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Never heard of NTP before? Well, that’s probably because there is no good reason to be aware of them, other than their obsession with litigations. NTP was founded by late Thomas Campana Jr., who amassed more than 50 patents for his contributions towards wireless email.
NTP first came into prominence when it sued Research in Motion (RIM), the manufacturer of Blackberry handsets. That lawsuit ultimately fetched it a $612 million settlement in 2006. Now, NTP is gunning for Apple, Google, HTC, LG, Microsoft and Motorola.
NTP is claiming that the aforementioned companies violate eight patents pertaining to wireless push email technology. Donald E. Stout, NTP’s co-founder, said, “Use of NTP’s intellectual property without a license is just plain unfair to NTP and its licensees. Unfortunately, litigation is our only means of ensuring the inventor of the fundamental technology on which wireless email is based, Tom Campana, and NTP shareholders are recognized, and are fairly and reasonably compensated for their innovative work and investment. We took the necessary action to protect our intellectual property.”
NTP is obviously looking for a big payout. However, it has chosen to take on the giants in the mobile space. The legal battle is going to be an arduous and long drawn out one. Don’t expect a settlement or a verdict anytime soon.
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The Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to build a community where people value animals and treat them with respect and kindness. For more than 128 years, WHS has been saving the lives of animals in need. We offer adoption services that place 9,000 animals in new homes annually, veterinary services that save thousands of lives, educational programs that instill respect for animals, behavior services to assist guardians and a myriad of other initiatives that help end suffering for animals. We depend entirely on private donations to fund our programs and rely on volunteers in nearly every department. If you are interested in adopting, volunteering, enrolling in a class, taking a tour or making a donation, check out our comprehensive web site at wihumane.org. The adoptable animals' web pages are updated every 30 minutes!
Lilo is one of several Plott Hound puppies available for adoption today! He is a 3-month-old boy with a brown and black brindle coat and the sweetest chocolate brown eyes. This smart, polite and affectionate dog would do great in a training or agility class, plus it's a positive bonding experience, too! Meet Lilo at the Wiconsin Humane Society, 4500 W. Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee, or see his profile here: http://wihumane.org/animals/animal.aspx?id=12313987
Even our companion animals get lonely sometimes, so in honor of Valentine's Day,
the Wisconsin Humane Society is offering $25 off of cat and dog adoption fees for former adopters seeking a furry companion for their furry companion.
This offer is for people whose animal was adopted from any rescue group or animal shelter, through Sunday, February 13.
Teddy is an adorable puppy who was recently treated in the Veterinary Clinic at the Wisconsin Humane Society. You can sponsor Teddy and his friends in ICU and send an e-card to let someone special know. All donations are tax-deductible, and this makes for a very unique gift. Sponsor Teddy!
Tuesday: There are a LOT of puppies available for adoption today. It's a great time to adopt, as the temperatures are getting warmer and spring is just around the corner. Meet our adoptable dogs and puppies.
Wisconsin Humane Society Rolls Back Dog and Puppy Adoption Fees
Mookwah, a 6-month-old kitten, appeared on FOX 6 this morning and you can catch the video here. This brave, adventurous yet affectionate little girl is ready for her new home! See her full profile at www.wihumane.org/animals/cats.aspx.
Like us on Facebook and you won't miss videos like Mookwah's. Join a growing community of Milwaukee-area animal lovers!
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The Orlando International Airport will begin a 90 day test period of optical iris scanning as the latest high tech method to help in the war on terror. According to the report individuals will have both irises scanned to determine their identity and add to the many methods already implemented to help fight in the war on terror.
“This will be an additional layer of information that is enrolled, which will be biometric information,” OIA director of security Brigitte Rivera Goersch said. “Employees irises will be enrolled for the additional layer of security.”
If all goes well it would appear that iris scanning will become permanent and be introduced to airports throughout the United States. Any additional method to protect us from another 9-11 cannot be a bad thing.
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250 U.S. 220
DANA et al.
Argued March 24, 1919.
Decided June 2, 1919.
[250 U.S. 220, 221] Mr. Hollis R. Bailey, of Boston, Mass., for plaintiff in error.
Mr. William Harold Hitchcock, of Boston, Mass., for defendants in error.
Mr. Justice DAY delivered the memorandum opinion of the court.
This is a writ of error seeking to review in this court a decree of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. The controversy concerned the right to tax under the Massachusetts Statutes of 1909, c. 490, pt. 4, 1, as amended by St. 1912, c. 678, the passing of certain interests under the will of Edith L. Dana, in the Duluth and Gladstone Real Estate Trust, in 30 preferred shares and 45 common shares of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company and in 130 shares of the Boston Ground Rent Trust.
The probate court held in favor of the treasurer and receiver general- that all of the interests of the testatrix in the several trusts and companies named were taxable under the Massachusetts statute. The case was decided in the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts on June 29, 1917, and final decree entered July 23, 1917. 227 Mass. 562, 116 N. E. 941. The ground upon which it is sought to bring the case here on writ of error rests upon the assertion that the Supreme Judicial Court erred in sustaining the succession tax because it was imposed on or on account of real estate situated outside of Massachusetts; therefore rendering the assessment of the tax a violation of rights secured by the Fourteenth Amendment to [250 U.S. 220, 222] the Constitution of the United States, in that it took the property of the plaintiff in error without due process of law.
The case was decided, and the decree entered in the Supreme Judicial Court, since the passage of Act Sept. 6, 1916, c. 448, 39 Stat. 726, amending, by section 2 thereof, section 237 of the Judicial Code (Act March 3, 1911, c. 231, 36 Stat. 1156 [Comp. St. 1214]). Since the passage of the amendment, cases brought within its effect, of the character of this one, cannot be brought here by writ of error unless there is drawn in question the validity of a statute of or an authority exercised under the state on the ground of their being repugnant to the federal Constitution, treaties, or laws. Other cases of alleged denial of federal rights, as specified in the statute, can be reviewed in this court only upon writ of certiorari.
An examination of the record in the case and the opinion of the Supreme Judicial Court, shows that neither the validity of the statute, nor the validity of any authority exercised under the state was drawn in question. The case was decided on the view which the Supreme Judicial Court entertained of the character of the property involved, and neither in the record nor in the opinion of the court does it appear that any quesion of the court does it appear that any question validity of the statute of the state, or of an authority exercised under the state, on the ground of their repugnancy to the Constitution, treaties, or laws of the United States. It follows that the only right of review in this court of the decree of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts was by writ of certiorari. It is only necessary to refer to our decisions construing the amendment of September 6, 1916. Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Co. v. Gilbert, 245 U.S. 162 , 38 Sup. Ct. 58; Ireland v. Woods, 246 U.S. 323 , 38 Sup. Ct. 319; Stadelman v. Miner, 246 U.S. 544 , 38 Sup. Ct. 359; Northern Pacific Railway Co. v. Solum, 247 U.S. 477, 481 , 38 S. Sup. Ct. 550
The writ of error must be dismissed for want of jurisdiction.
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As a high school senior, I traveled to Chicago for a national forensics competition (speech and drama, not CSI). The only thing I remember about the other contestants was that a guy from Kansas asked where I was from. His response upon learning I was from Mississippi was to say, “Wow, and you’re wearing shoes and everything!” What I meant to say was, “Well, your regional biases are not going to get you far in life. Diversity is what makes this country great.” Instead, what came out was, “Listen up, hayseed, you’re from Kansas. You’ve got no business looking down your corn-fed nose at anyone.”
It’s not that I’ve never understood being from the South was going to set me up to be the punch line of a joke or two. It’s that it’s always fascinated me people still insist on making these jokes. Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand Southerners are an endless font of material, but it’s like someone saying something about my mama. It’s okay if I do it. If you do, we’re going to have a come to Jesus. I get there’s plenty of history to use to pick on us. And that’s sort of the problem. It’s history. Not a lot of the jokes I hear are relevant. Or funny.
Talk Southern For Me
Let me tell you something, I love a regional accent. Love it. And I happen to love a Southern accent most of all. See, speaking Southern is a little like speaking Mandarin Chinese. It’s all in the tones, the emphasis, and the inflections. Sentences totally change meaning with a shift in emphasis. And we don’t like to use our articulators. If you walk into a room of Mississippi Rotarians, you might as well be walking into a room of professional ventriloquists. And you can make fun of y’all and fixin’ to and bless her heart all you want. If I’m in a particularly good mood, I’ll not mention that I happen to think thick Wisconsin accents sound like cars cranking on cold days. Or ask what the “t” has ever done to Philadelphia that you want to make it sound like a “d”.
Having said that, you must understand there is no one Southern accent. People from Mississippi speak as if wading through honey. Virginians put an almost Canadian twist to words like “about”. Georgians speak though mouths full of sweet peaches. And a Louisiana accent can range from Bostonesque with a little French thrown in down south to tumbleweed twang in the north. Those vampires on HBO? Some of them have good accents, but none speaks Louisiana. Well, that one guy did, but they killed him off for being a demon. You’d have to be a demon to get a Louisiana accent right. It is nigh impossible to replicate.
We have a tendency to sound as if we’re, well, slow. I mean mentally slow. We do this for a reason. It’s so we can suss out those interesting people not from here. Should you not be willing to sit, have a coldbeer (Yes, that’s one word and it’s pronounced colebeer. Coldbeer is totally different from beer. If you do not understand this, I do not know how I can explain it to you, but I will pray for your soul) or an iced tea–depending on your affiliation—and discuss the ins and outs of Southern politics, Nicomachean Ethics, or SEC football; then we will politely restrain our comments to that of the weather, our child’s tap recital, or SEC football. We’re sly. As I’ve said before, that Memphis man may sound like a good ol’ boy, but he’s a good ol’ boy who can quote Homer. And I don’t mean Simpson.
A Southerner and a Brit can sit for HOURS and entertain each other endlessly by listening to the other speak. The only time there will be conflict is if either refers to the other’s manner of speaking as accented. Although they will both agree, one’s idioms are the first thing to give away status. Just as a posh Brit will never end a sentence with innit, a well-bred Southerner will never say classy. Margaret Thatcher said being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to say you are, you aren’t. Classy follows the same rules. It is true that if someone describes a restaurant as classy, I immediately assume it is decorated with fake Victorian furniture and red shag carpet or that the wine glasses have black stems. Which brings me to my next point.
Yes, We Can Be Snobby
Recently a friend was saying that she had read an article which talked about the correct way to hold a handbag based on what sort of strap it has. Our other friend thought this was absolute poppycock. I sort of like it. Some rules are good and some rules are ridiculous, yes. For example, the best fashion advice I ever got was from my very stylish grandmother who told me to dress for the weather not for the season. In Memphis, this means I can wear linen though September and sometimes into October. I take any opportunity to wear a fabric which resists ironing like a five-year-old boy resists a bath. Yes, some still think it’s inappropriate to wear white after Labor Day. I find that rule ridiculous. Winter white wool trousers with a pastel cashmere sweater is a look for anyone. Now, white shoes after Labor Day? No, not unless you are a nurse or you are on your way to the gym. As a general rule, anyone over the age of twelve should eschew white shoes. Unless, of course, your work requires use of a pole.
I don’t like engagement pictures that are anything other than a head shot of the bride-to-be. I’ve seen some really great pictures, sure, but good Lord. If I see one more picture of the Happy Couple standing forehead to forehead in front of a rustic brick wall, I will go bat shit crazy. And while I firmly believe this whole “save the date” phenomenon is somehow inspired by Lucifer, I am perfectly willing to accept that he probably inspired someone Southern to invent it. Weddings are very Southern.
Southerners own many forks and they are used for very specific purposes. I believe mine may be the first generation of Southern women not to have a fish fork on the wedding registry. There are dinner forks, luncheon forks, salad forks, cold meat forks, pierced forks, bird forks, baked potato forks, bacon forks, baby forks, asparagus serving forks, butter picks, cake forks, and I could go on. Really, I could. When you are from the South, you understand there is no mystery to a table place setting. One simply starts from the outside and works one’s way in. We know it’s more important to keep forearms off the table than elbows. We know to leave our napkin on the chair if we must get up during the meal, but it is placed on the table once we leave. Young children are routinely given engraved calling cards and thank you notes and GOD FORBID you send a thank you note with the words “thank you” printed on the front. Your mother will never live it down.
I don’t see any of this as unnecessary or antiquated. Well, antiquated, maybe. But I like having a few rules to follow to see that things go smoothly. Remember the Cold War? Remember how you woke up every morning knowing exactly who your enemies were? Those Godless Soviet Commie Bastards? Knowing a berry spoon from a bonbon spoon gives me the same feeling. I can’t control much, but by God, I can make sure your berries are spooned efficiently.
In my house, you will say please and thank you.
I got into a bit of a row recently with someone, Southern born, who does not want her children using “ma’am” and “sir” because it is demeaning. That’s horseshit, hoss. Horseshit. It’s polite. It’s like holding the door open for someone. It doesn’t matter if you hold the door open for man, woman, or child. It’s just polite. And I happen to think, in this case anyway, the need to jettison basic politesse comes from a massive inferiority complex brought on by believing if you talk with a Southern accent, you have twice as much to overcome as the rest of the country. Faulkner talked like me. Harper Lee talks like me. Do you really think Oprah Winfrey thinks calling an 80-year old man “sir” is demeaning? Honey, please. Knowing good manners is Southern. Not using them is low rent. You know why you should say please? So your waitress doesn’t hock the remnants of her smoke break into your bread pudding. Oh, you think that doesn’t happen? Try it. I dare you.
Have you seen Elvis lately?
Anyone living in Memphis has heard this gem. My husband and I were recently in Chicago and we heard some variation of this at least three times in the two days we were there. Let me tell y’all something: Elvis, God bless him, is dead. No one here really believes otherwise, but we keep up this rouse for the tourists. See, we’re in on the joke, but we understand you like to go back to Scranton or wherever and tell your friends that we believe he’s still alive and working for the DEA. That he faked his death because he was a Mob informant. That upstairs at Graceland is closed off because he still shows up there from time to time and watches the tourists on the security system. The thing is that we don’t believe this…you do. So we’re going to keep feeding your Elvis conspiracy theories because, frankly, it’s good for our economy.
Please don’t call me a steel magnolia.
You remember that Secret campaign? Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman. At first, it sounds okay. Then you realize it’s ridiculous. Calling me a steel magnolia is the same thing. First, can we all agree not to use the term strong woman as a blanket descriptor for women who have to do what we have to do? Being a strong woman is a right, not a privilege. It should be a given. And calling me a steel magnolia makes it seem quaint that someone who wears lipstick could have deeply held positions on cap-and-trade or the post route.
I remember when Hillary Clinton said, “I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession which I entered before my husband was in public life.” It would be easy, as the homemaker I am, to take offense. It would be easy to get all pissy because staying home and baking cookies and having teas IS work. But I didn’t because, I’m sorry, have you EVER paid any attention to Hillary Clinton? Does she really seem someone who would be happy not having a career outside the home? No, she does not. She doesn’t need to make ridiculous comparisons to grizzly bears for us to know she can handle her shit. And in this way, she is very Southern. Remember that thing I said before about being powerful? That’s very Southern.
Call your mother.
My mother and I have this joke. I heard it somewhere years ago, I don’t remember where, but it’s a joke about a Freudian slip. It goes, “I was at lunch with my mother and what I meant to say was, ‘pass the salt,’ but what I actually said was, ‘you ruined my life, you miserable bitch.’”
The Southern definition of a mother is the woman who birthed you and, 60 years later, is still reminding you of what a difficult birth you were. How she had to reschedule BOTH her standing hair appointment AND her bridge game. How they dispatched someone to the country club to get your father off the 12th when he was four under. That last one isn’t true. Sixty years ago, no one would have dared to take a man off the back nine just because his wife was in labor.
The relationship between Southern mothers and daughters is complicated. Very, very complicated. The relationship between Southern fathers and daughters? Blissfully simple. I’m two years and one syllable away from being a Tanya Tucker song. I’m 39-years-old and my daddy still calls me “baby girl”. He can do that. Who do you think taught me to shoot a pistol and use a circular saw? My mother and I, for the record, get along famously. In fact, she just sent me a “save the date” card she received last week. Her note said, “The marriage has its own website? Jeez.”
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When Traveling to Nepalgunj Airport, Consider Chartering a Private Jet
A private jet is an airplane that is used by a person or a group of people to travel in. A private jet offers a lot to passengers. There is great food that is served in a private jet. A person can order a variety of different kinds of food. There are some private jets that have their own chef cooking food for the passengers. There are private jets that have big screen television screens. There are private jets that have bars on them where people can order a variety of drinks. Private jets have bigger and more comfortable seats. Private jets have large sofas so the people can lay down and sleep. There are private planes that have bedrooms on board. There are tables on a private jet so a person can eat comfortably. Private jets offer a more relaxed environment to your desired destination airport than a commercial flight has to offer.
If you are looking at getting to a destination either for business purposes or for a holiday you are definitely going to dread going through all those hassles that one will have to go through at the terminal. You might be wondering if there is any other option left. Yes, you have a reason to smile. All you have to do is just rent a private jet to take care of all your traveling, this is also going to save you from all the hustles of the airport. Besides renting, a private jet has many more advantages. It is just going to make you seem like you have put in the efforts for something worth all of it. You will have all the freedom to schedule your travel the way you wish. You will know that only based on your timings will the private jet take off and when you will land in city. This gives you a lot of peace, comfort and entire security.
Flying is style is a perfect definition to using a chartered flight service. If you are still not clear with what it means then you must think of all those affluent people including celebrities and politicians and how they get to travel so often. These are the people who rather make use of the chartered flight service as compared to the traditional air services mainly because of how much more convenient it is for them besides other issues concerning security and frequency of travel to airport. Some of these people even have their own chartered luxury plane for traveling at any time. An average individual cannot even think of owning one of these because of how expensive it is, therefore, renting it is more of a decent option. You do not have to be the world’s richest person to rent out a craft; it is only dependant on having the right tools for this.
Medium Airports in Nepalgunj, Bheri
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LANSING, MI – A national nonprofit court-reform organization is honoring 12 Michigan trial court judges, including Muskegon County 14th Circuit Judge Timothy G. Hicks, who tested jury reforms that the state has since put in place across Michigan.
The National Center for State Courts is presenting its 2012 G. Thomas Munsterman Award for Jury Innovation to those judges and the Michigan Supreme Court, which launched the jury-reform experiment. The annual award is to recognize “significant improvements or innovations in jury procedures, operations and practices,” according to a news release by Mary C. McQueen, the center’s president.
The award will be presented to the state Supreme Court and the 12 trial judges Oct. 9 in the old Supreme Court courtroom in the state Capitol.
Hicks was one of six circuit judges who tested some of the reforms in a pilot project in 2009 and 2010. Six district judges also did so, including 79th District Judge Peter J. Wadel, whose jurisdiction is Mason and Lake counties.
Among other rule changes, implemented statewide Sept. 1, 2011, jurors are allowed to ask questions of witnesses and to discuss civil cases among themselves before the end of a trial. The Supreme Court will review the changes in 2014.
The most radical change in the Muskegon experiment was letting jurors, as long as all of them were present, discuss cases in the jury room during breaks throughout the trial. That ran counter to centuries of traditional practice. American court rules normally forbid any juror discussion of a case until final deliberations, after the jury has heard all the evidence, lawyers’ arguments and the judge’s legal instructions.
In the experiment, early deliberation was allowed in criminal trials, not just civil cases. The statewide rules implemented in 2011 do not allow it in criminal trials.
In surveys after trials ended during the pilot project, jurors overwhelmingly liked the reforms. Most trial attorneys did not.
The National Center for State Courts is based in Williamsburg, Va. It describes itself as “a nonprofit organization improving justice through leadership and service to courts.”
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This accomplished jazz musician also composes, plays as a sideman in other jazz ensembles, and makes two-thirds of his income from touring. Almost every other dollar comes from grants and label advances, with tiny contributions coming from record sales, publishing, and other sources.
This isn't every jazz bandleader and composer, but it is a profile of a very serious and active one. The individual, who will remain anonymous, was recently profiled in a detailed case study about different types of musicians by the Future of Music Coalition. This exhaustive breakdown lists every source of income and every expense between the years of 2006 and 2011. The only thing it lacks is hard dollar figures, based on privacy agreements.
Take a look. An embedded PDF is below, and for greater clarity, the full document can be accessed here.
waiver oddly Friday, March 23, 2012
Is this what the FOMC study is gonna be? They pre-select successful musicians and then do their finances? what's the point other than to bolster the technologists claim that "just because we're destroying musicians ability to make money from their recordings they can still tour! everything is fine! nothing to see here now move along move along".
I could highlight the finances of 4 lottery winners. Then issue a report "I'm a lottery player and my revenue is up"
Why don't you guys do something useful like come up with a way to protect the internet freedom, protect artists copyrights and encourage licensed innovation in the music tech space?
Why won't the FOMC come clean? Just admit you are a fake artists organization. Your true purpose is to be an apologist for the technology companies that don't wanna do the right thing and help musician protect their copyrights. have a real balanced discussion.
I remember I wrote you guys once for help with how to use DMCA to get an unreleased record off of some file sharing sites. You were no help at all. In fact I was strongly cautioned not to make "false" copyright infringement claims.
Your board is stacked with technologists/anti-artist types except for a few useful idiots that don't seem to know what you guys are up to. Why don't you guys reveal who finances your operation? why have "anonymous" donors?
outofanswers Friday, March 23, 2012
wow! this isn't transparent at all... a small selective sample of annonymous musicians who all seem to be making more money than ever... wow, I guess all of this internet piracy stuff is just completely overblown... ok, I'll go back to sleep now and let the tyannts of tech continue ripping off artists... Seriously, Disinformation is not helping musicians... FOMC FAIL...
CaseyFMC Friday, March 23, 2012
These are the case studies. There is also a very broad online survey of over 5,000 US-musicians, as well as something like 80 in-depth interviews. The sample is wide as can be, and includes artists from a very diverse set of backgrounds and career stages. I advise against making assumptions about our methodology based on any single presentation of data.
As I've said in response to a previous comment, this study reveals a complex picture for musicians. It isn't necessarily a rosy one. I encourage you to continue to observe our ongoing rollout of findings, as I'm fairly sure that any accusations of bias will be discredited.
Self-selecting? Yes. Survey respondents are to some degree self-selecting. The members of the PROs, unions and the recording academy are self-selecting in their choosing to affiliate with those institutions. Should they be discounted?
"Why don't you guys do something useful like come up with a way to protect the internet freedom, protect artists copyrights and encourage licensed innovation in the music tech space?"
I find this especially amusing because this is what I literally do every second of every day. I am reminded of that scene in Annie Hall where Marshall McLuhan appears in the movie queue to say "You know nothing of my work!"
I may not convince some commenters, but our small research team hasexpended a tremendous amount of effort to do God's work in eliciting real data about how artist revenue streams are changing. Do you really think Cary Sherman of RIAA would be quoting some of our findings around new tech and compensation if we were somehow inflating the results?
Again, I hope you continue to observe the rollout, as we really do think that all three methodologies we employed can provide richer information and context than has previously existed regarding artist revenue (not necessarily rightsholder and definitely not tech) and today's marketplace.
Deputy Director, Future of Music Coalition
Kcinsam Saturday, March 24, 2012
Hey Casey, the question has been put to you a few times now whether or not these Future of Music Coalition "studies" are somehow affiliated with: https://www.insightcommunity.com/cases.php
Why are you trying to avoid such a simple question? It reflects very poorly on FOMC and makes it seem like you're trying to hide something. If you're not trying to hide something and if you truly stand by these studies as you claim, a little tranparancy on this would go a long way...
Dave Dederer Friday, March 23, 2012
Casey Saturday, March 24, 2012
Our study is in no way related or affiliated with whatever that other link you keep posting is. Cool? I don't even know what it is.
Liz Thursday, March 29, 2012
From what I know about "live performance" earnings, the bulk of it is not made from CD sales or even getting paid as a performer, but from T-shirt sales and the like. So in your example of this band leader, I wonder what the "90%" of his live performance income really comes from.
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Was the Ash Cloud a Sign?
When you're in tune with your sixth sense, you are also plugged in to Earth's natural rhythms. Mindpower seems to be directly connected to our planet's energy. And whether you're meditating, dowsing, bending metal or reading minds, it's essential to stay on the global wavelength.
But our planet is ailing. I have been concerned about conservation since the Seventies, and one of the reasons I became a vegetarian was because of my heartfelt conviction that humans need to care for all the animals on Earth, whether they're in a farmyard or a jungle.
This week, as I boarded a plane for the first time since the ash clouds created by the volcano eruption in Iceland, I wondered if this eruption & the huge ash clouds that have filled our sky & caused such unprecedented disruption to flights, could be a message from mother earth, huge smoke signals bellowed up from the centre of the earth, trying to give us a message that we need to really pay attention to the things we take for granted, things that we may soon lose for ever due to ignorance.
It's incredible if you consider it - we lose the use of air transport for a week or two, and there is uproar, everyone is aware of it - yet are we all aware that we have been losing an area of virgin rainforest the same size as Tokyo, every single day, for many years - and in turn many species of animals are on the brink of disaster?
The fast destruction of the beautiful rainforests is undoubtedly having a real impact on climate change, in combination with many other factors of course.
The ecological movement has never faced a tougher challenge. According to scientists at the emergency summit of 80 nations in Copenhagen earlier this year, climate change has reached a critical point.
As the Arctic icecap melts, threatening to release billions of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere and flood vast areas, experts fear global catastrophe - whole nations drowned or turned to deserts, and their inhabitants left as homeless refugees. It's a terrifying prospect.
My friend Al Gore has won the Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to alert the world to this crisis. I first met Al in the late Eighties, when he was one of the key figures in the nuclear disarmament talks between the US and Russia.
At that time, he was marked by everyone who knew him as a potential president. Of course, he became Bill Clinton's second-in-command, but never held ultimate office himself - but I believe the work he is doing now to combat global warming is even more important.
I am sure that all my readers are doing what they can to reduce their carbon footprints - recycling, cutting back on travel, reining back on energy use, eliminating waste. But there's something just as valuable that we can all do: switch on our minds.
I want everyone reading this, to focus all their mental energies on cooling the planet. To maximise the effect, I want everyone to use the same visualisation. Imagine you are in space, and our world is so far away that it appears no bigger than a tennis ball.
The world is glowing. As you watch it, the green and blue patterns are becoming suffused with red, and the clouds are steaming and evaporating.
You have the power in your fingertips to reduce Earth's temperature. Reach out your hands and cup the planet. Now breathe out slowly. As you do so, the world will mist over, and the mist will freeze lightly, like frost on a windowpane.
After a few moments, the frost will melt away. Take another breath, and let it out slowly. Watch the mist cool over the whole planet. You are bringing its temperature down, and the whole of the Earth - its animals, its crops, its seas, its people - is grateful to you.
Breathe your cooling energy over the Earth eleven times. I want all of us to do this every day this month. It's a wonderful, calming meditation and it imparts crucial mindpower aid to the only home humanity has got.
|Motivational Inspirational Speaker
|Motivational, inspirational, empowering
compelling 'infotainment' which leaves
the audience amazed, mesmerized,
motivated, enthusiastic, revitalised
and with a much improved positive
mental attitude, state of mind &
- Uri is a judge on "la grande magia the illusionist" Channel 5, Italy - Channel 5 Italy. 11th, 17th, 24th, 31st January 2013
- Dougstephan.com, Every Tuesday. Listen Online at 13:00 GMT - Listen to Uri on Doug Stephan's Good Day Radio Show
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Although known for his paintings and drawings, California artist Ed Ruscha has also attracted critical attention for his photography. A new exhibition and accompanying catalogue, Ed Ruscha, Photographer, departs from earlier analyses to explore how the artists different disciplinespainting, drawing, printmaking, and photographyare guided and shaped by a single vision. Ruschas relationship to photography is complex and ambivalent and his work is difficult to define. He has referred to his photography as a hobby but from the outset it has drawn considerable critical interest. The small books of photographs that Ruscha produced in the sixties and seventies earned him a reputation as an underground artist among his peers, and have influenced subsequent generations of artists in Europe and North America. The photographs were snapshot size, with an amateurish quality that intrigued his contemporaries. Neither purely documentary nor solely artistic, their subject matter was stereotypical and banal, with motifs drawn from sites in Southern California or the western United States. This, combined with their serial presentation, created a mythical road-movie or photo-novel effect with Beat Generation innuendos and inspired interest among artists at a time when serial logic was prominent in Pop art and Minimalism, and later in Conceptual art. Margit Rowell is an art historian, critic and museum curator working mostly in Paris and New York. Working independently today, her earlier long-term affiliations were with the Guggenheim Museum, New York, the Musée National dArt Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, and The Museum of Modern Art, New York, where she organized exhibitions of classical modern and contemporary artists (among them Joan Miró, Constantin Brancusi, Sigmar Polke, and Luciano Fabro). In 2004, she organized a major exhibition of the drawings of Ed Ruscha for the Whitney Museum of American Art, which traveled to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and inspired the present study of Ed Ruschas photographs.
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Current Position: Professor and Head of the School of Education in Queen's University Belfast
Brief Bio: Tony Gallagher has been a member of the School of Education in Queen’s University of Belfast for 12 years. Previously he worked at the Centre for the Study of Conflict, University of Ulster for 4 years. Gallagher has also worked in the NI Centre for Educational Research and has been a consultant for many government departments, public bodies ands voluntary/community organizations in Northern Ireland. He has also worked with a number of international organizations including UN agencies, the Council of Europe, the British Council and the US Institute of Peace. Dr. Gallagher currently serves on the Board of Democratic Dialogue, is Chair of Public Achievement (NI), a civic engagement project aimed at young people, and a member of Healing Through Remembering. His most recent research projects have included an examination of integrated education in Northern Ireland and an investigation of the effects of the selective system of secondary education.
Research Interests: The role of education in ethnically divided societies, with a specific body of research on the role of education in Northern Ireland; Equity issues in public policy
Perspective on Conference Themes: A decade after the ceasefires Northern Ireland still struggles to deal with the legacy of a quarter century of political violence. My main interest in the conference lies in the way we deal with difficult issues from the past and how this links into processes of forgiveness, remembrance and justice.
- Gallagher, T “Education in Divided Societies”. Palgrave/Macmillan (2004)
- Gallagher, T. “Education and equality in Northern Ireland.” In Hargie, O and Dickson, D (Eds) Researching the Troubles: social science perspectives on the Northern Ireland conflict. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing (2003).
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Emergency Long Term Food Supply
Nothing can be more important than a healthy supply of emergency food or long term survival food when faced with a long term disaster or economic crisis; you cannot expect to survive for the long haul without a healthy supply of survival foods on hand for you and your family. Do you have a plan in place to survive 3 months, 6 months, or even a year if the grocery stores suddenly were empty? How would you feed your family if you have made no long term food storage preparations? A garden might help, but even then it will take months to grow and care for before any long term food supply is available. Those who survive are those who were prepared before the disaster happened, even a 3 month emergency food supply, or even better a 6 month emergency food supply might be all it takes before you can become self-sufficient with your own garden, farm, or other food source. Shepherd Survival carries up to a 1 year food supply package in case of emergency.
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Long term survival food buckets, emergency food supplies, and emergency food bars are available today. Each emergency food bar is US coast guard approved and carries up to a 5 year shelf life. Our survival food supplies and freeze dried survival food carry up to a 30 year shelf life, which means you will never have to rotate and continue to buy more food year after year, this is a one-time investment for the security of your future. Shepherd Survival’s long term food supplies come in various convenient sizes, from small grab n go buckets, to a 3 month food supply, all the way up to a 1 year emergency food supply. Each kit is conveniently packaged into emergency food supply buckets; inside each bucket are nitrogen sealed packages of freeze dried food that needs only water and heat to eat. The Wise long term food supply buckets have long shelf lives, require no rotating, and guaranteed to taste great when the time comes! Buying emergency food kits or keeping an emergency food supply on hand is considered an emergency essential. So if you were looking for the best emergency food in the emergency preparedness industry, you’ve come to the right place! Shepherd Survival Supply carries the survival food you will need after an economic collapse or nuclear fallout, or the emergency food you need after a natural disaster, all with guaranteed everyday low prices and free shipping.
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Partners even more likely than survivors to experience fear and worry over long term, study finds
People with breast cancer now have more reasons to be hopeful than ever before, thanks to continuing research and the development of new treatment methods.
Learn how to empower yourself in the fight against cancer with Your Guide to Cancer Care.
Your individual treatment options will depend on the size and specific location of the tumor, the stage — or progression — of the disease, and the results of lab tests, including hormone receptor tests and tumor marker tests, among many other factors. Your doctor will also consider your personal history, such as your age, your menopausal status, and the general state of your health.
You may have the impression that your treatment is completely in the hands of your doctors. But that’s not the case. You can be an active participant in decisions about your care and empower yourself by learning the conventional and complementary therapies that may be available to you.
Discover the various breast cancer treatment options offered by Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
Dr. Dennis Citrin of Cancer Treatment Centers of America discusses the latest breakthroughs in breast cancer treatment.
Before starting therapy, you should get a second opinion about your diagnosis as well as the treatment options available to you. Some insurance companies require a second opinion before they will pay for your treatment. Others may cover a second opinion if you or your doctor requests it.
In addition, some insurance companies require that you get pre-certification for a second opinion. You should ask whether this is required before going for your appointment.
To get a second opinion, you’ll need to gather your medical records, including:
To get a second opinion about your diagnosis, you’ll need to find a breast pathologist at a hospital or cancer center to review your breast tissue slides and prepare a second pathology report.
The reason this is so important is that the best course of treatment for your cancer depends on your diagnosis. That means you need to make sure that the diagnosis is accurate and that there are no differences of opinion about how to interpret your test results.
Once the diagnosis is confirmed, you’ll also want to see another doctor for a second opinion about the treatment options available to you.
Oncologists are physicians who study, diagnose, and treat cancer. Each specializes in a specific area, such as cancers of the reproductive system or blood. A surgical oncologist specializes in cancer surgery.
Loyalty to the first oncologist you see isn’t something you should be concerned about. In fact, most oncologists expect you to get a second opinion, and some will even refer you to another specialist for a different perspective. Doctors can have diverse treatment philosophies, so don’t be surprised if the second doctor’s recommendations differ from those of your original oncologist.
If the two doctors have radically divergent opinions, you’ll have to make a decision about which approach — and doctor — you’re more comfortable with, or you can seek a third perspective.
It may take a few weeks or more for you to gather your records, get a second — or even third — opinion, and decide on a course of treatment. If you’re concerned whether the delay could adversely affect your health, you should discuss it with your doctors and ask them how long you can afford to take to make a decision.
While you don’t want to put off starting treatment unnecessarily, in the majority of cases, a delay of several weeks or even longer makes no difference. And it’s important that you feel confident that you have as much information as possible available to you and are taking the best course of action.
Learn the basics of conventional therapies in Your Guide to Cancer Care.
You may receive local treatment for your breast cancer that targets the site of the cancer and any metastases, or areas where the cancer has spread. Local breast cancer treatments are designed to remove, destroy, or control the cancer cells in a specific area.
Or you may receive systemic breast cancer treatments that are used to destroy or control cancer cells throughout the body.
Pre-certification means that you must obtain authorization from your insurance company before it will agree to pay for certain consultations, procedures, or treatments. In some cases, the doctor’s office may take care of pre-certification. But be sure to check, because without pre-certification, you may have to pay for the medical expenses out-of-pocket.
Many people with breast cancer receive both local and systemic treatment. When you receive several therapies at the same time, it’s sometimes called combination or multimodality treatment.
Local treatments used in breast cancer therapy include:
Systemic treatments for breast cancer include:
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New research suggests it depends on certain gene variations
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We care about your feedback. Let us know how we can improve your CancerCompass experience.
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22 April 2012
A video is circulating of "Green Berets" in combat. The Soldiers are hammering away with a minigun and other weapons. An A-10 can be seen rolling in and shooting. Casualties are taken, and after the seven minute mark in the video, an apparent Special Forces Soldier can be seen directing that ammunition be brought in on a MEDEVAC bird.
Now, if the bird were marked with a Red Cross (or other approved symbol), ammo delivery would be a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
However, the bird lands and there are no markings such as Red Crosses. This is fine. No violations.
The bird looks like an HH-60G flown by Air Force Pedro.
Reader support is crucial to this mission. Weekly or monthly recurring ‘subscription’ based support is the best, though all are greatly appreciated. Recurring and one-time donations are available through PayPal or Authorize.net.
To send a check or money order:
P O Box 5553
Winter Haven, FL 33880-5553
I will continue to do my part in telling the stories that are not being told. Readers must also do their part by keeping the cash flowing. Cash is essential .
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Skip to comments.Romney is a Manufactured Candidate (January 20, 20100
Posted on 04/07/2012 12:15:41 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
A few weeks ago an individual hereinafter referred to as, "the letter writer," circulated a letter urging conservative and evangelical leaders to get behind Mitt Romneys presidential bid. We, the above listed individuals, have decided to respond with the argument that a Romney candidacy would be disastrous for the conservative movement and for the country.
Romneys Business Management Experience Does Not Guarantee He Will Govern As A Conservative
One of the primary arguments presented by the letter writer is that Romneys business management experience and his allegedly outstanding performance managing the state of Massachusetts thereby qualifies him to not only be president but to have the support of the conservative movement. However, business experience does not guarantee a person will govern as a conservative. There have been many liberal presidents with business experience; one that comes readily to mind is Jimmy Carter, who managed a peanut farm business. Indeed, the RINO population is full of businessmen and some of Americas leading businessmen supported the candidacy of Barack Obama.
The goal of conservatives is to scale back government, not manage big government more efficiently. Ronald Reagan had little business experience, but he also knew the business of government was carried out by people he appointed so he set about appointing conservatives. The lesson Reagan left us is that, when it comes to governing, a candidates worldview is far more important than business experience, primarily because ones worldview will determine who you appoint to carry out the duties of government.
Romney Raised Taxes And Destroyed Job Creation In Massachusetts
But lets take the letter writer at his word that Romneys business experience will make him a good conservative president. How did his business experience help him govern Massachusetts? And did he govern as a conservative? For the last five years Romney and his supporters have cultivated an image of Romney as a fiscal superstar and who ran a very tight ship as Governor of Massachusetts. Indeed, the letter writer claims Governor Romney turned a $3 billion deficit into a nearly $1 billion surplus, without raising taxes. But that statement is simply not true. The reality is that Romneys tenure as Massachusetts governor was an economic disaster for the state.
Governor Romney passed a host of new tax and fee increases, hitting the corporate world hard and devastating job creation. As Peter Nicholas, chairman of Boston Science Corporation, stated, tax rates on many corporations almost doubled because of legislation supported by Romney. (1)
The Cato Institute reported that in his first year as Governor, Romney proposed $140 [million] in business tax hikes through the closing of loopholes in the tax code. (2) As Nicholas explains, Romneys tax policies were not helpful for many small businesses when Romney took many IRS subchapter S businesses in Massachusetts and almost doubled their tax rates, it was an important disincentive to investment, growth and job creation. (3). As Joseph Crosby of the Council on State Taxation stated, Romney went further than any other governor in trying to wring money out of corporations. (4)
Romney also raised taxes on business again in 2004 and 2005, for a grand total of $309 million levied upon the corporate sector. (5) He then increased taxes on business property (6), tried to raise taxes on hotels (but was stopped by the Democrat legislature!) (7), joined a coalition lobbying congress to tax internet activity (8), and supported a tax on out of state commuters. (9)
Nor did Romney fight the passage of higher rates on death taxes; indeed, his official position on a state bill was no position. (10). Moreover, Governor Romney supported gas tax hikes both for Massachusetts and for the federal government. (11) He also proposed a new excise tax on SUVs and a new sales tax on all used cars. (12)
Indeed, Romney failed to reduce ANY of the myriad taxes Massachusetts imposes on its citizens, even though the previous two Republican governors, William Weld and Paul Cellucci, were both able to reduce tax rates. As Governor Cellucci confirmed, Romney did not have any broad-based tax cuts in his four years as Governor. (13). Indeed, while Romney raised over a hundred different fees and taxes, the two previous Republican governors signed more than 40 tax reduction bills, even though Democrats controlled the legislature.
Nor are there any taxpayer groups in Massachusetts in agreement with the notion that Romney never raised taxes. As the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation stated, fees and taxes have increased more than $700 million per year under Governor Mitt Romney . (14) For a detailed list of the fees and taxes raised by Romney, go here: http://romneyfacts.com/assets/Romney_taxandfee_hikes.xls
We should not also forget that Romney refused to support the Bush tax cuts while governor, (15) and when campaigning for Governor, refused to sign the no new taxes pledge, calling it government by gimmickry. (16) He only signed the pledge when he began to campaign for the presidency.
By Romneys last year in office, Massachusetts was ranked by the Public Policy Institute of New York on its Cost of Doing Business Index, as the 4th most expensive state in which to do business in. (17) Data compiled by the Tax Foundation reveals that during Romneys term, the per capita tax burden increased from 9.3% to 9.9%, a .6% increase. In real dollars, the per capita tax burden increased $1175.71 during Romneys term. (18)
Contrary to the letter writers comments, Romney didnt turn a $3 billion dollar deficit into a nearly $1 billion surplus. Rather, the deficit was $1.3 billion according to Factcheck.org (19) and he balanced the budget with mostly tax and fee increases with very little spending cuts. According to the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation, Romney proposed four budgets while in office each budget increased spending over the previous year. (20). As Club for Growth echoed, Romneys last budget was a whopping 10.12% larger than the preceding fiscal year. (21) Out of the 25 freshmen Republican Governors rated by the Cato Institute on fiscal issues, Romney had the 2nd worst score. (22)
Indeed, Carla Howell, president of the Massachusetts-based Center for Small Government, is blunt about Romneys record: Romney claims to have cut the Massachusetts budget by 2 billion. Sometimes he claims he cut it 3 billion .but these cuts were merely budget games .not only did Mitt Romney refuse to cut the overall Massachusetts budget, he expanded it. Dramatically .Romney initiated massive new spending without any prodding. (23)
The alleged budget surplus the letter writer refers to is also mythical. The Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation and the conservative Massachusetts think tank, Beacon Hill Institute, both challenged that notion (24). In fact, Romney left a billion dollar deficit for his successor. (25).
Romneys budgets were also full of pork and he was infamous for lavishing money on staff salaries, incurring outlandish travel expenses, and granting pay hikes for state officials and lawmakers. (26). Moreover, he had no problem with corporate welfare, granting millions to local corporations in an effort to persuade them to NOT leave the state or to hire more workers, hardly a sign of a fiscal conservative. (27)
Finally, job growth was devastated by Romneys policies. The Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation says that under Romney, job growth has been anemic. (28). According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate was 5.2% when he assumed the governorship and 5.3% by the end of his term, a figure significantly higher than the national average at the time of 4.6%.(29) But Romneys unemployment figures are, in reality, 2-3 points higher than what they appear because Massachusetts was ranked 2nd in the nation for the number of people leaving the state to look for employment elsewhere. Since theyre no longer residents, they werent counted in the employment statistics. (30).
According to job creation experts Andrew Sum and Joseph McLaughlin of Northeastern University, manufacturing employment during the Romney years declined by 14%, the third worse record in the country. (31) The same scholars wrote that from 2001 to 2006, Massachusetts ranked 49th in the nation in job creation (32) The Boston Globe business columnist Steve Baily wrote that there are 40,000 fewer people in the workforce than when Romney took over. (33). This view was echoed by the Boston Heralds business columnist, Bret Arends, who wrote, During the four years Mitt Romney was governor of Massachusetts, it had the second worst jobs record of any state in America it wasn't a regional issue. The rest of New England created nearly 200,000 jobs. (34)
Another way to judge a states economy is to look at its Gross State Product and these statistics are kept by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Between 2001-2005, the percent GSP increase for Massachusetts was an anemic 8.44%, one of the lowest five-years increases in the country 44th out of 50 states. (35).
Well let labor market economist Andrew Sum summarize: as a strict labor market economist looking at the record, Massachusetts did very poorly during the Romney years on every measure youve got, the state was a substantial under-performer. (36)
Romney Does Not Have A History Of Sharing Our Worldview Or Values
The letters author wants conservatives to take his word for it that Romney shares our values. The collective evidence of his entire career, even after his alleged conversions, dramatically refutes the claim that he shares our values. Indeed, the media essentially ignored Romneys history of repeatedly changing his views over the last five years. Yes, the media did focus on his abortion flip-flops, but they choose to ignore Romneys history of changing his mind on virtually every other important issue.
Indeed, Romney changed his position on over thirty key issues as he prepared to run for President four years ago. We all expect a politician to change their mind on one or two issues over the course of their career, but when someone changes their mind on EVERY foundational issue of importance to conservatives, we must be skeptical. Indeed, it is hard to accept Romneys conversion on so many issues as authentic.
We must not forget that just a few years ago Human Events newspaper listed him as one of Americas Top Ten RINOs. (37) Only when Romney prepared to run for the Presidency did his views suddenly change. He hired an army of image consultants and pollsters and, wham zam, he changed into a conservative overnight.
Presidents are under enormous pressure to compromise; if the president does not have a long history of adherence to a particular worldview, he will flip-flop all over the place. Even Ronald Reagan was pressured into compromising a few times despite his forty year history of advocating conservative principles. Romney has no such history. Before he started to campaign for the presidency, he never attended conservative functions, spoke at conservative events, or wrote articles of interest to conservatives. He socialized with liberal Republicans and indeed, in the 1960s his father was one of the national leaders of the liberal Republicans and actually walked out of the 1964 GOP national convention to protest Barry Goldwaters candidacy.
As recently as 2007, Mitt Romney was a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, at the time Americas leading liberal Republican group. The RMSP is pro-abortion, pro-stem cell research, pro-gay rights, and in general, embraces a liberal position on all social issues. They often work in conjunction with the pro-abortion group, Republicans for Choice, and the Republican homosexual group, the Log Cabin Club. They also opposed the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and set up a 527 campaign committee that received funding from far left funder George Soros. (38). Its no wonder Romney distanced himself from Reagan while campaigning for Governor when he said, I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. Im not trying to return to Reagan-Bush. (39)
We also must not forget Romneys long history of supporting Democrats. He was not even a registered Republican until 1993. (40) Previous to that, Romney supported Democrat Paul Tsongas in the 1992 presidential primary. (41). Moreover, Romney made contributions to Democratic congressional and senatorial candidates as recently as 1992 (42) and in 1993 supported the election of Democrat Rocky Anderson, perhaps the most liberal mayor in America. Anderson, a former ACLU director and Planned Parenthood attorney, called for the impeachment of President Bush. Indeed, Romney even produced a campaign commercial for Anderson which one can watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuFe9_BCvXY
Even as recently as 1994 Romney was bashing Republicans by attacking the extremely mild Contract with America statement as a mistake and considered it too partisan, even though its most ideological plank was to call for a balance budget. (43)
Romneys Actions On Homosexual Marriage Demonstrate Deception, Incompetence or Both
When Romney first ran for President, he declared himself to be a social conservative but as governor he did great damage to America by unilaterally ordering homosexual marriage to be instituted in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Constitution clearly prohibits the judicial branch from specifically changing marriage statutes so when the court issued the Goodridge opinion favoring homosexual marriage, all Romney had to do was to declare the court had no jurisdiction and ignore it.
Neither does the state Constitution allow the court to order a sitting governor to change a statute but Romney, instead of ignoring the illegal decision, asserted the opinion was now the law and then ordered his town clerks and Justices of the Peace to marry homosexuals -- even though the legislature never acted to codify the ruling. Thus, Romney violated his oath to uphold the state constitution. Indeed, the Massachusetts legislature has never changed the marriage statute, which, continues to this day to prohibit same sex marriages. The flatly illegal charade of gay marriage exists solely in Massachusetts due to Governor Romneys illegal actions. By ordering town clerks to participate in the solemnization of illegal marriages, Romney committed a felony. (44)
A letter signed by 45 Massachusetts and national pro-family leaders including the late Paul Weyrich, Sandy Rios, Gary Kreep, Robert Knight, Linda Harvey, Rev. Ted Pike, Peter LaBarbera, Gary Glenn, Brian Camenker, John Haskins, etc. was sent to Romney in December 20, 2006, urging him to use his power as Governor to reverse himself on homosexual marriage:
We note that you swore no oath to execute court opinions, but rather laws and the constitution like much of America, many of us accepted as sincere your explanation of your role in this social and constitution crisis that is fundamentally altering the moral fabric of our culture we are now forced to look at your role, as constitutional sentry and a gatekeeper of our form of government, in a different light. We would be greatly disappointed if your principal contribution to history will be imposing homosexual marriage knowingly or unknowingly, willfully or negligently in violation of the state constitution you swore to uphold. (44)
There was no response to the letter and Romney continued full speed ahead implementing illegal homosexual marriages, thus creating a precedent that led to many other victories for the homosexual movement nationwide. Just a few years earlier, Romney promised the homosexual leadership in Massachusetts -- and even wrote one group a letter on his letterhead to make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern. My opponent [Sen. Kennedy] cannot do this. He also promised them that he would not fight homosexual marriage. The homosexual leadership of Massachusetts believed that Romneys action on Goodridge fulfilled that promise.
However, pro-family leaders in Massachusetts were not surprised. After all, Romney had, in 2002, opposed a marriage protection amendment that would have preempted the court ruling. His official reason for opposing the amendment was that it didnt allow domestic partner benefits. In other words, he refused to support a ban on homosexual marriage because it didnt grant benefits to homosexual lovers!
Moreover, after the Goodridge decision, Romney had the opportunity to remove the activist judges for their illegal opinion based on a procedure the state constitution grants a governor for just this type of situation. This procedure has been used many times in Massachusetts history but Romney publicly opposed their removal even though he accused the judges of violating the state constitution. (45) Moreover, in 2006, Romneys Department of Social Services honored a homosexual couple as Parents of the Year. The DSS was managed by Romneys appointees who certainly would not create such a controversial news story without consent of the Governor. (46) However, by 2006, Romney was running for the presidency as a same sex marriage opponent, and hoping, to be sure, that no one noticed his illegal actions or the DSS Parents of the Year story.
Lastly, the most revealing action by Romney regarding his personal beliefs on same sex marriage occurred following the Goodridge decision. Apparently excited by the new homosexual marriage law he had created out of thin air, Governor Romney issued special Governors one-day marriage licenses to 189 same-sex couples in 2005, including to a homosexual activist state senator and to many other personal friends of his in the homosexual community. Romney defenders claim he could not legally give such special marriage licenses to heterosexual couples but not to homosexual couples. True, but he simply could have stopped this practice altogether. Moreover, as Romney knew well, a court opinion issued while running for governor clearly stated that only the legislature could legalize homosexual marriage; therefore Romney had to know that every time he issued a special license to a homosexual couple, he was committing a felony. This incident alone demonstrated where Romneys heart was on this issue. (47)
Romney Has A History Of Supporting Homosexual Rights And Still Does Today
One could write a book on how Romney promoted the homosexual agenda while Governor but due to space limitations, we have pointed out the highlights of this bizarre agenda: As Governor, Romney implemented a Executive Order that created a vast diversity agency to make sure those of all races and sexual orientations be hired throughout state government. (48) Romneys senatorial and gubernatorial candidacies were endorsed by homosexual groups because he lobbied them and promised that he would be an advocate for gay civil rights. (49) Romney supported President Clintons Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy of allowing homosexuals to serve in the military, saying it was a step toward gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nations military. (50) Romney opposed a US Senate amendment by Senator Jesse Helms to the 1994 Elementary and Secondary Education Act to ban federal funding to public schools that encourage or support "homosexuality as a positive lifestyle alternative". (51) Romney supported the Federal ENDA anti-discrimination law which is a full assault upon religious freedom. (52) Romney is on record supporting Domestic Partner Benefits: I support Domestic Partner benefits. (53) Romney increased funding for a commission led by homosexuals appointed by the Governor whose sole duty was to fund and promote homosexual speeches, dances, and disseminate homosexual propaganda in the public schools. (54) Despite an epidemic of homosexual molestations in the Boy Scouts, Romney opposed the Scout ban on homosexuals: All people should be able to participate in the Boys Scouts of America regardless of their sexual orientation. This is a full attack upon the rights of private groups to be able to set their own moral standards. (55) Romney appointed leading homosexual activists to key positions all over his administration. One was Patrick Guerriero, former National President of the Log Cabin Club and one of the nations top homosexual campaign operatives working to defeat pro-marriage candidates and initiatives such as Prop 8 in California. Guerriero served on Romneys gubernatorial transition team.(56) Romney issued a state proclamation honoring Gay/Straight Youth Pride March. (57) In 2002, Romney supported hate crimes legislation (58) In 2005, Romney nominated Stephen Alban, a radical homosexual judge active in the battle to legalize homosexual marriage, to a district court. (59) In 2004, Romney donated $10,000 to AIDS Action committee, a radical homosexual group that pushes homosexual literature in the public schools and opposes all abstinence education. (60) When the state passed a homosexual anti-discrimination law, Romneys Dept of Social Services informed Catholic Charities that it had to comply with the law by placing children with homosexual couples. However, the law didnt actually require such action; The law specifically applied to Hospitals ..operating for profit. Apparently, Romneys bureaucrats were creating their own implementing regulations which Romney could have easily waived. Even former Governor Michael Dukakis told the press that the States anti-discrimination statutes didnt apply to Catholic Charities, stating that theres nothing in there to the best of my knowledge that mandates anything . After chasing Catholic Charities out of the adoption business, Romney had the gall to say in 2006, there are many, many other agencies that can meet the needs of those gay couples and I recognize that they have a legitimate interest in being able to receive adoptive services. (61)
While the above actions occurred during Romneys Gubernatorial term, once his presidential ambitions began, he altered his position on some of these issues such as Hate Crimes and ENDA. However, he continues to support many aspects of the homosexual agenda even today, though in a far more subtle fashion. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Romney told CNN commentator Roland Martin off stage that he was pro gay rights. (62) Likewise, in 2008, The Washington Blade, a homosexual newspaper, reported that Romneys representative at a Log Cabin forum stated that Romney wont oppose them [gay rights]. (63)
In 2008, Romney informed Tim Russert that rather than support a federal ENDA, he would support state versions of ENDA: I think that policy makes more sense to be evaluated or to be implemented at the state level. (64) And Romney continues to support the right of homosexuals to adopt children, a position he took during the last presidential campaign: There are other ways to raise kids thats fine: single moms, grandparents raising kids, gay couples raising kids. Thats the American way This confirmed what he said two years earlier in 2005 when, in response to a question about homosexual adoptions he said, I believe that there should be rights and privileges associated with those unions and with children that are part of those unions. (65)
Romneys Pro-Abortion Roots Are Deep And His Alleged Conversion Is Questionable
For thirty years Mitt Romney was a strong advocate of abortion. His wife, Ann, contributed money to Planned Parenthood in 1994 at a PP event both she and her husband attended, but she was filmed during the 2008 campaign claiming, Ive always been pro-life. (66) Moreover, another video has appeared showing Ann insisting that pro-abortion women need not worry about her husband due to his commitment to the abortion issue. (67) Like her husband, Mrs. Romney has engaged in deception in regards to abortion, giving us yet another reason why we doubt the sincerity of the Romneys.
