billy Graham
has MPD and that he switches personalities. By happenchance or God’s
will, Fritz received a report from one of the women who went to church with
Billy Graham’s wife Ruth. The woman was told by Ruth in conversation
that her husband Billy Graham is strange in that he always sleeps with his
eyes open. It is characteristic of people who have MPD to sleep with their
eyes open. People who have MPD may have a devout Christian personality and
a devout Satanic personality all within a single body. This is not uncommon.
In Billy Graham’s case, he is fully aware of what he is doing for the
enemy in all his personalities, although his Christian personality may not
be ecstatic about it all. Billy Graham’s Decision magazine
has on its front page caption is "‘Changed From the Inside Out,"
and displays an infinity loop on the cover (click link for picture).
Many Monarch slaves have had lots of programming around the infinity loop.
This [the infinity symbol] is an important trigger to remind
them how they are captured by the unending repeating rebuilding programming.
There are countless little things like this, which are evidence that Billy
Graham is playing a role in the satanic mind-control of the Illuminati. Dr.
Schefflin, a mind-control expert, told me that he saw internal documents from
the 1950s teaching Billy Graham’s people on how to have a successful
revival. These documents instructed crusade counselors on things which were
elements of mind-control, such as delaying people from coming forward to confess
Christ until the "right" time. If you’ve ever wondered how
much Billy Graham knows--if the Illuminati haven’t told him, a concerned
Christian named David Hill, who was an ex-Mafia/ex-New Ager/ex-Mason
did. The concerned Christian was a friend of Franklin Graham (Billy’s
son) and he had lived for two years at Billy Graham’s house. He didn’t
realize that Graham had been sucked into the New World Order until he had
confronted Billy Graham. David Hill, who was a ex-Mason turned Christian,
who had worked with many of the world’s elite, spent 18 hours in a hotel
room warning Billy Graham about the New World Order.
Billy Graham told David Hill at the end of their two days of talking in
this eastern U.S. hotel room that he was "a captive of that [NWO] organization."
In other words, after placing himself under the Illuminati’s sponsorship
in the late ‘40s, Billy Graham has had the choice of continuing to do
his job for them, or being destroyed. Since they created who he is, they can
destroy him. And he knows it. David Hill went on to try to expose the New
World Order and lost (was murdered) his life just as he finished a manuscript
exposing it. Even a well-informed Christian like David Hill, who tried to
warn Billy Graham about the NWO, was unaware of the extent of the deception
of the Illuminati’s mind control. David didn’t know about programmed
multiples. David Hill, who was a high ranking Scottish Rite Freemason and
an important Mafia figure before he came to Christ, had even been the go between
for Billy Graham and Joe Banana, a Mafia kingpin. It was David Hill, who innocently
believing in Billy Graham, arranged the meeting for the two men.
David Hill knew that William Randolph Hearst was part of
the Illuminati, He was part of the branch Illuminati -- at what could be termed
the 6th degree. William Randolph Hearst was totally into paganism.
That is very obvious by a tour of his mansion in California which has been
turned into a museum. It was William Randolph Hearst who financed the first
three years of Billy Graham’s Crusades. Stu PAK is
associated with the Stewart Title Company. Stu Pak provides funds for Billy
Graham and others. The head of Stu Pak is friends with Billy Graham and George
Bush. The company has a lot of relatives running it. The Morris family
is also tied to it. The people of Stewart Title Company are ruthless. The
Van Duyn Illuminati family in California also helped Billy
Graham’s ministry get started.
One of the ways the Illuminati funnelled money to Billy Graham was through
a monthly check delivered to Jeanne Dixon’s office,
which was picked up every month by Billy Graham’s staff. After Dixon’s
secretary came to Christ she tried to expose Billy Graham’s connection
to Jeanne Dixon. Jeanne Dixon sells crystal balls with snakes. She is part
of the Illuminati. Billy Graham wrote her a letter calling her "a woman
of God." Dixon’s secretary had a copy of this letter with Billy
Graham’s signature on it, after she became a Christian. In 1952, in
Paris, Billy Graham and another evangelist had dinner with two prostitutes
and each one took one of them home. Billy Graham had a wife and children at
home, so the whole affair was totally improper for an evangelist even if Billy
Graham didn’t have sex with the woman. He told his friend only that
the prostitute had taken off her clothes and he’d gotten scared and
come back to their hotel room. See Frady, Marshall. Billy Graham, A Parable
of American Righteousness. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., p.169-170.
In 1954, the man who ran security for the Sacramento Crusade saw a high-priced
hooker sneak into Billy Graham’s room prior to him going out for the
Crusade. Billy Graham and this high priced hooker were alone together in the
It is this type of thing that has opened Billy Graham up to blackmail. Should
Graham ever try to stray from the proper course set for him by the Illuminati,
they have plenty of ammunition to blackmail him. (You may ask why would the
Satanists from generational satanic families want to intimidate Billy Graham
with fear? Why, isn’t he from a generational satanic family? The answer
is that the whole Satanic system operates off of fear.
Intimidation & fear are standard everyday parts of their makeup and
actions. Sort of the counterpart to the saying there is no honor among thieves.
The Satanic hierarchy are in constant intimidation and power struggles.) When
Billy Graham wanted to, he could call up Henry Kissinger and
say, "Tell him to call me the minute he comes in." (Frady, p. 451)
Henry Kissinger is right in the middle of what the Illuminati is doing. Another
Illuminatus that Graham had a working relationship with is Henry Luce,
friend of the Baruchs. Luce and Billy Graham spent several
nights staying up talking late into the night. Knowing how the Illuminati
work, it is very safe to assume that they have pushed Billy Graham into further
degenerate acts. They have probably done everything they can to pervert Billy
Graham, so there is no telling what sexual sins remain hidden. Kissinger is
a member of P2 Freemasonry.
If we were to assume that Billy Graham were not involved (and that is a big
IF since we know that he is), then if one studies P2 Masonic recruiting tactics
given in the book In God’s Name, p. 116, then the reader will
grasp that anyone of Billy Graham’s stature who associates so freely
with P2 Freemasons will be targeted and blackmailed and forced to join. Once
they join, new members are forced to compromise other possible targets. Billy
Graham is part of the people who implement the Monarch program (which was
a joint Illuminati/CIA total mind control program done to people). We know
that he is serviced by Monarch sexual slaves (their kitten alters). It is
very easy for the network to keep these poor victims (Monarch slaves) from
talking, and so the full extent of much of what has gone on may not come out
in our lifetimes. Another possible clue about Billy Graham’s hidden
life comes from Billy Graham himself. Do the readers remember how Jimmy
Swaggert would disguise himself with sun glasses, etc. and his staff
helped him carry out what he in part confessed? In Hollywood, FL (yes, FL!)
Billy Graham said that he "often attends love-ins and rock festivals
incognito by putting on a false mustache and beard." He also said he
found the experience in doing that kind of thing "refreshing." This
story was in the Chicago Daily News, Dec. 29, 1969.
The article’s purpose appears to have been to make Billy Graham look
hip to today’s rock and roll crowds of teenagers. Billy Graham described
his friendship with Alan Dulles,
" I make every effort not to let it appear that I favor one party
over another. I count Secretary Dulles a friend, but Senator Humphrey is
also a good friend of mine, [who he met] ... when we were both swimming
nude at the YMCA pool in Minneapolis where he was running for mayor."
A friendship with Alan Dulles? Alan Dulles, director of the CIA, was one
of the biggest perpetrators of the trauma-based mind-control that this book
is about. Humphrey also received orders from the Satanic hierarchy. And what
is this swimming in nude? When Billy Graham had his 1954 Crusade, large sums
of the money came directly from people in the Illuminati, the Whitneys,
the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, and Chase
Manhattan. Billy Graham has numerous times attended Hollywood cocktail
parties. Just two examples of which are: one given by Debbie Reynolds, and
another one which was a cocktail party for Hollywood stars put on by Nixon
at his San Clemente, CA home on a Sunday evening. Billy Graham’s schedule
is filled with activities such as playing golf with people who are in the
Illuminati, or are Hollywood types.
The full impact of this constant fellowshipping with darkness is hard for
people to grasp, because they picture that Graham is an evangelist and so
therefore he must go where the sinners are. There is an expression, show me
a man’ s friends and I’ll tell you about him. It’s one thing
to spend time with evil to give it a chance to repent and come to the light,
It is another to fellowship with evil and allow it to remain in darkness.
Let us quote from a neutral source, a group who had been investigating the
role of church and state. They were trying to determine for their study whether
Billy Graham has had an impact on all the Presidents from Eisenhower to Clinton,
This study was not pro or anti Graham, It was simply trying to determine what
impact this religious leader is having on political leaders. Billy Graham
has spent a lot of time with all the Presidents, so their question was "has
Billy Graham had some type of impact?" Their conclusion printed in the
Journal of Church and State concludes, .. . .could Graham speak the word of
truth - especially when that word may be critical or slashing -to the man
in the White House when he is on such friendly terms with him? On the basis
of the evidence now available, the answer must be no." What a person
does on his free time is said to be revealing.
Christ did spend his time with sinners, but he called them to repentance.
In all my study of Billy Graham, I haven’t seen any of the Hollywood
movie stars or politicians change their lifestyles by their association with
Billy Graham. A number of "conversions" have been artificially created,
and given widespread publicity by the press. Pat Boone is
the type of close friend of Billy Graham that perhaps typifies Billy Graham.
He is someone well-received by the public. Billy Graham has enjoyed using
him in Crusades. Pat Boone continued playing in Playboy type night clubs while
he was singing at Billy Graham Crusades. Pat Boone who is pro-jewish, may
be jewish, because the State of Israel has given him some special positions.
There is nothing wrong with having "jewish blood", it just explains
some of his connections. The Nugen Hand Bank was a CIA operation
that laundered money, and did many illegal activities.
Pat Boone was part of the Nugen Hand Bank scandal. Exactly
how deep he was involved with the CIA’s dirty dealing is unclear. Pat
Boone’s daughter Debbie Boone made a hit out of the
song "You Light Up My Life", the words of the song were written
by a woman who worshipped Lucifer and wrote the song to Lucifer. Billy Graham
has placed the emphasis in his Crusades on putting liberals, even Catholic
priests, up on the platform with himself. When does Billy Graham ever spend
time with solid devout Christians? Every time Billy Graham went to Moscow
he tried to avoid the devout Christians of the unregistered churches who unwittingly
tried unsuccessfully to meet with Graham. Instead, he would meet with the
heads of the Orthodox Church, which, since all the changes in Russia, are
now proven to have been KGB agents--although most of us had suspected that
all along from the type of things they said and did. How naive can Christians
get? Do they really think that the Illuminati is going to let a legitimately
powerful anointed Christian evangelist have regular access to their people?
Don’t Christians realize that if he was a real threat--someone who might
really bring one of the top elite to Christ that they would be assassinating
him, not wining and dining him.
--"BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS, WHICH COME TO YOU IN SHEEP CLOThING, BUT
INWARDLY THEY ARE RAVENING WOLVES." Mt. 7:15 --"BEHOLD, I AM SENDING
YOU FORTH AS LAMBS AMONG WOLVES." Lk. 10:3
The Apostle Paul warned Christian leaders, "Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit hath made
you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his
own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves
enter in among you, not sparing the flock." Acts 20:28-29 Bill Clinton,
some senators, and Billy Graham’s son, Ned E. Graham,
invited the leaders of the Chinese house churches to a prayer breakfast in
Washington D.C. Three delegates from the Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM)
and 3 others from house churches were invited, Lin Xian-Gao, Li Tian-En, and
Yuan Xiang-Chen. Rev. Ned Graham visited these Chinese in person to extend
the U.S. government’s invitation.
Graham told the chinese Christians that the government would pick up the
entire tab for the breakfast. In return the U.S. government wanted the Christians
to promise not to speak to the American press or to any Americans comments
that might hurt the image of the Red Chinese government. The Chinese government
had promised the American government that they would guarantee safe entry
and departure for these house church Christian leaders. Then after the meeting,
they were invited to Billy Graham’s house. The Chinese Christians declined
the invitation by Graham. Chinese pastor Lin said,
"If I went to the United States, I would tell the truth, not lies.
To tell the truth would definitely be considered an act of damaging the
image of the Chinese government which would create a pretext for the government
to refuse my re-entry into China. But my commission from God is to serve
Him faithfully in China only. Therefore, I choose to remain in China rather
than to go abroad."
Ned Graham (Billy’s son) tried to talk the Chinese into coming, I know
that you surely do love your enemies, why then can you not compromise..."
The pastor answered, "Yes, we can forgive our enemies for persecuting
or opposing us in their ignorance, but we can never love the false prophets
or their heresy."’ Ned also said, "It is a glorious and dignified
thing to be invited by President Clinton. Many people seek it, but cannot
obtain it. Fortunately, the chinese did not buy it. (This info and quote comes
from China The Untold Story by The Voice of the Martyrs, Inc., 1995. pp. 25-31)
BUILDING AN IMAGE
There is another area of Billy Graham that we will only touch on. In one of
Fritz’s ‘92 newsletter, Billy Graham is quoted stating that he
thought UFOs were angels of God. On either Jan. 28 or 29th (See Smyma, Feb.
‘93, p.3), Billy Graham was interviewed on television by David Frost.
Billy Graham said he believed people in heaven are sent by God to other worlds
to help them in redemption of life, This is edging somewhat close to what
the Mormons believe, that "Christians" (that is Mormons) will each
receive their own planet to be god of. In another show, Graham said he wanted
to evangelize other planets. Fritz has repeatedly tried to warn Christians
of the many demonic dangers associated with the entire UFO phenomena, and
the Satanic Hierarchy’s connection to UFOs. Billy Graham’s idea
that UFOs are good angels is a dangerous idea. Billy Graham was given the
contrived artificial image of being a great anti-Satanist.
At the Chicago Crusade, 200 Satanists stood up in the crowds. Mayor Daily
of Chicago then said from the stand, Billy we have 200 Satanists that want
to disrupt your meeting shall I arrest them? What shall I do? And Billy said,
"No let’s sing a song". The crowd sang a song and the Satanists
left the stadium on their own. The whole affair was clearly staged and hokey,
but Christians are very naive about Satanism and Billy Graham. This
further confirmed to them that Billy Graham was a great anointed man of God.
First, hard core Satanists don’t show their faces in public. Second,
the Mayor of Chicago is not against the Satanists, he works with them, and
there are reasons to suspect he is one. Third, Satanists, who do show themselves
in public like Anton LaVey, want good publicity and would
not carry out something like pretending to want to disrupt a Billy Graham
crusade. Fourth, if a real threat had existed, Mayor Daily and the police
wouldn’t be asking Billy Graham what to do, they would be taking care
of the problem. The police don’t need to ask for permission to take
care of troublemakers at the Crusade. Christians accepted this episode at
its face value. Those who did clearly show the common church goer’s
poor understanding of those who seek to control and destroy the church.
How Billy Graham plays a key role in reprogramming Monarch slaves
Two different talkative Satanists told sources of mine about 2 different coven
meetings here in Portland in the Summer of 1993 where the covens discussed
the benefits that the satanists were going to get from the Billy Graham Crusade.
I know one of the benefits for the satanists was that Monarch programees who
had become Christians and had deactivated the effect of their mind-control
programming were to be reprogrammed with Billy Graham’ s help. When
Billy Graham arrived in town, someone on his Crusade staff had managed to
find and send out invitations to many of the survivors of Satanic ritual abuse
(SRA) in Portland to come to a special meeting to personally meet with Billy
Graham. At this special meeting with SRA victims, Billy Graham personally
began saying the buzz words to reactivate these people’s programming,
especially the Monarch survivors. (This comes from several witnesses.) For
a number of years now, the Billy Graham Crusade has been putting messages
across the bottom of television screens that has activation codes for Monarch
Those Monarch survivors who have become devote Christians to escape the nightmare
of the Monarch mind-control are often not aware of the danger of watching
the Billy Graham Crusade on television. When people are activated, special
people are in the area and they take the Monarch survivors to what are called
Near Death Trauma Centers. These centers are used then to reprogram these
poor people. There were five in this area, of which we located 2 and forced
them to move their sites. Religious fronts (denominations, individual churches
and certain ministers) are used to hide criminal activity. Billy Graham, who
is a programmed multiple himself, is exceptionally adept at managing his Monarch
kittens. The drug money laundered through his crusades is carefully handled
by many Monarch slaves working in shifts and teams, so that the whole scheme
can not be uncovered by catching one person.
Billy Graham runs big operations all over the world under the disguise of
evangelism. Another of the countless religious covers, that works with the
Network’s/Illuminati’s drug activities involves the Mormon Bishop
warehouses, which are used to store cocaine. Monarch slaves are involved with
this. Different religious labels hide the same criminal Network. By the way,
when giving the Patriarchal Blessing, the Mormon Patriarch if he has a Monarch
slave will use hypnosis and triggers to convince the person what their future
will be like. One can’t say this is happening in every case, but it
is very widespread for the Patriarch who give these blessings to be part of
the Trauma-based mind-control operations. Billy Graham also personally
delivers messages to the Presidents for the Illuminati, such as when
he arrived just prior to Bush’s decision to launch Desert Storm. Sometimes
the papers even spell out that Billy Graham serves as a message boy, for instance,
when he delivered a message in April, 92 from the Pope to North Korea’s
The following three books were very helpful to me in terms of documenting
Billy Graham’s activities, All three authors were interested in documenting
what Billy Graham is really all about. It may sound strange that I say that,
but sadly most of the books that touch on Billy Graham like America’s
Hour of Decision Including a Life Story of Billy Graham are simply part of
the deception process of the enemy. However, if anyone wants to know more
about Billy Graham the following three books were very helpful for me to document
Billy Graham’s activities.
Billy Graham, A Parable of American Righteousness by
Marshall Frady was a writer for Life and Newsweek. He has done an incredible
amount of research into Billy Graham’s life. He doesn’t touch
on the sinister side of Billy Graham, but by giving an honest report about
Billy Graham he tears off the "Hollywood-type mask" so to speak
that everyone has seen and believed. Marshall Frady simply wanted to tell
the whole story of Billy Graham, good, bad or otherwise. He spent many hours
interviewing Billy Graham and many other people involved in Billy Graham’s
life. When this book was read by a devout Christian, it totally devastated
this person’s media-built image of Billy Graham-- for instance, items
like Billy Graham going to dinner with a prostitute and taking her home, Billy
Graham walking past his wife and not recognizing her, & Billy Graham’s
New York Crusade refusing to allow street people into the crusade because
they were dirty. However, another Christian borrowed my copy of it, and said
after looking at the book he didn’t see anything wrong with Billy Graham
in the book. But then he just read portions of the book. Still, unless one
has spiritual discernment the book is probably not going to "blast a
person out of the water," because it is a biography not an exposé.
Until recently, this was the only really good biography that was available
for Christians. Many months before the Billy Graham 1993 Portland Crusade,
the advertisements for the crusade and the crusade activity here in Portland
began. Pilgrim Discount, which is one of the best Christian bookstores in
the Portland area sells both used and new Christian books. They had a used
copy of Billy Graham a Parable of American Righteousness. I watched for months
to see if any Christians would buy the book. Tens of thousands of Christians
got involved in the Billy Graham Crusade in the Portland area, but none had
the interest to read the only biography of Billy Graham available. Finally,
just shortly before the Crusade, a teenage Christian from Washington who had
been warned about Billy Graham and who was trying to keep from being forced
to attend, bought the book on a trip from Washington. This incident shows
what Americans know--and what they want to know about Billy Graham is shallow
media-hype. A Christian radio show here had the author of Billy Graham A Prophet
with Honor on to promote his book, which was done just when the Crusade was
A Startling Exposure- Billy Graham and the Church of
Rome by Ian R. K. Paisley.
This is perhaps the best book as far as actual documentation. The book is
probably rare, and not available. Ian R.K. Paisley has made it one of his
projects of his life to expose Catholicism. Because Billy Graham works more
with Catholics than Protestants Paisley as a concerned Christian obviously
found himself learning about Billy Graham. Ian R.K. Paisley knows first hand
how powerful Billy Graham and his establishment backers are. They have a colossal
publication strength to discredit any critic of Billy Graham in whatever manner
it takes -- even if it means outright lies and slander.
Billy Graham Reformer? Politician? Preacher? Prophet?
A Chronological Record Compiled from Public Sources
By the Church League of America 1951-1982
This book is from Edgar Bundy Ministries, It is a collection
of articles that have appeared in the public media on Billy Graham over a
period of 31 years. Billy Graham is condemned by his own words and his own
actions. If people only took a look at what Billy Graham is on public record
saying it would startle them. Who is Billy Graham working for? Is he trying
to build the Christian churches up, or is he trying to lay the foundation
for a one-world religion? While some people may on first thought think that
it is a great idea to have every one belong to the same religious structure,
they need to reflect on the dangers inherent in one single religious body
with all-encompassing power. The groundwork for such a dictatorial global
religious body is already partially constructed, and is revealed in other
writings of Fritz Springmeier. How many people know that in 1955 and 1956
Billy Graham announced that he had a policy of sending people who come forward
at his crusades to the church of their choice whether that church or synagogue
is Catholic, Protestant or Jewish.
For instance, the Protestant Church Life quotes Billy Graham in its 29 Sept
1956 issue, "Referring to the Billy Graham New York Crusade scheduled
for May, 1957, Dr. Graham said: ‘We’re coming to New York not
to clean it up, but to get people to dedicate themselves to God and to send
them on to their own churches--Catholic, Protestant or Jewish." There
is one other book worth pointing out at this point, It was not a source book
for my investigation, but I know the author, and the book came out recently,
so it is likely still available. The book is The Assimilation of Evangelist
Billy Graham into the Roman Catholic Church by Erwin Wilson. The address
is Quebec Baptist Missions, Box 113, Compton, Quebec, Canada, JOB iLO.
It’s s nice that men like Erwin Wilson are noticing Billy Graham’s
love affair with the Catholic Church. He picked up on Billy Graham’s
statement about the Pope, "Pope John Paul II has emerged as the greatest
religious leader of the modern world and one of the greatest moral...leaders
of this century." (The Saturday Evening Post, Feb, 1980.) However,
several of these anti-Catholic ministries are rejecting the bigger picture.
They have strongly resisted learning about mind-control and the exposure of
the conspiracy in Be Wise As Serpents by Fritz Springmeier. Because
of this, several of these Christian ministries to Catholics have lots of information
about Billy Graham and his close workings with the Catholic Church, but little
comprehension of how the Catholic Church fits into the bigger picture, and
how the New World Order is actually coming about.
There has been widespread concern about Billy Graham among Christians. Because
the controlled media don’t report these concerns, people are not realizing
the extent of the concerns which have been voiced. Even before the co-authors
got involved in exposing the Illuminati and their control over religion and
their plans for a New World Order, there has been a long history of concern
by devout Christians over Billy Graham. There has been a growing dissatisfaction
among conservative Christians towards Billy Graham. The introduction to Erwin
Wilson’s book which is written by Dr. Bob Jones (Chancellor of Bob Jones
University) provides an introduction to the concerns Christians have about
the man who has been set up by the media and the money elite to be their greatest
leader. We quote only a paragraph of what Dr. Bob Jones said, "Some of
us who grieved over Graham’s first downward steps toward compromise
with apostasy and biblical unbelief knew that he was pursuing a direction
from which there would be no turning back. While we grieved over him and prayed
for him, we had to warn men against his ministry as we had warned Billy against
The first area is doctrinal concerns by devout Christians, who have been
deceived that Billy Graham thinks as they do. Christians usually take for
granted that Billy Graham is sound doctrinally. The following paragraph of
beliefs of Billy Graham were documented in 1993 by Fritz Springmeier in his
June ‘1993 newsletter, with its large document packet. Main line Christians
would be shocked to find out what Billy Graham really believes and is on public
record as supporting. This will help show non-Christians, who read this, that
Billy Graham is not really the Christian he pretends to be. This is not to
preach at non-Christian readers, for some of the non-Christian readers will
agree with Billy Graham’s stands. These views are written to show how
a major Christian leader can have a false public image that has survived mainly
because the full public record of Billy Graham’s stands are keep low
If we are big enough to look at the deceptions of our politicians and statemen,
we must be big enough to face the deceptions of our ministers. Some of the
areas that Billy Graham deviates from Scripture are as follows. He is on public
record supporting homosexuality, abortion, his disbelief in a literal hell,
his support and practice of infant baptism to save children, his support for
the Catholic church’s worship of Mary (yet he calls himself a Protestant).
He has repeatedly praised infidels and apostates as great Christians. He actively
supported the American government policy to fight the Vietnam War. He would
not challenge the idea that the Bible is mythology, when directly questioned.
The deception doesn’t stop with the Protestants, Catholic supporters
have been kept in the dark about his abortion views. The deception goes way
beyond Protestant, Catholic beliefs. As a programmed multiple who participates
in Satanic Ritual, Billy Graham has deceived everyone. The second area is
concerns about his support for a One-World Church and a One-World-Government.
This stems from:
1. Billy Graham ’s public endorsements of the World Council of Churches
and the National Council of Churches.
2. Billy Graham’s consistent attendance at the World Council of Churches’
3. Billy Graham has done more than anyone in the world to bring about the
One-World-Harlot church, and he has done more than anyone to unite all the
Christian groups into one organization.
4. Billy Graham’s support of the Pope and the Catholic church which
is the largest Christian religion and one of the pillars of the New Age One-World
religious body being set up.
5. The support that the NCC and WCC gives him.
6. The support that the internationalists and globalists give Billy Graham.
Billy Graham was first asked to do his Portland Crusade in 1993 by the WCC/NCC
representative in this area who is a homosexual, a new ager, and leader of
the ecumenical movement.
A third area is concern over the lack of depth that conversions at Billy
Graham’s crusades have, Some of the details on this are:
l. Only 2% of the people coming forward at a Crusade have never been Christians
and are actually giving their life to Christ for the first time, and of these
80% fall away.
2. A great majority of people that come forward are sent to Catholic and
extremely liberal Churches, extremely few are sent to solid Bible believing
churches., In the Catholic Standard and Times, Thursday, July 16, 1992, p.
10, this Catholic paper reported that 1,900 Catholics responded to Billy Graham’s
call to make decisions for Christ in the Philadelphia Crusade and were referred
to about 250 parishes.
3. People that come forward are sent even to Jewish synagogues and New Age
4. Converts are given the impression that Christ wants decisions for him,
rather than that Christ wants disciples.
5. The people attending the crusades are almost all Christians, due to the
high numbers of Christian counselors and the high number of church people
which are always intentionally bussed in, (Frady exposes this, and in 1992
a writer of the Williamette Week did a major story for the magazine detailing
how she had searched the entire week at the Billy Graham Crusade for an unsaved
person and failed to find a single non-Christian. There were a few, but so
few she didn’t find any. William ette Week, Oct. 1,1992).
6. Most decisions at the crusades are for trivial things such as to stop
Interestingly, Christians with discernment spoke about how hurting the churches
were after the Billy Graham Crusade here in Portland. They had been made wild
promises of success, they were fleeced of their money, and then given a lukewarm
spiritual boost. Their comments reminded me of this warning to Billy Graham
clear back in the 1950s as to how he was ruining the harvest field. Part of
Satan’s Planetary control is through religious leaders. Christians have
been conditioned to believe that Billy Graham is a great prophet of God by
the establishment media, who have told us for years that Billy Graham was
the most respected man in America, The percentages that the controlled Media
have reported for Billy Graham’s popularity may have been inflated.
There are several studies that show how the establishment uses polls dishonestly
to manipulate thinking.
The establishment media is able to create ideas so firmly within the mind
of the public that it becomes almost impossible to deprogram people. What
people see on T.V. becomes what you believe, The T.V. image becomes real.
What actually happens at a crusade is far different from the media image.
In Scotland for instance, a poll was taken of church membership one month
before the Billy Graham Scotland Crusade, and two months after the Crusade.
Church membership had actually declined substantially. So after spending millions
of the Christians’ dollars, Billy Graham had not even helped the church
attendance of the Scottish churches. When Billy Graham holds his crusades,
the churches in the area sponsor the crusade. In Poland, in a nation 95% catholic,
the churches that sponsored his crusade in Warsaw were Catholic churches and
when people went forward they were sent to Catholic churches. Yet, when the
mass media report on Crusades, it is made to sound like thousands of people
became new Christians.
Many of the devout Christians that have supported Billy Graham haven’t
thought through what is really going on at the crusades. They have been so
caught up with the media image that they are not able to critically comprehend
that the crusades are really major spiritual disasters. The book for counselors
at the Billy Graham Crusade here in Portland specifically stated that only
Billy Graham was allowed to proselytize, that the crusade counselors were
forbidden to proselytize anyone at any time during the crusade, or else they
would lose their Crusade badge as a counselor. (See these instructions in
The Billy Graham Christian Life & Witness Course, Minneapolis, MN: Billy
Graham Evangelistic Association, p. 47, Instructions A.6.) But thousands of
the Christians in Portland who became counselors for the ‘92 Crusade
never gave it a second thought that only Billy Graham was allowed to proselytize,
because they trusted Billy Graham.
Money that could have gone to helping victims of mind-control went toward
superficial decisions for Christ. Money that could have gone to doing some
serious damage to the evil, has gone for Madison avenue hype and for big shows,
On top of this, the large sums that are spent on the Billy Graham Crusades
serve as a cover for the Networks money laundering that they do through Graham’s
Crusade using a series of Monarch slaves in a complex series of money drop
offs. A fourth area is concern over his methodology. A body language expert
says that Billy Graham’s talks are simply canned. They are simply well-rehearsed
canned-body movements and not coming from the heart. His crusade uses Madison-Avenue
sales techniques instead of traditional scriptural methods to get converts.
Billy Graham crusades always spend great sums of money for bill boards promoting
Billy Graham and bumper stickers promoting Billy Graham, the end result is
that Billy Graham’s name is usually promoted millions of times more
often than Jesus Christ.
Christianity is consistently watered down and identified with the world and
its ways. And a great deal of boasting is done about numbers of decisions
instead of real meaningful discipleship. A fifth area is concern over Billy
Graham acceptance of Communism. Although many people feel communism is dead,
this area is still relevant. If you think communism is dead go live in North
Korea, where Billy Graham went in 1992 full of praise for North Korea. See
Christianity Today, May 18, 1992, p.55. (By the way, Billy Graham & family
have sat on the board of Christianity Today, and still control it, so it wouldn’t
misquote him.) l. Billy Graham has repeatedly over international mass media
claimed that there was no religious persecution under the communists, 2. Billy
Graham has praised Mao-Tse-Tung’s principles, 3. Graham has praised
communist leaders on numerous occasions, 4. Dyed-in-the-wool communists who
have been the ones giving orders to torture
Christians for some reason feel comfortable spending time talking to Billy
Graham. The actual heritage and name of Billy Graham There is a connection
between Marxism and a group of Satanists calledFrankists.
One of the strongest satanic cults to take control over the Jewish population
was called Sabbatianism. Jakob Frank assumed
the role of leader of this group, and afterward this brand of satanism was
called Frankism. (Freud’s sexually-obsessed theories
came from Frankism.) Frank taught his followers to convert to another religion
and hide behind that religion to practice their satanism. (One of several
book on the subject of Frankism is The Contemporary Faces of Satan
by Ratibor-Ray M. Jurjevich.)Billy Graham’s family
when they originally came over to this nation were of the Frank family which
is related to Jakob Frank. After coming over to this nation, they changed
their name to Graham which is a Scottish name.
Two groups of people who are over represented in the power structure over
the last 200 years are Scots and cabalistic satanic "jews." Obviously,
not all Scotsmen nor jews are involved in the NWO. Several other researchers
independently discovered that Billy Graham’s heritage was the jewish
Frank family. However, Fritz was beginning to suspect that there must be some
kind of jewish blood in Billy Graham’s heritage, because of the all
the things he would stumble upon. For instance, the intimate connections Graham
had with Jewish leaders and Jewish Christian ministries. And his assurances
to them that they are God’s chosen people, a special group. Graham privately
told them, that because they are a special chosen group they don’t need
to come to Christ. (Fritz discovered all this by accident reading Jewish literature.)
Further, the paper called "The C-9 Report For internal use only"
states on page 11 that Billy Graham’s daughters have lived in Israel,
and that Billy Graham’s son fought with the Israeli army in the Six-Day
In the Be Wise As Serpents book, chapter 2.1, "The Jewish
author Gerald S. Strober in his book American Jews Community in Crisis, p.
110 states that after a resolution in Feb. 1973 at Pittsburgh by the NCC failed
to declare the NCC against converting the Jews, that Billy Graham announced
the following day a statement that God had a special place for the Jews and
rejected ,,coercive evangelistic efforts." Privately, Graham has assured
Jewish leaders he is against converting the Jews to Christianity. Strober
also informs his readers (p. 111) that many Christian organizations that are
"Jewish Missions" take their marching orders from Billy Graham,
This confirms numerous reports..." So Strober in effect is saying don’t
worry Graham is with us, and he controls most of the Christian organizations
that are supposedly missions to evangelize us. Messianic Jewish groups are
strongly pro-Billy Graham, Some of these groups have gained in size and then
strangely gone back into Judaism.
That kind of thing has been happening here in Portland, not to mention other
localities. Now it is clearer why Jews coming forward at Crusades have often
been and are being referred by the Crusade people to Reformed Jewish synagogues.
How Billy Graham is a 33° Mason. This is an important issue, however,
even if Billy Graham were not a 33° Mason, there are many things that
he is doing that should warn Christians not to support him. There have been
a number of people in casual conversation who have mentioned Billy Graham
being a 33° Mason, for instance a CIA leader, a NSA person who is against
the NWO, and various Masons. These accidental revelations are what can be
considered casual evidence, in that it is accidently heard. Some of the people
who have read Fritz’s Be Wise As Serpents book have been experiencing
validation of what was written on Billy Graham by their own casual contacts
with people. These types of encounters are very meaningful to the people who
experience them, but their significance is hard to communicate to others.
Hopefully, readers of this, who are truth seekers, will have their own casual-evidence-validation
experience. One piece of casual evidence came from a Shriner Clown. It turns
out the only clowns who were chosen to perform for the Billy Graham 1993 Portland
Crusade were Shriner Clowns. There were non-masonic clowns available, even
some Christian clowns, but the masons were the only ones Graham allowed to
perform for him. Various people, who have worked in the system for the Illuminati,
such as an ex-witch who is now a Christian, an ex-33° Mason now a Christian,
and a CFR’s person also now a Christian, all testify that Billy Graham
is a 33* Freemason. A woman and a man who are ex-satanists and now Christians
also have mentioned about Billy Graham’s masonic membership. (One has
to understand that there is a close working relationship between the Lodge
and the Illuminati.) To progress up the ranks in Satanism, they will require
you to go through Freemasonry. Freemasonry then teaches people about the symbology
of the mystery religions. The lodges bring in female Monarch slaves for some
of their Egyptian sexual-magic rituals.
If the reader were to get up in the morning and your mother, sister, and
brother were in the kitchen and said that your mother had just drank a cup
of coffee, you would be able to tell from their faces if they were telling
the truth, and you would know that your mother had drank a cup of coffee.
This is the way it is for us. We know these witnesses know the truth, and
we know they are not making it up. But if people don’t believe that,
then they need to go scrounge up their own witnesses, and risk their own hide
in doing the contacting. The material we presented here is not frivolous work.
As pearls of value, we hope that this research is not taken and allowed to
become pearls given to swine. Because Billy Graham is such a key person for
the Illuminati and the Satanic plan to bring in the Anti-Christ and the One-World-Religion,
key parts of Graham’s life have been intentionally shrouded,
When he joined the masonic lodge c. 1948, they intentionally kept his membership
more secret than others. Why? They are secret about their membership in general,
but even more so if the person is a key Illuminatus and a big key to their
religious control, This is why they have kept the membership of Charles T.
Russell, founder of the Watchtower Society quiet. This is why they keep the
memberships of the Mormon prophets secret, It has been a consistent pattern
by the Masonic Lodge to keep these key people’s membership very quiet.
It would be much easier if we had a membership certificate, but for people
who don’t want to believe no amount of evidence would suffice. In terms
of a paper trail we have the following:
· Billy Graham’s books consistently refer to basically only
· Billy Graham endorsed the Masonic DeMolay program
for youth as God’s work. This endorsement by Billy Graham is in a Masonic
book that is used to educate people about "the craft" (that means
Freemasonry). That book is The Clergy and the Craft and it says that the people
who are quoted in it are Masons. (See Haggard, Forrest D. Transactions Missouri
Lodge of Research, Vol. No. 27, The Clergy and the Craft, p. 127. where Graham
endorses the Masonic youth program. In terms of witnesses who have put what
they have witnessed in writing we have the following:
· Jim Shaw, ex-33° Mason -- the highest ranking Freemason to defect
to Christianity, writes about Billy Graham being at his 33° initiation
ceremony. Huntington House refused to print his book co-authored with Tom
McKenney unless they took out Billy Graham’s name on pg. 104, and substituted
a general description. (See The Deadly Deception, p. 104-105.) Only
Freemasons are allowed to attend these initiations. (See The New Age,
the official organ of The Supreme Council 33°. Wash., D.C., October 1961,
p. 30.) Some Christians have tried every thing in their mind to get around
Jim Shaw’s testimony. And the Masonic Lodge are now claiming that he
wasn’t a 33° Freemason. There is no doubt that he was a 33°
What we are seeing is how important it is to the Illuminati to keep Billy
Graham’s membership secret. Originally, Dr. Morey who wrote a book on
Freemasonry told me over the phone that Billy Graham was a 33° Freemason
and that he had held his membership file in his hand in the library of the
House of the Temple, which is where the Supreme Council of the 33° has
their headquarters. However, now he denies it and says that he only was told
by the librarians that the file existed, but that he didn’t examine
the membership file. He wrote a letter to Christian News to the editor which
was printed. At least, his letter to the editor of Christian News says that
the Scottish Rite have a Billy Graham file. Fritz stands by his original statements
about what Dr. Morey said, even though he has gone back on his original story
and is getting people to think Fritz somehow invented what he told me.
There are a great many things that are suspicious about Dr. Morey. His book
on Freemasonry claims that Freemasonry started out a Christian organization.
His book was printed by a company that uses the Knights Templar logo as their
company logo, and whose company head is most likely a Freemason. If it looks
like a duck, quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck--what do you think
it is? Long before I actually knew Billy Graham was a 33° Freemason, I
felt that was the "most likely" explanation for what I was learning
of him. What caused me to think that way? Everything about the man, just shouted
Freemason. The way he talks, who he has as friends, etc. etc. This article
is not capable of going into depth about small nuances and details, but suffice
it to say that the Masons know how to broadcast to other Masons that they
are a Mason. It should be pointed out some of the key people for Billy Graham’s
staff have been Freemasons. Let’s look at a few of the key people helping
William M. Watson -- DIRECTOR OF THE BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION,
he is a Freemason, and he is also President of Occidental Petroleum Corporation.
Chairman of Occidental was Armand Hammer. Watson is also a member of the development
council of the Masonic run Baylor University. Baylor University has participated
in the mind-control, (See also the expose of Baylor University in Be Wise
As Serpents.) He also was a member of the advisory council to the Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth which had at least three Freemasons
on its board of trustees, and likely more.
David M. McConnell -- DIRECTOR OF THE BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION,
he is a Freemason, He was also U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (1968-69),
business associate with Illuminatus
Charles Gambrell, in Belk Stores of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Arthur Lee Malory -- CO-CHAIRMAN of the BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE Advisory Committee
for the 1973 St. Louis Crusade -- 32° Freemason, deacon in the So. Bapt.
Who are some of the primary ministers that had worked with 33° Freemason
Billy Graham over the years?
Billy Graham has helped set up other 33° Masons in ministry. Billy Graham
has placed his stamp of approval on almost every well-known apostate Christian
out there. When Billy Graham had a crusade in Japan, the Japanese minister
that he had up on the platform was a well-known extremely liberal Christian.
A conservative japanese was shocked. Billy Graham is also endorsing many of
the books, and ministries of these apostates.
Some of the three biggest ministers in the protestant world, Robert Schuller,
Norman Vincent Peale, and Oral Roberts are all 33° Masonic brothers of
33° Freemason Billy Graham. (See Roberts, Oral. Miracle of Seed Faith,
p.9.) Billy Graham has helped each of these brothers with their ministries.
Robert Schuller taught principles of church growth to Unity School in Kansas
City. A Christian, who used to be on staff there, said that Robert Schuller
was fully aware that Luciferian Initiations were going on at the school and
that he didn’t care. Robert Schuller, 33° Freemason, was helped
into ministry by Billy Graham. Schuller also participates in the Monarch program
and is also sexually serviced by Monarch slaves. Norman Vincent Peale’s
form of Christianity called positive thinking is actually only white witchcraft
with different names.
Peale simply is a "Christian" witch. Norman Vincent Peale, 33°
Freemason, his church receive the bulk of people who came forward at the NY
Crusade. Norman Vincent Peale is a 6° Illuminatus (Pilgrim Society), and
a 33° Freemason. In the magazine Psychic Magazine of San Francisco Peale
says of occultist Kreskin, All he’s doing is dramatizing what I’ve
been preaching in my writing for years. Norman Vincent Peale controls the
approx. $200 million Presbyterian Minister’s Fund. He celebrated the
25th anniversary of the United Nations. He was the keynote speaker at the
birthday of the late Mormon prophet Spencer W. Kimball (a secret Mason). Peale
praised Kimball as a true prophet of God, and a great man of God. Peale practices
witchcraft, and palms it off on unsuspecting Christians under different terminology.
The false unity movement which is so strong today, wants to unite the devout
Christian with the likes of Norman Vincent Peale. Peale is a good friend of
Billy Graham, and Billy Graham referred the largest number of new converts
of the NY Billy Graham Crusade to Peale’s church. Oral Roberts, 33°
Freemason, helped into ministry by his masonic brother Billy Graham. Oral
Roberts has been seen by witnesses participating in SRA and Mind-control.
Oral Roberts University and the charismatic movement is another important
religious front. The Charismatic movement has been infiltrated by multiples
since day-one. The history of the infiltration is extensive. Oral Roberts
had cherokee blood, According to some things that Oral Roberts has said, some
Christians think that he received his healing powers from an old Indian who
healed him through indian shamanism when Oral was young. At times, Oral does
use the same methods that spirit mediums use to heal with. According to slaves
who have been deprogrammed, they were in satanic rituals with Oral Roberts.
Christian ministers, who have participated in his ministry are saying that
they have seen massive swindle in his healing ministry. His university is
being used as a programming center. His basketball team at one time had Monarch
slaves playing on it. We do not know if they still do. Under the prayer tower
is one of the programming sites. Billy Graham, a handler himself, helped launch
Oral Roberts University, and is a friend of Oral Roberts. From the Illuminati’s
point of view Tulsa is the Guardian City of Apollo. The City of Faith is to
be the center for healing from AEsculapius, a demon related to Apollo. While
portraying themselves as Christians, infiltrators within the charismatic movement
are carrying out satanic rituals to get demonic healing powers. Tulsa is one
of, if the main center for the campaign to infiltrate Christianity via the
Charismatic/Pentecostal movement with programmed multiples. G. Bromiey Oxnam,
33° Freemason, was head of the FCC churches, supportive friend of Billy
Graham, G. Bromley Oxnam has a long history to him of working for the elite,
interested readers can pick up his story in Be Wise As Serpents in
the chapter that goes into the details about how the Christian churches were
organized by the FCC and WCC for the Illuminati.
The NWO is infiltrating the churches via the Earth Stewardship Movement.
An attempt was made at Rio de Janeiro to get an Earth Charter but there wasn’t
enough time, their were lots of N.O.G. delegates and just in general lots
of people to coordinate (4,000 attended). Another Earth Summit was promised,
but instead they decided at the end of Sept/Oct of ’95 to have a State
of the World Forum to be held by/sponsored by the Gorbachev Foundation at
the Presidio, CA. The ex-head of the KGB, Gorbachev is now headquartered in
the Presideo, a major mind-control programming site. Christian basher Ted
Turner was the chairman of the conference. The cost was $5,000 per person
and the invitations went out to only select people. There were 100 handpicked
politicians who received invitations, along with Billy Graham and Mother Teresa.
This was coordinated with the 50th anniversary of the UN which was being celebrated
all over the world.
FLEECING THE SHEEP
The charismatic movement claims to have the Holy Spirit in a special way,
however, some seem to be lacking in all discernment that the Holy Spirit would
give. There are several books exposing the big name Charismatic ministers.
One is written by an ex-charismatic Assembly of God minister. He shows a picture
in his book of an Assembly of God flier promoting the "Testimony of J.
Edgar Hoover." Yes, the Assembly of God promoted the ,,testimony"
of J. Edgar Hoover, while he was known to be a power hungry individual who
practiced homosexuality, It was this type of hype that caused this minister
to grow disillusioned with the charismatic movement’s so called spirituality.
Recently, the spiritual discernment of Billy Graham and many other big time
ministries was exposed when these big Christian ministries were conned out
of $550 million dollars. Billy Graham introduced John G. Bennett to thousands
of people at a recent Billy Graham Crusade in Philadelphia in 1992. John Bennett
gave his testimony at the crusade.
Because Billy Graham, John Templeton, and Laurance Rockefeller were apparently
supportive of John G. Bennett, big time Christian ministries "trusted"
him. John told many of the big Christian ministries that if they gave him
millions of dollars, for every million he received he would give them two
million back. Many of the big Christian ministries gave Bennett money--in
fact he collected $550 million (which he ran off with) from ministries such
as Pat Robertson’s, Bill Bright’s, Chuck Colson’s, Luis
Palau’s, Westminster Theological Seminary, Wheaton College, the Salvation
Army and many others. The reader may have heard of this New Era Foundation
That’s what it was. Bennett told these "Christian" leaders
"Give New Era one million dollars and we’ll give you back two million."