Romney claims to have had a sudden epiphany that changed his mind on abortion, but what about Ann? Are we to believe that his wife had an epiphany at the same time? We must also remember that in 1970, three years prior to Roe vs. Wade, Romneys mother, Lenore, made abortion an issue when she ran for the United States Senate in Michigan. To be an abortion advocate in 1970 was considered extremely radical. (68)
During the 2008 election the media focused a lot of attention to the series of flip-flops by Romney on the abortion issues going back a decade. By the time Romney started to plan his 2008 presidential candidacy, he was claiming to be a strong pro-life advocate as a result of a epiphany he had while meeting with stem cell researcher Dr. Douglas Melton. Romney claims that Melton stunned him by casually referring to killing embryos. But Dr. Melton was astounded to hear about this and quickly informed the media that regarding the conversation in question, we didnt discuss killing or anything related to it. (69)
Romney Continues To Engage In Pro-Abortion Actions Since His Alleged Pro-Life Conversion
More disturbing than what appears to be a faked conversion is the number of pro-abortion actions Romney has engaged in SINCE his alleged November, 2004 epiphany, actions that cause us to question the depth of his commitment to the sanctity of life: 2004 2007. Romney invests in stem cell research. Romney had investments in Novo Nordisk and Millipore, two companies involved in stem cell research. He also had investments in Warner Chilcott, the firm that produces Loestrin, an abortifacient. (70)
Romney defended these investments by claiming his investments are chosen by a blind trust, but as Romney himself stated, "You give a blind trust rules. You can say to a blind trust, don't invest in properties which would be in conflict of interest Romney maintained investments in these companies for three years after his conversion but never bothered to instruct his trust manager to avoid investing in anti-life companies until after it became public knowledge. (71) 2005. Romney celebrated Right to Privacy Day. Every year Romney was governor he signed
a Right to Privacy Day proclamation which, up until 2005, made reference to Roe vs. Wade. In 2005, he signed it again, but, apparently mindful of his impending presidential candidacy, removed the reference to Roe vs. Wade. While the day was originally conceived to celebrate the Supreme Courts 1972 decision legalizing birth control for unmarried people, abortion advocates also celebrated this proclamation since they regard privacy as foundational to their worldview. Regardless of how Romney tweaked the fine print in the proclamation, the question is why would he issue such a proclamation after his conversion?
Moreover, when Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom was questioned by the media about the omission of the Roe vs. Wade reference, he said the change was a clerical, not political! (72) 2005. Romney refused to advance the pro life agenda while Governor, even after his conversion. Yes, the Massachusetts legislature was and is controlled by the left, but regardless, Romney made little to no effort to fight for pro-life issues or even fight against pro-abortion causes. Indeed, shortly after his conversion in February, 2005, he stated, I am personally pro-life. However, as governor I would not change the laws of the commonwealth relating to abortion. (73)
Romney even boasted about his success with ignoring pro-life issues in a video clip now on You Tube: I am absolutely committed to my promise to maintaining the status quo with regards to laws relating to abortion and choice and so far Ive been able to successfully do that .(74) 2005. Romney forces Catholic hospitals to distribute the abortion pill. In 2005 the Massachusetts legislature passed a bill requiring all hospitals to provide women with the abortion pill. Even though Romney had campaigned on expanding access to the abortion pill he vetoed this bill, something which has become a fixture in pro-Romney propaganda proving he fought for pro-lifers while Governor. What the Romney forces dont mention, however, is that Romney reversed himself on this issue a few days later! The legislature, as expected, overrode the veto, but Romney publicly claimed the bill didnt apply to private religious hospitals. This was an accurate statement since the Massachusetts Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and the state had existing religious conscience protection statutes on the books. The Massachusetts Catholic Conference even announced that the new bill does not expressly nullify the older statute; the conscience protection already on the books still remains in force.
Moreover, the State Health Commissioner, Paul Cote, Jr., announced, his department felt strongly that the new emergency contraception law did not compel all hospitals to provide the morning after pill.
However, the pro-abortion crowd started protesting and Mark Nielson, Romneys legal counsel, suddenly claimed the new law superseded the preexisting conscience protection statute, even though there was nothing in the bill to indicate this. Indeed, wording that expressly removed the conscience protection exemption for religious entities was removed from the bill in committee, so Nielsen was claiming the bill said something the bills authors had purposely left out.
Nielsen had run for congress in 2000 as a pro-abortion candidate and had received over $7,000 from pro-abortion groups, but Romney blindly accepted his opinion over those opinions of the Catholic Church, the State Health Commissioner, and his health department -- and it was contrary to the intent of the bills author.
Incredibly, Romney, after being opposed to the bill a few days earlier, then announced, ''I think, in my personal view, its the right thing for hospitals [referring to private hospitals] to provide information and access to emergency contraception to anyone who is a victim of rape. Remember, this is not a public hospital but a private Catholic hospital opposed to abortion except when the mothers life is in jeopardy. This is a frontal assault on religious liberty but Romney not only did not fight for Catholic hospitals and religious freedom, he readily switched his position based upon a very weak and illogical legal opinion supplied to him by his pro-abortion counsel. (75) Romney not only acted on Nielsens opinion, but personally agreed with it, thus creating a horrible precedent allowing government to strip away the religious freedom rights of a private institution. 2005- 2007. Romney belonged to a pro-stem cell research GOP group. Romney belonged to the Republican Main Street Partnership, a group supported by George Soros that made stem cell research its most important issue. Its web site listed Romney as a gubernatorial member during the 109th Congress which ended in 2007. Wikipedia describes the group as being allied with other moderate Republican groups, including Christine Todd Whitman's It's My Party Too, Ann Stone's Republicans for Choice, the Log Cabin Republicans, the Republican Majority For Choice . In 2005, the group was instrumental is passing the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act in the House of Representatives. (76) 2005 -2007. Romney appointed pro-abortion judges to the bench. The Boston Globe reviewed Romneys Judicial nominations and found that Romney passed over GOP lawyers for three-quarters of the 36 judicial vacancies he has faced, instead tapping registered Democrats or independents including two gay lawyers who have supported expanded same-sex rights. Given the fact the Democrat party in Massachusetts is extremely pro-abortion, we can assume that most of the Democrats Romney nominated to the bench were pro-abortion. Many of the appointments occurred after Romneys conversion, including that of Stephen Abany, a far left Democrat homosexual activist nominated in 2005. Just two months after his epiphany, he nominated liberal pro-abortion Democrat Matthew Nestor to a lifetime seat on the Somerville District court. Romney claimed he does not look at political leanings but only at legal experience and toughness on crime. That comment raises additional concerns and its also false. When Romney met with NARAL leaders in 2002, he promised them his judicial picks would be MORE likely to protect abortion rights than those of a Democrat Governor! He kept his promise even after his conversion. (77) 2006 - Present. Romney develops a states rights position on abortion. In Romneys words: My hope is that the Supreme Court will give to the states over time or give to the states soon or give to the states their own ability to make their own decisions with regard to their own abortion law. He is opposed to a single federal rule and thus opposed to a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution. If one believes abortion is murder, why would you allow states to decide whether or not murder is permitted? However, he has also told some pro life activists he now supports a HLA as long as it has exemptions for life of the mother, rape, incest, and embryonic stem cell research. HLA is opposite of the State Rights approach. Which approach does he favor? It depends who he is talking to. (78) 2006. Romney introduced RomneyCare which dramatically increased state funded abortions. As Governor, Romney signed into law a government-controlled health care behemoth which mandates that all citizens pay into. The program covers abortion and makes it much easier for people to obtain a state-funded abortion for as low as $50. The Romney team claims that the state Supreme Court ruled in 1981 and 1997 that the state constitution required payment for abortion services for Medicaid-Eligible women. However, a court ruling is not a law and is not binding unless the legislature codified them and theres no evidence they did. (79)
Secondly, the Massachusetts Constitution specifically prohibits the courts from changing laws or ordering the legislature to change law so Romney could have ignored the court opinions by stating they have no jurisdiction over RomneyCare. Nor are there any utterances in the State Constitution about abortion, a laughable assertion since abortion would be aberrant to the founding fathers who authored that document.
However, as with the pro-homosexual marriage Goodridge decision, Romney has deferred to the courts for policy making, a situation which would have shocked our founding fathers. (80) Lastly, the two court decisions made it clear that the state was only to fund medically necessary abortions, a phrase not found in the RomneyCare legislation. Indeed, the legislation doesnt have any restrictions on abortion. One can have an abortion funded by the state for any reason whatsoever. While state funded abortions existed in the past, RomneyCare created a whole new category of people now eligible for abortions. Around 250,000 previously uninsured women are now eligible for state funded abortions. According to studies, at least 25% of all women have an abortion at some point, so this means that 62,000 women previously not covered will likely get an abortion compliments of RomneyCare. (81)
Romney also created a permanent position for a Planned Parenthood representative on the MassHealth Payment Policy Advisory Board that governs RomneyCare. No, there are no pro-life representatives involved in any capacity with RomneyCare nor is there any evidence that Romney or any member of his team fought for legislative language restricting abortion in any way such as banning third term abortions. However, they did choose to fight with the legislature over certain aspects of dental care coverage. More disturbing, Romney also fought to keep coverage of in-vitro fertilization out of the bill so at least he is consistently anti-life. (82)
* 2006. Romneys administration gave funds to Planned Parenthood. In November, 2006, Romneys economic development agency approved a $5 billion tax-exempt bond to be used by Planned Parenthood to build an abortion clinic in Worchester. Romney claims he was not aware of what his own appointees were doing, but this begs the question: If Romney is unable or unwilling to control what his own appointees do when it comes to abortion related decisions, what makes anyone think things will be different when hes president? (83)
* 2006. Romney refused to oppose Planned Parenthoods radical sex ed bill. Romneys refusal to use his power as governor to help with pro life issues is echoed by Ray Neary, the director of Pro-Life Massachusetts. In 2006, he issued this statement: Since his election as governor, he has not lifted a finger to allow one single unborn child the breath of our environment, and his posture has been to stay aloof from a messy issue. The Romney record in support of our efforts in this state is zero theres no evidence of a Damascus experience by Mitt Romney on abortion On the Opt-in rather than Opt-out issue regarding sex education, while low-level personnel were always pleasant, it was impossible to get an appointment with a single [Romney] staffer to discuss the ramifications of the mandated Sex Ed core curriculum proposed by Planned Parenthood (H1641). This 2006 bill never made it to Romneys desk for a number of non-ideological reasons, but Romney never spoke against it or used his power to lobby legislators about it. (84)
* 2007. Romney opposed legislative interventions to save Terri Schiavo. In the course of the last presidential election, when Romney was questioned about efforts by Congress to save the life of Terri Schiavo, he responded, I think its probably best to leave these kinds of matters in the hands of the courts. Then he said, I generally think that its not a good idea for courts to legislate. Nor is it a great idea for the legislature to adjudicate in a specific circumstance. In others words, allow Schiavo to die. (85)
* 2007. Romney refuses to state his position on laws that require ultrasound screening before an abortion. While campaigning in South Carolina, a reporter asked Romney about his position on the pending ultrasound bill, but all he would say is that I would like to see each state be able to make its own law with regards to abortion. Does he really think such a bill is that controversial? Is he afraid to anger the Planned Parenthood crowd? (85A)
* 2007 to present. Romney continues to support stem cell research. Romney says he opposes creating human embryos for research purposes (cloning), yet, he supports research on stem cells obtained from surplus embryos from invitro fertilizations, even though there is no moral distinction. The Republican National Coalition for Life, founded by Phyllis Schlafly, states that Romneys claim that he is pro-life is belied by his position on the use of human embryos for research purposes. Carol Tobias of National Right to Life stated, Hes still in favor of killing new lives that are in existence right now. (86)
Romney Has Also Switched His Position On Numerous Other Issues
Due to lack of space we cant go into great detail, but there is ample evidence showing that aside from switching his views on gay rights issues and abortion, Romney has also been both in favor and against minimum wage legislation, capital gains taxes, amnesty for illegal aliens, campaign finance reform, the Kyoto agreement, gambling, gun control, and many other issues. He even enrolled Massachusetts into a very expensive regional cap and trade scheme that would have destroyed many jobs in that state. Only after the business community screamed bloody murder did he withdraw from the pact. He has also called for companies to disinvest from countries that support terror while investing personally in companies tied to terrorist regimes. He has been critical of activist judges but as Governor appointed dozens of liberal and Democrat judges using diversity as his guideline. As a candidate he spoke out against pornography but he sat on the Marriott Hotel board for ten years without ever raising his voice against the companys policy of providing pornography on demand.
And then theres RomneyCare, a mini-version of ObamaCare that Romney continues to defend to this day. It forces everyone to buy health insurance and massively regulates the market, just like ObamaCare. And RomneyCare is bankrupting the state, creating sharp premium increases and destroying the quality of health care, just like ObamaCare will do if it survives. But this should be no surprise. ObamaCare was inspired by RomneyCare, and Health Care For All, a socialized medicine advocacy group, was heavily involved with both efforts. Even Obamas chief of staff David Axelrod admitted, we got some good ideas from him.
Jonathan Gruber, a MIT economist involved with designing both programs, told the Wall Street Journal that, if any one person in the world deserved credit for where we are now [with passage of ObamaCare], its Mitt Romney. He designed the structure of the federal bill. As conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin wrote in the Washington Post, unless Mr. Romney is more honest about the system he set in motion in Massachusetts, he will have a hard time convincing Republican primary voters that he has learned his health-care lesson. (87)
Lets face it; Romney simply doesnt have a consistent worldview and much of what he does believe is contrary to the conservative and Christian worldview. That might be fine for someone running for city council, but hes running for the presidency of the most powerful nation in the world. To accept his multiple conversions as authentic and then give him the keys to the White House would be foolish. At this critical time in American history, we need a leader more than ever who has spent a lifetime defending and promoting conservative principles. The last thing we need is someone whose ideology abruptly shifted only after he and his consultants decided to prepare him for his first Presidential campaign.
There Will Be Other Candidates Besides Romney Able To Raise Enough Money To Be Competitive.
The letter writer points to Romneys prodigious fundraising record as another reason why conservatives should support him, arguing that because he out-fundraised everyone else in the 2008 primary, he should be our nominee. But it can also be argued that Romney is not electable because he raised so much money in 2008 and was still unsuccessful. Indeed, he managed to win only three primaries and only in states where he had some strong personal connection: Utah, the base of the LDS church, Massachusetts, and Michigan, where he was raised. The states in which Romney campaigned the longest and spent the most money Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina -- he lost, so one could conclude that where voters got to know Romney best, he was rejected. Indeed, Gov. Mike Huckabee spent 1/7th of what Romney spent and yet cleaned his clock in a number of primaries.
Indeed, as the letter boasts, Romney raised a record $107 million in 2008, but the fact is he was still unable to defeat John McCain in the GOP primary. McCain was a terribly weak candidate with no consistent worldview to speak of but Romney and his millions were unable to defeat this bland, boring, establishment candidate. What makes the letter writer think Romney can defeat Obama?
As for fundraising, there are plenty of other potential candidates we believe are capable of raising enough funds to be competitive. The idea that only Romney can raise enough money to be competitive is absurd. There are some very successful conservatives considering a presidential run such as Herman Cain, the former CEO of Godfathers Pizza, not to mention a number of governors, former governors and U.S. Senators with successful fundraising track records. It should also be noted that should Mike Huckabee decide to run again, he will have a much easier time raising money as his name ID is well known due to the success of his top rated Fox weekend show. Additionally, Michelle Bachmann, Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin have all maintained high media visibility and have outstanding fundraising capabilities.
The Tea Party Movement Will Not Support Romney
The Tea Party movement has transformed American politics and the vast majority of Tea Party activists are across- the-board conservatives who will be voting in GOP primaries. This will change the whole dynamic of many GOP primaries but the Tea Party movement will not accept Romney as a conservative. They view him -- for good reason -- as precisely the type of shallow, slick, manufactured career politician they believe has wrecked this country over the last few decades.
Nothing captures Romneys phoniness better than what happened at the 2008 presidential debate in Florida in which a campaign worker had to prompt Romney on the tax issue using the candidates ear piece. It was picked up by the microphone and is now on You Tube. One can easily hear a voice whispering, raise taxes to Romney shortly before he states, Im not going to raise taxes. The whisper is NOT an echo as it occurs before Romneys statement. You can listen to it here:
Nor will Tea Party activists be impressed with the way Romney used his foundation and a half dozen PACs over the last five years to spread money around the conservative movement, thereby creating new supporters. Indeed, without naming names, dozens of conservative leaders endorsed Romney during the last presidential election after their organizations received money from the Romney empire. Romney knew his record as governor was so liberal that the only way he could gain cred with conservative voters was to obtain the endorsements of key conservative leaders. So he bought them. There is something very distasteful about that.
The letter writer cites a number of polls to bolster his idea that Romney can win, but these are polls not of GOP primary voters but of all voters. Another poll the letter writer cites is simply a survey of Republican insiders, which usually means the RINO crowd. Yes, we already know RINOS love Romney, but such a poll is not very convincing to conservatives who have been fighting RINOs for control of the GOP for decades. Moreover, there are many other polls showing Romney doing poorly, especially in the southern states. And the latest Washington Post/ABC News national poll shows Romney in 3rd place behind Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin. In any case, polls this far out mean very little.
The real reason the letter writer sent his letter is the concern by the Romney campaign that many of their most important supporters and big name endorsers have abandoned him. As outlined in a recent edition of Politico, an array of Republican heavyweights who backed Mitt Romneys 2008 presidential bid are not yet committed to and in some cases, downright skeptical of the former Massachusetts governors all-but-certain 2012 campaign. (88)
Thanks to a large influx of Tea Party activists into the GOP, conservatives have an historic opportunity to dominate most GOP state primaries and we should use that influence to elect someone with a history of supporting the Constitution. Millions of voters have been shocked by the effort by Barack Obama to transform America into a socialist country and have flocked to Tea Party rallies by the millions. They are looking for an authentic conservative to lead America out of the chaos we now find ourselves in. They are looking for someone with a history of upholding conservative values and who will not compromise once elected. Romney is simply not this person.
The evidence is overwhelming that Romneys business experience did not help him govern as a conservative when in fact, he governed Massachusetts as a big government, anti family liberal. His flip-flops on numerous foundational issues shortly before he became a presidential candidate causes us to question his sincerity, and his suspect conversion to the pro life view has been undermined by the numerous pro-abortion actions taken after his alleged epiphany.
Most disturbing is the key role Mitt Romney played in accelerating two of the greatest threats to our Judeo-Christian culture and free enterprise system: Homosexual marriage and government control of health care. In both instances, the actions Romney took or didnt take on homosexual marriage and RomneyCare have done lasting damage to our country. Romneys aggressive efforts to implement the unconstitutional Goodridge decision set a precedent which inspired pro-homosexual marriage activity nationwide, and his RomneyCare bill served as the model for ObamaCare, the biggest lurch toward socialism since the New Deal.
As such, Romney has done more damage to America in his four years as Governor than any Democrat officeholder we can think of. But Romney, to this day, defends his actions on both fronts and sincerely believes he has done nothing wrong, an attitude which only raises additional questions about his fitness for national office. We must question his worldview, his sincerity, and his judgment. We believe the election of Mitt Romney would be a disastrous mistake for the conservative movement and for the country.
Romneys name won't last to even close that long!
I didn’t vote for him in the primary but I WILL vote for him to stop Obama.
Yeah I’m with you. As much as I don’t like the guy, to compare him to the Anti-American Marxist we now have in office is absolute lunacy.
John McCain never had a chance and Romney’s chances are even worse.
I hope we’re not manufacturing Romney’s by that time.
Even so, I want to know I did MY part in trying to stop Obama - if that means lowering our standards for another McCain, so be it. Sad but true.
“Manufactured” candidates - we have been getting a lot of those lately.
Is there some secret laboratory somewhere, that uses bits and pieces of DNA from historic figures, then proceeds with the programming of the clone thus produced? This would involve a lot of “memory holes” being used, a la the method used in “1984”, where old, conflicting information is erased from the official records, and new, plausible explanations for the altered circumstances are immediately accepted as undeniable “fact”.
Which gets back to the statement, a person may be entitled to one’s own opinion, but is not entitled to one’s own facts.
But the made-up facts are OK to use.
It’s only a nightmare if you believe it is. But geez, when am I going to wake up?
Won’t matter one bit.
Adding to my Romney Republican bumper sticker file...
By the way, you're not "lowering" your "standards." You're admitting that you no longer have any.
Primaries are over barring some out of left field miracle. Better get behind Romney or face Obama with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Obama hates The USA. Romney, while liberal, loves The USA.
I’ll take a Patriot Liberal Romney any day over a Marxist Communist Bastard (yea I said it) Obama.
Its clear by your profile and past post that you fought against the McCain/Palin ticket right up to the November 2008 election. And you admitted that you will fight against the GOP ticket again this year. Perhaps you feel impunity posting what you do because Romney is not popular here on FR. But come Aug 27th you are going to be in an extreme minority here.
Nobody will convince me any of our candidates will be as bad as Obama. I voted at the WA caucus for somebody maybe you would approve of, but come November I dont give a GD who our candidate is, I will be voting for him, to send that disrespectful America-hating A-hole back to Chicago and slam the door shut on the shadow communist he surrounds himself with.
Things don’t get much lower than the guy now in the White House. I’d vote for a fruit bat over him. Romney is NOT my guy but I don’t see another option.
“I didnt vote for him in the primary but I WILL vote for him to stop Obama.”
And I’ll avoid voting for RINOmney to stop him in the general.
In fact, I don’t intend to vote for any pro-gay, pro-abortion, anti-gun, gov’t-mandate-lovin’-liberals... even the one on the R ticket, if it comes to that.
Most of us know who and what Romney is. Bad news and King Obama with his communists power machine will destroy him. When Romney get hit with his failings by King Obama he will stutter and make a fool of himself and collapse.
Only Newt could have backed King Obama in a corner and crush him.
Right and wrong aren't determined by the direction of the herd.
“Primaries are over barring some out of left field miracle. Better get behind Romney or face Obama with nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
Oops! Need some emergency correction here!
“Primaries are [almost] over barring some out of left field miracle. Get behind RINOmney or Obama and get two different versions of the same thing. One liberal can be opposed openly and fiercely, resulting in a return to the passions and power of the base. The other liberal will have an R behind his name and appeal to all the worst RINO instincts of the Senate, furthering the destruction of the Republican Party along with putting into law the destruction of the country.
There is nothing in Willard’s actual record while governor that is conservative. Even his picks for judge were 3/4 liberal democrats.
Consider me in your camp. I understand the stakes.
Sure they do. You can have the guy now in the White House AND a conservative movement that has sacrificed all principle on the altar of political expedience.
“Romney, while liberal, loves The USA.”
Clearly, based on his national service in the military... [oh, wait], I mean his family service of military ser...[oops, wait], ah, never-mind.
You are making this up out of whole cloth. He comes from a family that fled to Mexico. He comes from a family where no one serves in uniform. Talk is cheap and that’s what he has given you this campaign. All talk. No walk.
And where exactly would you put Santorums and Newts chances? Have to win a lot more than a handful of Southern states to win the delegate count in November.
Some may say, what does it matter, Romney cant win. I say, by God it does matter. Americas survival may count on it. If its impossible then we MUST do the impossible. American history is full of impossible obstacles. Im going to be a part of this one.
Romney is not liked here. I get it. But we have to ask ourselves, who's cabinet do you want running this ship the next four years, Obama’s, or the cabinet Romney will pick?
This one is between me and my God.
The logic escapes me. Because he isn't conservative enough, like Obama is? Because Obama is so popular now that his record as president is so wonderful? Because Romney isn't fat and obnoxious like Gingrich? Because he has no sweater vests? What?
The “he has no chance” mantra seems to be mostly based on the assumption that Evangelicals won’t come out and vote for a Mormon, therefore places like Mississippi and Georgia will become Obama states.
We are faced with the primary job of removing the man who has nothing good in his plans for our nation. In all likelihood we are going to have to support Mitt Romney in order to accomplish that task.
I think the question is going to come down to whether or not we can be strategically supportive and strong enough to force him to govern right of center. Or, if we will choose instead to devour ourselves with internal battles because the ideal conservative candidate did not surface to stretch his (or her) neck across the media chopping block.
Can Mitt Romney correct the financial course Barack Obama has set and hold do so by holding the line on taxes?
Will he build a solid team of strategists knowledgeable in foreign policy and strengthen our security?
Will he begin to straighten out the problem of immigration by protecting our borders and enforcing laws already on the books?
These are the questions I am asking and trying to answer for my self. Not what did he do once and what can we do to tear him down; but, what can we do to accept what appears to be inevitable and build him up.
Last but not least it is probable that Supreme Court Justices Kennedy and Ginsberg will retire before the next Presidential term is over. Scalia, at 74 still seems sharp and dedicated. But, it is possible that within two terms a president Romney could make three replacements and maybe even four depending on the health and temperament of Breyer. If he is elected, can conservatives move Romney enough to protect our constitution by appointing solid conservatives to strengthen the court?
I don't think this element of our future can be emphasized enough. If Obama is reelected, Ginsberg will surely hand him her chair and knowing how the republicans in the Senate crawl to please the media, he could get Louis Farrakhan approved.
> Some may say, what does it matter, Romney cant win. I say, by God it does matter.
As you stated, it does matter.
“Obama hates The USA. Romney, while liberal, loves The USA.”
What has Bishop Willard ever done to lead you to this speculation? His entire life is aimed at the promotion of himself or his cult.
The difference between Lightworker Hussein and Bishop Willard with regard to America is at what price each would sell it out.
‘The he has no chance mantra seems to be mostly based on the assumption that Evangelicals wont come out and vote for a Mormon, therefore places like Mississippi and Georgia will become Obama states.’
Wrong. We won’t come out and vote for a condescending leftwing activist puke from a corrupt party. That leaves Willard dangling like a saline scalded fetus in Massachusetts.
I’ve read your posts. You detest Mormons.
“My opinon of Mormons has done a 180 with their win at all costs advancement of Bishop Willard. They now rate below Hare Krishnas and Scientologists with me.”
So you choose your candidates based on physical appearance? Surely you couldn't be so shallow. I will say, though, if that's your criteria, Bishop Willard should be out of the running, with that big, bland, vanilla face, the black tooth, the greasy 50s-dad hair, and the pwecious, mincing little walk.
Who is your candidate, BTW?
You not thinking very clearly.
I'll take a lame-duck, unpopular Marxist in the White House with a growing Republicans and conservative majority in congress over a liberal Republican and shrinking minority of Republicans and conservatives in Congress.
Republicans will be able to stop Obama's liberal legislative agenda while Romney will be able to find enough RINOs with help him pass the liberal legislation -- Romneycare, VAT tax, taxes on the rich, etc . -- he proposes.
And, the Obama nightmare will end in four years. The nightmare of Romney and other Democrat in the White House will last eight years.
Romney is Obama, Jr. He will not change anything Obama has done and he is a stooge of Soros.
LOL Everyone thought Jimma Carter was a Christian even with his weird family. He was anything but. The man was dealing with the Communist the entire time he was in office. When he did the gas rationing; it was just a preview of what to come.
Look beneath the surface. Politicians are liars.
But if we are talking electability in the general, when was the last time somebody that looked like Gingrich was elected president? When was the last time somebody so utterly incapable of connecting with anybody other than his base was elected president? Before television for sure.
You might not be a shallow voter. You might spend your evenings pouring over policy papers. But the people that decide presidential elections are shallow and spend their evenings watching "American Idol". Ignoring this obvious fact reveals true shallowness on the part of many Newt people around here, if you ask me.
If I could simply choose the next president from what is left, it would probably be Santorum, Gingrich, and Romney, in that order. Perhaps I would pick Gingrich over Santorum just for the pleasure of watching leftist heads explode. He'd be a better president than Romney, but it doesn't matter. He won't get the chance.
I would enjoy watching Newt dice Obama in debates. But I am not naïve enough to think a debate performance would prevent Gingrich from losing 40 states, as shallow, apolitical voters recoil in horror at the thought of seeing him on their TV screens for 4 years.
I will always be grateful for what Newt engineered in 94, and would move mountains to vote for him over any Dem. But if you can see anything personally likable about him, you have better eyesight than most. I do enjoy his rhetorical zingers from time to time, but can't see much that's admirable or likable about him. I don't think am the only republican that views him that way.
There is way more to getting elected president than appealing rhetorically to your base. Looks and personality matter. Sorry, but denying it requires a shallowness that can't be denied. Given that, how do you think he will play with 19 year old college girls?
There is no way in hell apolitical people, without core beliefs would vote for him. He would suffer an historic drubbing, in an election against a very beatable incumbent. The purists and anti-Morman voters he would attract better than Romney would be dwarfed by the moderate, apolitical, and shallow he would lose compared to Romney. Why is that so hard to understand?
It might not be possible to De-Honkify Willard Romney..
Will make it easier for him to take a dive and throw the election..
For Myth is indeed the NEW Juan McLaim..
Oh, sugar, I don’t detest Mormons anymore than they detest Lamanites like me.
“The purists and anti-Morman voters he would attract...”
If you are going to parrot stupid concepts you might at least try to spell them correctly. Otherwise it is like some “rappa” ranting against “Jooz”. The illiteracy further undermines the vapid argument.
It is very perceptive of you to notice it. It is evidence of your towering intellect and top notch debating skills. The argument is over and has for sure ended in your favor. What was that argument again? It is an absurd notion that Romney might suffer from religious bigotry, or is it an absurd to notion that he won't? In spite of your Volkswagen sized mind, you seem to have failed to say.
It is easy to see why you like newt; having so much in common in the charm, decorum, and full of your self for no particular reason department.
“It is easy to see why you like newt; having so much in common in the charm, decorum, and full of your self for no particular reason department.”
Again, spell check your clichés.
You must be having the same smug, self satisfied feeling Newt got when he pocketed that cool 1.6 mil for giving history lessons.
I anxiously await your next school marm (Is that spelled right? I sure hope so lest my intellect be called into question my better.) evaluation.
The world will end by Y10K anyway (you know, the 5-digit year problem and all). :-)
“I sure hope so lest my intellect be called into question my better.”
Chillax, my man.
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Former City Clerk Robert J. O'Keefe, one of the more powerful and controversial figures at City Hall over a four-decade period during the second half of last century, has died. He was 88.
Mr. O'Keefe was the city's chief records keeper for 45 years, from 1953 until his retirement in 1998. He died today.
He was the longest-tenured city clerk since Worcester became a city in 1848, and he is believed to have had one of the longest tenures in the state.
Mr. O'Keefe was appointed Worcester's eighth city clerk on March 16, 1953, succeeding City Clerk Russell T. Ober.
He had been practicing law for about five years when he qualified for the city clerk's job by being the only person among 39 candidates to pass the state Civil Service examination for the post.
In addition to being city clerk, Mr. O'Keefe served as the city's chief election officer for 33 years. He also served on the now defunct License Board for more than 30 years, and was its chairman for 26 years.
His involvement in all those key positions made him one of the most powerful figures at City Hall.
Mr. O'Keefe even tested the political waters for the city manager's job when Francis C. McGrath retired in 1985, but never formally put his name in for consideration.
A lighting rod for controversy as well, he was never shy about speaking his mind, even if it meant ruffling feathers at City Hall.
Mr. O'Keefe feuded with city managers and had frequent run-ins with the American Civil Liberties Union of
Massachusetts over birth records and voter registration issues.
He also was not bashful about taking on his boss, the City Council. He became embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with the city manager and council over the use of personnel from the city clerk's office for the Election Commission; not only did Mr. O'Keefe prevail, but the council ended up paying him $65,000 he had accumulated in legal fees.
“He was indeed one of a kind; we'll never see anyone else like him again,” said former Mayor Jordan Levy, who was on the City Council from 1976-1994.
“He was never afraid to speak his mind. He was straight as an arrow and that's the way he saw things.
“His passing is a reminder of an era gone by at City Hall,” he added. “I have a lot of fond memories of Bob. He was a tremendous help to me when I first got on the council and when I became mayor. He was really my go-to guy and I looked up to him because he was the kind of person I could go to for advice. If you were a friend of Bob O'Keefe, you were a friend for life; if were an enemy, well, you didn't want to be on his bad side.”
City Clerk David J. Rushford, who succeeded Mr. O'Keefe in 1998, said his old boss served the people of Worcester well.
He said Mr. O'Keefe always carried out his duties professionally and gave him much credit for taking the city clerk's office out of the age of paper and carbons and bringing it into one where it became a statewide leader in the use of automation.
“The clerk is the one constant in local government because it is a position that people often rely on the most in government throughout time,” said Mr. Rushford, who served as assistant city clerk under Mr. O'Keefe for 17 years.
“I hope the people of Worcester remember the stature of the person who was their city clerk for 45 years. He always maintained his composure during times of duress and he carried out his duties in a professional manner. He also provided me with the training I needed so there could be a seamless transition when he left.”
City Manager Michael V. O'Brien said Mr. O'Keefe was the consummate public servant. Early in his career, he said, the city clerk would counsel him that those in city government are here to serve, always, no matter how large or small the issues are of our citizens and businesses.
“He was always there to offer advice and to assist with insights from a world and wealth of experience,” Mr. O'Brien said. “You always knew where you stood with Bob. He said what he meant and meant what he said. He was thoughtful, intelligent, principled and honest.
Mayor Joseph M. Petty, who was elected to City Council at the tail end of Mr. O'Keefe's tenure, praised him for his dedication to public service during most of his life.
He said Mr. O'Keefe served the city with distinction, and he was always especially helpful to new members of the council when they first joined the body, making the transition easy for them.
Athy Memorial Home, 111 Lancaster St., is handling the funeral arrangements.
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Are you a Google Analytics enthusiast?
More SEO Content
Xhtml Vs Html
Posted 01 September 2006 - 02:51 PM
Posted 01 September 2006 - 03:50 PM
Dunno where anybody would get the idea that Google "doesn't prefer" HTML, especially given that HTML is the language of the web. No matter how it starts out, it's all HTML by the time the browser renders it and the SE spider sees it. And in any case, the SEs aren't in the business of telling us how to code our pages.
XHTML, ASP, PHP, ASP.Net, plain old HTML, whatever. It's all good.
Posted 02 September 2006 - 07:30 PM
I am considering upgrading from 4.01 transitional.
What is the future direction of the web languages?
Not so much for SEO but for ease/adaptability of coding.
I use heavily nested tables and am not yet ready to go fully CSS layout as I am waiting for IE7 becoming standardised.
Posted 02 September 2006 - 08:25 PM
If you want to clean up the code, you can replace all the one column tables with P's and DIV's. There's nothing wrong with keeping some tables. Tables and CSS can co-exist. You can define classes and id's to specify the formatting of tables, rows and cells. Just do whatever works best and is easiest to maintain.
Posted 03 September 2006 - 03:24 AM
SEO is not really one of them.
Posted 03 September 2006 - 03:46 AM
Pete (foamcow) wrote an really good post at Tek-Tips on why, where and what Doctype should be used, but in true TT style I can't find it (The search is really
If HTML is all you are using there is no need to spend lots of time getting your pages to validate to XHTML strict. Meeting 4.01 strict validation will be perfectly adequate. If you are really concerned with validation that is. Personally, cross browsers compatibility is always my target.
Posted 26 September 2006 - 10:56 AM
Posted 26 September 2006 - 12:11 PM
They're both valid, they just have different purposes. It's like asking which is better: a car or a piece of paper? One's excellent if you need to get to the grocery store, the other's great if you want to write out your grocery list. Which one you want to use at any given time is a function of what you want to do at that time.
So it basically depends on what you mean by "outlining copy."
Posted 26 September 2006 - 12:17 PM
If this were the copy on a website:
Please either log in with your existing account details below or click the Register Button to create a new one.
Should the <span> be used to wrap around the copy, or should the <p> ?
I ask as I am uncertain and getting foggier by the minute, and I thought it would be a good one for all newbies too
Posted 26 September 2006 - 12:23 PM
If it's just one sentence within a larger paragraph and (for instance) I just wanted to format it in a different color or typeface to make it stand out from the other sentences within that paragraph, I'd use <span></span>.
As I say, it depends on how you're using the tag.
Posted 30 September 2006 - 05:25 AM
If you are going to revamp your site and is uncertain about the structure of a standard web page you can save a lot of time and trouble by using a little sum of money on a good book.
There are several good ones, but I would recommend 'Web Design In a Nutshell' by Niederst Robbins (O'Reilly, 2006). In the earlier editions of this book Robbins was using layout tables, but has now seen the light of CSS design and is very good at explaining the subject. If you do not want an extensive library this is the one book to buy.
If you need a more How To book, try to look at sitepoint.com.
I am not affiliated with O'Reilly or SitePoint.
Posted 01 October 2006 - 08:20 PM
Posted 02 October 2006 - 09:26 AM
There is nothing "improper" about good ol' HTML. There is no need to spend time/money updating perfectly acceptable HTML websites to XHTML just because "somebody" says it's "better."
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Join our network of non-profits, companies and individuals who believe social change can happen through design.Become A Member
Member since October 25, 2012
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When you reach age 70 1/2, the government requires you to begin taking minimum amounts from your retirement accounts. These Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) are generally due by December 31 of each year. However, your first distribution can be delayed until April 1 of the year following the year that you turn 70 1/2. With that date rapidly approaching, I wanted to give a quick reminder to any of you who may be affected because the penalties for failing to take your RMD are steep. Any amount that should have been withdrawn that wasn’t is taxed at 50%.
For those affected, I have attached worksheets below to help you calculate your RMD. You should work closely with your tax and investment advisers to ensure that you take the proper amount each year.
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Ofsted direct: Total (0)
This short special edition has been prepared to alert schools about changes to the way that Ofsted will deal with complaints received from parents and carers about their children's schools.
Ofsted Direct: Issue 10
This issue includes articles on the forthcoming college inspection changes, and an update of RAISEonline, the online statistical data service for schools, and interviews with two headteachers from outstanding schools. As usual, a short summary and links to are provided to findings reports with an educational subject published since the last edition.
Ofsted Direct: Issue 9
This Special Edition introduces our Annual Report for 2005/6
The e-newsletter is introduced by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, and summarises our findings from nearly 40,000 inspections childcare and early learning settings; state maintained schools; further education, independent specialist and sixth form colleges; and 36 joint area reviews of children's services in local authorities, which are included in the annual report for the first time.
Ofsted Direct: Issue 8
The eighth edition of Ofsted Direct includes articles: on the forthcoming school inspection programme, which will be the first to take the more proportionate approach piloted during the last academic year; why Contextual Value Added (CVA) data gives us a better snapshot of the comparative performance of schools as we prepare to inspect them; and giving the latest on the transfer from the PANDA to RAISEonline school performance information service, among other news.
Ofsted Direct: Issue 7
The seventh edition of Ofsted Direct spotlighted subject and survey inspections. It included: a review of a recent mathematics inspection; how the subject and survey inspections are progressing and what schools think about them; the end of the PANDA and details of its replacement.
Ofsted Direct: Issue 6
The sixth issue of Ofsted Direct featured articles on the launch of the proportionate inspection programme consultation, what inspectors and headteachers thought of the trial inspections and a link to the feedback form.
Ofsted Direct: Issue 5
The fifth issue of Ofsted Direct featured articles 'rapid response' reports, our new Chief Inspector and how to tell us what you thought about your inspection.
Ofsted Direct: Issue 4
The fourth issue of Ofsted Direct featured articles on changes to the inspection workforce, new PANDA and SEF forms, Ofsted's reports on drugs in schools and David Bell's Teachernet interview.
Ofsted Direct: Issue 3
The third issue of Ofsted Direct featured articles on new school inspections including self evaluation and inspection pilots.
Ofsted Direct: Issue 2
The second issue of Ofsted Direct featured articles on self evaluation, the new grading system for schools and the new inspection teams.
Ofsted Direct: Issue 1
The first issue of Ofsted Direct featured articles on the Future of Inspection, food in schools and the plans for new Early Years inspections.
Ofsted has a large catalogue of publications.
To browse the sub-section you are in, please use the A–Z displayed above.
To browse by date, please use the navigation below.
Set month filter for 2001
To search for publications by title or key word, please use the search facility featured below.
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RICCI v. DESTEFANO
White and Hispanic candidates for promotion in the New Haven, CT fire department sued various city officials in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut when the New Haven Civil Service Board (CSB) failed to certify two exams needed for the plaintiffs' promotion to Lieutenant and Captain. The CSB did not certify because the results of the test would have promoted a disproportionate number of white candidates in comparison to minority candidates. The plaintiffs argued that their rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. Section 2000e, and the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause were violated. The federal district court granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment.
On appeal, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed. It reasoned that the CSB, by refusing to certify the results of the promotional exam, was trying to fulfill its obligations under the rules utilized by the plaintiffs in their argument and therefore was protected in its actions.
1) Can a municipality reject results from an otherwise valid civil service exam when the results unintentionally prevent the promotion of minority candidates?
2) Does 42 U.S.C. Section 2000e permit federal courts to relieve municipalities from having to comply with local laws that require strict compliance with race-blind merit selection procedures?
Maybe; fact dependent. Not answered. The Supreme Court held that by discarding the exams, the City of New Haven violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. With Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote the majority joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, and Justices Antonin G. Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel A. Alito. Before an employer can engage in intentional discrimination for the purpose of avoiding a "disparate impact" on a protected trait (race, color, religion, national origin), the employer must have a "strong basis in evidence" that it will be subject to "disparate impact liability" if it fails to take the discriminatory action. Here, the Court reasoned that New Haven failed to prove it had a "strong basis in evidence" that failing to discard the results of the exam would have subjected it to liability, as the exams were job-related, consistent with business necessity, and there was no evidence that an equally-valid, less-discriminatory alternative was available.
Justice Scalia wrote separately, concurring. He noted that the Court avoided answering whether the "disparate impact" provision of Title VII was consistent with the Equal Protection Clause. Justice Alito also wrote a concurring opinion and was joined by Justices Scalia and Thomas. He criticized the dissent for omitting key information in reaching its alternate conclusion.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented and was joined by Justices John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter, and Stephen G. Breyer. She argued that the City of New Haven had good cause to believe it would be vulnerable to a Title VII lawsuit if it certified the exams. Moreover, she criticized the majority for ignoring "substantial flaws" in the exam.
ORAL ARGUMENT OF GREGORY S. COLEMAN ON BEHALF OF THE PETITIONERS
Chief Justice Roberts: We will hear argument today in Case 07-1428, Ricci v. DeStefano, and the consolidated case.
Mr. Coleman: Good morning, Mr. Chief Justice, and may it please the Court: Racial classifications are inherently pernicious and, if not checked, lead as they did in New Haven to regrettable and socially destructive racial politics.
Neither equal protection nor Title VII justified New Haven's race-based scuttling of the promotions Petitioners earned through the civil service process mandated by Connecticut law.
The lower court required no strong evidentiary basis that the City was acting to remedy or avoid any actual discrimination, but strong safeguards are needed to smoke out illegitimate uses of race and to extinguish the racial favoritism that civil service laws -- excuse me -- are intended to prevent.
Governmental employment actions grounded in race must be strictly scrutinized because they engender divisiveness and cause race-grounded harm that the Constitution seeks to avert.
That standard does not change with the race of those the government seeks to--
Justice Stevens: May I just ask this question?
Is it undisputed that it was a race-based decision?
Mr. Coleman: --No, Justice Stevens.
I think the city makes the argument that it was not a race-based decision simply because the effect of the scuttling resulted in no promotions being given at all.
We believe that that is not a basis for distinguishing this.
That it still remains a race-based decision.
Justice Stevens: Are you contending that that's an issue of fact that has to be tried out or that we should accept your version of that -- of that issue?
Mr. Coleman: I believe that that's an issue of law, Your Honor.
It is no different ultimately than what the Court concluded in Croson.
This type of an argument that a do-over is not a racial classification is exactly what happened in Croson.
There was a do-over declared, a -- a rebidding; and yet the Court said, because that rebidding was declared for racial reasons, it would nevertheless be subjected to--
Justice Ginsburg: That was pursuant to -- to an affirmative action plan, and here we're dealing with this concept under Title VII of disparate impact.
And let's take for one example a test that's given by a police department, a fire department, and it -- it's a physical fitness test, and it disproportionately excludes female applicants.
And when the results come in and there are no women on the eligibility list, the department reconsiders.
It thinks there is something wrong with this test.
It can probably test for the necessary skills in a way that will not achieve those results.
Would it be similarly impermissible, similarly based on an impermissible criterion, if the department said: We're not going to -- we have got the results of that test.
We're going to throw it out and substitute another that will not have those skewed results.
Mr. Coleman: --If that decision was grounded in a determination that we simply need to ensure that there are more women on the force, then, yes, it would be subjected to heightened scrutiny, maybe not strict scrutiny under that--
Justice Ginsburg: Not more women on the force, but this test that we're giving has the effect of excluding most women, just as the high school diploma had the effect, a disproportionate effect, on one race.
Mr. Coleman: --I think your question gets to part of the heart of this case, and that is, ultimately: Is the decision that's being made one that is -- is based in race or is -- is based on a determination that there is an improper test?
But this decision is grounded in race if -- if the police department in your case had clear evidence that the test was simply unnecessary, that it was not job-related and could be clearly done by an identifiable alternative, I think at the end of the day there might be some basis.
But if it is grounded in--
Justice Ginsburg: So they would have to go -- I take it from what you said they would have to go as far as proving a Title VII disparate impact case against themselves.
They couldn't do anything short of that to prevail when it is the majority race that is complaining about discrimination.
Mr. Coleman: --To use the constitutional analogy, Your Honor, I think Wygant, Croson, Adarand, other cases, make clear that you do not have to prove the violation against yourself, but you do have to demonstrate that you have a strong basis in evidence for believing you are violating the law.
In Wygant the plurality set that out citing convincing evidence.
Justice Souter: The problem, Mr. Coleman, is that -- that the cases you are relying on, it seems to me, are cases in which ultimately what is being judged is a different result in the -- at the end point of the process which was starting.
And the problem that I have with -- with using cases like that and -- and essentially the problem I -- I have with your argument is that it leaves a -- a municipality or a governmental body like New Haven in a -- in a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.
Because on -- on the very assumptions that you are making, if they go forward with -- with their -- their hiring plan, they certify the results and go forward with it, they are inevitably facing a disparate impact lawsuit.
If they stop and say, wait a minute, we're starting down the road toward a disparate impact lawsuit and, indeed, there may be something wrong here, they are inevitably facing a disparate treatment suit.
And whatever Congress wanted to attain, it couldn't have wanted to attain that kind of a situation.
Why isn't the most reasonable reading of this set of facts a reading which is consistent with giving the city an opportunity, assuming good faith, to start again?
And I -- I recognize there's got to be a good faith condition, and the -- the good faith can always be attacked.
But isn't that the only way to avoid the damned if you do, damned if you don't situation?
Mr. Coleman: No, I completely disagree with that, Justice Souter.
It not simply a matter of good faith.
The use of race in government is so -- the Court has been so--
Justice Souter: But you make no distinction between race as an animating discriminating object on the one hand and race consciousness on the other.
There is no way to deal with a situation like this any more than there is a way to deal with -- with setting lines in voting districts--
Mr. Coleman: --I also--
Justice Souter: --without pervasive race consciousness.
That is not unconstitutional, and it seems to me that you are not observing that distinction in -- in your reply.
Mr. Coleman: --I disagree with that as well, Justice Souter.
There is a strong difference in what happened in this case.
In partial answer to Justice Ginsburg's question, et al., this is not an issue where the -- where the city had before it and was making a determination that our examination is not job related.
In fact, it is clear on the record that what the city said is, this comes to the wrong racial result, and, therefore, there must be something wrong with the test.
Justice Kennedy: Well, let me ask you this -- this question, and I don't mean to interrupt your answer, but it is based on what Justice Souter and Justice Ginsburg have both been asking.
Hypothetical case: The city says, our test is not very good.
We need a new test.
The expert says, don't pay us to have a new one.
There are two great ones out there.
One is in City A.
The other is in City B.
Use either one of those.
They are great.
They find out that City A has a disparate impact in the statistical sense, not in the legal sense; that it disadvantages minorities, at least if you look at the passage rates.
The other test doesn't.
Are they permitted to take the test that doesn't have that differential?
Mr. Coleman: --Under our alternative argument, Your Honor, assuming that -- that fixing disparate impact can be a compelling interest, we believe that you would at least have to demonstrate a strong basis in evidence to show that there is liability under (k) ( 2) -- your -- your example--
Justice Kennedy: My -- my question is -- and you can answer, I guess, both under Title VII and -- and under the Fourteenth Amendment.
The city says, the only reason -- the only reason for our selecting the test from City B -- and both tests are very good tests -- is because minorities are better represented on the passing rate.
Is that permissible?
Mr. Coleman: --Under the Armstrong basis of evidence test, it might very well be because it meets the second qualification of the disparate impact statute, in which there is a specific alternative that is equally valid.
If you are -- if you are going to assume that it can be shown to be equally valid and that it has less disparate impact--
Justice Kennedy: And do you find -- and do you find any constitutional deficiency in the city's choice in that hypothetical case?
Is there any Fourteenth Amendment problem?
Mr. Coleman: --Well, we are certainly quite troubled that the Court would say, as it has not said, that the idea of -- of overcoming purely unintentional discrimination can be a compelling interest for cutting off what we believe is intentional discrimination.
But barring that, our test, our backup test, is then that the strong basis in evidence test that exists from Wygant and Croson would at least in its -- require that you have a strong basis in evidence for demonstrating liability under this--
Justice Souter: Well, what -- what if you've got -- what if you've got the basis of Justice Kennedy's hypothetical?
You've -- you've got a municipality.
It's a racially mixed municipality.
It's got two tests.
That's his hypothetical.
One of them seems to suggest that there is going to be a significant racial disparity in the results if they use it.
The other one from the other city or the other State suggests not.
That's all they've got to go on.
Is that a strong basis in evidence, or did they walk their way into a lawsuit by you if they adopt the -- the test that doesn't -- that at least in the other place hasn't produced the disparity?
Mr. Coleman: --Under that argument, as long as it can be demonstrated to be equally content valid, equally or better content valid and to have a lesser impact, then it would show -- it would establish a stronger--
Justice Scalia: They would not have discriminated against any particular--
Mr. Coleman: --That's -- that's correct, Your Honor.
Justice Scalia: --white or -- or majority applicants in -- in that selection, which is what occurred here.
You had -- you had some applicants who were winners, and their -- their promotion was -- was set aside.
That doesn't exist in these hypotheticals at all.
It's just an abstract question of which of these two systems should be adopted.
Mr. Coleman: Well, I understood Justice Kennedy's hypothetical to be after you have taken a test and building upon the hypothetical.
Justice Ginsburg: It wasn't my--
Justice Kennedy: No.
Mr. Coleman: It was--
Justice Kennedy: --It was designed to show, and maybe it's theoretical, but I want to know the answer so that I can understand this case.
It's designed to ask you the question whether or not race consciousness is ever permissible.
Mr. Coleman: --If -- if in your situation is simply in your situation the initial giving of the test, can you choose between those two tests, then we believe based upon what the Court has said in the past that a city could do that.
Justice Breyer: A city can in fact choose a test simply because there will be more minority people who will in fact end up in the positions, that's your view?
Mr. Coleman: Well--
Justice Breyer: You needn't do anything else?
I mean, that is your answer to Justice Kennedy?
Mr. Coleman: --Nobody can know in fact--
Justice Breyer: I want to know is that your answer to Justice Kennedy or not?
Mr. Coleman: --Under that hypothetical, we believe they can choose that test.
Chief Justice Roberts: Are you assuming--
Justice Breyer: The answer is yes.
Chief Justice Roberts: --Are you--
Justice Breyer: If that's so, what's the difference here?
The most that you're saying is the worst that could have happened here; the worst that could have happened is that some experts told them, this test -- by the way, test one is -- is even worse than in Justice Kennedy's hypothetical.
It's a test that probably discriminates negatively against minorities.
So if you admit he could do it even if the test didn't discriminate negatively against minorities, namely test -- in his case, why can't you do it triply, in the case where there's evidence that they did discriminate, the test does discriminate against minorities?
Mr. Coleman: Two very strong differences, Justice Breyer.
First of all, our -- our firefighters had already taken the test; they had earned their promotions under state law.
There was nothing left to do but to ministerially certify the lists, all right?
The second difference is this.
Justice Ginsburg: --Well, that can't be right if they -- if what you just answered to Justice Kennedy is -- is right.
Suppose they had very strong evidence that the test that they had given that had these results, just as my physical fitness test that excluded all women -- that had it those results, it wasn't job-related, and there was a better test available, they wouldn't have any vested right in getting the promotions under those circumstances, would they?
Mr. Coleman: --We're not claiming that it's a vested right.
What we're claiming is that sometimes the Court has permitted governments to use race to remedy discrimination, and what would be needed in that hypothetical, Your Honor, is -- is the discrimination; and under your hypothetical there might very well be a strong case of discrimination, but under these facts there is no evidence in this record, and the city conceded below and never asserted in its bio in this case that it had any basis to contest the job-relatedness of this examination or these examinations that were given.
That is not part of the record in this case.
Justice Scalia: What -- one of the briefs said that, and maybe it wasn't done below, but one of the briefs said part of the claim is that some of the things that this test tested for were not -- were not qualities or abilities that were needed in New Haven, although they might be needed in other fire departments.
The test had not been localized.
Wasn't that part of the -- part of the objection?
Mr. Coleman: --No, Your Honor, not in the district court.
If you look at 1024a of the Pet.
App., the city's lawyer in front of the district court and in its pleadings on summary judgment very clearly states that they didn't believe the job relatedness is even relevant to the case.
All that they needed was good faith.
They didn't need job relatedness, they didn't need an actual alternative, which is the basis of some of the hypotheticals you're giving.
All they need is good faith.
Justice Ginsburg: Then why did they have the testimony before the Civil Service Board, about -- somebody from another testing company said this is a multiple choice test; it tests rote memory; we could have come up with a test that would better test the skills needed to be -- nothing about the localization, but something about command presence.
There was a term used, assessment centers; that this test didn't effectively test the skills that you needed on the job, and others did.
Mr. Coleman: Justice Ginsburg, that's not at all what Mr. Hornick said in front of the Civil Service Board.
What he said is first, I didn't look at the test; two, I looked at the results and I see disparate impact; three, I'm not going to tell you what exams we gave, but I'm mentioning this thing called an assessment center, but I could design a better test, not having even looked at this test.
But at the end of the day he also said, I think you should go ahead and give these promotions and in the future maybe you could fix your test.
He didn't say here's an alternative; here's why this would be equally valid, here's why -- excuse me -- here's why this would have lesser impact.
He simply said there is a concept called an assessment center, and I think that that might help you in the future, but you should go ahead and give the promotions on this test.
Chief Justice Roberts: --Counsel, some time ago you said you had two answers to Justice Breyer's question.
I would like to hear the second one.
Mr. Coleman: --Well, I actually think I got to the -- the first.
Justice Breyer: If you got to that, then I have -- I'd like one follow-up, and that's it.
Chief Justice Roberts: Maybe if you don't mind, you could remind me what the second answer was.
Mr. Coleman: Again -- again, getting to the -- the fundamental point is, the use of race is so, so very important that the Court has always expressed skepticism and hostility to it, and what we're saying under this argument regarding a strong basis in evidence, and I think this answers both your hypothetical and Justice Souter's, is that what the city is saying, we don't have to demonstrate a strong basis in evidence for liability, we concede that we don't have that; all we have is good faith.
And that's not enough.
Justice Souter: But you are -- as I understand it, you are imposing your strong basis in evidence test on what you referred to a second ago as the use of race, and that cannot be correct, because the use of race includes race-conscious decisions which are not discriminatory decisions, and they certainly do not implicate the -- the obligation that you want to impose.
You -- if -- if your argument is going to be coherent with what we start with, it can't be based merely on the use of race because if it does, then you are, in effect, turning any race-conscious decision into a discrimination decision, and that equation we certainly haven't made and we're never going to make.
Mr. Coleman: --That's not our intention, Justice Souter.
Justice Souter: Then--
Mr. Coleman: Our argument is clearly that this is not race-conscious, that it is race-based.
The only determination that the city made is we don't like the results of this test; there must be something different that we can do; and we don't need to demonstrate--
Justice Souter: --But even--
Mr. Coleman: --viability or strong basis in evidence.
We can simply fix it.
Justice Souter: --I don't want to turn this into just a rhetoric exercise, but I think the rhetoric is important.
You say the city took the position, we don't like the results of this test.
That kind of a statement is consistent with saying, look, we don't like the race of the people who are going to benefit from this.
It's also consistent with the city's taking the position that there is such a racial disparity here that we are either asking for trouble or walking blindly or perhaps foolishly into a -- a racial disparity lawsuit based on disparate impact.
Those are two very, very different attitudes.
The first one is discriminatory.
I don't see how the second one is discriminatory.
Mr. Coleman: But it -- it clearly is, Justice Souter.
I think the distinction we're making in part is this principle of individual dignity that the Court has recognized is so strong distinguishes the hypothetical that Justice Kennedy gave me from -- form the example that we have in this case where they had already taken the test; identifiable individuals had earned their promotions; and then the city says too many non-minorities passed this test, and we are going to scuttle these results based on identifiable individuals who have passed and not based on any -- anything approaching a demonstration that there is actually any disparate impact liability.
Justice Souter: But the cost of drawing the distinction between this case and Justice Kennedy's hypothetical example is that if we draw that distinction, the only way the city can get itself out of not only a certain lawsuit, but quite probably a successful lawsuit, is to make, in practical terms, a preliminary case against itself.
Mr. Coleman: I--
Justice Souter: And it -- I cannot conceive that Congress intended to put a city into that situation saying you've either got to blunder ahead into a losing lawsuit in court, or you have got to stop and expose yourself to another lawsuit which you can only win by proving that you at least had taken some steps in violating the law the first time.
That is inconceivable.
Mr. Coleman: --Justice Souter, I understand the concern about the employer's point of view, which we don't think stands here just because of the blatant way the City went about this.
But in general terms we're not asking, contrary to Wygant, contrary to Croson, that you prove up a claim against yourself.
But what we are saying is that the standard cannot be so light that the City very lightly and without any demonstration whatsoever that there might actually be liability here, based simply on the numbers, can say well, we're going to avoid liability and we're going to favor the minority group over the non-minority group.
All we're asking for is that the City undertake an honest and -- and open assessment of are we really likely to be liable here under the disparate impact provision of Title VII.
Justice Breyer: What do you do if there is not a liability in question?
Suppose a school district deliberately, to obtain greater racial diversities in the schools draws district boundaries in a particular way among neighborhoods or plans a construction program.
Then suppose having done that, indeed having once drawn the boundaries, a group comes to the school district and says you can achieve greater diversity if you redraw the boundary.
You can achieve greater diversity if instead of building this school where the -- where the foundations are laid already, you build the school over here instead.
Is that, in your view, different from your case?
Mr. Coleman: I think--
Justice Breyer: It is?
Mr. Coleman: --I think it is.
I think you're giving examples from Justice Kennedy's--
Justice Breyer: That's just what I'm doing exactly.
Mr. Coleman: --It's -- it's really isn't different from Justice Thomas also had an example in Grutter.
Justice Breyer: But I'm interested in the distinctions, not whether it's similar to Justice Thomas's or not.
I'm interested in the distinctions between this program -- I'll add one more if you want just this program, an employer--
Justice Scalia: Can I hear his answer to this one first?
I'm getting confused.
Mr. Coleman: --I think the Court is certainly not fully in agreement on these questions, but the Court has at least an opinion suggested that those types of examples really are more of -- as Justice Souter, you were saying, the race-conscious type determination, and they don't violate this principle of individual dignity.
You're not taking individuals one by one who have already earned promotions, and you're taking away benefits from them clearly on the--
Justice Breyer: --And the difference between that and drawing the school district boundary, which takes from the individual children who live in that neighborhood the right to go to this school, which they think is a better one, and sends them to that school, which they think is a worse one, the difference between changing that boundary and changing the exam is what?
Mr. Coleman: --The difference that the Court, I believe, has suggested is that that type of a redrawing is likely to include a number of traditional redistricting factors and that race in that instance, unless it was shown to ultimately predominate, would not make it a race -- or, excuse me, a race-based effort that would violate equal protection.
I believe that's--
Justice Stevens: May I ask you one question--
Mr. Coleman: --Of course.
Justice Stevens: --because I'm not sure I understood your answer to Justice Kennedy?
What is your answer to Justice Kennedy's question about the two alternatives, one of which would fit exactly into the concluding clause of the first question presented to achieve racial proportionality in candidates selected?
He says there are two alternatives before the school board, one would achieve the proportionality, the other would not.
Are they free to choose the former?
Mr. Coleman: Again, assuming that no test has previously been given, if there are two tests, they are equally valid, one can be demonstrated to have lesser disparate impact, if there are no other circumstances, then we think they could likely under that test--
Justice Stevens: They could take that test, even though its sole purpose was to achieve racial proportionality in candidates selected?
Mr. Coleman: --I disagree that its sole purpose would be for that reason, Justice Stevens.
As long as it meets the other criteria for job relatedness, it would still be fulfilling the City's necessary needs for -- for identifying quality candidates for making sure--
Justice Stevens: This is the -- putting to one side liability in the lawsuit, is the interest in avoiding disparate impact a valid State interest?
Mr. Coleman: --We certainly have taken the position if disparate impact is identified purely as unintentional discrimination, then we don't believe it's a compelling State interest to overcome--
Justice Stevens: I didn't say compelling.
I said is it a valid State interest.
Just the interest in avoiding the kind of results you got here.
Mr. Coleman: --I'm not sure that we are questioning whether there's a State interest in--
Justice Stevens: The City is not merely trying to avoid liability, they are trying to avoid a disparate impact.
Is that a valid interest?
Mr. Coleman: --If the disparate impact is caused by something that could be demonstrated to equate to discrimination on behalf of the entity, which is what the elements of--
Justice Ginsburg: But I thought the whole idea of disparate impact is it's unintentional, that's the assumption, disparate treatment, intentional discrimination, disparate impact, unintentional, but it has askewed racial results.
Mr. Coleman: --There are two aspects to that, Justice Ginsburg.
The first is that you may have disparate impact if it is caused by unintentional discrimination.
But you may have disparate impact that occurs through no discrimination, intended or otherwise.
And Watson clearly recognized that.
And when Watson said we need to have strong evidentiary standards in evaluating disparate impact liability, it was recognizing that employers can't act simply to fix numerical disparities, because otherwise that leads to soft quotas.
What we need is some demonstration that there is at least discrimination on behalf of the entity, and perhaps that's unintentional, perhaps it's not.
Justice Ginsburg: How do we know whether something is discriminatory or just that it will have a certain effect?
Because it's in spite of.
For example, the Greek standard, the employer wants everybody to have a high school diploma, he wants an upgraded working staff, was told by this Court you can't do that because you would disproportionately exclude one race.
Mr. Coleman: Congress has spoken on this issue, has identified job relatedness and lack -- and the refusal of an alternative in K itself.
We believe this is with the provisions we have cited, H, J and L, all in which Congress expressed a strong intent to favor tests.
If I may reserve the balance of my time, Your Honor.
Chief Justice Roberts: Thank you, Mr. Coleman.
ORAL ARGUMENT OF EDWIN S. KNEEDLER ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED STATES, AS AMICUS CURIAE, SUPPORTING VACATUR AND REMAND
Mr. Kneedler: Mr. Chief Justice, and may it please the Court: This Court has long recognized that Title VII prohibits not only intentional discrimination but acts that are discriminatory in their operation.
Chief Justice Roberts: With respect to both blacks and whites, correct?
Mr. Kneedler: Yes.
Chief Justice Roberts: So, can you assure me that the government's position would be the same if this test -- black applicants -- firefighters scored highest on this test in disproportionate numbers, and the City said we don't like that result, we think there should be more whites on the fire department, and so we're going to throw the test out?
The government of United States would adopt the same position?
Mr. Kneedler: Yes, and let me -- your question had two parts of it.
You said there are too many blacks or too many whites.
That is not a permissible objective under our view.
The employer's action has to be tied to a concern about a violation of the disparate impact of--
Chief Justice Roberts: Yeah.
Mr. Kneedler: --under -- under Title VII.
Chief Justice Roberts: That's the part I don't understand.
What you're saying is that the department can engage in intentional discrimination to avoid concern that they will be sued under disparate impact.
Why doesn't it work the other way around as well?
Why don't they say, well, we've got to tolerate the disparate impact because otherwise, if we took steps to avoid it, we would be sued for intentional discrimination?
This idea that there is this great dilemma -- I mean, it cuts both ways.
Mr. Kneedler: Well, to -- to say that an employer violates the disparate treatment provision of Title VII when it seeks to -- when it acts for the purpose of complying with the disparate impact provisions of Title VII would be to set those two mutually reinforcing provisions of Title VII at war with one another, contrary to--
Justice Scalia: They are at war with one another.
Mr. Kneedler: --No, I don't think so.
Justice Scalia: How can one avoid--
Mr. Kneedler: One of the purposes of -- of the disparate impact test, as this Court has recognized, is -- is as a prophylactic against intentional discrimination, to root it out; also, as this Court said in Watson, to identify possible instances of subjective or -- excuse me, subconscious discrimination, and in some cases, to break down barriers that have existed in the past, for example, possibly the 60/40 weighting requirement that was under longstanding collective bargaining agreement.
The disparate impact test has been recognized since Griggs as fundamental to fulfilling the purposes of Title VII.
Title VII also has another important objective, as this Court has repeatedly recognized, which is that the voluntary compliance is the preferred objective -- excuse me -- preferred means of achieving the objectives of Title VII.
Employers therefore require considerable flexibility in assessing their practices and deciding on appropriate action if it looks like one of their actions -- their practices would violate--
Justice Scalia: --If it looks like or if the employer just in good faith believes?
Mr. Kneedler: --We think -- we think--
Justice Scalia: When I say they're at war with one another, I mean they become at war with one another when you say that all that is necessary to permit intentional discrimination is the employer's good faith belief that if he didn't intentionally discriminate, he'd be caught in a situation of disparate impact.
Mr. Kneedler: --Well, this--
Justice Scalia: At that point, they're at war with each other.
Mr. Kneedler: --Well, in -- in our view, the -- in -- in the situation here where the -- where the test has been given, and there is a list produced, we believe that the -- in order to avoid summary judgment and a disparate treatment case on a claim of intentional discrimination, the employer would have to show that his concerns were reasonable ones.
It has to be--
Justice Ginsburg: How does that--
Mr. Kneedler: --more than simply a disparate--
Justice Ginsburg: --I know you said that in your brief when you made a distinction between mere good faith and reasonable belief.
So how does one determine whether the concern that the employer is expressing is really in good faith or is reasonable?
What are the indicia of reasonableness?
Mr. Kneedler: --I -- for example, a -- a gross statistical disparity.
A statistical disparity makes out a prima facie case under Title VII.
We're not saying that in all cases simply a statistical disparity would be sufficient.
A gross statistical disparity could lead the -- the employer to believe that something was wrong with the test.
So I think -- but in addition if the employer has concerns about the validity of the test -- as you pointed out, concerns were expressed to the Civil Service Board in this case.
Justice Alito: Mr. Kneedler, could you explain how summary judgment in favor of the defendants on the Title VII disparate treatment claim can possibly be affirmed, even if the employer had reason to believe that the test that was given would expose itself to liability under a disparate impact theory?
If that's not the employer's real reason for refusing to go ahead with the promotions, then isn't there liability under a disparate treatment -- under a disparate treatment theory, and that's a question for the jury?
So how can we possibly affirm summary judgment here?
Mr. Kneedler: Well, we're -- we're not suggesting that the Court should affirm summary judgment.
We're -- we're suggesting remand.
The District Court identified reasons other than complying with Title VII's disparate impact standard for the employer's action here, diversity and role model, promotion of role models which we do not see as falling within this framework.
But if the only evidence that the plaintiff has that the employer took race into account was that the employer was aware, as obviously the disparate impact provisions require him to be, of the racially disparate impact of the test, and the employer acts in response to that, if that is the only evidence the -- the plaintiffs had, then the employer would be entitled to summary judgment.
We think that the evidence--
Justice Scalia: I'm sorry.
Mr. Kneedler: --We think that evidence of pretext or evidence that there is something else has to be external or something other than--
Justice Ginsburg: Can you be--
Justice Scalia: And a reasonable response to that, is your position?
Mr. Kneedler: --Yes--
Justice Scalia: Not just in response to that.
Mr. Kneedler: --If it's--
Justice Scalia: A reasonable--
Mr. Kneedler: --If it's not reasonable, then we think that that would be evidence of -- of pretext -- and--
Justice Ginsburg: --Can you be specific about what facts you think should be tried on remand?
Because you do distance yourself from the Respondents.
You are not urging affirmance of the summary judgment.
You say there are or may be genuine issues of fact.
So what are they?
Mr. Kneedler: --Well, I think they go primarily to the district court's identification of diversity and -- and role models as possible motivations for what the -- what the employer was doing.
The plaintiffs have also alleged that the -- that there was influence on the Civil Service Board external to the -- to the board's own decision.
By the way, I should point out in this regard, at pages 166 and 167 of the Joint Appendix, the two board members who voted not to certify expressed concerns about the validity of the test based on what they had heard at the hearing.
We don't think realistically a board in this situation should be required to do more, because it's important to recognize that the -- what the employer did here was not what concerned the Court in Wygant and cases like this.
The Court -- the employer did not adopt racial classifications with all the potential for adverse consequences for individuals who are labeled by race and promote on the basis of race.
That's not what the employer did here.
The employer paused and decided that there might be another nondiscriminatory or less discriminatory means.
In other words--
Justice Kennedy: Well, counsel, you know, I've given law school examinations, looked at them, and bar examinations for years.
There's never been one, when I don't look at it after the fact and say, you know, this could be better, this -- this was not quite right.
So shouldn't there be some standard that there has to be a significant, a strong showing after the test has been taken that it's deficient?
Before it can be set aside?
Mr. Kneedler: --We -- we don't think so, and for several reasons.
First of all, the action that the employer has taken in response, as I just said, is not a racial classification response.
It is a facially neutral response where the -- where the employer has decided the test will -- perhaps we'll look for another standard which would be given and applied equally to all applicants.
Justice Scalia: --And you would say that -- and I'm asking the same question the Chief Justice asked earlier -- you would say that if it had come out the other way--
Mr. Kneedler: Yes.
Justice Scalia: --And if there had been a disproportionate number of minorities who -- who passed the test--
Mr. Kneedler: And--
Justice Scalia: --You would say that it's neutral to set that test aside?
Mr. Kneedler: --And we -- and we--
Justice Scalia: I don't think you'd say that.
Mr. Kneedler: --Well, we -- there also has to be some concern that the test may not be job-related and -- and that there may not be other alternatives.
And we've been talking just about the prima facie case, but those are important elements as to whether the test is job-related.
Justice Scalia: It's whether it is -- it is neutral to set aside a test simply because one race predominates.
Mr. Kneedler: No, but the -- but the--
Justice Scalia: How you can call that race-neutral I -- I do not know.
Mr. Kneedler: --It's facially neutral.
I wanted to make the point that this is not the sort of intentional discrimination favoring one individual because of his race or disfavoring another.
What the employer has done here is -- is responded to the impact of the test in general terms, not on specific--
Justice Breyer: What do you think of an employer who does the following?
He advertises a job.
Everyone comes in and applies.
He says May 1 is the deadline.
When he sees the applicants, he thinks, I'd prefer more diversity.
And solely because he lacks diversity among women, minorities, and whatever, he says, you know, I'm going to extend the deadline 2 months, and I hope I'll get a few more minority or female applicants.
Now, what's his reason?
He wants more diversity in the workforce.
Now, in your opinion, does the Constitution permit that extension?
Mr. Kneedler: --I -- I think that's a more difficult question, but there may -- there may be a situation where the employer is concerned that his recruitment or his job announcement has had a disparate impact in terms of the -- of the applications that he has gotten.
In -- in that situation, the employees who have responded and may be advantaged, like the people promoted here may actually be taking advantage of a test that imposes barriers and disadvantages other people.
So when -- when we consider the impact in a situation like this on somebody who has passed the promotion test, it's important to consider that the people who have passed it may have benefited from a test that is discriminatory.
Chief Justice Roberts: Counsel, this may be the same question Justice Breyer asked, but I'd like something closer to a yes or no answer.
Does the government consider promotion of diversity by itself a compelling state interest in the employment context as opposed to the school context?
Mr. Kneedler: We think -- we think it probably is a compelling state interest, but it is not one that -- that can be advanced by race -- by racial classifications.
And that -- and that is our basic submission here.
This was not a--
Chief Justice Roberts: Can it be--
Mr. Kneedler: --This was not a--
Chief Justice Roberts: --Can it be advanced by taking actions to avoid what is perceived as a disparate impact?
Mr. Kneedler: --Yes.
Chief Justice Roberts: In other words, the disparate impact is regarded as something you can intentionally respond to by drawing racial distinctions solely because you would like a more diverse workforce?
Mr. Kneedler: No, not drawing racial distinctions.
That's our -- this -- the employer's response here did not draw racial distinctions.
It did not say so many black firefighters would be promoted--
Chief Justice Roberts: It didn't care--
Mr. Kneedler: --and so many white--
Chief Justice Roberts: --It didn't care -- it had to draw racial distinctions because it looked at the test and said, we think there's a problem because of the racial makeup of who's going to get the promotions.
Mr. Kneedler: --The employer was responding to the discriminatory test or what -- what it was reasonably concerned was a discriminatory test--
Justice Kennedy: But it looked at the--
Mr. Kneedler: --not the individual--
Justice Kennedy: --Counsel, it looked at the results, and it classified the successful and unsuccessful applicants by race.
Mr. Kneedler: --It -- it--
Justice Kennedy: And then -- and you want us to say this isn't race?
I have -- I have trouble with this argument.
Mr. Kneedler: --No, with respect, it did not classify according to race; it looked in general terms.
It did not have the names of individual people.
It looked in general terms at what the racial disparity of the test was.
Chief Justice Roberts: It didn't look at names; it just looked at the label of what their race was.
That's all they were concerned about.
Mr. Kneedler: --Title VII's disparate impact test requires -- requires an employer to be aware of and respond--
Justice Kennedy: But that's inconsistent with your answer to the Chief Justice who was exploring whether or not what we have here is a -- is a racial criteria, pure and simple, and you say, well, it's general.
And then we point out that each applicant didn't have his name, but they had his or her race.
Mr. Kneedler: --But the employer -- the employer was not making a decision to go forward and appoint individuals or promote individuals because of their race.
The employer stopped there and said we're going to start over.
That new test would be given equally to all employees, not any one particular employee.
Justice Stevens: Mr. Kneedler, can I ask you this?
You -- you've recommended that we set aside the summary judgment and send the case back for a hearing.
Mr. Kneedler: Yes.
Justice Stevens: What is the issue of fact that you think needs to be decided?
Mr. Kneedler: As I've mentioned to Justice Ginsburg, I think it would go -- there are several things.
One, it would go to the justifications that were advanced by, that identified by the district court here that do not fit into this framework, do not fit into complying with the Title VII disparate impact test, and those are promotion of diversity and -- and role models.
That is -- that is one.
Also the district court did not apply what we believe is the right test, whether the employer had a reasonable basis for believing that what it was doing was necessary or a reasonable basis to believe it might be violating the disparate impact test.
If it did not have a reasonable basis then we believe there would be a triable issue for the jury.
Justice Ginsburg: When -- when I asked that you question, you said that one issue of fact was whether the board was acting in response to improper influence, to racial politics.
Mr. Kneedler: Yes.
That -- the district court rejected that argument and whether or not that should be revisited on remand is -- is another matter.
Justice Scalia: Isn't that a controverted issue of fact?
How can you possibly get around that?
Mr. Kneedler: --Well--
Justice Scalia: I mean, one side says what you say is just pretext; the real reason was just politics.
Isn't that an issue of fact that has to be tried?
Mr. Kneedler: --Well, under this -- under this Court's decisions dealing -- dealing with summary judgment, even on questions of intent, the -- the plaintiff ordinarily has to come up with some affirmative evidence that there was -- that there was in this case an impermissible racial motive to do that.
And the -- the district court looked at what the civil service commissioners said and concluded that -- that they did not have an impermissible racial motive, that they were responding to concerns about the validity of -- of the test.
Justice Alito: But does the government think that you can just -- in a case like this you can just look at what -- what is said by the ultimate decision-maker and ignore the input from other people who may have influenced the process?
Mr. Kneedler: No, no, we do not.
There may be other people who had input into the process, and whether the -- the district court evaluated that and concluded that the -- that the input, that there was not a triable issue for summary judgment -- to avoid summary judgment on that question.
That would be open to the district court to reconsider on remand.
We don't deny that -- that it could go beyond that, but our principal concern here is the analytical framework that an employer who seeks to comply with the disparate impact requirements of Title VII which have been longstanding should not be teamed to have engaged in the sort of intentional discrimination that either the Equal Protection Clause or Title VII prohibits.
Chief Justice Roberts: Thank you, counsel.
ORAL ARGUMENT OF CHRISTOPHER J. MEADE ON BEHALF OF THE RESPONDENTS
Mr. Meade: Mr. Chief Justice, and may it please the Court: Employers, both private and public, are required to comply with Title VII's disparate impact provisions, which seek to root out barriers to equal opportunity.
When an employer learns that a practice has a severe adverse impact such that it creates an inference of discrimination, and evidence further supports that inference, the employer should be granted some limited degree of flexibility to act.
An employer certainly should not be encouraged or forced to make a promotion on the basis of the questionable practice.
Title VII's disparate impact provisions are designed to remove structural barriers to discrimination, and when an employment practice has an adverse impact such that it substantiates an inference of discrimination, an employer should look beyond that adverse impact.
Justice Alito: If all the employer--
Chief Justice Roberts: Can I ask you--
Justice Alito: --If all the employer has is evidence that the test results violate the four-fifths rule, is that sufficient?
Mr. Meade: In our view it is not sufficient, and that is not what was at issue here.
First of all, there was a severe adverse impact, much lower than the four-fifths rule, much lower than what this Court found in Connecticut v Teal, and in addition, not just on the pass/fail ratio--
Justice Alito: Well, if I could modify the question.
Is there some statistical point at which that's sufficient, if it's not four-fifths, if it's nine-tenths--
Mr. Meade: --Our view--
Justice Alito: --that alone would be sufficient?
Mr. Meade: --Our view is that it might be conceivable under Title VII in some cases for the statistical disparity to be so severe such that it would give an employer a reasonable basis under Title VII.
However, that's not what we argue here.
We argue here that an employer should be able to act when it has a severe adverse impact which creates an inference of discrimination, coupled with evidence that creates doubts about the flaws in the test or the possibility of alternatives.
Chief Justice Roberts: --Can I ask you to touch on the distinction between racial discrimination and race-conscious action?
The actions that were taken in many of our cases, in Croson and Adarand, Parents Involved, Wygant, were obviously race-conscious actions; there was a reason that the governments in those cases were taking the action.
It was because of what they saw as the impact on race.
Yet we concluded that was racial discrimination.
So what's the -- how do you draw the line between race-conscious that's permitted and racial discrimination that's not?
Mr. Meade: Well, two answers, Mr. Chief Justice.
First of all, this race consciousness is race consciousness that's mandated by Federal law.
This is not a discretionary decision by an employer.
Chief Justice Roberts: Well, but if we -- if we agree with your -- I mean, you're assuming, it seems to me in your argument, that the actions that they've taken here are not intentional racial discrimination; and of course if they're not, then you don't have much to worry about.
But let's assume that they are, as we found they were in Croson and Wygant and Adarand and Parents Involved.
Mr. Meade: Well, the difference in those cases that you talk about, Croson, Adarand, Parents Involved, they involve express racial quotas -- excuse me, express racial classifications, where the government is making a decision based on a particular individual on the basis of race.
Chief Justice Roberts: And the only reason you say that isn't by an individual is that you have blacked out the names?
Mr. Meade: No, because it's a facially neutral action which applies to all test takers the same.
That doesn't mean--
Chief Justice Roberts: So your position is what?
They threw out the test, so you would have no problem at all if they looked at those results and they were predominantly black rather than white; you would say the city can throw out the test and there's no racial discrimination there at all?
Mr. Meade: --No, I would say that there's no classification.
However, there's another way to trigger strict scrutiny and that comes under cases like Arlington Heights and Feeney, and the action that the -- the facially neutral action that the city took here falls under that line of cases.
Justice Scalia: I don't see how you can call it facially neutral.
It's neutral because you throw it out for the losers as well as for the winners?
Mr. Meade: --There is no classification, because each individual, and -- when a particular individual is looked at and a decision is made on the basis of race, that is a racial classification.
Chief Justice Roberts: So this case would come out differently, if the list was there with then names and they go down and instead of saying throw out the test, they said Jones, you don't get the promotion because you're white; Johnson, you don't get it because you're white.
And they go down the list and throw out everybody who took the test; then that would be all right?
Mr. Meade: --Well, the point is, if all the tests are being thrown out and different decisions are not being made on the basis of different individuals on the basis of race, then--
Chief Justice Roberts: So they can keep -- they get do-overs until it comes out right?
Or throw out this test; they do another test; oh, it's just as bad, throw that one out; get another one that's a little better, but not so -- throw that one out?
Mr. Meade: --Well, two responses.
The first response is a legal one, the second one is a practical one.
As to the legal answer, if a city were to do that or an employer were to do that again and again, first of all, that would go to intent, whether the intent of the employer were actually to comply with Title VII or for some other intent.
Second of all, it would speak to whether there are actually equally valid less discriminatory alternatives.
Second, the practical--
Chief Justice Roberts: Well if -- how many times before it's a problem?
Mr. Meade: --Well--
Chief Justice Roberts: You say if they did it over and over again.
What if they did it twice here?
Mr. Meade: --Well, that would be a question about whether they had a reasonable basis to do it.
And I would say if they did it a second time, that could create an inference of discrimination.
Justice Ginsburg: What -- what has New Haven done in fact?
This certification was requested in March of 2004; we're now 2009.
What has New Haven done in order to get lieutenants and captains in the fire department?
Mr. Meade: Justice Ginsburg, this is information outside the record, of course.
The -- the city has held tests for other positions, both written and oral, in assessment centers that have not had a severe disparate impact -- actually, that have not had an adverse impact at all under the four-fifths rule.
And specifically for the lieutenants and captains, what the city has been forced to do is have temporary acting promotions on a rotating basis based on seniority.
But the city has not gone forward with any promotions yet, and, in fact, the Petitioners in this case may in the end receive some or all of the promotions.
But the city has a duty to make sure that its process is fair for all applicants, both black and white.
Justice Breyer: I have purposely gone, of course, to the concurring opinion because I believe it's the controlling opinion in Parents Involved, and there are two examples in that opinion.
One is strategic site selection of new schools, i.e., a planned building, and the second is drawing attendance zones with a general recognition of the demographics.
Those are given as examples of instances where there is race consciousness, but it does not trigger strict scrutiny.
Now, why is your case like that rather than being like those examples where an employer or a government official picks particular people or uses quotas in order to get a certain quota or pay attention to race in an individual selection, both based on race, which clearly does require strict scrutiny?
And if there is a difference, even then why is yours justified?
Mr. Meade: Justice Breyer, there are two ways to enter strict scrutiny.
One is a racial classification which makes different decisions based on different individuals on the basis of race.
Cases like Croson or Wygant or even affirmative action plans are examples of making different distinctions based on different individuals on the basis of race.
There is another line of cases about -- where there's a discriminatory purpose plus adverse impact on a certain group under the Arlington Heights line of cases.
Here the Petitioners argue that there is an adverse impact on them.
Of course, that depends on the assumption that there was, in fact, a valid test.
But here, then, under that line of cases the question is: What is the discriminatory purpose?
And this Court's cases are not clear about what a discriminatory purpose is under the Arlington Heights line of cases.
However, the answer to your question is: Compliance with a Federal statute, even a race conscious Federal statute, cannot be deemed a discriminatory purpose under the Arlington -- Arlington Heights inquiry.
It is very different.
Chief Justice Roberts: Is that -- I am sorry.
Is that correct if we -- we conclude strict scrutiny does apply under the Constitution?
Compliance with a statute, looking at impact, is a compelling interest trumping strict scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause?
Mr. Meade: No, Your Honor.
If strict scrutiny applies, then the question is: Is there a compelling interest?
And complying -- complying with a Federal statute needs to be a compelling interest under the Equal Protection Clause.
The reason is, otherwise, State and local governments would be in an impossible position of trying to determine whether they should--
Chief Justice Roberts: I guess it would go to how you construe the statute.
It seems to me an odd argument to say that you can violate the Constitution because you have to comply with the statute.
Mr. Meade: --Well -- well, I would disagree.
That would only be true if there were some doubt as to the constitutionality of the disparate impact provisions.
But here that -- this Court first articulated "disparate impact".
Congress has reaffirmed that.
Justice Kennedy: Well -- well, but you are loading the -- the equation.
The Chief Justice's question I don't think has been -- been fully answered.
You are -- you are saying that you can eliminate constitutional concerns because the statute is enacted, which just repeats those same constitutional concerns.
It's -- it's like having two tracks on the audio that don't quite fit.
Mr. Meade: Well, I -- I may have misunderstood the question, but compliance with Federal statutes have to be a compelling interest as long as that -- that statute is constitutional.
Justice Scalia: Of course you're not saying that -- that the test is -- is compliance.
You're -- you're saying the belief that it's necessary for compliance is a compelling State interest.
Mr. Meade: --Or--
Justice Scalia: I mean everybody would probably concede that if -- if continuing would clearly be in violation, of course, it's a compelling interest.
But the issue here is: Is it enough if the employer simply worries that if he doesn't make the change, he may be in violation?
Mr. Meade: --Well--
Justice Scalia: What -- what's the line there?
Mr. Meade: --Well, the line is set out by this Court's cases.
So assuming strict scrutiny applies and assuming that compliance with Title VII is a compelling interest, then the question is whether an employer has a sufficient basis.
And this Court's cases, both in the intentional and unintentional context, say that that's a strong basis in evidence, and so that would be the relevant test.
This Court has applied--
Justice Scalia: You acknowledge strong basis in evidence is -- is what -- what the city has to have?
Mr. Meade: --Assuming that strict scrutiny applies--
Justice Scalia: Right.
Mr. Meade: --then, yes, then the city needs to have a strong basis.
Chief Justice Roberts: Can I get back just -- just -- since I don't understand it yet, the distinction between intentional racial discrimination and race conscious action.
I thought both the plurality and the concurrence in Parents Involved accepted the fact that race conscious action such as school siting or drawing district lines is -- is okay, but discriminating in particular assignments is not.
Now, why is this not intentional discrimination?
I understood you to say it was because you don't have particular individuals being treated on the basis of their race.
You are going to have to explain that to me again, because there are particular individuals here.
They are the plaintiffs, and they say they didn't get their jobs because of intentional racial action by the -- the city.
Why is that not on the racial -- intentionally racial discrimination side rather than the permissible race consciousness side?
Mr. Meade: Well, again, this is a question about what triggers strict scrutiny, and compliance with the Title -- compliance with the Federal statute should not be deemed a -- a discriminatory purpose.
However, if strict scrutiny applies, then this Court's traditional strict scrutiny analysis is a way to test the decision.
Chief Justice Roberts: Well, that -- you may be right that that's what the question is about.
I still don't have in my mind from you a line about how we decide.
Because there are many cases, Croson, Adarand, Wygant, Parents Involved, where we said action taken obviously because of race is nonetheless discrimination.
So -- and then there are cases where we have recognized that race conscious action is permissible.
Again, what -- when I look at something like this, how I do decide which side of the line that's on -- this is on?
Mr. Meade: Well, again, all of those other cases involved discretionary actions by State actors, and those are -- were making decisions, trying to comply, trying to further various goals, and in those cases making a very express use of race that a particular individual -- when that person was looked at, whether in Croson, whether in Wygant, whether in Parents Involved, a particular decision was made as to that individual.
Chief Justice Roberts: But just to take Parents Involved, it wasn't a necessary -- the driving factor was not a specific decision with respect to specific individuals.
They didn't care whether it was Jones or Smith that they were citing.
All they cared about was the race.
And it seems the -- the same here.
You maybe don't care whether it's Jones or Smith who is not getting the promotion.
All you care about is who is getting the promotion.
All you care about is his race.
Mr. Meade: Well, the -- the difference there is that in that case, Jones and Smith, different decisions were being made on the basis of race such that there was a labeling on the basis of race.
And here there is no such labeling because here there is a question about whether this process is in fact picking the most qualified individuals for the job.
And that's what Title VII is designed to do.
It is, yes, certainly a race conscious decision, a race conscious statute.
But what Title VII is trying to do is to make sure that we don't perpetuate discrimination, albeit unintentional, and, therefore, to take away barriers that have existed over time and that continue to exist.
Justice Ginsburg: When you say "take away barriers", one thing is not a hundred percent clear.
Your position is we have to do this in order to avoid Title VII disparate impact liability.
Are you not reciting as a justification either the diversity in police -- policing firefighting or still overcoming a legacy of the past where fire departments were among the most notorious excluders on the basis of race?
You are not -- you are not saying rectification of past discrimination?
You are not saying diversity?
Mr. Meade: We're not saying that.
We did not say that below.
And, in fact, the board members who voted against certification cited flaws with the test and flaws with the process, and that was the basis for their failure to certify.
And the problem with a discriminatory test is that it does not set a level playing field.
It may create an illusion of meritocracy, but the problem is it not only disfavors certain individuals, but on the flip side, it also necessarily advantages others--
Chief Justice Roberts: You just referred--
Mr. Meade: --and therefore--
Chief Justice Roberts: --I'm sorry.
You just referred to a discriminatory test.
What you said in the district court, and I quote, the issue is not whether the tests were valid.
Are you just changing positions on that?
Mr. Meade: --No, not at all.
The ultimate validity of the test, our position below, was not relevant; the question is what was before the board.
And the board heard 5 days of testimony over 2 months.
And as I mentioned, the two individuals who voted against certification cited concerns with the test and concerns with the process, and that was the basis for their decision.
Justice Ginsburg: What do you mean by--
Justice Kennedy: I'd like to talk just briefly--
Chief Justice Roberts: Justice Kennedy.
Justice Kennedy: --I would like to talk just briefly about this point that the -- some of our hypotheticals where the test hadn't been given yet.
Here the test has been given.
And I had some concerns along the line of Justice Ginsburg's question.
She said, well, it's not a vested interest.
On the other hand, 2000e-(l)( 2) says that test results can't be altered.
There's a statutory interpretation question of whether that means they can't be used altogether.
Two points about the statute.
Number one, doesn't that diminish at least the force of the argument that this is a vested interest?
It means the tests are -- have a -- have a certain presumption in -- in their favor.
Secondly, on -- and maybe this is a question for the -- for the Petitioners rather than you.
If we -- let's assume that we relied on that statute and said that there's a Title VII violation here because the statute was violated.
I know you have an interpretational argument there.
Would that give the Petitioners all the relief they need here, or is there still additional relief under their 1983 cause of action?
Mr. Meade: To answer your first question, the question of statutory interpretation, I would disagree with the suggestion that that gives support to the Petitioners' side, and for the following reason: Congress made a careful judgment about what can and can't be done once tests have been administered, and it told employers it -- it can't alter the scores when those scores are being used.
And in -- what that--
Justice Kennedy: It can't alter the results.
But let's not get into the statutory interpretation--
Mr. Meade: --But the -- but the point is that that ties the hands of employers so that the employer, in fact, is limited in what it can do.
Just because a test has been administered doesn't mean that Title VII's disparate impact provisions suddenly disappear.
And as a number of lower courts have stated, there's no entitlement to be promoted on the basis of a flawed or discriminatory test.
The problem is, the alternative is to force employers to go forward and to use a discriminatory or a potentially discriminatory test.
That has two problems.
First, it's inconsistent with the goal of merit-based selection; and second of all, if it turns out that there is, in fact, discrimination, a court then needs to undo that discrimination.
A court will often need to use racial quotas or set-asides to try to undo or to remedy the discrimination that has happened.
So it's much better for an employer to stop, to not go forward with discrimination, even after the test has been used, rather than to rush forward and to create potentially further discrimination and a more aggressive use of race down the road.
Another problem with creating a high standard is it will discourage employers from removing barriers to equal opportunity.
For example, with respect to an ongoing practice, if an employer learns that that practice has a disparate impact, but is not sure one way or another, and gets rid of that provision, under Petitioners' theory that employer will necessarily be liable to either blacks or whites.
The only way that it can defend against a lawsuit by whites would be to argue that it was, in fact, violating the disparate impact rights of black Americans.
Chief Justice Roberts: What type of -- what type of other things are you talking about there?
Mr. Meade: I mean, it could -- could be, for example, if there were a five-part training program that the City or an employer set up, and individuals may have completed some portion of the training program such that there would be similar reliance interests like the--
Chief Justice Roberts: Well, the question, I guess, would be whether the program was valid or not under the traditional approaches you take under Title VII.
Mr. Meade: --Exactly.
But then the question is whether you're forced--
Chief Justice Roberts: So does your position here depend on a conclusion that this test is invalid?
Mr. Meade: --No, it doesn't.
The question is whether the employer had a sufficient basis at the time of its action to make a determination that the test should not be used.
Justice Alito: And why didn't it have a sufficient basis here?
It -- it chose the company that framed the test, and then as soon as it saw the results, it decided it wasn't going to go forward with the promotions.
The company offered to validate the test.
The City refused to pay for that, even though that was part of its contract with the company.
And all it has is this testimony by a competitor, Mr. Hornick, who said -- who hadn't seen the test, and he said, I could do a better test -- you should make the promotions based on this, but I could give you -- I could draw up a better test, and by the way, here's my business card if you want to hire me in the future.
How's that a strong basis in the evidence?
Mr. Meade: Well, first of all, the City did not act on the basis of numbers alone.
It had 5 days of hearings where it heard from stakeholders on all sides.
And it heard numerous flaws in the test at those hearings.
For example, there were arbitrary weightings of the scores which had no scientific basis; the company skipped critical design steps in the process; and although this was not before the board, it later turned out that there was no calibration in either the cut-off score or how the test was ultimately going to be used.
Previous tests had a much less severe adverse impact.
This test was an outlier.
Justice Alito: What difference does the cut-off score make?
Mr. Meade: The difference of a cut-off score is a determination, a scientifically based determination to determine who is qualified and who is not qualified for--
Justice Alito: Well, I understand that, but the people at the top would -- the problem here was not the composition of the people who scored above the cut-off, was it?
It was the composition of the -- of the people who would be eligible for promotion under the "rule of three"?
Mr. Meade: --Well, two responses, Justice Alito.
First of all, as to the pass-fail rate, that could create a separate disparate impact violation under Federal law.
So that was relevant for separate purposes.
But in addition, it's also true that the test was not calibrated for use for rank ordering, to ensure that a 93 was better than a 91.
And this was a special problem because of an intervening decision by a court that was -- that was rendered after the tests were designed, after the tests were taken, after the tests were scored.
There was -- there's no evidence that the tests were precise enough to be able to determine who -- who should rank higher versus lower based on those scores.
And the amicus brief of the human resources -- human resources professionals points out this point.
Chief Justice Roberts: So your response to me that you don't have to show that the test is invalid, your argument is you just have to show that there's a basis for being worried that it might be invalid.
And then it seems to me the only distinction is how high a showing you require.
And you reject the idea that you have to show a strong basis in the evidence?
Mr. Meade: Yes and no--
Justice Scalia: I thought you just said that.
I just thought you just -- I was -- almost wrote it down.
Justice Souter: I think your phrase was -- I think--
Chief Justice Roberts: I understand from -- I guess I should say I understand from your brief if not from your argument that--
Mr. Meade: --No, no.
Chief Justice Roberts: --You agree with the strong basis in fact standard?
Mr. Meade: To answer in a way that's consistent to -- to both of you, the answer is if the test is under Title VII, strong basis should not be the standard.
This Court has never indicated that it should be.
And that would be much too high of a standard to place on private employers.
However, if this Court concludes that strict scrutiny applies, which we think it should not, but if this Court concludes that strict scrutiny does apply, then, yes, we agree--
Chief Justice Roberts: So I guess, my -- so my -- your position is that you should never have a strong basis in fact standard, because you don't think strict scrutiny should apply, and you think if it's under Title VII, it's only reasonableness?
Mr. Meade: --That's correct.
Chief Justice Roberts: So your position is that the city -- the -- the government can take action without -- only if it's reasonable.
It's a reasonable view of whether or not they might or might not be liable.
That's the standard.
And then they can engage in race-based action?
Mr. Meade: We agree with the government's articulation of the standard of reasonable basis.
Again, I would--
Justice Souter: --But does it have to be reasonable basis to believe they would be liable if they went ahead?
Or can reasonableness refer to something other than the probability of or the -- the likelihood of liability?
Mr. Meade: --I agree that it could be something less than that.
Justice Souter: Okay.
Chief Justice Roberts: Well, what is something less than that, that they might be sued?
Mr. Meade: --No, not that they might -- might be sued.
Again, this is, just in the Title VII context, so this will affect all private employers, some of which will be small employers where a single human resource professional will be trying to make the determination.
There won't be hearings as there were in this case.
And the question is sometimes a severe prima facie case could be sufficient under Title VII, not under the strong basis standard, but potentially under Title VII.
And if a human resource professional or if an employer had a belief that further investigation could yield evidence of a Title VII violation, that would be sufficient under the reasonable basis standard.
Chief Justice Roberts: Isn't that -- isn't that kind of a blank check to discriminate, if all they need is a reasonable basis to think that further investigation might be useful?
Mr. Meade: No, it's not because this is a way to reconcile, under Title VII, the two provisions of this statute.
However, in this case--
Chief Justice Roberts: No, I'm sorry -- that's an answer about why it would be okay.
I'm just saying, isn't it in fact a blank check?
Mr. Meade: --Well, I would disagree.
No, it is not a blank check.
Chief Justice Roberts: But--
Mr. Meade: Here, however, we had much more.
There was a strong basis in evidence here.
This Court, under the strong basis standard, has suggested that a strong basis is met when the threshold conditions for liability are met.
That's what this Court said in Bush v. Vera, a plurality in Bush v. Vera, as well as Abrams v. Johnson.
The question is how to apply that standard to this case.
That standard would suggest that a prima facie case, which, again, is not just adverse impact alone, but it's adverse impact that creates an inference of discrimination could be enough.
Here we have not just that, not just--
Justice Stevens: Mr. Meade, let me -- let me go back to one earlier question.
Suppose everybody agrees that you're right on the -- on the record here now, and the City goes ahead and does another test, with all the advantages and studies they've made and so forth and so on, and it turns out you just had an unfortunate selection of candidates, and they come out exactly the same way.
Would you agree that at that time the City would have to certify the results?
Mr. Meade: --Assuming that it was a test that was valid--
Justice Stevens: It's a test they made after talking to everybody who testified in this case and filed amicus briefs and everything else ----
And they came out, and it turned out exactly the same results.
Mr. Meade: --Absolutely.
If the Petitioners--
Chief Justice Roberts: --I'm sorry--
Justice Stevens: Absolutely what?
Mr. Meade: --Absolutely yes.
Justice Scalia: Absolutely positively?
Mr. Meade: Absolutely positively.
Chief Justice Roberts: --I still -- I still don't have absolutely yes -- of what?
Mr. Meade: Yes, because--
Chief Justice Roberts: Yes, they can--
Mr. Meade: --Yes, they -- they need to certify the -- the results.
Justice Stevens: They would have to certify it.
Mr. Meade: They would have to certify the results.
Sorry I was unclear.
They would have to certify the -- the results.
The question here is whether there is in fact a fair process.
Chief Justice Roberts: --Well, just to get back to your answer to Justice Stevens, you say they'd have to certify it.
You say that, in that situation, the decisionmaker could not have a reasonable basis for thinking further investigation is required.
Just because the second test came out the same way?
It's not at all reasonable to think they ought to look at it further?
Mr. Meade: --Well, not on the basis of -- of the investigation that Justice Stevens, I understood, hypothesized, as part of the example.
Justice Alito: And that would be so, even if another Mr. Hornick showed up and said, I could ----
I could make a better -- I could make a test?
And here are some problems with this second test that you gave?
Mr. Meade: Again, having gone through all the different examples that Justice Stevens said, at that point then -- then it would be -- the City would need to go forward with the test.
Chief Justice Roberts: Thank you, counsel.
Mr. Meade: Thank you.
Chief Justice Roberts: Mr. Coleman, to keep the time even here, I think you have 8 minutes.
REBUTTAL ARGUMENT OF GREGORY S. COLEMAN ON BEHALF OF THE PETITIONERS
Mr. Coleman: There's another statute that the Court ought to consider in the Title VII context, and that's section 2000e-7, which says that Title VII will not overrule and pre-empt State law unless there is a violation of Title VII.
In asserting that, under any reasonable basis, as long as they have a reasonable basis, they can dispense with all the provisions of Connecticut civil service law, all these provisions that were put in place to get rid of cronyism, to get rid of discrimination can be set aside based on nothing more than a numerical disparity or perhaps a concern about the test we think cuts against Congress's intent in Title VII in respecting these State and local laws that are intended to ensure that employment practices are fair and that they choose and select those who are best qualified to put into these very important first-responder organizations.
Justice Breyer: Do you -- I'm still back on -- a university decides that tenure requirements lead to fewer women professors, so they say as an experiment what we would like to do is not have them for a couple of years; see what happens.
On your view is that unconstitutional?
Because, after all, it will certainly mean that certain majority race assistant professors have now lost the promotion they otherwise would have.
Mr. Coleman: I think consistent with the answer I gave you before, Justice Breyer, that based on--
Justice Breyer: That it's unconstitutional?
Mr. Coleman: --Based on that alone--
Justice Breyer: Yes.
Mr. Coleman: --No, it would not be.
Justice Breyer: It would not be unconstitutional?
Mr. Coleman: It--
Justice Breyer: And what about--
Mr. Coleman: --You're not taking away tenure from anybody.
Justice Breyer: --All right.
Mr. Coleman: You're just saying we want to change the tenure process.
Justice Breyer: But what we are doing is not giving the promotions to the assistant professors who otherwise would have job security.
Mr. Coleman: The analogy to your analogy is that if we have a series of people who go through the tenure process that exists and it turns out, you know, we -- we don't like the results, and--
Justice Breyer: Oh, so.
Mr. Coleman: --therefore we want to change it.
Justice Breyer: It's the result -- it's that you identify the person that makes your -- so in Texas, for example, they take the top 10 percent of all the high school graduates and put them in the university.
Now, suppose they just decided, you know what we want to do?
The top 5 percent.
We want to see how that works.
And, of course, then there are people who in fact would have gotten into the university -- and perhaps we can imagine a majority of the majority race -- and now they don't.
Can Texas do that?
Mr. Coleman: Well, you've chosen a very controversial subject.
Justice Breyer: I know that, but I -- I ----
That was not my objective.
Mr. Coleman: If--
Justice Breyer: I want to test out just what it is about this case.
Mr. Coleman: --If -- if that is not done on the -- on the basis of race, then, no.
The institution of the 10 percent rule itself, most people believe--
Justice Breyer: Well, you said no.
Can Texas do that or not?
Mr. Coleman: --Likely, yes.
The answer is--
Justice Breyer: Yes.
Mr. Coleman: --it can do it.
Justice Breyer: Okay.
And the difference here precisely is what?
Mr. Coleman: Is that, under State law, these individuals had gone through an existing process and had -- under State law, had been determined to be the most qualified candidates and, barring anything else, would have been promoted.
So the classification that is made clearly does distinguish between those who are qualified for promotion and those who are not qualified for promotion and would not receive.
It violates that -- that singular principle of individual dignity to have these individuals be told, on the basis of race, you're not--
Justice Ginsburg: But if it were shown that, in fact, this test was not job-related and, in fact, the majority of fire departments scotched this test years ago and substituted what most agree is a better test, even so you would say it would violate the rights of the plaintiffs you represent, even--
Mr. Coleman: --If--
Justice Ginsburg: --Even if there's strong evidence that it's not job-related and that there's a better test that doesn't produce these skewed results?
Mr. Coleman: --I don't think that's what we've said, Justice Ginsburg.
Under our alternative formulation in which the Court recognizes--
Justice Ginsburg: But what -- what would that do to the civil service merit system that says if you pass the test you should be certified?
Mr. Coleman: --The difference is this, Justice Ginsburg: The example you have given would clearly satisfy or likely satisfy a strong basis in evidence that you are actually in violation of the disparate impact provision of Title VII.
There are three prongs.
The first is adverse impact; the second is that your test is not related; and the third is the existence of this alternative that is equally valid and that results in lower disparate impact.
The City has never asserted -- and I hear it today continue to say, we don't have to show those other two prongs, that a numerical disparity enough may allow the City to conclude that there must be something wrong with the test.
This kind of res ipsa loquitur theory of disparate impact is one that the courts have not recognized and that Watson said we cannot allow because it results in racial balancing and soft quotas based on disparate impact--
Justice Breyer: But in your -- in my example, to go back, the thing you've identified, it seems to me, is Texas couldn't do this.
It couldn't look at the class that they're going to choose with the 10 percent and say, you know, there are not enough minorities, I think we'll go to 15 percent this year.
Mr. Coleman: --That I agree with, Justice Breyer.
Justice Breyer: It could not.
And moreover, in the case of the tenure, what the school couldn't do is it couldn't say, looking over at the present tenured faculty and those who were just ready for promotion and who in all probability will be, we're going to go to the non-tenure system this year.
Mr. Coleman: I also agree with that.
Justice Breyer: That they couldn't do that.
And again you that say the ordinary employer across America who announces a deadline for getting in applications cannot, once it sees those applications, say, you know, there are not enough minorities.
I want to extend the deadline.
Mr. Coleman: That's also correct, Justice Breyer.
Justice Breyer: All right.
And therefore this is a very far-reaching decision.
Mr. Coleman: No, not necessarily, Your Honor.
Justice Souter: You are -- you are saying, as I understand it, that if the -- if the city in a case like this, prior to giving a test, looked at the test and says, wait a minute, this is going to produce really disparate results, they can stop, regroup, and think it through again and maybe come up with a different test.
Mr. Coleman: --If--
Justice Souter: But if they don't realize that and they go ahead with the test, and they then see the -- the disparate results, it's too late.
And it seems to me that the trouble with drawing that distinction is that the city is not in the testing business.
They are unlikely to know what the results are going to be.
So you're saying that the city that is -- that is prescient can adjust, the city that doesn't find out there's something wrong or at least undesirable from their standpoint until after the test results cannot readjust?
Mr. Coleman: --I don't think that's our position, Justice Souter.
The first case I think is the hypothetical Justice Kennedy posed to me.
The second case, as we've been talking about, is that you identify the disparate impact after the test has been given.
Under this alternative theory that would allow a -- an employer to respond, all we are asking under the strong basis in evidence test is that you not react out of a concern, or out of this mere reaction to the numbers, but that you then look, is the test valid?
Do you have convincing evidence, in the words of Wygant, to form a strong basis in evidence that if you did go forward--
Justice Souter: But if they see it coming, they don't have to show a strong basis in evidence for changing the test prior to the time they give it?
Mr. Coleman: --Consistent with what -- my conversation with Justice Breyer, if they see it coming and do it ahead of time, it doesn't violate that principle of individual dignity and that -- and doesn't discriminate against particularized and identifiable individuals.
Chief Justice Roberts: Thank you, counsel.
The case is submitted.
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IFES seeks to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of individuals in advancing freedom and democracy by bestowing named awards in honor of founders of the organization, including past chairs of the Board of Directors, Charles T. Manatt and Patricia Hutar, and Senior Adviser Joe C. Baxter.
The Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award is presented to one Democrat, one Republican and a member of the international community who demonstrates a dedication to democracy and human rights embodied by the award’s namesake.
Baxter had a firm commitment to the principles of local ownership, transparency and sustainability of electoral administration. The Baxter Award honors an individual with a proven track record of exceptional dedication to improving the way in which people have a say in the way they are governed.
The Patricia Hutar Award honors public servants who, through their work or activities, express a commitment to improved democratic practices. Hutar, a Republican activist, was a founding board member at IFES.
Learn more »
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We think that the best way to learn to about the work of Shakespeare is by enjoying it. That’s why we have created so many playful and play-filled ways for you to experience Shakespeare in action.
At The Globe
You can visit the world famous Globe theatre to see a professional 'learning' production or book your class a workshop on any Shakespeare play of your choosing. Visit our state-of-the-art Sackler Studios and enjoy an exciting workshop for students, young people and teachers all year-round.
To Your School
Why not let our highly trained arts education professionals come to you? Globe Education tailors projects to the individual needs of you and your students.
With a range of exciting school, community, national and international visits, learning about Shakespeare can be as easy as picking up the phone and as varied as your imaginations.
Find out more about our work. Contact by email or telephone +44 (0) 20 7902 1433.
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Michael R. White was, hands down, Cleveland's most memorable mayor of the last 30 years.
He dominated city life from the mayor's office in the southwest corner of the second floor of City Hall for a dozen of those years, from 1990 to 2001. A gifted speaker and a ferocious competitor, he took personally the problems that plagued his hometown.
The other mayors of the era — George Voinovich, Jane Campbell and Frank Jackson — have had their moments. But because Mr. White was the city's longest-serving top executive, key events from his tenure are regularly recalled and retold to this day, like scenes from a favorite movie, by anyone who was a part of Cleveland civic life since 1980.
During his three terms in office, he campaigned for a new baseball park and arena at Gateway and for building a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. He twisted the arms of bankers to get their commitments to invest in the city and he worked with Continental Airlines to expand service in Cleveland, eventually completing a deal for new, $80 million terminal for Continental in 1997.
He even fought with a billboard company to cut the number of signs that promoted alcohol and won an agreement to have one board in each of the city's wards plug an anti-drinking message to minors.
He also, at times, showed a memorable temper. Mr. White battled with The Plain Dealer for years over what he saw as unfair coverage of his administration, to the point of banning PD reporters in 2001 from the neighborhood speech where he announced he would not run for a fourth term as mayor.
And he carried on a decade-long feud with his one-time mentor, Cleveland City Council president George Forbes.
The bad blood began when Mr. White chose to run for mayor in 1989 to succeed George Voinovich, who was preparing to run for governor. Mr. Forbes wanted the mayor's job for himself.
The feud lasted for more than a decade, and included a clash over the way city police and Mr. White handled a Ku Klux Klan rally in 1999.Winning that election over Mr. Forbes may well have been Mr. White's personal most memorable moment — he had wanted to be mayor since he was 14 years old.
But two other events remain, as victories of sorts, in the eyes of those who were there — his takeover of the Cleveland school district and the return of professional football to Cleveland.
As the 1995 football season was winding down, Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell, struggling financially, announced on Friday, Nov. 3, that he had an attractive offer to move the team to Baltimore after the end of the season. He said a city-backed financial plan to renovate aging Cleveland Stadium wasn't enough to keep the team afloat.
The next morning Cuyahoga County commissioners, area mayors and other civic leaders huddled to shape a strategy to fight for their team. At a midday press conference, it was Mr. White who took the point. He said he was gearing up to challenge a Monday vote by National Football League team owners to tentatively approve the move.
“No matter what happens on Monday, this is not the final act in this play,” Mr. White said. “We believe that the Cleveland Browns owe us a chance to get on the field to run our plays. This community has been good to the Cleveland Browns for decades.”
Mr. White failed to keep the Browns. “My town got kicked in the teeth,” he told Fortune magazine several years later.
But because of the public relations, legislative and legal fight he'd led, Mr. White was able to wring a deal out of the NFL that not only brought professional football back to the city but kept the city's pro football heritage intact.
The city agreed to build a new stadium and the league agreed to put either a relocated or expansion team back in Cleveland by 1999.
“The new team, whether expansion or existing, will bear the name of the Cleveland Browns,” Mr. White said when the deal was done. “They will wear the colors of the Cleveland Browns. They will be the Cleveland Browns.”Then he turned his attention to the elected, nine-member Cleveland Board of Education, which, after 20 years of coping with court-ordered busing, had run the schools into the ground with inept financial stewardship. Voters lost confidence and wouldn't pass needed school levies.
Scott Stephens, The PD's education writer during much of this era and now senior writer for Catalyst Ohio, a nonprofit, Cleveland-based newsmagazine that covers Ohio's urban school districts, said the mayor was getting pressure from business and philanthropic leaders to step in and take control of local schools as mayors in other major cities were beginning to do.
Beginning with the 1991 school board election, the first after he became mayor, Mr. White was endorsing, even hand-picking, candidates for board seats. He campaigned hard for his favorites and had won some victories by 1996. But it wasn't enough, and the schools sunk deeper into a financial morass.