The donations of hard earned money by many innocent Christian believers were
lost, However, the Christian believers are partially responsible because the
church has refused to clean house of wolves that set in their pulpits. For
instance, when Billy Graham came to the Portland area all the various denominations
from the most liberal to the most conservative supported him. Only about a
dozen churches did not get involved and only one church actively tried to
expose Billy Graham--EVEN THOUGH THERE HAS BEEN A MASS OF DOCUMENTATION EXPOSING
BILLY GRAHAM AS A WOLF FOR 30 YEARS. When the church refuses to follow God’s
Word and supports these men--then they must take some of the blame when these
men give their millions of hard earned dollars away to a con artist.
When people have been warned about Billy Graham, one of the common responses
is to for people to call up the Billy Graham crusade staff, If I ask a biologist
a question about biology I can expect to get a credible answer, If I ask a
mother about her son I can expect to get a credible answer. But how in the
world can someone call up the Billy Graham Crusade staff and expect to get
a credible answer to the question "Is Billy Graham a Mason?" The
person that answers the phone is likely a secretary, someone who knows Billy
Graham no more than the janitor. What does that person know about the Freemasons?
Because the Freemasons are a secret society, in general, there are only two
basic categories of people--people involved with Freemasonry, and they certainly
know what’s going on in it but they have taken blood oaths on penalty
of death not to talk about it, and those who aren’t involved with Freemasonry
and don’t know anything about it. There are only a few people who are
not masons, who are informed about the Masons. The answer of some secretary
over the phone to the question, Is Billy Graham a Freemason?" is of little
value, because the secretary or other staff member has not had the opportunity
to get reliable information. This is from the standpoint of getting a reliable
witness, calling some secretary or staff member is simply not a credible response
to all the documentation. No court would view a secretary of a large organization
as an expert witness qualified to settle such a dispute.
The second catch is that such witnesses are not reasonably unbiased. It is
expected that Billy Graham’s staff would front for him any questions
that could expose him to bad publicity. This last comment is not speculation.
There is proof that Billy Graham’s staff has consistently lied over
the years to prevent negative publicity about Billy Graham. When Richard Nixon
met with his political buddies to decide who to have run with him, the person
he asked first in the smoke-filled room was Billy Graham, I have read the
account of this is more than one place, but I will quote Marshall Frady’s
description of when Billy Graham was asked who he thought should run with
Nixon as Nixon’s vice-presidential running mate. Billy Graham chose
33° Masonic brother (then only 32°) Mark Hatfield.
Here is Frady’s description. "His assimilation into the Nixon
presidency had already been well underway, in fact, at that convention in
Miami when, after Nixon’s nomination, Graham wound up sitting in Nixon’s
penthouse suite among the smoggy late-night deliberations over Nixon’s
vice-presidential selection: Graham himself, whatever initial uncertainty
he might have felt to find himself in such a political locker-room session,
soon pitched into the proceedings with his own effusive recommendation of
Mark Hatfield: "He’s a great Christian leader. He’s almost
a clergyman. He’s been an educator, and he’s taken a more liberal
stand on most issues than you, and I think the ticket needs that kind of balance."
In 1992, Mark Hatfield, along with Prince Hall Freemason Jessie Jackson both
were on television in July of last year defending Billy Graham’s actions.
Mark Hatfield, according to a deprogrammed slave has been a user of Monarch
sexual slaves. NY’s Union Seminary is controlled and funded by the Rockefellers.
President of Union Seminary was Dr. Henry Van Dusen. Billy Graham made him
a prominent person in his crusade and said he was a "classic example"
of a mass evangelism conversion,
If that is a good example of Graham’s conversions, we Christians should
shudder. It is no coincidence that the Southern Baptists of which Billy Graham
is a member, is controlled by the Freemasons. Brook Hays, Pres, of the So.
Bapt. Convention was a high ranking Freemason as well as part of the CFR.
None of the So. Bapt. Convention’s Presidents have opposed Freemasonry.
Pres. Bill Clinton, a slave handler, is a member of the Emmanuel Baptist Church
which is a Southern Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark. The late Bill Moyers
who promoted the Mystery Religions was a Southern Baptist. Moyers went to
the SW Baptist Theological Seminary, the same school run by one of Billy Graham’s
staff directors. John Buchanan is another Southern Baptist. John Buchanan
went to a So. Bapt. Seminary, and then worked as a front man for People for
the American Way started by Jewish Norman Lear, an anti-Christian. People
might be shocked to learn of some of the New Age teachings and New Age teachers
that have been allowed into the Southern Baptist churches. The Southern Baptist
youth program is based on Masonic ideas and is very masonic in its ritual.
The reader is thanked for wading through a lot of difficult material. The
reader can see why Billy Graham may well be the greatest deception that has
ever been successfully pulled off. But as Abraham Lincoln said, "You
can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of
the time, but not all of the people all of the time." Ever since the
early 1950s, there have been Christians exposing Billy Graham, But the control
of the Christian media and the Christian seminaries is far more extensive
than most people realize. The Be Wise As Serpents book diagrams out how the
Christian religious denominations are being controlled, and how the Masons
and Illuminati-connected administrators and trustees have control of most
of the Seminaries. Billy Graham without a doubt works directly for the Satanic
hierarchy. But a rational and fair appraisal of what the man is, and what
damage he has done to Christianity will probably not be given much of a chance.
Nobody, no matter who they are is going to fool Christ. There will be a real
evaluation done on judgment day and when that day comes Christ said,
“MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, LORD, LORD, HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED
IN YOUR NAME, CAST OUT DEMONS IN YOUR NAME, AND DONE MANY WONDERS IN YOUR
NAME? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you
who practice lawlessness!” Mt 7:22-23
THE TOP SECRET AMISH FRONT (& HUTTERITES)
It will probably assist the reader to know that both of the authors have
first hand experience with the following information about the Amish. Fritz
was Amish for several years as a Amish church member in church districts in
Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. He has also visited numerous Amish settlements
in the U.S. & Canada, and lived/worked with the horse and buggy Old Order
Mennonites (not to be confused with the Old Order Amish Mennonites) in Ontario
Canada for half a year. He has a manuscript of a book that he wrote about
the Old Order Amish Mennonites, and has gone so far as to inquire with publishers
like National Geographic if they would like some of his material.
He has also attended a variety of Mennonite churches, including Church of
God in Christ, Menn. (Holdeman’s), Charismatic Mennonite, Conserv. Menn.
and Beachy Amish churches across the U.S. He also knows first-hand that Illuminati
slaves, some of who are programmers, have been infiltrated by the Illuminati
into Mennonite churches. Perhaps what may come across as the strangest religious
front, and it is certainly one of the biggest secrets of the intelligence
agencies is their use of the Old Order Amish Mennonites as a front. The Amish
are the most pacifistic people, so the Illuminati/intelligence agencies have
placed some of their best programmed assassins behind the front of being Amish.
The front is real--they are Amish, well, many of them, some were Illuminati
children switched at birth to give the programmers better bloodlines to work
from. Some Amish women in cult families have let the Illuminati impregnate
them with stronger bloodlines. Many Nazi bloodlines were hidden after WW II
under the Mennonite/Amish cover.
The Mennonites and some of the more progressive Amish adopt many children.
The Amish in Missouri (Jamestown), Kansas (south of Hutchison), and Oklahoma
(Guthrie, OK), Kentucky, Ohio (Holmes Co., OH), and Pennsylvania (Lancaster,PA)
have been involved in selling their children to the Illuminati. When the Illuminati
would buy a child they would send in one of their own midwives to help with
the birth and retrieve the child. Generally, the Amish would sell their children
when they realized they were going to have twins. One would be given to the
cult, and one would be kept by the Amish parents. Because these children are
born outside of the system, and have no birth certificates, they made excellent
children to use in porn. They also can be used as expendable children to use
in porn. They were often blond haired and blue eyed. The Amish women were
not allowed to use birth control, it was forbidden by the church, and they
were not allowed to have an abortion, and it was their duty to have sex with
their husbands. It is possible that some parents sold their children just
to get out of the responsibility of having another child.
The Amish farms in Kansas and Oklahoma and in the border states like Missouri
and Kentucky are mechanized with tractors, and they don’t need the large
families that the Amish in other places need. Due to the strong legalism that
pervades their church, some have tried to get around the tight spot that the
rules place them in by selling a few unnoticed children. However, there is
an active witchcraft practicing occult group within the Amish which is like
a box within a box within a box. It is very secret. There are many ways of
describing what is going on with the Amish. Let’s describe quickly in
half a page (it could be a book in itself) what a deep look at the spiritual
dynamics of what is going on with their communities. The rise of Satanism
within their ranks is simply a natural outgrowth of the spiritual dynamics.
There were two trees in the Garden of Eden, one was the Tree of Life and one
was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The first meant being transformed
by the Creator who made them into the image of the Spirit of God and receiving
spiritual life, but the other tree was performance.
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (religion) includes both Law (good)
and license (evil). As soon as a group gets legalistic, they fall from grace.
They then separate themselves by their performance and say in effect “look
at what we’re doing” which is a form of pride. God resists the
proud, so they through a number of spiritual dynamics lose fellowship with
God. This means they must cling to their legalistic traditions even more,
because a live relationship with God is gone. (Bible Studies are forbidden
by most Amish church distrists, and they don’t get new revelation from
God, they still are working off of the revelations of the 1600s, when they
were traumatized and quit growing. When they split from the rest of the Mennonites,
they were like a child alter split which never grows up.) When a group gets
legalism, they also get license, because the two grow from the same tree.
Every Amish community has two large groups--the legalistic ones and the license
The young people are even split this way. In Lancaster County, the Groffies”
is the nickname of the large license group of young people who fornicate and
drink. There is a smaller group of legalistic conservative young people too,
who are at the other end of the spectrum. There is one group (gang might be
a more appropriate name) called Jamborees who are an unruly and destructive
collection of angry wild young people. The Bishops in Lancaster Co. meet twice
yearly to keep this large settlement of opposites together. A lot of compromise
and looking the other way is done for the sake of peace. “Peace”
at any price is the name of the game. Even before a prayer is said in church
the minister calls out, “Wenn mer eenich sin, wella mer bete.”
This translates, “If we are in one accord, then let us pray.”
Because peace is so important, they are out of balance in getting it. They
place peace far above truth.
In order to have the appearance that everything is well, secrecy pervades
everything like the air one breathes. Because their whole culture is secret,
children raised in it aren’t aware of how strong it is, it is simply
a way of life, like it is for the Illuminati. Legalism values conformity.
Conformity perfers robotic obedience over understanding. In fact, one Bishop
told Fritz, co-author of this book, “We don’t want our young folks
to understand why they do what they do, we only want obedience. Understanding
is dangerous.” Does the reader begin to see how the Amish make both
the perfect setting for Monarch Mind-Control, and the perfect cover. The Amish
are a very secret group. During their early history they suffered severe persecution.
Their culture teaches them to suffer in silence, which today helps their Satanic
abusers infiltrate their culture. In the past in Europe, when the Catholic
or Protestant church caught them they were tortured to death. They were hunted
as animals and treated worse than animals when caught. This was the trauma,
that Satan did to them, and the lie that was then handed them was that if
they would cloister themselves secretly in the New World away from everyone
else, they would be safe.
The Amish have shut out from outsiders the true flavor of their culture and
beliefs. They are silent about their problems. They tell themselves that outsiders
couldn’t possibly be interested in their affairs. The Amish themselves
are very divided from each other. The divisions between Amish groups is called
Zwietract. Zwietract can cover anything from a mild aloofness to a full fledged
shunning (called the Meidung). The Amish aren’t in general qualified
to tell outsiders much in detail about their own heritage, or religion because
they are so isolated from the other Amish settlements and have been raised
in such an anti-intellectual culture. Most Amish are content to know that
the way they do things “was always done this way” and that their
elders and forefathers were gifted men who examined things very closely. Their
social norms are not intellectually questioned by most Amish, but then American
society has been very isolationist in the world and few Americans question
their society & norms.
Americans even rebel in the prescribed fashion, whatever the elite tell society
is the “in” “cool” “hot” stylish way to
do things. The Amish are similar to the Mid-east culture in that they have
a very indirect approach to saying things. They do not consider it proper
to speak with a negative connotation about anybody. They also instinctively
give pat answers to outsiders to blunt questions. These pat answers border
on being rigid, prejudiced, and simple. They serve the purpose to deter curiosity.
The early Amish leaders were ex-Catholic priests, but most of the people were
peasants who had little formal schooling, had little Bible knowledge, and
came from southern Germany and the Rheinland where witchcraft was practiced
by the common people. The Spirit of Witchcraft never left the Amish. It has
always been with them. The folk witchcraft is called Brauche, and the craft
is kept secret by old men who pass the incantations down in secret. When the
Amish moved to Pennsylvania, they moved in next door to Rosicrucians.
When the Rosicrucian settlements fell apart they joined the Mennonites, thus
bringing their hermetic magic along with them. Somewhere within the Amish
were some families that were under cover for the Jesuits, and were sent in
as spies long ago because they were corrupt. These families have been generational
satanists, which practice pedophilia and other crimes in the safety of their
isolation. They were placed within the Amish to help the Catholic church destroy
the Amish. In Europe that happened under Hitler, when all the Old Order Amish
were arrested in 1938 and wiped out of Germany. Prior to WW II, the Nazi’s
part of the Illuminati sent over a number of programmed multiples which set
up an unnamed cult in upstate New York. This cult was to help Hitler take
power in the U.S. when the Nazi’s won the war. They did not win the
war, but 60 years later this Satanic cult still operates.
Now 2nd and 3rd generation programmed multiples are now part of this cult.
Somehow this Illuminati mission coordinates with the Illuminati project to
get Hitler’s bloodline hidden among the Amish, although the authors
are aware of Hitler’s descendants being in Oregon, and Washington as
well as Pennsylvania. One of them in Portland, Oregon works for the Federal
government. Lancaster County is sometimes referred to as the mother church.
This was one of the original counties which the Amish settled in when they
first came over to the New World. William Penn invited Rosicrucians, Amish,
and other dissident religious groups to Pennsylvania. The Satanic covens in
Lancaster County, PA consist of members from Amish, Mennonite and Brethren
churches. They are not simply all Amish.
Lancaster County’s Amish will fellowship will all the approximately
200 other settlements of Amish around the country. What is a peculiar phenomena,
is that many churches that do not fellowship with one another, will still
maintain “communion” with Lancaster out of respect for place in
Amish history. However, Lancaster County has some of the most immoral reprobate
Amish that there could be. All this is hidden very well from the thousands
of tourists, due to the secrecy of the Amish. The Amish do not often pay taxes,
do not pay social security because they are exempt from the Social Security
program, and send many of their children to Amish schools. They are truly
a separate society which maintains rigid secrecy. If you were the New World
Order or the Illuminati where would you want to hide your assassins?
The safest place is inside of the most pacifist group in the world, the Amish.
Monarch mind-controlled slaves are being created out of Amish children. During
W.W. II, Amish conscientious objectors were forced by the government to do
alternate public service in lieu of military service. This was known as Civilian
Public Service. Amish & Mennonite conscientious objectors were placed
into Mental Hospitals to help. They served at Allentown State Hosp., Allentown,
PA; Cantonsville State Hosp., Cantonsville, MD; Cleveland State Hosp., Cleveland,
OH; Delaware State Hosp., Parnhurst, DL; Denver State Hosp., Denver, CO; Greystone
Park State Hosp., Greystone Park, NJ; Harrisburg State Hosp., Harrisburg,
PA; Hudson River State Hosp., Poughkeepsie, NY; Kalamazoo State Hosp., Kalamazoo,
MI; Lima State Hosp., Lima, OH; Livermore State VA Hosp., Livermore, CA; Macedonia
State Hosp., Macedonia, OH; Marlboro State Hosp., Marlboro, NJ; Mt. Pleasant
State Hosp., Mt. Pleasant, 10; Norristown State Hosp., Norristown, PA; Provo
State Hosp., Provo, UT; Rhode Is. State Hosp., Howard, RI; Roseburg VA State
Hosp., Roseburg, OR; Staunton State Hosp., Staunton, VA; Tiffin State Hosp.,
Tiffin, OH; Wernersville State Hosp., Wernersville, PA; Ypsilanti State Hosp.,
The author, Fritz, believes that the complete story of how the Illuminati
got a secret foothold into the Amish community lies in what happened in mental
hospitals to the anxious-to-please, compliant, innocent Amish boys, who were
assigned to these mental hospitals. Many people do not realize that during
W.W. I, several Mennonite/Hutterite conscientious objectors were tortured
to death by our government. Not a pretty picture when you find out how sadistic
our government was willing to be toward its own citizens. Not only did the
Amish boys go to lots of mental hospitals during W.W. II, but all of the religious
groups that participated in the conscientious objector service (called Civilian
Public Service) contributed boys to the Office of Scientific Research &
Development (part of the Army), which was still using these boys for experiments
until Dec. 31, 1946. What kinds of “experiments” were the Amish
boys, who were offered up as guinea pigs, subjected to by the OSRD? We now
know that some of these experiments were very dangerous to their human guinea
pigs. 1-0 classification was the Selective Service Board’s Conscientious
Objector classification. During the Vietnam War, Amish young men went into
I-W service (conscientious objector service) at mental and regular hospitals.
Their I-W service was for two years.
Some of these young men were programmed at these hospitals. One Amish boy
after he got home from I-W service committed suicide. The secret satanic families
within various Amish settlements also offered up their children. This started
a large scale super secret operation by the CIA/Intelligence agencies to set
up Delta teams within the Amish. Who would ever suspect an Amishman? They
have been expendable assassins for the CIA for years. These young men are
strong farmboys. They have no connection between themselves and the outside
world where they secretly carry out their missions, and if they die, there
is no birth record, and perhaps a dozen other siblings for their family to
continue on with. During the Vietnam War, the Military’s Selective Service
did things differently than in W.W.II. Any hospital or mental hospital which
applied for approval could get I-W (conscientious objector) boys. The Amish
put together a Steering Committee to work with the government and the I-W
In the I-W Steering Committee meetings (and the author Fritz attended one)
it was stated by Committee members “The boys do not come back the same
[from the hospitals]” and that the I-W service in the mental hospitals
was “proving unsatisfactory and harmful.” Some of the mental hospitals
which received Amish boys include Columbia Missouri’s State Mental Hospital
& Hospital complex, Colorado Psychopathic Hospital in Denver, all of the
hospitals that got W.W. III-Ws (as listed above), Central State Hospital,
Indianpolis, IND, New Jersey State Hospital, Greystone Park, NJ, Philadelphia
State Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, plus numerous others. At any one time, there
were hundreds of Amish boys in I-W service.
It is suspected that many of these hospitals were involved in mind-control,
and it is known that the Columbia, MO complex of hospitals and Mid-Missouri
State Mental Hospital, 803 Stadium Dr., Columbia, Missouri and the Veteren’s
Hospital across the street were involved in mind-control for the CIA. A mental
hospital had to apply to the Selective Service Board for approval to get I-W
workers. Then their personnel departments would hire the I-W boys for positions
such as nursing attendents. One State Mental Hospital administrator told Fritz
that the whole I-W thing was “pretty confidential.” The Amish
Steering Committee worked with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) which
in turn worked for some quasi-religious group which is privately funded called
The National Service Board of Religious Objectors (NSBRO) still active in
Washington, D.C. The Amish were slow to act, but by the end of the Vietnam
War, they had managed to get some of their farms approved for I-W service
and in 1971, the Steering Committee was able to announce that 70 Amish I-W
boys were working on Amish farms in 8 states, rather than in hospitals. However,
this late change was too late to protect their settlements from infiltration
from sophisticated Illuminati mind-control.
HOW IT IS DONE
A programmed Amish boy will likely be contacted by what is called a “CUT-OUT’.
This is the secret contact person who maintains contact between the Handler
and the Amish Delta. CUT-OUT’s can either be given several slaves (a
BLOCK CUT-OUT) or in other cases only know the up-line handler and down-line
person (a CHAIN CUT-OUT). If further secrecy is needed by the handler, he
can use ‘‘sterile telephones’’ which the Illuminati/CIA
have which cannot be traced, even by the telephone companies. When an Amish
boy is activated and sent out on an assassination mission for the Illuminati/Intelligence
agencies he is a professional at what he has been trained and programmed to
do. Amish boys, programmed to be assassins, are used in what their handlers
call “wet ops”. This intelligence lingo means that human blood
will run. Wet ops, also called black ops are debriefed by a briefing team.
The Amish multiple will have to give a detailed account of the finished operation,
once under hypnosis, once with a polygraph, and once under the drug scopolamine
(a truth serum). And when the debriefing team, which includes a Mind-control
Programmer, is satisfied that all of the inconsistencies between the different
accounts have been ironed out, then the Programmer will block out all memory
and guilt of the operation. The handler may write a “blind memorandum”
which has no file no. or letterhead or name. Then Amish boy’s assassination
alters will be praised for having done a great service to humanity and to
his country. The Amish boy can now be sent home to milk cows and work on his
labor-intensive tobacco farm without any nagging guilt or horrible memories
surfacing to trouble him (at least in theory). Trained assassins do have memory
flashes, as all Monarch slaves have, but they are only bits and pieces. People
also do not realize that the Amish live in many more states than Pennsylvania.
They move all over the United States. If an Amishman was travelling on a
CIA mission there are numerous of excuses that could be made for why he could
be on the move. There are far more Amish young people away from the Amish
settlements than people realize because they dress like the world. Many young
people leave with the knowledge that they can go back years later and be accepted
back into their community. What are some of the mitigating factors in all
of this? The Amish do their own butchering. They are down-to-earth people
who are not afraid of blood. Essentially all Amish children grow up helping
with butchering, and seeing life and death played out everyday on their farms.
The Amish do not embalm their dead, and have their own cemeteries.
The Satanic cult within the Amish can reopen the graves and carry out satanic
ceremonies afterward. Their cemeteries are small almost hidden sites with
markers hidden in grass. Some of these graveyards blend in with their rural
settings. Elmo, Joseph, and Victor Stoll are some prominent Amishmen. Joseph
and Elmo have travelled a great deal esp. to Central America. Joseph wrote
a book on Child Training which teaches parents how to break a child’s
will. This author is supportive of discipline and respect. The book is pointed
out, only because it is a paper trail to show that the Amish discipline and
the Illuminati’s discipline at times can be similar.
The only person who might see an Amish boy being disciplined (since they
are a rural people) would be the immediate family or an occassional amish
guest. An Amishman seeing a father carrying out the Monarch steps to build
dissociation would likely not see anything wrong. If the guest did see something
wrong (i.e. too strict or mean), the objections would be kept very low key.
For sure, no non-Amish would ever hear about it. The Illuminati families like
the Dukes and Reynolds control tobacco production and cigarette manufacturing.
In order to keep their lifestyle in Pennsylvania, the Amish have had to grow
tobacco for the Illuminati controlled companies. This author can only speculate
what economic leverage that has given the Illuminati over the Pennsylvania
HIDING A MAJOR PROGRAMMING CENTER
The blue prints of the Portland Mormon Temple at Lake Oswego, OR which sets
over a secret underground programming site, were changed overnight after they
were looked at. The original blueprints showed that Lake Oswego had allowed
a building code to broken. The blueprint was changed, showing that Lake Oswego’s
city employees were working along with the Mormon church and the CIA to keep
everything running smooth with their high tech secret underground programming
center, which has the front of being sacred temple grounds. Three separate
Monarch slaves independently described this underground installation, and
there are other evidences of it too. In order to gain access to the underground
programming tunnels, a person has to have to place their palm on the wall,
where a disguised instrument identifies a person’s hand. The entrances
are disguised using the most sophisticated techniques. One is from the Temple
Laundry Building south of the temple and another is from the hotel south of
the temple. This hotel has a strange hard-to-find entrance to its parking
lot, almost as if they haven’t wanted uninvited guests. Tunnels are
widely used at the other various programming sites.
EXTERNAL & INTERNAL DECEPTIONS
There are some stock tools of deception that are used both externally on
the world and internally on the slave when their system is programmed and
structured. Later in the book we will cover the structuring. Since this chapter
covers deceptions, we will discuss them here, but the reader needs to bear
in mind, they will be employed in the structuring/programming phases of the
slave’s life. They are deflection, blinds, slides, Hegelian dialectics,
a. Deflection is taking something good and deflecting its purpose. This is
a stock tool. For instance, loyalty and obedience can be good virtuous things
if given to the correct authority. But deflected to the false sadistic authority,
they are disastrous. They use Deflection to redirect the power of truth which
is opposed to them. Healthy foods, benevolence, ecology, love, acceptance,
etc. are all part of the Creator’s Christian walk. These truths and
other are deflected from their original purpose of glorifying the Creator
to glorifying their own programs. Rather than publicly opposing Christianity,
they rename their own movements Christian, and then proceed to do very little
for Christ, and everything for Lucifer. They are even deflecting worship of
Jesus Christ onto worship of a demon named Jesus.
b. The next externally and internally used stock tool is called “Blinds”-
these are deliberate deceptions placed within their own writings to confuse
the uninitiated. H.P.B. gives a good description of the use of these, so do
Masonic writers like Albert Pike. H.P.B. writing describes the use of Blinds
in The Secret Doctrine, Vol. 5 Adyar edition, p. 435. Blinds are used in CIA
documents, they are incorporated into the scripts that the alters receive.
For instance, the in fetro Moon Child ceremonies are not revealed to the non-hierarchy
alters, but they are told that the Moon Children have to do with the cage
c. Slides are truth that has been warped just slightly to take an investigative
person into a dead end. An example of a slide, is that the New World Order
is satanic, but that only Nazis and stupid people think that Jews are involved.
This is a slide, because then the Rothschilds who hide behind their jewishness,
can not be mentioned as suspects without people yelling “Antisemitism.”
In reality exposing these abusers has nothing to do with Anti-semitism, it’s
simply that all abusers no matter what good front they have, need to be correctly
identified as dangerous. Another example, an alter who pretends to be helpful
is placed in the system who says that the door to get to a castle internally
is the fifth door on the right in such and such hall. The answer is correct,
but the door must be opened using the left side, rather than the right side
where the door knob is located. Because the answer doesn’t pan out then
the idea that the door is the correct door is discarded, and the alter’s
knowledge is suspect. Lots of psychiatrists are writing papers about MPD with
slides. They give some truth, and then they give people a path to go down
that will dead end them from ever finding the truth.
d. They use Hegelian Dialectics. This dialectic process doesn’t happen
on its own so it often has to be forced into happening. The idea is that each
idea (“ism”) called a “thesis”, like say Capitalism,
naturally by definition has an opposite, an “antithesis”. In Capitalism
the antithesis is Communism. The conflict between the two produces a synthesis.
By controlling both ends of the conflict, one controls the end product, the
synthesis. More than not, the One-World-Power can be seen working behind both
sides of many conflicts. Indeed, the Secret Societies have been historically
shown to be behind all the revolutions and wars in Modern Europe since the
American Revolution. In religious conflict, both sides are often being manipulated.
Some of the various groups openly admit their strategy is designed to create
a synthesis. You will find Hegelian Dialectics has been introduced into the
U.S. educational system by the Skull & Bones Order, an Illuminati group.
It was adopted in Russia by the Slavophiles in the 19th century.
Communism, Nazism, Fabians, most New Age groups, Liberation Theology, and
other parts of the Power use Hegelian Dialectics. Hegel in turn based his
system on the ancient Greek atomists especially Democritus. Hegalian dialectics
is built into the conflicting scripts that alters are given. Slaves who are
twinned to another slave will find Hegelian dialectics employed in their twinning
programming. The Hegelian dialectics can be worked in with the double-binds
that the programmers love to use.
e. esoteric language.
f. Indirect interference with truthful information getting out. This is done
by stealing the impact of the truth, by printing a parallel story with disinformation
at the same time, or “leaking” an opposite story with disinformation
at the same approximate time. Disinformation leaks can be done through the
mass media, or an individual alter.
g. deniability. When orders are given and language is used, it is on purpose
vague so that the guilty can deny their guilt.
At this point, it might be appropriate to cover some standard CIA tactics.
They use some Monarch slaves as “Live Letter Drops”. An LLD is
a person who will remail spy letters. They will use “dead drop boxes”
which are simply places that an item or message is concealed to be retrieved
by some other criminal in the Network. They may give the slave a gift which
then has to be passed on. They may protect a written message by writing it
on edible paper. Safe houses are used, indicated by things such as 2 lion
statues along with prearranged O.K. signals, such as the position of a flower
When building an internal world, the programmers use every trick in the book
to hide things. First the abuse has to be hidden in silence, and then the
MPD has to be hidden. Next, the real core needs to be hidden. Then, the purpose
of a Monarch slave needs to be hidden. All the time that this is going on,
the programmers must constantly work at keeping the programmers’ identities
hidden, and their programming sites hidden. Programmers usually have cover
names when programming, and then hypnotically have the victim see them as
something else. For instance, Dr. Green had victims see him as a cricket.
He even used a cricket noise maker while programming, that clicked. In recent
times, the Programmers and handlers are programming their slaves to believe
that they are aliens.
The slave will generally be lied to that they have a “twin” somewhere.
Internally, the Programmer will begin making the System with the core related
alters and then the front alters. The front alters will be rearranged in a
fashion that the structure of the System is confused. The front alters will
be given heavy programming, to convince them that nothing ever happened to
them, they had a wonderful life. They will be given fictitious stories about
the programming, so that almost every item in a System has a cover story to
mislead an alter about what is going on. Many things are placed in boxes.
Clowns programmed to cut, are Jack-in-box clowns that pop up when an alter
even thinks unapproved thoughts. Some of the important things in a System
may be hidden out front.
An alter on the front may think it is stupid, and yet they have access to
internal maps of the entire system--which they can remember only on code.
If a person (such as a therapist or nosey alter) goes to look deep in the
System for the material he might be frustrated. Under a fanatically un-sexual
(asexual) alter, will be a sexual alter. Under a stupid alter, may be an alter
gifted in a language or art. Alters are very often hidden behind opposite
types of alters.
Important things in the System, and many unimportant things, are all well
guarded. Sometimes particular alters have to serve as the guards. Some of
these guards are called Gatekeepers. Gatekeeper alters will appear near the
surface of a system, and then again deep in the System about level 10, and
12. Gatekeeper alters are alters that the programmer must go through to get
to deeper levels. The Gatekeeper alters are very heavily programmed to keep
them in place. They will receive intensive lies. Some of the access triggers
which must accompany the verbal codes are kept secret, by virtue of the fact
that no person in their right mind would use them, such as needles, electro-shocks,
or slaps to certain parts of the body to trigger deep alters to take the body.
Items in a System will be disguised, such as the clockmaker alter/demons
will make clocks to appear in the system like anything they want. The only
way these can be adequately identified is that these clocks are always disguised
as gold items. As the Programmers work, they like to find word games, plays
on words and double-binds. They will also put in scrambling programs, deaf
alters and foreign language codes to help protect their secrets. The alters
who look the least to have programming may have the most.
Duplicate alters of most alters are created, so that even the alters themselves
don’t know if it is themselves or another alter. These duplicates are
called mirrored images & looking glass people (LGPs). Some of the mirrored
images may turn out to be demonic entities that have been placed using high
level demonology. Suicide alters, who are trained to have a big smile and
be clowns, mask their intention to kill the body when they take the body of
a slave. A popular method for hiding things within the occult world, has been
boxes within boxes.
A Masonic organization will have a rite, within a secret rite, with a secret
group, with an insider clique. Common everyday items that surround the slave
will be given special meanings. The songs the slave hears on the radio, will
for instance have code words. The Programmers due to the corruption of the
music industry knows what hit songs are coming out, and they will haul their
slaves in and program them according to the lyrics of the soon-to-be hits.
The lyrics will be written so that programmed meanings can be attached to
certain words and lines. Something as innocent as watching T.V., listening
to the T.V. or to a sermon may actually be programming a special message into
Hand signals will even be done over the news or other shows. For instance,
Bill Clinton at his inauguration made a satanic signal during the inauguration
ceremony. This sign of Satan is a standard hypnotic induction hand signal
Clinton waves the sign of Satan with his left hand at his inauguration. This
is a hypnotic induction signal for slaves. Although some might interpret this
as “I love you” which is handed by the right hand of a deaf person,
this left handed signal will induct slaves no matter what
some people think the meaning is.
No wise person would knowingly choose to fight their opponent blind and deaf,
yet that seems to be the choice which many nominal Christians are choosing.
They would like to live in denial and to characterize this book as doomsdayer
stuff and then dismiss and ignore this material. They want to eat, drink and
be happy. If people think that by putting their heads in the sand they can
escape the future, or even the present difficulties, they may be in for a
The Use of Esoteric Language
One method of deception is the use of Esoteric language. Esoteric terms
are understood by those deep in the occult, but are misunderstood by the common
people. The best example is the term “Saturn.”
The word Saturn consistently turns up as an important word
for the Illuminati and upper levels of the occult. Because Saturn is such
an important concept, it should be covered in this part of the book. Therapists
may encounter something to do with Saturn in a programmed multiple. Before
Fritz began researching the elite of the occult world, Saturn was merely meant
an enormous planet 95 times the size of the earth’s mass, the 6th of
the solar system in an orbit of 29.5 years around the sun. This means that
the co-authors of this book are less than three Saturian years old. Fritz
was also aware that Saturn was the father of all Gods in the mythology of
the ancient world. David M. Talbot in his book The Saturn Myth documents
how all over the world Saturn has been worshipped even more than the sun god.
Saturn has been the secret god of the occult world.
When we read in Deut. 18:9-10, “When thou art come into the land which
the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations
of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his
son or daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an
observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.” All of these practices
are abominations done by Satanists today and are becoming commoner among Americans.
Note that the first item mentioned by Moses in this passage was passing (putting)
children into the fire (of Moloch). A commentary (Keil, Carl F. and Franz
Delitzch. Commentary on The Pentateuch, III, reprint, Grand Rapids,
MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1949, p.393.) on DT 18:9-10 is: “Moses
groups together all the words which the language contained for different modes
of exploring the future and discovering the will of God, for the purpose of
forbidding every description of soothsaying, and places the prohibition of
Moloch-worship at the head, to show the inward connection between soothsaying
and idolatry, possibly because februation, or passing children through the
fire in the worship of Moloch, was more intimately connected with soothsaying
and magic than any other description of idolatry.”
The worship of Moloch was the worship of Saturn. There are perhaps various
routes one can take to learn this. One route is a very close examination of
the Scripture, especially the old Septuagint. Scriptures actually write of
this fact in Amos 5:25-26 and Acts 7:41-43. Amos wrote, “Did ye bring
unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, 0 House of
Israel? Yea, ye have borne the tabernacle of your king (“siccuth malkecem”,
or in the Septuagint it reads “skenen tou Moloch”!), and the shrine
(kiyyun) of your images, the star of your God, which ye made to yourselves”
AMS 5:25-26 The Christian Stephen quotes these passages of Amos and connects
it with the worship of the golden calf (bull or Taurus). His words on this
are recorded in Acts 7:4 1. He further connects it in the next verse with
the worship of “the host of heaven”. In line with translations
like the Septuagint, he states in verse 43 that Amos 5 refers to the cult
“of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan”. Hebrew writing consists
of only the consonants. The vowels can be added with what are termed vocalizations,
which are dots.
The Jewish scribes in their contempt for heathen gods placed vocalizations
(vowel indicators) on the word Molech (M-L-CH) from a hebrew word for “shame”.
Because the incorrect vocalization was added out of contempt for the heathen
names of abominable gods, the word Molech (Saturn worship) has been mistranslated
by some translators. Further, the word Chiun (Kaimanu in
Assyria) has been represented by the word Rephan in Acts
7:43. Rephan is Kaivan (Chiun) which is the arabian and Syrian
way of saying Saturn. Rephan apparently was a very limited or localized way
of saying Saturn. The adoration of the calf (bull) in the wilderness was an
important act of defiance by the Israelites-- while Moses went up on the mountain
to speak to God face to face. This worship of the bull was actually worship
of Saturn! Some call this star worship, and the bull was worshipped because
at that time the constellation Taurus (the Bull) marked the position of the
sun at the time of the spring equinox.
The fact that the calf was gold was no accident--gold has many Satanic
connotations. For a modern occult reference connecting the Bull,
astrology and gold together see Esoteric Astrology by Alice Bailey
(Lucis Trust, 1951), pp 378-79. Various scholars on ancient religion have
written that the worship of Moloch was Saturn worship. For instance, Siculus
Diodorus wrote, “. ..there was a brazen statue of Saturn putting forth
the palms of his hands, bending in such a manner toward the earth, as that
the boy who was laid upon them, in order to be sacrificed, should slip off,
and so fall down headlong into a deep burning furnace...’’ The
ancient Roman circus, like so many public activities in America, was based
upon the occult. The circus had 7 circuits, and had a pyramid in the center
with 3 alters, one to Saturn, one to Jove, and one to Mars. This is an example
of what the common people knew about Saturn. Moloch, then was the Sun God,
during the Zodiac period from Taurus to Serpens and Scorpio which is when
the sun is hottest.
The Babylonians referred to Saturn as the “star of the sun”.
In the Mithraic Mysteries, Saturn was the Sun God. (See Hall, Manly P.
The Lost Teachings of All Ages. p. facing 21.) In fact, Saturn was the
Sun God of many of the Pagan religions, and was the foundation of the Solar
Temple. (ibid. Hall tells us on pg. 97, Lower Left, that Saturn is the foundation
of the Solar Temple.) The Ten tribes of the Israelites fell into the ritual
sacrifices of Moloch (Saturn worship and sacrifice) which brought them their
judgment of Assyrian captivity. (2 KGS 17:16- 17) Astrology, witchcraft, and
ritual sacrifice were also associated with Saturn worship. Isaiah the prophet
tells those who worship Saturn, “Let now the astrologers, the star-gazers,
the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee.” ISA 47:13 Saturn
did not save the Israelites from captivity. Ex-Illuminati members have revealed
that Saturn is Satan. Yes, Saturn is Satan.
The Satanic Illuminati hierarcy teach the high level students that “those
who serve Saturn promote the return of the lost son Saturn.” The religion
of Saturn is Saturnian Gnosis--which turns out to simply be a rehash of the
Gnosticism that the high level Satanists believe in. Saturn
is severe. Jupiter is mild. The merging of Saturn (severity) with Jupiter
(mildness) is the creation of the new Golden Age--according to high level
Satanic hierarchy teachings. The earth has been caught in a battle between
a bi-polar world--the inner Solar Logos and the outer Saturnian sphere. The
trans-Saturnian planets actually belong to Alcyone(!) which
eventually gets its planets returned. (This may be the reason, that the Satanic
hierarchy has treated us to “good aliens from the Pleiades.” Alcyone
is a star in the Pleides.)
Saturnian Gnostic teachings are that darkness contains the light. What this
means is that darkness is necessary for light to exist. And light appears
within the matrix of darkness only by the Demiurge Saturnes--the
Logos. This is what they teach. According to Albert Pike in the Masonic text
book Morals and Dogma given to 320 Masons, the work of the Sun is
the perfecting (also known as the deification of) man. Christians view that
it is Satan’s work to teach men that they can be deified (which is rebellion
to the one and only true God).
SECRET HIGH LEVEL TEACHINGS
In secret Satanic rituals, the Grande Master has a scepter which represents
his authority to wield power through the Lord of this world who is known as
Saturn. New Age leaders are calling “Saturn” “Sanat
Kumera”. A devil by any name is still a devil. In a dialogue
with a Mother of Darkness, this Mother of Darkness alter provides some interesting
information. The dialogue went like this:
Mother of Darkness: “Saturn is the gateway that
must be opened. For a season God has winked that man might be illuminated.
But excessive light destroys. Man must not forget his destiny is concerned
with loving regeneration of the earth [Mother Gaia worship] and balance.
Soon the other eye of God must open. Those who are illuminated have kept
the balance point. The majority of mankind has not. Few seek the ancient
seed of wisdom that springs from the brow of Lucifer. Man becomes.. .forgetful
of His spiritual ancestry and destiny....They are Ellyllon.
Keepers of nothing. They fill the earth with their passing and crowd the
planes with nothingness. They are a waste of the energies. And so the other
eye must open. Each man shall receive abundance in what he seeks. Some call
Interviewer: “What do you mean by the other eye?”
Mother of Darkness: “The other eye of God as some
would say. Chemosh. Cleansing Fire. The outstreched arms
Interviewer: “What has that got to do with Saturn?”
Mother of Darkness: “Everything. This is a most
secret thing. Saturn is the gateway. The point at which all thought is fixed.
The point at which all feeling shall be projected as the eye opens. Much
ritual and preparation has gone into the issuance through the gateway of
the ancient ones. There has been a gathering of the elemental essence to
clothe them. A strengthened invisible quintessence to hold them in this
plane at the time of advent.
Interviewer: “And what will be the result of this
advent? What will it mean?”
Mother of Darkness: “A restoring of balance. Those
who do not seek wisdom shall cease. Those who are so bound to the earth
that they forget the light shall cease....When the other eye opens the dawn
shall come. The Golden Dawn shall be upon us and the sun of righteousness
shall rise with healing in His wings....The urge to sacrifice others is
a gift. It is a liberation from the awful rigidity for at least it permits
an awareness of other humans. However badly.. .treated as a result of that
awareness they have served an important purpose. The balance is kept and
the light dwells upon the illuminated.The energy is released into the circle
and is converted into something powerful and useful....In this way you can
see they do not truly die. Light increases. Wisdom grows....Death begets
life. The sacred cycle of the ancients. The earth shall regenerate herself
when the eye of Molech opens.”
There the reader has it, secret teachings from a Mother of Darkness on Saturn.
Gnosticism believes that there is a force (not Almighty God)--the Force as
it is called can be used for evil or good. Within the hierarchy of the Satanists
(Moriah), their thinking has no problem understanding that
Lucifer is the same person as Satan. Satan is what happens when the evil side
of the Force is being used, and Lucifer is that person when the good side
of the Force is being used. As in all of the Mystery Religions and in the
occult world in general, people are told different things at different levels.
Most people don’t want to serve evil.
They want to think they are good--their pride motivates them to want to be
thought of as good and great. They will easily follow Lucifer, but are not
going to admit to themselves or anyone that they are following Satan. NO problem--they
are allowed to think they are Luciferians. OR if being a follower of Lucifer
is too strong a statement, they can be a worshipper of almost thing. Satan
in his pride has provided esoteric teachings on the worship of just about
everything. There are esoteric teachings about worshipping rock, mountains,
trees, the stars, animal spirits, mother earth etc. If one probes deep enough
into the layers of hidden meanings, all of these worships go back to Satan.
The five primary interlocked concepts of Satan, are all represented by the
Serpent, which are Lucifer (aka Light-bearer or godhood); Search for light
or wisdom; sun worship, the Sun god, or energy; fire also called Kundalini
force; and the regenerative principle which is phallic and sex worship. These
5 interconnected concepts are represented world wide by snakes (serpents)
and represent worship of the supreme serpent Satan.
THE EXTERNALIZATION OF THE HIERARCHY
The big event or operation that is being carried out is the externalization
of the hierarchy. Satan’s secret hierarchy with its pure Satanists have
been around for thousands of years. But the Satanic conspiracy to control
mankind is to become an ‘‘open conspiracy’’. The hierarchy
is to be externalized. And the elimination of Christians (those who haven’t
sought worldly wisdom--that worldly wisdom which comes from Satan) --is to
pave the way for Satan’s appearance. The Satanic occult conspiracy is
to leave its secret confines in Masonic Temples and Oddfellow Halls and is
to permeate Society in general. This is what has been happening. The real
light must go out for the dark side to feel comfortable coming completely
out. The Mysteries, also known as the Mystery Religions are the Mysteries
that one is initiated into when one joins Freemasonry. In fact, the very first
item any prospective Masonic candidate must do is fill out a form requesting
to be initiated into ‘‘the Mysteries.’’
The Mystery Religions were actually veiled forms of the worship of Lucifer
or Satan. Lucifer is simply Satan dressed up as the Light-bearer. In the Mystery
Religions the disciples are taught that the spirits of men are the powdered
bones of Saturn. When one learns who Saturn is--it is a rather distasteful
idea to think that men are taught that their bodies belong to Saturn. Further,
Freemasonry teaches about Hiram Abiff and CHiram. It turns out when we study
the Hiramic Legend by Freemasonry’s best philosopher that we learn who
Santa Claus is. Santa is a scrambling of Satan. Anyway the
Hiramic legend goes like this according to Freemasonry great expert on the
Mystery Religions, “Saturn, the old man who lives at the north pole,
and brings with him to the children of men a sprig of evergreen (the Christmas
tree), is familiar to the little folks under the name of Santa Claus, for
he brings each winter the gift of a new year.’’ “Part of
the symbols, are displayed.. .to the initiated, but he is intentionally led
astray by false interpretations.
Masonry conceals its secrets from all except the Adepts, the Sages and the
Elect; and uses false explanations for its symbols to mislead those deserving
to be misled.” (This is according to the great Freemason Albert Pike
in his book Morals & Dogma.) It should come as no surprise that
Saturn is one of the items which is mentioned by various Masonic authors.
For instance, the Freemason Ragon, who is considered an expert on Freemasonry,
wrote, “This is the important phenomenon, the ineffable mystery, the
key to nature, which the ancient sages succeeded in discovering, and which
they adopted as the basis of Masonic doctrine...It is interpretation, the
revolting atrocities of subject of Masonic legends. According to Saturn...were
considered interesting enigmas, which involve facts worth our notice.”
(Ragon, Tyileur General De La Franc-Maconnerie, p. 219-19 as quoted in Mohr,
Gordon. The Hidden Power Behind Freemasonry, Burnsville, MN: Weisman
Pub., 1990, p. 109)
Alice Bailey’s Esoteric Astrology states that Saturn is the
Lord of Karma (p. 105) Venus and Saturn shall rule men during Aquarius. (p.
148) “Saturn is the planet of discipleship... we stand at the gateway
of the new world, of the new age and its new civilization, ideals and culture.”
(p. 148) The occult book A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp 1196-1207 states that
Saturn is the 5th creative Hierarchy. This is the type of stuff that the Kaballa
comes out with. And American businesses which are controlled by the Illuminati
are getting into the act of bringing the occult out into society. Ford called
its car Taurus (Bull--the Pleiades), another car is named Aries which is another
occult astrological name. Then there is the car named Saturn!!
In conclusion, Saturn turns out to be an occult name for Satan.
Santa turns out to be an occult name for Saturn. It also turns out that the
name Saturn has been used for Satan for centuries by the occult. The ritual
sacrifices to Molech was Saturn worship. The opening of the eye of Saturn
is the materialization of hordes of demons taking place during this time period.
High level Illuminati, who will gather together in Atlanta in the summer of
1996, under the cover of the ’96 Olympics will carry out high level
rituals to open up a large hole for the materialization of hordes of demons
to complete their push toward a world dictator. The use of the name Saturn
is an example of how Satanism operates under the cover of layers of deception.
Many Christian words also have occult meaning.
There is a Morning Star Church in Tulsa which ministers to victims of Illuminati
Trauma Based Total Mind-Control. There is also a prophetic magazine named
The Morning Star, which is very slick and glossy. On the other side
of things, the term “the Morning Star”--Stella
Matutina in Latin- is another name for Lucifer. Stella Matutina
is also the name of a cabalistic black magic lodge which satanist Aleister
Crowley led when the Golden Dawn reorganized in 1903. There are Morning Star
rituals done by Illuminati members. One Illuminati slave, who was trained
to infiltrate Christian churches and turn them toward the New Age movement,
channeled a demon named Jesus. He infiltrated Christian churches for decades,
and when he spoke about Jesus, he was referring to the demon he channeled.
We know about this because one day, his front alters gave their life to Jesus
Christ, and he abandoned his job of infiltration, and sought spiritual help.
People need to understand that almost all Christian terms have dual meanings.
Just because a term sounds familiar doesn’t mean it is being used in
the way that a sincere Christian would understand them.
To summarize, the Illuminati are manipulating technology, language, ritualistic
activity, subliminal awareness, fear, lust, human vulnerabilities, and conflicts.
These manipulations are external deceptions, which help cover up their trauma-based
mind control. They use the best covers as fronts. They use fiction, the best
of religious fronts, travelling entertainment fronts, and the cover of national
defense. They use deflection, blinds, slides, Hegelian dialectics, deniability,
and esoteric language. They use agent provocateurs, “clean agents”,
“legends”, and safe houses. The Illuminati have refined the art
of deception far beyond what the common man has imagined. The very life &
liberty of humanity requires the unmasking of their deceptions. That is what
this book is about.
Subject: Billy Graham - illuminati
Date: Mon, June 25, 2007
I am wondering if there are other sites or sources of information to
validate your info on Billy Graham being a former (or current) satanist. I am
researching many religious leaders at this time and really just want to get the
truth about the validity of these preachers, prophets,and teachers. It is so hard to
know what to believe. Also, is there a place on your site that tells who you are and
your stand "religiously." I appreciate your info and will check it all out....thanks
"Billy Graham" + satanism - Google Search
1. The Deception of Billy Graham. A Mind Controlled Front
All information posted on this web site is
the opinion of the author and is provided for educational purposes only.
It is not to be construed as medical advice. Only a licensed medical doctor
can legally offer medical advice in the United States. Consult the healer
of your choice for medical care and advice. | <urn:uuid:42db2174-4fdb-45e0-b40f-0a40e6e3a67e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://educate-yourself.org/mc/illumformula5Bchap.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954608 | 27,298 | 1.726563 | 2 |
In the mail from Wiley-VCH: the new book The Nanotech Pioneers: Where Are They Taking Us? by Steven Edwards. The visionaries singled out are the usual crowd plus one name rarely listed: Feynman, Drexler, Merkle, Kurzweil, Von Ehr, Binnig, Roco, and the unusual one, the late Ernst Ruska, co-inventor of the electron microscope. Lots more pioneers are covered in the six chapters on specific nanotech advances, and venture capitalist Charlie Harris gets a prominent nod in the finance chapter. (I would’ve included Steve Jurvetson also.)
Edwards offers his own set of three nanotech Challenges, to be achieved by 2025, which align well with half of the Foresight Challenges:
* reduce world consumption of non-renewable carbon-based energy sources (petroleum, natural gas, and coal) by 50%,
* construct an elevator into outer-space, 62,000 miles above the Earth’s surface, and
* manufacture an affordable and commercially available quantum computer.
We see a lot of nanotech books here at Foresight, but a quick skim of this one seems to indicate an above-average level of balance, sense, and even some humor. Compared to most others out there, I recommend it. The author also takes on the controversial issues and does an unusually good job with them.
From the preface by Michael Weiner of Biophan and Natural Nano: “But beware, there are some hazards to reading further. The nanotech revolution is contagious, and there is risk that you can get roped in! I recommend you hold this book at least six inches from your soul, because nanotechnology is compelling and contagious, once you get what it is about, and what it can mean to the world and to business.” I can testify to the truth of this. —Christine | <urn:uuid:3573baa0-16ce-449c-a71c-c2a82acc20e7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=2222 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937106 | 401 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Breaking the Code: A Father's Secret, A Daughter's Journey and the Question That Changed Everything by Karen Fisher-Alaniz is a non-fiction book which tells about the author's research into her father's service in World War II.
The publisher is giving away one print copy US address or one eCopy any e-mail address, enter using the Rafflecopter at the end of the post.
- 336 pages
- Publisher: Sourcebooks
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1402261128
My rating for Breaking the Code — 4
As followers of this blog Know, I love reading about World War II and especially memoirs of the "Greatest Generation" who, unfortunately is leaving us by the thousands each week. Many of those dying have amazing stories which will forever be untold, projects like Speilberg's "Survivors of the Shoah Visual History " are extremely important not only for for the children of the "Greatest Generation" but also for future historians and for a better world. Which is why, when I was offered to join the tour for Breaking the Code by Karen Fisher-Alaniz (website | Facebook) I jumped at the opportunity - I was not disappointed.
The book is much more than a memoir, it is a heartfelt tribute to a man who has been struggling with demons his whole life, yet became a productive member of society, bringing up proud future generations by setting example of an exemplary life. Ms. Fisher-Alaniz discusses in the book how she never listened to her father's stories growing up, something I believe we are all guilty of. When she received the letters he wrote his parents, the basis of this book, she regretted blowing off those stories, but a teenager's mind is still a mystery to science and humanity.
Mr. Fisher, the author's father, was a codebreaker and under constant surveillance with a threat of death hanging over his head if he talked too much. The pressure and responsibility were huge for the young man. Other events (which I will not spoil) caused Mr. Fisher to come back with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a trauma which has been recorded for centuries but only recently has been acknowledged and studied. A product of a by-gone era, Mr. Fisher's reluctance to get help only hurt him and with the revelation of the letters and his daughter's investigation his past came back to haunt him.
A Father's Secret is a fast read, some of the multitude of letters Mr. Fisher wrote during World War II from Hawaii, Okinawan, Iwo Jima and more are in the book. Each chapter includes a letter with the author's story intertwinded within.
I have read many memoirs and family stories, Breaking the Code stands out from the rest due mainly to the story it's telling. Many of the books are written for family members — and that's great — but for those of us who didn't know the subject they do not stand on their own. This book however, does. There is an engaging story, likable characters, a timeline, good editing, and background which makes this book personal and touching to everyone who reads it.
On his 81st birthday Murray Fisher gave his daughter the letters he wrote his parents while serving in the US Navy in World War II. When sorting through the letters his daughter, Karen Fisher-Alaniz the author, uncovered her father's past while learning about the lingering trauma that bugged the man who brought her up.
Giveaway ends: December 17, 2012
US Shipping Addresses Only For Printed Copy
No PO Boxes
Winners will have 24 hours to write back with their address, otherwise an alternate winner will be picked
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I got this book for free.
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account
BOOK BLOGGERS — Have you read Breaking the Code? If so link up your review below: | <urn:uuid:62184e25-9e6c-4bc8-91b7-112d328697a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://manoflabook.com/wp/?p=7444 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969282 | 810 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Posts Tagged ‘terrorism’
Posted in Aesop, fables, history, Aesop and the Ass, modern fable, tagged Asian giant, Benny Thomas, cartoon strips, China, China-India Bhai-bhai of '50s, ethnic riots, Pakistan, terrorism, Uighurs, Xinxiang on August 6, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Aesop Fables- Friend or Foe? ©
Chin- Chin the panda saw a bamboo grove and he was sure that it grew so thick and juicy was for his sake. He announced that the grove was his private preserve. He saw in his path a fence with notice stating it was out of bounds for Pandas. He jumped past denting the fence here an there. He excused his conduct saying that he was about to become a giant around the region and that allowed him certain license to cause some damage. He had to negotiate another fence where to his surprise grew briar bush that grew so wild and the thorns were so sharp and it bled the Panda while he pledged his eternal friendship.
Because the bush did not say ‘No’ he took it as yes. He straightaway leaped to get hold of bamboo stalks. He missed and fell into the thick of a tangle and thorns bled him.
‘Friend I thought these kind of thorns never existed.’ Panda cried, For one thorn had got into a sensitive part of body which is called Xinxiang and made him dizzy. He hollered and said, ‘ Are you a friend or foe tell me!”
The Briar bush called Pak-Pak said, ‘I am a failed state and nothing but troubles grow here’
Chin- Chin knew that he had invited himself to this trouble. As he turned away, ‘Pak-Pak called,’ I am still friendly toward you.’
Chin-Chin spluttered and bruised all over he said, ‘Tell that to your worst enemy.’ | <urn:uuid:d88f984a-86c3-41f1-9a9b-5d6dfab798e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bennythomas.wordpress.com/tag/terrorism/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984747 | 430 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Details are emerging about possible structural modifications that could be introduced if Boeing decides to re-engine its Next Generation 737.
During an interview with ATI and Flightglobal at the Istat conference in Orlando, Florida, Boeing Commercial Airplanes VP of marketing Randy Tinseth explained, "We've talked in moderate detail about what has to be done. What we think we're going to have do is we'd have to have a new pylon, a new nacelle, strengthening of the wing and potential strengthening of the wingbox."
Tinseth explains that Boeing "doesn't really want to touch the main landing gear and we don't have to. We've looked a little bit around maybe some minor modifications around the nose landing gear, still yet to be determined."
He also explains that when a new powerplant is installed on the airframe, some minor additions are necessary to the avionics.
"What we have to do between now and the time we make a decision is to keep diving deep on the technical side and make sure that we're absolutely confident that we'll be able to go forward from a technical perspective," says Tinseth. "We haven't seen any show stoppers yet."
Taking time to address some theories that re-engined offerings from Boeing and Airbus are stop-gap measures until a new narrowbody is introduced Tinseth says: "Let's take a step back. We've looked at what it would take to replace today's 737 for a long time now, and we know it is all about significant improvements in efficiency, maybe 15% to 20%."
Tinseth says the wish list by customers includes up to a 30% improvement in airframe maintenance costs that could possibly incorporate composite technology from the 787, a wider cross section and a lower price.
"They're asking for everything as you might envision customers will do," says Tinseth. "So we have had a really difficult time figuring out the technology package we'd have to have to make that all happen, and frankly, if you make the decision to re-engine the aircraft, you raise that bar even higher."
That scenario makes re-engining far from an interim solution, says Tinseth. "If you raise the bar higher then you really have to continue to have a robust technology plan in place to someday replace the aircraft, but it gets harder."
Declining to supply specifics regarding Boeing's evaluations of the front runners to supply re-engined powerplants, CFM with its Leap X engine and Pratt & Whitney with the PW1000G geared turbofan, Tinseth says: "I don't want to give a scorecard. But I will say we're involved with all the engine manufacturers really trying to understand the technical feasibility of the benefits to understand the benefits those engines will provide."
However, Tinseth says what is interesting about the current dynamic is that "we're in a position today that I don't think we envisioned ourselves in five years ago, with the run up in fuel price, the engine manufacturers have acted very quickly to respond to that, and they've brought a number of very compelling solutions to the market."
He believes as some of those solutions develop they become "very intriguing when you can re-engine an airplane and provide up to a 15% fuel burn improvement".
Still, Tinseth says Boeing is going to take the time to make the right decision about re-engining the 737.
However, he admits: "These engines are available, and we have a lot of new competitors coming to the market with those engines, so it is changing the competitive landscape."
Tinseth says he's not shocked by new competitors entering the single-aisle market. "I'm not surprised by what the Japanese are doing, or what the Chinese are doing, or what the Russians are doing in terms of entering that market. It's a big market place - 19,000 airplanes over the next 20 years. I fully expect one or more of those new entrants will be successful." | <urn:uuid:7435954e-26fd-4629-be2f-e8ba57ec3ff4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boeing-gauges-possible-modifications-for-737-re-engine-339496/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972991 | 825 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Boehner Bashes Obama's Drilling PlanMarch 31, 2010 - by Donny Shaw
This is how you know for sure that the Republican strategy in Congress is to simply oppose anything Obama does. Following this morning’s announcement that Obama is proposing opening up a huge amount of off-shore oil reserves to drilling for the first time ever, Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner’s [R, OH-8] first response was, essentially, “no”:
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) dismissed the president’s plan as not going far enough in opening up U.S. waters for exploration.
Obama’s decision “continues to defy the will of the American people,” Boehner said in a statement, pointing to the president’s decision to open Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters, while leaving Pacific and many Alaskan waters largely closed to exploration.
“It’s long past time for this Administration to stop delaying American energy production off all our shores and start listening to the American people who want an “all of the above” strategy to produce more American energy and create more jobs,” the House GOP leader added. “Republicans are listening to the American people and have proposed a better solution – the American Energy Act – which will lower gas prices, increase American energy production, promote new clean and renewable sources of energy, and encourage greater efficiency and conservation.”
Image from Hot Pixel Action! used under a Creatiove Commons licesnse. | <urn:uuid:0d649adf-0e04-472b-9033-693578339762> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/1778-Boehner-Bashes-Obama-s-Drilling-Plan | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935453 | 320 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Last month, Money Talks News founder Stacy Johnson conducted a heated interview with Richard Lustig, an author who’s selling a book on how to win the lottery. In Can You Improve Your Lottery Odds?, Stacy even interviewed a statistics professor who said such a thing was completely impossible.
Now there’s PlaySlipNumbers.com. The site’s publicist contacted Stacy this month and boasted, “Their team of statisticians, researchers, and programmers have developed an algorithm that dictates numbers that have a better chance of winning. Would love to hear your take on this topic.”
So here’s Stacy’s take: People who buy this stuff are wasting their hard-earned cash.
Think about it: If this “team” had really devised an “algorithm” that can win the lottery, would they really share it with you? Wouldn’t they just play the lottery, make millions, and retire to Tahiti?
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(NEW YORK) -- On March 10, 1988, disco sensation and teen idol Andy Gibb died of heart failure at the age of 30.
While he was the youngest brother in the Gibb family, Andy was never an actual “Bee Gee.”
He was best known for his No. 1 single “I Just Want to Be Your Everything,” written by Barry Gibb.
Andy had other hits including “(Love Is) Thicker than Water,” “Shadow Dancing,” “Time Is Time” and “Me (Without You).”
However through the years, he struggled with alcohol and drugs — and relationships.
In the early ’80s, Andy and actress Victoria Principal were in a tumultuous two-year relationship.
“I just fell apart and didn’t care about anything. I started to do cocaine around the clock — about $1,000 a day,” he told People magazine at the time.
His family supported him financially and emotionally, encouraging him to go to the Betty Ford clinic in 1985.
The Bee Gees later recorded “Wish You Were Here” in memory of Andy.
Maurice Gibb told Larry King in 2002 that their father, Hugh Gibb, “literally died when Andy died.”
It was a “guilt thing,” according to Robin Gibb, who told King that his father was “very bitter for three years” after Andy’s death. Hugh Gibb died in 1992.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio | <urn:uuid:ab8ba29f-1e4c-41a1-97ae-9bd7ef4a53c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.buzz.fm/common/more.php?m=58&ts=1369560931&article=FDE1A3E6898F11E286DEFEFDADE6840A&mode=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98787 | 334 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, left, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, appear during a news conference to announce proposed legislation to grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants as a way to make roads safer, Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Chicago Sun-Times, Al Podgorski) CHICAGO LOCALS OUT; MAGS OUT
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois could become the third state in the U.S. to grant driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants — a move top officials from both parties are pushing as a way to make roads safer and one that could have political implications for lawmakers seeking to court Hispanic voters.
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton said Tuesday that he believes he has the votes to get the measure through his chamber next week. Gov. Pat Quinn said he will sign it if it passes the House and makes it to his desk.
New Mexico and Washington are the only states in the U.S. to give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
Quinn and Cullerton, both Democrats, were joined at a news conference by several key Illinois officials, including former Gov. Jim Edgar and Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, both Republicans, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a fellow Democrat. All predicted bipartisan support.
The turnout showed the growing importance of Latinos and other immigrant groups. The bloc is credited with helping Democrats win big in Illinois and across the country on Election Day, and several top Republicans have said the GOP needs to change a perception their party is anti-immigrant if it is going to pick up seats in the next election.
Supporters of the measure say Illinois has about 250,000 illegal immigrant motorists who can’t get a driver’s license or insurance. Allowing illegal immigrants to obtain a license would mean more of those drivers would have to pass road and written driving tests and vision tests, supporters say. Also, uninsured, unlicensed immigrant drivers are responsible for $64 million in insurance claims each year — costs that are picked up by people with insurance.
“By passing this legislation, this is going to incredibly benefit all of us,” Cullerton said.
Quinn called the bill “the continuation of a movement” to support immigrants in Illinois that also has included passing the DREAM Act, which made college more affordable for illegal immigrants.
Democrats proposed a similar bill in 2007 that passed the House but didn’t get to a vote in the Senate. Although Democrats control the House and the Senate in Illinois, they don’t all always vote together and measures generally need some GOP support to get through the General Assembly.
Edgar said he has been talking with Republican lawmakers and he expects more of them to support the legislation this time around.
“I think Republicans now realize we need to change our image if we want to be a successful and a viable party in America,” Edgar said. “It’s important that we show these immigrants that we appreciate them being here, we appreciate what they contribute to our society and that we want to make it easier to contribute.”
Lawrence Benito, chief executive officer for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said he believes the Nov. 6 election was a factor in the decision to introduce the bill next week, though it’s “first and foremost” about safety.
“We’re doing this for good public policy reasons. If there are good political reasons as well, that’s great,” Benito said.
Republican leaders of the House and Senate were notably absent from Tuesday’s news conference.
However, Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno said that was because she had a scheduling conflict. She said she supported the 2007 measure but wanted to wait to see the new proposal before backing it.
Vicki Crawford, spokeswoman for House Minority Leader Tom Cross, said she had not yet spoken with Cross about the bill.
Benito said supporters will be talking to Cross once the final bill is drafted.
The General Assembly will meet Tuesday for the start of the postelection veto session. The session concludes Jan. 9. | <urn:uuid:955e32f9-ebfc-4bb8-819d-d1e747784bc8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timesherald.com/article/20121121/NEWS04/121129905&template=printart | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969775 | 865 | 1.773438 | 2 |
One point that Wahl and Ammann and ourselves agree on, but which Juckes appears to contest, is that principal components methodologies applied to AD1400 MBH98 networks result in upweighting or downweighting of bristlecones. Their Scenario 6 shows reconstruction results without bristlecones for covariance, correlation and Mannian PCs. I have no dispute with these calculations although I would characterize the situation differently.
The Figure below shows results for the key cases for WA Scenario 6 (no bristlecones) as compared to their Scenario 5. Understanding this graphic goes a long way towards understanding the oceans of words on this topic. Pink shows results with 2 covariance PCs; red with Mannian PCs; blue – 2 correlation PCs and 5 covariance PCs; orange – Mann’s unreplicated archived results, which are lower in the 15th century than any replication.
The left graphic is identical to what was either illustrated or discussed in MM05(EE); I have no major disagreement with the calculations in WA Scenario 5 – only with their failure to acknowledge that their results were equivalent to the MM05 (EE) results. Wahl and Ammann Scenario 6 – without bristlecones – yields results that are essentially equivalent to results with 2 covariance PCs in the left panel (what people call the “MM” results, though they are really just MBH with lower bristlecone weight.) If there are no bristlecones in the network (as in the right panel), then the different standardization procedures don’t “matter”. But the methodology makes a difference to the final reconstruction if bristlecones are in the system.
This diagram also illustrates rather clearly the lack of substance to Juckes’ complaint that using 2 covariance PCs “effectively eliminates” much of the data. This is not correct. The results using 2 covariance PCs are essentially identical to results without bristlecones. It is simply false that “much” of the data is “effectively eliminated” using 2 covariance PCs. The only data whose downweighting is material are the bristlecones.
Figure 1. MBH98-style NH Temperature Reconstructions. Left – WA Scenario 5 as previously described. Right – WA Scenario 6 with bristlecone series excluded. Orange – MBH98 for reference. Red – with two Mannian PCs; magenta – with 2 covariance PCs; blue – one graph with 2 correlation PCs; one graph with 5 covariance PCs. All smoothed with 21-year gaussian filter. wahl.c11.gif
This direct connection between bristlecones and PC methodology (mentioned in MM05 articles) was acknowledged by Wahl and Ammann as follows:
Restricting the PCs in MM05a/b to only the first two (5d) indirectly omits the information carried by the bristlecone/foxtail pine records and thereby leads to a non-meaningful reconstruction. (33)
Now Ross and I categorically agree with Wahl and Ammann that an MBH-style reconstruction without bristlecones is non-meaningful. Our point of difference is that we assert that an MBH98-style reconstruction with bristlecones is also non-meaningful. This is a different issue than whether the 15th century values of the reconstruction are higher than 20th century values.
If the reconstruction isn’t meaningful, it doesn’t matter whether the 15th century portion is higher or lower than the 20th century. (However, if it is higher using Mannian methods, then that is a rather neat refutation of the claim that 20th century uniqueness has been established with Mannian data and methods – regardless of whether the reconstruction is meaningful or not. This logic is a nuance of our approach that many controversialists lose sight of.)
In my recent European presentations (including at KNMi to Mitrie coauthor Nanne Weber), I summarized our position post-NAS panel and post-Wahl and Ammann as follows:
1) Wahl and Ammann and ourselves agree that an MBH98-type reconstruction without bristlecones is non-meaningful.
2) the NAS panel agreed that strip-bark sites (which include all the relevant bristlecone, foxtail and even a couple of limber pine sites) should be avoided in temperature reconstructions for a variety of reasons.
I see no remaining wiggle room for MBH supporters. However rather than squarely facing up to the bristlecone problem, Juckes simply avoided any discussion of the impact of bristlecones, even though this was squarely in the middle of the agenda, both as a result of our work and even of Wahl and Ammann. Instead, as we’ve seen here, Juckes reverted to realclimate code words, “effective elimination of much of the data”, rather than careful analysis distinguishing between bristlecones and everything else. | <urn:uuid:53b2a836-e490-4477-862a-c89623ee3106> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://climateaudit.org/2006/11/30/qed/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=744caefc44 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930695 | 1,045 | 1.71875 | 2 |
MEDIA SEMINAR ON PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST OPENS IN GENEVA
12 June 2012
The 2012 Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East opened today at the International Geneva Conference Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The Seminar will focus on the role of the media in covering different aspects of recent events in the Middle East, especially the Arab Spring, and how they relate to the situation in Israel and Palestine.
In his message to the participants, Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary-General, said that much had been achieved across the region for the past 18 months, but for too many the suffering continued. The killings in Syria had not stopped despite repeated pledges by all sides and the dangers of a full-scale civil war were imminent and real. The Secretary-General expressed his concerns over the fragility of the peace process and urged the parties to overcome the current obstacles and resume direct, bilateral negotiations without delay or preconditions. More effort was needed by Israel to improve the unsustainable situation in Gaza. The United Nations would continue its engagement to help parties forge the way forward and create the conditions for meaningful negotiations that would resolve the core permanent status issues, including Jerusalem, borders, refugees and security.
Maher Nasser, Acting Head of the Department of Public Information of the United Nations, in opening remarks, emphasized that this was a media seminar and that much of the discussion would focus on the role of the media in covering different aspects of recent events in the Middle East, and how they related to the situation in Israel and Palestine. It was an opportunity for representatives of the media and civil society from the region and beyond to come together to share their experiences and exchange views, he stressed.
Wolfgang Amadeus Brülhart, Assistant State Secretary for the Middle East and North Africa of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, said that this Seminar was an opportunity to discuss ways to revive the peace process in the Middle East and reiterated the commitment of Switzerland to those efforts. Switzerland condemned all violations of international humanitarian law to which the Syrian population had fallen victim and emphasized that it was imperative to find a peaceful solution to conflicts by all means.
Following the opening session, the Seminar held a panel on the prospects for peace approaching the twentieth anniversary of the Oslo Accords, which looked at the current status of internationally sponsored peace efforts, following almost two decades since the signing of the Oslo Accords. Speakers agreed that the prospect of peace was a critical issue.
Robert Serry, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, delivered the keynote address in this panel. Other panellists were Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Observer of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations; Jean-Daniel Ruch, Special Representative for the Middle East of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs; and Daniel Levy, Senior Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation.
The 2012 International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East is organized by the United Nations Department of Public Information in cooperation with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland. It will hold two panels this afternoon to explore the impact of the Arab Spring on media coverage of the question of Palestine and discuss the role of women’s activism and the media in the Israeli-Palestinian peace and the wider region.
WOLFGANG AMADEUS BRÜLHART, Assistant State Secretary for the Middle East and North Africa of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, in his opening remarks said that the panelists of the 2012 Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East would be able to discuss the ways to revive the peace process in the Middle East and reiterated the commitment of Switzerland to those efforts. Switzerland had embarked on a number of measures to support the outcomes of the Arab Spring, reinforce democracy and protect vulnerable groups in the society. Switzerland condemned in all possible terms all violations of international humanitarian law to which the Syrian population had fallen victim and emphasized that it was imperative to find a peaceful solution to conflicts by all means.
BAN KI-MOON, United Nations Secretary-General, in his message to the 2012 Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East, which was read out on his behalf by MAHER NASSER, Acting Head of the Department of Public Information of the United Nations, said that this seminar had gathered at a pivotal time in the Middle East and North Africa. The world had witnessed profound changes across the region in the past 18 months, driven by brave and committed citizens. Many participants in the seminar had played important roles in those events as journalists, activists, policy-makers and representatives of civil society and the Secretary-General urged them to continue to promote peace and increase mutual understanding between communities. While much had been achieved across the region, for too many the suffering continued. The killings in Syria had not stopped despite repeated pledges by all sides and the dangers of a full-scale civil war were imminent and real. All violence must end, said the Secretary-General, adding that now was the time for the international community to take bold and concerted action.
The resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was now essential. The Secretary-General expressed his concerns over the fragility of the peace process and urged the parties to overcome the current obstacles and resume direct, bilateral negotiations without delay or preconditions. Mr. Ban welcomed the progress achieved by the Palestinian Authority in building the necessary institutions of governance and the significant progress on security in the West Bank. He reiterated the Quartet’s call on the Palestinian Authority to continue to make every effort to improve law and order, fight violent extremism and end incitement. The expansion of settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was contrary to international law and Israel’s Roadmap commitments. The Secretary-General underscored the Quartet’s concern over settler violence and incitement in the West Bank, and repeated its calls on Israel to take effective measures, including bringing the perpetrators of such acts to justice. The situation in Gaza was unsustainable with a continuing need for the free movement of goods and people; more effort by Israel was needed. The United Nations would remain engaged to help parties forge the way forward and create the conditions for meaningful negotiations that would resolve the core permanent status issues, including Jerusalem, borders, refugees and security, and an end to the occupation that began in 1967.
MAHER NASSER, Acting Head of the Department of Public Information of the United Nations, said that the objective of the Seminar was to sensitize public opinion on the question of Palestine and to explore how the events in the region related to the relations between Palestine and Israel. It was also an opportunity for representatives of media and civil society from the region and beyond to share their experiences and exchange views. This Seminar was taking place during a period of profound and tumultuous change in the Middle East. People across the region, led by women and youth, continued to call for freedom and human rights, democracy and accountability and for an end to corruption. The home-grown democratic movements were a credit to the Arab people, but they came at a heavy cost as the loss of life had been large. Mr. Nasser noted that what had started as a popular call for democracy in Syria had turned into a dangerous spiral of violence and everyone was watching in horror the mounting death toll in this country. A regional awakening based on the ideals of freedom, dignity and non-violence cannot be complete without a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Panel 1: The prospects for peace approaching the twentieth anniversary of the Oslo Accords
ROBERT SERRY, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, said that the prospect of peace was a critical issue today, because 20 years of violence had turned the optimism into skepticism. The current situation was that of deep deadlock and lack of substantial negotiations despite the international community’s efforts. Progress had been elusive and it was clear that after 20 years of peacemaking the prospect of a two-State solution was weak. Instead of achieving a two-State solution, it was possible to move to a one State solution and further away from the progress and spirit of the Arab Spring. One State was unlikely to satisfy the aspirations of the Israelis and the Palestinians and this would further aggravate the situation. Substantive negotiations would not resume without mutual confidence building measures between the parties to resume their quiet negotiations. This so far had not happened. The recent actions of the Israeli Government in approving new settlements undermined the peace prospects and the Palestinian faith in peace process.
The Palestinian Authority had made huge progress in transforming itself and its institutions over the past four years; still some claimed that Palestinian State building was at the risk and if it was not matched by progress in peace negotiations it would fail. The State building project needed more space, time and resources. The division between the West Bank and Gaza also prevented the Palestinian State from reaching its full potential. Much of Gaza’s economy was empowered by the illegitimate and unsustainable tunnel trade; exports and movement of people and goods must be facilitated. The situation in and around Gaza would remain fragile until Gaza and the West Bank were reunited under the Palestinian Authority. Elections must be made an integral part of the reconciliation process. There could be no two-State solution without a one Palestinian State polity, which would also be consistent with the two-State solution. The Arab Spring offered new opportunities to the peace process and the striving to the two-State solution. Twenty years after Oslo it would be mistaken to think that time was still on the side of peace; peace should have been achieved yesterday. A two-State solution was difficult to achieve today, but it was still easier than it would be tomorrow.
RIYAD H. MANSOUR, Permanent Observer of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations, said there was a big question in the mind of everyone concerning the intentions of the Palestinian people and their leadership and their strategy in moving forward. The Palestinians were still struggling to end the occupation and to have an independent State of Palestine; this was the overarching objective. Three issues were crucial: the political reality, the international options and the national reconciliation and getting ready for conducting the struggle and resistance in a peaceful way if left with no other option.
The peace process was at an impasse; efforts had been put to participate in direct talks, in proximity talks, and in exchanging letters. This meant that the Palestinians had done everything in their power; Israel on the other hand had continued to undermine the process through the building of settlements. Palestine had made a mistake earlier in negotiating with Israel while Israel was still engaged in the building of illegal settlements and changing the facts on the ground. Everyone agreed that colonization had reached the phase where not only did it threaten the structure of the two-State solution, but the possibility to administer such an agreement because of the monstrosity of illegal settlements and the violence of power by some settlers. Palestine did not request that settlements be eliminated but that construction of new ones be stopped to show the good will and the intention to one day comply with the agreements.
One of the main options available to the Palestinians was the international one, namely the application of Palestine for membership in the United Nations in September 2011 and the recognition of Palestine by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. The fact that the application was now in the Security Council put the Palestine question in the area of entering the gate of no return. Palestine did not accept the position of Israel and the United States that independence should come as a result of negotiations; this was an exclusive domain of the Palestinian people who did not need someone’s permission to exercise their right to self-determination. There was a global consensus today on the two-State solution, which implied the recognition of the independence of the State of Palestine.
Reconciliation was a national necessity for Palestine and many efforts were made in putting the house in order and implementing elections and establishing the unified Government.
JEAN-DANIEL RUCH, Special Representative for the Middle East of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, said that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remained at the heart of peace and stability in the Middle East, which was important to Europe and Switzerland. Four years ago, with the arrival of President Obama in office, there had been a lot of optimism and everyone hoped that the last piece of the agreement would now fall in place. Then everything broke down at the end of 2008, with the 2009 Gaza war and the new Government in Israel coming to power. The situation today was absurd; in both societies there were parts of the populations in favour of two States but the current impasse eroded the viability of a two-State solution every day. The awareness of the impact of illegal settlements on the viability of a two-State solution was growing in Europe. There were several possible scenarios that could play out: the two-State solution becoming a reality, which was unlikely; United Nations Special Committee on Palestine UNSCOP II project to establish a group of eminent persons to draw a new peace plan, which so far did not enjoy too much support; and waiting for the second term in office for President Obama and new wind to negotiations. The most likely option was the continuation of the status quo, which would lead to a one State reality that filled absolutely no conditions regarding international law, international humanitarian law, human rights and democracy. Even though everyone seemed to know what the solution was, no one actually knew how to get there. Switzerland was not a big player in this situation; it could engage emerging forces in the region on the issue of Israeli-Arab peace, whose positions had not been fully crystallized. Further, Switzerland could continue to use its comparative advantage with regard to international humanitarian law, human rights and the Geneva Conventions and work with the youth on peaceful solutions for peace.
DANIEL LEVY, Senior Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Middle East Task Force, New America Foundation, said that the Oslo agreement 20 years ago had been an attempt at a quick fix to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; many of the issues that arose from the 1948 events would be swept under the carpet and it was in favour of the party that had more power at the moment, which was Israel. The political realities today had changed and quick fixes were no longer possible. The sell-by-date on Oslo expired in 1999. The changed situation in the field must be recognized: one in ten Israeli Jews lived now in illegal settlements; Gaza and the West Bank had been disconnected from each other; one in four Israeli first graders now attended extra orthodox school; one in five Israeli citizens within the green line was an Israeli Arab: this number did not change, but this population was disfranchised and was poorly served by Israeli democracy. The spectrum of options under consideration in Israel today ran from variations of the two-State solution, to variations of maintaining the status quo, to open and public embrace of one State, a Greater Israel. For many, it was difficult to see a strategic way out of the impasse. On the Hamas side, there was increased emphasis on maintaining the position of Gaza and less on the overall Palestinian issues. Return to peace negotiations was redundant; it did not make the peace redundant however and there was an absolute need to understand the structural issues at play. There were three resiliencies that remained over the past 20 years: the bastions of Israeli’s impunity were still in place; the continuing existence of the Oslo structures, mainly because of the difficulty in accepting that a State building project failed; and the regional management and support structures, such as that from Egypt or Jordan. Some of those could be used to point way forward. Getting over the status quo would open a whole range of options and opportunities; violence was the next step in the absence of diplomatic and political solutions.
In the ensuing discussion, participants commented on the references concerning the death of the two-State solution and wondered why one State would not provide a satisfying solution and what it was that Hamas should do.
Mr. Serry said that both parties should ask themselves a question concerning the feasibility of a two-State solution; looking at the aspirations of both sides, particularly where Israel was going now with the voicing of the Jewish State, it would be difficult to envisage a bi-national state. The United Nations was supportive of Palestinian reconciliation.
Mr. Levy said there was more than one way to reach human security and dignity for all the people. The creativity did not end with peace plans and burying heads in the sand was not advisable. It was never said to the Israelis to pass a State resolution endorsing the two-State solution; in the absence of this demand, one should take seriously what was going on in Israel and what was happening on the ground which was not indicative of support for the two-State solution.
In a further series of comments and questions, participants asked what the prospects were for the release of pre-Oslo Palestinian prisoners and how the United Nations was dealing with the impunity of Israel.
Mr. Serry noted that the United Nations was very concerned about the hunger strike of the Palestinian prisoners and this situation was closely monitored. The release of pre-Oslo prisoners would be a significant mutual confidence-building step.
Mr. Mansour said that discussions concerning one or two States were not abstract solutions, but issues that affected millions of lives. General thinking and strategy among the Palestinian people and the leadership was the two-State solution, independence and end of the occupation. Illegal settlements, which were spreading like cancer and taking the Palestinian land, were the tragedy of the Palestinian people living under occupation. Settlements were illegal according to international humanitarian law, United Nations resolutions and other international instruments. The settlement campaign was a policy of the Israeli Government and nobody was challenging it.
Mr. Levy noted that answers were there and that the Catch 22 was if one decided to change the balance of power, it would mean mobilizing the consequences vis-à-vis Israeli position.
A participant asked where the attention on Jerusalem was and asked when the lessons from the First and Second Intifada should be learned. Why had Palestine not applied directly to the General Assembly for its statehood? What was the best approach to Jews in America and how could the new political realities be transmitted to them?
Mr. Levy did not know what the best approach was and that there was a space, a platform for Palestinian spokespersons. A narrative of freedom, democracy and human rights and putting those issues to the front would help, rather then going into minutiae of negotiations and failures.
With regard to Jerusalem, Mr. Mansour said it could be a spark of the future eruption. More needed to be done for Jerusalem; without Jerusalem there would be no Palestinian State. Many lessons were to be learned from the First Intifada; the scope of learning lessons would not be fully understood until the eruption. There was a massive debate between the Palestinian people and their leadership concerning the strategy for the way forward and it was still unclear when it would become clear.
Mr. Serry said in closing remarks that the situation was highly complex and it would not be easy for the Palestinian Authority to find a full way ahead. Maybe there was a need to rethink the viability of the two-State solution as it became more difficult to achieve every passing day.
Mr. Ruch said it would be good to start developing red lines that should not be crossed in the search of the two-State solution. Some core issues of the two-State solution would have to be addressed also in a bi-national State solution. Hamas was an actor and must act responsibly: they must have an acceptable vision for the end of the conflict and in their ruling of Gaza they must abide by the international law and international humanitarian law, which was not the case at the moment. There was a deficit of political pluralism for all Palestinian people wherever they lived. On impunity, Mr. Ruch believed that some sort of traditional justice system must be a part of a peace agreement; not much could be done now apart from keeping record and that was why Switzerland was a supporter of the Goldstone report.
For use of the information media; not an official record | <urn:uuid:e958890d-8c20-4f74-9dd9-562623378ccd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/BC68B9A6AE177909C1257A1B0037EB97?OpenDocument | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973952 | 4,143 | 1.648438 | 2 |
The Call to Conscience recently partnered with The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC) to help mobilize Hispanic Christians around the issue of abortion.
The new effort, led by Lou Engle, founder of The Call to Conscience, will work with the NHCLC’s more than 25,000 churches to educate Hispanic Americans on traditional moral issues. Each church will provide the resources and training for at least two adoptions in the next year, saving more than 50,000 infants. The Call to Conscience, founded by leading pro-life, pro-family voice Lou Engle, is an organization created to educate and inform Americans - especially young adults - about pressing social issues and advocate for policies that are consistent with the Bible and core Christian principles.
“We will protect countless lives, ignite the youth of America in a righteousness and justice movement and mobilize the Hispanic Community in prayer and fasting in an unprecedented manner,” said NHCLC President Rev. Samuel Rodriguez. “The Call to Conscience has always been committed to advancing efforts that will affirm life,” said Mr. Engle. “That is why we are thrilled to be partnering with the largest Hispanic Christian organization to help provide the tools and information that promote adoption as an alternative to the destruction of abortion.”
“Hispanics will play a critical role in the upcoming midterm elections and beyond, and an overwhelming majority of them are pro-family and pro-life. We want to harness their energy in order to ensure that the life issue remains at the forefront.” “Planned Parenthood has grown itself into abooming business that targets poor and minority Americans, especially Hispanics. Planned Parenthood’s massive abortion facility on Gulf Freeway in Houston is truly unprecedented and will lead to countless innocent deaths and make late-term abortions more convenient and accessible.” | <urn:uuid:19ed220c-e048-438a-9372-d237a3f6fb81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/latino-daily-news/details/campaign-for-more-hispanic-adoptions-underway-in-christian-churches/1345/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943305 | 380 | 1.554688 | 2 |
US blogger Steve Yelvington has put forward strong arguments on why newspapers are not dead and why there is a huge demand for local media.
He argues: "Let's get some perspective. In spite of the worst economy since Roosevelt, many U.S. newspapers are still turning profits in the 15-20 percent range, and the U.S. newspaper industry is still turning around 50 billion dollars of gross revenue every year.
"Several major newspaper companies are in big financial trouble because they borrowed heavily to finance acquisitions on an assumption that even greater profit margins (over 40 percent in many cases) were going to continue. But do not confuse a poor corporate finance decision with fundamental sustainability of the business."
That might resonate with some of the expansionist regional companies in the UK.
Yelvington says there is still big money to made out of local media and comments: "I was reading a blog post the other day written by someone who had visited a local newspaper and was stunned -- stunned -- to discover that there's a lot of money in the local journalism business. Yes, there is. A lot. "
He accepts: "Look, there's no question that a fundamental restructuring is taking place in a number of dimensions" but adds: "Part of that involves a consumer preference shift from print to digital. Part of that involves an explosion of sources and choices that knocks the local newspaper out of the nonlocal information business. Part of it involves product disintegration -- especially classifieds from news, but also news itself being ripped apart.
"Those changes will present huge challenges and demand painful choices going forward, and both the print and digital product lines of local newspapers will have to adapt, along with all of the people who produce those products.
"But that doesn't roll up to a "newspapers are dead" conclusion. There is tremendous demand for local media, both from the people we usually and falsely call "consumers," and the businesses that we often call "advertisers." The solutions that work to meet that demand will change. Some companies will fail to change and will die, and others will step in. We can be sure that the future won't be like the past, but that doesn't mean there is no future."
Saw this via journalism.co.uk.
Saturday Seven Up
6 hours ago | <urn:uuid:42b89dd0-a95e-4dc9-9327-202dd91fb1c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jonslattery.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-newspapers-are-not-dead-and-why.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968274 | 477 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Everytime I sit down to work on something in Inform7, I get this image of myself at my own pannel at ComicCon, answering questions from ravenous fans about my amazing game, “Faction 11″.
I’m using Inform to explore the world of a story I orignially had in mind for a novel. I’ve never written science fiction before, and I needed all of the resources I could get my hands on to try and flesh out my new universe. I’m using Inform to explore the world I’ve created, and using the map function to get a graphic idea of where things are located physically. It’s working kind of brilliantly.
The map function is magnificent in its own right, because I find this method of mapping to be the easiest when planning an Inform story. Plus, it gives me a list of objects in each room, so I can make sure everything is where its supposed to be.
After coding the game, I love getting a chance to play it. The coding and the playing allow me to explore character actions and plot points I may not have thought of before. This method of brainstorming for a story gives me the chance to see what details are necessary when telling a story, expecially when foreshadowing. If I know that a code is needed to enter a room, I know I have to plant the code in the world at some point beforehand, where I know the player will be able to find it. This same logic transfers nicely when I’m writing the story in traditional form, because I get a sense of when I should reveal certain information to the reader. I pretty much love everything about working with Inform.
I plan on creating a game, a hypertext story, and perhaps another electronic medium (twitterature?!) to explore every facet of “Faction 11″. Not only is elit a marvelous tool to use when writing t | <urn:uuid:fc09043f-5131-4c9d-b6db-b942af9ab024> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://elit.umwblogs.org/tag/storytelling/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937238 | 398 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Mar 04 2010
Edit: this map of actions everywhere is amazing.
The chant of the day here at UCD’s protests and marches — part of the California-based national Day of Public Education protests, held March 4, the locus of a grassroots uprising and protest movement that has quickly gained steam to include all public education institutions affected by California’s massive budget cuts and beyond — the chant has been:
whose university? our university!
as the largest crowds I have ever seen at UCD march around the quad, assembling a kind of street fair on the union patio, and protest against the fee hikes, the corporatization of the university, the growing inaccessibility of college to those who are poor, disenfranchised, struggling — while our administrative structure grows ever larger, glossier, and more focused on private interests. There is also protest against some acts of hate speech that occurred recently on campus — there was a swastika left on someone’s door, and the LGBT center was vandalized — and there is an underlying current of protest at the world we live in, with its brutal recession and heavy movements of global economics and war and environmental and cultural loss that can sweep along an entire generation, unwillingly. These people are protesting for a place and time and space to be young and smart in, a place to act, a place to be.
I should add a disclaimer that I’m writing this on my lunch hour. It is a new thing to me to work at a university during a protest — especially in a position where my job is, partly, to spend university money. I have a responsibility to these angry, idealistic kids to do my job well, while living with the consequences of a broken economy myself: our jobs, our book budgets (and in my case) even our buildings are at risk. Without the rights of faculty, staff have to be careful to not violate their union contracts by striking on the one hand, but not disclaim their responsibilities as community members on the other. And at the end of the day, this is about community: building a better educational community, making education more valued in the larger community, making this community accessible to all.
Going forward, I like to think the projects I care about — building open educational resources, building global communities, supporting tools that help people work together, building and sustaining and teaching people how to use information resources — matter, in this larger context of community. If we are to repair our educational economy, we also have to reclaim publishing rights and make research available through open access and open licenses. We have to not wall the fruits of our intellectual labor off, but share them with the world. We have to make sure all kids have a chance, that people far remote from the University of California and its privileged grounds can benefit from our libraries and our work to collect knowledge. Going forward, we have to work on the information infrastructure to support a better, more open world: the infrastructure that will support a university that is truly, our university.
p.s. as of right this minute UCD students are marching out to block the Freeway onramp, and I have no idea why — seems like a terrible idea, and dangerous. With their kind of numbers, they could easily occupy the admin building again. I agree with my friend Mark that a lot of the radical anti-capitalist language that’s being used is alienating to many, and probably not all that helpful: no one’s happy about the current situation. As such, I think protests need to be careful and measured, and with a clear point.