The schools were still under the supervisor of U.S. District Court Judge George W. White (no relation to the mayor), who was continuing court oversight of the schools that had begun with a 1976 desegregation order by the late Judge Frank Battisti. Judge White was no friend of the elected school board. He had said that he did not consider the elected Cleveland school board competent and would not release control to it.
In 1997, the Legislature took up a measure that would allow a community to scuttle its elected school board in favor of a board appointed by a mayor. It was approved before the end of the year.
Mr. Stephens said that while Judge White and the Legislature publicly were looking for ways to cut out the elected school board, he believed Mr. White behind the scense was pushing to bring the schools under his control.
“I think he really cared about the schools,” Mr. Stephens said. “He was a graduate of the schools himself, and I think he saw this as a legacy issue.”
When it became clear he would gain formal control of the district, the mayor laid out his plan for the schools in an open letter to teachers published in The PD Aug. 17, 1997.
“I did not ask to be put in charge of Cleveland schools, but could not turn my back on the children when asked to do so,” he wrote. “As mayor, I intend to appoint the best administrators and board members to overhaul and upgrade the failing system.
“My first order of business is to improve the working conditions for the teachers so they can create a learning environment for our students,” the mayor wrote.
In November 1998, after the last board-controlled superintendent retired, Mayor White appointed Barbara Byrd-Bennett CEO of the district, changing the way the school district had been run for nearly 150 years.
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The plan involves zone changes for 900 residential, industrial and commercial property owners in the city.
Because of updates to the city's General Plan in 2010, some properties are now zoned in areas no longer applicable. The changes are an effort from the city to make the General Plan consistent with what the city feels is the right land use for those properties. More than 5,000 properties will ultimately be rezoned.
The commission made the decision Tuesday after hearing nearly two hours of testimony from upset residents who were questioning the changes.
Many were concerned the changes would lower their property values.
A majority of residents also asked the commission make an exception on their home but city staffers said it would be illegal to create spot zones.
"I know that it's very hard when you have a property and you want it grandfathered in but it also has to be, by California law, consistent," commissioner Rick Gage told residents.
"None of us do it with joy or without knowing these are hard decisions."
Prior to Tuesday's meeting, planning staffers held a series of meetings, dating back to the summer, to discuss how these updated land change uses may impact residential, industrial and commercial property owners, said Jerry Blum,
Many of the changes included reducing the density allowed on a property or removing animal-keeping designation in parts of the southern part of town.
There were some residents who were initially concerned, but, after talking to staff, realized they had no issues with the change.
In most cases, residents were informed that even though the zoning was changing, they could maintain already existing units or structures.
But if 50 percent of that structure is ever damaged in the future, the residents would not be able to rebuild it because of the zone change.
Dennis Parker, who owns property near the intersection of E Street and Sultana Avenue, was upset because the plan will change his lot designation from a residential R3 zone to an R1, which will reduce the amount he can build on the property. An R3 zone allows for multiple single family residencies on the property.
Because the units on his property are about 100 years old, Parker said he was concerned the land uses changes would ultimately make it difficult for him to obtain the proper permits if he tried to make future improvements.
"It's not the same, not even remotely the same," Parker told the commission. "Reducing the zone to R1 reduces the property value, it goes down not matter how you slice it."
Blum and his staffers assured Parker he would be able to make the changes, but, after hearing his testimony and reviewing the proposed changes, they decided to hold off a decision on his properties and asked for more time to review it.
Not everyone was as fortunate as Parker.
Staff and the commission heard from resident after resident, who raised issues with how the changes were going to impact them, including a handful who lived in the southern part of town which allows animal-keeping.
The city was removing that designation for more than 50 homes near Francis Street and San Antonio Avenue because. Blum said they should have never had that designation to begin with.
The main issue is the lots are not large enough to comply with the city's code enforcement to keep animals. Most of the homes in that cluster are only 10,000 square feet, the city's code requires that a lot be at least 18,000 square feet to allow animals be kept on the property.
Blum said he and his staff tried to research city documents to determine why that area had been designated for animal-keeping. The only explanation Blum said he could come up with is those properties at one time were larger and ended up being subdivided.
Gage acknowledged that it can be difficult for residents to come up and talk to them, and said he appreciated their input.
"It's not an easy thing, I've been on that side of it," he said.
Blum told residents they will have another opportunity to appeal the decision to the City Council.
Residents who still had issues with the changes were urged to call Blum or his staff.
"Staff is always willing to sit down and discuss with you," he said.
To reach the Planning Department, call 909-395-2430.
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It's All Politics
Tue May 29, 2012
Hmm. The 2012 Election Reminds Me Of Something
Originally published on Tue May 29, 2012 4:50 pm
It's the sort of question you toss out to a table full of politics buffs — sharing a pitcher of cold beer. (We'll provide the aficionados; you imagine the table and the cold pitcher.)
Which presidential election in American history most resembles the coming election between President Obama and Mitt Romney — and why?
1936: Franklin Delano Roosevelt vs. Alf Landon, says Alison Dagnes, who teaches political science at Shippensburg University. "The Republicans tried to attack FDR for his New Deal programs, saying they were too expensive and moved the country toward socialism — sound familiar?"
The problem, she says, is that once a president gives the people new rights, the public grows attached and wants to keep them. "This is going to be the case for the health care program, which the Obama campaign is now terming 'Obamacare' for its own purposes. The campaign is gambling on this FDR-style move of giving more to the public, who will want to keep it. Same goes for the rest of the social programs Obama is touting today — it's expensive, all right, but who doesn't want a better educated public? Et cetera."
She adds that "we are far more politically divided today than in 1932, and — thanks to seven or eight cycles of redistricting our congressional elections — far more sharply partisan. This is why the 1936 Electoral College split of 523 to 8 would be highly unlikely — regardless of the math adjustment. But I do think that when the American people are happy with their lives, then the incumbent gets to keep his job."
1980: Jimmy Carter vs. Ronald Reagan, says Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. He cites the similarities: "Young, unknown president is elected after an unpopular administration — Nixon/Ford, Bush — economy in the doldrums, problems with Iran, sense of malaise. Republicans nominate the person who finished second place in the previous nomination — Reagan to Ford in 1976, Romney to McCain in 2008 — after a divisive nomination struggle. But the GOP came together in 1980 and are coming together in 2012, while the economy continues to drag at the incumbent."
Back in 1980, Smith says, Carter went "very negative against Reagan ... because he could not claim success with the economy, and Obama looks to do the same thing this year. Only waiting for Romney to ask if you're better off than you were four years ago."
2004: George W. Bush vs. John Kerry. "Definitely 2004," says Alan Abramowitz, a political science professor at Emory University. "This year, just as in 2004, you have an incumbent president running for re-election in a polarized and closely divided electorate."
Obviously, he says, some things are different: The Democrat is in the White House and the Republican is the challenger, and the economy is the major concern of voters this year instead of the war in Iraq. "But there are some striking similarities," he says. "And the result is again likely to be a close election in which the outcome will come down to a few swing states. In fact, some of the same swing states — Ohio, Florida, Iowa and New Hampshire — along with a couple of new ones — Virginia and North Carolina."
Gerhard Peters, who in 1999 helped create the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, says that the analogy "depends on what variables I am to use to compare 2012. If it's the Electoral College landscape, combined with a marginally popular president, I would say 2004."
And Marc Schulman, co-founder of MultiEducator — a New York-based history software company — says: "The best one I came up with was Bush vs. Kerry, and that is a bit of a stretch. In trying to look at comparisons, it's important to look at a few things: First, America has never ditched a president in the time of war. That goes all the way back to [James] Madison in the War of 1812, even when they have not been all that popular — for example, Bush in 2004."
The 2012 election will present "a situation similar to 2004 when a substantial minority never accepted the original victory of the president," Schulman says, "and you have an economy that is and was sliding sideways."
Also this time around, he says, the president is facing a wealthy opponent — Romney instead of Kerry.
True enough, there are some parallels with 1996 — when Republican Bob Dole ran against Democratic incumbent Bill Clinton — Schulman says, but "Dole was perceived as too old" by many of the voters.
"Plus the economy was not a problem for Clinton," Schulman says. "It is for Obama."
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Challenges Facing Human Resource Management in Kenya Today
Human Resource Management in Kenya is an arising component of Business Training that needs to be embraced by all cooperate associations and organizations for the success of their businesses. In the course of my normal work in Business Training in Kenya I came across this information.
Human Resource Management in Kenya Challenges
- Change Management,
- Leadership Development,
- Managing Diversity and
- Organizational Effectiveness
As mentioned above change management is one of the challenges affecting Human Resource Management today. This represents a particular challenge for personnel management staff, as this expertise has generally not been a consistent area of focus for training and development of Human Resource professionals. An intensified focus on training may be needed to develop added competencies to deal with change management.
A second challenge affecting Human Resource Management in Kenya today is leadership development. Human Resource professionals continue to wrestle with understanding the best ways to keep people in the pipeline and develop leaders for future succession planning. They are required to provide the essential frameworks, processes, tools, and points of view needed for the selection and development of future leaders, and that managers they produce in the long run are equipped to take on leadership roles of the future so that the organization is viable in the long term.
Human Resource Management in Kenya faces a third challenge referred to as compensation. Compensation is one of the key issues since it involves outsourcing and cost of retirement benefits which can be very expensive, the invention of new systems for human capital management and global competition in which attracting and retaining key employees became increasingly important
A fourth challenge facing Human Resource Management in Kenya is bureaucracy. Bureaucracy can also be a problem, presenting “the need to consider doing things differently in order to eliminate bottlenecks and red tape.
Managing diversity comes as a sixth challenge. In the local context there is an enormous challenge in a fast-changing technological and economically liberalised environment.
Last but not least is organizational effectiveness. This entails being expert in the way work is organized and executed, delivering administrative efficiency to ensure that costs are reduced while quality is maintained. This can prove to be a challenge especially to inexperienced managers.
Conclusion and Recommendations on Human Resource Management in Kenya
Due to the combination of a large proportion of the work force ailing and the introduction of new industries and businesses which require local talent who are currently not trained to meet those needs, there is a vacuum for HR professionals to fill.
HR professionals need to focus on developing supervisors into ‘people managers,’ not just technical specialists.”
Transforming the business from a product focus to a customer interface focus.
Engaging senior management in leadership development philosophy and practice.
Retaining knowledge held by retiring workers, and ensuring sufficient time to train successors.”
And thus the challenges of Human Resource Management in Kenya
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Senior citizens, aged 65 and above, in India and Pakistan can now walk across the border between the two countries and need not go through the hassles of getting a visa from embassies in New Delhi and Islamabad.
Thanks to the new visa policy between India and Pakistan, to be signed Saturday, which has eased restrictions on visitors from both the countries, senior citizens will be granted visas on arrival at the Attari and Wagah border in India and Pakistan respectively.
There was no such provision available for senior citizens of both countries. Under the new arrangement, senior citizens will be granted a visa on arrival valid for 45 days.
“The senior citizens can visit the other country easily now,” a source said here.
Many senior citizens in the two countries have been witness to the 1947 partition in which millions of people were uprooted after India’s independence and Pakistan’s creation.
The new visa regime will see several changes aimed at easing the visa regime.
There will be a single-entry visitor visa for a maximum period of six months but the stay cannot exceed three months at a time and for five places (currently limited to three places).
Group tourist visas, for groups of 10-50 people, has also been introduced for the first time. This will also be available for students provided they do not seek admission in the other country.
Also, business visa has been separated from visitor visa, a communique said.
The business visa will have to be issued within five weeks.
People aged more than 65, children below 12 and eminent businessmen are exempted from police reporting.
Another simplified rule will allow people to enter and exit from different check posts and change their mode of travel. This was not permitted earlier.
“However, this is subject to the exception that exit from Wagah/Attari, by road (on foot) cannot be accepted, unless the entry was also by foot via Attari/Wagah,” the communique said.
Under a new category, a visitor visa for a maximum of five specified places may be issued for a longer period of up to two years with multiple entries to senior citizens (above 65); spouse of a national of one country married to person of another country and children below 12 accompanying parent(s).
Also, transit visa will now be issued within 36 hours instead of 72 hours.
Under the existing visa agreement, the single entry visa is issued for three months for meeting relatives, friends, business or other legitimate purposes. However, the visa can be issued for a longer period not exceeding a year owing to the nature of work or business.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Friday said: “The biggest thing is that the visa agreement will be of benefit to the common people of both India and Pakistan. There is no loss for anyone in this.”
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April 29, 2008 By News Report
Governments face growing pressure to improve the customer experience for citizens accessing public services, according to a new Deloitte report titled One Size Fits Few: Using Customer Insight to Transform Government.
Leading businesses have trained people to expect high quality, personalized services -- standards that citizens are now applying to government. At the same time, governments around the world are confronting significant short- and long-term fiscal pressures -- from managing rising health care costs to rebuilding public infrastructure. According to the Deloitte study, governments can both reduce costs and improve the level of service they offer to their consumers by adapting to the public sector some of the customer-centered reforms pioneered by leading companies.
"Customer strategy is at the heart of the next wave of government transformation," said Greg Pellegrino, managing director, Global Public Sector, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. "Fueled by the success of consumer-oriented companies, more public sector leaders are revolutionizing their approach to service delivery. Those leaders who have set the gears in motion are seeing results from becoming more customer and employee focused."
Previous e-government efforts largely fell short of transforming government service delivery the way many of the original architects dreamed it would. In the rush to go from in line to online, public managers often did not stop to answer the basic questions that need to be answered in order to service customers effectively and efficiently: Who are my customers? And what do they want? Customer-centered transformation goes well beyond automating Industrial Era business processes. It requires first stepping back to understand the end-to-end experience from the user's perspective and using those insights to improve the experience offered to customers.
"Over the past decade we've seen many governments invest significant time and attention trying to make government more citizen-centric," said Bill Eggers, global director for public sector research, Deloitte Services LP. "But these efforts have largely failed to produce their intended results because improvement initiatives are often approached one dimensionally with public dollars frequently chasing the latest fix du jour."
Many government agencies, for example, have invested heavily in state-of-the-art customer relationship management (CRM) technology to give them a single, integrated view of their customers and maintain a mutually beneficial dialog with them. The problem is that many organizations view CRM as solely a technology issue and assign it to the IT group when in most cases the real issue is fundamentally rethinking the business model and culture of public services. Technology can enable this change but cannot, by itself, instigate and sustain it.
Many of the policy challenges before government today -- from addressing growing workforce retraining needs to controlling long-term health care costs through more effective preventative care approaches -- cannot be effectively addressed absent deep customer insight. These challenges require the customization of mass-delivered programs to the needs of individual citizens. To do this, public leaders can draw from the tools and techniques that have been successfully deployed commercially, to help tailor products and services to individual customer requirements.
"The study provides a collection of case studies, methods and tools government executives can use to convert an idea on how to improve the customer experience into an actual service enhancement, while reducing operational costs," said Dan Helfrich, co-author of the study and principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP.
Public managers can utilize leading customer experience practices to bolster decision-making capabilities, enhance government's ability to execute on major program and policy initiatives, improve service delivery and reduce costs. Making effective use of these approaches requires public managers to first understand the full range of tools and techniques available to them and how and when to apply them. This study illustrates how leading governments are examining the challenges they face from the user's perspective, drawing from a robust customer experience toolkit as warranted, to improve the delivery and effectiveness of public services.
You may use or reference this story with attribution and a link to
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Gene Veith wrote a few weeks ago in WORLD Magazine that, on average, about $.02 of every dollar given in a Protestant church offering goes to overseas missions. Southern Baptists have done better than most in funding the spread of the Gospel overseas through the collaborative effort of the Cooperative Program. Veith's article, however, made me do a little analysis of how Southern Baptist missions giving typically works.
Many if not most Southern Baptists do not understand how money given to (or through) the Cooperative Program (CP) is actually allocated. This is partly due to the large number of agencies, efforts and ministries that are funded by such gifts and partly due to a lack of education about the CP. More and more churches and pastors--especially young pastors--are beginning to question the way the CP works. While their questions are sometimes misconstrued as a lack of loyalty, I have not perceived them that way at all. People simply want to know what they are paying for. Christians especially should be concerned about careful financial stewardship and part of such stewardship is knowing where your money is going.
In many respects the CP is an ingenuous tool that enables a large number of churches to stand together in supporting people and efforts that could not be well supported (if at all) by individual churches. Theological education, ethics and religious liberty concerns, missions efforts in North America and missions efforts beyond this continent are all supported by Southern Baptists via this mechanism. These causes are all administered through the national Southern Baptist Convention offices which are based in Nashville. Most moderately informed Southern Baptists have some awareness of this.
What is not so readily known, however, is the fact that the bulk of money that is given to the CP by local churches goes to support Baptist state convention work and ministries. These efforts often include colleges, children's homes, church planting and other such concerns.
For example, in my own state the Florida Baptist Convention (FBC) keeps 60% of money that local FBC congregations give to the CP (If you want to see the percentages of other state conventions, click here). That means that 40% makes its way to Nashville, to be disbursed by the Executive Committee according to budget allocations adopted annually by Southern Baptist messengers. The 2005-2006 allocations stipulate that 50% of all money that does finally make it to Nashville via CP gifts go to the International Mission Board. The North American Mission Board receives 22.79% Most of the remaining money (21.64%) goes to "Theological Education Ministries" (primarily, the 6 Southern Baptist Seminaries).
Here is what that means: if Bob puts $100 in the offering plate at Happy Southern Baptist Church (HSBC) in Punta Gorda, Florida and if HSBC has allocated 10% of their undesignated receipts for the "Cooperative Program missions," then 10 of Bob's dollars gets sent to the Florida Baptist Convention offices in Jacksonville. Of that, $6 of his money stays in the state for various concerns like those mentioned above and $4 gets sent to Nashville, Tennessee. Once there, $2 gets allocated to the International Mission Board for overseas mission work. A little less than $1 goes to mission work in North America and a little less than that goes to support theological education. In other words, of every dollar that Bob gives, about $.o2 goes to overseas missions (assuming HSBC has no other avenue for contributions to missions efforts).
Most Southern Baptists do not realize that this is the way it works because the Cooperative Program is typically promoted as a great way to fund international missions. According to the cpmission website, however, only 36% of the money given to the CP actually made it to Nashville and only 18% of all the money given went to support overseas missions. The lion's share of the money--about 63% on average--is used by state conventions.
As a younger generation of Southern Baptists begin to understand how this works, expect to see a shift in how local churches allocate their money that is set aside for mission work. Some will diminish CP giving in order to increase their giving to support international missions.
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By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: January 20, 2011
WASHINGTON — Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, will announce a five-year plan on Thursday to make thousands of its packaged foods lower in unhealthy salts, fats and sugars, and to drop prices on fruits and vegetables.
The initiative came out of discussions the company has been having with Michelle Obama, the first lady, who will attend the announcement in Washington and has made healthy eating and reducing childhood obesity the centerpiece of her agenda. Aides say it is the first time Mrs. Obama has thrown her support behind the work of a single company.
The plan, similar to efforts by other companies and to public health initiatives by New York City, sets specific targets for lowering sodium, trans fats and added sugars in a broad array of foods — including rice, soups, canned beans, salad dressings and snacks like potato chips — packaged under the company’s house brand, Great Value.
In interviews previewing the announcement, Wal-Mart and White House officials said the company was also pledging to press its major food suppliers, like Kraft, to follow its example. Wal-Mart does not disclose how much of its sales come from its house brand. But Kraft says about 16 percent of its global sales are through Wal-Mart.
In addition, Wal-Mart will work to eliminate any extra cost to customers for healthy foods made with whole grains, said Leslie Dach, Wal-Mart’s executive vice president for corporate affairs. By lowering prices on fresh fruits and vegetables, Wal-Mart says it will cut into its own profits but hopes to make up for it in sales volume. “This is not about asking the farmers to accept less for their crops,” he said.
The changes will be introduced slowly, over a period of five years, to give the company time to overcome technical hurdles and to give consumers time to adjust to foods’ new taste, Mr. Dach said. “It doesn’t do you any good to have healthy food if people don’t eat it.”
Wal-Mart is hardly the first company to take such steps; ConAgra Foods, for example, has promised to reduce sodium content in its foods by 20 percent by 2015.
But because Wal-Mart sells more groceries than any other company in the country, and because it is such a large purchaser of foods produced by national suppliers, nutrition experts say the changes could have a big impact on the affordability of healthy food and the health of American families and children.
Some say the company has almost as much power as federal regulators to shape the marketplace.
“A number of companies have said they are going to make voluntary reductions in sodium over the next several years, and numerous companies have said they are going to try to get trans fat out of their food,” said Michael Jacobson, executive director of Center for Science in the Public Interest. “But Wal-Mart is in a position almost like the Food and Drug Administration. I think it really pushes the food industry in the right direction.”
But Wal-Mart is pushing only so far. The company’s proposed sugar reductions are “much less aggressive” than they could be, Mr. Jacobson said, noting that Wal-Mart is not proposing to tackle the problem of added sugars in soft drinks, which experts regard as a major contributor to childhood obesity. And he said it would be “nice if Wal-Mart’s timeline were speedier” than five years.
Wal-Mart has been planning the initiative for more than a year; the effort was in its early stages when Ms. Obama joined it. The first lady’s appearance with Mr. Dach and other Wal-Mart executives when they make the announcement at a community center in Washington’s Anacostia neighborhood on Thursday morning is out of the ordinary and a prominent effort by the administration to spur further moves toward healthier food.
“We’re not just aligning ourselves with one company; we’re aligning ourselves with people who are stepping up as leaders to take this country to a healthier place,” said Sam Kass, the White House chef who doubles as Mrs. Obama’s top adviser on matters of nutrition.
“There’s no qualms about that,” Mr. Kass said. “The only question that we have is do we think this is a significant step in that direction, and do we think there is a method in place to track progress, and do we think this will have the impact we are pushing for.”
Over the last year, Mr. Kass and other aides to the first lady have spent countless hours in meetings with company officials; both Mr. Kass and Mr. Dach said Mrs. Obama pushed the company to hold itself accountable by issuing public progress reports. The Partnership for a Healthier America, a nonprofit organization that works with the first lady on her Let’s Move initiative to reduce childhood obesity, will monitor the company’s progress.
The changes will not happen overnight. Wal-Mart is pledging to reduce sodium by 25 percent, eliminate industrially added trans fats and reduce added sugars by 10 percent by 2015. Its other plans are less specific. In addition to proposing to lower prices on healthy foods, Wal-Mart is planning to develop criteria, and ultimately a seal, that will go on truly healthier foods, as measured by their sodium, fat and sugar content.
The company says it will also address the problem of “food deserts” — a dearth of grocery stores selling fresh produce in rural and underserved urban areas like Anacostia — by building more stores. And it will increase charitable contributions for nutrition programs.
A range of studies has shown that low-income people, especially those who receive food stamps, face special dietary challenges because eating healthy costs more and healthier food is harder to get in their neighborhoods. James D. Weill, president of Food Research and Action Center, an organization that has discussed the problem with Wal-Mart, said the company recognized “how much hunger and food insecurity there is in the country.”
Mr. Dach said the lower prices and food reformulations were motivated by the demands of Wal-Mart’s own customers. He said the company believed that, if it was successful, the price reductions would save Americans who shop at Wal-Mart approximately $1 billion a year on fresh fruits and vegetables alone.
“Our customers have always told us, ’We don’t understand why whole wheat macaroni and cheese costs more than regular macaroni and cheese,’ ” Mr. Dach said, adding, “We’ve always said that we don’t think the Wal-Mart shopper should have to choose between a product that is healthier for them and what they can afford.”
Mr. Jacobson, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said that reducing sodium was the trickiest of the food reformulation challenges. Sodium is in every food category, and it is more difficult to replace than the partly hydrogenated oil that composes trans fats, or than sugars, because there are easy substitutes for oils and sugars. But sodium, which contributes to hypertension and raises the risk of heart disease, must simply be reduced, which can greatly alter taste.
Mr. Dach said the company had yet to conquer its reformulation challenges, and described the goals as both aspirational and realistic. “We think it’s a realistic target, but it’s aspirational in the sense that we can’t tell you today how it’s all going to get done,” he said.
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Fort Wayne Weekly Sentinel (Newspaper) - December 15, 1909, Fort Wayne, Indiana THE SOUR THAT THE CHEERFUL - GREAT LABOR 18 FOR 1833. 15,1909. Managua Crowds Fill Streets Crying Down With Zelaya and Long Live the United IS m E By WHOM OPERATION GIVES NEW CHANCE FOR Dec. 14.Rebellion has broken out at the ca The streets are with unrestrained Shouts of live the United States and fill the The police have made to check the It is said that President has promised public the announcement oiP his from the ' 'the first time in sixteen years a meeting of malcontents has been permitted The demonstration began last and continued for forenoon comparative quiet had but the scene of the of the last few hours admitted lout one The feeling was so strong that the government did not dare to attempt its Turns on climax was reached last night when the government attempted to put through congress a conceding to exploiters mining rights covering vast undefined areas irrespective of the private ownership of the surface the Congressman opposed the measure in a that aroused the wildest The government seeing that was in danger of being adjourned the It iW how to head off the Indignation that had swept oyer the legislative supposed to friendly to The of the adjournment was hisses and when Corda left the building he was given an the meeting place the who dared publicly to voice protest against the was followed to his hotel by a alternately cheered Corda lind crrisd live Grow to an of what had transpired In spread and the crowd of grew to the strength gathered in front of the legation and called upon the Mexican minister to Nicaragua for a The diplomat asked to be attempted a speech and was hooted for his Occasionally there was a cry of us In a fiery speech predicted a new jot liberty and his auditors shouted Responding to insistent Corda made a speech which was bitter attack upon The said that he had Intended to Interpellate the government on the of its preparations for war in the of its protestations of peaceful but he had desisted on that a formal declaration by Presiden resigning from published in the While these speeches were being made to the angry crowd made no show of Dr. Madriz arrived in the city and his advent was the signal for a demonstration that the earlier appear temperate in crowd had become emboldened by the of the and violent denunciations of the were voiced apparently without thought of a In the confusion of shouts one could make out live the United handwriting is on the was released but recently from the a demonstration at hotel the crowd moved to the home of Henry the United States vice Here they cried the ' the United Still the police did not interfere and the tramping and shouting went on until the people had tired themselves is a rumor here that General Estrada was raptured during a battle at but no confirmation of the story is possible TAKE GIVE TO Food Inspector Here Up the State Food and Drug F. W. of - itt the 6fty on Tuesday and expects to day or two in Wayne of of governmental finding the use of this preservar the state of have none of it. to not work too have the stock ' Dec. 14.An official telegram at the insurgent headquarters announces that General Morales at the head of a band of has captured and three small towns on the Costa Rican Morales proclaimed Estrada president of Nicaragua and continued his march to attack the important town of Estrada and his followers have taken courage at the prospect of assistance from the United States in their efforts to overthrow the government of Put Marines The United States cruisers Des Moines and Tacoma and the collier with their crews on board are still lying outside the A cablegram reports that seven hundred marines from the United States have started for Colon and this fact is interpreted as assurance that marines will be sent here to the blue jackets in the States Consul Moffat is making tentative arrangements for shore quarters for the American fighting The consul is in hourly communication with Commander of the bes Moines and Commander of the is also exchanging long cablegrams with The of the Americans here affords the people of a sense of great It is noted with satisfaction that since the arrival of the Des General of the government forces near has redoubled his efforts to obtain a compromise with Now Has 2,400'Men. Gen Estrada now has 2,400 men and looks forward to an early engagement that will result in a decisive victory for the Estrada announces that his first step preliminary to joining Morales and other leaders in a combined attack upon will be the surrounding of which movement Estrada thinks is partly accomplished General Vasquez has reconcentrated his troops in the hills overlooking the Mico a few miles from right is threatened by General Luis who has taken up a position nine miles south on the Rama On the other flank of the government army is General Fornaz whose troops occupy a strong position on the Sigua As the Mico river flows between the Ram and Sigua Vasquez is hemmed In on either plans simultaneous by Diaz and Mena cutting off the retreat of the enemy to the north or Gen Chamorro delivers a frontal The plan is complete and the inauguration of the campaign awaits only the arrival of artillery and additional which daily by Vasquez apparently recognizes the advantage of the insurgents as he to send messengers to the rebel seeking a These messengers Invariably are turned back with the statement that Gen. Chamorro will consider nothing save unconditional Adds to Chances of Belgian to Defeat TRAGES OP A TUMOR ARE Perks Up Quite a Lot When Doctors Tell Him of That 7ELAYA TO Dec. 14.Special mall advices from Costa that reports have reached there Dr. Nicaraguan member of - the of has made a vigorous appeal to Zelaya to lay down the It is stated that Dr. Madriz urged Zelaya to do this only for the integrity of that of all Central advices that action of Dr. Madriz is construed prove that the of Cartago has inside information In regard to the attitude which the United government will assume toward and the opinion of will integrity of whole of Central held in San Costa ago the landing Hsf troops In the ^t SiMi - - ' Dec. 14.-:King Leopold was operated upon successfully The surgeons found no trace of a the presence of which in the intestines had been His majesty's illness was due to a simple The king is resting 3 o'clock this afternoon the physicians issued this king's condition is very good as a result of the Much following the his majesty regained he was told of had been accomplished and He said that the removal of the obstruction in the intestines afforded him marked physicians are more hopeful of the ultimate recovery of royal They met in consultation again this The resort to surgery was made only as a last chance and the medical men had not been Improvement in the king's condition followed at but whether he has the vitality to resist the after effects of surgery is a Leopold was under the effects of for forty When these had passed asked the surgeons for the details of the Lights His replied that they had discovered neither a tumor nor an but had removed an accumulation from the At the expression of joy lighted the features of the aged who but with there is hope for my your responded Dr. is but the greatest care must be gravest danger now is in the possibility of fever CFL BIG Government Seeks to Recover the HOLDING WATER POWER of Tenants in Cincinnati Ends in Awful Fire Dec. 14.Seven persons lost their seven others were two probably and about fifty others had narrow from instant death in a fire which destroyed a tenement lodging house Third and streets early a 35. 3. J. 35. Norah Hehderson Coy 18, daughter of Mrs. 1?, another daughter of Mrs. J. son of - Mrs. Probably fatally Mrs. Emma 27; Mrs. Laura 27. fire started on the second floor of the building and due to upsetting of a kerosene lamp during a quarrel building was old and of wood and the flames spread rapidly to stairways and cutting off the inmates awoke they found the building full of Many rushed to the windows and ers to the The firemen and rescued but others were too frightened heed of the rescuers and threw themselves from the Some of these were caught in blankets hold but others fell to the of the were found on the tipper floors of the Mrs. Henderson was clasping her dead child Ruth in her Her two children were discovered in: an They had been suffocated by AFFIDAVIT BE A Scientists Amazed by New Assault on Explorer BIG HOLES IN SWORN Says That for Price He Fabricated Cook's Polar HAS of a Grist of 100 Postmasters is Turned Out by HAS THIRD TERM AT Dec. 9.^A summary o the affidavits of persons claiming to have aided Dr. Frederick A. Cook Ui the preparation of his polar published in London and New York was read here amazement Scientific circles are inclined to be incredulous regarding the charges and some persons like Dr. Carl the consider them so improbable that their effect will be to strengthen confidence in Dr. In an interview Dr. Burrau in the story telegraphed here give me the impression that the is thoroughly Take for instance the statement about Capella neither rises nor sets in the polar regions but remains fixed over the In order to make at the north a more extended and a more detailed knowledge is necessary than is enjoyed usually by the average ship's Will be Easy to be easy for the university to determine the truth or otherwise of the committee of ' six under the presidency of Prof. the which is to examine the north polie records of Dr. Cook on behalf of the of will begin its end of the present of two men asserting Dr. A. Cook hired them for 14,000 with J promise of an additional bonus of to one of fabricate astronomical observations and calculations of latitude and for- submission to the of published in- the New Times The men who say they helped Cook in records of to the north H. an and Captain August a their reason making the affidavits was the explorer paid them only for their 18 NOW IN With Wealth Lay Sick Streets of 14v-^Holding fast to a handbag worth of in rat and 000 on V property Ina nil Dec. 9.Captain A. W. the master pilot and whose affidavit stating that he had formulated series of observations and data lor A. at Dr. request upon his return arctic today at his in Brooklyn the statements made in the went to Dr. said Captain that I might be of some little assistance to I never expected when I him to do such extended work as I have After a Dr. I almost nithing He was ignorant of the essentials of the first I it at least been thel degrees within tbe that I to change Starts During Christmas and Gruts Valparaiso Dec. 14.The grinding of the grist of about 100 appointments to the office of postmaster in cities and towns of Indiana at the disposal of United States Senator Beveridge began today when the senator announced from Washington that he had recommended the who has already served two John W. present Thomas E. A. R. CHURCH Breaks Out During Christmas Dec. 14.While the childre nof the Sunday school of the Presbyterian church were rehearsing their Christmas entertainment today the furnace in the basement set fire to the All the children The interior of the church was causing a loss of several thousand Part of Plan for Lakes to Gulf Deep Dec. 14.The United States government has entered the controversy over the Dresden Heights dam of the Economy Light and Power company and the enormous power rights claimed along the Des suit being filed here today in the federal circuit court to enjoin the Economy Light and Power company from constructing the dam and for a decree compelling the restoration of the Des Plaines river to its condition before the building of the dam was This is the first step in the deep waterway program for a highway and the suit of the government if it successfully establishes title to the Des Plaines river would a long stride toward the final I completion of a commercial from Chicago to New Behind The suit which was filed by District Attorney Sims at the direction of the attorney general is based on two main that the title to the bed of the Des Plaines river is vested in the federal government and second that under the correct rule of navigability the Des Plaines river is a navigable stream and the construction of the dam could only be accomplished with the permission of the secretary of war and the chief of engineers of the federal The state program for a water way from Chicago to St. Louis via Sanitary the Des Plaines and the Illinois rivers was halted by the action of the canal commissioners of the and Michigan canal moving for permission for overflow of some canal lands paralleling the Des Plaines river near the site of the Supreme Court Against the state courts the governor and the attorney general of the state of Illinois vainly sought to secure title to the stream but the supreme court of Illinois ruled the Des Plaines river is not to appeal from the sfate court to the federal supreme court is part of the program for the present state legislature at In the present suit the government contends that the Illinois supreme court has not laid down the correct for determining the navigability of in holding that a stream to be navigable must be proved to be navigable in Its condition NO. 9 $1000 ON % Bossier Gives Testimony from Wheel AT Anderson Convenes the December Term of Federal Court DEATH TO Dec. 14.Preferring death to a 80 years His body was found floating in Buck His had been failing rapidly and he told his with whom he that he wished he were He had laid his upon the bank of the stream before entering the Dec. 14.In head-on collision at North between an eastbound ger train on the Baltimore and road from St. and a westbound passenger train to both engines wrecked and mail cars Engineer Chadwick was slightly No passengers were - The men and mail clerks before the GRANGE * 14.The state grange opened its thirty-ninth annual convention here The Aaron of South pointed out in hiS address to the 150 delegates present that much urged by the grange been objects sought by the he parcels government ownership of the and waterways from the great lakes and as and supervision of all means Former Governor N. J. of New 9f' the National wiir deliver - an UW III Deneen Sends a Special Message to the 111., Dec. 14.Governor Deneen today in. a special session of the ' legislature laid particular stress upon the necessity for a new election law as the most important subject for legislative The governor refers to the supreme - court invalidating the primary act of 1908 arid in an to the message details the of the supreme court to draft a primary would be the statement of the election the chief executive renew my recommendation for the ot a direct primary law and its passage at the present Passage of a corrupt practices limiting campaign expenditures and requiring publication of campaign of a commission to take charge Of the construction of the proposed deep a bond issue for this project having been approved by the development of to laws to repetition of the Cherry appropriation for relief of the at a to study the subject of - recommending the adaption of the amendment to the federal permitting the of an the governor nation possesses to call upon its for service upon the battle field possess power to an tax it may be necessary to meet national IN Fracture a Fay of apparently a hopeless Tuesday p. m. gave his testimony in the United States court in this city in the action in which he seeks to recover damages in the sum of from Hospital company and William D. was the case called for trial when ihe December term of the federal court convened at 1:30 o'clock this Judge Albert B. Anderson arrived in the city shortly before noon from He accompanied by Noble C. the Harry C. the United States and Alonzo A. United States Others on duty at the session Deputy Clerk T. J Logan and A. R. Walter and S. J. who are officiating in the capacity of Unskilled was employed in oil fields at and on February 7, 1907, he was caught in a flywheel at a pumping station and injured about the back and He to a hospital at and in his action makes the contention that his case was not given proper treatment and that as a result he is a permanent He asserts that medical authorities at Toledo told him that a surgical operation at the proper time would have made a complete cure Mr. Bossier is represented by Attorney P. V. of while Leonard A Townsend appear for the Muncie Hospital company and Sol A. Wood for William his opening Mr. asserted that the evidence would that the medical and surgical given Bossier at Muncie was competent and while as to the Muncie Hospital company Mr. Townsend set up an He asserted the Muncie Hospital company was not in fact the owner of any it ceased to exist some years and that it had never been in fact anything other than an insurance organization which provided medical and surgical care for its that Bossier had never held a policy in it. Judge is hearing the case without a Cases old actions were dismissed from among them being case of the Potter Manufacturing company vs. the Julius Keller Construction - Tomorrow the arguments in the dental cuspidor case will be taken and it ii expected that the work of the session be completed in the two Marshal Boyd is the officer was in charge of the delegation of former Indiana bank clerks recently to Fort Leavenworth penitentiary to begin their terms of five years Mr. said he was there but a short and did not learn the nature of the that had been given the were well-behaved lot of fellows while under rny Said Mr. Boyd I felt mighty sorry for I to make trip to Leavenworth in the spring and I am going to call on every one of Pet of Attempts to Kill Dec. 14.The call of the wild brought the thirst for to a pet wolf belonging Masters last and the animal escaped from its into the and sprang at ' the throat young Masters hurled himself between his daughter and the enraged The teeth of ' the animal closed vIm on man's bis - free grabbed the Wolf by two went to the floor in 4 The tiU released its J and killed the wolf iti wolf was sent Idaho a year ago and always been ' WILSON IS '
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A lot of people talk about innovative companies. All the management magazines and books refer always to the same select group of Apple, Google, 3M, Microsoft, P&G, BMW, Facebook, Virgin, Samsung, WAL-MART, Toyota, Amazon, INTEL, Starbucks and a few others.
But so few people really work in them. This means a whole lot of people are working in not so innovative organisations. You are probably one of them, or a consultant advising them.
In your business practice there will be moments you think ‘we really need to innovate’. A lot of reasons may cause this:
- Turnover and margins are going down structurally;
- An existing competitor just introduced a great new product or service;
- A new competitor entered the market with a revolutionary business model;
- A big client just walked away;
- You just lost the 3rd tender in a row for a big assignment.
So what do you do? You have several options:
- Create innovation initiatives yourself.
- Start ideating new ideas.
- Form an innovation team.
- Hire a consultant.
- Get support of the top management.
…there’s a big difference between inventing and innovation.
My strongest advice to you is to never start product or service innovation with an idea. This might sound very strange. You associate innovation strongly with inventing new ideas. But there’s a big difference between inventing and innovation. You can invent on your own. But in an organisation you can never innovate alone! You need R&D engineers, production managers, IT staff, financial controllers, marketers and sales people to develop the product or service, produce it and get it out on the market. And your top management to get priority and resources. That’s why starting ideation or creating innovation initiatives yourself is so ineffective in organisations. And only one and a half out of seven new product ideas is really introduced (Robert G. Cooper, 2011).
So, how do you start innovation?
You should never start spontaneous and unprepared. As good preparation not only increases the chances of success but it also creates priorities, direction and the will to succeed. That’s why it is essential to start with a clear and concrete innovation assignment, involving your top managers. This forces the top management in your company, from the start, to be concrete about the market/target group for which the innovations must be developed and which criteria these new concepts must meet. This forms the guidelines for you and your innovation team when you are underway. You can formulate the innovation assignment with the help of the following six questions:
- Why? (Why do we want to innovate);
- Who? (Who is the target group);
- Where? (For which distribution channels, countries, regions or continents);
- What? (Evolutionary or revolutionary; products, services and/or business models);
- When? (Intended year of introduction);
- Which? (Which criteria the new concepts should meet);
In discussion with your top management, you can collectively formulate which criteria the new product/service ideas must meet as well as determine the ambition level.
This innovation assignment gives direction and manages expectations of both the top management as the members of the innovation team. You can download a free checklist on how to make an innovation assignment at the website of the FORTH innovation method.
I wish you a lot of success jump-starting innovation: not with an idea but with a concrete assignment!
Gijs van Wulfen (The Netherlands, 1960) is the founder of the FORTH innovation method. FORTH is an effective and structured method for ideating innovative products and services. The method is published in his inspiring and practical book Creating Innovative Products and Services’ (Gower, 2011).
He helps organisations to kick start innovation by facilitating the FORTH innovation method and advising companies on their innovation strategy, process and organisation. His clients are international companies in industry and services, as well as non-profit organisations in government and health. Gijs also trains facilitators in his method. His dream is to make FORTH the most used method for the front end of innovation around the world.
Gijs is a both presenter and chairman at several (international) innovation conferences, like the ISPIM Conferences and the European Conference on Creativity and Innovation. He is also founder of the yearly Dutch Innovation Conference on creating new products: ‘Nieuwe Producten Bedenken’.
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Take a leaf out of the French recipe for life and celebrate the two-hour lunch.
We don’t do lunch, do we? At best, we stop to hurriedly munch a sandwich at our desk. At worst, we stock up on nuts, protein bars and chocolate and nibble our way through the nine-to-five grind. And when we do manage to make time to go somewhere nice for lunch, we oversalt our mains with guilt, pass on the wine and skip dessert so that we can be back at our desk within the hour.
But that’s not really lunch. If you want to savour the true meaning of lunch, go to France.
The French are serious about lunch – you’ll soon realise this when you try to find a shop or a government office that is still open from noon till two in the afternoon. You won’t because everyone will be out sipping wine and enjoying their moules and cassoulet.
For the French, lunch should be a proper three-course meal. For the nation that wrote half the recipes in the world’s cookbook, the midday meal is sacred and should be enjoyed sitting down at the local bistro, washed down with a bottle of wine and then digested slowly. Even children at school get a long lunch break. And no matter how busy they are, the French always make time for a long lunch seasoned with good conversation – it’s almost a patriotic act to show the whole world that workers in France are well-fed.
In recent years however, French workers’ lunch breaks have been drastically shortened. A recent survey conducted by the Malakoff Mederic social protection group shows that the average lunch break in France is now 22 minutes long, compared to one hour and a half two decades ago. Also, whereas three years ago, 34 per cent of workers lunched at home, this is now down to 29 per cent.
As with everything, blame the economy. Because whereas before, the French used to justify their long lunches with the fact that they were one of the world’s most productive nations, economic woes have pushed them to adopt to a different way of lunching life.
Which means that the world needs a nation that defends the long lunch custom. And Malta is a perfect candidate – we can just get in the car and drive home for lunch or go to a restaurant and café near the office.
To justify a long lunch, we can always say that it helps our concentration levels and that we work better on a full stomach. Which we probably won’t because after a long lunch, it’s hard to find the motivation to return to work – the only thing you want to do is curl up on the sofa in the boardroom and go to sleep. But it’s still worth a try.
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Written by Julia A. Seymour
CNN Still Hungry for Food Rules, Eats Up Oliver's Call for Billions for School Lunch 'Revolution'
Cable network continues its pro-regulation, pro-government obesity reporting with extreme examples, lack of critics and calls for government funding.
Business & Media Institute
The "obesity epidemic" is the fault of poor individual choices and sedentary lifestyles, but in the news, blame typically falls on companies, rather than on the individual. CNN has attacked grocer stores, restaurants and food manufacturers for creating supposedly "addictive" products and in story after story called for more food regulations, taxes or other intervention.
CNN's hearty appetite for food control has gone on for years. They've waged a war on obesity all while promoting government meddling like higher taxes on drinks made with "cheap" corn syrup to fight the "obesity epidemic," health zoning prohibiting fast food restaurants from South L.A. and trans-fat bans just for starters. CNN even criticized supermarkets for wanting customers to buy products from them, back in 2006.
The cable network often tries to jar viewers with hyperbolic reports like a February 2007 one about "Extreme Eating." That story sounded just like a press release from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a food police group that has attacked nearly every imaginable food and beverage. That day CNN's Greg Hunter brought CSPI on and supported their call for mandatory nutrition labels on menus.
"[T]hey should put the numbers on the menu too," O'Brien declared after Hunter said that UNO Chicago Grill would be trans-fat free by the end of 2007.
Fast forward to March 2010 and CNN finally got its restrictive wish thanks to President Obama's health care reform bill.
Any restaurant with 20 or more locations will now have to post calorie counts on menus, menu boards and drive-thru signs under the supervision of the Food and Drug administration. Vending machines will also be subject to the new rule.
The Business & Media Institute was unable to obtain a cost estimate for determining nutrition information or for changing menus and signage of all restaurants facing the new mandate, but an Orange County Business Journal story from 2009 included businesspeople worried about a similar mandate in California.
The CEO of Wahoo's Fish Taco, Mingo Lee told OCBJ the change would likely be a "huge financial burden" for restaurant chains. The same article expressed fear of potential lawsuits. Mike Rule, a California attorney representing restaurant operators, told the paper the California "law contains a number of uncertainties that could lead to the potential for future litigation."
CNN's Kyra Phillips reported the new federal regulation which had been included in the enormous $938 billion "reform" package on March 23. Phillips said, "supporters say the new law will provide consumers with better information in the fight against obesity."
Phillips didn't bother mentioning any criticism of the regulation such as its cost to struggling American businesses or remind viewers that every person is responsible for his or her own food choices. Former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain and national chairman of the Business & Media Institute said, "It is just another cost passed onto the consumer for an unnecessary regulation."
Nevertheless, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who was tapped by the Obama administration for the surgeon general position (he turned it down) and has supported obesity taxes in the past, welcomed the new menu labeling requirements. He also failed to find critics of the legislation March 27 on his show "Sanjay Gupta, MD."
He should have asked the St. Petersburg Times for help. They found Nick Vojnovic, president of 250-store Beef 'O' Brady's who said, "We'll do what consumers want, but you spend a lot to get nutritional information, but what about your one cook who uses an extra dollop of mayo?"
"If the government thinks this can reduce obesity, labels on packaged foods didn't," Vojnovic concluded.
ABCNews.com also found a Chicago chef opposed to the new law although it won't apply to him - yet. Didier Durand owns Cyrano's Bistrot and was interviewed by "Nightline" while preparing a delicious chicken dish with lots of butter. Durand told ABC he had "no idea" how many calories are in the dish and he could never maintain an accurate calorie count.
"In my kitchen, I put a pinch of that, a little of this, just never the same, so I think that will never be really accurate," he explained. Durand leads an organization of independent restaurants who want to "keep police out of the kitchen," according to ABC.
But even the new menu labeling wasn't sufficient for CNN. In the past week famous chef Jamie Oliver has hyped the threat of obesity on several of their shows and condemned evil "processed" foods, Gupta has interviewed a 250-pound 12-year-old and people on the cable channel called for further government spending and intervention.
Hyping the Obesity Crisis
"It's that kind of food that's killing America," Oliver said in a clip from his new ABC television show "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution." Oliver was criticizing a Huntington, W.Va. school for serving processed foods including pizza, burgers, corn dogs and chicken nuggets. He proclaimed such things would kill the children.
Oliver's show may air on ABC, but the famous English chef was all over CNN in the past week appearing on "Larry King Live," "Campbell Brown," and "Anderson Cooper 360."
The chef claimed that such eating would reduce the lifespan of children and lead to them having shorter lives than their parents. Gupta made a similar in a segment about an extremely obese 12-year-old name Tiger Greene. Greene weighed 250 pounds before he started making changes.
"As a father of three it's especially hard for me to hear these stories. Children - dying far earlier than they should. In some cases their lives cut short by decades," Gupta warned as began his story about the Greenes.
It turns out the claim about shorter lifespans was based on a Kaiser Permanente study about extreme obesity in children. But Kaiser's own press release expressed less certainty than Gupta and Oliver:
"This publication is only the beginning. Now we are trying to quantify the health risks and long-term effects associated with extreme obesity, determine which groups are affected most, and develop strategies for population care management to reduce these health risks. Children's health is important and we have a long way to go," the study's lead author Corinna Koebnick said.
Oliver's experiences in W. Va., and Gupta's interview with the Greenes were both extreme examples, and while they were distressing they are not the norm. A 250-pound 12-year-old is the exception, not the rule according to CDC data.
A 2004 release from CDC put the median weight of a 12-year-old boy at 110.9 pounds - less than half of Tiger's weight. At least Gupta exposed the personal choices that led to such obesity.
Tiger said that for lunch "I have like a big 15-ounce steak or something and like five Sprites and stuff like that." Dinner was "lunch times five."
Gupta mildly chastised Tiger's family saying it's "important to realize that Tiger didn't get here by himself. He had help from the people who care the most." Barely a rebuke from a cable network that regularly blasts restaurants and other businesses for selling products they deem unhealthy.
The problem with such extreme examples is that they instill fear in viewers and perpetuate the need for government regulation and other actions rather than demanding personal responsibility and embracing individual freedom.
$4.5 Billion Is 'Rude,' 'Disrespectful,' and 'Won't do Anything'
Oliver wasn't just teaching families in W.Va. about healthy foods, on CNN he was calling for more government action. He told "Larry King Live" viewers he wanted to see "compulsory" food education in elementary schools and cooking in high school. But he also wanted money - taxpayer money to be exact. He promoted a "nutrition" bill waiting on Congressional approval.
"I'm very worried about Congress. You know yesterday a whole load of work got done. $4.5 billion over a 10-year period is embarrassing, is rude, is disrespectful. It won't do anything. You know to think that $4.5 billion to help the child nutrition and the obesity across all the schools in America over 10 years, compared to $7 billion in a month in Iraq," Oliver said on King's program March 25 (rebroadcast March 28).
"We need more funds," Oliver repeated. Before bringing his "Food Revolution" to America, the chef badgered the British government into devoting $1 billion more per year to its school lunch program.
Michael Moynihan of Reason.TV created a video expose of Oliver's revolution and took aim at the British chef's premise - that school lunches are "killing" American children.
"Kids in America are fat, they're not fat because of school lunch. School lunches could be better but if we have $5 billion to spend I've got a lot of things I want to spend it on that will improve the lives of kids before we get some organic kale on their lunch tray," Reason's Katherine Mangu-Ward said in the video.
Mangu-Ward also pointed out that the government is responsible for both the nutritional standards of those lunches and for the very food supplied in many cases.
CNN's "American Morning" was also seeking a little government assistance March 29. Co-host John Roberts interviewed Mari Gallagher of the National Center for Public Research about solving the problem of "food deserts."
"Food deserts," according to Gallagher are places that do not have supermarkets or grocery store options. It didn't take long for Roberts to ask about the government's role.
ROBERTS: Mari, how do you convince supermarkets to come in to these areas? And does the government play any role?
GALLAGHER: Well, the government can play a very good role. The market needs to play a role. Grocers are interested in figuring out the food desert dilemma if you will.
There's lots of different reasons why we have this problem. Margins are very tight for grocers. Some grocers left different kinds of markets, you know, 10, 20, even 30 years ago.
GALLAGHER: Even in the food desert, sometimes the cost of land is expensive. So putting these deals together can be difficult. But, you know, people do eat. There is a market for food. And so that's what we need to do is figure out how to get mainstream grocery stores into this type of market and certainly the government can help with incentives and lots of other folks can help, too.
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By Andrea Shalal-Esa
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Faulty fuel lines blamed for the grounding of the Marine Corps version of the Lockheed Martin Corp
The Pentagon on Monday said it found that a fuel line built by Stratoflex, a unit of Parker Hannifin Corp
The defect caused the fuel line to detach and fail just before a training flight took off at a Florida Air Force base on January 18.
The incident led to the grounding of all 25 Marine Corps versions of the new warplane, raising questions about the program's ability to keep an aggressive flight test schedule on the $396 billion program.
U.S. military officials want all the lines produced by Stratoflex for the F-35 B-model inspected using CT scans since the variance was measured in thousandths of an inch and would not be easily detected otherwise, according to a defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly.
CT scans are most commonly used in medical procedures, but can also detect flaws within components.
Normally the lines would be inspected at a facility of Britain's Rolls-Royce Plc
But Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp
Rolls builds the lift fan used on the engine of the B-model, which can take off from shorter runways and land like a helicopter. The conventional and carrier versions of the F-35 were not affected because they don't use the same fuel lines.
Some replacement fuel lines are already available and some test pilots could resume flying by the middle of next week, said the source, who was not authorized to speak publicly.
"The third-party businesses are helping us to accelerate return to flight, (versus) sending them back to Rolls Royce in the UK," said Matthew Bates, a spokesman for Pratt & Whitney.
A spokesman for Rolls Royce said his company was working closely with the Pentagon's F-35 joint program office and Pratt & Whitney.
Neither Bates nor a spokesman for Rolls-Royce identified the companies that would perform the scans.
It also remains unclear who will pay for the additional inspections and the shipping of the fuel lines, since the problem involved faulty manufacturing, not a design flaw or maintenance problems.
The statement issued by the Pentagon's F-35 program office on Monday made it clear that it holds Pratt and Rolls responsible for inadequate quality controls. It said both companies were taking steps to improve their quality assurance and ensure product integrity.
Last year, quality issues with a parachute under the pilot's ejection seat forced the program to suspend ground and flight operations of 15 F-35s. The company responsible for the improperly packed parachutes took a proactive role in resolving the issue, and paying for the additional work.
One source familiar with the program said the Pentagon should not be expected to pay for the problems this time either.
A spokeswoman for Parker Hannifin said the company, which makes many other components for the aircraft, was working around the clock to support the Pentagon's investigation.
Lockheed is building three different models of the F-35 fighter jet for the U.S. military and eight countries that helped pay for its development: Britain, Canada, Italy, Turkey, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia and Norway.
The Pentagon plans to buy 2,443 of the warplanes in coming decades, although many analysts believe U.S. budget constraints and deficits will eventually reduce that overall number.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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I've recently learned some easy tips to strengthen the bonds that mothers have with their daughters. I wanted to pass them on to you. And I am hoping that in writing them down, I will remember to do them as well.
1. When your daughter speaks, don't rush to judgements. Just let them speak, and only give advice if they ask for it.
2. Enlist your daughter's help in the kitchen. When working side by side, conversation will flow more freely.
Take advantage of the time you spend together in the car, shopping, or cleaning the house. Make sure to turn off any distractions in the car like the radio.
3. Even when you are tired, take the time to sit with them on their beds to talk about their day (maybe even give them a nice back and neck massage!) Teens have a lot on their plates these days.
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It's easy to critique the works of others and get your work critiqued. Just follow the steps below:
1) Post your first piece.
2) You must then critique the work of another member to post another piece yourself.
3) For each critique you give, you earn 1 credit that can be used to post another one of your writings.
4) You can build up credits to be used at another time by giving critiques to others.
Our Daily Devotional
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TRUST JESUS TODAY
This is the speech for a presentation I will be doing on Stonewall Jackson at The Museum of The Confederacy in Sept.
First, I would like to begin by thanking (name here) for (his/her) most gracious invitation to participate in today’s panel. It is a real privilege to be counted among these very talented writers and I am honored to have this opportunity to speak to you.
Before I begin my formal presentation, I’d like to take a moment to provide a very brief background on myself, and the two books that I have written. Like many of you, I have always been a huge Civil War buff and ever since my first trip to Gettysburg at the age of six, the War Between the States has captivated my mind. Over the years, I have continued to study the subject and have never grown tired of it. Even today, I still feel the same sense of admiration for the boys in blue and gray as I did in 1978.
Since 2000, I have been blessed with a freelance writing position for Baseball-Almanac.com and specialize in studies recounting the history of America’s National Pastime. Deep down inside however, I always wanted to write something meaningful in regards to the Civil War. A few years ago, I added faith writing to my resume and began providing Christian based material for several religious publications. In 2004, I finally discovered the inspiration that I had been searching for in the form of the Ron Maxwell film “Gods and Generals.”