One response so far | <urn:uuid:4958b58a-a29f-487e-888e-45df23bbd474> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.phoebeayers.info/phlog/?p=1504 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962514 | 744 | 1.539063 | 2 |
It's quite easy to store a salted hash of a credit card number rather than the number itself for secure lookups. For 99% of the scenarios out there, this would be sufficient credit card for storage -- fast and very secure.
If you really need reversible encryption of a credit card for some scenario (continued billing, for example), I would go with a symmetric key stored in a secure location other than the database. It's been a while since I looked at PCI specs, but I'm fairly certain that's PCI compliant.
If you need fast lookups along with reversible encryption, use both options: a hash and an encryption.
There seems to be some controversy over my answer. I would like to point out the following very interesting essay from Integrity.com (PDF):
Hashing Credit Card Numbers: Unsafe Application Practices
It details many of the issues involved in storing a hash of credit card data, but its conclusion confirms my suggestion.
Yes, a raw hash of the card is not secure; that's why we salt our hashes! But a static salt is also not secure, they allow the creation of rainbow tables for known static salts. So it's best to make our salts vary in some way that is unpredictable. In the case of passwords, it's sufficient to use a separate, random hash for each password being checked; it can even reside in the same table/row as the hashed password. For the case of credit cards, this should be the same -- a random salt for each instance of the credit card being hashed. If the credit card number is stored per transaction, a separate salt for each transaction.
There are pros and cons to this approach, but it's sufficiently secure. The pros are the lack of key management; the salt and hash are right there, and don't need to change while still allowing for audit checks of the hash; e.g. does that credit card hash match this known credit card number?
The cons are in search; it's not possible to effectively search for a particular credit card number across many transactions.
Of course, you'll have this issue with external encryption anyway; unless the database is itself encrypted (something only some databases support), you won't be able to search very well. Even then, encrypting at the database or even the table level reduces search effectiveness significantly. | <urn:uuid:d71e9d06-5435-4f8b-bd61-cfe21de62c4a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2459026/somebody-is-storing-credit-card-data-how-are-they-doing-it | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956585 | 480 | 1.703125 | 2 |
If the old political adage “as goes Maine, so goes the nation” has any currency these days, health insurers may have lost last year’s battle—but they’re winning the war. The intense drama in the Maine legislature the last few weeks shows that the political power of the insurance industry has not diminished one bit. Gov. Paul LePage and his fellow Republicans rammed through a law that eliminates rate regulation in the individual and small group health insurance markets and effectively deregulates Anthem Health Plans, the state’s biggest carrier and a subsidiary of WellPoint, the nation’s second largest insurer.
“It’s hard to think of anything the insurance industry didn’t get,” says Joe Ditre, who directs the advocacy group Consumers for Affordable Healthcare. What they got is no trivial matter since Anthem and the state’s insurance superintendent Mila Kofman, who just resigned, have been arguing for two years over how much the carrier can charge customers in Maine. Now we know the outcome. They can charge whatever they want. It’s not clear that the people of Maine know this, though, given the lackluster coverage by the Portland Press Herald, the state’s biggest newspaper.
For years Maine’s insurance regulators had to give their blessing to rate increases requested by insurers—in regulatory jargon, that was called “prior approval.” The new law exempts virtually all companies selling insurance to small businesses from such rate reviews. What will control those rates now? It seems that the legislature prefers several other mechanisms: market pressures; reliance on the feds to shame a company that raises rates too high; and enforcement of a provision in the federal reform act that requires insurers to pay out in medical claims a minimum percentage of the premiums they collect. Carriers like Anthem have no trouble meeting that minimum standard, so they will hardly be penalized. The legislature deregulated the individual market in almost the same way—again benefitting Anthem, a big player in that market.
The new Maine law may well be a template for other states that will give the industry what it has wanted all along. It will make older policyholders who may be ill pay more for their coverage. By 2016, carriers selling in both markets can charge them premiums that are five times higher than they charge a younger person. The differential gradually increases between now and then. That’s a way to get around the underwriting restrictions in the federal law—you remember the rules that say carriers have to insure everyone, even those at death’s door. To compensate carriers for their greater risk, Congress allowed them to charge older people three times more. Insurers argued that was not enough. In Maine, they now have an out. If for any reason, the federal law becomes non-binding, insurers can follow the Maine law, which, of course, lets them charge higher premiums. Before legislators changed the law, insurers could charge an older person only one and a half times more than it charged someone younger—a consumer-friendly provision that separated Maine from many other states.
Lawmakers also approved the so-called selling-across-state-lines solution to high insurance costs, another long-sought goal of conservatives and the insurers as a business-acceptable way to bend the proverbial cost curve. The cry of “more competition” always sounds reasonable as a cost-containment measure, even if there’s little evidence to support the efficacy of that approach. It will mean, though, that carriers from other New England states except Vermont can sell policies in Maine without a license, and it exempts them from complying with many of the state’s tough consumer protection laws. It sure sounds like “buyer beware” time for consumers. | <urn:uuid:51226360-ccba-4f02-b6f5-4dd74daa1b0d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/the_intense_health_reform_dram.php?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956309 | 781 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Gold Coast City Councillor Paul Taylor says a cruise ship terminal is "essential" for tourism in the city.
Last week the Gold Coast City Council committed a potential $1.7 million of its budget towards economic, engineering and navigational reports for two potential cruise ship terminals.
Councillor Taylor says it would be a great way to put the Gold Coast on the global market, but other councillors are not so sure.
"I think it would be great for the Gold Coast, economy-wise, and it would get our name on the global market," Councillor Taylor said.
"I've been on cruise ships in Europe and the United States, and no-one knows about the Gold Coast.
"I think having two to three ships here, especially with the high dollar, would be a major boost to tourism."
While the proposed Wavebreak Island cruise ship terminal is set only to be a stopover destination, Councillor Taylor says the economic impact would be substantial.
"Once you get there you want to explore that destination," he said.
"You want to taste the food and get the feel of the city."
Gold Coast Tourism spokesman Ben Poles says a report conducted by EC3 Global estimates impacts for Gold Coast tourism would vary, but would be largely positive.
"Some of the work we have done demonstrates there is around $180 million in direct visitor expenditure that could be gained each year," he said of the report, based on 139,000 passenger days in the city.
Mr Poles says the Gold Coast is Australia's number one tourism destination, receiving 11 million visitors each year, with an industry worth $4.5 billion.
"We believe the Gold Coast tourism market is big enough to sustain the market of cruise ships to the region without impacting on existing operations," he said.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate says a terminal would benefit existing tourism operators, and visitors to Brisbane spend an average of $179 per day.
"Across the industry that figure is growing and I would expect it to be higher by the time the Gold Coast receives its first passengers," he said.
Not so swell
Councillor Margaret Grummit, who lives and works at the Southport Broadwater, says she is supportive of a cruise ship terminal, but not at that location.
"We have to address the Southport [Spit] sand bar and the swell of an ocean liner," she said.
"I represent the people who live on the other side of Wavebreak Island. And it was called Wavebreak for a specific purpose."
Councillor Grummitt, who spends her spare time rowing on the Broadwater, is also worried about the physical movements of a cruise ship.
She says she would prefer the terminal be built offshore.
"When there is an ocean liner being turned around everyone will have to stop," she said.
"If there is an emergency with coast guards they aren't going to be able to get out."
Councillor Taylor says environmental impact is important.
"If it starts affecting erosion or surfing then maybe the Gold Coast is not the place," he said.
"Everything has to stack up and I don't want to ruin what we have here on the coast." | <urn:uuid:a45a12d1-6acb-4467-9f23-08f248e4ed88> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news.net/article/157974/Politics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973929 | 665 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Panel discusses future of conflict in Afghanistan
The American conflict in Afghanistan received special attention Thursday at a panel presentation delivered in the International Lounge at the Usdan Student Center.
Sponsored by the Center for German and European Studies, the panelists included both German Deputy Consul for New England Claudia Schuett and Asbed Kotchikian, a lecturer in Bentley University’s Global Studies office. Asadullah Pasoon IBS ’10 is a Fulbright scholar from Kabul University and acted as respondent and personal panelist as the three gave presentations on past, present and future Afghanistan.
The center’s director, Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL), introduced the event as especially relevant. She noted, “NATO [and other] governments are meeting now in London” to discuss Afghanistan, referencing the London Conference on Afghanistan’s future.
In his preview on the history of the diverse Afghan state, Kotchikian decried what he called “imported leadership” in the country, and said “the challenge is not de-Talibanization of Afghanistan, but about creating, not importing, a state.”
All three presenters lamented the current state of Afghanistan, especially moving the message to one where leaders recognize that “you have to win a peace, not the war,” as Schuett said.
The diplomat attested that positive change was possible, however that the West must figure out “how you can responsibly hand over…defense and security to the Afghan people themselves,” Schuett said.
As a representative of Germany, she also stressed the difference between the war in Afghanistan and past wars of occupation, namely Vietnam or Iraq: “Since the tainted name of the [Soviet] ‘Democratic Republic,’ ‘Democracy’ as a term is not very popular in Afghanistan,” she said, “but if you ask them if they would like a say in their taxes, if they would like to be able to remove their leaders without bloodshed, of course they say ‘yes.’”
Pasoon claimed that Afghanistan was ‘the good war”—to him and the rest of the Afghan people. “Both sides are upset with the results, but…before 9/11, Afghanistan was a place of fear,” he said. “It was almost not a place for living,”he said.
While challenges face the West and the government—and people—of Afghanistan, Pasoon advocated continuing help. “The construction of roads,” he said, “health care, access to education: people are enjoying their civil liberties again.”
Schuett’s presentation included Germany’s effort towards peace in the troubled state, and showcased Germany’s contribution to a “reintegration fund” to “help anti-government fighters…become reintegrated into Afghan life.”
Pasoon added, though, that to keep the progress he listed, “military might” was still necessary. But he also agreed that “we need reconciliation: to rehabilitate the moderate Taliban.”
Schuett and von Mering invited guests to attend the German Conference at Harvard Feb. 19 to 20 for a local continuance of discussion on the topic of Afghanistan.
More posts by Nathan Koskella
- Tragedy is, Swartz case one of many - January 24, 2013
- Long live the queens - December 7, 2012
- The Weekly Kos: Apathy toward the law is disregard for society at large - November 30, 2012
- Canceled, when the clock is ticking - November 16, 2012
- In first year back, swimming and diving takes added weight seriously - November 16, 2012 | <urn:uuid:ffab2f5a-c0b1-432c-91a4-f04d7e916d7b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thebrandeishoot.com/articles/7248 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959921 | 793 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Rising flour costs are taking a bite out of pizza parlor profits, but owners hope they won't have to pass those higher prices on to consumers.
"We haven't done any price adjusting yet," said Bill J. Spiekerman, general manager of Tiffany's Food and Spirits, 656 S. Main in Frankenmuth. "We're trying to figure out what we're going to do."
Flour prices, after rising gradually for the past several years, have increased dramatically during the past few weeks.
"Right now, we're sort of waiting to see how long it will last," Stamas said. "At some point, if it doesn't come down, we may have to look at adjusting prices."
Pizza Sam's uses about 1,300 pounds of flour a week. That means that from last year to this, the cost of just one baking material could increase by more than $21,600 a year for Pizza Sam's. Stamas said Pizza Sam's will continue to compare prices among vendors in hopes of keeping costs down.
"Flour was one of the few items left that helped make pizza profitable," Stamas said. "It definitely affects the bottom line."
Cheese costs have risen, as well. The price of cheddar at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, on which almost all cheese sellers in the United States base prices, is $2.09 per pound, said Dick Groves, editor of The Cheese Reporter in Madison, Wis.
The average cost of cheese over the past 20 years was $1.35 per pound, Groves said. He said high gasoline and corn prices have contributed to the increase.
Gas prices also put a strain on pizza businesses that deliver pies to customers.
"When prices go up, it affects the profit margin," said Jeff A. Eudis, head manager at Eudici's Pizza, 184 Church in Freeland. | <urn:uuid:cc2f64ea-095f-4ce5-9665-b5568b8d6719> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.mlive.com/saginawnews/2008/02/paying_more_for_pizza.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975569 | 394 | 1.59375 | 2 |
facebook was originally a term given to the student directories that certain schools gave out to make remembering the name of the cute dude in calculus easier. harvard, where mark zuckerberg attended, didn’t have a facebook but several of the fraternities and sororities had their own individual facebooks.
mark played around with other similar applications, eventually hitting on what we now use as facebook. facebook sometimes makes us believe we have a rich and varied social life when we really haven’t even gotten out of bed all day. and facebook sometimes brings people together who wouldn’t normally interact. one of the surprises of my new years resolution to meet my facebook friends was discovering how different and yet how similar i am to my friends.
this past week i went to los angeles with two chaperones reggie gholston and vincent peters. i sometimes take chaperones because it’s a good safety measure.
one of the facebook friends i wanted to meet was #324 brandon day. he is a twentysomething genius who ran into a bit of trouble a few years ago when he experienced full on agoraphobia. it was difficult for him to explain to his family and friends what he was going through–panic attacks that made it impossible for him to get beyond the front door. i think with facebook people can connect and relate their common experiences and they don’t feel so alone or so weird.
and that’s an even more important application of mark zuckerberg’s genius than offering the world the opportunity to rate their fellow humans hot or not.
brandon’s genius is in the creation of phone apps, video games and whatnot. through the magic of facebook i am friends with sarah, whom i visited in detroit. she is agoraphobic. and she wants very much to create video games, which she oughta be real good at because video games is how she gets through her day. i introduced the two of them via facebook and when i met brandon we had a message for her.
brandon is working on a phone application and website to help agoraphobics like sarah and our fondest wish is that the three of us will be together for lunch in los angeles, detroit, chicago, london, paris, rome?
meanwhile, on the other coast, last night i received a message from facebook friend michele piersiak. she lives in staten island and has had trouble leaving the house for a year. i visited her and she felt i was “safe” to walk around the neighborhood with. we talked about major goals–hers is to become a psychologist who helps people with social anxieties. and then we talked about minor goals. i think of minor goals as the things that may sound silly to other people but they are building blocks for your major goal. michele’s is to have dinner at laconde verde, a restaurant in manhattan owned by robert deniro. there are reservations under my name for august ninth! in order to do that, she has had to make mini-goals of walking around her neighborhood on her own, going to shops and stores, using public transportation. just yesterday, she readied herself for the laconde verde lunch by going to lunch with facebook pal carolyn quinn. facebook matchmaking.
after saying goodbye to brandon, the chaperones and i headed for las vegas where we would ultimately end up with friendship tragedy. still, if our adventure could be a moviemash it would be “driving miss daisie” and “the hangover”. . . | <urn:uuid:0b530d06-c7dc-4865-9289-4289179f07d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arlynnpresser.com/tag/los-angeles/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971128 | 768 | 1.515625 | 2 |
200 protest illegal immigration signPublished 11:55am Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Protesters from Austin, Owatonna and Waseca converge on Albert Lea
ALBERT LEA — Almost 200 people from across the region marched the streets of Albert Lea Monday night to speak out against what they call hate and intolerance toward the Latino community.
The protest, which began at a house near the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Front Street, moved west on Front Street to Pearl Street, where a controversial electronic sign, owned by Albert Lean Mal Prinzing, has been hanging high on the side of Dima Corp., 628 Pearl St.
Up until shortly before the protest began, the sign read: “Catch and Release — No!; Deport Illegals — Si.” Prior to the protest, the sign was changed to say, “Wise up. Check Dictionary, Illegal is Criminal.”
Protesters said the signs target the Latino population and create an unwelcoming environment for Hispanics in Albert Lea.
“There’s a climate of intolerance and hate toward the Latino people in Albert Lea, and the sign plays into this climate,” said Jeffrey Jurewicz, protest organizer with Owatonna-based Centro Campesino.
Jurewicz said Centro Campesino, a nonprofit advocate group for the Latino and migrant community in southern Minnesota, heard about the sign and decided to protest.
They spread the word via phone and other social media sites, and the people responded.
There were more than 100 local residents already participating when a busload of residents from Owatonna and Waseca joined.
“We recognize that Mal Prinzing has the right to free speech, but we also have the right to free speech,” Jurewicz said.
The protesters were young and old alike — and not all were Hispanic. They carried signs with messages of respect, dignity and even some scripture.
They marched around the block at least five times shouting, “Yes we can!” in both English and Spanish before walking up to the Iglesia Pentecostal Emmanuel church on Washington Avenue for an additional meeting.
Prinzing, whose business owns adult-novelty stores and circulates adult videos, was nowhere to be found; however, at one point after 7 p.m., a yellow plane could be seen flying over downtown Albert Lea, carrying the same message that had formerly been on the electronic sign. Jurewicz said the same message was being flown in Owatonna today.
Prinzing didn’t respond to requests to speak with the news media.
“We need respect for everybody,” said the Rev. Frederico Rivera of Iglesia Pentecostal Emmanuel.
Rivera said he has been in Albert Lea for five years, and two years ago he opened the doors to the church. People from many walks of life attend.
“I love the community, and I love the people,” he said. “All people, we are equal.”
Eleazar Duenez-Sanchez, of Austin, said his father, two sisters and two brothers live in Albert Lea, and he heard about the sign.
Though he did not have perfect English, Duenez-Sanchez conveyed his frustration with the sign and its effects on the community.
He has lived in the United States for 23 years and has worked for Hormel Foods Corp. for 11.
“I’ve lived here, working for my family, paying for my bills. That’s it,” he said.
Monica Hernandez, who was born in Austin and raised in Albert Lea, said the sign has had a direct effect on her and her family.
Hernandez said she and her children used to be able to watch movies on their back porch; however, now, every time they do, they see the sign.
“Your point has been made,” she said. “Now show some respect. … It’s effecting everyone in the community.”
Albert Lea 3rd Ward Councilor Ellen Kehr, who is also a member of the Albert Lea Human Rights Commission, came to the event mainly to observe.
“I am particularly concerned about the message we give our children,” Kehr said. “It’s about our children, keeping them safe.”
Jurewicz said Centro Campesino would be willing to organize a forum to discuss the different sides of immigration, but it has not received feedback back from Prinzing or others about participating. | <urn:uuid:54e410d9-f2de-4ea7-9428-b7b02e755f97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.austindailyherald.com/2012/08/07/200-protest-illegal-immigration-sign/?pid=25733 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963958 | 975 | 1.5 | 2 |
KANSAS CITY — The Council of Independent Colleges recently announced that Avila University was selected to receive a $50,000 NetVUE program development grant to be used over a two-year period beginning Jan. 1, 2013. Avila joins 32 NetVUE institutions selected in the first round of recipients of this award, meant to deepen the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation in undergraduate students.
NetVUE is a network of colleges and universities committed to fostering the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation in their campus communities. Campus communities strive to deepen their understanding of the intellectual and theological substance of vocational exploration; examine the role of intellectual and theological reflection and vocational exploration in a variety of institutional contexts; share knowledge, best practices, and reflection on experiences across participating campuses; develop a network for sustaining an extended program in the exploration of vocation; and facilitate the incorporation of additional colleges and universities into this enterprise.
Colleges and universities rooted in the liberal arts are well suited to undertake the task of educating future leaders who are theologically literate, whose attitudes and behaviors are shaped by their values and commitments, and who are eager to sustain a life of service that is guided by a sense of calling.
Dave Armstrong, director of Avila’s Campus Ministries and Mission Effectiveness, said, “This grant will help students explore vocation … the meaning and purpose in their lives. It will help us track the development and understanding of each person’s calling … what God is calling them to do.”
The initiative is being administered by the Council of Independent Colleges with generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc. Avila plans to use the grant funds in three ways: establish a program for students interested in becoming associates with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet; help send students to retreats at Jerusalem Farm, the volunteer community service retreat center, sponsored by the university, and finally to fund scholarships for low income students to participate in travel courses at Avila. | <urn:uuid:c28958f0-b8e9-457a-bc27-d0e4450ab6b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://catholickey.org/2013/01/11/avila-receives-grant-to-help-students-explore-vocation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940188 | 411 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Uncovering the Weinberg Group
Back in February 2006, journalist Paul Thacker wrote a story called “The Weinberg proposal.” It appeared in Environmental Science & Technology, a journal published by the American Chemical Society.
The piece was about the Weinberg Group, a scientific consulting firm in D.C. It works for chemical companies to manufacture uncertainty about the health and environmental effects of chemicals, with the aim of fighting off regulatory and legal challenges. Lest you think that description melodramatic, it’s worth reading the letter Weinberg sent DuPont (PDF) on that company’s battle over Teflon. It describes how Weinberg would “harness, focus and involve the scientific and intellectual capital of our company with one goal in mind—creating the outcome our client desires.” Thacker uncovered the letter in an EPA docket.
As Thacker later revealed in SEJournal (PDF), the piece got him summarily canned. A.C.S.’s editor-in-chief, Rudy Baum, would go on to call the Weinberg piece a “hatchet job”
Fast forward two years.A front-page story in the Sunday Washington Post describes the latest setback in the effort to regulate bisphenol A (BPA), a commonly used compound in plastics now linked to reproductive anomalies, behavioral disorders, and cancer. It was labeled a toxin by the Canadian government earlier this month.
Now the FDA has deemed it safe, based on two studies funded by … an industry trade group. And golly, what could be wrong with that?
“The fact is, it’s industry’s responsibility to demonstrate the safety of their products,” [Mitchell Cheeseman, deputy director of the F.D.A.’s office of food additive safety] said. “The fact that industry generated data to support the safety I don’t think is an unusual thing.”
Of course not. Because really, what are the chances industry would be biased?
A U.S. government ban on BPA would affect thousands of businesses and perhaps billions of dollars in profit for its largest manufacturers.
Anyhoo, it seems Congress is sniffing around the FDA’s ruling now. And you’ll never guess what they turned up.
As part of his investigation, Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, wants to examine the role played by the Weinberg Group, a Washington firm that employs scientists, lawyers and public relations specialists to defend products from legal and regulatory action. The firm has worked on Agent Orange, tobacco and Teflon, among other products linked to health hazards, and congressional investigators say it was hired by Sunoco, a BPA manufacturer.
Dingell has asked the Weinberg Group for all records related to its work in connection with BPA, including studies it has funded and payments made to experts. He cited a letter written by a company vice president in 2003 as Weinberg managed opposition in a long-running regulatory battle over a compound in Teflon. The strategy would be to discourage “governmental agencies, the plaintiffs’ bar and misguided environmental groups from pursuing this matter any further,” the letter said.
In a statement, Dingell said, “The tactics apparently employed by the Weinberg Group raise serious questions about whether science is for sale at these consulting groups, and the effect this faulty science might have on the public health.”
Looks like the Weinberg Group is up to its old tricks, and Congress is finding Thacker’s reporting fairly handy. I wonder if Rudy Baum wants to apologize. | <urn:uuid:7873c60b-6a95-4ca1-9570-8b96d11e9f26> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2008/04/uncovering-the.print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953506 | 775 | 1.757813 | 2 |
I was first diagnosed with eczema when I was pregnant with my daughter 23 years ago. She was diagnosed with eczema when she was a baby. Her eczema is mostly on her feet, legs, and hands. I have hand eczema which is exacerbated by frequent hand washing.
I'm a registered nurse. After much trial and error, I have discovered a compound which has worked wonders to control our outbreaks. We've used the treatment for several years and are still very pleased with the results.
I learned that creams work much better than ointments in controlling our symptoms.
I also learned that eating yogurt every day helps to control my symptoms.
I mix this compound at home using a digital kitchen scale.
Treatment for my hand eczema:
- 15 grams Fluocinonide CREAM, 0.05%
- 15 grams Bactroban CREAM
- 4 oz. Avon Silicone Glove hand cream (contains dimethicone)
Mix well and store in ointment jars. I keep a small one in my purse and another larger one at home.
Directions: Apply as needed to control symptoms.
Most days I will only apply it once. On days when I feel that an outbreak is threatening, I will apply it 2 or 3 times within an hour to stop or minimize the outbreak. If I can keep myself from scratching when the outbreak is eminent, then the treatment is usually more effective. Please note that the amount of steroid that I use is significantly lessened because it's diluted in the hand cream.
Treatment for my daughter's eczema:
- 15 grams Halcinonide CREAM, 0.1%
- 15 grams Bactroban
- 1 capsule Evening Primrose Oil
- 1 capsule Vitamin E
- 4 oz. Avon Silicone Glove
Note: Puncture the capsules with a needle and squeeze the oil out.
Directions: Apply as needed. She usually applies it once or twice daily.
The steroid in her cream is much stronger.
I take generic Claritin every day. My daughter has found that Zyrtec every day works better for her.
Hopefully others can benefit from this.
Jill McDaniel, RN
Baton Rouge, LA | <urn:uuid:12a4835e-136a-45a3-a9d7-a833fae6c8b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nationaleczema.org/living-with-eczema/scratch-pad/discovered-compound?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959282 | 475 | 1.53125 | 2 |
After Troutdale's City Hall was condemned last year by the city's building inspector, the City Council moved its meetings to the city's City Conference Building (CCB) at 223 SE Buxton Ave.
Fellow Troutdale resident John Wilson recently asked City of Troutdale Building Official Dick Bohlmann if the CCB's restrooms needed to be ADA compliant.
Bohlmann told Wilson they weren't, and haven't been ADA compliant since the city purchased the building in the early 1990's. Bohlmann also told Wilson that Troutdale's recently condemned City Hall restrooms were never in compliance with ADA standards, despite being the meeting place for City Council Meetings, City Court sessions, and Planning Commission meetings for many years.
Bohlmann also gave a short history of the CCB building. It was originally Troutdale's US Post Office. After the USPS moved to its new building in 1989, a church purchased the CCB. The church was given one year to make the restrooms ADA compliant as a condition of occupancy. But they never made them ADA compliant. Several years later, the City of Troutdale purchased the building. The City also failed to upgrade the building's restrooms to comply with ADA requirements.
Fast forward to a Troutdale City Council Meeting a few weeks ago. Wilson, speaking during the public comment portion of the City Council meeting, brought up the issue of the CCB restroom lack of ADA compliance and requested that the City Council direct city staff to bring the building into ADA compliance. Wilson asked how could the City require Troutdale residents, businesses, and developers to spend thousands of dollars to comply with ADA requirements when the City had ignored ADA laws for years.
The City Council refused to appropriate funds to bring the CCB building restrooms into ADA compliance. According to Wilson, a source from the city government stated this could be done for around $5,000. Even now, the CCB building is used weekly by city committees and local clubs and groups including the YMCA.
The City Council has directed the City Manager to enter into multi-year lease agreements for a non-city owned building in downtown Troutdale for meeting space to hold their City Council, Court, Planning Ccommission meetings etc.
The City Council has appropriated funds to bring this non city building's restroom and a wall ($5,000) into ADA compliance as well as another $10,000 in annual rent to hold their City Council, Court and planning meetings in. This pencils out to approx. to 70 meetings a year at a cost of $214.00 per meeting (1st year costs $15,000) the first year.
|Say Goodbye To Your Tax Dollars, Troutdalians!|
Troutdale taxpayers: Is this ok with you? $5,000 to make a city owned building's restrooms ADA compliant, versus spending $5,000 to make a non city owned building ADA compliant in addition to 1st year costs of $15,000 in rent? What other buildings in Troutdale are out of ADA compliance?
This belongs in the "It's easy to spend other people's money" category, if you ask me. | <urn:uuid:0dabee5b-b47a-45fb-86ec-ccb2e87fefe1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://troutdale.blogspot.com/2012/03/troutdale-council-continues-to-ignore.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972157 | 641 | 1.765625 | 2 |
ISSUE 2 — September, 2005
Our Lady of the Forest— David Guterson
The finest reward a great novel can give, after the pleasure of living inside its world, is its “afterimage,” the resonance that arises in the days after reading it. Sometimes the psychic echoes return as full-blown images from the author’s descriptions; sometimes you find yourself pondering the ideas or moral issues woven into the plot. In the ideal case, of course, it is both pictures and that kind of mental “nourishment.”
I read Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedars a few years ago, and it was a beautiful piece of work, but Our Lady of the Forest tops it in every way. More than a week after reading it, I still carry scenes in my mind’s eye, and find myself reviewing and analyzing the issues it explored. One of the great strengths of fiction is its ability to “show, don’t tell” — to portray deep and complex subjects by demonstration, rather than exposition, and allow the readers to weigh the implications and judge for themselves.
Our Lady of the Forest tells the story of a homeless, wraith-like, teenage runaway, Ann Holms, who walks into the damp forests of Washington state to collect mushrooms to sell. Among the dripping conifers and spongy moss, Ann has a vision of the Virgin Mary, appearing in a ball of light. The Mother of God speaks to Ann, telling her what the world must do to stop her Son from destroying them, and commanding her to build a church on that site.
Mary promises to appear to Ann in the same place four more times, and Ann tells her friend at the campground, then visits the local priest. The story spreads, and the pilgrims gather. No one but Ann can hear or see the Mother of God during her apparitions, but people are galvanized by their belief in the girl who becomes known as Our Ann. Hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands of people arrive, some of them simply choosing to believe, others taking advantage of that gullibility to turn a profit, while some, like the local sheriff, just try to deal with the phenomenon.
The Roman poet Ovid wrote, “If the art is concealed, it succeeds.” It is wonderful to finish a book and only then reflect how much thought, how much research, how much work went into creating that smooth and effortless reading experience.
Our Lady of the Forest is blessed with so much art — in its very conception (dare I say, immaculate), its themes, its intricate details of background and the richly human characters — people who are not just described, but felt. Guterson takes the trouble to get inside the complicated lives of out-of-work lumberjacks, aging barmaids, and hard-working immigrants, just as deeply as the trailer-park priest with a wavering vocation, or the young girl haunted by her past, and by the intensity of her belief in what she sees and hears.
Of the last ten novels I’ve read, this is definitely number one on the charts right now.
Critique of Religion and Philosophy — Walter Kaufmann
Coincidentally, I was reading this at the same time as Our Lady of the Forest, alternating fiction and non-fiction as I sometimes do, and in this case, there was definitely some common ground. Again, Guterson sifted his themes through fiction, while Kaufmann was a philosophy professor at Princeton for many years, and his book is a scholarly investigation into the natures of faith and philosophy, where they meet, and where they divide.
It was given to me by my friend Chris Stankee, from the Sabian company, following a discussion we had over lunch one day about my struggles in writing Roadshow, of determining how to treat the theme of Middle America’s in-your-face Christianity. As I saw it, the choice was respectful silence, or polite protest.
This book helped to steer me toward the latter notion, of making a polite stand for the much-beleaguered faith in reason.
Critique of Religion and Philosophy is not an easy read, especially at the beginning, for it is essentially a textbook of philosophical essays, However, working through it is a worthwhile challenge, for the rewards are commensurate with the effort.
For me, the pace seemed to pick up as it went along, once Professor Kaufmann had laid his groundwork to allow you to understand what follows. I especially loved Part VII, “Satanic Interlude, Or How to Go to Hell.” It includes “Dialogue between Satan and a Theologian,” “Dialogue between Satan and a Christian,” and “Dialogue between Satan and an Atheist,” all of which are clever, witty, entertaining, and profound, but they do depend for their depth, their resonance, on the comprehension of all that is presented earlier.
In the preface, Professor Kaufmann specifically requests the reader not to “browse,” in a charming passage, which exemplifies his erudite, yet occasionally playful style. (Bear in mind it was written in 1958, hence the male-default gendering.)
The arrangement of this book with its many sections with individual titles may suggest that it is meant for browsing. It is not. Superficially, each section can be understood by itself, but many, including the three dialogues, are likely to be misunderstood out of context. If it were not for that, they could and should have been developed separately.
Emphatically, this book is meant to be read in the order in which it is presented. Those who merely wish to be diverted may disregard this counsel. But serious readers and all who care to understand the author’s views should heed it.
For the curious. The godly reader who disregards the sentence in italics in the previous section may soon find his charity endangered. But if he follows the path mapped out for him, he may well find himself in basic sympathy with what he reads, although scarcely in complete agreement.
For those whom a prohibition tempts to sin, like Eve in Eden, there is this provision. Though it were better if they did not peek — if peek they must, let them steal a glimpse, not immediately but when temptation has become too great, at the long Biblical quotation in Section 79. And if that does not suffice them, let them read Section 25. “But,” as St. Paul says, “I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.”
There are many passages from the book I could happily quote, but I’ll stop here, with a hearty recommendation, whatever your faith or creed, to do what the professor says, and read this book.
More Die of Heartbreak — Saul Bellow
My friend Brutus first introduced me to Saul Bellow, with the wondrous Henderson the Rain King. A couple of Bellow’s other novels, The Adventures of Augie March, and Humboldt’s Gift, turned up in Ghost Rider, when I was reading them during my travels.
There is no one like Saul Bellow — his novels are unbelievably deep in characters and ideas, the characters moving quickly through their worlds, and the ideas passing quickly from Saul Bellow’s teeming mind to yours.
Personally, I dislike the plot summaries you find on the backs or inner flaps of novels, mainly because they usually give too much away — destroy the pleasure of discovery in the reading. These days I carefully avoid reading them until after I read the book, and the same with the advertising blurbs at the front, and especially the kind of “introduction” you find in “classic” editions. They all give too much away, and should come after the book, not before. (Definitely true for Martin Amis’s entertaining introduction to More Die of Heartbreak.)
Anyway… suffice to say that Saul Bellow’s Nobel Prize was richly deserved, and this novel sustains his usual uniquely high standard. I am glad that Saul Bellow is one great writer who still has a few books I haven’t read, and can look forward to — the kind of thing that makes life worth going on for…
A Long Way Down — Nick Hornby
In contrast, the four main characters of this novel all have nothing to live for. In fact, they first meet each other on the roof of a London apartment block, on New Year’s Eve, each determined to end their torments by jumping off.
Nick Hornby is among the finest modern writers, in every sense of that word, his characters always engaged with today’s world, and today’s problems. I had enjoyed each of Hornby’s previous novels, High Fidelity, About a Boy, and How To Be Good, and his non-fiction books as well, Songbook (quoted a few times in Traveling Music, in which his Fever Pitch is also mentioned), but when I read a review of this latest, I was a little doubtful (again, those darn plot summaries giving too much away).
However, my concern that the story sounded dark, morbid, and possibly depressing was unfounded. My quote from Ovid, “if the art is concealed, it succeeds,” applies equally well to Nick Hornby. The reading seems so effortless that only later do you reflect how much thought he gives to designing his characters and their destinies.
The four main characters in A Long Way Down are each so different, and yet such modern “types” — the disaffected, fragmented teenage punk girl, the shallow, emotionally-crippled television personality destroyed by a sex scandal, the spiritless middle-aged mother of a handicapped son, and the failed American rock musician. Hornby’s skill draws their stories together, and makes their relationship the main character of the story, from their first encounter on the rooftop, humorous and poignant, to their gradual forming of an unlikely bond.
Like all the novels I have celebrated in these reviews, A Long Way Down changed my perception of the world, and introduced me to the lives of other people — who, if imaginary, are no less real — and I think that very quality might be one distinction between art and entertainment.
Art has the power to change you, or at least the way you see the world, while entertainment has, at best, a transitory effect.
Certainly I am not immune to the charms of reading purely for diversion or escape, but with an adventure or mystery book — or movie, TV show, or sports event — you feel temporary, vicarious feelings, and carry away little or nothing from the experience.
A Long Way Down is an enjoyable read, but it also made my world just four stories larger. | <urn:uuid:0b90bc98-f05d-40ad-be78-5870fce6fed9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.neilpeart.net/index.php/book-club/issue-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968136 | 2,283 | 1.578125 | 2 |
The University of Colorado plans to spend $1.5 million to demolish its dated College Inn building, which has served in past years as overflow dorm space for freshmen during housing crunches but is plagued with asbestos problems.
The planned demolition is included in a quarterly report that will be reviewed by the Boulder Campus Planning Commission. The project, because it's under $2 million, won't need approval from CU's Board of Regents.
The 76,779-square-foot building is off Arapahoe Avenue and 13th Street near Boulder High School. The College Inn is now vacant, and demolition of the building is scheduled for the summer of 2013.
While there are no official plans for the space, it's possible it could be used to develop new housing for families or graduate students, said Paul Leef, campus architect.
CU's Environmental Health and Safety division audited the College Inn in 2008 and found there were large amounts of asbestos, and lease agreements with student residents would require a stipulation that students not touch the asbestos-containing "popcorn" ceilings. Removing all of the hazardous material will cost roughly $750,000, according to an estimate from CU's Facilities Management department.
In addition to asbestos abatement, the building would need other fixes that could total up to $3 million and include replacing outdated patio doors, elevators, electrical systems and the boiler.
"The cost of renovation really exceeds the value of the building," Leef said.
The construction materials from the era and the hotel configuration with private rooms would make it challenging to remodel the building, according to the demolition plan. The university is aiming to create more residential academic programs that blend living and learning in dorms with shared study rooms and seminar classrooms.
In August 2011, the university acquired space for 1,000 more students because of the addition of the new Williams Village North tower, renovations in Willard Hall and Hallet Hall and an addition to Smith Hall, Leef said.
"The need for overflow beds was eliminated," he said.
The College Inn was originally built in 1964 and acquired by CU's Housing and Dining Services in 1976 to be used as a conference center. In 2002, CU renovated the building so it could be used to house students.
Abby Daniels, executive director of Historic Boulder, said the preservation committee isn't aware of any historical or architectural significance embodied by the College Inn. But the building has special significance to her personally. She stayed at the College Inn in the mid-1990s while attending a conference on volunteer management and enjoyed its proximity to the Boulder Creek Path.
"I fell in love with Boulder while I was staying there," she said. | <urn:uuid:1abe47c3-c170-4353-acac-d5caac4ecf40> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_20375855/entertainment/classicalmusic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974016 | 550 | 1.773438 | 2 |
We are excited to receive critical commentary on all aspects of modern and contemporary American poetry (including on poems and poets that are not currently represented on MAPS). MAPS has a long history of publishing original essays that for reasons of length, format, or subject matter may be more difficult to publish in more traditional journals. These essays are peer-reviewed.
MAPS also seeks to make previously published work more accessible and relevant, providing an online environment in which readings of poems, poets, and modern poetic contexts can be extended and complicated in direct relation to other modern poetry criticism. With permission from the author, we are happy to redistribute full or excerpted critical commentary (providing a link to where the full publication can be found), giving your work greater visibility.
In order to provide a current and accurate picture of modern poetry criticism, MAPS also makes available fair-use excerpts of previously published criticism relating to modern and contemporary poetry. We are happy to receive suggestions for this criticism as well (along with a copy, if available).
We will post all accepted materials and make them available for searching. We may additionally transform them (creating hypertext links to other MAPS pages, for example) in order to integrate them more fully into the site. | <urn:uuid:0dd3a7ab-33df-45b4-8ddb-603ca51333aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/critical_submit.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95466 | 253 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Tue February 7, 2012
California's Same-Sex Marriage Ban Is Unconstitutional, Court Says
California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriages is unconstitutional, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today in a much-anticipated decision from the nation's most populous state. The judges upheld a lower court's ruling.
As you'd expect, the ruling has drawn praise from those who support same-sex marriage and condemnation from those who oppose it. Both sides acknowledge that the decision isn't the last word on the subject — an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is expected.
We posted updates on the decision (which you can read below) and as reaction came in.
Update at 1:54 p.m. ET. Newt Gingrich Condemns Decision:
"Court of Appeals overturning CA's Prop 8 another example of an out of control judiciary. Let's end judicial supremacy," Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich's Twitter page says.
Update at 1:45 p.m. ET. Reaction From Prop 8 Supporters, Who Vow To Appeal.
"The National Organization For Marriage, the main group supporting Proposition 8, has condemned the ruling. From the press release:
" 'As sweeping and wrong-headed as this decision is, it nonetheless was as predictable as the outcome of a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition game,' said Brian Brown, NOM's president. 'We have anticipated this outcome since the moment San Francisco Judge Vaughn Walker's first hearing in the case. Now we have the field cleared to take this issue to the US Supreme Court, where we have every confidence we will prevail.' "
Update at 1:40 p.m. ET. A Copy Of The Ruling.
We've put a copy of the court's decision here. To read it in the box below, just click on the headline "Prop 8 Ruling" so it will pop up into a larger view.
Update at 1:35 p.m. ET. Pelosi Reacts:
Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the top Democrat in the House, says on her Twitter page that Prop 8 was ruled to be "what we knew it to be: unconstitutional. Victory for equality & CA families!"
Update at 1:25 p.m. ET. Ruling Is On "Narrow Grounds":
In the decision, the judges write that they did not rule on the "broader" issue of whether "same-sex couples may ever be denied the right to marry." That, they said, "is currently a matter of great debate in our nation, and an issue over which people of good will may disagree, sometimes strongly."
They continued: "We need not and do not answer the broader question in this case, however, because California had already extended to committed same-sex couples both the incidents of marriage and the official designation of 'marriage,' and Proposition 8's only effect was to take away that important and legally significant designation, while leaving in place all of its incidents. This unique and strictly limited effect of Proposition 8 allows us to address the amendment's constitutionality on narrow grounds."
Update at 1:18 p.m. ET. More From The Decision:
"Although the Constitution permits communities to enact most laws they believe to be desirable," the opinion states, "it requires that there be at least a legitimate reason for the passage of a law that treats different classes of people differently. There was no such reason that Proposition 8 could have been enacted."
Update at 1:15 p.m. ET. 2-1 Decision.
"The 2-1 decision ... found that Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that limited marriage to one man and one woman, violated the U.S. Constitution. The architects of Prop. 8 have vowed to appeal.
"The ruling was narrow and likely to be limited to California.
" 'Proposition 8 served no purpose, and had no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California,' the court said."
Update at 1:07 p.m. ET. More Background.
"The Ninth Circuit ruling comes 18 months after federal judge Vaughn Walker struck down the ban. Walker found Prop 8 violated constitutional rights under two provisions: the equal protection clause and the due process clause of the constitution to marry."
From our original post:
As NPR's Richard Gonzales reported in November, Prop 8 was:
"Struck down as unconstitutional by a federal judge more than a year ago. Both former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and then attorney general Jerry Brown took the unusual position of declining to appeal, so the sponsors of Prop 8 took it upon themselves to file an appeal before the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. ...
"Regardless of the finding, the 9th Circuit is expected by all parties to be just a legal stop before the matter goes to the U.S. Supreme Court." | <urn:uuid:d82bf657-c9f9-4ca2-a119-e9b6cd495a1d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wncw.org/post/californias-same-sex-marriage-ban-unconstitutional-court-says | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952147 | 1,015 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Doctors, hospitals, clinics, health care groups, faith organizations and family planning associations urged lawmakers Wednesday to restore funding cut from women’s health programs for contraceptives and health screening.
At the forefront of their fight are two women who serve on the House Appropriations Committee, Republican Rep. Sarah Davis, of West University Place, and Democratic Rep. Donna Howard, of Austin. Both appeared at a Capitol news conference hosted by the Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition.
Howard cited state estimates that thousands more unplanned births to low-income women as a result of family planning cuts will cost Texas millions more in Medicaid payments.
The state has projected 6,480 more Medicaid births at a cost of $33 million in the current fiscal year due to the reduction in family planning expenses. In the next two-year budget period, an extra 24,000 births are anticipated at a cost of $103 million.
Davis, a breast cancer survivor who is on an Appropriations subcommittee overseeing health and human services, said, “It’s really no longer the time to be playing politics with women’s health.”
The battle over the Women’s Health Program in Texas has received widespread attention after Gov. Rick Perry championed a state ban on Planned Parenthood participating due to its affiliation with abortion providers.
The federal government pulled its matching funds due to the ban, saying it violated state regulations, but Texas is continuing to pay for the program out of state funds.
The separate family planning cuts, however, stripped $73 million from such services. Howard said that caused 167 clinics to lose funding and 53 to close.
The Texas Women’s Healthcare Coalition is calling for funding to be maintained for the Women’s Health Program, which serves 137,000 women, and for funding to be restored to the family planning grants program.
Currently, in the family planning program, 65,000 women are being served, a drop of some 147,000 compared to before the cuts, said Dr. Janet Realini, chair of the new coalition’s steering committee.
The coalition doesn’t list Planned Parenthood as a member. Realini said the coalition was designed to present another voice to show the battle wasn’t just about that one group and to show support for women’s preventive care.
Among its members, the coalition includes The Texas Medical Association, Texas Hospital Association, Texas Nurses Association, Methodist Healthcare Ministries, National Council of Jewish Women-Texas State Policy Advocacy Network, Texas Association of Community Health Centers, University Health System, San Antonio Metro Health Clinic, South Texas Family Planning and Health Corp. and Texas Council on Family Violence.
Ana Vi Cantu and her husband, Benny, came to the Capitol from Robstown to voice their support for the program. Cantu, 29, began crying as she spoke of its importance to her family.
She and her husband each work two jobs, she said — they both deliver the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, he works in the oilfield and she works at a convenience store. She said she also goes to college, and they have three children.
Cantu said she didn’t know what she would do if she didn’t have the clinic’s services.
“We can’t afford to have another child,” she said.
Cantu said the clinic already has cut back on the days it is open and that there will be a charge for services that have been free. | <urn:uuid:75716a86-69ee-4332-b251-05b4c94270e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.mysanantonio.com/texas-politics/2013/02/coalition-pushes-for-women%E2%80%99s-health-family-planning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962877 | 719 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Speak2See app is now on the app store!
Speak to See LLC Introduces a “Visual Hearing” Application that Facilitates Patient/Care Giver Communication for Those who are Hard of Hearing.
For medical professionals and family members who are caring for an increasingly elderly population, Speak to See, is an exciting new “visual hearing” application that alleviates the struggle of communicating with those who are hard of hearing. The application was developed by a long term care physician in response to the daily difficulties of communicating with aging patients and provides a practical and thoughtful interface that has been the result of 25 years of patient care.
The application interface is simple. Use either the pre-loaded questions or speak your own into your i-phone or i-pad, which instantly magnifies the text to full screen, allowing the hard of hearing patient to read and instantly respond. To clear and move to the next question all it takes is a simple shake of the phone, allowing for fluid and seamless patient interaction avoiding the disruptive typing that has increasingly been associated with electronic charting.
The initial idea for the application came from seeing many hard of hearing patients says the inventor, Dr. Thomas E. Dahlberg. “It’s difficult when you can’t communicate with your patients. You either end up gathering insufficient information or spend time uncomfortably yelling until the patient can hear. So far patients have responded immediately to the large text, answering questions with more detail and self assurance. I have been able to communicate more effectively and efficiently with patients I’ve been seeing for 15 years, and as a result I believe I’ve been able to deliver better patient care.”
Speak to See is a small, but significant example of a positive application for emerging technology in the medical field and its ability to enhance communication through real-time interactions. Not only does Speak to See stand to increase the efficiency of patient care as well as the quality of the experience for doctors and nurses, but it can be a valuable tool for families caring for aging parents at home. As a facilitator of communication, Speak to See’s primary objective is to enhance the general quality of life for patients, care takers, and loved ones surrounding—a refreshing goal and hopefully only the beginning of many more practical uses for technology and patient care in the future.
About Speak to See: the application includes pre-loaded questions that cover basic HMI etc. | <urn:uuid:08447390-c3d0-496c-8ffa-7c45fad8ca84> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://appzdev.com/mac-iphone-blog/category/ipod-touch/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949455 | 504 | 1.59375 | 2 |
The Matrix is a science fiction thriller and action movie that appeared in 1999. The movie was directed and written by Wachowski and the main actor is Keanu Reeves. The movie was launched in the US at the end of March, 1999 and appeared all over the world one week later. The movie attracted lots [...]
The Matrix is a science fiction thriller and action movie that appeared in 1999. The movie was directed and written by Wachowski and the main actor is Keanu Reeves. The movie was launched in the US at the end of March, 1999 and appeared all over the world one week later. The movie attracted lots of people for the simple reason that the action was happening in the future, an innovation in 1999. The reality was very well simulated and created by different machines. Machines and humans were pretty much equal and they couldn’t survive separately.
The action starts with Thomas Anderson interpreted by Keanu Reeves which is a computer programmer. He has a hacker secret nickname Neo. He has no time to rest because he is very interested in finding out more and more things about cryptic references and Matrix. A woman which is also a hacker sustain that she knows who could have the answer to all the questions Thomas has and that man is Morpheus.
Thomas was arrested and for a while he couldn’t contact Morpheus at all. In the end, they will have a secret meeting and Morpheus will offer Thomas two pills to chose from, one of the pills is blue and will keep the secrets away meanwhile the other one is read and will let Thomas to find out the truth about Matrix. Thomas has chosen the red pill and he changes instantly, his body was able to be connected to tubes and electricity. Morpheus is again the one saving Thomas from this. Thomas will also find out he is living in future with 200 years more than he knows and people are all fighting with machines and computers that were previously created. Even the sky was not the same because big black clouds were hiding it. The machines were so dangerous that they were using people as energy source.
Laws of physics, chemistry and math are presented in the movie and are very interesting especially because of the way they were adapted to a future world. Neo will be trained to fight and help the humanity and he will learn new martial arts methods and will impress everyone with the potential he has to show. Fatal injuries are also presented and what is interesting is that they are close to the ones in reality.
The movie is considered among best ones ever and even nowadays is still available on DVDs on different versions. The cast was also very well selected and people are very recognizing for this. Keanu Reeves launched himself with this movie, so Matrix opened lots of gates for him. The cost of the production was really high, around 63 millions $ but the profit was over 500 millions $ which situates the movie in the top of best sold ever. The movie was so appreciated that lots of games were inspired from it and the do sell very well, almost as good as the movie.
No related posts. | <urn:uuid:4f99e73b-817e-4fab-abc1-e8a8f1b00378> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reelthriller.com/action-movies/the-matrix/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989568 | 619 | 1.671875 | 2 |
From the 13-16 May 2008, Senior Researcher Jannie Malan, along with Karabo Rajuili from the Knowledge Production Department at ACCORD conducted community consultations in Stutterheim in the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Muden in KwaZulu Natal.
The visits came as a follow-up to a previous field research mission ACCORD conducted in partnership with the New York based organisation, the Coexistence Initiative, in August 2003. In 2003, a series of community consultations in the three communities were conducted to document how each community managed to transit from violent conflict due to racial, political or land issues, and transform into tolerant, cooperative post-conflict coexistence before South Africa’s transition to democracy in 1994.
The broad objectives of the follow-up consultations in May 2008 were to:
- Revisit the initial study and update community members of the progress made thus far;
- Assess whether or not any significant updates where necessary, and how the initial findings held up to the current reality; and
- Ascertain any relevant areas which can be used for further initiatives on coexistence within the institution.
At each site, a number of individual and group discussions were held with a wide spectrum of community members. Overall, the updates indicated that all three communities managed to sustain a level of post-conflict coexistence. However, each community was experiencing new challenges related to the distribution of resources, the management of service delivery and economic opportunities through the state, and finally, the uneven record in economic development despite power-sharing and cooperation in a post-apartheid South Africa. Nevertheless, the communities are still able to discuss these challenges in a spirit of tolerance.
Given the relevance of the findings to ACCORD’s work and the field of conflict resolution generally, the initial manuscript with the updated findings will be published and launched by ACCORD in September 2008. | <urn:uuid:927c8707-8596-4bdc-bd7c-ed6eac60c04a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.accord.org.za/news/87-knowledge-production/349-field-research-with-coexistence-initiative | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943194 | 388 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Is America losing its influence?
Is America losing its influence?By David Gergen, CNN Senior Political November 12, 2010 3:08 p.m. EST
Editor's note: David Gergen, a senior political analyst for CNN, has been an adviser to four U.S. presidents. He is a professor of public service and director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School.
(CNN) -- Opening The New York Times on Friday morning, I blinked. The headline on its lead story, spread over two columns, blared out, "Obama's Economic View Is Rejected on World Stage."
Whether or not you like this president, the headline should make every American wince. Yes, other presidents have experienced setbacks, but it has been a long time since any of them has been so publicly rebuffed in a gathering of the world's major nations. Indeed, since World War II, our presidents have dominated the world's economic decision-making.
In this case, Obama took double blows. His hosts in South Korea resisted making concessions that would have wrapped up the biggest bilateral trade deal for the U.S. in more than a decade -- a deal that Obama insisted be done by this week. No one knows now if it will be completed.
Meanwhile, at a meeting of the G-20 nations in Seoul, Obama ran into more trouble. For months he and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner have been pointing toward these talks as a place to secure a firm agreement from China to increase the value of its currency and to gain agreement from China, Germany and others to reduce their trade surpluses. The doors were slammed in American faces. China refused to make firm promises, and the U.S. was lectured by China, Germany, Brazil and others that it was manipulating for a weaker dollar so that it can increase exports.
There is a suggestion coming from the White House that the press is being unduly dramatic in its reporting on these setbacks. But is this believable about The New York Times? Hardly.
No, what we have here is something more serious: not only a president who is personally weakened by elections at home but a proud nation that is also weakened in the eyes of the world.
For too long, the U.S. has been seen by a growing number of other nations as acting recklessly with our finances. Within less than a generation, we have fallen from being the world's biggest creditor to the world's biggest debtor. Fingers are also pointed at us for causing the Great Recession.
We increasingly face a stark choice: Either we get our economic house in order or we will lose much of our influence -- and our leadership -- on the world stage.
Time to take a more welcoming look at the national deficit commission? I think so.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Gergen.
Joined: Sep 2009
Summit Shows U.S. Can Still Set Agenda, if Not Get Action
It could have been far worse.
That was the consensus among the leaders of the Group of 20 economic powers as they dispersed Friday, following a two-day summit meeting dominated by anxieties over currency and trade frictions. In their fifth meeting since the 2008 financial crisis, the leaders agreed in essence to a year-long cooling-off period during which they will slowly tackle persistent economic imbalances.
“In Seoul, there was too much jostling over currencies, deficits and exports for the G-20 leaders to make any significant breakthroughs,” said David Shorr, who studies economic diplomacy for the Stanley Foundation, an organization in Muscatine, Iowa, that advocates international cooperation. “But there was also enough concern to avert a disastrous breakdown.”
The meeting still showed the power of the United States to set the agenda for international discussion, even if the result — charging the International Monetary Fund with analyzing the sources and consequences of the imbalances — was far less robust than American officials had hoped for.
Expectations for this summit meeting had been low, particularly because officials from China and Germany, the world’s two biggest export-driven economies, had repeatedly criticized the United States for weakening the dollar as a means of supporting a sluggish domestic recovery.
But in interviews here, officials from Europe and the United States said that weakening, specifically the decision by the Federal Reserve to inject $600 billion into the economy, was not a major topic of discussion in the leaders’ private meetings.
In those discussions, including at a dinner on Thursday and a lunch on Friday, there was considerable agreement on the need to address a fundamental trade, or accounts, imbalance: some economies are spending, buying and borrowing too much and others too little.
Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, said in an interview here that the G-20 joint statement on the need to curb those imbalances was significant given that some countries did not even support raising the issue just two years ago.
“This represents a quantum leap in terms of global economic governance,” he said. “I think very frankly that the G20 has passed the test.”
For his part, President Obama suggested that the attention on imbalances had overshadowed significant agreements on overhauling financial regulations and improving development assistance for poor countries.
“Naturally there’s an instinct to focus on the disagreements, because otherwise, these summits might not be very exciting — it’s just a bunch of world leaders sitting around intervening,” he said at a news conference. “And so there’s a search for drama. But what’s remarkable is that in each of these successive summits we’ve actually made real progress.”
Even the British prime minister, David Cameron, who on Thursday said the G-20 was past its “heroic phase,” called the forum essential.
“If we didn’t have the G-20 there would be the real danger that countries might go off and pursue their own interests,” he said, adding: “I don’t accept the idea that the G-20 process isn’t working. It’s a process.”
China’s increasingly vocal and assertive posture was a defining theme of the meeting, as was the candid American acknowledgment that the recovery of the United States — essential for global economic growth — requires outside help.
Squabbling over highly technical language in the 22-page joint statement was so intense that a meeting of key officials from the G-20 countries stretched into Friday morning, only hours before the leaders were to bless the communiqué. And in their closed-door meetings, leaders were not shy about sharing their views.
“There were robust conversations,” Mr. Cameron said, when asked to characterize the leaders’ meetings. “What I witnessed were relatively good-natured conversations. Yes, of course there were pressures and tensions, but it was right that they were addressed at a forum like this instead of slipping over into bilateral action.”
Mr. Obama found himself defending the Fed’s decision buy government bonds to lower long-term interest rates, even though he has tried to avoid commenting on the central bank, an independent entity.
At the leaders’ dinner on Thursday, Mr. Obama acknowledged that the Fed’s monetary policy offered the most promising course of speeding the American recovery, given the political impediments to any additional fiscal stimulus measures, according to Mr. Barroso.
The Obama administration made it clear that it was not seeking to dictate the terms of economic debate, as it once could have done, but was seeking to foster international norms.
“What the IMF can do is the necessary function of playing the role of referee or of independent arbiter,” a senior administration official said. “The IMF has to play that role – there’s no alternative to it.”
A common complaint about the G-20 is that it lacks enforcement mechanisms. The forum, still largely informal, operates by consensus and peer pressure, not sanctions and rules. So the rationale for cooperation on reducing imbalances is an argument that the benefits outweigh the costs.
The challenge ahead will be to specify how to measure broad imbalances, and then to fix them.
“You have to have numbers,” said the senior American official, who spoke on condition of anonymity according to ground rules set by the White House. “This is economics. Just like a thermometer has numbers on it, you have to have numbers, and everybody recognizes that.”
Or as Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the I.M.F., put it: “Now we have to see — after six months, after one year, after two years — if we’re able to give some flesh around the bone.”
Some observers have doubts. John Kirton, a political scientist at the University of Toronto and the co-director of the G-20 Research Group at the university’s Munk School of Global Affairs, said he was disappointed that the leaders did not comment on the economic turbulence still roiling parts of Europe, most notably Ireland.
“The G-20 has successfully moved toward becoming a global economic steering committee, but perhaps at the expense of abandoning the core crisis response responsibility that gave it birth,” he said. | <urn:uuid:6741fb36-a266-467a-8832-abf3e2b36998> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://siriusbuzz.com/forum/showthread.php?4602-Is-America-losing-its-influence | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968808 | 1,964 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Prompted by the growing presence of Hispanics in the United States and North Carolina, Duke divinity students have launched a new organization to promote Hispanic voices in the divinity school community.
Students Advocating Latino/a Theologies (SALT) formed after a class on Latin American theology taught last spring by Teresa M. Berger, associate professor of ecumenical theology. Will Faircloth, a second-year MTS student and co-coordinator of SALT, said he and M.Div. students Jose Villasenor, Sara Smith and Clarissa Fuentes decided they wanted to do more than just read about Hispanic theology.
The Raleigh-Durham area has experienced one of the largest percentage increases in Hispanic population in the nation, with an overall increase of more than 1,000 percent from 1980 to 2000. Statewide, the Hispanic population grew almost 400 percent between 1990 and 2000.
Representing virtually all denominations, Hispanic churches and outreach programs in the Triangle and throughout the state typically operate in isolation from the area’s dominant culture.
“We want SALT to promote an awareness of these existing Hispanic ministries and then to support them with the intellectual and spiritual resources of the divinity school,” said Faircloth.
This spring, SALT is planning to sponsor a series of brown bag lunches featuring pastors from Hispanic churches from throughout the region. They are also discussing the possibility of hosting a community workshop on Hispanic ministries for area pastors.
Last year, the school joined the Hispanic Summer Program, an annual seminar on Hispanic theology sponsored by a consortium of about 40 theological schools nationwide. In October, the school also hosted a national summit on Hispanic pastoral leadership, sponsored by Pulpit & Pew, a divinity school research project. For more information on SALT, contact Faircloth at email@example.com.
Copyright © 2004 Duke Divinity School.
All Rights Reserved | <urn:uuid:70c5006e-294b-4c0d-a56f-d51a697decf5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://divinity.duke.edu/publications/2004.01/features/salt/01.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935035 | 390 | 1.625 | 2 |
That's a lot of wood to stack. But how to stack it?
As the old saying goes, wood warms you three times: Cutting it, stacking it and then finally burning it. It's the second step in the process that I'm concerned with here.
If you've got the right backyard infrastructure, stacking wood is easy. There's not much technique to piling logs in a woodshed. If you have a few trees on your lot spaced about 13 to 16 feet apartin warmer months, an ideal hammock spanthen stacking wood between them is a no-brainer. But if you don't have either of these things, and, like me, you recoil in horror at the idea of buying a prefab wood rack, you have to get involved in a more complex stacking process. In doing so, you tap into an ancient craft.
There are plenty of ways to create a nice stack of wood. Armed with approximately five cords, all of it culled from my property, I investigated three of these ways. First, the traditional method, with the cross-hatched end towers, then a variation on that with no end towers, and finally the Shaker round style.
This tried-and-true wood stacking style consists of several rows of piled wood held in place by a support tower at each end. Support towers contain log courses oriented so that each is perpendicular to the one above and below it. It's what my dad did, and it's probably what 10 generations of dads did before him.
Making stable end towers is the cornerstone of this method. It can be tricky, fussy, and time-consuming. A little wobble in an end tower can spell disaster, so finding the right pieces can be a hunt, especially if you're like me and your wood supply has an abundance of oddly shaped pieces. When constructing my towers, I try not to do any shimming. I prefer the pieces to fit together nicely on their own, as they'll be more likely to withstand the slight shifting that will go on underneath the pile as the ground freezes and thaws. There's nothing more embarrassing and frustrating than a mid-February woodpile collapse. Stacks can vary in size and still remain stable. I tend to build my towers about a dozen courses of logs high, and I stack logs in rows between the towers for a span of about 20 feet.
The Good and the Bad
This method has a great aesthetic appeal. Because the end towers take some effort, there is satisfaction in doing them well. If you're the type of person who not only stands on tradition but also enjoys finding the craftsmanship in the little things, the process of creating a solid end tower will likely appeal to you.
The Tower-Free 2 x 4 and Rope Method
This one is a little odd. Like the traditional stack, a single row of logs makes up the body of the pile. But instead of the end towers, the pile is braced with vertical 2 x 4s and ropes. The ropes are tied to the 2 x 4s, then they're woven through the center of the pile, tied to the opposite 2 x 4, then threaded through again. The rope goes in and out like this the whole way up the stack. The weight of the wood on the rope tensions the 2 x 4s, drawing them in towards the pile.
First, get four 4-foot 2 x 4s and four 8-foot lengths of weatherproof, double-braided marine-grade nylon rope. Drill two 3/4-inch holes in each board, approximately 8 inches from the top and bottom. Thread one 8-foot rope through the two bottom holes; thread the other through the top holes. Repeat for the second 2 x 4. Tie a knot in the rope at each of the eight points where it passes through the 2 x 4s. Next, lie down a few courses of wood in a single row about 7 feet long, like a small version of the traditional stack with no towers on the ends. Here is where things get a bit tricky. Stand up two of the 2 x 4s at each end of the small stack. Drape the lower ropes across the already stacked wood. Then continue stacking wood on the ropes, pulling them into tension and drawing the 2 x 4s closer, towards the center of the stack. When the pile gets up a few more feet, drape the upper ropes across the pile. Stack wood on top of those ropes until the heap rises to the top of the 2 x 4s.
The Good and the Bad
I find that it's best to begin stacking on top of the rope at the center of the pile. The downward pressure in the middle tensions the rope up at each end. By the time you're stacking next to the 2 x 4s, the rope has been pulled stiff and the new wood actually snugs the 2 x 4s in against the pile. Ideally, you want the 2 x 4s leaning in towards the wood, which is an effect I am not always able to attain.
Once the 2 x 4s are locked in position, this is the fastest method of the three. With the sides supported, I can hit a cruising speed and stack away while my mind wanders.
The finished product doesn't look all that great, but there doesn't seem to be any structural difference between this method and the traditional one. There is the issue of the 2 x 4s remaining at full height as the pile dwindles throughout the winter. In the past, I've cut these down as the season progressed.
The Shaker-Style Round Stack
It's a big round pile of wood.
In principle this is an easy one, but in reality it's tricky and at times difficult. First, there is the issue of dunnagehow to keep a giant round brick of wood off the ground. I didn't have any pallets (which I figured is the most effective way to do it), so I just piled directly on the ground, sacrificing some old rotted wood for the bottom course.
Then, because the wood is being stacked in a circular pattern, the pieces touch each other at the inside of the circle, but logs sit with large gaps between them along the outside perimeter. This means that care has to be taken to keep the weight of the stack leaning back to the center of the circle. I find this woodpile works best with all of the lop-sided, bizarre, and uneven pieces that are frustrating to fit into the other two pile styles. The Shaker requires logs that are fat on one end and thin on the other, which can be in short supply. In fact, while building my round pile, I ended up scavenging through the other two completed stacks looking for chunks of oddly shaped wood.
When building up the outer walls, I could fill the inside of the circle with all of the really screwy pieces6-inch cutoffs, lumpy bricks of knots, and others just too disfigured to exist in any sane woodpile. The round pile serves as a large garbage can, built out of bad pieces, ready to stow the even worse pieces.
The Good and the Bad
This method moves along fairly quickly. It's not as fast as the 2 x 4 method, but it's faster than the traditional towers. A place to toss all the oddballs is nice. And the pile is compact, so there's less time wasted walking up and down the 20-foot stack looking for the perfect place to wedge the next piece. Because I had such an abundance of oddly shaped chunks, the round pile worked great as a companion to the other ones. In fact, I plan on building at least one every year from here on out, just for the freaks. | <urn:uuid:3f5440d3-fea2-49dc-85fe-001906b0cf5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/outdoor-projects/how-to-stack-firewood | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957786 | 1,592 | 1.742188 | 2 |
States of Transparency: ArizonaBy Sarah Dorsey Jun 22 2010 2:48 p.m.
The Open Government Directive encouraged states to put valuable government data online. In this series we're reviewing each state's efforts in this direction.
This week: Arizona
Arizonans finally got a government spending website in February with azcheckbook.com, joining 35 other states that offer such data online. Transparency efforts there still have a long way to go, however. USPIRG, in an April report, rated Arizona last among states that have such open government sites.
State Treasurer Dean Martin, who calls AZcheckbook a "labor of love," says he completed it in his spare time and without funding along with a couple of computer programmers. The site has two main functions: first, it displays the state treasury's operating balance, updated daily. The accompanying graph neatly depicts the state finances' steep plunge into the red over the last three years.
The site also reports aggregate revenue and expenditure data. For example, you can see that the largest portion of state sick leave money was spent by the Department of Corrections, with the Department of Transportation coming in second. But you can't see how much of that sick leave money was spent on cops or bus drivers or administrative employees. You can also see the total amounts that each agency spent within various budget categories each year. (For example, the Department of Environmental Quality has received almost 20 percent of its 2010 budget from licensing and permits, and spent about $126,000 on capital equipment). But you can't get the details of the individual payments or who they went to. The numbers aren't real time - they're updated monthly -- and nothing on the site is downloadable or machine-readable.
Martin, who's currently running against incumbent Jan Brewer in the Republican gubernatorial primary, blames the lack of more granular data on the governor's office, which houses the state's accounting system. "We put up every piece of information we have," he said. A spokesperson for the governor did not returned our calls.
Another transparency effort in Arizona merits attention. AZcarecheck.com, run by the state Department of Health Services, provides information on enforcement actions taken against health facilities and providers, including excerpts from the original inspection reports. The site is searchable and includes categories for child care providers, juvenile group homes, and providers like midwives and speech pathologists, in addition to standard categories like nursing homes and hospitals.
Other state agencies would do well to follow the Department of Health Services' lead. The Department of Environmental Quality, for example, offers no online enforcement and compliance data.
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- Sunlight Foundation: 2Day in #OpenGov 5/22/2013 | <urn:uuid:2347cd88-07ba-471e-bd3a-f5fa9101e596> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/2010/states-transparency-arizona/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945298 | 700 | 1.640625 | 2 |
With the release of the United Nations Internal Review Panel Report in November 2012, the deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka has once again captured the attention of the world.
Mahinda Rajapaksa has emerged as perhaps the only Sri Lankan leader who has managed to secure some strategic autonomy in conducting his country's foreign policy vis-à-vis India.
The ‘ethnic question’ in Sri Lanka, even after the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), evokes a sense of suspense, uncertainty and even a possible conflict of interest in the otherw
One cannot deny the inexorable advantage that geography has given Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The security deficit can be filled to a large extent by Afghanistan’s neighbours if they can be persuaded to accept the responsibility, including by contributing troops to a UN-mandated peacekeeping force.
The Paper examines Chinese transport projects in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in general and Gilgit-Baltistan in particular and their impact on local and regional economy and security. China and Pakistan are in the process of expanding the Karakoram Corridor in Gilgit-Baltistan which primarily serves the political and strategic interests of both countries with negligible benefits to the local people.
Unity of purpose and synergy between state institutions required to deal with sectarian violence is largely missing and, as a result, the Pakistani state is responding to the growing Taliban threat in Karachi in a knee-jerk manner.
America’s removal of Nepal’s ruling Maoist party from the list of global terrorist groups not only recognises the party’s transformation from a “violent” political outfit to a political party committed to democratic norms, but also signals renewed US interest in Nepal.
Failure to provide justice will significantly undermine the capacity of the state to uphold the rule of law and undermine the foundations of the new institutions that are being instituted. | <urn:uuid:0a3b4bee-9854-4b75-b873-38f480a560a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://idsa.in/southasia/articles?page=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945636 | 389 | 1.8125 | 2 |
History: Talk:The Spanish Teacher/@comment-BloodAndy-20120316144519 Edit History Back to page | View logs for this page Browse history From year (and earlier): From month (and earlier): all January February March April May June July August September October November December Tag filter: Deleted only For any version listed below, click on its date to view it. For more help, see Help:Page history. (cur) = difference from current version, (prev) = difference from preceding version, m = minor edit, → = section edit, ← = automatic edit summary (cur | prev) 14:46, March 16, 2012 RiseAgainsT (wall | contribs) . . (196 bytes) (-5) . . (cur | prev) 14:45, March 16, 2012 RiseAgainsT (wall | contribs) . . (201 bytes) (+201) . . (Created page with "I don't care what you think, but I thought this episode was perfect. 1. Ricky Martin is perfect. 2. Perfect Samcedes moments. 3. I enjoyed the Will storyline. 4. Excellent so...") Retrieved from "http://glee.wikia.com/wiki/Talk:The_Spanish_Teacher/@comment-BloodAndy-20120316144519" | <urn:uuid:7a2ba6ae-8ee9-44e1-8ba7-1fef01fe7e6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://glee.wikia.com/wiki/Talk:The_Spanish_Teacher/@comment-BloodAndy-20120316144519?action=history | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962782 | 278 | 1.6875 | 2 |
By: Paul Weideman
Published online: Sunday, January 06, 2013
Appeared in: Home, Santa Fe Real Estate Guide
Edition: January 2013 Vol. 15 No. 10
The living room in Maxine Chelini’s new house offers great views of the Ricardo Legorreta-designed Zocalo condominium community and beyond to Cerro Gordo, Atalaya, Pichaco Peak, and Sun and Moon mountains. The handsome, scored-concrete floors are warmed with a radiant-heating system.
The open-feeling kitchen is outfitted with beautiful, and sustainable, horizontal-grain bamboo cabinets, and glass-tile backsplashes. Shower surrounds and vanities in slate tile grace the bathrooms. The contemporary design of the home includes well-placed windows for views and daylighting.
And it’s an affordable, zero-energy house.
The goal of such houses is to use no imported energy, averaged over the year. That can be achieved through the employment of energy-efficient lighting and appliances, a super-insulated building envelope, photovoltaic and solar-heated-water systems, good design (including making use of passive-solar gain for wintertime heating), and conservative utility use by the homeowner.
Developer Alan Hoffman and contractor Dennis Niedermier built the Chelini home in the Piñon Bluff development on Santa Fe’s north side.
“We had an architect helping on the drainage and grading,” said Chelini, who moved in Dec. 5. “There’s a six-foot drop on the site. At first they wanted me to do it all at the front door and I said if we do that, my friends will never be able to visit me when they get older. So we divided it into two levels: the garage and living level and the kitchen-bedroom level.
“We used Alan’s basic plan, but shifted it so that it forms an irregular rectangle and gives you interesting spaces inside.”
The home of a little over 1,500 square feet includes a closet holding compact, efficient utilities: a Lochinvar condensing modulating boiler and a Kubix whole-house heat-recovery ventilator.
“These houses are so tight they would become toxic if they didn’t have whole-house ventilators,” Hoffman said. “And the heat exchanges: it takes the warmth from the stale air and transfers it to the fresh air, reducing your energy use.”
Hoffman, a longtime advocate of New Urbanist planning and green homes, was the developer of the 470-acre Oshara Village project near Santa Fe Community College. That project had its grand opening in August 2007, when Hoffman envisioned building more than 700 homes in two years. The recession halted progress, and Hoffman filed for bankruptcy last summer.
But he has never wavered in his commitment to sustainable building.
The Chelini house is certified under the Build Green New Mexico program. Niedermier’s super-insulated, tight building envelope, energy-efficient appliances and lighting, and 1.7-kilowatt photovoltaic system on the roof is all designed to dramatically minimize annual energy costs.
Another important aspect of these houses is the employment of nontoxic materials, such as soy-based insulating foam and low- or no-VOC paints and finishes.
On Dec. 2, State Sen. Peter Wirth visited the site and spoke to about 40 people about the virtues of sustainable construction. He quoted a recent Albuquerque Journal story that reported, “Green home construction has gone mainstream in Albuquerque, where 67 percent of all permits issued for single-family homes from Jan. 1 through Sept. 26, 2012, were green-certified.”
Wirth, Hoffman, and Santa Fe resident and arts educator Amy Summa were guests on a KSFR radio show in December. Summa praised the performance of her zero-energy home, built by Niedermier in 2010-2011.
At the Chelini house, the owner has added handmade touches here and there, including the fruits of a welding class she took at Santa Fe Community College. These include patio vine structures and a steel fence woven with willow branches.
“I looked for a home for six months and couldn’t find anything I liked,” Chelini said. “Now I have a zero-energy home, the way I wanted it, and it was in my affordability bracket. This is under $400,000.”
Hoffman has three other zero-energy houses going up in Santa Fe. ”If you’re a mass producer and you design a green home and train your crews to built it, it’s the exact same price as an energy-wasting home,” he said.
Perhaps more importantly, these houses promise to be less expensive to live in.
“Everybody who’s bought my houses so far, they were all happy about the environmental thing, but when I ran the savings for them, it was like, ‘Let’s do it,’” Hoffman said. “No one’s going to complain about lower heating bills.”
For more information, see newvillage.com. | <urn:uuid:66d2951c-2e35-41e3-a194-1069c317face> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sfnmhome.com/sfnmhome/homes/home-011113-Zero-energy-home/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941482 | 1,121 | 1.539063 | 2 |
The Yale guidelines are meant to preserve and enhance the critical role academic medical centers play in establishing professional standards. Detailed in the February 2006 issue of Academic Medicine, the guidelines go beyond existing recommendations and ban faculty from receiving any form of gift, meal, or free drug sample (for personal use) from industry, and set more stringent standards for the disclosure and resolution of financial conflict of interest in Yale's educational programs.
"The overriding goal of the guidelines is to ensure that the integrity of clinical decision making is not compromised by financial or other personal relationships with industry," said lead author David L. Coleman, M.D., professor and interim chair of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. Coleman would like the guidelines to promote an effective and ethical partnership between medical schools and the pharmaceutical industry.
The guidelines were developed and refined with extensive faculty input over a 12-month period. It incorporates the input of representatives from several pharmaceutical companies in formulating the guidelines. The Board of Governors of the Yale Medical Group (YMG), a group practice composed of Yale full-time faculty, approved the guidelines in May 2005.
Coleman acknowledges that guidelines alone will not eliminate conflicts of interest. He said it will be important to continue educating faculty and trainees on how to develop and sustain productive and ethical relationships with commercial entities.
"The Yale guidelines are offered as an example of how one medical school has attempted to meet the challenge of
Contact: Karen N. Peart | <urn:uuid:03921266-8b8d-4e6e-bcf9-7163423fa2d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-3/Guidelines-for-Yale-physician-interactions-with-pharmaceutical-industry-6543-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942393 | 294 | 1.84375 | 2 |
CONNOR v. FINCH
Legal provision: Equal Protection
Argument of Frank R. Parker
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: We'll hear arguments next in 76-777, Connor v. Finch and the related cases that are consolidated for arguments.
Mr. Parker, you may proceed whenever you are ready.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Thank you, Mr. Chief Justice, and may it please the Court.
This case involves the reapportionment of the Mississippi Legislature.
The case was filed on October 19th, 1965 by black voters in Mississippi.
It is here for the fifth time following a final hearing directed by this Court last term in Conner v. Coleman.
In that case, this Court directed the district court to hold a final hearing to the end of entering a permanent, court-ordered legislative reapportionment plan to be applicable in the 1979 elections and also ordering any necessary special elections to be held to coincide with the November 1976 Presidential elections, or at the earliest practicable date thereafter.
In November of 1976, the district court entered a final judgment, which was amended by its order of December 21st, ordering a permanent, court-ordered legislative reapportionment plan from Mississippi, which provides single-member districts statewide.
No special elections have yet been held under that plan pursuant to the order of the Court.
For the first time in this case, the district court complied with the 1971 injunction and the 1975 injunction of this Court that in court-ordered legislative reapportionment plans, single-member districts are to be preferred.
Plaintiffs contend first that the district court’s Senate plan is excessively malapportioned.
Secondly, that the district court’s permanent plan unnecessarily minimizes and cancels out black voting strength in the Senate and in certain districts in the district court’s House plan.
Three, that the district court erred in ordering special elections in only two House districts and in no new Senate districts.
And, fourth, that the district court erred in denying plaintiffs their motion for an award of reasonable attorney’s fees.
The District Court, in deciding the case and in entering final judgment, employed two criteria which are directly relevant here.
First of all, the district court held in its opinion reported at 419 Fed. Supp. on Page 1076, Paragraph 4: “There shall be no minimization or cancellation of black voting strength”.
That was the criterion employed by the District Court, and as far as we can understand from the briefs of the defendants, that criterion is not questioned on appeal.
But everyone agrees it was proper for the district court to promulgate a plan in which there is no minimization or cancellation of black voting strength.
And fifth: "Population variances are to be as near de minimis as possible”, and that criterion is not the question.
It was the failure of the district court to follow these criterion in implementing its single-member districting plan which plaintiffs question on appeal.
The Senate plan is excessively malapportioned.
In Gaffney v. Cummings and in White v. Regester, 1973 cases, this Court held that in legislatively inactive reapportionment plans, a plan with a total deviation which exceeds 10%, is prima facie unconstitutional and must be rationally justified by legitimate State policies.
In Chapman v. Meier, the Court held that in court-ordered legislative reapportionment plans that the court must be ordinarily achieve the goal of population equality with little more than de minimis variation.
Justice Potter Stewart: And why is this, what provision of the Constitution?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: This is applicable in Chapman v. Meier, the Court laid down standards applicable for the court-ordered --
Justice Potter Stewart: But it is the Constitution that lays down standards.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: That is correct.
Justice Potter Stewart: What provision of the Constitution?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Fourteenth Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause.
Justice Potter Stewart: Equal Protection, so is this a Reynolds against Sims-type case, or is it a Gomillion against Lightfoot-type case?
Is this the Fourteenth Amendment or the Fifteenth Amendment?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: The case involves both issues.
The case involves both issues, we challenged the district court’s plan on both grounds, failure to conform to one person and one vote, and for racial dilution.
Justice Potter Stewart: There is only been, I think, one case in this Court involving the impact of the Fifteenth Amendment on the electoral franchise, hasn’t there?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Well, we believe that White versus Regester also involved the Fifteenth Amendment.
Justice Potter Stewart: Did it say so?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Yes.
Justice Potter Stewart: It did say so?
Did the opinion say so?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: I believe it did, Your Honor, because it involved dilution of minority voting strength in Dallas and Baylor Counties in Texas.
Justice Potter Stewart: I thought that was a Fourteenth Amendment case.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Well, of course, the Court has failed to distinguish between Equal Protection of the Fourteenth Amendment as it prohibits racial discrimination and the Fifteenth Amendment as it prohibits racial discrimination and the right to vote.
The same standards very often apply in both cases.
Justice Potter Stewart: Well, Reynolds v. Sims and that whole lot of cases has nothing to do with racial discrimination.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: That is correct.
That has to do with malapportionment, and both issues are involved.
Justice Potter Stewart: And a case like Gomillion against Lightfoot has everything to do with the Fifteenth Amendment...
Mr. Frank R. Parker: That is correct.
Justice Potter Stewart: Except for Mr. Justice Whitaker’s concurrence.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: That is right.
Justice Potter Stewart: That is right?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: That is correct.
Justice Potter Stewart: And my question is, which amendments of the Constitution are at issue here?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: When we say that the District Court’s plan is excessively malapportioned, that involves the Reynolds v. Sims and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as is relates to population disparities.
When we say that the district court’s Senate and House plan in certain districts dilute black voting strength, we're applying both the racial-discrimination prohibitions of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and, more specifically, the Fifteenth Amendment’s prohibitions against the abridgement of the right to vote on account of race.
Justice Potter Stewart: Is it your contention that it was incumbent upon the District Court under the Fifteenth Amendment to maximize black voting strength?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: No, that is not our contention.
We do not at all contend that the District Court was under a duty to maximize black voting strength.
Our only contention is that the District Court, as the District Court itself recognized, was under a duty to avoid dilution of black voting strength, to avoid minimizing or canceling out black voting strength.
We are not after reverse gerrymandering; we are not after maximizing black voting strength.
We simply say that the District Court, as the District Court itself recognized, was under a duty to avoid dilution, and it failed to do so.
Unknown Speaker: Mr. Parker, just to get the follow-up on Justice Stewart’s question, avoid dilution as compared with what?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Avoid dilution in terms of -- and I'll demonstrate this on the maps.
For example, Claiborne County is 74% black and has black county elected officials; almost all the county officials in Claiborne County are black.
Claiborne County was combined with Copiah County District 3 and Lincoln County, which is majority white, to create a district-wide white majority in that Senate district, and that is dilution; when a substantial black population concentration is combined with a more populous white population concentration to create a district-wide majority, then dilution occurs.
Justice Potter Stewart: Well, the facts speak very loudly, I understand your argument, but I'm not quite sure you've answered my question of dilution as compared with what, as compared with the racial makeup of the population?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: That's correct.
Justice Potter Stewart: So that anything less than the proportion that the population itself bears is at least suspect.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: If a plan can be drawn which meets one person-one vote requirements and also does not fragment or disperse a heavy black population concentration, resulting in the opportunity of black voters to elect legislators of their choice, then that alternative should be selected, all other things being equal, if it meets constitutional requirements.
Our contention is that the District Court in promulgating its plan failed to accept the alternatives proposed by the plaintiffs and by the plaintiff intervener, which alleviated or cured the dilution of black voting strength in the District Court’s plan; in other words, there were alternatives presented to the District Court which did not dilute black voting strength, and it's the failure of the District Court to select these alternatives which is erroneous and which we question on appeal.
Justice Potter Stewart: Under the District Court’s plan, are there now districts where whites are the minority?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Yes, there are districts.
Justice Potter Stewart: And are there any such districts where those whites under the former plan were not the minority?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Yes, there are.
Justice Potter Stewart: Wouldn’t the white people have the same kind of a claim that you're asserting on behalf of Negro people?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Mr. Justice Stewart, the Mississippi Legislature has been all white until 1967 in this century.
There are now four blacks in the House, and the Mississippi Senate is all white.
No claim has ever been made in Mississippi that white people are deprived of legislative representation, either by the minimal --
Justice Potter Stewart: Well, I'm talking about the District Court’s plan.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: There's no claim presented to this Court that it deprives white people of legislative representation.
Justice Potter Stewart: But under the District Court’s plan, there are districts where whites are now the minority.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: That is right.
Justice Potter Stewart: And those same voters used to be in a district that was majority white.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: That is right, they are not discriminated against, because legislative representation is based more on interest groups than on individuals.
At most, blacks under the District Court’s plan could elect legislators of their choice in possibly 24, 25 or 26 districts; thus, in a 122-member Mississippi House, the Mississippi House of Representatives will be still predominantly white.
The Senate will have at most possibly seven or eight black Senators; the Senate will be predominantly white.
So there's no real claim of discrimination against white people in the District Court's plan.
Justice Potter Stewart: What's the population; 63-37, is that it?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: On Mississippi is 36.8% black.
Justice Potter Stewart: 37, 63, plus a fraction of 1% others.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Right, that is correct.
Now, the District Court’s plan has a total deviation from population equality of 16.57%, prima facie unconstitutional.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: Let me get one thing clarified in one of your responses.
Are you suggesting that the population ratio of 37 must be reflected?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: No, we've not made that argument.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: In other words, you're standing on your response to Justice Marshall, I think, that there is no claim on your part of a constitutional right to -- the term is maximize the vote.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: No, we don't make that claim.
We simply say that District Court was under an obligation to avoid dilution, and that's all.
That's as far as our claim goes.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: Well, one man’s dilution is another man’s maximization, is it not?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: No, that's not necessarily true, because the District Court was providing a remedy here.
The District Court was providing a remedy for the failure of the Mississippi Legislature to adequately apportion itself, number one; and also, number two, although the District Court failed to recognize it, the District Court was providing a remedy for the extensive past history of racial discrimination affecting the right to vote in Mississippi, and this Court has never held in the race cases that when a District Court is fashioning a remedy, it must be a color-blind remedy.
Certainly, a remedy must be race-conscious; otherwise, the remedy might have the same effect as the violation.
So, for example, in the employment cases and the jury cases and in the other school cases, the Court has indicated that the District Courts may take race into account in formulating a remedy.
So we are not maximizing black -- our claim is not the black voting strength should be maximized.
This is a false issue.
It's an issue raised by the defendants which is not in the case.
Our claim is only that District Court was under an obligation to avoid dilution of black voting strength, and they failed to do that.
The alternative, the Modified Henderson Plan which was proposed by the plaintiffs, has a total deviation of only 13.66%, and therefore it's not a plan --
Justice Thurgood Marshall: Mr. Parker, in this connection, when was the Modified Henderson Plan first proposed to the three-judge court?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: It was proposed on October 8, 1976 as a supplement to our motion in the District Court to alter or amend its judgment.
The District Court gave no reason for rejecting the Modified Henderson Plan, which provides greater equality of population among the districts, over its own plan, which provides less equality of population among the districts.
The plan was presented to the District Court on October 8.
The final judgment was not rendered until November 18.
The District Court failed to state any reason for preferring its own plan with higher variances over the Henderson Plan with lower variances.
Unknown Speaker: Would you tell me again what the percentage variations were in the October 8th proposal?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: The District Court’s plan is 16.57; the plaintiffs' alternative the Modified Henderson Plan was 13.66.
It was based exclusively on county boundaries, supervisors' districts and voting precincts, breaks up only 15 counties, as opposed to 19 counties in the District Court’s plan.
The District Court’s plan also in the Senate unnecessarily fragments and dilutes black voting strength.
This map illustrates the 11 instances in which black-majority counties, which are colored in red, are combined with more populous white-majority counties to create districts which have white voting majorities.
And the particular illustration of this is Claiborne County, which is combined with Beat 3 of Copiah County and more populous white-majority Lincoln County, to put Claiborne County, which is 74% black in a white-majority district.
Similarly, Jefferson County, which is just to the south, is 75% black.
Mayor Charles Evers is mayor of the county seat, Fayette, it is combined with two Beats in Adams on the top and two Beats in Adams on the bottom and has the largest deviation of any of the District Court’s districts, minus 8.3%.
Those districts are not compact.
The plaintiffs' alternative plan would have been to put Claiborne, Jefferson and Copiah in a single compact district, not break any county lines, result in a black-majority district with a total deviation of only 3.5%.
So, thus, plaintiffs' alternative would have alleviated the dilution of black voting strength, would have cured the malapportionment, would have provided a more compact district and would not have broken any county lines.
Unknown Speaker: I take that you're arguing that the three-judge court plan is unconstitutional, as well as being an abuse of its discretion in adopting it.
Is that right?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: We believe that under Chapman v. Meier, the discretion of the District Court is more limited than if the Legislature had enacted this plan; that in a court-ordered plan, a District Court has a more strict and more rigid responsibility to avoid dilution of black voting strength, and the standard is a more strict one than under a legislatively enacted plan.
Hinds County, the District Court’s Senate Districts, 69% of the black population of Hinds County is concentrated in this red-shaded area, which looks like a boot, in the central city of Jackson, which is the State Capitol.
All five of the districts, senatorial districts adopted by the District Court in the Senatorial plan, cut into this heavy black population concentration, slice it up, disburse it among all five districts.
This is a copy of Exhibit P44, which is in the Kirksey case, in which the District Court has taken judicial notice and which is in the record.
Districts 2 and 5 have slight black population majorities; but measured in terms of voting-age population, all five districts have white voting-age population majorities under 1970 Census data.
So black people in Hinds County, 84,000 black people live in Hinds County, it has a greater black population concentration of any county in the state.
Hinds County is 39% black.
Those 84,000 black people living in Hinds County are deprived of the opportunity to elect State Senators of their choice in any of the five districts.
The District Court’s --
Unknown Speaker: You can complain about that only because of the accidental residents.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: It's residents and where the lines are drawn.
Unknown Speaker: The District Court did not --
Unknown Speaker: But if they were evenly dispersed throughout the county, you'll have a tough time making the argument, I take it.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Well, we make the argument, because they're not.
The lines are cut through them and break up and disburse, it's an apple-pie plan; it just slices them up among all five districts.
Unknown Speaker: And what cases do you rely on, or maybe you don't rely on them.
What cases do you think apply to the Fifteenth Amendment representation rather than just the voting?
You think Gomillion and anything besides Gomillion or not?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: We say that White v. Regester indicates standards which were applicable to legislatively enacted plans, and that provides some indication.
But we think that Chapman v. Meier, the principal case, Chapman v. Meier said that multi-member districts in court-ordered plans are no good, among other reasons because of the charges and complaints made that the multi-member districts dilute the minority voting strategy.
Unknown Speaker: I know, I understand your dilution argument; but I'm asking you where it came from.
Is it under the Fifteenth Amendment, do you think, Chapman v. Meier?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: It comes under the Fifteenth Amendment, abridgement of the rights of voters.
Unknown Speaker: Did it in Chapman?
Was it expressly under the Fifteenth Amendment?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: No, Chapman was under the Fourteenth Amendment; no claim of racial dilution was made.
Unknown Speaker: Well, that's why I'm asking, give me the cases that talk about dilution of representation as a Fifteenth Amendment violation.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Well, Reynolds v. Sims, the goal of Reynolds v. Sims was fair and effective representation.
Unknown Speaker: Under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Unknown Speaker: Didn't mention the Fifteenth, did it?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Did not mention the Fifteenth Amendment.
Unknown Speaker: Well, I'm asking you about Fifteenth Amendment cases.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: White v. Regester.
Unknown Speaker: Do you think that's --
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: I'm frank to say, I don't remember it.
Unknown Speaker: Do you think that --
Mr. Frank R. Parker: We think that was, again, Mr. Justice --
Unknown Speaker: I know, do you think that is expressly on the Fifteenth, too?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: That was my understanding of the case, Yes, Your Honor.