After viewing that movie and the breathtaking performance by actor Stephen Lang, the life (and death) of Stonewall Jackson stayed with me. In essence, it was his total faith and devotion to both God and country that literally touched my heart. I felt a strong calling to write about it.
Obviously, I was not original in this subject matter. Thus, Onward Christian Soldier is presented a little differently from other historical biographies. With such a revered character, it’s no surprise that there have been many brilliant studies on Thomas Jackson over the years. Most of them however, primarily spotlight his military service and strategic genius. My book recalls these events, but is ultimately focused on his religious awakening and it's affect on both his life and the lives of his men.
Initially, my intent was to write a single biography focusing on the spirituality of one of America's greatest Christian soldiers. However, as my own study of Thomas Jackson progressed, I discovered another legendary Confederate hero that shared an exceptionally similar life (and death) as "Stonewall." That man was General J.E.B. Stuart who also personified the devout servant to God and country. This became the basis for my second book, Christian Cavalier.
During my research for these books, I unexpectedly learned that both Jackson and Stuart (as well as many other Confederate heroes) do not receive the respect they deserve outside of the southern community. Unfortunately, many of those who have spoken out against Confederate history seldom take time to actually learn it. Many of them consider both Jackson and Stuart as nothing more than eccentric and bloodthirsty racists. This cannot be further from the truth and anyone who takes the time to study these men cannot help but be inspired by their devotion to their God, their country, and their cause.
General Robert E. Lee once said, "It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it." This is the internal struggle that many soldiers face in fulfillment of their duty. All wars are dreadful, but civil wars are the worst of them all. Brother against brother, countrymen killing fellow countrymen, all of this weighed heavily on many soldier’s consciences, but many were able to mentally survive the struggle by finding comfort through their faith. Jackson and Stuart were no exception.
Therefore, my intention today is to present one of these extraordinary men, not only as a soldier, but a Christian Soldier who has left behind a legacy that, thanks to organizations like The Museum of the Confederacy, will be shared for generations to come. Most of the material I will be discussing today is covered in much more detail in my book, but I want to provide a glimpse this afternoon into the legacy of the one we call Stonewall.
Regarded as one of the more “godly heroes” in American military history, Thomas Jackson is still considered to be one of the most inspirational and eccentric of all the Confederacy’s leaders. One of the first things that struck me in regards to the life of this General, was the relentless tragedy that seemed to plague him throughout his entire life. When looking at his story, it is not merely the story of a brave General who gained an infamous nickname by standing like a “stonewall” in the face of total carnage. It is the story about his faith that enabled him to serve his post so bravely.
You see Jackson’s life story is filled with the kinds of heartache and hardships that would leave many of us questioning our own beliefs. It is a love story that is filled with sorrow, testimony, hope, and despair. It is a story that reaffirms the power of prayer, and teaches us that with faith, all things are possible. Ultimately, it is the story of a man who suffered greatly, but chose to embrace the Will of his Savior and a Call to Duty as the foundation for a legendary life.
Like many great men in American history, General Thomas Stonewall Jackson started from humble origins. Looking back, many would consider his childhood to be fraught with despair, yet it was the painful trials he faced early on, that helped shape his unwavering commitment to both his God and country.
Born on January 21, 1824, in Clarksburg, Virginia, Thomas Jackson was the third child of Jonathan Jackson and Julia Beckwith Neale. His father was a popular and successful attorney, while his mother raised Thomas and his siblings, Elizabeth, Warren, and, later, Laura Ann. Their family was an extension of a rich and patriotic lineage that traced its roots back to the time of the Revolutionary War. Many relatives of the Jacksons were the proud owners of factories or mills, scattered from Virginia to Oregon. Their surname bore a crest of honor, and all that shared it took great pride in the accomplishments of their Presbyterian ancestors.
Benefiting from their father’s academic background, the Jackson children blossomed well and appeared to be living out the “American Dream” amidst the painted backdrop of the glorious South. Socially superior to many of their under-educated peers, blessings in the Jackson house abounded, and Jonathan’s financial gains as a practicing lawyer provided an elegant and comfortable lifestyle.
A caring and compassionate man, Jackson’s father was known for coming to the assistance of those less fortunate, and his charitable ways proved to be more satisfying than litigation. In helping to provide security for others though, Jonathan unknowingly spent his own family into financial stress. Eventually the bill collectors came looking for him, and his inability to pay weighed heavily on his shoulders. Unfortunately, things were headed from bad to worse as several unforeseen tragedies were about to deal devastating blows to this otherwise prospering family.
It’s no secret that in the days of Jackson’s childhood, the science of medicine was still very primitive. In fact, several of the common ailments that we experience today were no less than a death sentence during that time in history. Many diseases that have been long forgotten, or eradicated over the last century, were untreatable at the time, and the unfortunate victims who contracted them rarely survived.
In March of 1826, both Thomas’ father and sister Elizabeth, who was age six at the time, contracted a fatal case of typhoid fever. Adding to both the agony and irony of the situation, Julia gave birth to her fourth child, Laura Ann, the very next day after her husband had died.
Now a widow and mother of four, at the tender young age of twenty-eight, Thomas’ mother was left with extensive financial debt and the inability to support her family.
Desperate and rapidly falling into an impoverished state, she realized that her only choice to provide for her children was to remarry.
Unfortunately for the Jackson children, Julia’s judgment had been clouded by the overwhelming grief and guilt often experienced by widows who are left with few alternatives. As a result, her choice in a replacement for her beloved Jonathan fell well short of both a parent and a provider. Her new husband, Blake Woodson, not only disliked his stepchildren immensely, but was also financially unstable. The previous harmony of the Jackson household was almost immediately pushed aside by the arrival of their new stepfather. Still grieving the loss of their own father, the children’s once promising future was now bleak and void of hope.
In order to appease her newfound husband and provide a loving environment for her children, Julia made the ultimate sacrifice, and sent Thomas and Laura to live with Jonathan’s relatives in West Virginia, while Warren went to stay with Julia’s own kin. Despite the “loss” of his mother, her deep religious faith and the way in which she accepted her own fate would stay in Jackson’s memory for years to come.
During the Civil War, he would later recall her grace and tenderness often while on campaign, and confided in his chaplain that she was rarely absent in his thoughts. He often said that she was his inner strength, and that any man could be measured by the mother that raised him.
Brokenhearted, Julia passed away after suffering complications during childbirth, on December 4, 1831. Although her newborn, William Woodson, survived her death, Julia’s husband had little regard for his son’s half brothers or sister, and had no intention of reuniting the family. Thus, both Thomas and Laura spent the remaining years of their childhood nursing their emotional wounds in the custody of their parental uncles. Warren, however, was not as lucky, and later died of tuberculosis in 1841.
With no immediate family at the tender age of seventeen, Thomas took an unlikely position as a constable for the county. Acting as a minor sheriff, he was tasked with distributing warrants, collecting debts, and summoning witnesses for the local court.
After surviving an obscure bout of dyspepsia, himself, Jackson believed that the physical requirements of the job would help him maintain fitness. Following the death of his father, sister, and brother to disease, Thomas had become excessively health conscious, and his severe fear of contracting any illness would later result in obsessive compulsive behavior. Later his fears would be multiplied, as Jackson would lose his first wife and child as well as his second child to complications following childbirth.
Over the next two years, Thomas served his county well, and honed the meticulous habits that would later benefit him on the battlefield. Due to his reputation as a promising young member of the law enforcement community, the now nineteen-year-old was eventually offered a full government-funded scholarship at the nation’s most prestigious military academy. The nomination offered a tremendous opportunity for both a first-class education, as well as an honorable career in the United States Army. What more could an orphaned boy ask for? Without the slightest hesitation, Cadet Jackson immediately packed up his few belongings and headed straight for West Point.
Both shy and silent, Thomas slowly settled into his new surroundings. Although schoolwork was never one of his strengths, Jackson believed in himself, and others now believed in him too. Regardless of the enthusiasm he felt within, Thomas immediately found himself at a severe disadvantage. Many of his fellow cadets were well versed from previous training, and were far more experienced at the blackboard.
Struggling in most of his classes, his determination proved insufficient to compensate for his painful academic immaturity. Often criticized by his classmates, Jackson never questioned his own ability to be a good soldier. It was all he could do to pass the first examination, but deep down inside, he knew that both patience and perseverance would shape his future.
At that time, the curriculum at West Point was far from passive, and many of his classes included Algebra, Geometry, both Natural and Applied Physics, and History. Often working late into the night, Thomas spent countless hours outside the classroom, trying to grasp the lessons that were taught within it. Thankfully, his will to succeed and an outstanding work ethic enabled Jackson to slowly edge his way back into the intellectual company of his peers. By working twice as hard as those around him, he appreciated his rewards and pledged to never forget those who helped him to become both an officer and a gentleman.
Raised a non-confirmed Episcopalian, Jackson had joined the Presbyterian Church in the early 1850s and later became a deacon who generously donated one tenth of his earnings to the church. Eager to share his renewed faith with all people, Jackson started a Sunday school in Lexington for African Americans and proudly practiced civil disobedience while teaching black children the ways of salvation. Although he could not alter the social status of slaves, he committed himself to Christian decency and pledged to “assist the souls of those held in bondage.”
Despite his patriotic devotion as a career military man, Jackson maintained that his first duty was always that of a soldier in what he referred to as “The Army of the Lord”. After graduating 17th (out of 59) in his class at West Point, he served in the Mexican War before accepting a teaching position at the Virginia Military Institute. Specializing in “Natural Physics” Jackson struggled as an instructor and was immensely unpopular with his students. His inability to connect, along with a humorless demeanor, soon branded Jackson as an unpopular faculty member, and one who was the target of many pranks. V.M.I. Superintendent Francis H. Smith later stated that, “As Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy, Major Jackson was not a success…His genius was in the Science and Art of War.”
Regardless of his failures at the blackboard, Jackson had already established the reputation as a brilliant field commander and was personally selected by General Robert E. Lee to command a company of VMI cadets in the newly established Confederate Army.
Distraught over the North’s impending invasion of the South, Jackson vehemently swore his allegiance to the Army of Northern Virginia and vowed to fight for God and country to the bitter end. Duty however, did not stifle his budding religious convictions and many members of his infamous brigade were later indoctrinated with their commander’s infectious faith. Despite the lack of readily available clergymen in the early Confederate Army, Jackson appointed a personal minister to his staff, and maintained daily prayer rituals whether in camp or on the march.
His Chaplain, the Reverend Tucker Lacy, routinely led the services, which were often attended by General Lee and his staff. As the courageous reputation of Jackson’s brigade continued to grow, so did their quest for salvation. Reverend Lacy’s energizing speeches quickly became a popular event for both saved and unsaved soldiers, who attended his sermons by the thousands. Jackson recalled one particular event that summarized the success of their ministry. He wrote:
It was a noble sight to see there those, who led our armies to victory and upon whom the eyes of the nation are turned with admiration and gratitude, melted in tears at the story of the cross and the exhibition of the love of God to the repenting and return sinner.
In retrospect, it was their dedication to faith that enabled both the “The Stonewall Brigade” and their commander to reach heights on the battlefield beyond those of ordinary men. By putting his trust in God, Jackson was able to inspire those under him to achieve victory in the face of defeat. With total confidence, he routinely bragged of their bravery saying, “Who could not conquer with such troops as these?”
Perhaps best known as “Stonewall”, Jackson earned his nickname at the First Battle of Manassas, after refusing to withdrawal his troops in the face of total carnage. After Brigadier General Barnard Bee informed him that his forces were being beaten back, Jackson replied, "Sir, we will give them the bayonet." Inspired by the bravery of his subordinate, General Bee immediately rallied the remnants of his brigade while shouting "There is Jackson standing like a stone wall. Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer." A devout believer in predestination, Jackson insisted that God had already determined his time on earth and that no spot on the battlefield was safer than the other. It was this unwavering conviction that enabled him to lead his troops into battle without the fear of death and inspire countless others to rally behind him.
Courage however, could not hide his obvious distaste for war and regardless of victory; Jackson remained committed to ending the conflict as soon as possible. Preaching a harsh philosophy of swift and total destruction, Jackson believed that the sooner an enemy force was destroyed - the less lives would ultimately be lost. He referred to this action as “the black flag” and reminded his officers that regardless of their orders, duty was theirs – the consequences were God’s.
During the Shenandoah Campaign of 1862, Jackson repeatedly proved himself to be a brilliant strategist, but still found time to hold Bible study and hymnal sessions with the senior officers of his brigade. Despite being an “academic”, he resisted the urge to glorify war and routinely quoted “battle accounts” taken from the Bible in place of his own reports. Always eager to share his relationship with the Father, Jackson wrote letter after letter urging his countryman (and women) to actively seek repentance. One letter, written to his sister, summarized his faith:
You wish to know how to come to God; so as to have your sins forgiven, and to receive "the inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away." Now my dear sister the way is plain: the savior says in Mark XVI chapter, 16th verse "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." But you may ask what is it to believe. To explain this I will quote from an able theologian, and devoted servant of God. To believe in the sense in which the word is used here, "is feeling and acting as if there were a God, a Heaven, a Hell; as if we were sinners and must die; as if we deserve eternal death, and were in danger of it. And in view of all, casting our eternal interests on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. To do this is to be a Christian."
Always a teacher, Jackson dedicated almost every waking moment (that did not require his military service) to educating the uneducated, uplifting the downtrodden and introducing those around him to the glory of God. His popularity with the troops also enabled him to reach them in ways that other men could not and he was often found praying with the wounded at their bedside. After a series of tremendous victories, the Confederacy appeared to be well on it’s way to declaring independence. However, the fortunes of war would quickly turn in the Union’s favor after the sudden and accidental death of the General they called “Stonewall.”
On May 2, 1863, during the battle of Chancellorsville, Jackson’s own men accidentally fired upon him resulting in three wounds and an amputated arm. Initially, he looked to make a full recovery, but he later developed an incurable case of pneumonia. After a few days, it was a foregone conclusion that death was drawing near.
Upon hearing his prognosis, Jackson replied that he had always wanted to die on a Sunday and that, "It will be infinite gain to be translated to Heaven." He then asked his wife to pray for him but to always use the petition of “Thy Will Be Done.” In the end, he clearly accepted his fate as part of God’s divine plan and resolved to spend his last hours before delirium set in, reading from the Bible.
A few moments before he died he cried out, "Order A. P. Hill to prepare for action!" Then a smile of sweetness spread over his face, and he quietly spoke his last words saying, "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees”; and then, without pain or the least sign of struggle, his spirit passed from this earth back to the God who gave it.
As word spread throughout the South of General Jackson’s untimely and tragic death, many supporters of the Confederacy fell into hopelessness. No one, most of all his own men, believed that anyone could ever replace him. Even today, many historians credit the death of Stonewall as the key turning point in the War Between the States. No other commander had ever been able to push his men to such heights on the battlefield, and many of the engagements that followed his death might have been won, were it not for his absence.
Perhaps the most decisive of all battles, Gettysburg has long been debated as the definitive victory for the Union. During an interview on CSPAN in 2001, noted Civil War expert Shelby Foote stated that he believed if Jackson had lived, he definitely would have taken Cemetery Hill at Gettysburg. That victory alone determined the high ground, the outcome of the battle, and ultimately, the war.
The memorials that followed were grand affairs, befitting a man of Jackson’s immense popularity and reverence. Viewed by hundreds of military and civilian mourners, each ceremony that led up to his interment became a national event. In accordance with military tradition, Thomas’ casket was draped in a Confederate flag, adorned by six mourning plumes, and drawn by four white horses. An honor guard comprised of V.M.I. cadets accompanied the hearse. As he was laid to rest, the entire country struggled to deal with their sorrow as the army struggled to deal with the loss of the one General Lee referred to as his “Right Arm.” Unfortunately, neither was ever truly able to recover.
Much more than just a general, Thomas Jackson was a true believer, who lived everyday for the glory of God. In the end, perhaps this Christian soldier’s biggest victory was not in defeating his foes on the battlefield, but in convincing others to surrender their lives to the Lord. His is a story that reminds us what it means to be a Christian. More importantly, his is a story that should never be forgotten.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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DANA POINT, California (NBC) - Whale watchers were treated to an incredible sight off the coast of Dana Point, California on Sunday.
Hundreds of dolphins put on a spectacular show for passengers and crew aboard Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari.
The pod of dolphins could be seen in the distance frolicking in the water.
It's not known what caused them to make a drastic move and stampede directly toward the boat, but it's a sight the folks on board won't soon forget.
In an amazing display of speed and agility the dolphins were traveling in their fastest mode, known as porpoising.
Dana Point has the greatest density of dolphins per square mile and the animals can be seen there throughout the year, sometimes in herds numbering more than 10,000.
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Powerful storms, tornadoes and flash floods swept through Southern U.S. states on Wednesday, leaving
193 over 200 dead and severe structural damage in their wake. Alabama appears to have been hit the hardest, with twisters cutting "across the heart" of the Birmingham metro area destroying homes and businesses, confirmed multiple news outlets.
In the city of Tuscaloosa the mayor said sections of the city were "obliterated and its infrastructure decimated," the LA Times relayed. Alabama--along with Mississippi and Georgia--had previously declared a state of emergency within its borders and has mobilized 1,400 National Guardsmen to bolster rescue efforts. "The damage was so widespread that it'll likely be days before the full death toll and property destruction are assessed across the state," The Birmingham News reported.
In Mississippi, 32 people or more were killed from tornadoes that devastated some counties and caused widespread power outages, the state's Clarion-Ledger newspaper reported. Meteorologists told CNN that several weather conditions combined to create this particularly damaging series of storms:
"It is tornado season, but an intensive event like this only will occur maybe once or twice a year...It's very rare to have all these ingredients come together."
Photos: Here's what it looked like in Tuscaloosa, Alabama after the storms hit
The Forest Lake neighborhood on Wednesday:
Walking through the Cedar Crest neighborhood:
A wider view of the city:
Bystanders survey the damage on 15th street in the city:
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Errol Morris may be always be known as the man who inspired director Warner Herzog to eat his own shoe, but the storied career of the Academy Award winning documentarian has done its own part to establish him as an artist who can surely walk on his own two feet.
With the advent of 16mm equipment came the birth of film as personal artistic expression, and Maya Deren led the revolution. The woman who was "her own avant-garde movement," had what can only be described as an eclectic set of interests. She immersed herself in political science, journalism, English
Another talented chip off the German Expressionist block, F. W. Murnau had a penchant for horror. With "Nosferatu" (1922) he brought the first of countless Count Dracula stories to cinematic light. Murnau made his Dracula as hideous, doomed, and gloomy as later incarnations are suave, elegant, and ta
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May 27, 2009
Contact: Sandra Abrevaya,|
Denver U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the Department's participation in new agency partnerships to foster job growth for a new green economy at Tuesday's meeting of the Middle-Class Task Force in Denver. Along with the Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, the Department of Education has committed to developing new policies, proposals and ideas to help America's middle class.
"It was clear at our first meeting in Philadelphia that partnershipson the federal, state and local levelsare critical to creating green opportunity for middle-class Americans," Vice President Biden said. "This insight was an instructive one for our Task Force, and we've been hard at work turning this advice into action. Over the past three months, members of the Task Force and their staffs have come together to work on ways in which we can leverage programs at different agencies to ensure that green jobs are accessible to middle-class workers, as well as to lower-income workers trying to gain a foothold into the middle class."
The Department of Labor and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are partnering to bring training and employment to public housing residents. In a joint letter, Secretaries Solis and Donovan encouraged local Workforce Investment Boards and Public Housing Agencies to work together to bolster pathways to training and employment for residents of HUD housing. Through this new partnership, residents of public housing will be able to more easily find training programs and sustainable employment in the green job sectors created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). To read the letter, click this link.
Additionally, Secretaries Duncan, Chu and Solis announced a collaboration to make it a major priority to institutionalize cross-agency communication about private sector jobs created as the result of federal action. Through these efforts, jobs created will be connected to training programs and career pathways that can provide transitions for adults between employment and for students from high school to postsecondary education and into careers. Through this partnership, the Department of Energy will identify ways to notify the Department of Labor as funding commitments are made and jobs are created. The Department of Labor will, in turn, provide the information to local One Stop Employment Centers that will connect unemployed workers with jobs, training and education opportunities. The Department of Education will help identify the educational resources for training to ensure that educational opportunities linked to job creation are comprehensive. To read the Memorandum of Understanding, click this link.
"Schools must prepare students for college and careers, and adults must have affordable opportunities to continue learning if our country is to drive the global economy recovery," Secretary Duncan said. "Partnerships such as this one demonstrate how government can be a catalyst for renewal as workers reinvent themselves and learn new skills. At the same time, the creative minds of America's students will develop the emerging industries that feed a green economy if we support their growth."
The Labor Department also officially announced plans to release $500 million from the Recovery Act for grants to prepare workers for careers in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors. These funds are targeted to help underserved communities, and $50 million will assist communities affected by auto industry restructuring. The competition for grant money is anticipated to begin June 2009, with application closing dates starting during the late summer.
"Our workers are our nation's greatest asset, and investing in our nation's workforce is critical during these tough economic times," Secretary Solis said. "The $500 million grant competition being announced today is another way the Department of Labor is committed to helping workers from all backgrounds through difficult restructuring times and pave pathways to rebuild a stronger middle class."
"In these challenging economic times, it is crucial for government agencies to collaborate to find innovative ways to create jobs and get Americans working again," Secretary Donovan said. "I am proud of this new partnership, which will allow public housing residents to gain easier access to job training programs, build skills and participate in the new green jobs economy."
"Working together to foster more jobs, particularly in the renewable energies sector, means more bang for our buck and more help for middle-class families. That's what this Task Force is aboutdeveloping policies, coming up with ideas across the spectrum of agencies and working together to put them into action," Secretary Chu said. "While we make progress in strengthening our economy and putting more Americans back to work, we are cutting our dependence on foreign oil and combating climate change."
Through these partnerships, the Education Department, HUD, the Labor Department and the Energy Department are leveraging resources to connect workers to green career pathways and sustainable employment, advancing existing and future training and education programs, and helping to ensure employers have access to a qualified workforce for the green economy of the 21st century.
|Back to May 2009|
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The next version of Windows will include a new document format, code-named "Metro," to print and share documents, Microsoft said Monday. Metro appears to rival Adobe Systems's PostScript and PDF (portable document format) technologies. Metro was demonstrated during Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates' keynote at the start of the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) on Monday in Seattle. The format, based on XML (extensible markup language), will be licensed royalty free and users will be able to open Metro files without a special client. In the demonstration, a Metro file was opened and printed from Internet Explorer, Microsoft's Web browser.
Printers and printer drivers can include support for Metro and deliver better and faster printing results than with today's printing technology, Microsoft said. On stage, a Xerox Corp. printer with Metro built in was used to print a sample slide. The Metro technology is likely to go head-to-head with Adobe's PostScript technology. "It is a potential Adobe killer," said Richard Doherty, research director with The Envisioneering Group in Seaford, New York. "But this is just the first warning shot. Adobe could put something that is even more compelling [on top of] Longhorn."
News source: Computerworld
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Operational and Overclocking Specifics
We had absolutely no problems or even difficulties assembling our testbed configuration around the ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe mainboard. As we’ve noted above, its classic design is very user-friendly. Started up, the mainboard shows an unremarkable picture that fails to remind you about any hotkeys other than Del.
There is no real reason to turn the startup picture off, though. The mainboard still does not tell you anything about hotkeys. The memory frequency is the only useful information because the default rather than actual clock rate is reported for the CPU. ASUS’s Republic of Gamers mainboards have long been able to correctly report the actual CPU clock rate but the company hasn’t added this capability to its ordinary products as yet.
Again, we had no problems installing the OS and running the mainboard at its default settings. It is at overclocking that we encountered some difficulties. First of all, we have to admit that our earlier apprehensions about low overclocking potential of the new Ivy Bridge CPUs seem to be confirmed. We had started our tests using an engineering sample of Core i7-3770K and overclocked it easily to 4.7 GHz, but now that there are serial Ivy Bridge processors available, we guess we should use them in our testbed. The first sample of Intel Core i5-3570K was a little disappointing. It had a lower default voltage. Without increasing the voltage, it could be clocked at 4.3 GHz instead of the previous CPU’s 4.4 GHz. And when its voltage was increased, it could be clocked at 4.6 GHz. That’s not a bad result, but this CPU, despite its lower voltage, had a higher temperature than the engineering sample of Core i7-3770K. The second sample of Core i5-3570K we took next was blameless, though. It could be clocked at 4.4 GHz with its default voltage and at 4.7 GHz with increased voltage, so we are going to use this sample for our mainboard tests.
We found out one peculiarity about all of these CPUs, though. When overclocked, they could successfully pass through hard stability tests with LinX and Prime95 but then produced errors or BSODs in an ordinary application or game. At first we thought there was something wrong with the P8Z77-V Deluxe but later had the same problems with mainboards from other makers.
As a matter of fact, overclocking an Ivy Bridge is the same as overclocking any other CPU. You increase its clock rate, increase its voltage and check out its stability at such settings. You just need to run as many stability tests as possible because one or two stress tests may not be enough. After a substantial increase in voltage, our CPU was stable at a clock rate of 4.7 GHz.
We also want to remind you about the difficulties of cooling Ivy Bridge CPUs. While running LinX, our CPU overclocked to 4.7 GHz would get as hot as 97-98°C, occasionally reaching 100°C when it was hot in our lab. This overclocking is hardly safe considering that the frequency throttling of the new CPUs is triggered on at 105°C. We used an open testbed, so if the mainboard with CPU were put into a system case and if the room temperature were higher, the thermal throttling would enable protective mechanisms and the overclocked system would perform slower rather than faster. Therefore we had to limit ourselves to 4.6 GHz. The memory was overclocked to 1867 MHz.
We always overclock mainboards in such a way that they could be used permanently in such mode. Therefore we do not disable any features, e.g. onboard controllers, and try to keep the CPU’s power-saving features up and running. The P8Z77-V Deluxe was overclocked in this manner, too. When idle, it lowered the CPU's voltage and frequency multiplier to save power.
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Missoula teens are learning skills to stop bullying and become positive leaders.
Today, sheriff's deputies and the John Maxwell Team talked with teens.
The program is called Youth-Max. A wold-wide leadership event designed to give practical tools and ideas to navigate the path toward adulthood.
Today's sessions focused on bullying and self image difficulties.
Detective Jason Johnson says he sees a lot of promise in Missoula's youth. "It makes me proud. I know we have teens in our community that are leaders, absolutely, and so to have some of them come here today and learn some skills to prove their leadership, I think it's great."
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"The world has never had an up-close look at how anti-gay animus is exported from the United States to places like Uganda," said Andre Banks, executive director and co-founder of All Out, a gay rights advocacy group. "'God Loves Uganda' shows us how the U.S. culture war is being shipped wholesale to Africa, sometimes unknowingly, but always with disastrous consequences. The film should be required viewing."
The film argues that conservative evangelical Christian churches, aware of the declining trend of belief in America, are spreading out into Africa, where they hope to foster an anti-gay fervor among the increasingly religious African population. A growing number of African countries, like Uganda, have been reporting explosive growths in Christianity, according to the film.
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams makes it clear, however, that his documentary does not try to portray all or even most Christians in a negative light. A number of the commentators in the film are African pastors who have seen the anti-gay conservative movement spread around the continent, which they say is a danger to human rights.
Williams, who says grew up in the black church but was later rejected when he came out as gay, focuses on a group of evangelical Christians in Uganda and their evangelism efforts.
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If you love classical music, then considering touring some of the historically interesting spots in Europe that are linked to the continent’s most famous composers.
Photograph by: Wildbild , AFP/Getty Images
I’ve always taught what I loved and I’ve always loved music. I spent my high school years as a piano teacher. I’d start out my students with boogies and pop songs, and eventually get them turned on to Bach and Beethoven.
In 1980, a truck dropped off 2,500 copies of my first guidebook, Europe Through the Back Door. During that year’s Christmas recital, some parents sat on boxes of travel books while their kids played carols, boogies and Bach. By the next Christmas, I had let my piano students go.
From then on, I would be teaching European culture in print rather than on the keyboard. But I haven’t abandoned my Bach and Beethoven.
Just as travel broadens your perspectives, so can music.
In all my travels Ive always struggled with orientating myself in a new city. Sure Ive had maps, researched what I wanted to see and taken notes as best I can. The minute Ive stepped into the street however all of that changes and Ill look left or right and be immediately lost. For others that struggle with finding their way around a new city from day one there is a solution, take a free walking tour.
When I first arrived in Europe as a freshly dispensed traveller I was oblivious to free walking tours and had planned out my own adventures. My first day I got lost about a hundred times and while the experience was great I was frustrated not being able to find the museum or attraction I wanted. Luckily for you guys there are now free walking tours offered in all the major European cities like London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid etc and in lesser travelled places like Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius to name a few. Some of which that I have used are:
- Sandermans New Europe
- Alternative Berlin
- Alternative London
- Yellow Free Tours
Taking a free tour helps to reduce the lost factor by walking you around many of the major landmarks in your chosen city so you can get you bearings.
I have made it my mission to make sure that beach lovers know that despite Hurricane Sandy, despite all the devastation she left behind in New Jersey, many have worked hard to bring the shore back to life and help local businesses strive once again.
And just weeks away from summer, the Jersey Shore now is OPEN, the region is coming back with favorites and offering the classic tastes and treats all summer long for you to enjoy first-hand. To ensure you have the opportunity to experience all that the shore has to offer, region residents and business owners are hosting four upcoming events this month of June (2013).
These are not only great foodie events, but also serve as a way to help drive tourism back by sharing that the shore is OPEN and “Stronger than the Storm.” Follow the Stronger Than The Storm campaign for event updates and more information (#STTS). Fac
The White House, 24 Sussex Drive, etc. etc., we all know where the President and Prime Minister live, but where do they travel? Here are 10 vacation spots visited by presidents and prime ministers past and present.
Blue Heron Farm on Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, Massachusetts – The 28.5 acre property is located on the west side of the exclusive vineyard, complete with tennis court, golf course and apple orchard. The
The Pic of the Week is drawn from photos submitted to the Solo Travel Society Facebook Group, providing an opportunity for solo travelers to share with us a favorite photo from their travels.
This week’s pic from Solo Travel Society member Mahadi was taken At Wulai Waterfalls in Taipei, Taiwan.
The Silk Road in China, the network of trade routes between Europe and China in the first millennium, usually brings up a romantic vision long ambling camel caravans traversing great deserts with the crescent moon looking down on a line of weary and ancient travelers.
And why not, its a part of our collective history after all.
The route itself dates as far back as 3000 B.C., with its heyday being between the 1st century B.C. and the 10th century A.D. The land route spanned Northern China, the giant Taklamakan Desert, Persia and the Middle East, and Constantinople ending in points along the Mediterranean, namely Rome and Venice.
The term Silk Road, coined in 1877 by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen, is a bit of a misnomer considering silk was not the primary product to travel along the route. Historically, a variety of other items passed through including perfumes, spices, jewels, nuts, teas, salts and glassware, with lacquer and porcelain products coming from China.
It’s still raining in paradise.
It’s day five of a five-day vacation in one of the most beautiful locales on earth, and it is still raining.
Not like it was on days one and two with torrential downpours and umbrella snapping wind. Now it is just a gentle rain, but the wetness is unrelenting. We have yet to see the sun.
A special occasion vacation that I had dreamed about for 20 years. An overwater bungalow at a five-star resort on a beautiful island in French Polynesia. And not just any island. Bora Bora is truly in a class all by itself.
Ever had a trip be spoiled by weather? I guess we all have. Meteorologically speaking, if you travel enough, the law of averages catches up with you. Bum weather can affect your opinion of a place forever. Especially if it is your first time visiting. Because of that lousy first impression you may never give that locale a second chance. If it’s a repeat visit one tends to be a bit more understanding and just painfully aware that this time your luck just ran out.
That’s how it is for me. I had b
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Revised and Reposted: For new Sky View readers. Caution: This post is a longer than average posts. Also, I repeat certain points I raised in previous posts.
Is the Catholic Church losing our younger generation on some very important issues? In terms of numbers, yes. It's probably not news to anyone that an increasing number of young people are gravitating closer to Hollywood values and than they are to Gospel values. With regard to premarital sex, this has certainly been the case for three to four decades. However, a new attitude is emerging about the very essence of marriage. This, to be sure, has far reaching consequences. But I wonder if the Catholic Church is ahead of this downward curve.
Keep in mind that this same Church was slow in responding to the Reformation in the sixteenth century. Luther broke away from the Catholic Church in 1517. Soon thereafter, an avalanche of Christians leaving Mother Church was well underway. By the time the Catholic hierarchy took the crisis seriously it was in 1545. It was at this time they convened the Council of Trent. But much of the damage had already taken place. Again, I wonder if Catholics are finding themselves unprepared for another storm. Let me explain.
In a Fox News article [in 2011], I discovered that my personal experience as a faith formation teacher was not an isolated one. The Pew Research Center Poll found that “Americans were opposed to gay marriage by nearly 2-1 a decade ago, the latest poll showed 45 percent in support of it, with 46 percent in opposition.” No doubt, gay rights activism has long advanced its cause through the entertainment culture, the media and in universities. However, in public high schools, and even in the lower grades, the gay rights agenda has become part of the curriculum.
Even here in Northeast Wisconsin, many public schools observe gay-rights day. Now, if the heartland is regarded as mainstay of traditional values in our country, certainly the East and West coast are even more aggressive in pushing gay-rights. To be sure, the social agenda is every bit as important, if not more so, than academic excellence in public education.
Whenever I can, I try to find out where the younger generation is on the issues. When I was a catechist in the faith formation program at my local parish, I took surveys on my high school students views on same-sex marriage and cohabitation. Two years in a row the majority of my students opted in favor of both lifestyles. Now, the parish I belong to is considered to be a “flagship” parish of the diocese; that is, a parish that the bishop sets up as a model to be imitated. Indeed, it is a Christ-centered, orthodox parish. But the public school students who have attended its faith formation classes on a weekly basis have been, at least with regard to sex and marriage, more influenced by secularism than by Catholicism.
To interject a positive note: There is little doubt that God is raising up a new generation of youth and young adults in the Catholic Church. These young men and women who are devoted to Christ and the mission of his Church are, in my opinion, the most zealous and well formed youth we have seen in centuries. With that said, however, I also believe they are a remnant in comparison to the scores of adolescents and young adults that are being lost to the world.
As the Pew Research Center Poll indicates, gay marriage is gaining acceptance in our younger generation. Although the majority of California citizens voted for Proposition 8 (a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in 2008 which provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized) 66 percent of voters under the age of thirty voted against it. When this younger generation comes of age and assumes key leadership positions in our country, the campaign to redefine marriage will be successful.
Keep in mind that if a redefinition of marriage succeeds, it also succeeds in redefining the image of God. This, as we know, is the union between a man and a woman. After all, it is through the father and the mother that a child comes to know God, the world and himself. When this image is blurred then the perception of God and the world is blurred as well. Therefore, the redefinition of marriage has far reaching consequences.
Another disturbing trend which is emerging in tandem with the growing acceptance of same-sex marriage is that fewer people are getting married. They simply choose to cohabitate. We should expect this if the definition of marriage is arbitrarily changed to include homosexual unions. People intuitively know that if something is subject to change because of a little political pressure, then it cannot be that important; certainly not important enough to warrant the sacrifice to go through the formality of a wedding and the longevity of a commitment.
Not only is the incentive to get married lessened, but the will to have children is challenged as well. We have seen this trend in Europe, Japan, Russia and we are seeing the beginnings of it in America. The Western population is aging quickly; or one can say- dying!
We have seen that some significant social shifts are occurring. But where is the Catholic Church in all of this? Or a better question might be: Are Catholics equal to their mission? I do not get the sense that leadership in the Church is ahead of this curve. I pray that things will change, nevertheless.
Sermons, pastoral letters, and ecclesiastical documents have not addressed these trends head-on. There is still a great deal of reluctance to offend people. And I am afraid that this trepidation of speaking and writing about these issues forthrightly plays no small role in the decline of Western Civilization. Hence, for the last several decades, the cause for gay-rights is steadily winning the minds of the American people.
As stated previously, the entertainment industry has long been an unabashed advocate for the moral legitimacy of homosexuality. However, the institution which has even a greater impact on the minds of the youth is public education. As we have seen, the social agenda of favoring homosexual unions in public schools as the moral equivalent to heterosexual unions is a national phenomenon. And in many schools, it is every bit as important as teaching math or reading. Indeed, in terms of winning the majority of people to same-sex rights, what the entertainment industry began the public schools will finish.
*Click on Can the Church Reclaim the Younger Generation?
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It is unwise to give government money to people to demolish or "fix up" property they don't own just because they don't like the way it looks. Doing so practically invites projects that are hastily conceived and ill informed.
And yet, that is exactly what the state of Michigan did with some of the $97 million it received in a foreclosure lawsuit settlement. Approximately $25 million was given out to local government agencies and nonprofits for "blight elimination" activities, with $10 million of this going to Detroit and $15 million to agencies throughout the state.
In Grand Rapids, the money created controversy when the owner of a popular taco stand was surprised to learn that his property was on a list of properties a local nonprofit, LINC Community Revitalization, Inc., planned to demolish with these funds.
Leo Schlesinger, the owner of Tacos El Cuñado, told MLive he has no plans to sell the property, and was actually looking to expand.
LINC Director Jeremy DeRoo acknowledged to MLive that the nonprofit scrambled to submit an application for demolition money, because "we were looking to make sure that Grand Rapids had access to some of these dollars."
Thankfully, DeRoo said he'll make sure to approach property owners before undertaking blight elimination projects.
Though nonprofits received some of the state blight elimination money, the bulk of it will go to Michigan land banking activities. Of the $15 million awarded outside of Detroit, more than half will be given to government land banks.
Ironically, this will actually result in more property being declared blighted. Under a definition added to state law in 2006, any property acquired by a land bank is deemed to be blighted. Moreover, the property keeps the blight tag even if is sold to another owner.
So thanks to state law, land banks cannot eradicate blight, they can only perpetuate it. For those considering purchasing land bank property, this could mean that their property has a greater risk of being taken under government eminent domain powers.
There are easier ways to reduce the number of vacant structures. For example, instead of petitioning for more state funding, local governments could ease up on regulations that make development (and demolition) difficult for private property owners.
National Review recently profiled private efforts in Detroit to deal with the city's gigantic vacancy problem. Demolishing a property in Detroit is a difficult, bureaucratic process. According to the National Review, property owners seeking to demolish a structure must fill out a four-page application in person, get signatures from five different city departments, and prove ownership.
On top of that, the publication reports:
Each demolition permit costs $254.00. Additionally, anyone seeking to demolish a building must show documentation confirming that gas, water, and electricity are disconnected. Historically, labor contracts have often mandated that unionized utility workers are the only ones authorized to disconnect these utilities. It costs $660 to turn off water and an additional $720 to turn off electric and gas.
Such inefficiency should not be rewarded with additional state funding. Instead, the state should encourage cities to reduce the costs of development and demolition incurred by private property owners. Doing so would likely have a much greater impact than just giving more tax dollars to land banks, cities and nonprofits.
After all, Michigan land banks and other agencies have already been awarded plenty to alleviate blight and vacancy, including $224 million from the federal government in 2010. The primary result appears to be increased land bank property holdings.
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One benefit that I have hope will be the result of the IronMan blogging challenge is that Perl people will get more expressive in describing their design. What I can see now is that often there is a strong belief that some code has a good or bad design but any inquiry into why said design is good or bad ends in a 'because you are stupid and you don't understand' argument. While I agree that coding can be sometimes more productive than discussing, I think this rule should not be treated absolutely. All design is trading one thing for another one, having this trade-off stated explicitly gives us the power to weight it intelligently and appropriately to circumstances. In contrast an unnamed intuition can be only an article of our faith in the designers skills.
There is power in naming things as the popularity of Design Patterns shows.
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This episode features the rise and fall of Johnny Eng, one of the most notorious drug traffickers in the history of Manhattan's Chinatown. A one-time informant for the DEA, "Machine Gun Johnny" thought he could snitch on all his rivals to monopolize the heroin trade on the eastern seaboard. The special task force set up by the DEA would chase Eng all the way to Hong Kong. Eventually extradited to the U.S., Eng would hire John Gotti's lawyer to defend him against a prosecutor known as "The Dragon Lady."
This episode explores the case of Luis Felipe, also known as "King Blood." From a prison cell, Felipe founded the New York chapter of the Latin Kings street gang. Felipe's own writings would incriminate him as the orchestrator of murders and crimes against his own members. He is now serving a life sentence in solitary confinement.
In the 1990s, London's artists and cultural tastemakers embraced their British roots. Pop acts like Oasis, Elastica and the Spice Girls dominated 90's music, and reinforced British pride with symbolic use of the Union Flag—Oasis member Noel Gallagher famously used a Union Jack guitar while "Ginger Spice" Geri Halliwell wore the symbol on her trademark, flashy dress. The period was also marked by influential designers like John Galliano and Alexander McQueen, whose unique designs established numerous fashion trends for the decade. Biography.com celebrates these prominent figures, and the many others who led the way for "Cool Britannia."
Each day, we put on clothes that do more than just cover up bodies. We choose clothes that represent our personalities, our moods, the times we live in, our ambitions and our desires. Who are the people behind the designs we wear every day? These fashion designers who have made fashion a huge industry, and whose work is as controversial, and as influential, as traditional art. These are some of the designers who have dressed the world's most famous people—and are hugely famous in their own right.
These famous faces were a mix of genius, ego, and ultimately self-destruction. Although many of them contributed to the betterment of humanity in the form of the arts, some were oppressive political tyrants. Unable to deal with their own personal demons, these notable figures ended their problems on their own terms. Below are some of the most famous suicides.
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Author: UPlover PM
J.J. Burke is a bad girl who doesn't care about anything her parents say to her until she walks into a hotel that changes her life for good. What will she learn from the residents who are in the hotel and what will she learn about herself?Rated: Fiction T - English - Drama/Family - Chapters: 5 - Words: 4,955 - Reviews: 1 - Follows: 1 - Updated: 09-19-12 - Published: 07-10-12 - id: 3040519
|A+ A- Full 3/4 1/2 Expand Tighten|
December 30, 1957 started off like any other day in The Morrison Suites Hotel. The guests arose from their beds and enjoyed the wonderful breakfast in the dining room.
The doors banged open in the lobby of the hotel.
Gunshots were heard.
Hearts thumped as everyone put their utencils down and were about to get up when suddenly three men with guns burst into the room.
"Sit down Niggers!" One of them yelled.
They all did as they were told and sat in their seats.
"Now you all listen up. This used to be our hotel until they let you Niggers just have it. We're not going to hurt anyone but if you decide to stand up to us these guns are going to go off any minute! We're going to get what we want and have this hotel just to white people again!"
The men walked around with their guns as the guests all sat when a man pounced on one of the gunmen.
"Daddy!" A girl yelled seeing her father get tackled.
A few other men pounced on the men.
Everybody began running as the men began shooting.
A mother dragged her daughter out from under a table and ran to the doors. The girl looked back only to watch her father slump to the floor with blood on his chest. There was no time to go to him and bawl over his body as the mother pulled her screaming child and made a run for it back to their room.
"After them!" yelled one of the three men.
The two dashed up the stairs as their hearts pumped in full fear. Shots from the gun continuously rang through their ears. They got up the stairs that came into their hallway.
Another shot from the gun went off.
The girl turned seeing her mother grasp her heart as blood dripped to the floor. She fell to the floor hitting the banisters. For a while she stared in awe and was about to go to her mother's side when they appeared up the stairs.
"There's the other one!"
She ran again down the hall with the gunmen on her back as she saw her room come into view. She turned the knob to the door with her key and burst into the room.
"Come on out pretty girl. We just want to talk. Just be a good girl and open the door for us very nice men who won't hurt you." one of them said through the cracks of the door.
They thought she was dumb. She thought she was finally getting accepted by the way this hotel was opened just for black people.
A gun shot burst through the door knobs.
They burst through the door.
She ran upstairs to her room and opened the doors to the balcony.
No place to run.
No place to hide.
Her parents were gone.
She could see the people who were in the parking lot when she leaned over the railings. She was too far up for anyone to hear her.
"Times up Nigger!"
A shot rang across the hotel and she fell from the balcony.
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More than 50 percent of Americans support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and marriage for same-sex couples, according to a new poll from ABC News and the Washington Post released Wednesday.
There is robust support for a path to citizenship — 57 percent — while only 39 percent are opposed to a policy plank that could well be taken up by the incoming Congress.
Opinion is more divided on same-sex marriage, but it's still supported by a majority of the country. Fifty-one percent said they are in favor of allowing gay and lesbian couples to get married, while 47 percent are opposed.
LGBT advocates experienced a long-awaited elecotral breakthrough last week with voters in three states — Maine, Maryland and Washington — all passing laws to legalize same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, voters in Minnesota rejected a proposed amendment to provide legal recognition only to marriage between a man and a woman.
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Not a symbol to be proud of
Regarding the Confederate flag and the school district: Finally! Someone is willing to take a stand! I have tried to explain without success to some of my neighbors that the Confederate flag does not stand for "liberty and freedom," that it is a sign of prejudice and hate. I spent part of my youth living with grandparents in North Carolina where they still believe the South should have won the war and the KKK is still strong. Anyone who was not white was considered to be "sub-human" and was treated with hate and disrespect. Although it is associated with an important part of our nation's history, that flag is not a symbol to be proud of.
Cordes Lakes, Ariz.
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Salvador Dali, an exhibition of works by the Spanish surrealist that coincides with the 20th anniversary of his death, will be presented June 27-August 27 by the University at Buffalo Anderson Gallery
It will feature 15 original drawings, two lithographs, a poster and a silver sculpture from the Edmund Klein Collection; two paintings from the University at Buffalo Collection, and a sculpture and several drypoint etchings from the collection of Niagara Universitys Castellani Art Museum.
The exhibition will take place in the second floor gallery of the Anderson, 1 Martha Jackson Place (off Englewood Avenue between Main Street and Kenmore Avenue).
It will be free of charge and open to the public. Gallery hours are Wednesday-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday. 1-5 p.m. Further information and directions can be obtained from the gallery at (716) 829-3754.
The 15 sketches and the silver sculpture in the Klein Collection belong to the family of the late Edmund Klein, M.D., a world-renowned skin cancer researcher who was a research professor in UBs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and served as chief of dermatology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
For nearly a decade, beginning in 1972, the year he won the coveted Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research for his outstanding contributions to the treatment of skin cancer, Klein treated Dali for skin cancer in New York City, France and on Spains Costa Brava.
Paul Chimera, a spokesperson for the Klein family and a Dali aficionado, says that over the years, the doctor and the artist became close friends and that Dali paid Klein unconventionally for his medical treatment by executing, personalizing and dedicating to Klein, the original drawings to be shown in the UB exhibit.
The drawings were sequestered for more than 30 years in a bank vault in downtown Buffalo, says Chimera, resident of Amherst, N.Y., and have never before been exhibited.
According to Chimera, the drawings were executed on the frontispieces or other blank pages of certain Dali books, on sketchpads, a photography catalogue and the back of a technical paper written by Klein.
Another piece is included as well: a poster of a Dali watercolor featuring the U.S. Capital building topped by the Winged Victory of Samothrace, dedicated to Klein from Mary Lasker.
A catalog of The Klein Collection will be available at the exhibition.
Sandra Olsen, director of the UB Galleries, says the exhibition also will feature two Dali paintings from the UB Collection: Portrait of Katharine Cornell (oil and mixed media); and Labyrinth (oil on panel), as well as several works of art on loan from Niagara Universitys Castellani Art Museum.
The Niagara University holdings include a suite of five drypoint etchings with stencil, including King David, King Solomon, Noahs Ark and Joseph, from the 1975 Dali portfolio, Our Historical Heritage; The Curse Overthrown, a 1974 drypoint etching with stencil from the series After 50 Years of Surrealism, and Crucifixion (not dated), a marble sculpture with gold details and inlaid gemstones.
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I love reading and listening to books, especially fantasy, science fiction, children's, historical, and classics.
Listening to Charlton Griffin's reading of Richmond Lattimore's translation of The Iliad was a wonderful experience.
Griffin is good at modifying the pitch and tone of his voice to evoke the different genders and ages and moods and agendas of the various characters. He brings the epic to life. He even makes fascinating the 90-minute introduction by scholar Herbert J. Muller. And the sound effects (ravens cawing over a battlefield) and Greek mood music introducing and concluding the 24 books of the epic immersed me in its world.
As for Homer's story, an epic focused on a short slice of a long war, a tragedy with plenty of humor, it is rewardingly rich, depicting the appalling heroism and horror of war, the full range of human nature (from bravery to cowardice, brutality to mercy, destruction to creation, and hatred to love), the richness of ancient Greek culture, the pettiness and power of the gods, and the mortality and wonder of life. Among the most impressive moments are Hector's meeting with his wife and baby before going out to fight, Hephaestus' crafting of a shield with the heavens and earth and all of human endeavor animated upon it, and Achilles' inability to embrace the ghost of Patroclus in a dream. I hope the following quotation will give an idea of the excellence of Lattimore's translation and the depth of Homer's vision:
As is the generation of leaves, so is that of humanity,
The wind scatters the leaves on the ground, but the live timber
burgeons with leaves again in the season of spring returning.
So one generation of men will grow while another dies.
In conclusion, I thoroughly savored this audio version of The Iliad, often smiling with appreciation for Homer's story, Lattimore's translation, and Griffin's reading. I highly recommend it.
I eagerly purchased this audiobook of T. H. White???s complete The Once and Future King, because for a long time Audible only had the individual books available. And I loved the first four books, which begin with the halcyon fantasy of The Sword in the Stone, in which the boy Arthur (???Wart???) is educated by an anachronistic Merlyn. The scenes describing the daily life of a medieval castle during different seasons are vivid and beautiful, while those recounting Wart???s fantastic adventures and transformations into various animals are imaginative, suspenseful, and humorous. White loved and respected flora and fauna (even snakes), and this first book is encyclopedic and fantastic, dense and rich, absorbing and moving.
From the second book, The Queen of Air and Darkness, which opens in the cold north as Queen Morgause boils a black cat alive while her four sons are telling the story of their grandmother???s rape by Arthur???s father, begins the increasingly dark movement of the novel, centered on the tragedy caused by Arthur???s family history and the romantic triangle between himself, Guenevere, and Lancelot (The Ill-Made Knight). In the 2nd through 4th books White most closely follows Malory, though he also moves the era forward from the 11th to the 15th century and empathically imagines how medieval men and women felt and thought with modern psychological insight. At the same time, he writes plenty of joie de vivre, questing and combating knights, and fascinating details about medieval life (food, fashion, feudalism, etc.).
The novel really concludes with the 4th book (The Candle in the Wind) as the last battle between Arthur and Mordred is about to begin, but this audiobook then adds The Book of Merlyn, which may be good for completists, but which I found disappointing, as on the eve of the last battle Merlyn takes his former pupil off for a night of anachronistic political and philosophical debate with Badger and company about why humans wage war and what might be done to prevent it. Apart from Arthur changing into an ant and a goose to experience two different social systems, there is little ???story??? in this last book: too little Arthurian Matter and too much Whiteian Musing.
Jason Neville does a marvelous job reading the long work, effortlessly giving different characters distinctive voices and personalities without over doing it (so that, for example, his female characters sound like human beings rather than like a man imitating ???women???). And his King Pellinore reminds me of John Gielgud.
I recommend this audiobook for anyone interested in the Matter of Britain or philosophical and well-written fantasy.
Which is more impressive in this audiobook, the fairy tales of Oscar Wilde or the readings of them by the assembled famous British actors? At their best, Wilde's stories are exquisitely beautiful and painful and reveal deep understanding of the tragedy of the human condition (mortality, inequality, prejudice, selfishness, and hatred), as well as its transcendence through generosity, self-sacrifice, beauty, faith, and love. The readers are perfect, with wise, compassionate, and flexible voices and deep understanding of each word they say and of each scene they depict.
Special highlights are Dame Judi Dench reading "The Nightingale and the Rose" so full of wit and emotion, Jeremy Irons reading "The Devoted Friend" with a surprisingly wide range of voices for different characters, Joanna Lumley reading "The Star Child" and moving me to tears, and Robert Harris reading "The Happy Prince" and moving me to tears, too, especially whenever he says, "Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow." Sir Derek Jacobi reading "The Fisherman and His Soul," Sinead Cusack reading "The Birthday of the Infanta," and Sir Donald Sinden reading "The Selfish Giant" all do fine jobs with fine tales.
The only dud (forgive the pun) is "The Remarkable Rocket," which, despite Geoffrey Palmer's excellent reading and despite the interesting concept (sentient fireworks talking about their upcoming royal display) is finally a mediocre joke that long overstays its welcome. The only disappointment is that the cover art says that there is a bonus track of "The Actress" read by Elaine Stritch, but it's absent from the audiobook.
Anyway, I highly recommend this excellent audiobook.
I never read this book as a child. Neither was it read to me and I thought that Peter Pan was a cartoo character until I was an adult. I missed out.
If you have children then buy the book and read it to them. If you can't or won't then the next best thing is to let Jim Dale read it to them for you. His delivery is excellent and carries just the right balance of restraint and enthusiasm.
An excellent presentation of a classic story.
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September 8, 1998
How Would Various Social Security Reform Plans
Affect Social Security Benefits?
An Analysis of the Congressional Research Service Report
by Kilolo Kijakazi and Robert Greenstein
Table of Contents
- Why Does the Depth of the Benefit Reductions Differ So Much?
- The CRS Analysis and Individual Accounts
- The Social Security "Baseline"
- Administrative Costs
- Costs of Converting Accounts to Annuities
- Costs Under the Thrift Savings Plan Model
In June of this year, Rep. Charles Rangel, ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, released a Congressional Research Service analysis he had requested on the extent to which three Social Security reform proposals would reduce defined Social Security benefits. The three plans include:
- the bill introduced by Senators Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Robert Kerrey (S. 1792);
- a proposal by the National Commission on Retirement Policy, a panel of Members of Congress and private citizens organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (legislation recently introduced in the Senate by Senators Judd Gregg, John Breaux and a few other senators S. 2313 and in the House by Reps. Jim Kolbe, Charles Stenholm, and others H.R. 4256 is based on the NCRP proposal); and
- a May 1998 proposal by Robert Ball, commissioner of the Social Security Administration under Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon and a member of the 1994-1996 Social Security Advisory Council.
The CRS analysis was not designed to be a comprehensive analysis of all components of these three plans, but rather an assessment of an important issue the degree to which the "defined," or guaranteed, benefits that beneficiaries would be assured of receiving through the Social Security system would change under the three plans. Accordingly, the study does not examine the retirement income that could be generated by individual accounts, which the three plans all contain in differing forms.(1)
The CRS analysis finds that the Social Security benefits guaranteed under the three plans vary greatly.
- Over the next 75 years, average Social Security benefits would be 23 percent lower under the NCRP plan than under the current benefit structure, 16 percent lower under the Moynihan-Kerrey plan than under the current benefit structure, and six percent lower under the Ball plan.(2)
- In other words, the CRS analysis finds that the reduction in guaranteed Social Security benefits would be approximately four times larger under the NCRP plan than under the Ball plan and nearly three times greater under the Moynihan-Kerrey plan than under the Ball plan.
As noted, these figures are 75-year averages. The depth of the reductions in Social Security benefits, as well as the differences among the three plans in the size of the defined benefit reductions, would grow significantly as the years pass. The CRS study reports the results of analyses the Social Security actuaries have conducted of the three plans:
- In 2025, the Social Security benefits received by average wage-earners who retire at age 65 would be 33 percent lower under the NCRP plan than under the current Social Security benefit structure. They would be 11 percent lower under the Moynihan-Kerrey plan than under the current benefit structure and about one percent lower under the Ball plan.