It specific -- White v. Regester specifically refers to a legislative reapportionment plan which operates to deprive minorities of the opportunity to elect the legislators of their choice.
Unknown Speaker: I understand that, I am talking about the Fifteenth Amendment Bill, though.
Did it say under the Fifteenth Amendment?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: It was my understanding that it did.
It's my understanding that the Fifteenth Amendment was involved.
Unknown Speaker: Any others?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: We cite the lower court case of Taylor v. McKeithen.
Taylor v. McKeithen was a Fifteenth Amendment case and also of the lower court decisions, we cite Robinson; we cite Moore v. the Flora County in lower court cases.
Unknown Speaker: Before you leave Hinds County, are you supporting the Department of Justice plan as to Hinds County?
Mr. Frank R. Parker: Yes, there were several Hinds County plans that were placed in the record.
Our preferred plan is the Hinds County Census-tracked plan, which I believe was Exhibit P14 in the trial-court record, which was based exclusively on census tracks determined by the Bureau of the Census in Hinds County.
The Justice Department also put forth a Hinds County plan, and plaintiffs put forth an additional Hinds County Plan in the record; so there are several Hinds County plans in the record.
Unknown Speaker: I suppose one merit of the three-judge court plan for Hinds County is the small variance.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: All of the plans in the record have very small variances.
The Hinds County Census-tracked plan has a variance --
Unknown Speaker: I think part of the Justice plan is 12%.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: The plan which was favored by the plaintiffs only has a total variance of about 3.5%.
Unknown Speaker: Which is greater than the three-judge court’s plan.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: It's not my understanding that there's a substantial difference between our proposed plan and the three-judge court's plan.
Unknown Speaker: Well, it's two percentage points-plus.
Mr. Frank R. Parker: There are a number of alternatives which could avoid dilution of black voting strength and still conform to one person-one vote requirements.
The other maps relating to the House districts are contained at the back of the reply brief, and I would simply refer the Court to those maps showing dilution of black voting strength in the House districts of which we complain.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: Mr. Wallace.
Argument of Lawrence G. Wallace
Mr. Wallace: Mr. Chief Justice, and may it please the Court.
The United States has taken no position in either the District Court or in this Court with respect to the controversy about the adequacy of the District Court’s plan under the one person-one vote criteria.
We have, however, taken a position with respect to dilution of black voting strength and with respect to the need for additional special elections besides those required for two House districts by the District Court.
In neither of those instances, however, have we found it necessary to reach any constitutional question, nor do we see any reason why this Court should do so.
We've been taking our law from Chapman v. Meier, which distinguishes very sharply between what is constitutionally permissible if adopted by a State Legislature pursuant to State policy and the proper remedial criteria to be used by a District Court in the absence of an acceptable State plan in formulating relief.
And as a matter of the proper exercise of a court’s discretion, as an equitable matter, we believe that there were errors here in the court’s plan, which we have specified.
But before getting to those errors, I should point out that much of the court’s plan is acceptable, and after a course of very long litigation, substantial progress was made with the formulation of this plan.
This litigation began in 1965.
Our own participation is much more recent; we intervened in June of 1975 in the District Court.
But even so, I think that some of the contentions before this Court by the State parties have lost sight of what has already been decided.
The case has been in this Court on four previous occasions, and a great deal have been decided.
For example, a question has been raised about the propriety of the District Court’s adopting a plan involving all single-member districts.
Well, the decisions in Connor v. Johnson in 402 U.S. and the next Connor case in 404 U.S. said that the District Court was to favor single-member districting in the court-ordered plan.
This is what has become known as the Connor Rule, and it's late in the day not just as a matter of -- this is already decided; it's late in the day as a matter of res judicata for the State now to be arguing that because of Mississippi’s longstanding policy in favor of multi-member districting.
The Connor Rule should not be applied in the case in which it originated and in which this Court’s instructions to the District Court were quite clear.
If that question should be reconsidered at all, it's improper to ask that it be reconsidered in this case, in which it's the law of the case.
And the District Court therefore quite properly favored a single-member district plan and in working that out adhered to the extent that it could to the State’s longstanding policy of trying to maintain the boundary lines of the counties, the Beats, the precincts, and largely succeeded in doing so, though we think that those aspects of the decision are really behind us in this case, and the question is whether despite the criteria that the court said it was utilizing in adopting its final plan, the plan fell short in achieving those criteria.
We don't really attack the guidelines individually.
We don't have any quarrel with any one of them in particular as an appropriate guideline adopted by the District Court in formulating its final plan.
We do, however, attack the criteria that the District Court used in refusing to order additional special elections, so that our stance is a little different with respect to the two issues in that way.
We think that those were inherently erroneous reasons for refusing to order special elections.
We don't think the guidelines adopted by the District Court in formulating its final plan were individually inherently erroneous.
Although we may quarrel with the weight given one as against another, the main shortcomings there were errors of omission as we see it, the failure to adequately remedy the longstanding use of apportionment as a method of diluting minority voting strength.
And the failure to recognize the importance in the case of voting-age population rather than just general population statistics, which differ considerably in the State of Mississippi from the realistic measure of voting strength that it's all we realistically talk about in assessing whether there is an opportunity for all elements of the community to participate meaningfully in the electoral process.
But the principle of Chapman v. Meier specifies that it applies to multi-member districting and to population deviations, and it seems to us that the same principle almost necessarily must also apply to remedying a pattern of dilution of minority voting strength, such as has been shown in this case, in which we've detailed in the record and in a lengthy Appendix to our brief and we've shown the extent to which these problems persist.
Now, I want to address briefly the question of maximization against dilution as it's involved in this case.
In Mississippi, the black voting-age population constitutes 31.4% of the population, and I am sorry we never drew these figures together in the brief in discussing the dilution question.
We have compiled them just in the course of preparing this argument.
Under the court plan, in the Senate, where there are 52 districts, there would be only 4, or 7.7%, as against the 31.4%, which would have what we think the record shows is the minimum-needed 54% of black voting-age population in order for the black electorate to have a working majority.
We have cited the references in the record that show that all of the estimates of what's needed for an effective working majority are 54% and on up.
But even if you look at 50% black voting-age population, there would be 9 districts, 17.3%, as against the total of 31.4%.
Under the alternative plans which were before the court which we have pointed to in our brief, and most of the difference between the plaintiffs and ourselves arise from the fact that the plaintiffs attempted and we don't say that this was improper at all to project their figures from the 1970 Census to approximate the 1975 population distributions, whereas in our participation we limited ourselves to the 1970 Census figures, which the District Court indicated that it planned to follow.
Under the alternatives that we've proposed for the Senate, the number of districts with 54% or more black voting-age population would be increased from 4 to 6, or from 7.7% to 11.5%, and those 50% or more would be increased from 9 to 11, or 17.3% to 21.2%, still well under the 31.4%, which can be used as a starting point to see whether unnecessary fragmentation of black voting strength constitutes a dilution that should be avoided by a court of equity undertaking to remedy a longstanding pattern of discriminatory dilution of black voting strength.
And the same thing can be said of the House figures.
There's a 122-membership figure for the House.
There, under the court’s plan, 17 of those districts, or 13.9%, would have 54% or more black voting-age population, and 24 of the districts, or 19.7%, would have 50% or more black voting-age population.
Under the alternatives that we point to, those figures would be increased from 17 to 22 for the 54% figure, which would get 18% black voting-age population, 18% of the districts, or in the 50% black voting-age population, the increased would be from 24 to 27 districts, or 22.1% of the total 122 districts, in each case still well under the 31.4% of the total population that is accounted for by the blacks of voting age.
Unknown Speaker: Mr. Wallace, focus again for me why you suggest with some emphasis the use of 54%?
Mr. Wallace: Well, the testimony in the record and we have summarized it in Footnote 46, Page 53 of our brief -- indicates in one instance an estimate of 58%, in the other an estimate of 54% to 65% as the percentage needed in order for black voters to have an effective voting majority.
There is other evidence in the record to indicate that blacks are registered in lower proportion than whites.
So if you're using voting-age population statistics, they don't really reflect the strength at the polls.
There is testimony that whereas very few whites who are registered consistently fail to vote, about 10 to 15% of the blacks who are registered have never voted.
Unknown Speaker: I just asked the question, isn’t the answer to get out the vote?
Why should the Federal Courts of this country take into consideration that kind of a feature and kick it up to 54% rather than 50%?
Mr. Wallace: Ideally, that is the answer; but the testimony indicates and there are no findings to the contrary; there are just no specific findings on this at all by the District Court that the difficulties with getting out the vote are to a large extent a result of the prior pattern of discrimination; that many of the older blacks are afraid of economic reprisals if they vote.
That there has been a long history of intimidation and fear.
Unknown Speaker: Can you say the same thing, make the same argument about the sexes?
I think there are patterns between the masculine and feminine sexes and who votes more, and yet...
Mr. Wallace: Well, I wouldn't make any such argument without basing it on testimony in the record and evidence.
I don't think it's the kind of thing that can be hypothesized.
We are really addressing ourselves with the 54% figure to very specific evidence developed in the course of this long trial and there is the additional distinction that there hasn't been since the adoption of the Constitutional amendment entitling women to vote sex State-imposed discrimination that might result in intimidation of women.
At any rate, we are confining ourselves in this case to what this record has shown.
But even if we go down to the lower figure of 50%, as I indicated, we would still be well under the 31.4% figure if the remedies that we have proposed were adopted.
Now, I just would like to say a word about the kind of dilution we are concerned with.
One example, which I think is fairly graphic, is to be seen on Page 55(a) of our brief, one of these pullouts.
This one happens to involve Warren County.
The point has been made before this Court that you can have the same kind of dilution as a result of splitting up a multi-member district so that each single-member district has the same basic percentages as would be true of the multi-member district, and the figures under the court’s plan for Warren County provide almost a classic example of that, where there is almost uniformity in the three districts here in the House in the percentage of blacks in each district.
In each case as a percentage of total population, it is between 40% and 45%.
The black voting-age population is more uniform, in each case between 39% and 41% and under our alternative plan, the alternative plan that was before the court which we mention there, one of those districts could be drawn in actually a more compact way, as shown by the maps on the preceding pages.
So as to have a 56.6% black voting-age population, whereas the other two would be majority white, and here in a district in which the black voting-age population is close to 40% instead of having three majority-white districts, one of the three would be a majority-black district.
That is the kind of deficiency that we have found in the plan.
I just want to say one more word about a complaint that the State has made on Page 40 of its reply brief in Footnote 32 that somehow the difficulty here has been the failure of the Attorney General to apply the criteria of this Court’s decision in Beer to the State’s legislatively adopted plan.
The Court decided in 421 U.S. in one of the previous decisions in this case that that legislative plan would have no legal effect until and unless cleared pursuant to Section 5.
The plan was then submitted to the Attorney General, who interposed an objection on June 10th, 1975, many months before Beer was decided by this Court on March 30th, 1976.
Of course, since this Court’s decision in Beer, we use the criteria enunciated by this Court; but at the time this objection was interposed, the District Court’s decision in Beer was the authoritative determination of the meaning of the Voting Rights Act.
There has been no submission by the State since that time, and there is no Section 5 issue in this case.
There was nothing before the District Court under Section 5; it would have had to be before the District Court for the District of Columbia.
We are reserving the remainder of our time for rebuttal.
Unknown Speaker: Mr. Wallace, before you sit down, there seems to be some difference in the variance figures employed by the three-judge court and in those that you propose in your briefs here.
On which are we to rely?
Mr. Wallace: Well, we've had great difficulty in determining how the court’s figures were calculated.
We have done some re-examining of our own figures and have explained in the course of our briefs some modifications, simple ones, that can be made in our proposals, and we, in Appendix D of our brief, recounted in detail exactly how our figures were compiled.
And I can't verify anything but our own figures.
I feel that they're reliable as we re-examined them.
If they had been put to a test in a hearing in the District Court, I think some of the refinements that we've made would have been made in the course of the District Court proceedings.
That is all I can say about the figures.
We feel that we have presented reliable figures here, we don't know what the District Court's are.
Unknown Speaker: Normally, that is something for the District Court and not for us to work out.
Mr. Wallace: Well, we don't understand them.
Unknown Speaker: And do you support the private parties' claims with respect to the House districts in Adams County?
Mr. Wallace: Well, we haven't taken a position on them; but we see nothing wrong with their claims.
We see nothing wrong with their projections to the 1975 figures, which are all based on undisputed testimony and a study made by a state university.
Nothing has been introduced to the case to controvert any of their contentions.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: Mr. Attorney General?
Argument of A. F. Summer
Mr. A. F. Summer: Thank you, Mr. Chief Justice, and may it please the Court.
Our appeal here is from the 1979 court-ordered single-member plan for Mississippi and for two special elections ordered under that plan.
I will present our appeal in regard to the fractionalization of county lines and special elections; Mr. Leonard, associate counsel, will present our argument in response to the racial-dilution argument that has just been given.
I might say, however, in the beginning that I am quite surprised.
I have been in this case for seven years to find the plaintiffs' attorney say this morning that they had not progressed from the one man-one vote to a guaranteed black district.
That comes as quite a surprise to me, because I believe a good portion of this time has been spent developing that progress in each case.
I also was surprised to hear the Government’s attorney say that we had been foreclosed in making our argument against a single-member plan that was ordered by this Court for the first time in 1976, in view of the fact that this case has been here, this does make the fifth time that the case has been before this Court.
But unfortunately, it has never been here on the merits.
We have never had the opportunity to orally argue the case, and this is the first time that it has been here on the merits itself and we're delighted that that time has finally come, because in the instance where this Court first spoke to the lower court in regard to its 1975 plan and we do advocate the acceptance by this Court of the 1975 plan as drawn by the court.
We feel that that, then, has never been declared unconstitutional by any court.
In fact, the things that were spoken to here this morning were set out specifically by the trial court in reaching all of the objections they made there and when this Court first spoke to the lower court, it was in regard to Hinds County.
Hinds County is the largest county in the State of Mississippi.
We have 82 counties in Mississippi.
We only have one metropolitan district.
We are not a large state, in that we have cities like Chicago or Detroit.
Jackson, Mississippi is the capitol; it has approximately 200,000 people.
It is within Hinds County and so as a result, Hinds County is entitled under the 1970 Census to 12 legislators.
This Court sent word back to the lower court that the plaintiffs have shown us that within three days, they could prepare four.
If I'm not mistaken either two or four, different plans for Hinds County to be single-member districted.
Therefore, District Court, you should be able to do so, and we stay your order until June the 14th of 1975 until you prepare a single-member plan for Hinds County absent insurmountable difficulties.
Well, when we held the first hearing back in Jackson, plaintiffs' counsel frankly admitted that the plans that he had submitted to this Court were based on erroneous information, and there was no possibility of those plans working it all.
The Court appointed a Master and found that there were insurmountable possibilities, because the Census was taken by enumeration districts and not by the Governmental districts, that is, the County and the Beat lines.
So as a result of that, it was impossible within that short period of time, and the lower court so notified this Court.
Then the next time when it came up, I think this Court, having seen it some several times, sent it back to the lower court and said, look, you have prepared a plan.
You have kept jurisdiction of Hinds, Harrison and Jackson County.
Harrison and Jackson County are on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and next to the most populous counties in the State.
Unknown Speaker: Is that Biloxi down there?
Mr. A. F. Summer: Yes, sir, that is correct.
That's in Harrison County.
Unknown Speaker: Right.
Mr. A. F. Summer: Jackson is just to the east of that.
You gentleman said, fix Hinds, Harrison and Jackson County.
In the meantime, we're going to dismiss the appeal, we're going to vacate the judgment so that when you fix Harrison and Hinds and Jackson County, we can get the whole case before us up here, and that was your order to them; and then you admonished them, of course that the lower court had said it would be ideal to single-member district Hinds County.
You agreed with that and said to the effect what it was now known as the Connor Rule that single-member districts are preferable if multi-member districts can't be articulated.
So here we were with a rule that began to go all around the country that specifically as it applied to us, this Court had spoken to Hinds, Harrison and Jackson County.
They said, you single-member district Hinds, Harrison and Jackson County and send us the whole plan back.
Then we will decide on the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of that plan.
Eventually that was done, and I say "eventually" because there are implications here that there were people dragging their feet.
Throughout this entire period of time, the Legislature has been acting and acting and acting.
Every time this Court came down with a case, they would pass another reapportionment plan trying to conform with it, preventing the lower court down there from going forward, because you also said it's better for the Legislature to do it.
So the court said if the Legislature's going to do it, we are going to let them do it and then as soon as they got to the District Court, of course, then the constitutional challenge was made, and the plans that were referred to by the plaintiffs' attorneys here were plans that violated a longstanding State policy, which this Court has recognized in Mahan and Chapman, of never breaking or fractionalizing a county line, since it has been a State of this Union.
When it was admitted to the Union in 1870, the Congressional Acts that called the Mississippi Constitution together provided that two to six members be represented from each county in that Constitutional Convention.
That was even before we became a state.
In the Constitution of 1870, there were provisions for multi-member districts in the State of Mississippi.
In the Constitution of 1832, there were provisions for multi-member districts.
In 1869, right after the Civil War, when the carpetbaggers and the scalawags, they are so-called, all joined hands, and they kept the multi-member districts; they made no effort to change them whatsoever, I am speaking to the dilution aspect, the racial-dilution aspect.
Then in 1890, it was not changed.
So for 150 years, there has never been a person elected to the Mississippi Legislature by the breaking of a county line.
We have 82 counties each county is divided into five supervisory districts.
Those supervisory districts --
Unknown Speaker: Those are called Beats, are they?
Mr. A. F. Summer: Yes, sir.
They are called Beats and a super --
Unknown Speaker: Just as a matter of curiosity, what's that word come from?
Mr. A. F. Summer: When it was old, it used to be the old police jury, and I guess they got the Beats from that police beat, and they just continued that on.
Unknown Speaker: B-E-A-T.
Mr. A. F. Summer: B-E-A-T-S, beats, sir.
Actually, officially it's a supervisory district; but the words are anonymous, and it's referred to as Beats.
A supervisor is elected from each Beat, which is well-defined.
As he was pointing out here on this map, there has been litigation in Hinds County going on now for a considerable period of time, and it is up for a re-hearing and back in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals now and of course, Mr. Leonard will address what the judge had to say in regard to the dilution question in that.
So there are 410 Beats, but the 5 supervisors in each county is the governing body.
We have a Chancellor Clerk, Circuit Clerk, Sheriff and so forth.
Now, the main thing about that is that they are autonomous, they are elected by the people of those counties, and of course they are answerable to nobody.
But the big difference is that they act in only administrative capacities.
They have no power to tax; they have no power to set a judge’s salary, for instance, as the Federal judge’s salaries are set by Congress, I guess; for the entire United States, everybody gets the same.
That is not true in Mississippi.
That legislator from that county, if he wants his judge a raise, has got to come and get that judge a raise.
There are as many different salaries for county judges in Mississippi as there are county judges.
The same thing is true for the County Attorneys.
In fact, even whether or not a county will have a County Attorney must be decided by the Legislature.
So if you fractionalize a county, you destroy the very fabric of which the Government of Mississippi is made up, and this is why we object so strongly to a single-member plan.
We are not against single-member plans, and certainly we're not promoting multi-member plans.
We are simply saying that as this Courts spoke to the issue in Mahan and as it spoke to the issue in Chapman and other cases, that you spoke specifically to the fact that longstanding State policies qualify to create variances that would not be acceptable in any other standard.
In fact, the Court in Swann spoke to the fact that there were about 30% or 35% and even indicated by stating in that case and it was a court-drawn plan that the results may have been different if the State policy had been articulated by the judge that drew it.
And in this case, in the 1975 plan, the District Court articulated very clearly and very outstandingly the necessity for this longstanding policy in Mississippi.
I see it is 12:00 o’clock if..
Unknown Speaker: Right, the red light will go on.
Mr. A. F. Summer: Oh, I'm sorry.
But they did articulate.
They took the test that was laid down in the Chavis case.
They took the test in White v. Regester case, and they specifically spoke to each one of those tests insofar as dilution is concerned.
But then going to the County Government qualifying as a rational.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: We'll resume there at 1:00 o’clock.
Mr. A. F. Summer: Thank you, sir.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: Mr. Attorney General, you may proceed.
Mr. A. F. Summer: Thank you, Mr. Chief Justice.
I was speaking to the importance of the County Government as a unit in the State of Mississippi, and I had already enumerated a few of the most important facts; and I would like to add a few more to that, because the counties without special legislative authority cannot issue bonds even to build a courthouse or to provide for industrial improvements or to levy taxes for those things.
In fact, everything they do must be authorized by the Legislature, because they act, as I say, administratively.
And of course, this is not done on a blanket basis; it is done on a county-by-county basis, because Mississippi has a local and private section in its Constitution very similar to that which Virginia had and even perhaps more stringent that the Court alluded to in the Mahan case.
So you can see very clearly that to vulcanize or fractionalize the county lines would change the whole structure of Government in Mississippi, a structure that has existed since before its Statehood, and to diminish that would simply make vagrants out of the fractionalized counties, and it would affect the system of justice.
It could affect crime prevention, cause electoral problems, cause economic problems, and it would affect the County’s ability to aid the poor, the disadvantaged, the old, the sick, through the various County programs that they have for that, because each of those have to be approved by the Legislative plan.
And to familiarize the Court with the '79 court plan, 42 of the 82 counties have been broken or fractionalized, and at least 44 of these supervisory Beats have been fractionalized.
Another important factor to point out there is that the precincts that the people of Mississippi vote in are contained entirely within a supervisory district or a Beat, and if you change a supervisory line or if you change a Beat line, as the plans that the plaintiffs have submitted to this Court do -- they cross beat lines, they cross the voting precinct lines.
It would call for an entire re-registration, and I think all of us would agree that as long and as hard and as difficult as it's been over the years to finally get the black population of Mississippi registered -- and in Mississippi once you're registered, you're registered for life unless you move out of the district.
So you don't have to re-register every year, you stay registered for life and a change in this system if you had to change all of that could cause a massive re-registration and perhaps a dropping from the roles of many of the people who now can vote.
Speaking to one question that was brought up by the plaintiff, in the new plan, the '79 plan that fractionalizes the county lines, in the Mississippi House Representatives, there are 30 districts with a black population of over 50%.
There are 40 districts with a black population from 36% to 50%.
So 70 of 122 Representatives would be elected from a 36%, which is basically the percentage in the House; 70 of those Representatives would be elected from districts with 36% or more, and in the Senate 14 majority-black population over 15% districts and 12 districts between 36% and 50%, which makes a total of 22 Senators who could be elected.
And as one of you said in an opinion -- I believe it was a Fifth Circuit opinion, though, in the Florida case that said if you've got that type of a population, you are going to be receptive to it if you expect to get their vote, and certainly they participated very strongly in the '75 elections, to the end that it was stated that the black vote was primarily responsible for the election of the present Governor.
But, again, I'm not going to get in my brother’s argument.
I would like to address as my last point the fact that the District Court had no authority to order the two elections in the '79 plan.
Before a district plan can order a remedy, it must find a constitutional infirmity.
This Court spoke to that in Swann v. Mecklenburg when it said that there had to be a constitutional violation before the great equity powers of the Federal Court could reach it, and the District Court found that this '75 plan was, in fact, constitutional, and it has never been found unconstitutional by any other court.
And even if this Court were to find that the District Court was required to formulate single-member districts statewide and thus affirm the '79 plan, the District Court would still lack the authority to order the elections.
The reason being that the plan was not found constitutional and that, therefore, all of the legislators who were elected under the 1975 Court plan were constitutionally elected, and there is no decision to the contrary anywhere, regardless of the fact that the plaintiffs and interveners would like to convince this court that somewhere, these facts are all new that are being presented to this Court.
Everything that's been spoken here has been presented many times.
Thank you so much.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: Very well, General.
Argument of Jerris Leonard
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Mr. Chief Justice, may it please the Court.
My name is Jerris Leonard, and as the Attorney General has said, I will address the question of the relief requested by the plaintiffs and by the plaintiff interveners and their entitlement thereto and also the question of racial dilution, which was alluded to in the questioning this morning.
I would frame the issue raised in this case in this manner: in a state where blacks have total access to the political process, evidenced by the fact that 65% to 75% of the voting-aged blacks are registered to vote against a national average of only 55%, and where 60% to 70% of those blacks who are eligible to vote actually do vote, as compared to only 34% on a nationwide basis.
And where blacks hold over 200 local offices, hold 25 of the 100 seats on the Democratic State Executive Committee, as well as the State’s Co-Chairmanship of the Democratic Party of the State of Mississippi, where blacks have played important roles in both the Republican and Democratic campaigns for Governor in 1975 and are credited with carrying the State for the President in 1976, where a report by the Department of Justice fails to disclose a single actionable violation of black voting rights, where the plaintiffs' key witnesses and their important evidence fails to disclose any vestige of racial discrimination against blacks in the electoral process and in the political process of this State, and where a reapportionment plan has been fashioned by a Federal District Court and it is found to be racially nondiscriminatory.
Based on those facts, the issue, I believe, is whether under such circumstances a Federal District Court, in fashioning such a plan of reapportionment, must first abandon a 150-year policy of non-fracturing of county boundaries.
Second, abandon a 150-year policy of using multi-member districts; and finally, affirmatively racially gerrymander the Legislature in order to guarantee or attempt to guarantee the election of a certain percentage of blacks to that Legislature.
Now, that is what I believe the issue is that's been framed in this case over its long history.
General Summer has addressed the question of the State’s policy and history relative to the multi-member districts and their use and the non-fracturing of county boundaries.
My argument will be confined to the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs, or the lack thereof, to a remedy and to the remedy that they seek.
And I trust that the Solicitor General will not take umbrage if I take the position that I think the Constitution is definitely involved in this case and that constitutional standards are applicable whether the plan of reapportionment is drafted by a Federal court or whether it's drafted by the Legislature.
The Legislature in the State of Mississippi is one of the six co-equal branches of Government of our Federal system, and its reapportionment, as in the case of its 49 sister states, should be judged by constitutional standards and not by the supervisory power of this Court to direct something to a lower Federal court.
So I think without question the Constitution is involved, and I think it's a Fourteenth Amendment question, Justice White, and not a Fifteenth Amendment question.
Now, the plaintiffs' argument is fashioned around the scarlet-letter philosophy.
Having sinned in the past, no amount of reform, no matter how extensive and complete, will be recognized as having overcome the past, and the citizens of the State must forever bear the stigma of that past.
Every constitutional question, it seems, that is raised by every action taken by the State must be viewed in the perspective of the past and not by the facts as they exist today, if we accept the argument of the plaintiffs.
I submit to the Court that things have changed in the State of Mississippi.
It is not the Tuskegee, Alabama of Gomillion v. Lightfoot, nor is it the Bexar and Dallas Counties of White v. Regester.
The findings with respect to this case are contained.
Contrary to a statement made by our opposition earlier today that there are few findings, there are extensive findings in this case made by Judge Coleman at 396 Federal Supplement.
Now, that was a 1975 decision; but all of the evidence in the case except for some of the new re-workings of the reapportionment plans, all the basic evidence was in the case, and Judge Coleman made extensive findings in that decision.
He found that the political process in the State was totally and completely open to black voters, and that finding is really not seriously disputed by the plaintiffs.
In a companion case in Kirksey v. the Board of Supervisors of --
Justice Byron R. White: That issue here, that fact, is just relevant to the dilution argument, I take it.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: That fact is relevant to the dilution argument.
Justice Byron R. White: But not to the population-variance argument.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: That's correct, Justice White.
Justice Byron R. White: Now, are you addressing all these arguments together, or are you going to separate them?
What are you arguing, just dilution?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: My argument relates to the racial dilution and the affirmative gerrymandering.
That's the thrust of it.
I will be happy to answer those other questions, also; but that's the thrust of what I'm saying.
Justice Byron R. White: Well, I'm just wondering on the variance, the population-variance issue, what is your submission or is there any limit to the population variation that you might claim to be justified by following county lines?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: There must be, let me point out one small exception.
Justice Byron R. White: Well, is the State submission here that none of the county line breaking should be countenance that everywhere the District Court broke a county line, that should be reversed?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: No, it is not, Justice White.
Justice Byron R. White: Well, then, what is it arguing in that respect?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Our point is that if there is to be any fracturing whatsoever, it should be de minimis and only when the cloth runs out; and that's what happened in the '75 plan.
There wasn't any --
Justice Byron R. White: Well, when does the cloth run out, when do you get to such a population variation that you have to break a county line?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Well, the population variation.
Justice Byron R. White: Do you make a submission on that, or don't you?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: I would make a submission, yes.
I would say that the variation in this case, which because of the fact that none of the figures are as certain as they should be, appears to be about 20%.
Justice Byron R. White: And that's not enough.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: And I would say that's not enough.and it's off the dilution argument, but let me follow up and say why.
In just the time between 1970 and 1973, the population of Hinds County, the largest county, changed by 18%.
That's enough for one House member alone, just in three years.
So if we get too hung up on the figures and their absoluteness, we delude ourselves, because the figures are changing; the population changes so fast in almost every state.
I would submit that the 20% variation, which is the approximate variation in the '75 plan, is not an --
Justice Byron R. White: I take it, then, do you support the '75 plan right across the board or not?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Yes, we do, Justice White, and we would ask this Court and I will in my closing will point that out.
We support the '75 plan.
Justice Byron R. White: And you say it's a Fourteenth Amendment Case, not a Fifteenth?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Yes, I do.
Justice Byron R. White: Well, was the Fifteenth Amendment relied on this case.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: No, it was not.
Justice Byron R. White: By the plaintiffs?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: I believe the plaintiffs so stated this morning.
I don't see how this question is a Fifteenth Amendment question; this is an Equal Protection question.
It's a question of compelling State interest or having certain laws relating to the ways in which a Legislature is reapportioned in order to avoid the other process.
The process which will result logically from the plaintiffs' argument is eventually a political gerrymandering.
Those who have the power, whether they be the conservatives or the liberals in the Legislature, whatever their political situation may be, will use that philosophy in the 1980s and beyond to exclude others with whom they have political differences.
And this Court in a dissent, Justice Douglas in Wright v. Rockefeller, Justice then Judge Stevens in Cousins v. the City of Chicago laid out in those dissents all of those dissents all of the horrors that come about from that process.
But on the dilution theory, Judge Nixon in a companion case said this: “This Court does not find that any of the electoral laws presently in effect in Hinds County or this State operate to make it more difficult for blacks to equally participate in the electoral process”.
Judge Coleman in the decision I referred to said this: “We have no difficulty in holding that at the present day, interference with the right of black citizens to cast their ballots is a myth.”
Now, does there not then come a time in the evolution of the political process when the yoke and the burden of the past is lifted from State Government.
When its political institutions, to the extent that the allegations of racial discrimination are made, must be established based on present-day conditions and with credible evidence and not with recitations of the litanies of bygone years.
Judge Nixon put it this way in his decision: "There is a point in time when past instances or examples of racial discrimination become remote, a time when a past history becomes a remote history".
That time has arrived for Hinds County and on behalf of the State, we submit that it has also arrived for the State of Mississippi.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: Mr. Leonard, getting to the present, as I understand, the other side says that the lines have been drawn in the last few years have effectively diluted the vote of the Negro.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: That is right.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: Well, that's not past.
You're talking about the present.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Justice Marshall, that's not the finding of the District Court in this case.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: Well, what plan is he talking about?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: I do not know, but the District Court --
Justice Thurgood Marshall: Well, you heard his --
Mr. Jerris Leonard: I heard him, the District Court made extensive findings.
Judge Coleman made extensive findings.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: Well, extensive findings that Negroes are not denied the right to vote means nothing to this case.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Justice Marshall, I can only tell you that --
Justice Thurgood Marshall: I mean, of course, they can vote.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: The '75 court plan provides for 14 Senators that will be elected from populations with over 55% black; 30 Representatives from the House, a total of 76, as the Attorney General pointed out.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: What about the way Hinds County was broken up?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: That's part of the Hinds County case, which has been affirmed by the Fifth Circuit thus far.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: Is it here?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: It is not here.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: It is not here.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: You mean, is it involved in this case?
Justice Thurgood Marshall: Yes.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Yes, because it was incorporated in the Hinds County apportionment was incorporated here.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: It is recent; that is not ancient history.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Justice Marshall, what I am trying to point out is that the Fifth Circuit affirmed Judge Nixon.
The Fifth Circuit has ordered a hearing en banc, so its treatment of the Hinds County question has not yet been disposed of; but the Hinds County districts that are in this case now in the '79 apportionment plan and the '75 have been approved in the Kirksey decision.
That's my understanding.
Justice John Paul Stevens: But, Mr. Leonard, is it not correct that they've been approved only with respect to the numerical problem, not the dilution problem?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: No, I believe Judge Nixon addressed the dilution problem in the Kirksey decision, and as did the Fifth Circuit in affirming.
Justice John Paul Stevens: And the Fifth Circuit addressed the dilution problem, did it?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: It addressed the racial-discrimination problem, whether it was raised in the terms of the dilution, the point is, the issue of racial discrimination by virtue of dilution and the apportionment of the County was raised.
Justice John Paul Stevens: Let me just ask one other question, so that I can find the answer in the written materials that are quite voluminous.
Your opponent put the map up of the Senatorial districts in Hinds County with the two long fingers in Districts 32 and 33 going into the town, which are somewhat reminiscent of Gomillion and so forth.
Where is the State’s explanation of why it was necessary to draw those rather unusual boundaries found?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: I believe, Justice Stevens, that the explanation is that because, as Attorney General Summer pointed out.
The County is an administrative and judicial more than it is a legislative unit, unlike our concept of County boards in the north, where county boards have broad home-rule powers, broad legislative functions.
Such is not the case in Mississippi.
The County Supervisor and this is the history of the term 'Beat' had a beat that he walked apparently, because he supervised the roads, saw to it that the roads were taken care of.
He acts more like an alderman in a city taking care of the ministerial municipal functions of the Government, as opposed to acting as a legislator.
Now, that is not in and of itself justification, as this Court has taught; but it is one of the factors that needs to be considered when you have draw an apportionment plan for that kind of a Governmental unit.
Justice John Paul Stevens: But is there anything in the written materials, including anything the District Court said, which explains why the lines were drawn in Hinds County the way they were?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: My recollection, Justice Stevens, is that the District Court in 396 addressed all of those issues, including the apportionment of Hinds, Harrison and Jackson County, and why it made the choices that it did.
Justice John Paul Stevens: There is nothing in your briefs on that precise point.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: I think that there is not on that precise point.
We believe that this Court means what it says in its decisions and that its teachings are equally applicable to Mississippi as they are to Marion County, Indiana, to the State of Texas, to Washington D.C. and to Arlington Heights, Illinois.
This Court said in Whitcomb v. Chavis, which was the Marion County, Indiana case, that the challenger must carry the burden of proving that multi-member districts unconstitutionally operate to dilute or cancel the voting strength of racial or political minorities.
There is no such proof in this case.
This Court said further that such schemes or devices must be purposeful in order to further racial or economic discrimination.
There is no such proof in this case and this Court said further in Whitcomb that the failure to win elections is not the test, but rather exclusion from the elective process is the test that must be applied, and the proof in this case gives no indication that blacks are excluded from the process; the opposite is true that they fully participate.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: Mr. Leonard, what do you do about a case a little while ago, United States v. Classic, said that although the man wasn't denied the right to participate, his vote was not counted?
Remember that one?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Well, if his vote wasn't counted because the election officials are corrupt.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: It said it had to be a meaningful vote, that is what Classic said and that was about 30 years ago.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Justice Marshall, I think that the proof in this case indicates that the blacks not only participate, but they are a political power in the State of Mississippi.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: And they have how many people in the Legislature?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: They have 4 members of a 122-member House this time; but there is historical reasons for that, and that is that the blacks did not participate in the party elections prior to 1970.
Justice Thurgood Marshall: Another historical reason, too.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Yes, this Court said in White v. Regester that there must be a showing of invidious discrimination that excludes minorities from the political process by a practice of slating of candidates, which was the practice in Texas, so that they were unable to gain access to the party primaries.
That is not the case here.
The primaries are open primaries any candidate can run in either primary of his choice, and there is no slating of candidates as was countenanced in Texas.
Now, this Court also said in White that multi-member districts are not per se unconstitutional.
In the 1975 plan that is before this Court, the multi-member districts are few in number, they are small in the number of members in each multi-member district, and they are compact in size.
This Court reiterated in White that it was the plaintiffs' burden to prove that the political process leading to nomination and election was not open to all groups on an equal basis.
This Court said just last year in Washington v. Davis that official acts are not unconstitutional solely because of a racially disproportionate impact without showing of a racially discriminatory purpose, and the Court in that case cited Wright v. Rockefeller.
This Court said that there must be motivation based on racial consideration.
There must be a contrivance to segregate on the basis of race.
Only where the totality of the facts disclosed an invidious discriminatory purpose would a statute otherwise neutral on its face be struck down.
And we are taught in Arlington Heights the same thing, the reference in that case to Gomillion as stark discrimination.
It could hardly be said that the situation in this case can be referred or compared to Gomillion and that the facts in this case are stark.
Now, in the case that bar the plaintiffs and the interveners allege, but have not shown, that the three-judge Federal District Court’s plans were either '75 or '79 are racially discriminatory as they are applied to black citizens in Mississippi.
We are not here defending the United States District Court.
We have appealed from its decision; however, the record in this case is barren of any proof that either of this plans, the '75 or the '79 court-ordered plan, are tainted with any racial motive or discriminatory purpose.
I opened by phrasing the issue; let me close it, may it please the Court, by seeking this as relief: that in the State of Mississippi, all citizens enjoy the privilege of franchise irrespective of their race, color or creed; that the political processes, including the seeking and holding of elective office, are open to all.
That black citizens participate in that process in the party of their choice and to the extent that their desires and abilities carry them in that process; that the three-judge Federal District Court found its 1975 plan of apportionment of the State Legislature to be constitutional, to be in conformity with 150 years of official history of that State in the use of multi-member districts and in keeping county boundaries intact.
That the deviation from the norm of the two Houses in that plan is within constitutional limits and governed by the facts in this case; and that such plan shall remain in full force and effect until the Legislature shall reapportion based on the 1980 Census, according to the laws and Constitution of the State of Mississippi and the United States of America; and that this case be remanded to the District Court with instructions to enter its final order in conformity with such opinion.
In that way, may it please the Court, will this longstanding litigation be drawn to a close and thus end the constitutional inquiry.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: You have about four minutes left.
Let me put this hypothetical question to you, it may or may not be too relevant.
Suppose hypothetically the State of Mississippi and I am addressing this to your friend, Mr. Leonard.
Could be reapportioned, the lines drawn irrespective of counties, so that in every voting district the voting strength would be a reflection of the total population, that is 37-63.
Would that meet all constitutional standards?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: If a court-ordered plan both.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: Well, any, any plan.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Both conform perform to one person-one vote and also provide a proportional representation.
I don't think it would be unconstitutional, no.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: Well, wouldn’t that be the acme of perfection, then?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Yes, it would not be unconstitutional.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: It would certainly dilute some of the voting strength, wouldn’t it?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Not if it provided proportional representation to all interest groups.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: Has the Court now ordered proportionally representation?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: No, and we do not insist upon that in this case.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: Well, lay aside proportional representation, which is not in this case, as I understand it.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: You mean that if every legislative district was 37% black and 63% white?
Oh, I'm sorry, I misunderstood the hypothetical.
No, that wouldn't be adequate.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: It wouldn’t be adequate.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: It would not be adequate.
In Mississippi, there is a history of racial bloc voting.
White voters refused to vote for black candidates or candidates favored by the black community.
In that hypothetical, the result would inevitably be an all-white Mississippi Legislature.
We have gained four already in this case.
Please don't deprive us of them.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: I thought you were prepared to concede that that was the acme of perfection.
Mr. Jerris Leonard: Not if every legislative district was 37% black, no, not at all.
That would deprive blacks of the opportunity to elect legislators of their choice.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: How are the courts going to reach the subjective attitudes of the voters, either Negro or white, in terms of how they should vote?
How does any decree of any court reach that?
Mr. Jerris Leonard: That's in the evidence of this case, Mr. Chief Justice.
A number of political scientists and sociologists testified with regard to voting patterns in this case.
Let me rebut several arguments made by the defendants.
First of all, they rely on the District Court’s findings at 396 Fed. Supp. 1308.
Unfortunately, that district-court decision, which made those findings upon which defendants rely, was reversed by this Court at 421 U.S.
And this Court, in reversing that District Court decision upon which defendants rely, stated specifically the District Court accordingly also erred in deciding the constitutional challenges to the Acts, based upon claims of racial discrimination.
So in reversing 396 Fed. Supp., this Court vacated those findings by the District Court, and the defendants can't rely on them here because they've been reversed.
None of the alternative plans relied upon by the plaintiffs are split voting precincts or are based on supervisors' districts.
All of the alternatives upon which plaintiffs rely are based either on county lines, supervisors' districts or voting precincts, so those could be implemented immediately without any required re-registration of the voters.
Now, the plan upon which the defendants rely, the 1975 plan, is totally invalid under this Court’s decisions in Chapman v. Meier and the other cases upon which we rely.
In other words, in order for the Court to accept defendants' proposal to re-institute the 1975 plan, the Court have to overrule East Carroll Parish School Board v. Marshall, Chapman v. Meier, Mahan v. Howell, Connor v. Williams and Connor v. Johnson.
Now, the defendants made a big argument about what was in the record with regard to County Government.
There was nothing in the record with regard to the question of how the Legislature runs County Government.
Judge Coleman was a former Governor of the State.
A member of the Legislature would not have ordered this plan into effect if it had been unfeasible.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: Thank you gentlemen.
The case is submitted. | <urn:uuid:862d6540-b881-425b-99ee-29f86be0a4eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oyez.org/cases/1970-1979/1976/1976_76_777 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963158 | 16,846 | 1.664063 | 2 |
This sequence of photographs depicts an ever-increasing number of people sitting in a restaurant, numbered in neon above. These numbers follow the Fibonacci series, a system of growth (often seen in nature) that perpetuates itself by adding the two previous elements to arrive at the next. Merz began using the series in 1970. He has said, "I did not understand why a work of art had to be a certain length when it could be infinite. . . . In the Fibonacci series, there are no spatial limitations because space becomes infinite—not abstract infinity, but biological infinity." | <urn:uuid:d97a5607-0b09-4fa6-b97f-464dde77e7e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?criteria=O%3AOD%3AE%3A80996&page_number=1&template_id=1&sort_order=1&background=black | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949107 | 120 | 1.625 | 2 |
Of the nine plays I (originally) found that met my criteria, I think it’s no accident that almost half of them have premiered since 2008. Whatever the tensions were between the LDS Church and the gay and lesbian community before that year, the heated battle over California’s Proposition 8 has increased them exponentially. Whether or not any of these plays was written specifically because of or in response to those events, the environment of anger and resentment must have been on the minds of anyone with ties to either community, let alone to both.
Little Happy Secrets, by Melissa Leilani Larson
Melissa Leilani Larson’s plays have covered subjects ranging from the court of King Louis XIV to a Filipina mail-order bride with supernatural powers. She doesn’t typically write plays about Mormon characters, but at least two of her plays have Mormon protagonists: the short play A Burning in the Bosom and Little Happy Secrets.
When I first became familiar with Little Happy Secrets, I was struck by how different it was from other plays about homosexual Mormons I’d come across. It was the only play that was about a lesbian Mormon instead of a gay Mormon, the only play whose main character was still expressly committed to her faith at the end of the story, and, along with Facing East, one of only two plays by a female playwright. (I’ve since had the chance to read the script for Be Normal, which is similar to Little Happy Secrets in a number of ways.)
Little Happy Secrets is the story of Claire, a young faithful Mormon woman—a returned missionary, no less—coming to terms with the fact that she is not attracted to men. In fact, she’s in love with Brennan, her best friend and roommate. In contrast with the men of Ranging, who are aching for some sort of emotional connection with other men, the closeted Claire has the opposite problem, since Brennan tends to be physically affectionate towards her roommate, not knowing that Claire is attracted to her. (Molly, the main character in Be Normal, has a similar problem with one of her roommates. As an aside, I find this a very interesting commentary on platonic relationships in male and female cultures. While I’m very aware of many social advantages that men have, reading Ranging reminded me of the female social advantages that I tend to take for granted.)
As the play progresses, Brennan meets a guy, starts dating him, and, in rather stereotypical Mormon fashion, the dating turns into “serious” dating and then to talk of marriage. The fact that this relationship is so stereotypical is part of the point. Brennan isn’t sure if this is what she really wants, or if it’s just a cultural expectation. Claire, outside the relationship, sees someone taking away the woman she loves, and realizes that there is no “stereotypical Mormon” path for her.
Little Happy Secrets is a very intimate story. It’s a one-act play with only four characters, and the main character, Claire, switches off between acting out the scenes of her life and turning to the audience to comment on them. The device makes the play even more personal; it’s as if we’re reliving these events by reading Claire’s diary. I think this is what Gideon Burton meant when he said “This is not the Mormon lesbian play” (emphasis added). The play is not epic or grandiose or spectacular. It is the story of one woman’s life and decisions, no less, no more.
(As a reminder, this play can be downloaded as a free audio podcast from iTunes and the playwright is looking to raise money for a production in Salt Lake City next year.)
The Passion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon, by Charles Lynn Frost and Troy Williams
Dottie Dixon started out in 2006 as a guest on a radio show called “Now Queer This.” Troy Williams, the show’s host, had asked his friend Charles Lynn Frost to draw on his theater background and create a humorous character for the show. Frost ended up creating a character based on his mother: A happily married, faithful Mormon, Spanish Fork native with a gay son.