- By 2070, the Social Security benefit reductions would be considerably deeper. The Social Security benefits of average wage-earners retiring that year at age 67 would be 48 percent lower under the NCRP plan than under the current benefit structure, meaning that the guaranteed benefit would be cut about in half. Under the Moynihan-Kerrey plan, the average benefit for an individual retiring in 2070 at age 65 would be reduced by 22 percent, or more than one-fifth.(3) The benefit reduction percentage would remain very small under the Ball plan. (See Table 1 below.)
Estimates by the Social Security Actuaries of Benefit
Reductions for Average-Wage Earners
Under the Three Plans1
Year of Retirement Moynihan-Kerry NCRP Ball 2025 11% 33% 1-2% 2070 22% 48% 1-2%
Source: SSA actuaries estimates, as reported by CRS
1 These estimates reflect benefit reductions in the year of retirement for beneficiaries retiring at age 65, except that the estimates for the NCRP plan in 2070 reflect benefit reductions for individuals retiring at age 67. The SSA actuaries did not prepare estimates of the effects of the NCRP plan in 2070 for individuals retiring at age 65. These estimates do not include the effects of certain features of these plans, including changes in the taxation of Social Security benefits and in the length of the earnings averaging period that is used to compute Social Security benefits. These estimates also do not reflect the effects on retirees as they grow older of provisions reducing cost-of-living adjustments.
(Note: Under the NCRP plan, reductions in Social Security benefits would be smaller for low-wage earners than to average-wage earners due to establishment of a new Social Security minimum benefit. According to the CRS study, the reduction in Social Security benefits for a low-wage earner retiring in 2025 at age 65 would be 13 percent under the NCRP plan. The reduction for a low-wage earner retiring at 67 in 2070 would be 31 percent. In conducting this analysis, CRS defined a low-wage earner as one who earned 45 percent of the average wage throughout his work career; currently, 45 percent of the average wage is $12,552.(4))
The CRS study also explains that under the three plans, there would be additional reductions in guaranteed benefits as beneficiaries grow older after retirement, due to changes the plans make in procedures either for computing annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustments or for measuring changes in the Consumer Price Index on which the cost-of-living adjustments depend. The additional reductions are largest in the Moynihan-Kerrey plan, which sets annual cost-of-living adjustments below the Consumer Price Index. The additional reduction is much smaller in the other two plans and smallest in the Ball plan, which would result in the measured CPI being slightly lower but would maintain the cost-of-living adjustment at the CPI level.(5) CRS projects that as a result of these provisions, benefits would decline between age 65 and age 80 by an additional 13 percent under the Moynihan-Kerrey plan, an additional seven percent under the NCRP plan, and an additional four percent under the Ball plan. For those living into their early 90's, the additional benefit reductions would be nearly twice this size.
It should be noted that the figures shown in Table 1 reflect reductions in Social Security retirement benefits. Under the legislation embodying the NCRP and Moynihan-Kerrey proposals, there also would be substantial reductions in Social Security disability and survivors benefits, because the changes in the Social Security benefit formula and cost-of-living provisions would apply to disability and survivors benefits as well as to retirement benefits.(6)
Finally, the study finds that all three plans would fully restore long-term, or 75-year, actuarial balance to the Social Security system. The actuaries of the Social Security system project that the system faces a deficit over the next 75 years equal to 2.19 percent of taxable payroll. The NCRP plan results in a saving of 2.23 percent of taxable payroll over this period. The Moynihan-Kerrey plan saves 2.25 percent of taxable payroll. The Ball plan saves 2.33 percent.
Why Does the Depth of the Benefit Reductions Differ So Much?
These findings raise an important question. What accounts for the CRS finding that the Ball plan would reduce defined Social Security benefits much less than the other two plans while doing as well in closing the 75-year imbalance? There are two principal reasons for this finding.
First, the other two plans reduce the revenue going into the Social Security trust fund and place greater reliance on individual accounts; they essentially divert payroll contributions from the trust fund to individual accounts. The Ball plan, by contrast, does not reduce the revenue going into the trust fund. It adds voluntary individual accounts on top of Social Security but does not divert money from the trust fund for them.
Under current law, the revenue the trust fund is projected to receive over the next 75 years is insufficient to pay the full benefits to which beneficiaries would be entitled during this period. This is what is meant by the statement that Social Security eventually becomes insolvent. Diverting payroll tax revenue from the Social Security trust fund makes the financing shortfall larger and consequently necessitates deeper benefit reductions (or larger payroll tax increases) to put the trust fund back into long-term balance. As the Congressional Research Service explained in an earlier report: "Obviously, if it is projected that the taxes that finance the [Social Security] system are insufficient to pay future promised benefits, earmarking some of them for the buildup of private accounts would make this problem worse. It would mean that to restore the system to solvency future tax increases would have to be larger or benefits cut deeper."(7)
Not surprisingly, CRS found that the NCRP plan, which diverts the most revenue from the Social Security trust fund, contains the deepest Social Security benefit reductions. Among the large benefit reductions in this plan is an across-the-board benefit cut resulting from an increase in the age at which individuals may retire and receive full benefits; the age at which individuals can retire and receive full Social Security benefits would be raised to 70 by 2029 and to approximately 72½ by 2075, a larger increase than any other major plan has proposed.(8) The plan also includes a reduction of one-third in Social Security spousal benefits. (These benefit reductions are described in more detail later in this paper.)
The second reason the Social Security benefit reductions are much more modest under the Ball plan than under the other plans is that the Ball plan invests a portion of the Social Security trust fund reserves in equities. This enables the trust fund to capture the stock market's higher rates of return. The actuaries estimate that the earnings the trust fund would receive from this investment would reduce the 75-year imbalance in the Social Security system by slightly more than half. That, in turn, reduces the benefit reductions or tax increases needed under the Ball plan to restore long-term balance.
Figure 1 illustrates that redirecting two percent of the payroll tax to individual accounts, as the NCRP plan would do, would enlarge the 75-year shortfall from 2.19 percent of taxable payroll to 4.01 percent, in the absence of other changes. The Figure also shows that investing up to 50 percent of the trust fund in equities, as the Ball plan would do, would reduce the 75-year deficit from 2.19 percent of taxable payroll to 0.97 percent, in the absence of other changes.
For these reasons, Rudolph Penner, a former CBO director now at the Urban Institute who supports the NCRP plan, recently observed that "plans that have the trust fund buying equities generally cut [Social Security] benefits less than plans establishing individual accounts."(9)
The CRS Analysis and Individual Accounts
Proponents of the NCRP plan and the Moynihan/Kerrey bill have criticized the CRS analysis. They fault it for not including the retirement income that would result from the individual accounts the plans contain. They also argue that it is not appropriate to compare benefits under these plans to benefits under the current Social Security system since the current system will not be solvent over the long term. They contend the proposed plans should be compared to a Social Security system revised in a manner that puts it in long-term actuarial balance.
Proposals to divert part of the payroll tax revenue from the Social Security trust fund to individual accounts entail moving partially from a "defined benefit" plan that specifies the payment of particular benefit amounts based on a retiree's earnings history (i.e., from Social Security) to a "defined contribution" plan in which the benefits available to retirees vary greatly. Under a defined contribution plan, benefits depend not only on a beneficiary's earnings history but also on individual investment decisions, the performance of the stock and bond markets (including the state of the markets in the year an individual retires), the real interest rate assumptions used when retirees convert their accounts to annuities, the extent to which funds in individual accounts are consumed by fees that firms charge for managing the accounts (and, where applicable, for converting accounts to annuities at retirement), and other factors.
In weighing options for reforming Social Security, policymakers need to understand the degree to which the defined benefits that is, the benefits Social Security provides would be reduced under various approaches, since it is only the defined benefits that retirees are assured of receiving at specified levels. This is the information the CRS study provides.
More comprehensive analyses that factor in the anticipated returns from individual accounts also are needed and should be undertaken. Such analyses are more difficult to conduct, however, than the type of analysis CRS has conducted on the extent to which these three plans would reduce Social Security benefits. Analyses attempting to factor in returns from individual accounts consequently will need to be undertaken with great care. In particular, such studies will need to consider several factors that may have a large impact on the retirement income that individual accounts generate:
Variation in returns from individual accounts: Since individual accounts do not provide defined benefits, the levels of income they generate will differ considerably among beneficiaries and over time. The retirement income from such accounts is likely to offset the reductions in Social Security benefits for some retirees but not others. Retirees who are lucky or wise in their investments should be able to offset the full loss in their guaranteed benefits. Retirees who are unlucky or unwise in their investments including those who retire and convert their account to a lifetime annuity in a year the market is down would likely face large reductions in the income they have to live on in their declining years.
A recent GAO report took note of these issues. "There is a much greater potential for significant deterioration of an individual's retirement 'nest egg' under a system of individual accounts," the GAO wrote. "Not only would individuals bear the risk that market returns would fall overall but also that their own investments would perform poorly even if the market, as a whole, did well"(10)
Of particular concern are the returns received by those who lack investment experience. Today, fewer than half of all U.S. households have any investments in the stock market; this lack of experience is likely to make it harder for many to earn solid returns. Moreover, even experienced investors pursuing sound investment strategies can have investments that turn sour and earn below-market returns. The fact that a substantial majority of mutual funds earn rates of return that are below the performance of the S&P 500, a broad measure of the major stocks in the market, is evidence of this fact. These concerns are greatest for plans that allow individuals a wide array of choices in how to invest the funds in their accounts, such as plans that establish accounts similar to IRAs or 401(k) accounts.
Another group likely to face substantial reductions in retirement income under individual accounts are those who must retire early for health reasons but are not sufficiently infirm to meet the stringent Social Security disability criteria, as well as those who have been employed in physically strenuous occupations that are not suitable for someone past their early or mid-60s. Individuals who must retire early would tend to have smaller individual accounts because they would have fewer years of contributing to these accounts. At the same time, they also are likely to have lower Social Security benefits because most of the reform plans that divert revenue from the Social Security trust fund to individual accounts such as the NCRP plan raise the normal Social Security retirement age substantially. These plans take this step to shrink Social Security benefit costs enough to help compensate for the large Social Security revenue losses that the diversion of payroll tax revenue to individual accounts entails.
Analyses of the retirement income generated by individual accounts should reflect the range of outcomes these accounts are likely to produce. Simply estimating the average anticipated rate of return for such accounts would obscure the fact that substantial numbers of people would likely receive significantly less income than that from their individual accounts, while others would receive more. Stated another way, such an approach would be problematic because it would fail to reflect the increased risk to beneficiaries that individual accounts carry.
Administrative and Other Costs: Analyses of the retirement income that individual accounts would provide also need to factor in the costs associated with such accounts. Since such costs are paid out of the funds in the accounts, they affect the amount of money available in the accounts to pay retirement benefits.
Private accounts necessarily incur administrative and management fees. Some private account systems also incur costs when account-holders retire and convert the funds in their accounts to lifetime annuities. The individual retirement accounts or IRAs and the 401(k) accounts that many Americans possess incur all of these costs. Estimates from two eminent economists, Peter Diamond of M.I.T and Henry Aaron of the Brookings Institution, indicate that between 7.5 percent and 30 percent or more of the amounts saved or earned under the individual account systems that would be established under various Social Security privatization proposals would be consumed by administrative, management, and (where applicable) annuitization costs and fees.
Plans that invest Social Security trust fund revenues in equities, rather than diverting trust fund revenue to individual accounts, avoid almost all of these costs. The General Accounting Office recently reported: "Most of the cost of managing an index fund is incurred maintaining thousands of individual accounts. In contrast, the government, as a single investor, would incur negligible costs as a percentage of its assets. Therefore, investing collectively through the government would result in significant administrative savings compared to investing through individual accounts."(11)
This is one of the reasons some Social Security experts, such as Brookings Institution senior fellows Henry Aaron and Robert Reischauer, the former CBO director, favor investing a portion of trust fund reserves in equities as an alternative to individual accounts. Aaron and Reischauer observe that because investing trust fund reserves in equities would avoid such costs, it would generate a higher average net rate of return than individual accounts while exposing beneficiaries to much less individual investment risk.
The Social Security "Baseline"
The other criticism lodged against the CRS analysis by proponents of the NCRP plan and the Moynihan/Kerrey bill is that comparing benefits under reform plans to benefits under the current Social Security benefit structure is inappropriate since the current Social Security system will not be solvent over the long term. They contend that the appropriate standard against which reform proposals should be measured is an altered model of Social Security that includes measures bringing the system into long-term balance.
This criticism of the CRS study is unconvincing. Use of a baseline, or a point of reference where no change has taken place, is common in research. The benefit levels the current benefit structure pays provide an appropriate baseline measure against which to compare the Social Security benefits that various reform plans would provide. To use these benefit levels as a baseline in no way suggests that changes are not needed to restore long-term solvency to the system; it simply provides a readily understandable measure of comparison.
Nor does use of this baseline alter comparisons to each other of the plans CRS examined. The comparative standing of these plans would remain unchanged if CRS had used a different standard. For example, if CRS had used the Moynihan-Kerrey bill as its standard, the NCRP plan would be shown to reduce Social Security benefits relative to the standard while the Ball plan would be shown to raise them.
More important, there is no widely accepted way of altering Social Security to achieve long-term balance that can serve as a baseline. In particular, to compare alternative plans to a policy of restoring balance solely by cutting Social Security benefits may be misleading; that is an option no one is suggesting. Not a single member of the 1994-1996 Social Security Advisory Council recommended such an approach. No proponent of Social Security reform has proposed it.
Furthermore, use of a standard which assumes that balance will be restored solely by cutting benefits could lead to some misunderstanding among the public. Some plans that reduce retirement income below the levels the current benefit structure provides could be shown to increase benefits relative to such a standard; some of the public could mistakenly think this means that such plans would raise benefits relative to the standard-of-living that the current benefit structure provides. If many Americans mistakenly believed such a plan would raise retirement income above the levels the current system provides, they could conclude that no sacrifice would be involved and no increase needed in saving by individuals.
A number of these issues are discussed in more detail below.
Why Do Plans that Reduce or Divert Payroll Tax Revenue Result in Large Reductions in Social Security Benefits?
The principal reason the NCRP and Moynihan-Kerrey plans reduce Social Security benefits much more deeply than the Ball plan does is that they reduce the revenue going into the Social Security trust fund. This deepens the trust fund's financing shortfall and necessitates deeper benefit reductions to eliminate the shortfall. The NCRP plan reduces the revenue going into the trust fund on a permanent basis, while the Moynihan-Kerrey plan reduces trust fund revenue for the next 30 years (and, on average, over the 75-year period used in Social Security projections).
The NCRP plan mandates the permanent diversion of two percentage points of the payroll tax from the Social Security trust fund to individual accounts. The Moynihan-Kerrey bill reduces the payroll tax by two percentage points through 2024 (and by less than two percentage points from 2025 through 2029).(12) The Moynihan-Kerrey plan provides for voluntary individual accounts funded with its one percentage point reduction in the employee share of the payroll tax, along with a mandatory employer matching contribution for any employee establishing such an account, financed by the one percentage point reduction in the employer's share of the payroll tax.
Reducing the revenue going into the Social Security trust fund necessitates deeper reductions in Social Security benefits to restore long-term balance. For example, an analysis by the Social Security actuaries shows that the NCRP plan's diversion of two percentage points of payroll tax revenue to individual accounts increases the deficit in the Social Security trust fund by an amount equal to 1.82 percent of taxable payroll over the next 75 years. The Social Security actuaries project that the current shortfall equals 2.19 percent of taxable payroll over the next 75 years. By deepening the shortfall by 1.82 percent of taxable payroll, the NCRP plan's diversion of two percent of the payroll tax enlarges the size of the Social Security deficit approximately 80 percent. That, in turn, necessitates Social Security benefit reductions about 80 percent larger than otherwise would be needed to restore Social Security to long-term balance.(13)
The NCRP plan achieves these deeper benefit reductions in a number of ways, including the following.
- The NCRP plan raises the age at which individuals can retire and receive full, rather than reduced, Social Security benefits to a higher age level than any of the other major plans that have been offered. For example, the plan advanced by the 1994-1996 Social Security Advisory Council that went the farthest in raising the age at which workers can retire and draw full benefits would raise this age from 65 today (and eventually 67 under current law) to 70 by 2083. By contrast, the NCRP plan would increase this age to 70 by 2029 and to approximately 72½ by 2075. The NCRP plan also would raise the early retirement age, the age at which retired individuals can retire and begin to draw reduced Social Security benefits, from 62 to 65 by 2029 and to approximately 67½ by 2075.
Raising the age at which individuals can retire and receive full benefits essentially constitutes an across-the-board reduction in Social Security benefits because it reduces benefits not only for those who retire earlier but also for those who remain at work until this age, a point that is not widely understood.(14) Each one-year increase in the age at which full benefits are paid results in a reduction of approximately seven percent in the Social Security benefits that an average worker receives over his or her retirement years.(15)
In addition, increasing from 62 to 65 the age at which individuals can retire and begin to draw reduced Social Security benefits would be particularly burdensome for those who are unable to work until 65 either because they are in poor health during their early 60s (but are not sufficiently infirm to meet the stringent Social Security disability criteria) or because they have been employed in physically strenuous occupations in which they cannot remain employed until 65.
- The NCRP plan also makes major changes in the Social Security benefit computation formula. Under the current, progressive formula, Social Security benefits equal 90 percent of the first $477 of a worker's average monthly wage over his or her work-years, 32 percent of the next $2,875 of a worker's average monthly wage over his or her work years, and 15 percent of the remainder of a former worker's average monthly wage.(16) The NCRP plan would, over time, lower these 32 percent and 15 percent "replacement rates" to 21.36 percent and 10.01 percent, respectively, which would constitute a large benefit reduction. A significantly smaller percentage of the wages and salaries many workers earned would be replaced by Social Security benefits when they retired. This formula change alone reduces benefits for a worker whose average wages are $40,000 in 1998, and whose wages rise in subsequent years at the same rate as average wages in the economy, by 22 percent.
- In addition, the NCRP plan proposes to reduce the benefit Social Security provides to spouses of primary wage-earners; the spousal benefit would be lowered from 50 percent of the primary wage-earner's benefit, as under current law, to 33 percent of that benefit. Many spouses thus would experience a benefit reduction of up to one-third, on top of the NCRP plan's other benefit reductions. (Some members of the 1994-1996 Social Security Advisory Council also proposed to reduce the spousal benefit, but they used the savings from this proposal to help finance an increase in the benefits that Social Security pays to widows and widowers so as to provide more adequately for widows, who face poverty at very high rates.(17) In 1996, some 39 percent of elderly widows about two in every five had incomes below 150 percent of the poverty line.(18) Reducing spousal benefits without raising widows' benefits would reduce benefits principally among women.)
Since the Ball plan does not divert trust fund revenue to fund individual accounts, it does not need Social Security benefit reductions of this magnitude. As noted above, the Ball plan further shrinks the size of the benefit reductions or tax increases needed to restore Social Security to long-term balance by investing a portion of Social Security reserves in the equities markets and thereby capturing the higher rates of return these markets provide. This is essentially the same strategy that state and private pension funds use.
Estimating the Effects of Various Plans When Income From Individual Accounts is Added
The CRS analysis does not purport to be a comprehensive analysis of all components of the three plans it examines, but rather an assessment of the changes made in the defined, or guaranteed, benefits that retirees would be assured of receiving through Social Security. Analyses also are needed that include projected returns from individual accounts. Undertaking such analyses is not easy or straightforward.
To factor in benefits from individual accounts one must make assumptions regarding investment behavior, stock market performance, the expectations that firms selling annuities have concerning what inflation and interest rates will be in coming years, and other factors. Since future earnings are unlikely to mirror past earnings exactly, all such projections are subject to a wide range of error. More important, projected rates of return from individual accounts generally are averages; the actual benefits that individuals would derive from such accounts would vary substantially from the estimated average figures, with some beneficiaries garnering higher rates of return and others receiving lower rates of return.
Many low-income earners may receive relatively low rates of returns from their investments. Low-income families tend to have little experience with retirement accounts or with investing in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. They would be more likely than experienced investors to make poor investment choices. Experience with 401(k) accounts suggests they also would be likely to invest quite conservatively, probably out of fear of losing the limited resources they have. In a June 17, 1998 House Ways and Means Committee hearing on individual accounts, several witnesses testified that much of the public lacks sufficient knowledge about investing to manage such accounts well.(19)
When estimating the retirement income that individual accounts would generate, there is no easy way to factor in the potential for a substantial segment of the public and in particular, those with below-average earnings to invest unwisely or too conservatively. One possible approach is to show ranges for the levels of retirement income and rates of return that individual accounts would generate. Estimates that simply show projected average rates of return on individual accounts, rather than ranges, tend to oversimplify this matter. Another possible approach is to attempt to estimate the percentage of individuals likely to secure rates of return lower (or higher) than the average rate of return. Such variations are particularly important in light of the fundamental purpose of social insurance, which is to assure the retired, the disabled, and survivors a certain basic income.
The Year of Retirement Can Greatly Affect a Beneficiary's Level of Retirement Income Under A System of Individual Accounts
There also are a number of other ways in which investment risk would affect the retirement income an individual would receive under a system of individual accounts. For example, Gary Burtless, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, has shown that under such a system, the amount of the monthly annuity for an individual who converts his or her individual account to an annuity at retirement could vary greatly not only as a result of the investment choices a worker has made but also as a result of the state of the stock market in the year the individual retired.
If an individual retires and converts his or her account to an annuity in a year in which the stock market is very high, the individual is likely to receive a more ample annuity check. But if the individual has the misfortune to retire and annuitize when the market is down, the individual can be faced with a meager income for the rest of his or her life. Burtless' research shows that if workers retiring in the 1960s and 1970s had deposited funds in individual accounts throughout their careers, with the money invested in stock index funds, an average male worker who retired and converted an individual account to an annuity in 1976 would have received a monthly benefit for the rest of his life that was only a little more than half as large as the monthly benefit an average male worker who retired and annuitized seven years earlier, in 1969, would have received.
Even more difficult is the task of estimating how the stock market will perform in coming decades. Given the dizzying increases in the market in recent years, using market performance for a period that includes these years to predict future performance may generate estimates of rates of return for individual accounts that prove to be too high. The ratio of stock prices to corporate earnings has climbed will above its traditional range, which raises questions about how much further the equities markets will rise. No one knows the answer to this question. In recent congressional testimony, Rudolph Penner, who backs the NCRP plan, acknowledged that for this reason, "considerable uncertainty surrounds the assumption regarding what can be earned" through investment in equities.(20) (It may be recalled that only three decades ago, in the 1970s, the market preformed poorly and lost a large share of its value.)
One set of factors that can more readily be taken into account in estimating the retirement income that individual accounts may generate involves the costs associated with these accounts, including administrative and management fees, costs under some plans of converting funds in these accounts to annuities that pay a monthly benefit until death, and costs under some plans of the transition from Social Security to private accounts. All private account plans entail some or all of these costs. Since the costs are generally paid from the accounts, they reduce the retirement income the accounts generate. Estimates that do not reflect such costs are not valid.
The administrative costs that must be paid from the funds in individual accounts are the expenses that investment firms incur in handling the accounts, conducting marketing efforts to attract investors, communicating with their investors, record-keeping, and corporate overhead. The fees these firms charge to account-holders also include a profit margin; no one can expect private firms to handle such accounts for free or at a loss. The administrative costs for IRAs currently range from $35 to $45 per account per year.(21) For private defined contribution pension plans, administrative costs vary by the number of participants in the plan and have been estimated to range from approximately $50 per year per participant for a plan with 10,000 or more participants to nearly $290 for a plan with 15 or fewer participants.(22) Flat-rate costs of this nature are most disadvantageous to low-wage workers, since these charges consume a larger percentage of the investments in small accounts than of the investments in larger accounts. In addition to these administrative costs are investment management fees that firms charge for investing the funds in these accounts and shifting the funds as account-holders direct.
Two eminent economists, Peter Diamond of MIT and Henry Aaron of the Brookings Institution, have studied administrative and management fees associated with IRAs and 401(k) plans.(23) They estimate that by retirement, costs for individual accounts established on an IRA or a 401(k) model would consume, on average, about 20 percent of the funds otherwise deposited in or earned by the accounts. As Diamond explains, a one percent annual average charge on funds in such an account consumes, over a 40-year work career, 20 percent of the funds in the account.(24) Based on the most recent financial data on mutual funds, a one percent annual charge is a conservative estimate. Lipper Analytical Services reports that in 1997, the average charge on no-load stock funds equaled 1.21 percent of amounts invested in the funds, while the average charge on front-load stock funds equaled 1.25 percent.(25) Moreover, the 1994-1996 Advisory Council on Social Security estimated an annual charge of one percent on assets in privately managed individual accounts.(26)
Financial Securities Analyst Explains That Administrative Costs Can Substantially Reduce Returns From Accounts
In testimony July 24 before the Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials of the House Commerce Committee, Joel M. Dickson, Senior Investment Analyst with the Vanguard Group, explained the large role that administrative costs can play in lowering rates of return that individual accounts can provide, especially for the smaller-than-average accounts of workers with below-average earnings. Dickson stated:
"Much of the recent debate on individual accounts has centered around how Social Security participants can earn higher rates of return like those experienced in the private financial markets. Unfortunately, there is often a large gap between the assumed market return on an investment and the actual return realized by investors. The reason? Cost... What may seem to be a relatively small cost difference over a short period of time can become an enormous difference over a long investment horizon....
"Consider a $1,000 investment in two equity funds; one earns a market return of 10%; the second earns only 8%, which represents the market's return reduced by an all-too-realistic total cost of 2% (arising from charged expenses and portfolio transaction costs). After the first year, the difference in account values between the two options is only $20. Of course, a participant investing over the course of their working lifetime must consider much longer time horizons. Over 40 years, the first fund soars to $45,000. The second fund, earning 2% less per year, grows to $22,000 less than half what the market earned....
"The key pricing variable for private accounts is the average account size. To the extent that costs of servicing the accounts could not be covered by asset-based management fees, other charges like account maintenance fees are likely. One of the criticisms often made about privately-managed, individual accounts is that lower-income workers may not be as financially savvy, resulting in lower average returns. I think a bigger issue is that lower-income and part-time workers will have small account balances, potentially subjecting them to higher fees because asset-based revenue cannot begin to cover the costs of maintaining these accounts. Thus, they are likely to earn lower returns than higher-income workers that make the same investment choices for reasons unrelated to financial market sophistication."
The amounts consumed would generally be larger than 20 percent for smaller-than-average accounts and smaller than 20 percent for large accounts. This means the retirement income that individual accounts modeled on IRAs or 401(k) plans would generate would be about 20 percent smaller on average than the income would be without these fees and costs. It also means that estimates of the retirement income that IRA-type or 401(k)-type accounts would generate will overstate this income by approximately 20 percent on average if the estimates do not reflect these fees and costs.
Costs of Converting Accounts to Annuities
A sizable additional cost also would be incurred under plans that feature private accounts modeled on IRAs or 401(k) plans the cost of converting the funds in a worker's account to a lifetime annuity when the worker retires. These costs cover a company's marketing expenses, commissions to agents, investment costs, overhead, and profits.
The leading study on this issue indicates that the fees charged for converting an account to an annuity at retirement consume, on average, approximately five to ten percent of the retirement savings of an individual purchasing a $100,000 annuity.(27) In other words, the insurance company would take five to 10 percent of the amount in the retiree's account to cover its costs and profits, with the amount of the monthly annuity check being based on the remaining 90 percent to 95 percent of the funds in the account. (These annuitization costs can vary by as much as 15 percent across insurance firms. A retiree would need to be fairly astute in selecting the best company from which to purchase an annuity. Many people do not have sufficient investment expertise to make the wisest choices in purchasing annuities.)
In addition, prices for annuities are generally raised to cover the company's risk of incurring added costs due to "adverse selection." Adverse selection refers to the probability that people with longer-than-average life expectancies will be more likely to purchase lifetime annuities than people with shorter-than-average life expectancies. Insurance companies cover themselves for the costs of paying lifetime annuities to people who may live to very old ages. The resulting increase in the price of annuities has been estimated to reduce the value of retirement savings being converted to an annuity by an additional 10 percent.
Totaling all of these costs and charges, Henry Aaron concludes that the administrative and management costs plus the costs of converting funds in these accounts to annuities would consume between 30 percent and 50 percent of the amounts saved in IRA-type or 401(k)-type individual accounts. These are very large amounts and indicate why analyses of plans that include individual accounts need to reflect estimates of these costs in their computations. (Estimates of rates of return from individual accounts issued by privatization proponents such as the Heritage Foundation tend to ignore such costs and are not valid as a result.)
Costs Under the Thrift Savings Plan Model
Diamond also has examined likely administrative costs for individual accounts modeled on the Thrift Savings Plan. The individual accounts the NCRP plan would create are based on this model. The costs for this type of account would be considerably lower but would still be significant. Diamond estimates that the costs of administering this type of account would consume approximately 7.5 percent of the funds in an average worker's account (as distinguished from the 20 percent cost Diamond and Aaron estimate for plans with IRA or 401(k) type accounts), reducing the retirement benefits these accounts would pay by that percentage.(28) Under the NCRP plan, the percentage by which accounts would be reduced to cover administrative costs would be the same for all accounts without regard to their size.
Investment of Trust Fund Reserves in Equities Likely
to Yield Higher Rates of Return by Reducing Costs
Both the Ball plan and a separate plan designed by former Congressional Budget Office director (and now Brookings senior fellow) Robert Reischauer and Brookings senior fellow Henry Aaron would invest a portion of Social Security trust fund assets in broadly indexed funds. Such approaches would tend to generate higher rates of return than plans that divert a portion of payroll tax revenue to individual accounts, because investing a portion of the trust funds in the equities markets does not entail the administrative costs, management fees, and (in some cases) annuitization costs involved in systems with nearly 150 million individual accounts.
If individual accounts and trust fund reserves invested in index equity funds were both to earn the average market rate of return but the retirement benefits the individual accounts paid had to reflect the administrative costs, management fees, and, where applicable, annuitization costs these accounts must pay the investment of trust fund reserves in the market would necessarily generate a higher net rate of return. Investing a portion of trust fund reserves in the market also pools the risk of investing in the market so no single individual has to face the threat of large investment losses.
For these reasons, Reischauer, Aaron* and a number of other economists have concluded that this approach is likely to yield higher rates of return at lower risk to beneficiaries than a system of individual accounts.
*Henry J. Aaron and Robert D. Reischauer, "Tune It Up, Don't Trade It In," The Washington Post, Outlook section, April 19, 1998. In addition, Francis Cavanaugh, former head of the Thrift Savings Plan, recently testified that "The only feasible way for the Social Security system to benefit from the higher returns offered by the stock market is to invest a portion of the trust fund in stocks, which is what virtually all large public and private pension and retirement funds have already done." Statement of Francis X. Cavanaugh before the Subcommittee on Social Security of the House Ways and Means Committee, June 18, 1998.
Annuitization costs under a plan such as the NCRP proposal are less clear. The NCRP plan requires a minority of retirees to annuitize. Others could annuitize but would not have to do so; those who did would have several options regarding how to annuitize. Some individuals who annuitized would likely incur large annuitization costs. Some others likely would not convert their accounts to annuities. Those who did not annuitize would not be able to withdraw all their funds at once; there would be limits on the amounts they could withdraw. The annual amount an individual would be allowed to withdraw would be based on his or her life expectancy. As the individual grows older, the maximum withdrawal allowed would decrease to stretch the savings left in the account over the years expected to remain in the individual's life. If an individual with a modest account lived to a very old age, the withdrawals could eventually become very small. This stands in contrast to Social Security benefits, which do not decline in amount as an individual grows older but rather increase to keep pace with inflation.
(There also is some question as to the feasibility of using the Thrift Savings Plan model for a system of 140 million or 150 million individual accounts held by workers of millions of employers. Francis X. Cavanaugh, the former head of the Thrift Savings Plan and a former Reagan Administration Treasury official, recently testified that managing such a system would require 10,000 highly trained federal employees and stated that in his view, "... it would be impossible to establish cost-effective TSP-type PSAs [personal savings accounts] for the Social Security system."(29))
The CRS study provides a useful analysis of the effects of the three plans on the defined benefits that Social Security provides. The data in the study demonstrate that plans that reduce or divert Social Security payroll tax revenue from the trust fund to individual accounts entail deeper reductions in Social Security benefits than plans that do not reduce trust fund revenue. The data also illustrate the fact that plans that invest a portion of Social Security trust fund assets in equities can restore Social Security to long-term balance with smaller Social Security benefit reductions than other plans because such an approach boosts trust fund revenues.
Subsequent studies should attempt to incorporate the effects of the individual accounts that various plans establish on the income that retired workers would receive. Such analyses will need to take into account the average amounts the individual accounts are projected to earn, the risk that account-holders would face and the wide variation in retirement income that consequently could result, and the costs and fees that would affect the benefit payments these accounts can make.
1. The analysis also does not examine changes in payroll taxes or the effects of a few features of the plans, such as proposals in some plans to eliminate the Social Security earnings test.
2. These estimates reflect the effects of provisions in the Ball and Moynihan/Kerrey plans to increase the taxation of Social Security benefits, since such measures are a benefit reduction from the beneficiary's perspective. The figures subsequently cited for the percentage benefit reductions for individuals retiring in 2025 and 2070, however, do not include the taxation-of-benefit provisions; the memorandum prepared by the Social Security actuaries that CRS used in conducting its analysis did not include the effects of those provisions when examining benefit reductions for individuals retiring in given years. This is the principal reason that while the Ball plan would reduce total Social Security benefits an estimated six percent over the next 75 years, the benefit reduction for an individual retiring in 2025 is estimated at one percent. (Ball subsequently presented a proposal to the House Ways and Means Committee in testimony on June 3, 1998 that dropped the taxation-of-benefits provision included in the Ball proposal analyzed here.)
3. The memoranda prepared by the Social Security actuaries that CRS used in conducting its analysis do not provide data on the percentage reduction in benefits for workers retiring at age 67 under the Moynihan-Kerrey plan.
4. Individuals with earnings lower than 45 percent of the average wage would face smaller Social Security benefit reductions in the NCRP plan if they worked a sufficient number of years. The minimum benefit for a very low-wage worker under the NCRP plan could exceed the benefit the worker would receive under current law.
5. Under the Moynihan-Kerrey plan, the annual cost-of-living adjustment would be set one percentage point below inflation as measured by the CPI. The Ball plan would keep the cost-of-living adjustment at the CPI, but directs the Bureau of Labor Statistics to update the market basket on which the CPI is based no less frequently than every five years instead of every 10. CRS estimates that would be equivalent to reducing the cost-of-living adjustment by three-tenths of one percentage point per year. The legislation on which the NCRP plan is based calls for development of a new Social Security CPI that would be lower than the regular CPI to the extent that the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the regular CPI contains "substitution bias." If BLS concluded that the measures it announced in April 1998 to reduce substitution bias in the CPI have addressed this matter and no such further bias remains or can be estimated, the Social Security CPI that the NCRP plan establishes would be set .33 percentage points below the regular CPI each year. This level of detail on how the cost-of-living adjustments would work under the NCRP plan was not available when the Social Security actuaries prepared the estimates on which the CRS analysis is based; as a result, the CRS analysis may somewhat overstate the degree to which this aspect of the NCRP plan would result in additional benefit reductions as retirees grow older.
6. Some sponsors of the legislation embodying the NCRP plan have stated that it does not change disability benefits. Such statements are not correct and appear to reflect some misunderstanding on the part of these sponsors of the effect of their legislation on disability benefits. The NCRP plan changes the benefit formula for computing a beneficiary's primary insurance amount (or PIA), on which Social Security benefits are based for retirement benefits, disability benefits, and survivors benefits alike. A forthcoming Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis will explain this matter in more detail.
7. "Ideas for Privatizing Social Security," Congressional Research Service, April 6, 1998.
8. The age at which individuals may retire and receive full Social Security benefits is commonly referred to as the "normal retirement age." That term, however, is a misnomer; the majority of Social Security beneficiaries retire and begin drawing benefits before this age. What is commonly called the "normal retirement age" is simply the age at which full, rather than reduced, Social Security benefits are paid.
9. Testimony of Rudolph G. Penner before the Senate Budget Committee, July 23, 1998.
10. General Accounting Office, Social Security: Different Approaches for Addressing Program Solutions, July 1998, p. 6.
11. General Accounting Office, "Social Security Financing: Implications of Stock Investing for the Trust Fund, the Federal Budget, and Economy," statement of Barbara D. Bovbjerg before the Senate Special Committee on Aging, April 22, 1998.
12. The Moynihan-Kerrey plan begins to raise the payroll tax in 2025 and restores the tax rate to its current level by 2030. The plan also would begin to raise the payroll tax rate slightly above the current level in 2045 and continue raising it until 2060. At that time, the combined employee and employer shares of the payroll tax would be one percentage point above the current level.
13. The NCRP plan offsets a modest portion of the revenue loss by shifting from the Medicare trust fund to the Social Security trust fund the share of the revenue from partial taxation of Social Security benefits that currently is deposited in the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust. Shifting this revenue would deepen the long-term fiscal imbalance in the Medicare trust fund, however, which is more serious than the long-term imbalance in the Social Security trust funds. When all of its changes in trust fund revenue are considered, the NCRP plan deepens the trust fund shortfall by 1.39 percentage points of payroll, or 50 percent.
14. Under current law, with the age at which full benefits are paid set at 65 and scheduled to rise to 67 by 2022, workers who retire at 62 (or 63 or 64) receive lower monthly benefits for the rest of their lives in recognition of the fact that their benefits will be spread over more years. Conversely, those who do not retire until age 70 receive higher monthly benefits for the rest of their lives because they will draw benefits for fewer years. Under proposals to raise to 70 the age at which full benefits are paid, however, those who retire at 70 would receive the standard benefit that now goes to those retiring at 65; they would no longer receive an enhanced benefit for workers who do not retire and begin drawing benefits after the age at which full benefits are paid. Raising the age at which full benefits are paid thus essentially constitutes an across-the-board cut; if the age is raised to 70, those retiring at 70 lose benefits along with those who retire in their 60s.
15. "Increasing the Eligibility Age for Social Security Pensions," Testimony of Gary Burtless, senior fellow, The Brookings Institution, before the Senate Special Committee on Aging, July 15, 1998. When the age at which individuals can retire and draw full benefits is raised to 70 under the NCRP plan, individuals would be able to retire at 65 and begin drawing reduced Social Security benefits, just as individuals today can retire and begin receiving reduced benefits at 62. Those electing the early retirement option would receive reduced Social Security benefits for the rest of their lives. Under the NCRP plan, individuals could retire and begin to make withdrawals from their individual accounts before age 65 if there were enough funds in the accounts to provide monthly payments at least equal to the poverty line.
16. In computing these average monthly wage figures, the Social Security Administration indexes wages earned in years before a worker's retirement by changes in average wages in the U.S. economy in the intervening years.
17. Under the recommendation these Advisory Council members made, the widow or widower of a deceased worker would receive 75 percent of what the couple's combined benefit would have been, rather than receiving only the worker's benefit (or only the widow or widower's own benefit, if larger), as under current law. Report of the 1994-1996 Advisory Council on Social Security, Volume I: Findings and Recommendations, January 1997
18. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Survey, 1996, March 1997.
19. Testimony of Teresa Tritch, senior editor of Money magazine, and Ric Edelman, head of Edelman Financial Services, before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Social Security of the Committee on Ways and Means, June 18, 1998.
20. Testimony of Rudolph G. Penner, senior fellow, the Urban Institute, before the Senate Budget Committee, July 23, 1998.
21. Remarks by Philip Lussier, State Street Global Advisors, before the National Commission on Retirement Policy, Social Security Working Group, February 25, 1998.
22. Edwin C. Hustead, "Trends in Retirement Income Plan Administrative Expenses," Pension Research Council Working Paper, 96-13, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1996.
23. Statement by Peter Diamond, AARP-Concord Coalition Debate on Social Security, Albuquerque, July 27, 1998; Peter Diamond, "The Future of Social Security for this Generation and the Next: Proposals Regarding Personal Accounts," testimony before the Subcommittee on Social Security of the House Committee on Ways and Means, June 18, 1998; testimony of Henry J. Aaron before the Senate Committee on the Budget, July 23, 1998.
24. Diamond explains that with a one-percent annual charge on holdings in accounts, a dollar deposited in an individual account in the first year of a 40-year work career will be subject to the one percent fee 40 times, while a dollar deposited in the final year before retirement will be subject to the fee once. On average, dollars in the account will be subject to the one percent annual charge 20 times, so approximately 20 percent of the amounts deposited or earned by the account will be consumed by these charges. Diamond also notes that in Chile, costs consume approximately 20 percent of the amounts in individual accounts, with the percentage being higher in Great Britain and Argentina.
25. See Robert McGough, "Robust Fund Industry Isn't Lowering Fees," Wall Street Journal, May 14, 1998.
26. The Advisory Council assumed an annual change of one percent on accounts established under the Personal Security Accounts proposal, a proposal that diverted five percentage points of the payroll tax to individual accounts. Since many of the administrative costs involved in managing private accounts are fixed costs that do not vary with the size of the account, this suggests that the average charge could be larger than one percent per year on the smaller individual accounts that would be established under plans using IRA-type or 401(k)-type accounts that divert two or three percentage points of the payroll tax into these accounts rather than five percent.
27. Olivia S. Mitchell, James M Porterba, and Mark J. Washawsky, New Evidence on the Money's Worth of Individual Annuities,"Cambridge, National Bureau of Economic Research, April 1997. Also see Aaron, op. cit.
28. Administrative costs for TSP equaled approximately $20 per participant in 1997, which equaled about 3.75 percent of what would be the average worker's deposit into a private account under the NCRP plan. As Aaron, Diamond, and former Thrift Savings Plan head Francis Cavanaugh have testified, using this model for the accounts of 140 million to 150 million workers employed by millions of employers would entail significantly higher costs in percentage terms than the cost of operating the Thrift Savings Plan for employees of a single employer, the U.S. Government. The TSP's economies-of-scale would not be available due to the existence of millions of separate employers. In addition, many costs associated with operating the Thrift Savings Plan are borne by the federal agencies in their role as employer rather than by TSP itself (e.g., responding to employees' questions); such costs would almost certainly not be imposed upon private employers under an individual accounts plan based on the TSP model. These costs would have to be borne by the entity operating the accounts system and defrayed through charges on the accounts. In addition, federal agencies transmit the relevant data to TSP electronically, while many private employers submit data on paper; that would further increase the costs for the entity administering the accounts (as well as the risk of errors in maintaining accounts records).
29. "Statement of Francis X. Cavanaugh before the Subcommittee on Social Security of the House Ways and Means Committee, June 18, 1998.
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Bo McGee (1928-2002) was a blues performer, songwriter, and harmonica player. Never as well-known as some of his contemporaries, he nevertheless benefitted from a resurgence in interest in traditional blues and toured Europe in the 1990s as part of the duo Little Whitt and Big Bo. He later achieved acclaim for his work visiting schools and educating students about the blues.
McGee was born on October 9, 1928, as Cleo McGee, on the border between Emelle, Sumter County, and Porterville, Mississippi. Growing up straddling the state line, McGee later joked that his family could eat breakfast in Alabama and go to sleep in Mississippi. McGee's early musical training came from his grandmother, an experienced harmonica player and performer, who had McGee practice in a closet so he could hear the music better. The inspiration and training from his grandmother helped propel McGee onto the stage at age five, when he began performing at parties, gatherings, and juke joints (all-black nightclubs known for blues music) around the area.
As McGee grew older, he began listening to the recordings of early blues artists such as Washboard Slim and Blind Lemon Jefferson, performers whose popularity helped expose a broader audience to the sounds of rural African American music. McGee's musical tastes were broad, and he also expressed admiration for the "hillbilly" records of more mainstream country stars such as Eddy Arnold and Jimmie Rodgers. McGee's chosen instrument—the harmonica—traditionally had played important roles in both genres, and, as the blues electrified in the 1940s and 1950s, players such as harmonica virtuoso Little Walter provided further inspiration for fans and other harmonica players.
McGee's musical talents did not provide him with a steady income, however; he worked for nearly 40 years as a truck driver, including a stint hauling dangerous chemicals and explosives. During the 1950s, McGee began playing acoustic blues with a fellow driver, Jolly "Little Whitt" Wells; after they both retired from driving, Wells and McGee formed a full-time performing duo, known as Little Whitt and Big Bo. Although they began playing full-time only when well past middle age, Wells and McGee benefited from renewed interest in traditional blues during the latter part of the twentieth century, and they found a growing audience among younger fans who preferred the more authentic sounds of the earlier generations of blues players.
Never as famous as some of their contemporaries, Little Whitt and Big Bo did establish themselves as viable performers on the international blues circuit. In 1995, they toured Europe as part of a multi-act show that included several other American performers. Backed by fellow Alabamian Debbie Bond and her Kokomo Blues Band, McGee and Wells played shows throughout Europe and the United Kingdom and performed on several radio and television broadcasts, including a live session on BBC radio. The success of the European tour led to the 1997 release of the duo's (and McGee's) only album, Moody Swamp Blues, on Vent Records. This collection featured Wells and McGee playing a combination of well-known blues numbers, along with three of McGee's originals:"Overseas Blues," "The Burning," and "You Go Your Way."
McGee remained an important figure in Alabama blues even after his resurgence in popularity waned in the later 1990s. In one of his most prominent projects, he traveled extensively to schools, performing for students and teaching them about the art and traditions of blues music. For these efforts, McGee received the Alabama Blues Ambassador award, presented by the Alabama Blues Project, in 2000. In 2001, McGee was named the recipient of the Folk Heritage Award, presented by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
On March 3, 2002, McGee was shot to death in his Eutaw, Greene County, home; his 22-year-old stepson, Johnny Pebbles, was charged with the killing. The Alabama Blues Society and Alabama Blues Project collaborated to help pay for his funeral, even agreeing to donate the proceeds from their already-scheduled anniversary show in Tuscaloosa.
Charles L. Hughes
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Published October 20, 2009
Last updated March 17, 2010
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Assessing Your Team's UX Skills
Originally published: Dec 10, 2007
"I didn't realize it required so many different skills," the
newly-appointed user experience (UX) team manager told us. "I mean,
it seemed so straight forward when we came up with the idea, but once
we got into it, we kept realizing all the things we didn't know how
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time we'd heard this from a
manager. In fact, we hear it quite often. Managers embark on a
project, say a redesign of a critical internal application, only to
realize their team, proficient in a few skills, doesn't have the
breadth of skills necessary to develop a quality experience. The
result is an app that works, but frustrates the users because it
doesn't quite meet their needs.
Migrating Away from the Specialists Approach
Traditionally, when an organization set out to build a UX team, they
did so by recruiting and hiring individuals trained in the various
specialties. The individuals, having studied and practiced in areas,
such as information architecture, visual design, and usability
research, were hired to spend their days applying these skills to
solve the organization's design challenges.
However, most organizations couldn't afford such a team. Either they
didn't have the budget to have someone dedicated to one area or they
didn't have the workload demand to justify it. Since the specialists
weren't really trained beyond their specialty, they couldn't easily
be assigned other work. (And if they were, they often resented the
vast amounts of non-specialty work.)
Organizations that couldn't afford a team would then "wing it",
training the personnel at hand to solve the problems on an
as-needed-basis. These individuals, not having the experience and
solid work time to dive deep into a specialty became generalists who
could do many things on a satisfactory basis, but few things as well
as the specialists.
Yet, over time, the specialties have become better at explaining
what they do. Through conferences, a vast amount of well-written
books, certificate programs, and online resources, the wealth of
knowledge formerly only available to trained specialists is now
generally available. Add that to the growing sophistication of
today's projects, and today's best teams have generalists with
experience and a level of knowledge on par with the top specialists.
Assessing the Team's UX Skills
Part of the role of today's UX manager is to ensure the UX team has
all the necessary skills, at the best level possible. To do this,
they need an easy way to assess the current skills of the team. Once
they've got their assessment in hand, it's fairly straightforward to
design a coaching and training curriculum to fill in the gaps.
To help managers with the assessment, we've created a simple
130-point scoring process. They can just walk through the various
skill areas, rating their team on a 0-5 scale, based on the teams
current level of competency. When done, they'll not only have an
understanding of the team's overall effectiveness, but a clear idea
of where to improve.
The assessment is easy to complete. For each of the skill areas
listed below, a manager rates their team using the following scoring
5) Give your team a five when, for the given skill areas, every
member of the team has in-depth knowledge of the area, knows how to
perform advance functions, and readily applies the necessary skills
to every project that requires them (which, in most cases, will be
practically every project). Teams that score fives regularly send
members to conferences and have reading groups and discussion forums
for reviewing the latest advances.
4) Give your team a four when just one individual on the team has
the above-mentioned in-depth knowledge and everyone else on the team
has a basic knowledge and experience with the skill area. Teams that
score fours are often collections of specialists, with each
specialist training the other team members on the basics, so they can
function adequately when the specialist is tied up on other work.
3) Give your team a three when everyone on the team has just a
basic understanding of the skill area. They can perform rudimentary
tasks, but struggle when they run into scenarios demanding more
2) Give your team a two when there is an individual in the overall
organization with the requisite skills, but not part of your team.
This shows the organization sees the value in the skill area, but
your team hasn't made the case for having those skills locally. It's
good to have the skills within the organization, but these skills are
so critical, someone who reports outside the team can only have
1) Give your team a one when you regularly hire outside contractors
with the requisite skills. While hiring contractors is a fine
short-term solution, their experience and knowledge goes home when
the contract is up, thus forcing the team to continually seek more
outside help. Our research has shown that few of the most successful
teams hire contractors, and, when they do, it's with the intention
of learning from the contractor's work and bringing the skills into
0) Give your team a zero when there aren't any immediate resources
available to the team for this skill area. Teams with zeroes
regularly go without the areas at all or find themselves struggling
when the skills become critical to the project.
The Core UX Skills
Now that we know how to rate the team, what do we rate them on? For
the last few years, we've been studying the most effective teams,
isolating those skills that make the most difference.
In our research, we've identified eight Core UX Skills. Teams
directly apply these skills during the planning, design, and
development phases to ensure the best possible user experience. The
Core UX Skills are:
Information Architecture - Almost every design today involves
organizing information, whether it's an online
policies-and-procedures library, product information, or
user-generated videos. Information architecture helps us organize
that content in a way that makes it easy for users to hone in to the
specific content they're seeking. Skills include understanding
methods for organizing information, such as taxonomies, folksonomies,
facets, and ontologies; techniques for deriving user hierarchies,
such as card sorting; and creating design deliverables, such as site
User Research - As we create designs, we need to ensure they meet
the needs of the user. User research helps us collect information
about who our users are, what they are trying to accomplish, what
frustrates them, and what will delight them. Skills include
identifying user population; techniques for evaluating design ideas,
such as usability testing; and passing that information on to rest of
the team members, so they can be making informed decisions.
Visual Design - One hallmark of good design is having a strong
visual appearance. This is more than just aesthetic goodness,
stretching into ensuring the priority of information is communicated
visually -- the most important information jumps off the screen while
more subtle details are visible, yet not demanding unwarranted
attention. Visual design skills include page layout, form design,
color selection, and icon design. (While not directly "visual", we
consider designing for accessibility to fall into this skillset, as
it focuses on much the same issues.)
Information Design - Presenting complex information for easy
interpretation is key for a successful user interface. Knowing when
to use specific table or graph types and using novel approaches for
exploring detailed data sets, whether it's pricing information,
product comparison tables, or trend charts, makes solid information
design a core component of the design process. Skills include
knowing when to apply the variety of chart and table formats, such as
pie charts, hi-low diagrams, and cluster treemaps; how to create
interactive data explorers, such as star fields and drill-down pivot
tables; and working with combining multiple data sources, such as
Interaction Design - Modern applications have moved past filling out
a one-page form and pressing the submit button. Instead, they are now
complex interactions, combining business requirements with a
easy-to-follow user flow. Interaction design skills include knowing
when to utilize different application structures, such as
hub-and-spoke designs versus interview flows; which design elements
are best for certain types of information, such as when to use radio
buttons versus drop-down menus; and creating design deliverables
such as wireframes and design priority descriptions.
Fast Iteration Management - Today's best organizations are
constantly learning from their designs. Instead of projects taking
months or years, they now go from concept to implementation in weeks.
Fast iteration management helps us learn to break designs into small,
bite-sized implementations and to collect data from each deployment
to inform the decisions in the next iteration. Skills include
schedule planning, change management, and usage-data collection, to
help the team move quickly.
Copywriting - Nobody likes using a design whose on-screen text reads
like a 1950's Army instruction manual. The best user experiences
have copy that excites and compels, making the user feel comfortable
and secure about the design. Copywriting skills include identifying
the style of voice and tone that matches the organization's brand,
creating persuasive copy that motivates users to explore the design,
and clearly stating benefit statements, to help the user understand
the value of using new capabilities and functions.
Editing - What's not in a design is as important as what's included.
Editing is not just about correcting bad grammar, but about creating
a cohesive experience that doesn't have extraneous distractions.
Skills include using techniques such as alignment maps to match the
users' needs to the available functionality.
Because these skills are critical to the user experience, we double
the rating we give them when we're combining the scores to determine
a team's overall rating. For example, if a team warrants a 4 in
Information Design, we'd count it as 8 in the final assessment. If a
team scored 5 points in each of the Core UX Skills, they'd get a
total of 80 points.
The Enterprise UX Skills
Along with the Core UX Skills, teams now need skills to enhance
their value across the enterprise. User experience extends beyond the
on-screen interactions to all touch points with the user. Special
skills are needed to ensure the team interacts with the rest of the
organization in a productive manner. While the teams don't need to
know how to do the jobs of others in the organizations, they need to
know how those other roles will influence the design. These
Enterprise UX skills include:
Development Methods - Organizations are using a wide variety of
development methods these days. Team members need to understand how
to integrate their work with development approaches, such as Agile
Design-To-Development Documentation - Communicating the design and
its rationale effectively is critical to successful projects.
Developing personas, design pattern libraries, and use cases are a
regular practice to ensure what is imagined becomes reality.
Web Analytics - Gleaning important information from the mounds of
data collected by today's web servers can dramatically enhance the
design process. Team members need to know how to integrate the
available analytics to inform their design process, by seeing what
designs are working for the users and where design iterations fall
Ethnography - Techniques like ethnography, contextual inquiry, and
field research can help teams gain tremendous insights into the
users' environment and goals, leading to radical improvements to the
experience. Understanding how to facilitate ethnographic projects
and how to report the results, using tools such as contextual
modeling and personas, is important for today's teams.
Social Networks - Computer applications are no longer just a person
interacting with a computer. Many are now computer-mediated
experiences of people interacting with other people. Teams need to
understand the different models for social interaction, from ratings
and recommendation systems to full-blown social network
capabilities, to know when these techniques can enhance the
interaction and to avoid places where the social components take away
from the core functionality.
Marketing - Previously relegated to an isolated function of the
enterprise, marketing skills have become a core component in the
user experience. Teams need to successfully communicate the design's
value to users and need to ensure it blends seamlessly into the rest
of the experience with the organization and the brand.
Technology - It is no longer acceptable for designers to propose
interactions that can't be implemented because team member don't
understand how the technology works. From front-end technology, such
as CSS, Ajax, and Flash, to back-end components, such as server
technology and legacy servers, designers need to be keenly aware of
what is possible and where they will bump into constraints.
ROI - A successful UX team has the skills to explain the business
value of their work. Whether it's a specific enhancement or a
complete rethinking of the way things are done, team members need to
concisely describe the benefits and risks associated with new design.
Business Knowledge - Today's business environment is full of
complexity and hard-to-navigate constraints. Designers need to be
fully aware of how the business works, how it makes money, and what
the internal constraints are, so they can ensure the design services
the business as well as the users.
Domain Knowledge - The industries we service are themselves very
complex, whether they be about financial services, travel, or a
university. Team members need to be fully versed in the domain, so
they can understand the terminology, processes, and objectives of
the people using their designs.
Of course, you may find there are other skills critically necessary
to succeed in your organization or environment. You can add them into
your assessment formula alongside the skills listed above.
Arriving at the Team's Rating
The formula we use for calculating a team's rating is (Core UX
Skills x 2) + Enterprise UX Skills. With 8 Core UX skills and 10
Enterprise UX Skills, the top score is (40 x 2) + 50 or 130.