Williams eventually convinced Frost that they should expand Dottie’s short radio spots to a full-length play, which premiered in May 2009. Dottie is committed to her faith but she also loves her son and she believes that it is her mission to bring together the Mormon and LGBT communities. If Facing East is about uniting communities through grief and loss, The Passion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon is about uniting communities through humor and compassion (perhaps in the hope of averting such grief and loss).
In addition to being an advocate for gay rights, Sister Dottie is an advocate for women’s rights within the LDS Church. Steven Fales also expresses solidarity with Mormon women as he waits for his Church court to begin: “I always felt I needed to win some leader’s approval. I wanted desperately to be like them, for them to like me—to be noticed. I was invisible. No matter what I did or how well I did it, I felt I was never appreciated or accepted for who I was. I felt I knew what it must be like to be a woman in this Church.”
It seems like an unlikely pairing—gay ex-Mormons fighting for straight Mormon women to have a greater voice within the LDS Church—but perhaps not. After all, gay ex-Mormons find themselves positioned in opposition to the patriarchal Church hierarchy and to traditional masculine ideals, and Mormon women find themselves defined in opposition to those things, as well.
- 25 July 2010 | <urn:uuid:35481b38-fba1-4d70-a616-5b766d377a8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://zelophehadsdaughters.com/2010/07/25/mormon-gays-in-mormon-plays-part-iii/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972963 | 1,201 | 1.539063 | 2 |
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KRWG.ORG-The Region's Home Page
Wed December 5, 2012
Audit To Focus On NM Jail's Methadone Program
Officials at New Mexico's largest county jail have launched an audit into what consequences could come from not offering methadone to heroin-addicted inmates.
The audit at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center came a week after the jail had announced it would stop giving the synthetic opioid to inmates.
The jail's chief, Ramon Rustin, said he would sit down with lawyers and doctors in the coming weeks to determine the program's effectiveness and if there are any legal or medical risks associated with the shift.
Inmates in the methadone program will continue to receive their full dosages until the audit is completed.
The audit will examine whether some inmates, specifically pregnant ones, could be sent elsewhere for treatment rather than to jail.
Information from: Albuquerque Journal.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. | <urn:uuid:dcc9ba0a-fdd7-4a13-a8bc-e9dbcb50bf6c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://krwg.org/post/audit-focus-nm-jails-methadone-program | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930694 | 201 | 1.5 | 2 |
It is strategically located in the main road from Denpasar to Ubud and it can be reached from various of angle. It is about 15 km easterly go to the majors road to Ubud from Denpasar town. If you wish to go to this place from Denpasar, the starting spandrel points step into Mas Village is Sakah, where a big baby idol monumentally existing in the middle of road. The Baby idol is a symbol and representative of human being life early which is believed by local residents with full of philosophic value, religious and dynamism.
Mas Village is one of villages in Bali fundamentally identified as an artistic countryside by focusing in artistic of wood carving. Mas Village is located in Ubud sub district and Gianyar Regency, east part of Bali. It owns the typical style of wood carving art by placing forward the distinguish synergy the humanism and naturalism. Mas Village popularity as an art village is famous in the national and world level which is not forgetting from the highness name of some maestros which has borne and found the spirit (taksu) and soul.
The famous maestro who was borne in this village is Ida Bagus Tilem. This Artistic countryside owns the long history root. The result of wood carving art in this village owns the immeasurable and wide dimension like idol for the devoting (arca idol), representative dimension of everyday Balinese social society life (farmer, fisherman, worker, intellectual, merchant etc), the abstract dimension as existing of actor imagination which is listening carefully of reality, dynamics and life philosophy.
The villagers are same as villagers at other tourism countryside in Bali that have also experienced the transformation from agrarian society to the crafting society. Even nowadays, it is continued to service society from commerce service until levying service of the souvenir for overseas and domestic tourist. | <urn:uuid:c72187cc-345d-445e-9037-31cd2129532b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://baliskytour.wordpress.com/bali-places-of-interest/mas-village/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951384 | 387 | 1.664063 | 2 |
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- Inside Antiques,
by Robert Reed
- Inside Antiques:
- Christmas collectibles
- By Robert Reed
There is an old cardboard box sitting in my attic that has been
in the family since I was born. In faded blue letters it silently
proclaims the wonders of West's Yum Yum Bread. The thing that
makes it special is that it houses some of my earliest childhood
memories of Christmas.
- The box that once held fresh
baked bread has held Christmas ornaments and decorations for
at least a half century. After all these years the contents of
the box has varied from time to time but the purpose endures.
- The angels, glass balls, snowmen,
Santas, lights and stars have always been family treasures, and
they always will be. But these days they are rapidly becoming
collectible treasures across North America as well.
- One of the quirks of the 1980s
was the exploding zest for saving, finding and displaying the
collectibles of Christmas past. Christmas ornaments and the related
artifacts of the Yuletide season have dramatically emerged in
recent years as sought after in antique shops, flea markets and
- The more anxious Americans are
to recapture these items of Christmas past, the more valuable
they become and the more worthwhile it then becomes to search
the attic and scout local garage sales.
- One true positive point of Christmas
collections is that just about every household in America already
has a starting lot packed away somewhere in the house or apartment.
Traditionally, people have stored away these delightful items
after an annual holiday display of a few weeks. It is unusual,
therefore, for the thoughtful homemaker not to find objects that
are 50, 75 or even 100 years old among their boxes of Christmas
- Oddly enough, some of the oldest
of the Christmas collectibles are the most durable In the 1870s,
Americans began to find their local merchants were offering Christmas
ornaments to supplement those that had been up until then homemade.One
of the most appealing types were the pewter and lead items in
the form of a star or cross that were made in Germany. Many of
these flat, dullmetal shapes can still be found.
the 1880s, Woolworth's and other stores in this country were
regularly stocking a wide assortment of German-made ornaments
including wax angels, cardboard animals and blown-glass balls
for the family tree.
- They changed as interest grew.
The bright and colourful cardboard ornaments steadily evolved
from simple objects to animals, ships, trains and sleds. Blown-glass
ornaments, meanwhile, which had been around for centuries became
universal tree decorations by the early 1890s and what were once
simply balls were now transformed into fruits and vegetables,
fish and animals.
- Knowledgeable collectors point
out that glass balls which included wire tinsel, cotton batting
or silk tassels were likely to have been manufactured between
1890 and 1910. By the 1920s the glass varieties had expanded
to the public's fascination with automobiles and airplanes.
- As North America greeted the
turn of the century, another Christmas delight was ushered into
the holiday mainstream - the postcard. There were Christmas greeting
cards available as early as 1860, but the artful designs actually
peaked many years later.
- The Christmas postcards that
are especially prized today are those sold from 1900 to around
1912. They frequently pictured Santa and through the years a
collector can see him evolve from St. Nicholas in a jewelled
headdress and satin robes to a chubby fellow in a full beard
and red suit.
- Today, many collectors restore
these printed gems in simple black frames for display during
the Yule season. They just replace other framed pictures around
the house and put the existing ones back up after the holidays.
- Other Christmas treasures include
the various light bulbs that adorned the trees of earlier years.
Some of the first Japanese bulbs were clear glass painted over
in attractive colours. By 1920, General Electric was producing
bulbs in North America. Those made in Japan were milk glass,
which showed less flaws than the earlier clear glass. Japanese
bulb production ended in the 1940s and resumed again briefly
in the 1950s. Most of the bulbs of this era are clearly marked,
although not generally dated.
- At one point, the Japanese used
popular cartoon characters like orphan Annie and Andy Gump to
fashion their bulbs for an eager American public. Another appealing
and collectible area of Christmas light bulbs is the Disney family
which was in full-scale production in the 1930s. These bulbs
celebrated Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and even Pinocchio.
- Of course there are the lovely
plates of Christmas. Both Bing and Grondahl and the Royal Copenhagen
factories in Denmark were producing plates of Christmas at the
turn of the century, most of which are dated.
- Over the past 20 years, North
American made Christmas plates have also become popular and comprise
a collecting field unto themselves. They too are usually dated.
Families that traditionally
observe the symbolic trimming of the Christmas tree will eventually
find they have quite an accumulation of Santas, bells, reindeers,
wreaths, tree lights, nativity scenes and a 'museum' of ornaments.
A lot of these things would race: second only to the family silverware
as far as the serious collector is concerned.
- Those celluloid reindeers that
were made for only a short period of time in occupied Japan,
for example, and Santas and nativity scenes in hand-carved wood
and qualifying as genuine European or American folk art, would
head anyone's list today.
- Especially attractive to many
collectors are the clip on metal birds with spun glass tails,
carved wooden flowers, pressed paper that extend themselves eight
to nine inches. Once these treasures were readily available in
stores, now they are holiday works of art that cannot be replaced.
- But the marketplace is certainly
not the only consideration when it comes to collectibles of Christmas.
- In my own family we have seen
two children grow to adulthood with each having a lifetime of
seasonal collectibles. From birth to graduation, family and friends
assembled bells for one child and angels for the other. Each
and every Christmas the children displayed the growing collection
- some were newly purchased and some were antiques.After all
these years, many of the seasonal trinkets are quite valuable,
but they are undoubtedly several generations from ever being
in the open market.
- 1 - Nativity set, 1963, with
16 figures, Hummel (Gene Harris Auction Centre photo)
- 2 - Woolworths Christmas tree
ornaments, American made
- 3 - Strauss toy Santa, tinplate
ca 1920s, key wound (Skinner Auction photo)
- Robert Reed has written on
antiques and collectibles for more than two decades. He has also
authored 15 books, including his recently released Antiques and
Collectible Dictionary, available from www.collectorbooks.com
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- Phone/Fax: 705-696-1833 | <urn:uuid:6d49f20d-b539-40af-a909-4cbb15f3e79a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://waybacktimes.com/insideantiques79.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942768 | 1,714 | 1.78125 | 2 |
I study ideas and information, how they're constructed, how they propagate, what they are, how to control them, self-defense methods, how to destroy them, erase them, etc.
For shorthand, some people call ideas and information “memes”. These are, simply put, bits of information, singular ideations that are the building blocks of culture and able to use that culture as a medium for transmission. Written words are not memes, neither are hand gestures, paintings, or musical pieces. They are outward products of these memes, they are just symptoms of their existence. Memes are as real as viruses were before Louise Pasteur. People still died of viruses before Dr. Pasteur “discovered” them, didn’t they?
(As a side note, I think it’s interesting to examine what the word “symptoms” means to us. Is it a bad thing, a good thing? What kind of connotation does that word have?)
There is no formal study of memetics yet. Memetics is, truthfully, the application of genetic theory to memes, looking how they evolve within culture throughout the years. I don’t look at just that, though… I guess you’d call my area of interest “memeology”. I apply a variety of models to these abstractions, just as religion applies a variety of models to the abstraction of god.
Memes are, in a sense, atoms. Like I said, they’re a building block for society, but they’re also a bit more. They’re also capable of being combined together into complex systems, like we do with atoms and molecules. I’ll list a few memes here (I’ll just do the grammatical symbols of the ideas), and pictures of a couple meme complexes these memes could apply to.
These four ideas blend together very well. To the right is one interpretation. It's a rave (I'm sure you gathered that). A DJ spinning records all night, people dancing, taking ecstasy, which happens to be a drug.
To the left is another, slightly differing interpretation. These are whirling dervishes who dance and spin till they reach a point of ecstatic union with the godhead, sometimes under the influence of hashish (a drug). (I've seen and heard of other Magick practitioners doing similar techniques to reach gnosis).
See? Memes are subjective, stand alone bits and pieces. Admittedly, these individual ideations are very weak and simple, unable to effect any sort of genuine change. But, together, you can paint abstract pictures. You can interconnect them in a variety of different ways, or attach new ideas to old ones and create something totally different. For instance, if you attach Allah to the rave, you can take a bunch of people listening to techno all night and transform them into a religious sect.
You can build something from scratch. Take a bunch of memes and attach them together into a more complex pattern. I'll do an example in my next entry, using these four memes. We'll see if I can create a new idea by rearranging these things.
In the mean time, though, think about your own brain. You’re a unique meme complex, made up of thousands upon thousands of ideas that you’ve “caught” from other people in your society. How many ideas do you have swimming around in there? How crazily are they bonded together? What memes control your thoughts, your goals, your views, opinions, your life? | <urn:uuid:6b851229-45a3-4f7f-afb1-4a86f6e43889> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nonlocal23.blogspot.jp/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946316 | 747 | 1.617188 | 2 |
A Few Thoughts on the Fast Company Article, “What the Bible Got Wrong”
In a recent article called “Infographic of the Day: What the Bible Got Wrong,” Fast Company writes:
The Bible was wrong. For evidence look to, well, the Bible.
Such is the conclusion of this stunning, provocative infographic, which maps contradictions in the Bible, from whether thou shalt not commit adultery down to the color of Jesus’s robes. Career skeptic Sam Harris commissioned the chart for his nonprofit foundation Project Reason, with graphic design by Madrid-based Andy Marlow.
Here are a couple quick thoughts, as they come to mind:
1. My Experience with Contradictions in the Bible
When I first got to college, I had begun to take my faith seriously and yet was encountering much opposition to the Bible in my humanities classes. So the claim that the Bible contradicted itself bothered me, and I looked into it. I went to the library and found the best books I could documenting so-called contradictions in the Bible, looked through them for the most challenging claims of contradiction I could find, and discovered through study and my own reflection that every single one had an answer.
Someone might say “that doesn’t mean much.” Well, maybe not. But my point is that as a mere freshman in college, I looked deeply into the assertion that the Bible contradicts itself and was able to see the poor exegesis and method behind most of those claims. And even in the few challenging passages that weren’t so obvious on the surface, there were good answers.
The areas that skeptics tend to accuse of having the most contradictions are the four resurrection accounts in the gospels. Aside from the differences in the accounts actually being good evidence for their authenticity (as that is a mark of eyewitness testimony, and if the accounts were fabricated, their dissimilarities would have likely been ironed over), I even wrote a harmony of the resurrection accounts with my friend, Justin Taylor, showing that in no instance do any of the differences amount to actual contradiction. (You can also see a more narrative version that I did.)
My ultimate reason for accepting the inerrancy of the Scriptures, of course, is not the fact that I was able to find a resolution to every alleged contradiction. Rather, my ultimate reason for accepting the inerrancy of the Scriptures is that this is what Jesus taught, and Jesus can be trusted because he rose from the dead. I wrote an article on that as well. Here’s also an article I wrote on what inerrancy means.
2. On the Appearance of Contradictions in General
The next point worth making is that the appearance of contradictions is not a bad thing. Rather, it is a good thing because it stimulates thought.
I reject entirely the notion that “the contradiction is the hallmark of truth.” If two things really contradict one another, they cannot both be true.
But tension and the initial appearance of contradiction are something else altogether. They cause us to think harder about how the two truths fit together. They cause us to probe more deeply and come to an even greater understanding.
Which is why crying out “contradiction” when we see tension in the Bible is lazy and superficial. It leaves us with uncreative level one thinking, rather than bringing us deeper into a fuller understanding of the truth.
Here’s an example. One of the alleged contradictions the chart asserts is that the Bible teaches both that Abraham was justified by faith (Romans 4:2) and by works (James 2:21). The Bible does use that language:
Romans 4:2-4: For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Now to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
James 2:21: Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
So Paul actually calls Abraham ungodly here (amazing–really, really amazing if you think about it) and thus says that he was justified by believing rather than by works. “To the one who does not work but believes him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” Incredible. That’s what I need, because like Abraham, I am no more righteous in myself than Abraham was.
But then James says “was not Abraham our father justified by works. . . ”
Looks like a problem. But if you look only at the words and stop there, you miss the really profound insight going on. A contradiction does not exist simply because Paul says “justified by faith” and James says “justified by works.” Rather, you need to look at what each author actually means. Their words look like a contradiction on the surface — which is what stimulates us to think. But they are only actually contradicting each other if Paul is intending to deny the very thing that James is seeking to affirm.
And that is not the case. If you look at it, James and Paul are both using the term “justification” differently. They don’t mean the same thing by “justified,” and therefore they are not contradicting one another when Paul says “justified by faith” and James says “justified by works.”
If you look closely at the text in James, for example, James is referring to a specific point in Abraham’s life: “when he offered up Isaac.” That happened in Genesis 22. But when Paul says “and Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” he is quoting Genesis 15:6 — many years earlier.
So James and Paul are both referring to different points in Abraham’s life — which points to some good clues not only in Romans 4 and James 2 themselves that they are each using the term “justification” differently, but also in the specific passages of Genesis that they are each alluding to. Paul — and Genesis 15 — are speaking about justification in the sense of becoming right with God. That must be by faith — and faith alone — because we are ungodly (like Abraham — which is really stunning for Paul to say, once again, as he is one of the most revered people in all of the Bible; and hence, if even Abraham was ungodly, then so are we). Because he was ungodly, he had no works by which he could be accepted by God. That’s what’s going on in Genesis 15.
But James is speaking about justification in the sense of the demonstration, or evidence, that we have become right with God. You see this in Genesis 22:1, where Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac is referred to as a “test” and in James 2:14-26, where the issue is what the indications are that one’s faith is real. This could be drawn out in many ways, but perhaps most interesting is James 2:22: “You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.” The phrase “was completed” is the same phrase Jesus used in 2 Corinthians 12:9 when he said to Paul “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Did Jesus mean here “my power is made to be power” through weakness? No — his power exists all on its own and doesn’t need us to be fully powerful. Rather, the meaning is “my power is most shown to be powerful in weakness.” Christ’s power is demonstrated through our weakness. So also, when James says “and faith was completed by his works,” we see that his point in this passage is that works demonstrate faith.
Since he’s talking about the demonstration of faith — and since he’s talking about a point later in Abraham’s life, after he was declared right with God in Genesis 15 — we see that James is talking about justification in a different sense than Paul. James is talking about the demonstration of the fact that we are right with God — the “justification” of our justification, in a sense –, which happens through works. Our works are evidence that our faith is real, and thus function will function as evidence in the final judgment. But this does not mean we enter into a relationship with God through our works — that is impossible, since we are ungodly. Rather, the fact that we are right with God and have real faith is demonstrated by our works, as evidence.
And this is fully in line with the range of meaning of the word “justify.” Jesus, for example, uses the word “justify” in this sense when he says “wisdom is justified by her deeds (Matthew 11:19).” The meaning here cannot be “wisdom is made to be wise” through its effects. That would not make sense. Rather, the meaning is “wisdom is shown to be wisdom” through its effects. So Jesus is using “justify” here in the sense of “demonstrate.” Which is also how James is using it — he is talking about how we are shown to be righteous, whereas Paul is talking justification in the sense of how we are made righteous before God. The term itself can be used in either way, and you need to look at the specific context to know which one is in view.
The fact that our works function as evidence that we are right with God leads to an even deeper understanding of justification and the final judgment. It tells us that the kind of faith that justifies is not mere intellectual assent or a dead faith, but a living faith that entrusts oneself to Christ and will necessarily result in a life of good works. (And for some really, really profound insight on how works function as evidence, let me point you to John Piper’s excellent chapter on this in his book Future Grace – see chapter 29, “The Future Grace of Dying.”)
But the point here is: there are some really cool things about the doctrine of justification that we would have never seen if we just stopped at the mere words of James and Paul, declared “contradiction,” and left it at that. This is a small example of the mountains of profound insight that yield to us when we look at apparent contradictions as opportunities for learning rather than opportunities for sitting in judgment on the text.
3. Why God Inspired Hard Texts
The second point leads to my much briefer third point: These apparent contradictions are in the Bible on purpose. They are there on purpose in order to get us to think and thus in order to lead us to more profound insight.
The truths of God and the Bible are very great. Yet as humans we are continually tempted to settle for easy answers and stage one thinking. As some have said, “you rarely think until you’re confronted with a problem.” So God has deliberately made parts of the Bible hard, in order to lead us in to greater learning.
So when we see apparent contradictions in the Bible, the proper response is not to sit in judgment on the text. Rather, the proper response is to sit back in gratefulness and say “there is something amazing to be learned here.”
John Piper has an excellent sermon that goes in to much more detail on this, called Why God Inspired Hard Texts. I highly recommend checking it out.
John Piper is also simply a great example of what I’m talking about here in general. One of the great appeals of his writing is that he continually creates problems for us, and then solves them. For two of the best examples of how he does this, I would point you to Chapter 1 of Desiring God, “The Happiness of God: The Foundation of Christian Hedonism” (which can also be found online in sermon form) and Chapter 2 of The Pleasures of God, “The Pleasure of God in All that He Does” (which can also be found online in sermon form).
So, in conclusion, the assertion that the Bible contains contradictions matters a lot to me. As a result, I investigated it in great detail when I was first becoming more serious about my faith and, as a mere freshman in college, was able to see that no claim of contradiction ultimately holds.
However, the appearance of contradiction in many places in the Scriptures is there on purpose and by God’s design because this is the mark of any profound text and because it causes us to dig deeper, leading to far more profound insight.
Now, back to Fast Company’s article: I love Fast Company, and you see me link to them all the time on this blog. I don’t want to say to them: “stay away from religion — you don’t know what you’re talking about.” I don’t want to foster a dichotomy like that. But I do want to say: “before probing into matters of religion, make sure you get the facts right and think more deeply first.”
For more on this subject, see also Justin Holcomb’s helpful response over at the Resurgence. | <urn:uuid:1676d83a-1dfc-4a95-be2d-a119c0922ac5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.whatsbestnext.com/2010/11/a-few-thoughts-on-the-fast-company-article-what-the-bible-got-wrong/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972811 | 2,837 | 1.8125 | 2 |
I was having this conversation with a business coach colleague yesterday. She deals with plenty of business house owners, particularly those beginning out and people experiencing speedy growth. She’d been doing a little analysis and one article she browse advised that a serious reason that companies fail is owing to a scarcity of capital. This got me pondering how folks fund their ventures and whether or not they want plenty of capital to begin their own business.
To be honest this very depends. If you’re a product primarily based business clearly you may want capital to speculate in product however, if you were to begin a service primarily based business, you’ll usually times get your business started with very little or no investment and time. you may want some capital though and there are some choices obtainable to you:
Friends and Family- many of us look to family and friends to fund their business ventures, particularly if the funding needed is little. Family and friends can usually provide you with generous reimbursement terms on your business loan however certify everything is completed professionally. you do not wish to ruin relationships with friends and family for the sake of a number of greenbacks. Also, if you get cash from family and friends, certify you permit them to share in your business successes.
Business Credit Cards- Business credit cards are another widespread choice that folks verify once they aim to grow their business. Business credit cards will facilitate with money flow and, if you choose the proper card, you’ll register to a rewards program and obtain points which will be redeemed for flights, accommodation or a spread of alternative rewards that will be helpful to you. These rewards is a nice very little bonus for all of your exertions.
Investors- If your business plan is groundbreaking, or if your business set up is solid, you will be ready to pitch to investors and obtain some investment in your company. If you expect speedy growth otherwise you have a ground breaking product, then this might be the choice for you. the matter with investors is that you just might lose a number of your call creating power as you reveal a part of your business to an investor.
At the tip of the day, the foremost necessary factors for business success are clearly outlined goals, the dedication to attain them and then a promoting set up that may get your business in front of individuals. If you are doing want business finance there are choices obtainable to you. I actually have made public 3 of those higher than. | <urn:uuid:29b5eaff-89ad-4f05-b5da-0638a4cfc751> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://paulsonhybrid.com/tag/business-coach | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970033 | 495 | 1.59375 | 2 |
About the legend
From the very beginning, Unibroue has carved out a special niche in the beer world with top quality products and a brand rooted deep in Quebec culture. It made history by becoming the first North American beer maker to use a brewing method inspired by the two-centuries-old tradition developed by Trappist monks in Europe—particularly in Belgium. Over the years, Unibroue has remained faithful to its origins even as it has grown to become an icon of the brewing world. Unibroue products take you on a journey filled with legends and fabulous tales.
The Unibroue adventure began in 1990, when André Dion and Serge Racine decided to vie for a share of the fast-growing craft beer market. Mindful of the competition, their goal was to create a different product with strong consumer appeal. They became majority shareholders of La Brasserie Massawippi, a financially troubled Lennoxville brewery.
André Dion and Serge Racine finalized their acquisition of La Brasserie Massawippi in late 1991 and merged with Unibroue in early 1992. The new company immediately established itself as a specialty brewer. Mr. Dion became the President and CEO, and Mr. Racine sat on the Board of Directors.
Unibroue partnered with a Belgian brewer specializing in beer on lees and made history with the launch of Blanche de Chambly—North America’s first abbey beer. That same year, Quebec singer-songwriter Robert Charlebois became one of Unibroue’s major partners.
Unibroue moved to a new, cutting-edge microbrewery in Chambly, Quebec. The brewery gradually started to build its export capacity by developing a distribution network throughout Quebec and across Canada.
Unibroue began exporting its products to the international market by opening subsidiaries in the U.S. and Europe.
In 1995 and 1996, major investments allowed Unibroue to increase production and expand its facilities. Its products became increasingly popular, capturing markets in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, and several American states as well as France, Switzerland, and Belgium.
Unibroue consolidated its reputation as a brewer of distinction by opening Le Fourquet-Fourchette, an innovative concept-based restaurant-museum on the shores of the Richelieu River that celebrates the fine art of drinking.
At this point, Unibroue also became a public corporation listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Between 1998 and 2000, Unibroue responded to strong consumer demand for lager by introducing a new line of bottom fermented products, the refreshing and thirst-quenching U Blonde, U Rousse, U Miel, and La Bolduc.
Brewmaster Paul Arnott joined the company in 1999. Trained in Belgium’s great monastic brewing tradition, he helped breathe new life into the company’s classic products and expanded the Unibroue family with new vintage beers and the Éphémère series of fruit-based beers.
In 2004 the Sleeman Brewery became interested in the Quebec company’s ultra-modern facilities and highly qualified labor force. After purchasing Unibroue, Sleeman renamed itself Sleeman Unibroue Inc. The merger gave the brewery a powerful presence right across Canada. Today iconic Quebec beers like Blanche de Chambly, La Maudite, and La Fin du Monde are readily available right across Canada.
Another chapter in the story of the little Chambly-based brewery was written in October 2006 when Japan’s oldest commercial brewer, Sapporo International, purchased Sleeman Unibroue. With their profound respect for art, tradition, and culture, the Japanese recognized Unibroue as a Canadian treasure to be cherished and shared with the entire world. | <urn:uuid:d8582970-6ce6-4280-8228-67b9d223c33a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.unibroue.com/en/unibroue/history/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937135 | 794 | 1.71875 | 2 |
I like to think of myself as a good reader, but I never got through the Mount Everest of reading - Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace." News of two new translations offers some more opportunity for disappointment, though.
One translation by Andrew Bromfield claimed to be the only English version of the original version. It is based on Tolstoy's first draft and knocks off about 400 pages from the edition you and I probably had to read (or at least attempted to) in high school or college.
The good? It's a lot shorter and it has a happy ending - Petya Rostov and Prince Andrei don't die. I know this because I did read the Cliff Notes.
The bad? News accounts reported a lot of Tolstoy scholars were outraged by the Bromfield translation and said that it was not "War and Peace," that it was less War and more Peace.
Imagine me at a bar bragging about reading "War and Peace" and getting called on which translation.
The other translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky doesn't help either because it's actually longer at 1,276 pages. The husband-wife team translated "Anna Karenina" last year, and it became a best-seller thanks to Oprah recommending it for her book club.
If this translation does not do as well, shoppers may find it at Bed, Bath and Beyond as a classy doorstop.
For me, books have inspired, entertained and provided new insights into reality.
I remember reading all of the Sherlock Holmes books in junior high and being amazed at how someone was able to be so productive. Enough so that I studied published notebooks of Arthur Conan Doyle to see how he structured his stories.
In college, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson propelled me toward journalism. Today, the language and character profiles in "Up In The Old Hotel" by Joseph Mitchell encourage me to write better.
I hope books will play a similar role in my children's lives, though I know books have a lot to compete against in today's world of the Internet, blogs, cell phones and 500 television channels. It's tough for me to find time to read, too.
It troubles me how our 4-year-old daughter Katie can be mesmerized by The Disney Channel or Noggin and how quickly she has become computer savvy, as she navigates the Sesame Street Web site.
About the only time she is quiet is when we read to her, and that is mostly at bedtime. She always wants more after I read one or two books to her. Sometimes, I can, but other times I tell her it's too late to read another book.
So, though "War and Peace" may still be out of my reach, I am unchallenged when it comes to Dr. Seuss or any of the Disney Princess books.
Jay Jones is a staff reporter for the Rockdale Citizen. E-mail Jay at email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:bced9a3a-e464-40e6-9197-6d02c94a4c35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newtoncitizen.com/news/2007/oct/24/learning-to-enjoy-a-good-book/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974085 | 629 | 1.5 | 2 |
By KEVIN MCCALLUM
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
A small slice of Fifth Street was transformed into an outdoor patio Friday by folks urging Santa Rosans to rethink how much urban space is devoted to parking.
The Share Exchange and Greenbelt Alliance took over two parking spaces in front of their buildings, filling them with rugs, potted plants, patio furniture and board games.
Meanwhile, in Railroad Square, the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition set up a bike parking and loaner operation covering four spaces that might otherwise be filled by cars.
The groups were taking part in PARK(ing) Day, which began in San Francisco in 2005 and now bills itself as a worldwide event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to transform metered parking spaces into temporary public places.
“Land is a limited resource,” said Jennifer Gennari, spokeswoman for the Greenbelt Alliance. “Do we want to devote as much as we do to parking?”
All three groups paid for the six parking spaces they used, all in two-hour parking zones, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Organizers said the city and businesses near the parking spaces were supportive of the effort.
“We’re not trying to be controversial,” said Amanda Bornstein, a field representative with the Greenbelt Alliance. “We’re trying to have some fun.”
The spaces are often called “pop-up parks” or “parklettes,” and in cities like San Francisco they’ve gone from a form of guerilla art to beloved quirky tradition.
Kelley Rajala is one of the founders of Share Exchange, a cooperative of small local business people and artisans. The organization thrives on people exchanging ideas, so creating a welcoming outdoor space seemed attractive.
“I think what the world needs more than anything is creativity,” Rajala said.
Share Exchange member Vicky Kumpfer said she hoped the event would help people imagine more people-friendly downtown land uses.
“We’re such a car culture,” Kumpfer said. “There is so much space dedicated to the car.” | <urn:uuid:2fe44b82-acc7-45a8-8be5-aa723f103256> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.watchsonomacounty.com/2011/09/cities/from-parking-to-patio-in-downtown-santa-rosa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965883 | 465 | 1.5 | 2 |
Over the weekend Gawker published an article by Cord Jefferson exploring the psychological ins and outs of pedophilia. The story, headlined “Born This Way: Sympathy and Science for Those Who Want to Have Sex with Children,” used language highly graphic in nature to describe real-life sexual experiences between adults and children. Naturally, reaction to the piece was strong, many arguing that the story offered too-sympathetic a look at pedophilia.
Jefferson told FBDC that since the backlash, he had “a two-hour phone chat” with a female editor he respects. “We talked about a lot, but specifically the power of language and why the words I chose for that piece were so hurtful to so many,” he said.
The Atlantic’s Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote a response to Jefferson’s piece, charging Gawker with “soft-pedaling child-rape.” Coates wrote that he “can’t really understand how one writes that a 20-year old man ‘began a sexual relationship’ with a seven year old.” He argued that all references to “a sexual relationship” between an adult and a child should have been regarded as “rape.”
FNC contributor Kirsten Powers called the story “super troubling.”
As noted by Twitchy, the story was passed around on Twitter like a hot potato and soon the sarcastic hashtag “#GawkersNextArticle” was created. “The Klan: An Appreciation,” GOP media strategist Rick Wilson suggested. National Review‘s Greg Pollowitz recommended “How to Read 50 Shades of Gray to your Kids.”
Jefferson responded to criticism he received in a post on his Tumblr. “Using the words ‘rape’ or ‘molest’ in place of ‘sex’ is an interesting argument that, I’ll admit, I didn’t think a whole lot about while writing the piece,” Cord wrote. “My default thinking is that if you’re talking about ‘sex’ between a grown man and a prepubescent child, it should be obvious that it’s not consensual.”
He also posted an anonymous comment he received on the story that said “Thanks for the trigger, a**hole.” A “trigger” is a disclaimer that typically appears at the top of an article or other content that serves as a warning to readers of graphic material they may be about to experience.
“The trigger warning thing is actually something I brought up to my editors,” Jefferson wrote. “I directly asked if we should include one at the top of the piece, and we thought about it for a few minutes. Our final decision was that an article with “People Who Want to Have Sex with Children” in the headline was trigger enough.”
Cord didn’t come away from the criticism without learning something. To one comment on his post that questioned the word choices in the story, Jefferson said he could “honestly say you’ve enlightened me.”
UPDATE: Jefferson told us “several other friends and strangers” who say they were either raped or molested have offered criticisms on his piece. “[I]t’s going to be a while before I can process those enough to want to talk about them publicly,” he said. “Nevertheless, all the lessons I’ve been given and sought out in the past few days have been valuable and transformational, and I’m sorry for the pain I caused.”
He said, however, he would write the story again. “I’ve had several self-professed celibate pedophiles contact me to say that my piece made them feel less ashamed about themselves and more interested in getting the help they need. I’m happy for that. I’m just sorry that I hurt people in an effort to help others.” | <urn:uuid:d8b09003-974f-46ce-8e37-e157392d3019> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/gawker-cords-jefferson-pedophilia_b83258 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972869 | 858 | 1.507813 | 2 |
On Saturday morning, we were packing up the car and readying ourselves for a weekend away. As we were tying our shoes, our son Robbie looked at my husband and I and said, "Why is life worth living if we are just going to die?"
Just a minute prior he was telling us Calvin and Hobbes' adventures then out comes this profound question. My son never ceases to amaze me. The first thing that spurts out of one of our mouths was "well, you can't do anything if you are dead." He didn't find that funny. His eyes told me that he was yearning for a deeper, more tangible response.
We began talking to him about how life is about living in the present, and that everything we do or say is about enjoying the moment. Visiting family, reading Calvin and Hobbes, playing basketball with his friends. All these wonderful things you can do and experience while you are living. And you can learn so much more while you are living.
"But you are just going to die anyway," he said. "I don't get it."
Now, "I don't get it" has been his response to just about everything we explain to him. Its his way of not listening. Partially engaged in the conversation. Not attempting to explore what is being said to him and let it develop into an understanding in his seven - year old mind. Or, its just his way to successfully drive his parents insane.
So we tried again: Was it love? Balance? Family? His Wii????
The question of why we are living is pondered by many throughout life. Its given as midterm exams/assignments in college, at a time when one's life is just beginning. One is openly exposed to the world with only your own defenses, learning about the concepts of life, not quite having personally experienced them to completely understand the affects of the consequences. Answering Robbie's question is a delicate, delightful yet complex question to be answered.
Life isn’t simply a project to be completed; it is an unknowable landscape to be explored. And there are so many different ways to see how one would begin their path: One could admire the lone free agent who creates new worlds, or one could dissolve their independence, and become part of a larger purpose to propel that larger cause. One could practice yoga to connect to their deepest truth, and follow the path laid before them.
Just what IS life for?
Any answers to Robbie's question put in a friendly manner for a seven-year old mind are welcome.
Elisha Fernandes Simpson CKYT, RYT, aka laughing hearts yoga teaches family, mommy and me, kids (ages 7 -18) yoga and organizes free bi-weekly yoga classes for people with breast cancer. Become a friend on Facebook's laughing hearts yoga page.
New classes: laughing hearts yoga is going to Peekskill!! New classes for tweens, mommy and me and family begin week of March 6th at the beautiful Pilates on Hudson. Contact Elisha at email@example.com or 914 319 4010 for registration and suggestions about her blog | <urn:uuid:9b155eca-53c6-4331-a10a-b0356a813e1d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ossining.patch.com/groups/elisha-fernandes-simpson-ryt-ckyts-blog/p/bp--robbies-question | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979914 | 656 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Online Learning Focus of CTE Conference
The authors of the acclaimed book Building Online Learning Communities will share their insights on the subject during a Center for Teaching Excellence event on Feb. 13.
Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt will talk to the AU community about effective use of online resources in teaching and learning. The event, organized by CTE’s Online Learning Advocacy Committee, is not just for online faculty, but for anyone using virtual spaces as part of instruction, according to CTE.
“This is the book I use in the faculty training course,” said Jim Lee, CTE’s associate director. “It talks about online learning, but I always thought a lot of this stuff puts technology first rather than pedagogy. This book is really about good teaching practices.”
The event begins at 9:30 with registration and coffee. After a keynote address at 10, participants will break into two groups, one for faculty new to teaching online, another for faculty with experience. One of the coauthors will lead each session.
Both will headline a lunchtime session entitled “Building Learning Communities: F2f, Hybrids, and Online Courses.” The afternoon session will again be divided, with one section designed to help faculty and administrators assess online courses, and the other preparing doctoral students for a world with enhanced use of online learning technologies.
“Faculty need to know about this,” Lee said. “Even though you use a lot of the same tools online, it’s a different beast.”
For more information or to find out how to register for the conference, click here. | <urn:uuid:3f722e22-f7d7-48d5-b5e9-fe19874160cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.american.edu/technology/news/detail.cfm?newsID=5C0FA4B7-DD10-36B3-E1EFC2E3FE36A778 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930433 | 343 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Got a Traffic Ticket?
So you received a traffic ticket. You are not alone. Just at the City of Houston
alone, more than a million traffic and other violations are written into the City of Houston Municipal Courts every year.
Add to these thousands of tickets written by Harris County deputy constables and Harris County sheriff's deputies
in the sixteen Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts and the numerous other Municipal Courts in Harris
County. Your chances of receiving a traffic ticket are probably the best they have ever been.
But I Was Speeding. I Did What the Officer Said I Did. Shouldn't I
Just Pay the Fine?
If paying the fine was the only punishment, we might agree. But the punishments
and other implications for paying many traffic violations have gotten so punitive that we do not agree.
As an example, a woman recently called our offices. She had been paying her seventeen-year-old
son's traffic tickets whenever he received any. She believed she was being a good citizen and a responsible parent. But it
turns out that paying the fine is not all that the State of Texas wants in the way of punishment. Because this woman had been
paying all the tickets, her son's driver's license was suspended because the Department of Public Safety considered him a
"habitual violator." The young man's license was suspended for six months. This meant his mother and others were having to
drive him almost everywhere he went. This woman thought the only punishment for paying the traffic tickets were the fines.
She had no idea how wrong she was until it was too late.
"You Are Not Guilty"
Let me say that again with emphasis, in the eyes of the law, "You Are Not Guilty!"
Just because you received a traffic ticket from a policeman does not in any way mean you are guilty. It just means you received
a ticket. If you maintain your innocence, you are presumed not guilty and you remain not guilty until the State, which has
the burden of proof, proves you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Also, before you pay any traffic fine, remember you owe
nothing to the Court until you are proven guilty.
Why Not Just Pay the Tickets and Get It Over With?
Before you do something so potentially harmful as that, take a few minutes of your
time to read the following.
On the backs of most tickets, you will find what is known as the "window fine."
The instructions will advise you that you can just pay this fine amount and court costs through the mail. However, they do
not advise you of the effect of paying the ticket. If you pay the window fine through the mail, you will be found guilty and
in many cases the convictions will appear on your driving record. Convictions on your driving record can make your insurance
rates go up substantially. Convictions on your driving record can also cause your driver's license to be suspended. Besides
the fines and court costs, the back of a traffic ticket does not warn you about any of these additional punishments.
If you do not pay the ticket through the mail, the ticket provides that you must
appear for a court date known as an arraignment or an appearance date. Typically at the court date on your ticket the Judge
or his staff will ask you how you want to plead to the charge on the ticket. If you plead guilty or "no contest" the Judge
will find you guilty and assess a fine and court costs. If you are found guilty by pleading guilty or "no contest," the convictions
will appear on your driving record. The convictions on your driving record can make your insurance rates go up substantially.
Convictions on your driving record can also cause your drivers license to be suspended. Besides the fine and court costs,
the Judge will not warn you about any of these additional punishments.
What Kinds of Charges Can Hurt My Driving Record?
Convictions for moving violations will go on your driving record. Some common examples
of moving violations that will appear on your driving record upon conviction are:
Running a Red Light
Running a Stop Sign
Changing Lanes Not in Safety
Failure to Control Speed
Failure to Yield Right of Way
As mentioned before, convictions for moving violations can be one of the ways that
your liability insurance company can use to raise your insurance rates. If you are convicted of four or more moving violations
in a 12-month period, your driver's license can be suspended. If your son or daughter still has a provisional license, his
or her driver's license can be suspended upon their second moving violation conviction in a 12-month period.
What About a Ticket for No Automobile Liability Insurance?
A conviction for operating an automobile without financial responsibility (automobile
liability insurance) can be a major problem. Not only are the fines and court costs very high for a conviction of no insurance,
but your driver's license can be suspended for two convictions of driving without liability insurance. That's two convictions
at any time during your driving career. Example: If you got a conviction for no automobile liability insurance five years
ago and you just got another ticket last week and you are convicted for the new ticket, the Court may suspend your driver's
What Other Types of Convictions Can Hurt My Driving Record?
There are plenty of land mines out there for the uninitiated and the Texas State
Legislature thinks of new ones every time they meet in Austin. Space and time do not permit a list of everything to look out
But I will give another example that catches a lot of people by surprise. You have
a Code A Restriction on your driver's license. You receive a ticket for driving without your glasses. You figure it's no big
deal so you mail your money in to the Court. Because you paid the ticket you now have a conviction on your driving record.
You may also have your drivers license SUSPENDED. That's Right! It only takes one conviction for driving without your glasses
and your driver's license can be suspended. Tricky aren't they? It is a major inconvenience to lose your drivers license in
Houston/Harris County but, you will not see a word about this on the ticket or any notices you receive from the Court.
What Happens If My Driver's License Gets Suspended But I Drive Anyway?
If you drive while your driver's license is suspended, you can be charged with a
far more serious criminal offense. Driving while your license is suspended is a Class B Misdemeanor for which you can be fined
up to two thousand dollars and go to jail for up to 180 days to a year.
Do I Need an Attorney?
An attorney who defends traffic tickets can assist you in many ways. They are very
familiar with the Texas Transportation Code and the myriad of traps that await the uninitiated. Though they cannot guarantee
dismissal of a ticket, they can help in many ways to try and prevent your ticket from becoming a conviction on your driving
record and help protect your driving privileges and insurance rates. They can assist with proven strategies to help reduce
the chance of conviction.
As an example, sometimes a case can be legally dismissed because there is a defect
in the pleadings. Something you might overlook or have no idea is significant could be legal grounds for the dismissal of
your case. Sometimes a deferred adjudication/probation or defensive driving may be your best alternative for protecting your
driving record given your individual situation and prior driving record. Sometimes the case will need to be tried to a judge
or jury. Attorneys are familiar with the rules of criminal evidence and criminal procedure which are used in these types of
trials. Attorneys can counsel you as to what all your options are in the Traffic Court.
Because traffic ticket attorneys defend more than one client on a given docket,
attorneys' fees to defend traffic tickets are very reasonable and affordable. Call for a free quote Monday through Friday,
8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. For your convenience, we accept Visa and MasterCard.
I Missed My Court Date and The Court Advises Me I Have A Warrant.
WHAT CAN I DO?
You missed (or were merely late for) your arraignment or your trial date. The court
informs you that you are in warrants. What does that mean? That means the judge has issued a warrant for your arrest wherever
a peace officer may find you. You can be arrested at your home or at your work place. Most people are arrested on traffic
warrants on a subsequent traffic stop.
In addition to the issuance of the warrant by the judge, the State almost always
files a new charge against you called a "Failure to Appear" which is also a Class C Misdemeanor which you will also have to
To prevent being arrested, you should post a bond as soon as possible. This can
be done in one of two ways. You can post CASH BONDS. Posting a cash bond involves posting your own cash money with the Court
in the amount of bonds set by the judge. You are basically putting up your own money promising to appear at some future date.
If you fail to appear, the court can keep all your bond money and new warrants will be issued for your arrest again.
You can also pay an attorney bondsman or a bonding company a non-refundable fee
to post SURETY BONDS on your behalf with the Court to remove the warrant. This is less expensive than posting the whole bond
amount in cash with the Court as you would when posting a cash bond. As with cash bonds, if a surety post bonds on your behalf,
you must appear for your court dates or warrants will be issued again for your nonappearance.
We can help in most cases with the posting of surety bonds on traffic warrants in
the City of Houston and most of the other Municipal and Justice of the Peace Courts in Harris County.
Do You Help With Other Matters Besides Traffic Tickets?
Yes, We defend traffic tickets which are criminal Class C Misdemeanors. We also
defend other types of Criminal Class C Misdemeanors, including Ordinance Violations (such as Health Code, Fire Code, Plumbing
Code, Electrical Code, Building Code, etc.), Public Intoxication, Simple Assault, Abusive Language, Minor DUI, and Theft under
$50.00. You will probably never be charged with any of these, but if you are, we can help.
If You Received A Traffic Ticket, Give Us A Call
Kameron Searle looks forward to assisting you in the defense of your traffic tickets
and other Class C Misdemeanors. If we can assist you in the defense of your traffic ticket, please feel free to give us a
call Monday through Friday, 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. at
713-880-4529. Ask for Marisa.
Kameron Searle is a former City of Houston Municipal Courts Prosecutor who has tried more than a thousand trials at
the City of Houston Municipal Courts. | <urn:uuid:b37631e4-1955-4f16-a437-3df5cf8a8ede> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.houstonticketlawyer.com/id6.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955332 | 2,322 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Bowery Dugout, town of Ulster eatery, has more in store (with recipe, video)
Supermarkets really didn’t get it done for Bruce Paley. His family owned a string of independent grocery stores, mostly IGAs in Ulster County and Pioneer Food Markets in the Bronx.