How well did your team do? Here's some guidance we give the teams we
104 to 130: The team has all the right skills and is well on the way
to mastering them. The next step would be expanding the knowledge by
spreading it to other design agents in the organization.
78 to 103: The team has basic coverage of the core and enterprise
skills, but needs to start enhancing the capabilities of the
individual members. These teams need to focus on exploring outside
educational opportunities, such as summits and conferences dedicated
to these particular skillsets.
36 to 77: Many of the skills are found in the organization, but not
all of them are found in the team itself. The team manager should
actively search out training opportunities for team members, whether
it's tapping into the experts found elsewhere in the organization or
outside seminars and workshops.
0 to 35: The team has few internal skills and is probably too
reliant on outside contractors for many key skills. Working
side-by-side with the contractors can help bring the skills in-house
for future projects.
With the assessment in hand, team managers can now look for ways to
enhance their team's capability and improve the team's productivity
More on UX teams
Continuing on the theme of evaluating team skills is Dan Brown's UIE
Virtual Seminar, Plays Well With Others:
Survival Skills for Design Teams. Dan will show you how to
assess talent and skills available to team leaders for more efficient and effective projects. And designers
will understand what they need to best fit on an effective team.
Learn more about this webinar.
Share your thoughts with us
How are you ranking your teams' skills? Share your thoughts with us on our blog.
Subscribe to UIEtips, our free email newsletter
- Read our research the moment we publish it
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Commonly known as POCD, this is a very common and very misunderstood form of OCD. I’ve never suffered from it but I truly believe it to be one of the most horrific type of OCD – it’s difficult enough to seek help for a mental health problem, but admitting to your GP, who may have little knowledge of OCD (but that’s another post in itself!), that you worry that you might sexually molest your children? Can you imagine how hard that must be?
I think that out of the people that I’ve met with OCD, people with this form of intrusive thoughts tend to ask for the most reassurance. It’s natural really – not only are they terrified of the thoughts themselves, but also repulsed by the idea that they may be the very thing that society despises the most. There is such a huge amount of hate directed towards paedophiles, and this is just one more thing for the person with OCD to endlessly beat themselves up about.
Let me get this straight – in people with OCD, these thoughts are ego-dystonic – the sufferer finds them utterly repulsive. These thoughts, which are perfectly normal, are hated more than anything and yet the harder they push them out of their head, the stronger they become. It’s the same process as with any sort of obsession. People with OCD who worry about being a paedophile will never act on these thoughts.
One of the other problems is that of arousal – people with these intrusive thoughts often find themselves in a hyper-alert state, checking that they aren’t aroused and questioning every sensation. As we all know, if you concentrate on an area hard enough, you will end up feeling what you’re looking for. Can you feel your socks right now? Probably not, unless they’re too tight or itchy, but if I asked you to sit for a minute and think of nothing else but whether you can feel them, you’ll probably start to feel the fabric touching your skin, the elastic around your ankle. In the same way, when people are constantly monitoring their genitals for any sign of arousal, they often misinterpret the inevitable awareness.
As with other forms of OCD, cognitive behavioural therapy can help. To read a good article that includes an example of CBT with a person suffering from these types of intrusive thoughts, click here.
Obsessively compulsively yours,
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See what moms are talking about today
View or share your favorite baby photos
From pregnancy to motherhood, every mom has questions or could use some support. Join the conversation to learn from or help other moms just like you.
Join now to get nutritional guidance and up to $329* in benefits
What are the benefits of membership?
This is not my first rodeo, but I was told that I may have gestational diabetes. Was wondering if any other women on here have experianced this and what did you have to do? Take a pill, insulin shot, just watch diet? My doctor stated something about me possibly having to take a pill? Is this bad? Thank you for responding
I had GDM with my son, hes now 4 wks old and so far no signs that the DM is still a problem. I was diet controlled It was hard work sticking to a strict diet but I wanted to make sure that I didnt have to start medication or insulin. If your A1c (gives you a range of how your sugars have been running over past 3 months, should be below 7) is not too high a strict diet should control your glucose readings. I had to check my sugars 4x per day and I made sure that I tried to exercise a few times a week even if it was just a brisk walk. The diet was a lot of work it takes time trying to figure out what you can and cant eat after a while it gets eaiser. I ate 3 meals a day and 2 snacks. My OB sent me to diabetes teaching classes which helped me understand how my body was breaking down food. It was important to me to try to control my numbers with diet alone and I was sucessful. It gets old fast but stick with it it will all be worth it in the end. You are pretty much eating every 2-3 hrs if your not eating then your checking your sugars. If you work this gets to be a bit much on top of being pregnant.
Good luck Let me know if you have anymore questions:)
Gestational diabetes can often be controlled by diet. Staying away from simple carbohydrates like white rice, white bread, crackers, etc. and any sugary things like soda and candy can help to control your blood sugar. If you can't be controlled by diet changes, then sometimes you end up having to take a pill that helps to lower your blood sugar by boosting your insulin levels in your body. The best thing you can do is to keep your blood sugar steady, however you are able to, so that your baby will grow with optimum conditions in the womb. A lot of women find it a bit challenging at first to give up sugar but get used to it eventually. Hope this answers some questions!
It sounds like you have a pretty positive attitude about the possibility of having gest. diabetes. You will really have to talk to your doctor in more detail to find out what the treatment is going to be. One thing is that for most women eating a bit more helathy and avoiding those simple sugars is good for the body-diabetes or not. It's all about moderation. If he wants you to work on your diet you might ask him about dietary changes and if you can see a nutritionist. That might really help with ideas and assuring you are getting all the nutients that you need.
Keep us posted and good luck!
I don't have gestational diabetes, but had type 2 before I got pregnant. I'm 25 weeks and need to take insulin. Before the pregnancy, I was controlling it with diet and exercise...no medicine. With the help of a dietician who is also a diabetes educator, I stay on track with my food...although I do indulge in my cravings sometimes. I'm hoping to be off the insulin after the baby because I really don't like giving myself shots, but I'll do whatever to make both of us are healthy.
How are you doing with your diabetes? Just wanted to check in to see if things were under control. When are you due?
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November 9th 2011, 8:20AM. European Stocks opened positive the first market hour after that it drop more than 2%.
I browse Google Financial web site, it display as a main Headline: “European Stocks Rise as Italy’s Berlusconi Offers to Resign; Metro Climbs”
European Stocks Rise? European Stocks were down more than 3 hours from now. When I click the link of the new it redirect to a Bloomberg link, which display an more accurate Headline: “European Stocks Drop as Italian Bond Yields Jump”
After a while, I browse the Financial Google News again and now it display a more accurate Headline: “European Stocks Drop as Italian Bond Yields Jump”
The stock market is volatile, I can understand a sudden movement in the stock market can cause this accuracy issue in news. Even though in this case the error in the Headline took hours to be corrected.
It is Google fault in this case or Bloomberg fault? Bloomberg seems to have the original Headline “European Stocks Rise” originally and then they changed the Headline to “European Stocks Drop” in the same new link or URL.
Stock market Headlines news Online need to be updated in minutes, not hours. I have seen this problem all the time, specially in Google Financial News, and stock related news. The stock is down and the headlines says it is up, and vice versa.
What is the value of a not updated information for stock market industry? Who wants to read a new that is not accurate now, but it might have been accurate hours ago?
Online Stock Market News in the time of high frequency trading need to be updated like the stock ticker price is updated with at least 20 minutes delay. That’s our recommendation to Google Financial News.
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GlaxoSmithKline said Thursday that it paid more than 5,000 US healthcare professionals a total of $56.8 million last year for promotional talks or serving on advisory boards. It gave another $28.5 million to institutions for their help in conducting research.
The company has been posting payments to physicians for peer-to-peer education programs and consulting services since the second quarter of 2009. In the last nine months of 2009, GSK paid $51 million to US doctors. The company has not previously reported payments for research.
Under pressure for more transparency about such practices, several drug makers have voluntarily disclosed payments to doctors, hospitals and other medical professionals. The payments can influence providers' decisions about drugs, critics charge.
On Wednesday, Merck said it paid $20.4 million last year to more than 2,000 US doctors and healthcare professionals. Today, Pfizer disclosed $177 million in payments to nearly 200,000 healthcare professionals, with 61% of that having gone to clinical trials "and related research and development expenses."
Come 2013, companies will have to make the disclosures for payments made in 2012 under the Affordable Care Act's sunshine provision.
GSK also provided more details about its CME program, saying four additional organizations
were picked to submit grants in 2011, in addition to the 20 selected in 2010, and that the first grants were awarded mid-year under its new funding process. Executive summaries of the approved grant proposals were posted but not amounts.
The new medical education funding process
went into effect on Jan. 1, 2010, limiting grants to academic medical centers and medical societies with accreditation, but shutting out support for CME by commercial providers including medical education and communication companies (MECCs).
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State spend trumps dampened private sector
Private sectors may be wary of the regional unrest, but booming energy industries are expected to offset this, especially with aggressive state spending.
April 5, 2011 4:10 by Reuters
Political unrest in the Gulf threatens private sector spending and investment but thanks to high oil prices, governments have enough financial firepower to prevent their economies from slowing sharply.
Protests, some of them violent, have touched almost every country in the Gulf over the past two months. Except for Bahrain, the direct economic impact in terms of lost output has been tiny. But the protests have highlighted the potential for more trouble if political issues are not resolved, and this is dampening the mood in the private sector.
However, high global oil prices — themselves partly due to unrest in the Gulf and North Africa — are boosting energy sectors in the region and giving governments enough cash to spend their way out of trouble.
“The increase in oil prices will significantly add to growth dynamics both directly and through the wealth effect,” said Marios Maratheftis, regional head of research for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan at Standard Chartered in Dubai.
The unrest in the Gulf erupted when banks in some countries such as the United Arab Emirates were still hesitant to lend in the wake of the global credit crisis and local debt problems.
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Living conditions and volunteer lifestyles in Kazakhstan
From Peace Corps Wiki
Computer, Internet, and E-mail Access
While most Volunteers will have access to e-mail, it can be very slow, irregular, or simply unavailable at times. Do not expect to have e-mail access in your home or at your site; many Volunteers must travel to larger cities to access e-mail accounts. (Note that many Volunteers have difficulty receiving e-mails consistently when using Hotmail accounts. If you use Hotmail, please consider setting up an alternate e-mail address for use during your time in Kazakhstan.)
You may consider bringing your own laptop computer, modem, and e-mail software. Volunteers with computers are often able to connect to the Internet over their home phone line (assuming that they have a telephone in their home), though this is a costly and slow option. There are several computer outlets in Almaty and other cities, but U.S. computer warranties are not accepted in Kazakhstan. Some Volunteers also bring a small printer; if you bring one make sure to bring extra ink cartridges since they may not be available locally. Some hotels in Kazakhstan provide fax services in their business centers for a fee. Telegrams can be easily sent and received from most post offices. You must pay for your own telegrams, faxes, and e-mail access.
Some letters from the United States may take two to six weeks to reach a Volunteer, while others may take three months or more. Some mail may simply not arrive. Current Volunteers have estimated that they receive approximately 90 percent of the mail that is sent from the United States. Some letters may arrive with clipped edges because postal workers have tried to see if any money was inside. Boxes and packages take about one to two months. You may have to pay a special handling charge to get your packages from a local post office. All items may be opened and inspected by government officials. Occasionally, items have been missing from packages sent to Volunteers. Your friends and family should not mail expensive items to you. As a general rule, the smaller the package, the better. If you have a package sent overnight or sent by a company other than the USPS it may have to go through customs and you may have to pay a fee to get the package. Fees vary but can be up to $100 (U.S.). Generally, a letter takes three to four weeks to get back to the United States. However, the mail system here is not that efficient, and it is not unheard of for a letter to take three months. To mail a letter to the United States through the Kazakh system, you can buy pre-stamped envelopes at the post offices. Bring a supply of U.S. stamps to send letters back with people traveling to the United States.
Despite the inevitable delays, we encourage you to write to your family and to number your letters. Family members will typically become worried when they do not hear from you, so please advise your parents, friends, and relatives that mail and e-mail access may be sporadic and not to worry if they do not receive your letters regularly. If a serious problem were to occur, Peace Corps/Kazakhstan would notify the Office of Special Services at the Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C., and it would contact your family members immediately.
Your address during training will be:
“Your name,” PCT
P.O. Box 257
Once you become a Volunteer and are at your site, you should have your mail sent directly to your new address rather than to the Peace Corps Office.
Long-distance communication via telephone is available but expensive (the equivalent of $1.50 to $6.00 per minute depending on location). If you are calling from outside Almaty, it may take a very long time to get a line; telephone calls to the United States are usually made through an international operator, and it can take anywhere from half an hour to three hours or longer to get through. Long-distance calls within the country can be made either by dialing a special code or through an inter-city operator. You can order a call to the United States from a home telephone or from an international post office. In some sites it is very difficult, if not impossible, to call the United States. You often must go to the international post office to place the call. In Kazakhstan “smart cards” are extensively used in pay telephones. Cards must be purchased in Kazakhstan; cards purchased in the U.S. or Europe will not work. American telephone calling cards (such as AT&T) can be used in Kazakhstan by calling an access number. If you plan to make international calls, you should establish an international account with AT&T, MCI, Sprint, or another provider before you leave home. Some Volunteers choose to purchase cellphones at their own expense once in country. Due to the cost of calls, text messaging is extensively used among Volunteers.
Volunteer sites are selected by the Peace Corps staff in Kazakhstan, with the approval of the country director.
Volunteers are posted in sites upon the request of a
Kazakhstani agency and where the need for Volunteer services has been established. It is impossible to say where Volunteers will be posted before they arrive in Kazakhstan. The staff matches Volunteer skills with the needs of the site. You should remain flexible about the type and location of the job you will have during your service.
You will live with a host family for the first six months of your service in addition to staying with a host family during pre-service training. Depending on your site placement, you may continue to live with a host family or move to a dorm or apartment. There are many sites in smaller communities where independent living is not an option, so some Volunteers will stay with families for the duration of their service. If you feel you cannot live with a host family for this period of time, you should consider carefully whether you wish to accept this assignment in Kazakhstan.
There are many benefits to staying with a host family, including companionship upon arrival at site, faster acquisition of the local language, and improved integration into the local community. Aspects of host-family living that Volunteers may find challenging include the lack of privacy and independence and eating local cuisine. Volunteers are not allowed to supplement their living allowance to live in an accommodation above the level acceptable for a Volunteer.
Living Allowance and Money Management
As a Volunteer in Kazakhstan, you will receive four types of allowances: Living, vacation, settling-in, and monthly travel.
The living allowance covers basic living expenses. The allowance is for food, rent, utilities, household supplies, clothing, recreation and entertainment, transportation, local reading materials, and other incidentals. The amount is reviewed once a year through a market survey to ensure that it is adequate. Presently the living allowance in Kazakhstan is paid in the local currency, tenge, not U.S. dollars, and ranges from the equivalent of $180 to $450, depending on your site. The current exchange rate is approximately one U.S. dollar to 128 tenge. The living allowance is paid every month directly to Volunteers via electronic funds transfer to the Volunteers’ Kazakhstan bank accounts, which can be accessed by their ATM cards at most places in the country.
A vacation allowance, equivalent to $24 per month, is added to your living allowance each month. A one-time settling-in allowance of $200 and paid in local currency is given to buy basic household items when you move to your site. Volunteers also receive a monthly travel allowance, which is intended to cover all Volunteer travel in-country other than travel mandated by the Peace Corps.
Most Volunteers find that they can live comfortably in Kazakhstan with these four allowances, although many Volunteers bring money (in cash or traveler’s checks) for out-of-country travel. All Volunteers are strongly discouraged from supplementing their income for daily living with money brought from home. The living allowance is adequate, and Volunteers should be living at the economic equivalent of their neighbors and colleagues. If you bring cash, the bills should be new and without any written marks, creases, or tears. Only dollars in very good condition will be exchanged in Kazakhstan, as banks only want bills in good condition.
Credit cards can be used in several establishments in Almaty and in a few stores in the larger cities, but they are most useful during vacations and travel out of the country.
Traveler’s checks can be cashed for a 2 percent to 3 percent fee at most large banks. There are a few retail places in Kazakhstan where they can be used. American bank debit cards can be used in a growing number of cities in Kazakhstan.
Food and Diet
A variety of food is available in Kazakhstan in the summer, although there are fewer choices available in the winter. Each town has a green bazaar (similar to a farmer’s market in the United States) and small food stores. At the green bazaar, you can find—when in season—fresh tomatoes, potatoes, beets, carrots, squash, radishes, pumpkin, cucumbers, onions, cabbage, melons, oranges, grapes, bananas, pears, pomegranates, and apples. Garlic, fresh dill, and basil are generally available; however, spices tend to be somewhat sporadic from site to site. Pack your favorite spices! Markets usually have chicken, cow, sheep, goat, pig, and horse meat. Horse meat is the Kazakh national favorite. Pork is forbidden by Islam, but is popular with Russians and other non-Kazakh ethnic groups (and to Kazakhs who do not adhere to these Islamic tenants). Dairy products include milk (from cow, horse, or camel), butter, cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream. Stores usually carry staples such as rice, barley, buckwheat, millet, spaghetti, pasta, vermicelli, flour, sugar, salt, juice, sausage, butter, cheese, yogurt, eggs, meat, and chicken, though supplies may be sporadic. The bread stores carry a variety of breads. Bread is a part of every meal here. There tends to be a lack of green vegetables, however.
To Americans, mealtime should be a time of relaxation, but in a strange country mealtime may be a perpetually unsettling challenge. The available food may not only be strange in type and appearance, but it may be unpalatable and even unhealthy from an American perspective. Meals in Kazakhstan are meat-based and fairly normal according to American standards, although without as much diversity as American meals. Eating is a significant social function and is a way to develop your working relationships and friendships. You may feel obligated to demonstrate your friendliness and willingness to accept local customs by eating food that you do not want. Sometimes you may not be able to refuse the food without offending your host. Your decision in each case will be the result of a fine balancing of many factors: the requirements of courtesy, the limits of your own tolerance to unaccustomed foods, and realistic concerns for your health. This will take time, and until you get comfortable in making such decisions, it will be a strain.
There are very few vegetarians in Kazakhstan. There may be issues for vegetarian Volunteers, whether strict or not, in most parts of the country. Kazakhstan is a meat-eating culture, and school cafeterias, business lunches, and special dinners will all feature meat. Vegetarian Volunteers will have to overcome these obstacles and face limited food choices at times.
Transportation within Kazakhstan is primarily by trains, buses, micro-vans, or private taxis. When traveling long distances, it is usually necessary to book tickets on the national railway service. This can be done either at the local train station or at specialized kiosks that provide train tickets and information. Train transport is available in three classes: Luxury-kupee, kupee, and platszcart. Most Volunteers purchase the four-person sleeper car kupee-class ticket. When on the train, it is common for the police to ask for your passport and other documents.
Short distances between adjacent cities and within cities can be traveled by public bus. The fare for buses varies by location but is usually between 40 to 60 tenge. Private taxi may also be hired when traveling within a city. Prices for taxis vary widely, with taxis in Almaty costing 400 to 1,000 tenge for cross town rides to 60 tenge within smaller towns and villages.
Geography and Climate
Covering about 2.7 million sq. km (1.7 million sq. miles), Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world, about half the size of the United States. Its border with Russia in the north and west is one of the world’s longest, at about 5,000 km (3,100 miles). It has a lengthy shoreline (almost 1,000 km, or 620 miles) on the Caspian Sea and a shrinking one on the Aral Sea. The country is mainly flat except for its alpine southeast and eastern fringes. Southeast Kazakhstan lies along the northern edge of the Tian Shan. Mount Khan Tengri, at 6,995 m (22,944 feet), stands on the border with the Kyrgyz Republic. Kazakhstan’s eastern border with China is a series of alternating mountain ranges and gaps through which roads or railways pass. The only serious elevations in the rest of the country are the Karatau hills, really a spur of the Tian Shan northwest of Zhambyl and Shymkent, and a band of upland that stretches west from the Tarbagatay hills, occasionally topping 1,000 m (3,280 feet) south of Semipalatinsk. The north of the country is flat, mostly treeless steppe. Much of it is original grassland now turned over to wheat or other agriculture. Farther south, the steppe is increasingly arid, turning into desert or semi-desert, often with some scrub vegetation, across much of the southern third of the country. The climate varies significantly with the topography, but generally Kazakhstan has four seasons, with very cold winters and hot, dry summers. The duration of the season depends on the region of the country. Be prepared for temperatures down to -40° F in winter and up over 100° F in summer.
In some cities in Kazakhstan, you may go to a concert, theater performance, bowling alley, circus performance, a movie, museums, saunas, or local cafés. There may be a few interesting restaurants. English movies are dubbed into Russian. Chess is a national pastime. Ice-skating and snow skiing are available outside of Almaty; you can rent skates and skis there. Soccer is extremely popular, and in the rural districts, horse riding and hunting are also very popular. You will have to create much of your own entertainment, especially during winter or in villages.
Professionalism, Dress, and Behavior
One of the difficulties of finding your place as a Peace Corps Volunteer is fitting into the local culture while maintaining your own cultural identity and acting like a professional—all at the same time. You will be working as a professional and are expected to dress and behave accordingly.
While some of your counterparts may dress in seemingly worn clothes, this will be due to economics rather than choice. The likelihood is that they are wearing their “best.” A foreigner in Kazakhstan wearing ragged, unmended clothing is more likely to be considered an affront than someone trying to “get closer to the people.” In Kazakhstan, people take pride in dressing well. Kazakhstani women are very fashion conscious, although the clothing available in Kazakhstan may be of lower quality and is often expensive.
Professional dress, especially in a business setting, is more formal than in Silicon Valley in the United States. For men, it is appropriate to wear a shirt, tie, and slacks to work, or perhaps a suit—definitely not jeans. Women usually wear skirts with shirts/blouses or sweaters or dresses. Both men and women should bring one or two sport jackets or blazers. Women can and do wear high-heeled shoes. Keep in mind, though, that you will be doing a lot of walking. Generally, Kazakhstani women wear dress boots to work in the winter and pumps and open-toed dress shoes in summer. Hiking boots at work are not acceptable. You may want to bring one suit or dressy outfit, but dry cleaning is not available in many places. Nice jeans and shorts are appropriate for casual wear and shorts are becoming more common among adults in major cities. The “grunge” look is never appropriate.
Overall, your clothing and shoes should be comfortable and warm. Many schools and offices are not adequately heated in the winter. Bring warm professional clothes! You should dress conservatively. Although local women wear miniskirts in the summer, you will get additional unwanted attention wearing this type of attire.
Toasting and drinking alcoholic beverages (primarily vodka) is part of the local culture in Kazakhstan and many Volunteers experience pressure to drink more than they desire or are accustomed to. Unfortunately, excessive drinking on the part of Volunteers has resulted in a number of alcohol-related incidents impacting both Peace Corps’ reputation and the safety of Volunteers in Kazakhstan. As a result, Peace Corps/Kazakhstan has implemented an alcohol use policy. It has been included below so that you will an opportunity to review this information in advance of making a decision to serve in Kazakhstan.
Volunteers/trainees serve 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and at all times are representing the Peace Corps and the United States. Kazakhstani culture can encourage use of alcohol in social situations; however, it discourages drunkenness and losing control of oneself.
Drinking excessively can result in behavior that is inappropriate and damages the reputation of all hard-working, committed Peace Corps Volunteers who have served and will serve in Kazakhstan. In addition, Volunteers/trainees compromise their personal safety when under the influence of alcohol. All allegations of alcohol misconduct will be investigated beginning with a discussion with the Volunteer/ trainee concerned.
Drunkenness and lewd, offensive behavior resulting from alcohol consumption are not allowed and will result in one of the following disciplinary actions:
- Alcohol Contract. An official alcohol contract that will either prohibit or limit a Volunteer/trainee’s alcohol consumption may be instituted for the duration of service. The Volunteer/trainee, country director, and Peace Corps medical officer will sign the alcohol contract and a violation of the contract may result in the initiation of administrative separation procedures.
- Administrative Separation. Violations of this policy that diminish a Volunteer’s effectiveness or adversely impact the Peace Corps’ program in Kazakhstan will result in the initiation of administrative separation procedures.
More information about the Peace Corps’ approach to safety is outlined in the Health Care and Safety chapter, but it is an important issue and cannot be overemphasized. As stated in the Volunteer Handbook, becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer entails certain safety risks. Living and traveling in an unfamiliar environment (often alone), having a limited understanding of local language and culture, and being perceived as well-off are some of the factors that can put a Volunteer at risk. Many Volunteers experience varying degrees of unwanted attention and harassment. Petty thefts and burglaries are not uncommon, and incidents of physical and sexual assault do occur, although most Volunteers complete their two years of service without personal safety problems. The Peace Corps has established procedures and policies designed to help Volunteers reduce their risks and enhance their safety and security. These procedures and policies, in addition to safety training, will be provided once you arrive.
As solid as our emergency plans and training are, Volunteers are ultimately responsible for their own safety and MUST take every reasonable precaution to ensure it. Every friendship you cultivate, every decision you make—traveling away from site; staying out late; drinking; becoming involved in personal, intimate relationships—will impact your personal safety. Thoughtful decision-making, preparedness, awareness, and vigilance will all help reduce the possibility of crimes against you.
Rewards and Frustrations
Although the potential for job satisfaction is quite high, like all Volunteers you will encounter numerous frustrations. Due to financial or other challenges, collaborating agencies do not always provide the support promised. The pace of work and life is slower than what most Americans are accustomed to, and many people are hesitant to change practices and traditions that are centuries old. For these reasons, the Peace Corps experience is often described as a series of emotional peaks and valleys that occur throughout your service. You will need to demonstrate self-motivation, resourcefulness, and initiative in your work—perhaps more than in any other job you have had or will ever experience. Often you will find yourself in situations that require an ability to motivate yourself and your counterparts with little guidance from supervisors. You may work for months without seeing a visible impact and without receiving feed-back on your work. Development is a slow process. Positive progress is often seen only after the combined efforts of several Volunteers and over the course of many years. You must possess the self-confidence, patience, and vision to continue working toward long-term goals without seeing immediate results.
In many aspects of daily life, you may feel pulled in opposite directions between your accustomed life and that of your hosts. At times, life may seem a series of minor nagging frustrations. Such frustrations can accumulate, and you may come through a long struggling day feeling exhilarated and happy with your achievements and yet become angry because you have to wipe your mouth on your hand for want of a paper napkin.
To approach and overcome these difficulties, you will need maturity, flexibility, and open-mindedness. Judging by the experience of former Volunteers, the peaks are well worth the difficult times, and most Volunteers leave Kazakhstan feeling that they have gained much more than they have sacrificed during their service. If you are able to make the commitment to integrate into your community and work hard, you will be a successful Volunteer.
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View Torrey St., Portland, Maine in a larger map
PORTLAND, Maine — When husband and wife Todd Swinton and Erin Larson moved to their neighborhood, they immediately fell in love with the nearly 13-acre wooded property where their dead-end Torrey Street came to a stop.
Swinton and Larson led a neighborhood effort to clean up trash and old tires that had accumulated there, built footbridges over streams and established trails. Diverse trees there tower overhead, shading a hidden frog pond and urban throughway for wildlife usually confined to more rural areas, such as deer. Standing in the middle of Canco Woods, so named by area residents for its abutment to Canco Road, one is simultaneously within a short hike of city activity and yet camped in a lesser-known pocket of wilderness.
But while the property has long been used recreationally by hikers, ice skaters, mountain bikers, dog walkers, wildlife watchers and solace seekers, it has always legally been private. And now, a sale of the site is pending, and neighbors like Swinton and Larson are worried about development under the property’s previously dormant light industrial zoning designation.
“If the woods are bulldozed and the area is built-up, we would be devastated,” Torrey Street resident Victoria Kostadinova told the Bangor Daily News. “Our quality of life would decline decidedly. We already feel heartbroken, and our kids just can’t understand why people would want to destroy such a beautiful, peaceful, magical place — a place they love to play in any time of year, and one that is home to so many creatures.”
Danielle Vayenas lives in the home farthest down Torrey Street and closest to the woods. She said she was the first in the neighborhood to notice the “for sale” sign on the lot last month on the way home from work, then she saw the “sale pending” addition appear just a few days later.
CB Richard Ellis/The Boulos Co. has the 12.75-acre property listed for $350,000. According to city records, the site is assessed at a value of $683,600 and is taxed about $12,496.
When she learned of the sale, Vayenas contacted neighbors and began a “Save Canco Woods” campaign and launched a Facebook page for the cause. The group began printing fliers about the threat of development and posting them near the site.
“We just wanted anybody who lives in the area to know it could be totally torn down,” Vayenas said. “That’s a worst-case scenario — that it gets paved over for parking lots, office buildings, a school or warehouses — but it could happen. “
The mystery surrounding who is considering buying the site is part of what’s fueling concern in the neighborhood. Drew Sigfridson, the broker with CB Richard Ellis/The Boulos Co. working the deal, did not respond to a phone call by the Bangor Daily News placed last Thursday.
John Carroll, spokesman for Central Maine Power Co., which owns the property through subsidiary Union Water Power Co., said the utility firm originally acquired the acreage several years ago as potential expansion space for its abutting Canco Road facility. But he said the company has no such plans now and it became excess property. Carroll said Monday he doesn’t know who the prospective buyer is.
Rumors circulated at one point that the site would be purchased by the Friends School of Portland, whose lease for space on Mackworth Island in Falmouth expires in two years and is eyeing potential new locations. But James Grumbach, head of the school, told the BDN Monday that while his team has looked at the site, the school is not the entity with whom a sale is pending.
“We have no plans to move there,” Grumbach said. “We understand the property is under contract — although, we are certainly looking at parcels of land that might lend themselves to construction of a new school.”
District 4 City Councilor Cheryl Leeman said she also doesn’t know who the possible buyer is, but she said she spoke with Sigfridson, and left with the impression the buyer understands the neighborhood concerns.
“He did indicate that he didn’t think the neighborhood would be disappointed by what was being proposed for the property,” Leeman said.
She also said nightmarish smokestacks “often conjured up by the word ‘industrial’” aren’t allowed in the light industrial zone, which is commonly used for small office buildings.
“That area is zoned light industrial, so conceivably it could be warehousing like on [nearby] Read Street, but not factories,” Vayenas agreed.
Leeman said the city owns an easement at the end of Torrey Street, preventing any future development from connecting it through the woods to Canco Road on the other side, a move many neighbors expressed concerns about. She also noted the potential wetlands restrictions that could challenge any future developer.
“There will not be a through street, and that does give us some leverage, too, into how that property is developed,” she said. “It’s 12 acres and it’s so wet that it’s going to be difficult to develop most of that property outside of the part closest to Canco Road.”
But until a developer completes a sale for the property and unveils plans for the site, Leeman said, neither the neighbors nor city officials can really be sure how to react.
“It’s kind of a waiting game,” she said.
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It's Belly Week on the EnoAeroPics gallery! This week every day an image will be uploaded of an aircraft photographed from down under, either from the patio of my home at 30 kilometers from Schiphol Amsterdam airport or from the 11 th floor of an apartment building near Schiphol. Discover the difference when looking up between the Fokker 100 and Bombardier/Canadair Regional Jet, the Boeing 777 and Airbus 330 and between the Airbus A320 family, the Embraer E-Jets and the Boeing 737. The aircraft were photographed with gear up in an almost clean configuration. Best photographic results were obtained when the aircraft were flying below 4000ft in clear air with relatively low temperatures to prevent a hazy shot caused by trembling air.
This image shows Boeing 777-35EER c/n 32644 (l/n 863) B-16717 of EVA Airways about to catch the glideslope of runway 27-09 at Schiphol Amsterdam airport in The Netherlands (EHAM) for its 4th visit to the airport on 18 August 2012, flying at 3600 ft with a speed of 185 kts, carrying out flight BR075 from Taipei via Bangkok. The aircraft made its first flight on 14 April 2010 and was delivered to EVA Air on 19 November 2011.
At first sight, the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 look very similar, but the main distinguishing is the number of streamlined wingfairings, of which the 777 has three and the A330 four.
Related images in this EnoAeroPics media gallery:
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So you've read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, or at least heard about it. Full of myths and goddesses, cyphers and secret symbols, gothic horror, legend and fantasy, The Da Vinci Code has sold in the millions. And Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland is where the climactic scenes are played out.
For most readers, Brown's description of Rosslyn Chapel is as close as they will get to the Chapel, at least until May 2006, when the film version of The Da Vinci Code is released. Tom Hanks and the crew recently finished shooting at Rosslyn Chapel, so you can look forward to some great location shots. But what does a real visitor to Rosslyn Chapel feel? Is it as mysterious, overwhelming and significant as The Da Vinci Code suggests?
Last month I walked, in the footsteps of Langdon and Sophie, through that small wooden door with the simple oak sign, Roslin. The Chapel does have a dramatic setting, somewhat ruined at present because the Chapel is covered with a huge metal canopy, to let it dry out.
You have to remember that Rosslyn Chapel, built by Sir William St Clair in 1446 as the choir to a planned huge Catholic church (which was never completed), was stripped and totally neglected for over two hundred years when Scotland embraced Protestantism. So the fabric of the building is undergoing a huge renovation program to repair the damages caused by centuries of neglect.
Once inside, you're immediately struck by the scale of the chapel. It's somewhat smaller than your imagination probably painted it. Ornate doesn't begin to describe the stonework and carvings, with every conceivable form of figure -- devils, angels, crowns of thorns, stars, pyramids, roses, elephants, green men and patriarchs. If your tastes run to simple lines and minimalism, then this could be your worst nightmare.
Is there a spiritual or religious experience? That depends on your concept of religion, I suppose. But it didn't work for me. It reeks more of a temple to Freemasonry than to Christianity. If it were not for the mythology and legend surrounding it, you would regard Rosslyn Chapel as rather a quaint and over-elaborate folly. But the visitor who arrives steeped in the folklore of the Holy Grail, and with a well-thumbed copy of The Da Vinci Code in hand might well find what he or she has been expecting to find.
It is quite a lot of fun to watch all these multi-national visitors, many of them in their teens and twenties in their jeans and backpacks, excitedly pointing out the various well-known features amongst the pillars and carvings. Cameras flash all the time, and the cacophony of so many foreign tongues brings to mind the Tower of Babel. So if you're the sort of person who would like some quiet time to take it all in, and to stand before each feature described in The Da Vinci Code and examine it in detail, then you might be disappointed.
The seasoned traveler who has stood in the great medieval cathedrals of Europe will probably be let down both in the scale of the interior and the lack of beauty and ambience of Rosslyn Chapel. It is a strange building, but more odd than mysterious. More eccentric than spiritual or religious. More bizarre than awe-inspiring. I found it emotionally cold and lacking in spiritual beauty.
Does Rosslyn Chapel satisfy our longing for mystery, intrigue, evil-doing, or centuries-long conspiracy as in The Da Vinci Code? It all depends on what you take into it. You'll probably see what you want to see. It provoked in me no emotional response, no sense of reverence or inspiration. But then I regard The Da Vinci Code as sheer preposterous nonsense. Well crafted, but a plot basically lifted from other obscure and eccentric sources, riddled with errors and deliberate misrepresentation, stitched together with a calculating veneer of sophistication and romance. And ultimately The Da Vinci Code is deeply insulting and blasphemous to Christians, and to the Catholic Church in particular.
Is Rosslyn Chapel worth a visit? Well if you're in Scotland at any time, it's quite easy to find the Chapel. It's only about an hour's trip from the center of Edinburgh. But it does get very crowded. There were about 100,000 visitors in 2005, and this number is certain to swell after the movie opens.
I give the final words to someone who should know more about Rosslyn Chapel than Dan Brown. Dr. Andrew Sinclair, a descendant of the St Clairs who founded Rosslyn Chapel, recently condemned The Da Vinci Code as "preposterous, its message pernicious, its history a bungle and a muddle." He added, "As far as I'm concerned, it's a load of rubbish. It's appalling. What it says about the Grail and Rosslyn is absolute invention."
But I suspect that Tom Hanks and the Da Vinci Code movie will convince millions of gullible movie-goers to ignore the truth and to swallow the lies, distortions, and fabrications of Brown's novel. After all, we do so love a good conspiracy theory.
About the author: As well as being a keen student of medieval history, Brendan Forde uses his 15 years in the IT industry to source and review information and software tools to guarantee new levels of internet marketing success. Read his reviews at internet marketing tools.
Copyright © 2004-2006 Cedar Cottage Media Inc. All rights reserved.
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Over the weekend, the USCCB’s Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities released the following essay by its Assistant Director for Education and Outreach, Susan E. Willis. In it, Willis evaluates two pending pieces of federal legislation aimed at reducing the number of abortions in our country, and she helps the Catholic voter discern which of the two bills authentically serves the causes of life and justice.
LET THE TAXPAYERS BEWARE!
by Susan E. Wills
July 24, 2009
It should be called the Planned Parenthood Economic Stimulus Package of 2009.
Instead, co-sponsors Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) have given their “new” (though largely recycled) bill the promising title “Preventing Unintended Pregnancies, Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act.” Sponsors describe the bill as a “common ground” approach to reducing unintended pregnancies and abortions, one that should appeal to opposing sides in the abortion debate.
Sure, the bill is dressed up with some funding for after-school programs, and some (very poorly crafted) efforts to provide support for pregnant students. But make no mistake. The bill is “about access to birth control,” according to Congressman Ryan (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” May 19, 2009). In the same interview, Ryan explained: “We have to have birth control and contraception offered to these poor women who don’t have access to contraception, period, dot. There’s no other way we’re going to be able to reduce [abortions].” About what you’d expect in a bill whose co-sponsors enjoy a 100% pro-choice rating from NARAL.
Accordingly, their bill calls for grants for comprehensive sexuality education (abstinence-only educators need not apply!). It substantially increases funding for the federal Title X Family Planning Program. It denies state choice, making family planning services a mandatory Medicaid entitlement in all states, and greatly expands family planning eligibility under Medicaid to all women who are eligible under state law for prenatal, labor, and delivery care.
Some people might find this approach sensible. But they ignore at least two things. First, since at least 1980, taxpayers have been funding “family planning services” to the tune of over $1 billion per year. In 2006 such public expenditures totaled $1.85 billion. So today, virtually all teenagers who are sexually active and do not want to become pregnant are already using contraception. Only 7% are not using it, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Second, contraceptives don’t work very well in real life. In the first 12 months of contraceptive use, 16.4% of teens (1 in 6) will become pregnant. Among low-income cohabiting teens, the failure (pregnancy) rate over 12 months is 48.4% for birth control pills and 71.7% for condoms.
Numerous studies in the United States and Europe have found that greater access to contraception fails to reduce unintended pregnancies and abortions. A recent $10 million intervention in England giving at-risk teens comprehensive sex education and contraception is a perfect example. Teens in the program had a pregnancy rate 2.5 times higher than a similar group of at-risk teens (16 vs. 6 percent).
Why does increased access to contraception fail at the population level? Thinking they are protected from pregnancy and disease, more young people become sexually active and have more partners, offsetting any reduction in pregnancy from individual contraceptive use. And the increased level of sexual activity causes STD rates to soar. In the U.S., 1 in 4 teen girls has at least one STD; many of these are incurable and some are fatal.
The sharpest decline in unintended pregnancies and abortions since 1990 has occurred among those under 18, due not to comprehensive sex ed or contraception, but chiefly to the growing number of young people choosing to remain abstinent. Visit the Secretariat’s website for contraception facts and citations at www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/contraception/index.shtml, and let your member of Congress know that the Ryan/DeLauro bill cannot fulfill the promises in its title. The real abortion-reduction bill in Congress now is the Pregnant Women Support Act (S.1032, H.R.2035), which needs our support.
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President Obama read from the Psalms as part of the ten year commemoration of 9-11 this week: holy scripture to Jew, Muslim, and Christian alike. Here it is from my Bible (I took out the numbering for easier reading, it's just in there for organizational purposes).
Title: God Is Our Fortress
Directions: To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.1 A Song.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; the burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
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Sen. Tester Says Rural Phone Landlines are Failing
Montana Senator Jon Tester wants the Federal Communications Commission to improve phone service in rural areas.
Tester, in a press release this week, said that many people in rural areas still depend on traditional landline telephones for everything from business and personal calls to emergencies. And he said that they are experiencing an increase in dropped or delayed calls, poor voice quality and more. He said seniors are especially hard hit when companies cut back on service to rural areas.
Tester said the FCC’s own study showed call failure rates were “significantly higher” in rural areas than in non-rural areas.
He requested FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski to have the commission “continue promoting best practices and use all authorized and appropriate enforcement powers” to solve the problems.
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Steve Hood is the sales manager at Kent's Harley-Davidson, "2009 was a tough year for everybody because basically financing got really tight for everybody. It wasn't a lack of people desiring to have motorcycles, it was pretty much a lack of the ability to get them financed", says Hood.
While some see motorcycles as an economically smart move, "People like to travel. And with the economy the way it is, motorcycles are a lot easier, due to, what i believe is, better gas mileage", says Megan Falkenstein.
Others, like Thomas Anglemyer, are simply drawn to the lifestyle and name on the motorcycle, "It was kind of an age thing for me. I'm 63 and I've wanted a Harley all my life pretty much. I've driven motorcycles since I was 17 years-old".
Hood explained that while fuel efficient motorcycles can save on gas, bikes can range anywhere from a couple thousand dollars to upwards of $40,000. He advises that if the goal of the purchase is to save money, a high monthly bike payment is counterproductive, and buyers should consider looking into less expensive options .
Hood also told us that even during the recession, Harley-Davidson sales have remained steady, where other brands, such as Honda and Suzuki dropped quite a bit.
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[Joseph Bartlett Letters]
[Joseph Callaway Bartlett came to Texas in 1831 as a seventeen-year-old young man and after the Battle of San Jacinto served in the Army of the Texas Republic for three months. In his sixties, living near Rice, Texas and widowed for a second time, he wrote to Moses Austin Bryan (who was a nephew of Stephen F. Austin, "Father of Texas," and who seemed not to remember his correspondent) about military service in the days of the Republic of Texas, land values, and other matters. The originals of these letters are in a folder marked "J. C. Bartlett 1873-76" in box 2H118, Texas Veterans' Association Papers, A-Fn, at the Center for American History, University of Texas, Austin. Spelling and punctuation are as in the original.]
Rice Texas Apr. the 11 /74
M. A. Bryan
Dear old Friend
Yours of the 8th is at hand and contents duly notice you seem to be at a Loss to Know which one of the Bartletts I am. I am a son of Jesse Bartlett, You will know me now. We [were?] together a good deal in the fall of 32 in old San Felipe during the time that Father was Building a Livery Stable for John Rice Jones. We have not met verry often since then. We met at Corsicana in June 72 at the first temporary organization of the old Texas Veteran Assasiation, You want me to hive the names of any old veterans that I may Know There is G. W. Shelton of Corsicana David McCanlis of Dresden Navarro County and Thos Ponder of Dresden and B. L. Hearn and Joseph Boren of Ellis County, Ennis is their P.O. Our old friend Js. Clayton [Joseph Alvey Clayton, of Chatfield] is dead he was Killed last summer by a Threshing Machine, In Regard to your Lands in this neighborhood I think it would be hard to sell at any price for cash at this time although there is Lands selling in the same neighborhood at 3 to 5 dollars per acre in trade and on time. I think you had better come up and se it. I think if [three unintelligible words] it you would Like [two unintelligible words] enough to settle on it The country around it setting up [page 2] rapidly, with Regard to the Branch Road I have heard nothing said about it for some time past. I think if it is ever built it will be some time in the future, Must I write my name in the certificate myself, ask Gen [J.?] B Robertson who Js
Bartlett is he can tell you, he was my colonel, and I was his captain in the Archiv[e] War, farewell untill we meet in Houston on the 21st of May.
Yours Fraternally J. C. Bartlett
[ William Floyd Henderson Letter ]
The following article is transcribed by Traci Parsons-Holder from the Moulton
Advertiser in Moulton, Lawrence Co., AL, March 11, 1911. It was written by William Floyd Henderson born in GA, and later moved with his parents Samuel and Josey Bennett Henderson to Mount Hope, Lawrence Co., AL. He was married 1887 to Mollie Mae Baker in AL and moved to TX between 1900 & 1902. William followed two sisters to Navarro County, Allie or Alberta? Henderson Martin
who married Pink Chilcoat sometime after 1894 in Navarro County and another sister who is unknown at this time. Traveling with him to Texas were his wife Mollie and children; Belle, Jewel, Floy and Buck. William resided with his family in the Rice, Chatfield and Alma communties, where his daughters; Carrie and Ruby, sons; Carter, Alvis, and Teddy were born. He was a farmer and farmed until his death in 1928. Several of the family members are buried along side him in the Old Chatfield Cemetery.
Whiffs from Texas
Alma, TX 2/21/1911
Mr. Jourd White & Son
Dear Old Friends:- Inclosed find $1.75 for which move my subscription to the dear Old Advertiser up to 1912; also send me The Atlanta Constitution and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Mr. Jourd, we have been having some of the finest weather out here for farming this winter I ever saw. The people as a rule have nearly all their land broke and ready for planting. We have had the finest rains I ever saw fall in Central Texas. Very little wheat sowed in this county though
we have a fair crop of cats - more than usual and prospect promising for a good yield with a fine suboil(?) season in the ground. About passed the danger line for a freeze and we anticipate no harm.
No corn planted yet, though most of the farmers plant this month.
Our principal crop is cotton and more cotton. Some plants in March on and until the middle or last of June.
Say, Mr. Jourd, the most of our old friends from Alabama out here are doing well and enjoying good health. Often see Dick Dukeminier, or better known as "Honest Dick"? and he looks well. All his children look well.
With best wishes for you and your many readers for a happy and prosperous year. I am your friend .... (unable to read)
[ A. F. Mitchell Letter ]
Addressed to: Mrs. Robert Robinson, 219 Racine St., Atlanta, Ga.
Feb 3rd - 32
My Dear Uncle Robert, I have been trying to write you ever since May died Sept 10 - 31. I have not been well nor strong nor has Mama or Papa as May was sick about three yrs add lost her mind a year before she died she was just like caring for a baby. They only have two children living out of seven. My self and Brother John. I have 4 children and John has 6 boys and two girls and 2 have 3 boys and one girl. We sure up against it here as our town was swept away by a tornadoyear before last and last year our cotton ware house burned and we all lost our cotton so it is going to be a hard pull for all of us and the Banks are only allowing two Dollar a piece to a family. John and I are having to help Papa and Mama, we cant keep them much as we are so hard hit ourselves. I don't know what any of us are going to do. Papa sure does worry and Moma too but the existing condition can not be avoided. Uncle Robert, Papa want to know your age also uncle youngs. I hope you are all enjoying good health. I am enclosing clippings of many and Moma & Papas picture.
You must let us hear from you soon.
Your Niece Mrs. A. F. Mitchell.
Skinner to his sister (WWI)
New York City, Jan. 3, 1919
Dear Sister-Wrote you a card today that I have
just landed in New York, and now I will write a line or two.
First thing here at debarkation hospital was a
real good bath and then a sure enough good old supper. We got into port and
unloaded about 3 this afternoon.
Now I am not going to try to scare you, but will
tell you a little about my trip all the way from Toms. Took the grippe on
the way from there up to Brest (trip took 48 hours) and was there six days
before I left. It was cold and raining every day and had been for a month.
Had fever most of the time at Brest but I felt very good the day I got on
the boat, December 24. we left the harbor Xmas day in the afternoon and was
on the Northern Pacific. They gave us a real good Xmas turkey dinner and
then gave us a large Red Cross bag of most everything. Well, it was stormy
and the boat began to roll, so I lost all my dinner before supper time.
The sea was awfully rough every day and it was
very little that I ate the entire trip.
We expected to get in here early New Year's morn,
but at 3 o'clock that morning we woke up to find our ship climbing up on a
sand bank out about 60 miles from here, on Fire Island. Suppose you have
read something about the Northern Pacific running aground in a storm. There
we stuck until today. They unloaded a few yesterday, but some of them
drowned. It was dangerous this morning, but I got off alright.
This hospital is some swell place believe me. It
is right here in the city near where we got off boat. Don't know how long
will be here, but likely a week or ten days. I want to see part of the city
before I leave.
The "old vets" from France are certainly
important here, and the people will do any and everything they can for you.
I am well from the operation and was heavier than
I ever was before I left France. But being sick before I left and then
seasick all the way across, I lost a right smart of it. I consider myself
very lucky to get to come back, for my unit will be over there in the mud
for a long time, and they are sure enough sick of it.
Will write again as soon as I move. Hope to get
mustered out and get home as soon as possible, Your Brother, Sam Skinner
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More Thoughts on Cashing Objections
In our last article, we discussed the basics of overcoming objections. The techniques discussed included bypassing the objection, releasing the pressure and asking if there was anything else. If you can get that far, you are ready to actually solve the objection. This article will take a look at some common objections and ways to overcome them.
"We'll Get It in Three Months"
This is a classic delay objection. If you have done a calculation at the beginning of your demonstration as to how much the family wastes on cleaning products or commercial beverages, this is a great opportunity to point out that the delay will just cost them more money. For example, "Could I ask you folks if during the three months we are discussing you intend to keep clean? You do? Well, that means you will continue to waste the amount on cleaning products that you told me a few minutes ago was $66 per month. It just doesn’t make sense to continue wasting that money when you could be saving starting tomorrow and enjoying all the benefits we talked about. Let me see if I can get the equipment installed this week." Notice that you end by writing the order, not by asking them if they want to go ahead.
"It's Too Much Money"
This is a value objection. After using the three steps we described in last month’s article, I suggest you try something like, "Well, it is an investment, but Bob, you know you don’t get anything of value without investing. You did say you liked how the soft water cleans your glasses, didn’t you? You did say you liked how the soft water felt on your skin didn’t you? You did say you liked how the soft water will save you almost two hours per week in housework didn’t you? Well, all those benefits and more won’t cost you a penny. You told me before that your family wastes $56 on cleaning products every month and all the equipment we talked about tonight only requires a monthly investment of $42. That means we will in effect be paying you $14 per month to enjoy all those benefits. When you see that, you can’t afford to wait any longer to start saving money. Let me see if I can get it installed this week."
"We Have to Think It Over"
Ah, yes. The dreaded think it over. The best way to handle this objection (after the three basic steps) is to say something like, "I’m glad you are going to give it your consideration. Before I go, may I ask what part do you want to think about? Is it the size? (they say, "No") Is it the model? (they say, "No") Is it the price?" If you ask in this order, almost all customers will say it's the price. Now you have converted this to a price objection. Now simply ask, since they don’t like the price you company though was fair, what price did they think would be more appropriate? When they tell you the price, look surprised and say "you doubt you could get it at that price but that you will give it a try." Write the offer at the price they said they would agree to. You have converted a delay to a price objection.
We don’t have the space here to cover all the objections that come up, but there are two things you should realize. The first is that there are only really three objections in all of life. Delay, Value and Lack of Interest. All objections are variations on these basic three. You will be getting these objections in 66 percent of all the demonstrations you do for the rest of your career. Therefore, I suggest that you sit down on a regular basis by yourself or with a group of co-salespeople and work on ideas for overcoming objections on a regular basis. The more you practice, drill and rehearse, the more confident you will be when a customer brings out an objection.
The second thing that makes us better at overcoming objections is knowing how often you try to overcome objections. Most sales people are shocked when they take a look at this statistic. Remember that the average person says "Yes" after they have been asked to buy five times. If you are only asking once or twice, you could be making a lot more money. I suggest you make a mark on the order form (such as a stick) every time you try to overcome the objection and ask for the order. Count those marks when you leave and keep track of your average. The closer you can come to averaging five per demo, the closer you will come to earning your true potential.
This is where really believing in your product, your company and yourself is measured. Remember that someone buys at every demonstration. Either they buy your equipment or you buy their excuses. No one gets them all, but I hope you will try some of these techniques to increase the number you are selling.
About the Author
Carl Davidson is president of Sales & Management Solutions, which provides sales and management training designed exclusively for the water equipment industry. For more than 13 years, he has helped more than 1,400 companies in seven countries. For a free demonstration tape and catalog, contact the company at 800-941-0068; www.salesco.net.
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Similar to the plan to bring iPads to West St. Paul’s school district, Farmington hopes to do the same. However, according to a recent Letter to the Editor in the Farmington Independent penned by two current school board members, the board plans to take the time to ensure the teachers and the district really are ready to go about putting iPads in the classroom and this may mean a slower rollout than the staff desires.
From the Letter to the Editor:
The Farmington School District is working on a plan to provide customized learning for every one of our students. A key part of that plan is putting a personal learning device is every student’s hands.
We fully back this initiative. From our discussions, it appears that all of the other Farmington School Board members do as well.
There’s almost no question that iPads will start showing up in students’ hands this fall.
But some board members, both of us included, have questions about how fast we go. For instance, will every student have an iPad by the end of the next school year, or is it a better idea to phase in the iPads over two or three school years.
The iPads are an exciting and necessary step forward for our schools. Sharp questioning of our staff by school board members about how we do this is an important part of making sure that the board and our community can move ahead with confidence.
While there are plenty members of the public clamoring for iPads in the classrooms, many others may definitely agree with the direction laid out here by two members of the Farmington School Board. There is only some doubt that technology in the classroom is important and can definitely be beneficial but it really all depends on how it is used and how the teachers/staff implement their use. It would appear that a staggered approach to rolling out the iPads to entire district would be a relatively conservative one and being that school budgets are down and classroom costs continue to rise, it may make the most sense to approach any new classroom technology in this manner–especially one which teachers may simply not understand all that well.
What do you think about the guidance offered by Tim Burke and Julie McKnight regarding iPads in ISD192′s classrooms next year? Do you think that a more conservative approach, as they seem to best support is the way to go or do you believe that every student must have one in their hands in order to get this done quickly and effectively? Are you concerned that they will simply be large paperweights or causes for distraction/theft? Do you believe teachers are properly equipped to roll these out to their students and use them more effectively than more traditional methods? Whatever you have to say about the Farmington School Board’s possible plans for iPads in the classroom go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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Industrial designer Robert Hendrick was on a tech career track out of college until two things happened that changed his trajectory.
First, he bought a company that maintains and rebuilds railroad tracks. Then he started spending Saturdays building stuff with his father, Jim.
"I'd always been fascinated by trains and loved the history of how they were so instrumental in the industrialization of America," says Hendrick, of Nashville. "Dad was a construction exec, and the carpentry shop was a weekend diversion. He was always salvaging some interesting artifact from a building that was being torn down. When I saw some of the scrap rails, I realized there might be some beautiful things we could make with them."
The two launched Rail Yard Studios in 2010. Using century-old railroad steel and hardwood timber, they make one-of-a-kind chairs, desks, tables, beds. Some of the rails date back as far as 1898. Each piece is numbered using a salvaged date nail that's been scavenged from the tracks themselves.
Many wood furniture artisans are interested, as the Hendricks are, in honoring the provenance of their material, whether it's repurposed, recycled or just reimagined as something that can be used in the home.
That creative respect makes for some beautiful and intriguing pieces.
Naomi Neilson Howard, founder of the company Native Trails in San Luis Obispo, Calif., uses staves and barrels from nearby wineries to make bathroom vanities for her Vintner's Collection. Her Cabernet model has a deep, warm patina, the result of the oak soaking in red wine for several years. The pieces have an Old World, weathered quality.
This spring, Howard added the Renewal series to her line, a departure from the more rustic pieces. She molds tightly grained, compressed bamboo into contemporary vanities such as the Halcyon, a curvy, wall-mounted piece fashioned from two proprietary varietals, Caramel Bamboo and the darker Woven Strand Bamboo.
Fred Strawser and David Smith have an eponymous Brooklyn shop selling refurbished and repurposed furnishings whose components started life back in Rust Belt factories. With its mix of heartland craftsmanship and modern high style, the shop has attracted the attention of design enthusiasts as far away as Japan.