The young Paley, however, wasn’t all that excited about making it his livelihood.
“Back in that time, we were more into delivering foods,” he said. “The evolution of the supermarket wasn’t there yet, and I really couldn’t stay in that mundane world.”
Still, the Bronx-born Paley had a taste of it for a time. At the age of 20, he had a shot at opening a market in 1973 with Harold Lipton, his uncle. Together, they operated an IGA on the site of the current Little Red School House on Lucas Avenue.
A few years later, Paley’s uncle handed the reins over to him. He was not particularly fulfilled or prepared to make it his lifelong career. While learning the business, Paley’s eyes were opened and his thoughts drifted. He realized he needed something more.
In May of 1978, he met up with restaurateur John Narowlski and bought his longstanding Bowery Dugout at 857 Albany Ave. in the town of Ulster.
“I had eaten there for many years and knew it well,” Paley said. “Back in the old days, it wasn’t like it is today with all the proliferation of eateries. Back then, there were only a few: the Bowery, the Beef House and Judy’s.”
Paley settled into his new role as a restaurant owner almost immediately. He learned Narowlski’s recipes and the ins and outs of operating a restaurant. It wasn’t too far of a stretch for the Food and Maritime Trades Vocational High School graduate. As a student there, he had earned “Chef of the Year” honors and was named the “Top Chef in Class.”
Paley had also worked at the Figaro Café back in the 1960s and for caterers like Core Cuisine and the French Gourmet Caterer and Bakery in the city and the Manhattan Meat Market. Continued...
Now, as a restaurant owner, he could soar in a creative outlet.
The Bowery Dugout, billed as “Kingston’s oldest and finest seafood restaurant and steak house,” had been serving the Hudson Valley since 1949. But there was plenty of room to grow and improvise, and Paley was certainly the guy to give the restaurant a little creative edge. He slowly and methodically began experimenting and updating the menu.
Though still heavy on the seafood, the Bowery Dugout today has other options, including hand-cut chicken cordon bleu, filet mignon and a variety of pastas like penne, linguini and ravioli. Paley is also hugely into appetizers and has built that portion of the menu considerably. Before the main entrée, guests can get everything from coconut fried shrimp to French onion soup.
He is also known for his outrageously famous Bruce’s Blue Cheese Dressing, which is available by the pint at $6.95 or by the quart at $15.
“It’s just to die for,” Paley said. “I should be the next Marie’s (Dressing). I have a great following with it. It’s chunky, thick and spreadable. It’s candy in another form. It’s just fantastic.”
Paley said, overall, he’s glad he made the career switch years ago, and he’s pleased with the direction in which he’s moved the Bowery Dugout.
“We’re great value, great seafood, great presentation, but we’re not over the top,” he said. “If you go over the top that means you need five guys standing over the table garnishing it.”
One of the key things that makes his restaurant stand out, he added, is its fresh seafood cooked in imaginative ways.
“I think the creativity is finding a fish that’s in-season and coming up with an application, a recipe that’s slightly different,” he said. “That might mean coming up with that sauce and putting it on the plate and creating that picture that would stand up to any restaurant. We want every plate to look like a work of art, where you’ll say, ‘Wow, I want to eat that.’”
It’s that sort of dedication that has kept Paley going strong, even while other restaurants were gradually springing up along his stretch of road and in the city of Kingston over the years. When he first stepped into the role and reintroduced the Bowery Dugout 35 years ago, he said there were only a few dining destinations in the area. Continued...
Still, he said he doesn’t focus too much on the competition. He just does what he does and hopes area diners will recognize his culinary creativity and standard of consistency.
“I’m a subtle guy. My motto is ‘Walk softly and carry a big stick.’ I like to deliver. I’m very comfortable with what I do. “
Even during the winter, Paley has managed to keep things interesting at the Bowery with special events like his Wednesday night wine club and Thursday night raw bar.
“I try to incorporate some fun into my dining, and I try to bring different things to the plate,” he said. “And it’s not just me. I have staff that’s been with me for many, many years. We care. We try to make your visit at the Bowery a remarkable one. We certainly strive to hit it every time.”
That becomes particularly important in a poor economy. People, he said, will still spend their money dining out if the food and service are good.
“I really have no complaints. It’s been magnificent,” he said of business these last few years.
“I look around and see how many people come — whether it’s the regular who comes every year for their birthday or anniversary or a new customer — and I feel like I’m a complete man sometimes.”
3/4 lb (16 to 20) gulf shrimp peeled & deveined
1 egg, 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt (egg wash) Continued...
1/4 cup of flour
1 fresh lemon split in half for garnish in wedges
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2-3 tablespoons Bowery scamp butter
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
In a heavy skillet, place oil and heat to medium high heat, but not smoking point.
Place shrimp in egg wash and then dredge in flour. Shake off the excess. Saute shrimp 2-3 minutes and turn 2-3 minutes. This side of the shrimp should be golden brown
Spill off excess oil. Raise heat to high. Add 2-3 tablespoons of Bowery scampi butter wine and lemon juice (this can flame). Swirl until blended.
Serve over rice or pasta
Bowery Dugout Garlic Butter
1 lb salted butter softened
Pinch of white pepper
7 or 8 large cloves fresh garlic chopped fine
1/2 large bunch of fresh parsley washed chopped and dried
Blend all ingredients well.
Use what you need and freeze the rest airtight. Great for garlic bread
See inaccurate information in a story? Other feedback and/or ideas for us to consider? Tell us here.
Location, ST | website.com
National Life Videos
- School district election results (5031)
- Law & Disorder (May 22, 2013) (3640)
- Hurley man's death not caused by drugs he allegedly received from KHS teacher Matthew DiDonna, Ulster County DA's Office says (2112)
- Kingston school district voters OK budget, propositions (with vote tally by polling place, video) (1902)
- Hurley man whose death led to drug arrest of Kingston teacher had undiagnosed heart condition, wife and Ulster County prosecutor say (1693)
- Heavy thunderstorms, large hail, frequent lighting possible... then frost? (1617)
- Kingston shelter operator honored by NY Senate (video) (1153)
- Group raps Hinchey over change of heart on Cantine Dam viewing (34)
- Hurley man's death not caused by drugs he allegedly received from KHS teacher Matthew DiDonna, Ulster County DA's Office says (6)
- Kingston shelter operator honored by NY Senate (video) (5)
- Woodstock Fire Company 3 ex-Treasurer Dale Hughes Jr. sentenced to one year in jail for embezzlement (5)
- HITS primed for 10th year at Saugerties site (video, schedule, equestrian glossary) (5)
- Hurley man whose death led to drug arrest of Kingston teacher had undiagnosed heart condition, wife and Ulster County prosecutor say (5)
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Life Editor Ivan Lajara talks about living in the Hudson Valley, language, the Web, cats and even politics. But he shouldn't.
Official blog of Nancy Donskoj, Kingston Main Street Manager.
New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly's blog was started to promote her new book, published by Chronicle, and has evolved into writing and cartoons about anything. | <urn:uuid:190dbcc5-bbf6-4f66-9323-390c14c40d68> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2013/02/06/life/doc51117b5a6b7e3968182747.txt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96594 | 2,073 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Yesterday Mandiant, a security consultancy, published report “APT1: Exposing One of China’s Espionage Units.” The report details the extent and the exploits observed by Mandiant from a single entity – Chinese People’s Army Unit 61398. Mandiant analyzed the group’s intrusions against over 150 victims over 7 years resulting in terrabytes of data stolen from numerous US organizations. According to the National Public Radio (NPR), Chinese government denies any involvement. Mandiant CEO, Kevin Mandia, testified last week during the House Intelligence Committee hearing on the cybersecurity bill.
SANS held its eighth annual North American Industrial Control System (ICS) & SCADA Security Summit at the Disney Resort in Orlando, FL this week, a venue that uses thousands of control systems every day to ensure the fun and safety of visiting families. The event was chaired by Michael Assante, formerly with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Idaho National Lab, and American Electric Power. The two-day event featured presentations and panel discussions on a variety of ICS and SCADA security issues. The audience heard from government, academia, utilities, global companies, product suppliers, and security consultants. The picture that emerged is encouraging and complex at the same time. Today, ICS and SCADA are connected to the Internet, through the corporate networks or through remote vendor connections. There may be legitimate business needs for these connections to provide critical control systems data to the business or to allow global companies conduct exploration activities in remote parts of the world without significant personnel commitment. These connections may also be in place due to the lack of awareness of security implications of such connections without any legitimate business reason. Sometimes these connections are secured and sometimes they are not. ICS and SCADA systems suffer from the phenomenon known as hard shell outside and the soft gooey inside – while the perimeter protection may be strong, once the attacker is inside the perimeter they pretty much can have whatever they want. Some vendors are doing great things and using secure coding practices, secure development lifecycle, and genuinely improving the security state of their products, some are not. Workforce is a serious issue, both in terms of expanding a very small number of dedicated SCADA cybersecurity practitioners, providing general user awareness for those who touch SCADA systems, and increasing technology practitioner knowledge for people who deal with technology that touches or is connected to SCADA but are not SCADA engineers.
Ultimately, it is about people and process! Technology is a distant third. If your people don’t know how to tell a phishing exploit from a legitimate email you are in trouble. Resources need to be invested into educating people and creating resilient agile processes for detection, recovery, and reconstitution, because you will be hacked!
The Summit agenda is available at https://www.sans.org/event-downloads/28439/agenda.pdf. The ninth annual event will be held in Florida March 12-20, 2014, including education sessions before the summit. Any questions about this year’s summit should be directed to Klaus Bender at Klaus.firstname.lastname@example.org and Nadya Bartol at Nadya.email@example.com.
The elected board of UTC’s Smart Networks Council (SNC) met this week in Reno, NV. The SNC was formed to bring the resources and knowledge of member utilities and the vendor community together to address technical issues critical to achieving reliable delivery of our critical resources. Membership and participation in SNC activities are included to all Core and Associate Members of UTC.
In rapid succession, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journaland the Washington Post revealed that they were the victims of cyber attacks that originated in China. In the case of the New York Times, the attacks began in late October, when the paper started reporting about the multi-billion dollar fortune accumulated by the family of the Chinese prime minister, Wen Jiabao. Working with security experts, the Times discovered evidence that Chinese hackers were responsible and that they were using methods associated with the Chinese military. The hackers reportedly stole the corporate passwords for every Time’s employee and used them to gain access to the personal computers of employees. Among the targets were the paper’s Shanghai bureau chief and the former Beijing bureau chief, but there was no evidence that sensitive email files were affected.
APCO held its Emerging Technology Forum this week in Anaheim. The first day of the conference focused on next generation 9-1-1 and cybersecurity and the second day was spent discussing public safety broadband. Two members of FirstNet, responsible for building the public safety broadband network, provided insight into the progress of the effort to day. Kevin McGinnis and Craig Farrill, the acting general manager of FirstNet were the speakers.
Mr. McGinnis detailed some of the applications in emergency medical services that would be enabled by the FirstNet. Mr. Farrill told the audience that the commercial services members of the FirstNet board seek to build the network as soon as possible. He stressed that FirstNet is intended to serve public safety, not a commercial effort. He said that the network has the potential to be the fourth or five largest wireless network in the country. The group has collected over 1300 requirements for the network, developed by public safety, DHS and NTIA. The architecture for the network, at a high level, will assume that FirstNet will be the primary broadband network, with as many as five wireless carriers to provide backup, followed finally by satellite services to "serve every square meter of the country."
When asked what role utilities will have in the network, Mr. Farril acknowledged that a utility representative is on the board and the board understands the resources that utilities can provide to FirstNet, especially in rural areas. But Mr. Farril stated that the board is looking to balance speed to market with adding partners to the network and he said the board anticipates that utilities will be an important part of the network, primarily in rural areas.
The FirstNet board is doing state consultations that will gather each state's expectations for the network, add that to the requirements, and then go back to the states for confirmation. Mr. Farril said each state will have a network operating center (NOC) with the potential for regional NOCs for emergencies like the recent hurricane Sandy disaster.
In a speech at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano likened the potential consequences of the current threat scenario for the critical infrastructure industry to the attacks on September 11, 2011: A "cyber 9/11" could happen "imminently" and critical infrastructure, including water, electricity and gas, was very vulnerable to such a strike, she said. The Secretary equated the effects of such a strike to the widespread power outages in the wake of last year’s Superstorm Sandy. "There are things we can and should be doing right now that, if not prevented, would mitigate the extent of damage," Napolitano said, referring to the crippling effects on the U.S. of taking down the power grid, water infrastructure, transportation networks, and financial networks. Her remarks resemble Unites States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s warnings of a “Cyber Pearl Harbor” during his first major cybersecurity speech last October.
This week, the land mobile frequency coordinators met with the FCC to discuss how to handle licenses for systems in the VHF and UHF band that did not comply with the January 1, 2013 narrowband deadline. In late 2012, the land mobile frequency coordinators recommended to ignore these systems when coordinating the new systems after February 1, 2013.
At the meeting this week, the FCC said most licenses are now narrowband compliant and that the FCC is still getting waiver requests for the narrowband deadline. The Commission staff urged licensees that may have narrowbanded but did not file an application to file it now. The staff said that the Gettysburg licensing facility has a large backlog of applications related to the deadline. The FCC will likely take until the end of the first quarter to clear some of these applications. At that time, they will consider an audit of non-compliant systems, giving those licensees one last chance to comply or cancel their licenses. The FCC would also like to establish a single point of contact at its Enforcement Bureau related to narrowband compliance issues, but has yet to do so.
In the meantime, per FCC attorneys--the coordinators cannot just ignore those licenses. Until further notice, these non-compliant wide band systems will be considered as analog compliant narrowband with an emission designator similar to 11K2F3E. Another FCC public notice will released as soon as possible detailing FCC plans.
While the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) transitions from NIST funding to a non-profit, privately funded status in 2013, the organization continues to add board approved standards to the Catalog of Standards (CoS). This week the SGIP board called for votes to add thirteen new standards to those already approved. Included among the group are NAESB 21 and 22, dealing with the NAESB Energy Usage Information (EUI) Model and voluntary Model Business Practices for Third Party access to Smart Meter-based information. These standards are integral in the deployment of the Green Button that allows consumers to download energy information in standardized formats. Also included are the IEC 62351 series for information security for power system control operations.
Four standards are proposed related to power line carrier (PLC) technology for home area networking and other applications. ITU-T G.9960 specifies the system architecture and physical (PHY) layer for wireline based home networking transceivers capable of operating over premises wiring including inside telephone wiring, coaxial cable, and power-line wiring. ITU-T G.9972 specifies a coexistence mechanism for networking transceivers capable of operating over electrical powerlines. IEEE 1901-2010 defines a standard for high-speed communication devices via electric power lines, so-called broadband over power line (BPL) devices. This standard focuses on the balanced and efficient use of the power line communications channel by all classes of BPL devices. NISTIR 7862 - Power Line Communication (PLC) systems provide a bi-directional communication platform capable of delivering data for a variety of Smart Grid applications such as home energy management and intelligent meter reading and control.
Finally, NIST proposes adding AEIC Guidelines - SmartGrid/AEIC AMI Interoperability Standard Guidelines for ANSI C12.19 / IEEE 1377 / MC12.19 End Device Communications and Supporting Enterprise Devices, Networks and Related Accessories. The objective was to develop a smaller set of data Tables that meet the needs of most utilities and simplify the meter procurement process.
The SGIP Governing Board is recommending a NO vote on the AEIC Guidelines, but recommending the others be added to the Catalog of Standards. We urge all SGIP members in good standing to review and cast their votes. Questions should be directed to UTC’s engineering and regulatory staff.
Source: SGIP Email, January 7, 2013
|FCC Public Notice Addresses Narrowband Compliance||03/19/13|
|OpenADE to Publish Draft Green Button Test Procedures||02/27/13|
|White House Releases Progress Report on Grid Modernization||02/27/13|
|RSA Conference Starts with Optimistic Keynotes||02/27/13|
|IEEE 2013 Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference||02/25/13| | <urn:uuid:12617425-a429-439a-b27c-83fa76305994> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utcinsight.org/node?page=1&destination=user%2F10 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941656 | 2,384 | 1.742188 | 2 |
I'm sure this has been mentioned before but here goes anyway.
When I was dismantling the 76 engine, in the filter trap and around it there was loads of clutch friction material, along with piles of other crap.
When I dismantled the clutch, here was the reason!
Theres a bit more info with the pics in my Photobucket album.
In the middle of the clutch pack there sits the most horrendous piece of engineering which Honda call 'Plate B'.
It's a clutch damper, two plain plates which sandwich a number of spring steel strips between them to give a cushioning effect to the clutch action.
The steel strips are held by TINY BRASS rivets, one end of each strip rivetted to one plate and the other end to the second plate.
As the strips flex the rivets are either worn through or pulled out of the plates. If you check the above pic you will see the result.
In these pics you can see the results of the one strip which came completely out.
This one shows the components.
Obviously bits of rivet could easily get into the clutch oil pump and cause all kinds of damage, the errant steel strip could jam the clutch or the oilpump drive chain etc.
I can't even see the reasoning behind having this abomination. There is enough slack in a chain primary drive to give some cushioning plus the output shaft has a spring shock absorber, so this just seems like overkill to me.
So, if you've got to do the clutch, do yourself a favour and heave this thing into the nearest bin.
Of course, that then leaves the clutch pack short of the thickness of the damper.
Easily remedied! The plain plates are just a tiny fraction thinner then the damper, so purchase an extra plain plate, but be careful where you fit it.
It needs to go here, directly onto the spring carrier. This is double good as it provides a steel surface for the first friction plate instead of the alloy of the spring carrier.
There's a bit more info with the pics in my ENGINE REBUILD TIPS, page 4.Addendum
Something interesting came up whilst I was over in the States this year. In the course of replacing the clutch on one of his engines, Steve Seamans noticed that the Plate B that came out had internal teeth on both the plain metal side plates!
This is obviously what should have been the correct design right from the beginning, as now the spring plates and rivets only have to provide the cushioning effect that they were intended for, and do not have to transmit any torque at all.
It would seem that Honda realised that there was a problem and brought out a modification but I have no idea as to when this was instigated. I have three GL1000 clutches sitting here; all three have the original single toothed B plate.
So if you have one of these modified plates, you may want to keep it, except for one thing; strangely, the rivets that hold the spring steel straps are still made from brass in the later one. Not the best engineering solution!
Steve also found that doing the conversion as outlined above resulted in his clutch having an unacceptable rattling when the lever was pulled in.This is probably caused by the plain plates vibrating against the alloy when the spring pressure is released but I'm at a loss to explain why his should be noisy and mine quiet. It may be due to individual clearance settings (I guess you could always tell people that you have a Ducati clutch fitted!
--------------------------------------------------------'The Swan' complete rebuild album
- See the result here!
ENGINE REBUILD TIPS - Stuff you won't find in the manuals!
"Impossible Is Just a Level of Difficulty!..." Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them!
I’d give my right arm to be ambidextrous! click the banners below: | <urn:uuid:09d5b998-8158-4072-bde3-7bb509c60437> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=14186&view=next | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960342 | 824 | 1.726563 | 2 |
A dead bat brought to a San Diego County pet store has tested positive for rabies.
The North County Times says two boys brought the bat to a Petco store in Vista on Sunday. The store contacted authorities.
The boys weren't identified. Authorities are urging their families to contact the county to see if the youngsters were exposed to rabies.
The rabies virus is found in the saliva of infected animals. It can be passed to humans through bites and through contact with the eyes, nose, mouth or an open wound.
Information from: North County Times,
The Associated Press | <urn:uuid:c8bd1d48-e000-4bcd-a790-0d4c1f3441ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/14/boys-bring-rabid-bat-to-san-diego-county-pet-store/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943254 | 120 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Editor's note: "Jaime's China" is a weekly column about Chinese society and politics. Jaime FlorCruz has lived and worked in China since 1971. He studied Chinese history at Peking University (1977-81) and was TIME Magazine's Beijing correspondent and bureau chief (1982-2000).
Beijing (CNN) -- "Very busy lately, huh?" Lao Liu greets me one morning on my way to work. "What's going on with this Chen Guangcheng guy?"
My friend, who works for a multinational company, had heard chatter about Chen and wanted to find out more.
I was in a rush so I told him quickly about Chen, the blind activist from a rural town in Shandong who has been mistreated for years by local officials, and how he had slipped into the U.S. embassy in Beijing creating a diplomatic spat with China.
Lao Liu is not alone. Many ordinary Chinese have been in the dark about Chen's dramatic escape.
On May 2, six days after Chen had slipped into the U.S. embassy, the state-run Xinhua news agency declared China was demanding an apology from the U.S. for giving refuge to a Chinese citizen "via abnormal means."
During a regular press briefing, foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said the Chinese side was "strongly dissatisfied with the move."
He added: "What the U.S. side has done has interfered in the domestic affairs of China and the Chinese side will never accept it."
But many Chinese were baffled by Liu's protests because they knew very little about Chen and his story.
For days Chinese censors have blocked online posts that mention Chen's name, or words related to the lawyer like "blind." They have also ordered the Chinese media to stay away from Chen's story and have selectively blacked out international reports about Chen from networks such as CNN.
"Who is this person?" asked netizen Leo Liu Ying on Weibo, one of China's Twitter-like social networking sites. "We want the real story!"
Netizens demanded to know what Chen did, why he wanted to go to the U.S. embassy and how he got there.
Postings on Weibo are eventually scrubbed, but the few we read show a range of opinions.
Some supported the official line. "China's internal affairs should be solved by Chinese ourselves, no need to have Americans worry about these," said Yutou0001.
Others were more circumspect. "One should not engage in activities incompatible with one's job," wrote Fuguideshi. "But basic humanitarianism and universal human rights have no borders."
But a post from "GhostInTheHell" was scathingly sarcastic.
"May I ask the spokesman of the nation of rule of law: what is the legal basis of deleting posts of Mr. Chen?
"What is the legal basis of putting him on house arrest for years, for beating him up, for harassing his family, for preventing him to get medical treatment, for allowing his daughter to go to school?"
A few netizens were dismissive of Chen's move. "Chinese who have grievances towards the government may now go into the embassy and throw themselves into the arms of the Yankees," wrote Hacken.
But for many people, Chen had single-handedly hijacked the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (SED), a two-day meeting that ended Friday.
The SED brings together top officials from both countries, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Chinese counterpart, Dai Bingguo. They discuss a range of complex bilateral issues, including trade and investment, cross-border crime, military and strategic concerns, as well as global issues like North Korea, Syria, and Iran.
This year's SED is particularly important, just months away from a presidential election in the U.S. and a once-in-a-decade change of leadership in China, when "stability and smooth transition are the watchwords," according to Robert Lawrence Kuhn, a corporate strategist and author of "How China's Leaders Think".
"Although the SED dealt with the most sensitive military and security matters, it was largely ignored by the world's media because of the solitary acts of a blind human rights activist," Kuhn said.
The Chen story has shone a bright light on China's repressive practices. Yet Beijing is asking for an apology from Washington.
"They are likely asking for an apology because it diverts attention from their obvious embarrassment and shows strength in the face of severe American criticism over human rights," said Kuhn.
"Yet the fact that Chen is now contradicting U.S. officials -- such that, red-faced, they are having to justify their actions in releasing him -- works to reduce China's embarrassment."
This strange turn of events has raised all sorts of unpleasant questions about the way U.S. officials have handled the affair.
The Obama administration risks accusations that it is kowtowing to a repressive Chinese government at a time when democratic reform and regime change has taken place across much of the world in the last year.
Washington is also vulnerable to criticism that it is furthering strategic and economic interests in China to the detriment of America's broader goal of supporting democracy and freedom overseas.
China watchers expect a brief diplomatic standoff.
U.S. officials, they say, will continue to criticize "Chinese human rights" as judged by American values, and their Chinese counterparts will continue to condemn "American interference in China's internal affairs," as judged by China's sense of sovereignty.
"Yet both sides will continue to reach beyond the rhetoric and deal with international stability and economic growth," said Kuhn.
Beijing and Washington, after all, have resolved serious diplomatic crises in the past two decades. These include the NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999, and the spy plane collision in 2001.
During these crises, American and Chinese diplomats worked out carefully worded agreements that would allow leeway for each side to "explain" the resolution in terms that would be acceptable to their own people.
Clinton's forceful statements about protecting human rights and China's unequivocal assertions about protecting Chinese sovereignty illustrate this point.
Observers regard such tough talk as a prerequisite toward a compromise solution, which could see Chen seeking further medical treatment in the U.S. -- a "face-saving" way to allow the blind activist and family to leave China, as he now says he wishes. | <urn:uuid:9a5e8fb6-7d72-4c71-9b27-4daca4fbec8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://us.cnn.com/2012/05/03/world/asia/china-chen-florcruz/index.html?iid=article_sidebar | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972115 | 1,341 | 1.75 | 2 |
An emotional President Obama discusses the shooting at a Connecticut elementary school on Friday. / Charles Dharapak, AP
What the hell is there to say?
Those of us in the media crank the machinery into action when a news story like the shooting in Newtown, Conn., happens. We report the facts, which in this case are horrific beyond comprehension. We update those facts. Some of us are tasked with taking a step back to try to add some perspective, to try to make some kind of sense of it all within a larger context.
That is not going to happen.
Because there is no way to make sense of this. There is no way to wrap your head around children â?? CHILDREN â?? gunned down in what is supposed to be a safe place, a haven. All we can do instead is watch in horror as the news gets worse and worse.
The media, for the most part, acquitted itself with some sense of restraint early on. Yes, in an age of social media with instant reporting, some of the numbers can be a little fuzzy. The suspected shooter was first misidentified in many outlets, but this seemed to be the result of bad information from law-enforcement sources.
That said, there are no bonus points for getting a story first if it's wrong, particularly when you're identifying a man suspected of one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. These are incredibly difficult stories to report. That's not an excuse. It's a reason to be all the more careful to get your facts straight before you report them.
Another problem, an ongoing one, involved the interviewing of some of the surviving children. These kids are already far too much a part of this story. Leave them alone. Let them at least try to begin to heal before you stick a microphone in their face.
What's so terrible about this story is that every confirmation, every update of the dead, is worse than the rumors. It gets worse and worse, and it started out as bad as one could imagine.
Another shooting. More dead. Like many people, I first got details through Twitter. And frankly, when I saw a tweet that said that CNN was covering a shooting in Connecticut, my first response was simply, "Again?" They have become that common. And yet, even in that jaded atmosphere, as details started to trickle in, this was astonishing.
Social media immediately delved into the gun-control debate. The prevailing sense among those who support some sort of sensible gun control was this, echoed by many: If now is not the time to talk about gun control, when is? When is the appropriate time?
Gun control is another topic that falls in line with the division felt everywhere in our country. The mere mention that there should be some regulation of guns is met with a knee-jerk reaction, that making it harder to get guns will only make the world, or our at least our corner of it, more dangerous.
Again: children. CHILDREN. I have four kids; all were in school when news of the shooting broke. As I write this, I'm also trying to figure out what to tell them when I pick them up from school. How do you explain the unexplainable? What can anyone possibly say to make any kind of sense of it?
Nothing. Because it makes no sense at all.
Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic is the chief film critic for Gannett. Read his blog at goodyblog.azcentral.com. For movie stories, trailers and more go to movies.azcentral.com. Twitter: goodyk.
Copyright 2013 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Column: Another shooting. This time, there are no words | <urn:uuid:458ed46d-2547-4672-b8c8-ff3363803062> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marionstar.com/usatoday/article/1770521 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965718 | 778 | 1.507813 | 2 |
XFree86 dust-up questions X11 model
Client-server paradigm needs up-ending
The furious row over the vital open source software project XFree86 has raised questions over what future direction the group should take. One of the project's founders, David Wexelblat (actually the fourth guy - see this good history), has suggested that the X model is anachronistic and needs a fundamental garbage-can shaped overhaul.
The row stems from accusations levelled at developer Keith Packard, which saw Packard expelled. That's less interesting than what happens to XFree86, but tempers are running high, so let's pause a moment.
Packard says that the project is under-resourced and that stems from a poor governance model. His expulsion follows accusations that he had been working against the interests of the project by touting a closed source spin-off.
"What Keith has done is among the most low-class, unprofessional and tactless things I have ever experienced in my professional career," wrote Wexelblat.
Linux users wait too long to see new 3D graphics hardware - which arrives at a dizzying rate these days - supported by the windowing system, according to Packard. He cites a year-long wait for a version that officially supports Radeon, for example.
The project has only 250 contributors, compared to over 800 for the fetchmail project. We're not sure how much to deduce from that, because quite often the most important work comes from only a small number of regular developers.
But don't blame the developers, blame the model, says Wexelblat.
"X is obsolescent," he wrote in a mailing list posting.
"I've been working in the Windows world for years now, and client-server display systems are utterly irrelevant to the majority of real-world computer users. X needs to be replaced by a direct-rendered model, on which a backwards-compatible X server can be reasonably trivially implemented".
X11 offers the flexibility of running your application over the network, but that power comes at the cost of speed and flexibility for most users, who don't need that capability.
"The idea of being able to remote individual windows isn't relevent to the vast majority of desktop users," explained Wexelblat. "So the paradigm really needs to be inverted - direct-rendered desktop, with remotability."
Key Linux kernel developer Alan Cox agreed that the project needed a wake-up call, but didn't think a splinter project by Packard could cause too much harm:
"X has to evolve, X has to do cool stuff, X has to let people break stuff, X has to delegate trust to driver maintainers far more," he wrote. "To me it doesn't matter if Keith and friends spin off an "Xperimental" or XFree itself changes, but that change is vital to the future of X11."
So when the dust has settled over the Packard issue, what will the future X look like? ®
Bootnote The historical link cited above explains why the "86" remains part of the project's name, when it has long since evolved past being x86-specific. It's partly a pun, but partly in answer to the question "why not XFree?". In the interview, Dawes answers: "Take a look at xfree.com, you might see one reason why we're reluctant." Obvious, when you think about it. | <urn:uuid:55747564-3812-4915-b748-3067538fa673> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/03/21/xfree86_dustup_questions_x11_model/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960214 | 720 | 1.632813 | 2 |
~ 1 ~
When I was a kid, I loved a song by Pete Seeger, the title of which I can’t recall, but it had this refrain: “All around the kitchen, cock-a-doodle-doodle-do.” I played that record until the needle on my phonograph wore down to a nub. The song was a call-and-response for the human body — Seeger would sing, “You put your right foot out, cock-a-doodle-doodle-do”; “You put your left foot out,” etc. Oh, that song was irresistible! Nowadays, although I’m in my mid-50s and my step-kids are grown, I still sing it. And all I can say is that my dog loves me for it. She gets me, my Labrador girl. She dances right along.
~ 2 ~
Her name is “Nira,” my Labrador. She’s a guide dog from Guiding Eyes for the Blind in New York. She’s a light yellow Lab with honey-colored ears, and she tilts her head from side to side when I sing. She loves the Pete Seeger song, but she’s OK with almost anything. I could sing “The Song of the Volga Boatmen” and she’d think it was a good development. This isn’t because she’s naïve or smitten. Her good cheer is a function of the canine genome. Dogs are happy in the morning. They are happy in ways that your spouse and your children are not.
~ 3 ~
“Why,” you ask, “are dogs happy in the morning?” You, good reader, are smart, and you’d like some empirical evidence. You’d like it if I wrote something like this: “Studies at the Uppsala Institute for Canine Human Acculturation have shown that dogs have a diurnal endorphin release co-determined by a gene, a doggy gene that pre-dates human agriculture.” (I like this. It makes good sense.) But the truth is that dogs are predators, and all predators wake up happy After all, it’s a whole new day of hunting and eating! Oh yes! Oh yes!
~ 4 ~
Back in the age of Aristotle, dogs saw that those humans who got up early and were disposed to singing were the people who had “leftovers.” Aristotle would throw on his stained toga and do a skippy dance because he had cold moussaka in the Agora. There was also calamari under the caryatids. O, look for the singing men in the whirling bed sheets, doggies!
~ 5 ~
I am telling the truth. Nowadays if you write nonfiction and tell the truth, readers are liable to think you’re pulling their legs. Nonetheless, dogs love us when we sing at sunrise. They know that cold pizza is in the offing. And since we’re on the subject of nonfiction, let me add that this is the point in the essay where a writer is most likely to lose his or her readers. Many think this dicey moment occurs at the beginning, but really it comes right now. This is because the reader thinks she’s got the point and that’s it. But in the name of all dogs, I challenge you to read on!
~ 6 ~
Dogs are not shallow. Dogs are way too sensitive to be short- sighted and small-minded. So yes, they love our cold spanakopita, but they also love our vocalizations. How do I know this? Because I’ve submitted the matter to the scientific method. Now admittedly, my test is too small to warrant a press conference. In fact, I’ve only tested the matter with my own dog and a neighbor’s Poodle. (I’m still seeking funds for a larger study from the National Science Foundation.)
~ 7 ~
Now, the Poodle next door (a big Poodle, an American Standard, I think) has never received any leftovers from my hands. Nor has she received any evening leftovers, just to be exact. Picture me in the wet grass, pre-dawn, the houses still dark, picture me dancing and singing to the fluffy, white Poodle I’ll call “Willow”— picture me singing, “All around the kitchen, cock-a-doodle-doodle-do.”
~ 8 ~
Yes! Willow loves the song! She bounces! She whirls like a cyclone. She barks in joyous harmonization! Cock-adoodle- doodle baby! It’s almost sunrise! It’s time to savor the yips and yaps of the mystical appearance of all living things! Yes, it’s dark out here. If my neighbors saw me (or if my wife saw me for that matter), well, they’d probably call the cops. I dance like an unseemly, arthritic clown. You put your left foot out, cock-a-doodle-doodle-do. But look! I’ve proven that dogs love us for our songs, not for a promise of pizza. And because we’re simpatico —happy to be awake on this rare, blue planet — we are wondrous, holy fools together.
~ 9 ~
So it’s the ecstasy of living, and of singing about it, that dogs love. You see, dogs love us for the right reason.
~ 10 ~
You can’t get a cat to dance without a string, no matter what you say. | <urn:uuid:023b801c-d057-4262-a263-fba6b34ed51d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thebark.com/print/2834?page=show | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9577 | 1,235 | 1.789063 | 2 |
With only two weeks to go until Election Day, CNN's taking a serious investigative look into our country's undecided voters: hormonal women. I.e., all women. "New research suggest that hormones may influence female voting choices differently, depending on whether a woman is single or in a committed relationship," CNN reports, along with the title, "Do hormones drive women's votes?"
If you're still reading along and not prancing around in the other room, playing "He loves me! He loves me not!" as you pick petals off daisies that represent the presidential candidates you can't choose between because your uncontrollable hormones make it hard for you to make decisions, here's how the study worked:
In the new study's first experiment, Kristina Durante of the University of Texas, San Antonio and colleagues conducted an internet survey of 275 women who were not taking hormonal contraception and had regular menstrual cycles. About 55% were in committed relationships, including marriage.
They found that women at their most fertile times of the month were less likely to be religious if they were single, and more likely to be religious if they were in committed relationships.
I mean, sometimes I feel particularly like an atheist when I'm on my period, but maybe that's just because I'm single! Who knows, really, because I'm a woman so I'm CRAZY.
The researchers found that during the fertile time of the month, when levels of the hormone estrogen are high, single women appeared more likely to vote for Obama and committed women appeared more likely to vote for Romney, by a margin of at least 20%, Durante said. This seems to be the driver behind the researchers' overall observation that single women were inclined toward Obama and committed women leaned toward Romney.
Here's how Durante explains this: When women are ovulating, they "feel sexier," and therefore lean more toward liberal attitudes on abortion and marriage equality. Married women have the same hormones firing, but tend to take the opposite viewpoint on these issues, she says.
"I think they're overcompensating for the increase of the hormones motivating them to have sex with other men," she said. It's a way of convincing themselves that they're not the type to give in to such sexual urges, she said.
So "overcompensating" for slutty hormones = voting for Romney? Huh? We're making a whole lot of assumptions here based on an impressive amount of causation without correlation, aren't we?
Paul Kellstedt, an associate professor of political science at Texas A&M University, said that the paper fails to address that men also have biochemical changes and that "the reader may be left with the impression that women are unstable and moody in ways that extend to their political preferences, but that men are comparative Rocks of Gibraltar." And Susan Carroll, professor of political science and women's and gender studies at Rutgers University, probably had a hard time controlling her rage when she wrote, "There is absolutely no reason to expect that women's hormones affect how they vote any more than there is a reason to suggest that variations in testosterone levels are responsible for variations in the debate performances of Obama and Romney," adding that the research is part of a long and troubling history of using women's hormones as an excuse to exclude them from politics and other societal opportunities."
Despite these points of view, the question CNN posits is still: "Do hormones drive women's votes?" Maybe next time they should ask if most women play "Fuck, Marry, Kill" when they're in the election booth. It's equally plausible!
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Last night a few of us here at Webcredible headed over to Soho for an evening of lively debate, organised by Netimperative, on whether Twitter is a good or bad thing for marketers and brands – Twitter or bitter?
The panel included representatives from Tangent One, Guava, TMG and 140Characters.co.uk, and there were many advantages and issues with Twitter discussed including one or two mentions of Habitat’s hastagging faux pas. Key benefits of Twitter identified included allowing brands to have a direct conversation with their customers, its usefulness for networking and live search, and its potential for PR and as part of an integrated digital campaign.
Disadvantages discussed included that there is a lot of noise for consumers to get through on the platform, it requires time to get into and most importantly to get right, and that people are struggling to see the ROI for brands.
I raised the question of reputation management last night and thought I’d share my thoughts on this issue and some of the others discussed at the event. Reputation management is an important part of social media marketing, especially Twitter, and we’ve heard plenty of stories about how brands have made mistakes and damaged their reputation online. But what about the flipside – Twitter squatting? Twitter has grown to a point where, like domain names, it’s worth registering your name even if you’re not going to use it to protect from third parties taking your Twitter identity and using it in detriment to your brand.
In reference to the stories of brands spectacularly failing to ‘get’ Twitter and causing damage to their reputation as a result. I would argue that even though it is a lot easier than other channels to get wrong, as long as you follow some very basic principles that are true of most digital marketing disciplines, you can test the water and begin to engage without falling into this trap. I mean, you wouldn’t send out a marketing email to someone who hadn’t opted-in with ‘Iran elections’ in the subject line to get their attention would you?
As for measurement and ROI? Well there are many offline channels that are a lot more difficult to measure and analytics is a pretty good gauge of how successful your use of Twitter is, by the traffic being referred to your site from Twitter.
In terms of how to use it, well we use it as a channel for sharing all our content, we allow people to find us and when they connect with us we respond to them. So far, that has proved a pretty successful approach.
Anyway, back to the event – I think the pro-Twitter crowd edged the debate and let’s face it that’s the camp we’re in. But, given that this blog is also an interactive medium I’m keen to hear your thoughts on how brands (including Webcredible) should use Twitter. | <urn:uuid:b4cb6132-a932-41ee-bfdc-9947a5f3364b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.webcredible.co.uk/blog/2009/page/8 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965755 | 601 | 1.539063 | 2 |
My two boys are inveterate readers. Around my house Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Lemony Snicket are consumables for these two boys, ages 10 and 8, to be read, re-read, and often re-read again until they toss the particular tome aside and ask if there isn't something else to read.
On several such occasions I have answered the question by pointing out a frayed copy of a Nancy Drew mystery story -- "The Hidden Window Mystery" by Carolyn Keene, published in 1956 and purchased within the past year at a Methodist Church rummage sale. Why not try Nancy Drew, I suggest. As the eight or nine-year-old brother of two older sisters back in the 1950s, I read dozens of Nancy Drew mysteries that were originally brought into the house for the girls. While my buddies were reading the Hardy Boys I was reading Nancy Drew and I was no worse for it.
But today the Nancy Drew book -- with the neatly coiffed heroine on the cover in her bathrobe training a flashlight on a mysterious peacock while a furtive man dashes away in the background -- lies idly among the household clutter.
What are the boys today missing? I posed that question to a friend of mine who is also a child of the 1950s and who also had read Nancy Drew. She immediately produced a three-inch square book, complete with a tiny magnifying glass on a string to use as a bookmark, entitled "Nancy Drew's Guide to Life."
Lots of women of a certain age, and some men, as well, must have some similarly fond memories of Nancy Drew, the amateur sleuth. As I read the profiles in this annual Women in Business issue of U.S. 1, I couldn't help but be reminded of some of the lessons of life gleaned from the adventures of our all American young heroine from the 1950s.
On survival strategies: "When your ride is mired in mud, placing heavy burlap in front of the rear wheels and rocking the car back and forth can get you back on the road." -- From "The Secret of Red Gate Farm."
"When bound and gagged, you can still tap out HELP in Morse Code to attract attention." -- From "The Clue of the Tapping Heels."
"Don't let a stranger's lame attempt to appear ill lull you into letting down your defenses if you are alone. Keep your car door locked!" -- From "The Mystery of the 99 Steps."
"When pinned down by a large canine, instruct friends, family, and even random passersby to direct a hose on the beast." -- From "The Mysterious Mannequin."
On the delicate art of etiquette: "Even with an active lifestyle, being prompt is important." -- From "The Secret of Red Gate Farm."
"A sincere and straightforward demeanor will get most anyone to open up and volunteer information. It doesn't hurt to be an attractive young woman, either." -- From "The Clue in the Old Album."
"Aggressiveness will not earn you an invitation to sit at the popular table." -- From "The Clue in the Old Stagecoach."
On dating: "A young lady with some judo skills can take care of unwanted advances in short order." -- From "The Whispering Statue."
"When choosing between two men, take into consideration the different paths your life would take should you go with either of them." -- From "The Sky Phantom."
And here is one that I never would have appreciated in 1956 as I do today: "Clumsy, fat men who are looking at middle age through a rear-view mirror should not attempt to keep pace with a lithe young woman." -- From "The Whispering Statue."
Nancy Drew's Guide to Life brought back all those warm feelings toward Nancy, the self reliant but accommodating and uncomplaining young woman with an equal measure of charm and moxie.
In the nearly half century since I read Nancy, the world has been visited by women's liberation, affirmative action, Title IX, women's studies, the pill, child care, flex time for working parents, alimony and equitable distribution awarded to partners in failed marriages, and legions of lawyers specializing in winning all those rights for women. For all of that we now have enough real-life Nancy Drews to fill this issue of U.S. 1 newspaper -- an 80-page .
I can only hope that one or more of them will become the model for my impressionable young sons, who at this point in their lives would sooner go to the dentist than read the original Nancy Drew.
In the meantime I take comfort from Nancy's guide:
"Don't let your troubles get in the way of enjoying a leisurely and delightful lunch." -- From "The Secret of the Old Clock." | <urn:uuid:7f4f4e12-9821-4e56-aac6-73eca33226eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://princetoninfo.com/index.php?option=com_us1more&Itemid=6&key=02-05-2003_f_02 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957727 | 1,001 | 1.539063 | 2 |
In a world with a religion to meet every diverse mood, today's Christians are no different from those of ancient Colossae. Fighting Jewish legalism mixed with Eastern philosophies and Gnosticism, Paul called on the Colossian church to stop partaking in the misguided religious practices of their day and to find the one true faith.
In his profound, scholarly letter, Paul warned the people of their heretical practices. His prevailing theme is the preeminence of Christ. Paul knew that if the Colossians grasped even a glimpse of the fullness of God, they would seize hold of their true identity and stop looking elsewhere for spiritual fulfillment.
In this Bible study based on his original commentary on Colossians, seasoned pastor Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe challenges twenty-first-century believers in another age of "religious tolerance." Using Paul's response to heresy as one example, you will learn how to respond diplomatically yet boldly to the falsehood that aims to corrupt our faith today. | <urn:uuid:33f026b3-c483-4335-9de2-79cfdfe835dd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=739422 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950305 | 202 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Nice project but impractical. This particular type is highly inefficient. He is running a few LED bulbs, max of 1 W. Scale the whole thing up by the cube root of power ratio. For a 1MW output you would need these wheels 300 feet in diameter. The cost would not be a cube root of power ratio more a linear ratio, when you are also considering structural and other electromechanical plus distribution ratio, plus overheads. Much more expensive per kWh. There are other much more efficient means available like hydrodynamic turbines. About 25 years ago, in Lahore canals you could see orange colored hydrodynamic axial flow turbines. I donot remember whose project it was, but they could not take off.
ist of all make a patent for this engineering so that no one can copy it.
Also my request is to contact jammes cann who is a pakistani british citizen and one of
the top Entrepreneur of the UK.who is also running different projects in pakistan.James cann whose real name is akbar khan can help this person a lot.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests) | <urn:uuid:b7ef2261-98c9-482a-965b-77c17f7d7e65> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.siasat.pk/forum/showthread.php?84068-Pakistani-Invented-Low-Cost-Hydel-Power-System-(%D8%B3%D8%B3%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%AC%D9%84%DB%8C) | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931199 | 243 | 1.6875 | 2 |
BOSTON, Mass. (NEWS CENTER) -- This may, Maine Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine will graduate their first class of "Maine Track" students. The program is for those who wish to practice medicine in Maine or other rural areas. And Friday, those 32 students joined around 170 others graduating from Tufts for "Match Day," the day they learn where they'll do their residencies.
Each student is handed an envelope that has his or her hospital match. There are no guarantees you'll get what you've asked for, or even that you'll get a match. But all Maine Track students did. 10 are staying in Maine. The other 22 are split between 15 other states including Alaska, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin.
Geoff Kendall, a Maine Track student from Lewiston described the emotion. "It's kind of a hard feeling to describe. You have this unending amount of nervous energy that kind of permeates your entire being. And when you're surrounded by your fellow medical students, it's infectious." | <urn:uuid:a6d3b1cc-5bc6-4bde-848d-5a668d0dd5f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wlbz2.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=235256 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97062 | 215 | 1.632813 | 2 |
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