For examples, a medical cart from late 19th-century Toledo, Ohio, gets a walnut top that used to be a leather worker's work surface, and is ready for action as a hip new desk or console. Industrial-chic side tables are made of thick, lustrously finished slabs of reclaimed wood with wrought-iron, hanging machinist's baskets instead of shelves.
Sarah Reiss is a Dallas-based artist, furniture designer and writer, who found her inner craftsman when buying a fixer-upper. She invested in a jigsaw and some other equipment and built a wall out of interesting reclaimed lengths of wood. The striking result — a colorful, textural geometric piece of art — caught the attention of design bloggers, and her business took off.
"Piecing a wall together is like a long-form improvisation with a permanent outcome. I think that's pretty cool," she says.
Reiss will custom design a wall for you using locally sourced woods such as flooring from old bowling alleys or gymnasiums; shiplap; and barn siding. If you want something smaller, she makes chevron-patterned tables.
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LAS CRUCES —Children can have a ball, learn about history, hang out (and maybe even share a dance) with the guv, and celebrate New Mexico's 100th birthday at a fun free event this weekend.
The Centennial Children's Legacy Fund will host the Centennial Children's Ball from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road.
"Las Cruces will have the first of two children's balls. The second will be Jan. 6 in Albuquerque. This is a unique opportunity for children and parents to celebrate New Mexico's Centennial with Gov. Susana Martinez. She's really looking forward to interacting with the children," said Ona Johnson, New Mexico Centennial director, who described the event as "a carnival setting full of fun, food, music and dancing."
Perks will include games, face painting, food and prizes in a "school carnival" atmosphere.
Decor will feature "banners with images of children through the last 100 years, with historical photos from the early 1900s through to the present," Johnson said.
Historians dressed as figures from New Mexico's history will mingle with the crowd and share stories about their lives throughout the 20th century.
There's no specific dress code for kids.
"Anything festive is fine and casual is OK," Johnson said.
The ball is free for kids ages 3 to 13, who must be accompanied by an adult. Adult tickets are $10. For advance reservations (required) call 575-652-2177.
Proceeds benefit the nonprofit
S. Derrickson Moore can be reached at (575) 541-5450. Follow her on Twitter @DerricksonMoore.
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Tackling cattle diseases the focus of open day
Farmers are invited to attend an open day examining health and production in the beef herd.
The event, organised by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales at the Rhug Estate in Corwen on November 6th, will focus on Johne’s and Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD).
Dewi Hughes, HCC’s Project Executive, said: “We are pleased to work with the Premium Cattle health Scheme (PCHS) to further raise the awareness of how to control these diseases, and how to eradicate the problem.
“This open meeting will provide an excellent opportunity for farmers who are already involved in a health programme to further understand how to maintain a high health status within their herds.
“It also provides those farmers who are considering starting a health programme to gain a better understanding of disease control and the benefits that a high health status brings to the farm enterprise.”
Ian Pritchard of SAC Consulting, who will also be at the event, said: “BVD is responsible for significant losses in the beef herd and impacts on reproductive traits in the cow and on the health of the calf.
“Cost effective control measures for BVD will result in improved herd output, both physically and financially. Proving that herds are free from the BVD virus can aid the sale of store stock and increase the value of breeding stock.
“Johne’s disease will result in the loss of high value young stock from the herd since there is no treatment,” he said. “If breeding animals in your own closed herd or animals for sale, it is vital to ensure that they are of an acceptable health status.”
The event on the Rhug Estate, off the A5 west of Corwen, starts at 11am on Tuesday, November 6th. Visitors, who have been asked to ring HCC on 01970 625050 to register for catering purposes, will also have a chance to examine the estate’s cattle where the main finishing unit is based.Back to news listing
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All of us, to different degrees, engage in imaginary narratives regarding our futures. Imagination takes work, and most people (myself included) tend towards laziness, so these narratives are often fuzzy. We have vague ideas about what we’ll do, where we’ll go, who we’ll meet, and so forth. Sometimes these vague narratives lead us into action and fulfillment; other times they continue indefinitely, running parallel to the inertia of the reality of our lives.
Fear (of death, injury, disease, poverty, failure, loneliness, shame, or change itself) holds us back. We postpone action for fear of what that action will cost us. On the other hand, fear can also propel us; considering our own impermanence and limited time on this planet can kick us into gear. Fear of where our current life trajectory will lead us, if we don’t change our direction, can be equally motivating. To get to where we want to be, it’s usually necessary to take some risks, to put it on the line, to face our fears, and really go for it.
That’s not what this post is about.
There are other changes we can make in our lives — small changes — that can enormously influence our quality of life. These changes often have zero (or close to zero) associated cost or risk. How can we more easily identify these possible changes? Simple, low-effort actions that result in big positive change are the low-hanging fruit of life (also see Low-Hanging Fruit Part I – Charity and Low-Hanging Fruit Part II – Health). Implementing positive change can become a habit in itself; small changes can cascade into big changes. If you’re not feeling geared up enough to turn your life upside down in your quest for greater satisfaction and happiness, you can always start small.
Immediately Actualizing Your Most Accessible Dreams
Do you have any expensive fantasies? Maybe you’d like to own a flat in Paris; you could jet in, stay for a week or two, reconnect with your French lover, and drink crates of obscenely expensive wine. Maybe you’d like to own a baseball team. Or perhaps you’re the private island type, or maybe you fancy yourself a space pilot or hot-air balloon circumnavigator, Richard Branson style. Personally I would like to build a massive prehistoric garden, with Jurassic-era plants, fossil replicas, and maybe animatronic dinosaurs.
Aside from the prehistoric garden, lack of money usually isn’t what’s stopping me. There are lots of things that we might fantasize about doing for years, or even decades, but keep putting off for no good reason. We can afford it, we can make the time, and yet for some reason we don’t start. I’m not sure why this is, but I know that when I can break through the inertia and just do the things I want to do, it’s immensely satisfying and results in a big quality of life jump. For example:
- The $2 espresso cup — I’ve always enjoyed drinking coffee out of an espresso cup, but I prefer the taste of drip coffee to espresso. I bought myself a couple small espresso cups at IKEA for about $2 each, and I get immense pleasure every morning drinking drip coffee out of my little espresso cup. The coffee stays hot, and I can drink an impressive six to eight cups each morning without feeling overcaffeinated.
- Ferns — we bought some ferns and planted them. I love ferns. It’s not my dream garden yet, but $15 at the nursery went a long way towards helping me imagine my grandiose prehistoric garden. Ancient plants — essentially unchanged for millions of years. I love looking at those things.
- Become a writer — a lifelong dream that I’ve only pursued in earnest since becoming a father. What’s involved? Writing every day, or at least most days. That’s it. Outside of pens and notebooks, costs are nonexistent. I’d like to eventually find an agent and get published, but for the moment I’m happy writing and blogging (the latter counts as self-publishing, and the blog only took an hour or so to set up). Why did I wait so long to start?
- Live and work abroad — both Kia and I have wanted to do this for years, but it took us awhile to take the plunge. We’re going to live and work in Costa Rica for six weeks. We’re renting a house in the jungle, bringing our kid and our laptops, and getting on a plane. How’s it all going to work out? I have no idea — I’ll let you know. But so far it looks like the cost of the trip will be similar to the cost of staying at home. We don’t have to sell our house, uproot our lives, etc. — we’re just picking up and going for awhile. If it works out well then maybe we’ll experiment with longer trips. Reading The Four Hour Workweek definitely encouraged us to take the leap.
None of these changes involved any more risk than I would otherwise experience in daily life (in terms of safety, I live in Oakland and drive a car — is riding a bicycle in Costa Rica going to be more dangerous?). What I lose in billable hours to writing, traveling, staring at my ferns, and drinking excessive amounts of coffee out of my little espresso cup will hopefully be made up by new ideas, new relationships, and passive income from royalties down the road (that may sound optimistic, but it has worked out that way for time I’ve spent writing and producing music, and I’m no musical genius).
What’s your easily accessible dream that you can immediately implement? I’d like to know — please comment below. I once asked an acquaintance what she would do if she won $20 million in the lottery. She said she’d like to produce an off-Broadway production of the musical Hair. What would that cost, $20K? She didn’t mention what she’d do with the remaining $19,980,000.
Identify High Stress Areas — Reduce 10%
What’s the most stressful part of your week? What activity, person, or place makes you tense your shoulders or gives you that uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. Is it traffic or your commute? A co-worker? Dealing with your financial accounts?
Is there a course of action you can take that can reduce the stress level by 10%? This might not sound like much, but if you think about it in terms of a 10% quality-of-life improvement, it’s worth thinking about the problem.
For example, can you:
- change your commute time to avoid traffic
- negotiate a swap of tasks or chores with you co-workers or co-habitators so that you don’t have to do that job you hate (and vice-versa)
- limit communication with your most high maintenance client/co-worker/customer
- complete a task online instead of in-person (DMV, filing forms, etc.)
- change your mode of communication around a contentious issue
- become more accepting of other people’s behavior, and ask for more acceptance of your own behavior
In relationships (marriage, work, whatever) people have different stress levels around different topics. Discussing some topics (money, future plans, child-rearing practices, etc.) might be easy for one person but stressful for the other. The more sensitive party will find their heart rate increasing, their body tensing up, and other physical manifestations of stress when the topic is raised. It’s important to not corner someone and force them into a conversation when they’re not ready, or allow yourself to be cornered when you’re not ready. It’s acceptable to say “I don’t want to discuss this right now — can we discuss it at x time instead?” Ambush conversations are a significant source of stress, and they’re easily avoidable.
In my own life, the demands of fatherhood can sometimes be a source of stress. Like all parents, Kia and I have been forced to find ways to deal with the demands of small, vocal primate with limited table manners and even more limited self-sufficiency. I in particular had a hard time adjusting to the absence of vast expanses of free time that used to dominate the landscape of my life and consciousness. I’d chosen to make a living as a freelancer, forgoing the 9-to-5 lifestyle, mainly because it afforded me opportunities to read books in the middle of the day, stare at the trees for hours on end, and generally avoid people telling me what to do and when and how to do it. Now a young creature, partly of my own making, charming but also demanding, was making mincemeat of my free time, peaceful sleep, and hard-won lounging about lifestyle. Worse than a tyrannical boss!
I’ve managed to reclaim aspects of my preferred vacation-like existence, enough so that I’m generally quite happy. The solution was straightforward; pay for and use more outside childcare than we actually needed. This, combined with help from my daughter’s enthusiastic grandparents, allows me not only to maintain my sanity but to have enough free “space out” time so that I can spend time with my daughter without any feelings of resentment. The extra expense requires more financial discipline in other areas, but buying myself more free time feels like money well spent.
Implementing this plan required some acceptance from Kia, which I asked for and she has generously given. She has mentioned that she didn’t realize how important my “down time” (for entertainment, spacing out, doing nothing, etc.) was for my psychological well-being until there was real pressure on that time (and I turned into a miserable sod, for a while).
The alternative to analyzing and reducing your stress is lower quality of life, and eventually “Id Rebellion.” If the landscape of your life is weighted too much towards what you experience as drudgery and toil, your subconscious mind will eventually grab the reins; you’ll find yourself acting out (drugs, excess drinking, shutting down emotionally, isolating yourself, gambling … insert your own variety of “bad behavior”). This happens to everyone at one point or another, and we may or may not emerge unscathed. I think a measured, analytical approach to stress reduction can mitigate episodes of Id Rebellion.
Internal Entitlement (not Enlightenment)
I’m not suggesting that we should live small; that we should be satisfied with eking out small pleasures in life. If you hate your job, or if you have big relationship problems, then big change is a prerequisite to happiness. And if you have big dreams then you should pursue them. But small changes lead to big changes. When we’re proactive, and take 100% responsibility for our own actions and experience of life (regardless of how much we can actually control), then positive change becomes habitual. More and more we feel entitled to complete enjoyment of life.
This sense of internal entitlement — an allegiance to our own preferences — is different than expecting that the world owes us a living. And it’s not the same as steamrolling people and insisting that we always get our way. It is about finding out what makes you happy, and what doesn’t, and doing more of the former and less of the latter.
This simple way of living can be threatening to people that defer their own enjoyment of life for no good reason. You might become a positive threat; your proactive attitude might be interpreted as a criticism of their own way of life.
However I think that’s probably the exception — most people in your life who notice you making changes will be inspired to make positive changes of their own (and those changes may then inspire you in turn, thus creating a positive feedback loop).
I’d love to hear about your own experiences in either of these areas — stress reduction and dream implementation. What actions did you take and how did it affect your quality of life?
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The biggest benefit that animation has over live action is its ability to commit literally anything to the silver screen, with the depth of any given filmmaker’s imagination the only real limitation possessed by the genre. But sometimes certain movies just feel like they would’ve been better off within the live-action realm. Here are our picks for five animated films that should have been live action:
Though Robert Zemeckis’ use of motion-capture technology in movies like 2004’s The Polar Express and 2007’s Beowulf has been rather iffy (at best), Disney’s A Christmas Carol, released in 2009, stands as the absolute worst that mocap has to offer and the film remains the most misguided effort of Zemeckis’ otherwise impressive career. Zemeckis has transformed Charles Dickens’ beloved novel into a mess of frenetic action sequences and over-the-top instances of comedy, with Jim Carrey’s painfully broad performance draining all traces of humanity from the proceedings. The dead-eyed animation style ultimately adds nothing to Dickens’ surprisingly relevant tale, and it’s clear that a live-action approach would have been far more appropriate.
2. 'The Black Cauldron' (1985)
Based on a series of books by Lloyd Alexander, The Black Cauldron follows a young hero as he and an eclectic band of misfits attempt to prevent a vicious lord from possessing the powerful title object (which would allow him to create an army of undead soldiers). The Black Cauldron, the first animated Disney film to receive a PG rating, remains one of Disney’s biggest bombs, with the movie’s failure generally attributed to its sinister themes and emphasis on frightening images. The film’s pervasively dark atmosphere certainly doesn’t do the dated animation any favors (as in, the movie looks like a product of the 1980s), and it does seem likely that The Black Cauldron would’ve benefited from a live-action, Lord of the Rings-type presentation.
3. 'The Road to El Dorado' (2000)
This rare flop from DreamWorks Animation, which follows a pair of con men as they set out to find a legendary city of gold called El Dorado, primarily comes off as a bland and thoroughly underwhelming piece of work, with the film’s many problems heightened by the interchangeable nature of its two heroes (which is surprising, given the stellar voice work from stars Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline). It gets to a point where it becomes impossible not to wish that the whole thing had just been done in live action, as the chemistry between Branagh and Kline is ultimately the one thing that finally saves The Road to El Dorado from becoming a complete disaster.
4. 'Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within' (2001)
As the first computer-animated film to attempt photo realism (rather than cartoonish exaggeration), Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within certainly deserves a place in the history books. By that same token, however, the technology simply wasn’t in place to attempt such an ambitious project back in 2001 and the majority of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within bears an uncomfortable resemblance to the cinematic sequences that sometimes appear within high-end video games (which is rather ironic, given that the movie is based on a long-running video game series). The film’s futuristic landscape would have fared much better in the live-action realm, although as James Cameron’s Avatar has proved, the technology has come a long way in a few short years.
Filmmaker Richard Linklater made an impressive splash on the animated scene with his first foray into the genre, 2001’s Waking Life, as the director employed a menthod called “rotoscoping” to essentially animate live action footage. The technique, which beautifully complemented the philosophical nature of Waking Life’s narrative, was used to less-than-impressive effect in A Scanner Darkly, with the movie’s science-fiction-oriented storyline ultimately crushed beneath the weight of Linklater’s experimental visual sensibilities. (As Variety critic Justin Chang aptly noted in his review, the movie “feels almost self-consciously geared toward cult status.”)
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One of the most exciting things for us about moving to a new place is getting to meet new plants. Although we moved here six months ago from elsewhere in the North Carolina mountains, we’ve lost several hundred feet in elevation and gained about five or six degrees in temperature. And although both areas are in the same planting zone (Zone 6), there’s quite a difference in the landscape.
So here at the doublewide, we see quite a few plants that we’re not familiar with, most of them growing in the fields around us. We’ve left several mystery plants to grow in the new planting beds we’ve made, thinking that they looked promising for wildflower growth, only to watch them develop into very large, very deeply-rooted, very prolific, and very ugly weeds.
One of the plants we’re most curious about is the vine that grows along part of our barbed-wire fence. I say “grows along.” Actually it grows up, down, around, across, along, and aside. The most interesting thing about it is that once a tendril grows all the way to the top of the fence post, it just keeps going, shooting heavenward. Then all the other little vine stems follow that one, spiraling around it, one after another, until it forms a large green braid, a big corkscrew several inches in diameter whorling out several feet above the fence post.
Though it seems to grow enthusiastically, it doesn’t appear to be scheming to take over the world like, for example, our old friend kudzu (the vine that ate the South). So we’ve let it grow, keeping a careful eye on nearby trees.
I would be most grateful if one of my knowledgeable, resourceful, and brilliant readers could tell me what our mystery vine is. And whether we’ve been reckless by letting it grow unchecked and so may have to buy that goat or cow after all.
Is our fine, inclined-to-twine vine benign? Or will our vine grow out of line—and so a vine to be maligned?
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Saturday, December 30, 2006
What Are We Saving For?
We all know someone who keeps plastic covers on his or her couch in order to protect it. The irony is that many of these people may live their lives without ever having actually made contact with their own furniture! This is a poignant and somewhat humorous example of the human tendency to try to save things for special occasions, as if everyday life weren’t special enough to warrant the use of nice things. Many of us have had the experience of never wearing a particular piece of clothing in order to keep it nice, only to have it go out of style in the meanwhile.
It’s interesting to think of what it would mean to us if we let ourselves wear our nicest clothes and eat off the good china on a daily basis. We might be sending ourselves the message that every day we are alive is a special day and a cause for celebration, and that we are worth it. There is something uplifting about treating ourselves to the finest of what we have. It is as if we rise to the occasion when we wear our best clothes and set the table beautifully, as if for a very special guest. We are more mindful of where we place things, what we are eating, and who is with us. Using the good china, eating in the dining room, and taking the plastic off the sofa might be an invitation to be more conscious of the beauty and grace inherent in our everyday lives.
If there are things you’ve stashed away for a special occasion—a bottle of special wine, a gorgeous pair of shoes, an antique lace tablecloth—consider taking them out of their hiding places and putting them to use tonight, just because you are alive now to enjoy them, and that’s a great cause for a celebration.
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Don Coyote de la Merika by Kathryn Anthony
Price: Free! 11890 words.
Published on October 7, 2011. .
When her mother is killed by a roving militia, Silende struggles to survive in a harsh world of scarcity, and sudden, violent death. She is taken in by the itinerant Don Coyote, but soon learns that his guise of easygoing detachment conceals far more calculating and complex motives.
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Dear Dr. Donohue: I am a 78-year-old male who and recently experienced a breaking out on my face and around my nose. Pimples came up. My physician diagnosed it as rosacea. He prescribed tetracycline and MetroGel ointment. The area cleared up. I wonder if I can stop taking the prescriptions. Perhaps you might explain what rosacea is. - O.L.
Dear O.L.: Rosacea (rose-A-shuh) can happen to anyone, but it particularly singles out people who were or are prone to blush easily. The tip of the nose, the cheeks and the chin are the places where the skin stays red and on which pimples break out. In time, tangles of small blood vessels also appear on those places. Without treatment, the nose can become disfigured. For an image of end-stage rosacea, think of the nose of W.C. Fields.
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Intel, Ronler Acres facility pipe bracing project
As part of infrastructure improvements for the facility, Miller Consulting Engineers, Inc. provided structural design services for Intel’s Ronler Acres campus. Located in Hillsboro, Oregon, Ronler Acres is Intel's largest high tech manufacturing facility in Oregon. As the largest chip manufacuturer in the world, Intel is reliant on its many facilities to remain an industry leader in chip manufacturing.
Miller Consulting Engineers provided structural engineering services for the contractor on this project to provide value engineering and problem solving to key areas of piping systems vital to Intel’s high tech manufacturing processes. Our role in the construction process has been instrumental in providing safe structural designs for these manufacturing process components.
Innovative, economical bracing systems are key to the success of this continuing project. Our services include field investigation, location and identification of required seismic pipe system bracing. For this project our staff members worked closely with the contractor to provide customized structural details that were practical and reduced difficulties during installation.
Miller Consulting Engineers worked closely with Kinetic Systems, a leading mechanical contractor.
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- For defenders
- How can I help?
DRC: Death threat against human rights defender Mr Théodore Mufano
On 8 August 2012, human rights defender Mr Théodore Mufano received a death threat from a local police officer in connection with a complaint he had lodged in April 2012.
The complaint related to the alleged involvement of the police in the escape of a person suspected of raping a minor.
Théodore Mufano is a key member of Action por le Développement Endogène et la Promotion Sociale – ADEPROSO (Action for Endogenous Development and Social Advancement), an organisation based in the Uvira and Fizi regions which is dedicated to human rights, conflict resolution and community development.
Théodore Mufano is also secretary of the Commission Territoriale de Lutte contre les Violences Sexuelles d'Uvira (Territorial Commission for the Fight against Sexual Violence in Uvira), a body composed of both civil society and state actors engaged in the fight against the scourge of sexual violence in the east of the DRC.
On the morning of 8 August, Théodore Mufano was accompanying a rape victim in the Police Office for Child Protection in Uvira when he met Captain Karumba, a police officer who the human rights defender had accused in April 2012 of facilitating the escape of an alleged rapist.
When Théodore Mufano greeted the captain, she reproached him for having written a letter to her superiors denouncing the alleged escape in April. The human rights defender insisted that he was only doing his job, but the police captain threatened to kill him, saying she would “bury him in a hole over 100 metres deep”. Three police officers, including the driver of the police chief, were present. Théodore Mufano takes this threat seriously and intends to file a formal complaint with the Military Prosecutor in Uvira.
The letter referred to by Captain Karumba was written by Théodore Mufano on 13 April 2012, denouncing the complicity of the police official in the escape of an alleged rapist. At the time in question, Captain Karumba was chief of the Police Office for Child Protection in Uvira, and she herself had reportedly begun questioning the suspect less than two hours before his escape. Following these events, the police official was detained for 15 days and subsequently transferred to a different Police Office for Child Protection in Baraka.
Front Line Defenders is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Théodore Mufano, and believes that the death threat he received was solely motivated by his legitimate work in the defence of human rights, particularly his efforts to combat sexual violence in the DRC.
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Job hunting? 5 tips to get paid what you're worth
Veterinarians, if you’re in the market for a new job, be careful, cautions a job recruiting expert. Bill Humbert, owner of the Humbert Group recruiting firm in Washington, D.C., says if you’ve been looking for work a long time, you may be happy just to get a job—and accept a lower salary than you have to. But Humbert says there are ways to get a job and still get what you want. Here’s his advice for job hunters:
1. Don’t offer salary requirements. When an employer asks you to include salary requirements with your resume, it’s typically used to screen out candidates. Humbert says to simply write “Open” in that spot. If your qualifications are on target, they’ll call you. If in the interview you’re asked what you made at your last job, reply by asking about the range for the one you’re applying for. You’d be surprised how many managers will tell you.
2. Don’t give away too much. In many job applications, an employer will ask for your salary history. It’s perfectly acceptable to write, “Willing to discuss at appropriate time during interview process,” and leave those numbers blank. Writing down those numbers pigeonholes you and reduces your negotiation power.
3. Don’t negotiate salary. Don’t negotiate salary during your interviews. Instead, negotiate when you’ll give them your salary requirements. When they ask you for that figure, tell them you don’t know what you’d require until you have a clear picture of the job requirements and potential for advancement over the next five years.
4. Keep networking. Once you have a job offer, it’s not a done deal until you accept it. So until that happens, keep networking and looking for jobs. It may give you valuable market-worth data about the position you’ve been offered. It may also be a safety net in case something goes awry between the time you receive an offer and the time you accept it.
5. Accept the offer. Once you’re given an offer, you have the right to ask for clarification. Ask, “Is there any flexibility in this offer?” This may help to open a discussion of increasing the salary. If it does, don’t expect a large boost in base pay but rather an extra week of paid vacation, a signing bonus or other such perks.
Follow these tips, and you might just land your dream job as a veterinarian—along with a dream salary.
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‘We will crackdown on these gays’, Says Uganda Minister
Kampala – Gay rights activists should be banned from holding meetings or standing up for their rights, a key Ugandan minister said Friday, ahead of a scheduled court appearance next week over allegations that he had impeded the exercise of gay rights.
Ethics and Integrity Minister Simon Lokodo is due in Kampala’s High Court on Monday, accused by gay rights groups of preventing them from holding conventions.
“We will continue a crackdown on these gays by all means,” Lokodo, a former Catholic priest, told dpa by telephone. “We cannot allow them to use meetings as platforms to promote their activities.”
The activists are taking Lokodo to court after they said he shut down two conventions in Kampala this year. They claim his actions were “unlawful” and contravened the country’s constitution and freedom of expression.
“He closed our workshop on Monday,” said gay activist Dennis Wamala. “We are not free at all. We walk in fear.”
Uganda has come under fierce international criticism for cracking down on gay rights. In 2008, a bill was introduced in parliament proposing tough sentences, including the death penalty, for gays and lesbians.
International pressure forced the government to delay an outcome on the bill, but gay activists say they are nevertheless living in fear.
A high-profile activist was murdered in January 2011, after a local tabloid newspaper made public a list of 100 gay and lesbian citizens.
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Bord Bia, in consultation with an independent nutritionist, has developed a series of four guides in handy tear-off A4 pads, designed to help manage the diets of patients using fresh ingredients and easy to prepare home cooked meals.
These Quick Guides are part of a follow-on initiative from the Healthy Eating Planner that was launched in 2007. The series has been produced on the back of a qualitative study involving five small focus groups with GPs, in addition to direct feedback from members of the IPNA.
Each guide includes background information and practical advice on their condition. The series has been endorsed by the Irish Heart Foundation and the Irish Practice Nurse Association.
Hard copies of each leaflet are available in four separate A4 pads (50 leaflets per pad). To order free copies of any (or all) of the pads, please contact Maureen Gahan on email@example.com or (01) 6142 235.
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What's It Wednesday #25
When I was a very little girl, I had a best friend. My best friend and I would have tea parties, watch the roller derby, and I would tell her all of my secrets as we gardened together. Although she is no longer with us, my great-grandmother will always be in my heart. Roses were her favorite flowers to clip and bring into her beautiful home.
This platter is one of my favorites. She used to serve me Social Tea Biscuits on this platter. She always made me feel very special and like a fairy princess. She even had a special name for me. She called me Polly, and I was the only person allowed to call her by her first name, Helen. This always amazed my mother. Her grand-children called her grandmother and she truly was a "Grand Mother". I have no idea what the other great-grand children called her. I just know they didn't call her Helen.
Helen loved to entertain. She was known for her elaborate garden parties, teas and other social events.
When my mother was a little girl, Helen used this china for special lunches. It was one of her favorites. The china was created by the Homer Laughlin Company which began in 1871 by brothers Shakespeare and Homer Laughlin. Fiestaware would later become one of their most popular dinnerware lines.
Helen was much like the roses she grew. She was elegant and beautiful, and in her life time she dealt with many thorns. She lived in a world where she had to hide the fact that she was jewish and had to blend into a very different world. This meant that her grand-children, which included my mother, could not address her in public. By the same token, she could not go to her grand-chidren's schools and participate as a proud grandmother.
Instead, Helen sent a taxi to my mom's school every Friday to pick her and my Uncle up and carry them to her house for the weekend. If they did not go to the beach for a picnic, Helen would prepare elaborate lunches for her grand-children and serve them on these very plates.
When I was a little girl, Helen would not only serve delicious lunch on her favorite lunch china, she would prepare the most scrumptious desserts. There was always something from her vegetable garden included in the meal. After our wonderful meal, she would sneak me a cup of coffee. Please don't tell my mother.
My mother and some dear friends came to visit this weekend, so I served a delicious spinach and strawberry salad which allowed room for dessert. I served our lunch on Helen's lunch plates at the same table she served her friends, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Helen always had some decadent dessert up her sleeve, from mouth watering pies, to elaborate over-the-top cakes. She loved to celebrate everything from my ballet recitals to Dusty Rhodes winning a wrestling match.
My great-grandmother was not only a role model for my grand-mother, mother and I, she was a role model for the community. She had a heart as big as all outdoors and was known for her life time of philanthropy and service to the community. Helen will always be my guardian angel my special rose.
Who are/were the special roses in your life?
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I really enjoyed doing final projects with the kids this year (which may be patently obvious considering that this is my 6th post on the topic). It’s such a fun way to end the year, seeing them get excited about doing something interesting with Calculus and coming up with ideas about math that I never would have even dreamed of.
But projects can also be very frustrating, and hard to implement. Here are the things I struggled with this year. I’d love any feedback or tips.
- Since these projects were very open-ended, some students felt a bit lost, and I struggled a lot with how much guidance to give and similarly, how much to let them struggle. I just find it so hard when we have such a short amount of time to see them getting thrown off in a crazy direction, especially if it’s going to lead them to a lot of useless work. I tried so hard to “be less helpful” but I just couldn’t resist sometimes! Part of me feels like I am stealing a bit of a learning opportunity from them and part of me feels like I am just advising them to help guide their crazy teenage thought process. Also, some students just started working on their projects without really knowing why they were doing what they were doing (they just wanted to do “something about optimization”). I wanted to help them do something for their idea without turning it into my idea, but I’m not sure how well I did at that.
THOUGHTS: I think that I am going to try to have them submit proposals next year where they present some sort of thesis, or a guiding question they are going to answer in their project. This might get them to plan out their project a bit better before starting, give me a chance to give good feedback and also give them an overall question which will really guide their whole project.
- One thing that I was continually frustrated throughout the week in class that I gave them to work on the projects was that students did not work very efficiently, leaving much of it for the end. Part of it was that they just had so much time in class, but part of it was that I have no idea how to help them structure their own project to use class time well. I had tons of students show up without materials to work on their projects, and even some who would sit there and do nothing telling me that they were just going to finish at home.
THOUGHTS: I wanted to do a midpoint deadline of some sort, but because all the projects were so different, it seemed really weird to me to organize something like that. I might try having them make a schedule in the beginning of the project, but I’m not sure how to help them stick to that, or if that is even worth all the work that it would be.
- Similar to supporting them in organizing their time, I struggled helping them work well together with each other. I think group work like this is crucial in high school to learn how to structure time with someone else and communicate about a project, but the students were terrible at this. They would do things like not show up to class without telling their partner, even though they had all the materials. I even had to mediate an email war between two girls who were flipping out at each other about who was doing less for the project.
THOUGHTS: Maybe this isn’t something that I need to do something for, and maybe this is something they just have to learn by doing the project, but perhaps I could find ways to help them structure their roles in the project beforehand, or maybe just do more long-term projects like this over the course of the year.
- Last, I really want them to show off their work to each other, but I’m not sure how to make class presentations anything but the boring yawn fest that they tend to be. Students did some really cool things, but were really bad at explaining those things in a way that the class could understand. Also, it’s really hard to listen to two full class days of presentations, even for me, and it’s really hard for students to get anything out of the presentation when they are not really expected to engage in a meaningful way (not one of the presentations was interactive in any way).
THOUGHTS: I’m looking for some sort of other structure to make it more interesting. Maybe some sort of gallery walk type structure? And I also want some formal way to get those listening involved so that they really pay attention and learn – some sort of commenting system, or interactive component. It’s very hazy in my head, but this is something I am going to try to flesh out over the summer.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
(Also, below is my rubric for grading these projects)
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The Pikes Peak Independent Business Alliance needs volunteers to contact members and plan events to promote local businesses.
“We had a few setbacks in the last part of 2005,” said Andy Gipe, president of the PPIBA. “But we do have the Web site up, and the online director is working. We just need manpower at this point. We’re trying to get back in touch with members and get things started again.”
PPIBA is a nonprofit organization that promotes the local, independent business community. The group teaches people about the benefits of local business and how shopping locally affects the area’s economy. The organization also allows members to work together to compete against chains and big-box retailers.
“PPIBA encourages consumers and businesses to ‘think local first’ when making buying decisions,” Gipe said. “We vote with our dollars, and we hope that you will vote local.”
The group also needs volunteers to serve on its board of directors.
“We need all the help we can get at this point,” he said. “We’re trying to get re-established, so we can keep doing the work we’re doing.”
Interested volunteers can contact Gipe at email@example.com or 659-3930.
A cell phone can make a difference for victims of violence. And the Shops at Briargate are making it easier for consumers to donate old cell phones to nonprofit groups helping those victims.
TESSA, a local agency dedicated to domestic violence and sexual assault issues, accepts donations of new and used cell phones and provides some of them to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Through a national agency, the cell phones are programmed to dial 911 only. TESSA also sells the phones to a refurbishing company to help support the agency’s operating needs.
Cell phones can be dropped off at the Shops at Briargate’s management office, which is between the Coldwater Creek and Pottery Barn stores.
For more information about TESSA, visit www.tessacs.org or call 633-1462.
The National Retail Federation supports legislation passed by the Senate that repeals the Byrd Amendment – the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act.
“The Byrd Amendment represents an egregious example of corporate welfare that has given hundreds of millions of dollars in no-strings-attached government subsidies to a handful of companies at the expense of national security, natural disaster recovery and a host of other critical spending priorities,” said Erik Auto, vice president of the NRF. “Byrd is a waste of government money that we simply can’t afford to keep on the books any longer.”
The Senate voted 51 to 50 to approve a House-Senate conference report on SB 1932, the Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 2005, sponsored by New Hampshire’s Sen. Judd Gregg, chairman of the budget committee. The wide-ranging budget-cutting measure includes the repeal of the act, which is named after its author, Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia.
In a nutshell, the Byrd Amendment mandates that fines collected in antidumping cases be sent to companies that bring the cases.
A Government Accountability Office report released in September revealed that nearly half of the $1 billion in payments made under the CDSOA had gone to only five companies and two-thirds had been paid to only three industries: bearings, candles and steel. The report noted that the World Trade Organization ruled the
CDSOA violates international trade rules, and U.S. trading partners have begun imposing retaliatory duties on U.S. exports.
Auto said the NRF opposes the Byrd Amendment because it encourages abuse of antidumping laws. The measure subsidizes the filing of antidumping cases, encourages the inclusion of products not available from U.S. producers and makes it difficult to terminate existing antidumping sanctions.
The NRF represents an industry with more than 1.4 million U.S. retail establishments, more than 23 million employees.
Colorado Springs REI is sponsoring several outdoor trips and workshops about winter fun.
Winter Trails Day is set for 10 a.m. Jan. 7. A free snowshoe festival at Echo Lake in Mt. Evans will feature a demonstration about snowshoes for adults and children. Guided hikes, snow activities and outdoor gear displays also will be available.
From Interstate 70, take the Evergreen Parkway exit to Highway 103 or take the Mt. Evans exit at Idaho Springs for Route 103 and continue for 14 miles.
The event is free. REI staff members ask people to arrive before 2 p.m.
The store also will offer an avalanche awareness workshop at 7 p.m. Jan. 24. The event features experts who have worked for the national ski patrol and Colorado organizations Alpine Rescue, Diamond Peaks Ski Patrol and the Crested Butte Mountain Guides.
Amy Gillentine covers retail for the Colorado Springs Business Journal.
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Wodin wrote:I have heard the argument that Linus could in fact change the license of the Linux kernel without necessarily contacting every single developer who has ever contributed code to the kernel. I can't remember where I read that article, though. As far as I remember the author said something like Linus would have to announce the intention to change the license and then give copyright holders the chance to object. For the ones that object, obviously the code would have to be ripped out and rewritten. For ones that just never responded, you could act as if they had said yes.
I am not a lawyer, though, so I'm not sure how true that is.
Hmmm... I would definitely want to talk with a lawyer about that. There may be standard procedures for some of that, but everything I have read about copyright law says that it's a really big PITA to clear copyright when you have lots of people involved. And even a small copyright holder can throw a wrench in the gears.
If you're interested in this sort of thing, check out Lawrence Lessig's Free Culture
. Very highly recommended. It goes through all the problems with copyright law. The Creative Commons was created by Lessig to help deal with some of the problems he sees in the laws. Ideally, we'd change the laws, but as the book lays out, there are powerful industries that don't want to see that happen (the RIAA, MPAA, Disney, etc.). To be honest, I don't blame them. When your whole company is based on the original copyright to Mickey Mouse, you would not be doing your fiduciary duty to your shareholders if you let that unravel. That said, the current laws are pretty much unworkable. Everything
these days is automatically copyrighted for the lifetime of the author plus something like 75 years. That means that essentially every created work is off limits "forever" unless the author explicitly says otherwise. Consequently, there are a lot of works that are not currently being used that could be reused, reissued, reprinted, etc., but the author can't be found to give permission to do so. Lessig makes the point that in the culture by its nature builds on top of culture and if we make all this raw material "off limits," the culture of the future will be very sterile, without any continuity, because it will have to be created afresh each time with few inputs from the past.
Anyway, I didn't mean to go sideways in this thread. If you're interested in copyright and these issues, check out the book.
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DUKE FIELD — The Air Force Special Operations Command has taken a step forward that is also a step back — in time.
At a ceremony Monday, they dissolved the long-standing Special Operations Training Center at Hurlburt Field, rolling its mission into a larger one: the Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center. The new center will combine training and education with weapons testing and evaluation, as well as preparing airmen to deploy for counter-insurgency operations.
The Special Operations Air Warfare Center was originally formed at Hurlburt Field in 1962 to train and deploy some of the first special operations airmen, including the elite Jungle Jim commandos, but was dissolved after the Vietnam War due to budget cuts.
As the Air Force has continued to expand its irregular warfare capability in recent years, they lacked an organization able to integrate the various efforts. The Air Warfare Center will help solve that, said Brigadier Gen. Jon Weeks, who took over command of the center at the ceremony Monday.
“This is a great opportunity to bring back those functions we started in 1962, to go back to that model of irregular warfare/building partnership capacity, testing and training all under a single commander,” Weeks said after the ceremony.
The Air Warfare Center will oversee the missions of all the units that fell under the former training center at Hurlburt, and add the 919th Air Reserves Special Operations Wing at Duke Field and two Air Guard units in Mississippi and Alabama. The move will streamline command of the various missions and could lead to some cost savings down the road, Weeks said.
Col. William Anderson, who had been the commander of the Special Operations Training Center, stepped down from his position Monday. He will be retiring from the military after serving more than 20 years.
He began working to re-create the Air Warfare Center last summer.
Since then, all the airmen involved have had to work to stand up the new center while continuing to train and educate new air commandos.
“It’s been an incredible honor to be your commander,” Anderson said to the special operations men and women gathered for the ceremony. “You can be justifiably proud of all your accomplishments in these few short months.”
He said the Air Warfare Center was an exciting place to be right now as they forge a new future for special operations command.
Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, commander of Air Force Special Operations at Hurlburt, echoed the sentiment.
“These achievements will be felt through the special operations community for decades to come,” he said.
Among other duties, the Air Warfare Center will organize, train, educate and equip special operations forces; lead major command of counter-insurgency and irregular warfare missions; test and evaluate weapons programs; and develop tactics, techniques and guidelines for special operations missions.
Headquarters for the Air Warfare Center will be located at Hurlburt Field, with operating locations at Duke Field and Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, according to public affairs for the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt.
About 850 active-duty and 900 reserve airmen will fall under the center’s command.
Weeks, who was previously a special assistant to the commander of Air Force Special Operations at Hurlburt, said now that the Air Warfare Center is officially up and running they can concentrate on their added responsibility of preparing airmen to deploy for counter-insurgency operations. In addition, they will be looking for ways to make the operation run better.
“Honestly, we’re going to have to look at some efficiencies and how we do business, particularly in training,” he said. “How can we possibly make this more efficient?”
He said he was honored, excited and humbled by the opportunity to command the Air Warfare Center.
“I couldn’t ask for a more professional group to serve with,” he said during the ceremony. “Today we start a new chapter of a full-force enterprise to be a model for the rest of the Air Force.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Sage Reinlie at 850-315-4443 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenRnwfdn.
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WHO IS REALLY ABLE TO FORGIVE OUR SINS?
SERIES: JESUS, SAVIOR OF THE LOST
By Ron Ritchie
One evening in Jerusalem several years ago, while I was on a study tour
of Israel with our staff and elders, several of us went on a walk around
the walls of the old city. A young Jewish man accompanied by a woman motioned
to us and cried out, "Hey, tourist, can I talk to you?" It soon
became obvious that they both were on some kind of drugs. After he asked
us questions about America I had an opportunity to ask him a question: "Here
we are within a stone's throw of the temple area, and yet your nation does
not have a temple or a sacrificial system in order to have the blood of
animals cover your sins. So how do you deal with your sins?" He looked
around at the other men nervously, and said, "I have worked out a psychological
system whereby I repress my sin." When he paused, I said, "Then
what do you do when it pops up?" He looked at me, and said, "I
have to go now, tourist." He walked into the night, in the City of
Peace, still filled with sin, guilt, and confusion.
That young man symbolized what the scriptures define as the "natural
man" or "man in the flesh," one who seeks to deal with sin
and guilt by using his own inner human resources. Natural man wants to believe
that he was born good, but something went wrong; given enough time, money,
and counselors it can be fixed. It intrigues me that the New Age literature
does not mention sin, responsibility to one's Creator, guilt, shame, and
the need for forgiveness. Basically, in that discipline you are your own
god, which probably explains why it is so popular. One of the gurus of Eastern
mysticism, which is a pillar of the New Age movement, wrote this about sin:
"The subject (of sin) per se is given little attention, and forgiveness
of sin is unrealistic. Wrong actions inevitably produce punishment, good
actions their reward" (Mediations of Maharishi). The absence of the
concept of sin in our culture is so obvious that a secular psychiatrist
wrote a book a few years ago entitled, Whatever Happened to Sin?
The Christian concept of sin has a radically different view that matches
up with reality. Man was created by a loving, righteous and holy God. All
his creation is accountable to walk in fellowship with him and obey his
commandments, resulting in living life as God defines life. When man violates
that relationship by ignoring the commandments that were not designed to
restrict us but to give us life, then that is called sin. The Greek word,
hamartia defines sin as a "missing of the mark."
Ever since Adam and Eve chose to violate God's will in the Garden of Eden
the Lord has declared in verses such as Jeremiah 17:9-10: "The heart
is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick and deceitful: Who
can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart. I test the mind, even
to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his
deeds." David said, "There is none righteous, not even one."
The apostle Paul said in Romans: "All have sinned and fallen short
of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). "Through one man sin entered
into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because
all have sinned" (Rom.5:12) Sin is the result of man's rebellion against
God and his law. Sin is lawlessness, and the consequences of sin is physical,
emotional and spiritual death. Death is the absence of life as God intended
life to be led.
Who then is really able to deal with the issue of our sin? Are we the solution
to our own guilt and shame and its crippling effects as some would have
us believe, or is there someone else? Based on the Word of God, I would
submit that there is hope for all who would believe that only Jesus is able
to forgive our sins.
I. Only Jesus is able to forgive our sins, Luke 5:17-20
It came about one day that He was teaching; and there were some
Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every
village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord
was present for Him to perform healing. And behold, some men were carrying
on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in,
and to set him down in front of Him. And not finding any way to bring him
in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through
the tiles with his stretcher, right in the center, in front of Jesus. And
seeing their faith, He said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you."
From our previous study, we know that Dr. Luke wrote this gospel from the
Roman garrison city of Caesarea to his Greek friend Theophilus. From 60-62
A.D., Luke wrote while the apostle Paul waited in prison for the Jerusalem
Jews to present evidence before the Roman courts that he was a blasphemer
who had created a riot in the temple area. In the interim, Luke interviewed
as many living witnesses as he could find who could relate the details of
Christ's life and ministry. Luke writes this gospel like a jeweler engaged
in stringing a pearl necklace. The thread is Jesus' words, quoted in Luke
5:31,32: "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those
who are sick. I have not come to call righteous men but sinners to repentance."
The pearls are the various stories of redemption which our Lord used to
show us how he sought to find the lost. We will see in our study today another
of those pearls of redemption.
According to John's gospel, our Lord had previously ministered in Judea
and Jerusalem for a year. In the second year of his ministry he went north
to Galilee where he announced his Messiahship in the synagogue of his home
town of Nazareth. Rejected and almost killed by the spiritual leaders, he
walked 30 miles northeast to the little town of Capernaum on the north shore
of the sea of Galilee. In time, he called this his own city (Matt. 9:1).
His healing and teaching ministry began in Capernaum and then moved out
to the towns and villages north of it. When he returned, he created a great
deal of excitement by healing a leper, the first recorded healing of that
nature in 2000 years of Jewish history. As a result, the Lord had to leave
Capernaum to escape the crowds.
In this passage, Jesus once again is in Capernaum, using a private residence
to instruct his followers. Generally, Jesus would teach about the Kingdom
of God, and the reality that he was the prophetic Messiah, Savior, and King
who had arrived in human flesh to set up his kingdom in the hearts of men
and women who believed in his presence. First, he would forgive their sins,
and then he would involve them in the plan of redemption, empowering them
to rescue men and women from the devil's kingdom of darkness and bring them
into his Father's kingdom of light.
For the first time, Luke mentions that the Pharisees (the separatists) were
present as an opposing force to Jesus' teaching. They believed that the
nation of Israel should be separate from any oppressive government, and
that only God should be king. Their hope was fixed on the coming Messiah
who would deliver them from the Roman government that ruled over them. Not
only should they be separated from the Gentiles, whom they considered unclean,
but they also believed they should be separated from any Jews who would
not keep the law of Moses.
The teachers of the law were the scribes, the religious lawyers for the
Jewish community. They studied, taught, interpreted, and transmitted the
Mosaic Law, but generally from a perspective of tradition. The real law
had been buried by tradition, and had lost its power. The Pharisees would
keep the letter of the law but miss the point of its commands. Throughout
the gospels, Jesus sought to bring the people back to the original intent
of the law, not the traditions associated with it. He said, "You have
heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery,' but I say to you,
every man who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with
her already in his heart" (Matt. 5:28).
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law came from Galilee, Judea, and
Jerusalem as an investigative group. From the gospel of John we know that
many of the teachers from Jerusalem had witnessed or heard about how Jesus
had cleansed the Temple, and they were envious and jealous because of the
large crowds Jesus was attracting (John 4:1-4). They began a campaign to
discredit Jesus by attacking the content of his message. Thus, on this day
there was great tension in the house where Jesus was teaching. On the one
side were his disciples and friends as well as open and interested Jews
who were seeking to understand who Jesus was and what he was saying. The
other side of the room had the closed-minded teachers and lawyers waiting
for the slightest slip of the tongue so that they could accuse Jesus of
violating the law of tradition. The battle line was drawn down the middle
of the floor, and now all that was needed was an issue to begin the battle.
The stage was set by God the Father. The last phrase of verse 17 says "and
the power of the Lord was present for him [Jesus] to perform healing."
Notice that it did not say that anyone was sick.
God the Father had empowered his incarnate Son with the person of the Holy
Spirit before the teaching began. In the "days of his flesh" Jesus
was never able to do anything of a miraculous nature in his own power. He
needed to wait on his Father, demonstrating to all who would follow him
that we must understand, "I am the vine, you are the branches, he who
abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me you can
do nothing" (John 15:5).
The principle here is, just show up! Do not try to figure it all out, but
just be there so that God can use you. If you go into a situation thinking
that you are going to teach, God might change the situation so that not
only teaching, but healing is appropriate. Although we may think we are
not capable of the work before us, God says that he is. He wants our life
full of adventure, confusion, and fun.
Plan A: "And behold some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed;
and they were trying to bring him in, and to set him down in front of him."
The text does not tell us directly what caused this man to become paralyzed,
but it does inform us that he had four faithful and tenacious friends who
were not going to be denied the presence and power of the Lord. As they
approached the home they soon realized that the house was filled with people
who had gotten there first, and no one would take pity on the paralytic
so that he might see Jesus. Mark 2 says, "Many were gathered together
so that there was no room left, not even outside the door."
So they resorted to Plan B: "And not finding any way to bring him in
because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through
the tiles with his stretcher, right in the center, in front of Jesus."
What determination! Don't miss all the elements of human emotion and tension
here because they are a real and vital part of the story. Imagine all the
people in the house listening to Jesus teaching. Meanwhile, the four men
took the paralytic friend upstairs onto the flat roof of the home, set the
stretcher down, and began to remove the tiles so that they could lower the
stretcher into the room where Jesus preached. As the men dug through the
plaster it began to fall on the heads of the Pharisees and scribes, as well
as the disciples and the Lord himself. Suddenly, the bright sunshine broke
through the hole, and everyone saw the hands of several men cutting back
the roof until the hole was big enough for the bed to be lowered through
on ropes. The owner of the home must have said, "My roof, my roof!
What is happening? Who is going to pay for my roof?" Since this was
Capernaum, the home may have belonged to Peter's mother-in-law. If so, I
am sure Peter said, "Here we go again! First my boats almost sank with
an overload of fish because Jesus wanted to teach us about fishing for men,
and now my in-law's home is coming down around our ears!"
What a group of committed friends! These men wandered around, carrying their
paralyzed friend until they found a way to get what they wanted. They were
not concerned about what they looked like or what the consequences of tearing
up a roof would be. They only knew that they had to bring their disabled
friend to the one who could help him.
Our Lord saw beyond the hole in the roof and looked into the hearts of the
paralytic and his friends. He was not worried about the point he had just
made in his teaching, or the Pharisees' presence. He looked at the man on
the stretcher and said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." There
had been no request for physical healing, but nevertheless Jesus addressed
it. Jesus acknowledged the five men's faith in him as the Son of Man, the
Messiah, and in time they would see that he was also "The Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world," the one who would say, "I
have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Luke
Here was a helpless, useless man, a captive who had to depend on four people
to help him get to Jesus. By the discernment of the Holy Spirit given to
him by the Father, the Lord saw beyond the crippling and went to the root
problem of this crippled man (this does apply to all crippled men). He did
have a physical problem, but the root cause, according to Jesus, was much
deeper than a physical breakdown. As a consequence to this man's rebellion
against God and his commandments, he was experiencing the divine judgment
from the holy and righteous God. The only hope for this sinner was to turn
to Jesus in faith and throw himself on the Lord's grace and mercy. With
a heart of discernment and compassion, Jesus acknowledged the crippled man's
faith and addressed the real sickness, a sickness of the heart, not the
body: "Friend, your sins are forgiven." Matthew 9:2 records, "Take
courage, my son, your sins are forgiven."
Many other stories in the New Testament tell us how sin creates all kinds
of physical problems. John 5 relates the story of the lame man waiting at
the pool of Bethesda for the angel of the Lord to stir the waters. People
believed that the first one in the pool after the stirring would be healed
of whatever disease he had. In this case, Jesus said to the crippled man,
"'Arise, take up your pallet and walk.' And immediately the man became
well and took up his pallet and began to walk. . . . Afterward Jesus found
him in the Temple and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; do
not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may befall you."
Paul said to the Corinthians who were misusing the Lord's Supper, "Let
a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the
cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if
he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak
and sick, and a number sleep [death]." Over bad attitudes that some
had at communion, some were getting sick and others had died. It was sin
that killed them.
The most important issue in an individual's life is that he come to the
biblical reality that "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory
of God. . . . Just as through one man [Adam] sin entered into the world,
and death through sin and so death spread to all men, because all sinned"
(Romans 5). "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6).
From this episode we see that only Jesus Christ can forgive our sins against
God that separated us from him all our lives. He is the only one who can
offer us eternal salvation. Once we become followers of Jesus, he then is
also available to forgive us of our daily sins so that we can be restored
from their crippling effects in our physical, emotional, and spiritual lives.
First, there is the sin of turning him off as a lifestyle. Then, after we
come to know Jesus, all our old habits and attitudes have to be forgiven
I talked to two people this week, a man and a woman, who have been emotionally
and physically crippled by fear and anxiety because of the recent earthquake.
You would be, too, if you felt the ground move 20 inches horizontally and
20 inches vertically for 15 seconds! But to be filled with fear two weeks
later moves us into the arena of sin. The scriptures tell us that habitual
fear and anxiety is sin. It is choosing to believe that God has lost control
of this earth and will no longer care for his children. When we are anxious,
we are telling God that we do not believe he is caring for us anymore,
so we must take care of ourselves. All of us know men and women who are
physically, emotionally and spiritually crippled because of stress, guilt,
fear, unbelief, and anxiety. These are symptoms of a deeper problem: Sin
against God and his word. The scriptures tell us not to give into that fear
in any fashion: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6,7).
Who is really able to forgive our sins? The answer is Jesus the Son of Man,
the Savior of the world.
II. The proof is in the healing of the crippled, Luke 5:20-26
And seeing their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are
forgiven you." And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying,
"Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but
God alone?" But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said
to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to
say, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? But
in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to
forgive sins,"--he said to the paralytic--"I say to you, rise,
and take up your stretcher and go home." And at once he rose up before
them, and took up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God.
And they were all seized with astonishment and began glorifying God; and
they were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen remarkable things
When Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven," a theological battle
broke out. Rabbinical theology taught that all physical infirmity was a
sign of divine displeasure and came as a punishment from God for specific
sin. Since God was the one displeased with sin, and the one who had punished
this paralytic because of sin, then only God himself could forgive sin.
The Pharisees and scribes also reasoned that if this paralytic had sin in
his life, he should have gone to the temple and made a sin offering to transfer
his guilt and sin onto the head of the innocent lamb, and then have the
priest sprinkle the blood on the horns of the altar. This act was an atonement
that "covered" his sins from the eyes of Jehovah and pledged his
forgiveness. His forgiveness would be possible only by the direct act of
God; no human lips dare pronounce it. Jesus, however, had spoken in his
own name and therefore was claiming the prerogative that belonged to God.
For this, he could be charged with blasphemy. If convicted, blasphemy was
punishable by death from stoning, and the felon's body would be hung on
a tree, and then buried in shame (Lev. 24).
The Pharisees and teachers were thinking, "In a sense, it does not
matter that a man says, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or, 'Rise up
and walk.' For if he says, 'Your sins are forgiven,' how can we prove that
(except we know a man who says that is a blasphemer)? But if he says, 'Rise
and walk,' and the man does not, then we know he is a fraud."
Knowing their thoughts by the discerning Holy Spirit, Jesus challenged
the Pharisees' thinking: "In order that you may know the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he said to the paralytic--"I
say to you, rise and take up your stretcher and go home." To prove
to them that he was God incarnate and the Messiah, he not only forgave the
man's sins, but healed him of his paralytic condition.
"And at once he rose up before them and took up what he had been lying
on and went home glorifying God." The Lord demonstrated that he was
the Son of Man through this miracle, and thus had the very authority to
forgive sin that the spiritual leaders were looking for in the Messiah.
They did not, however, expect Jesus to have that authority. The Pharisees
and scribes were silenced for the moment while Jesus demonstrated that he
was clothed with divine authority and majesty, and thus had the right and
the power to forgive sins.
The scribes and Pharisees saw that their theological arguments were destroyed
by the fact that the paralytic was healed in their sight. The crowd was
filled with fear, saying "We have seen remarkable things today."
They were in awe that Jesus was able to say, "This man is not crippled
because of a physical problem, but because of sin." He had insight
into the human condition and how sin against God can have such a crippling
effect. They were amazed that this man had gotten up and walked away, because
they had known about him and his disability. Based on faith in Jesus Christ,
the Lord had rewarded not only the paralytic's faith, but the faith of the
four friends as well. Unfortunately, many of those present would not glorify
God because they were blinded and could not see the Son of God sitting in
We often sing the hymn "Amazing Grace." It was written in 1750
by John Newton, an Englishman who had been dedicated to the Lord for Christian
ministry as a child by his mother. But Newton rebelled against his godly
upbringing, and at the age of 17 went to sea. Soon he deserted ship and
was caught, imprisoned, and punished severely. When released from prison
at 18, he was so bitter his friends thought that he would lose his sanity
because his life was filled with sin, shame, and fear. He became involved
with the slave traders of Africa, transporting slaves to America. One night
at sea during a violent storm, John Newton gave his heart to Christ. However,
he became captain of his own ship and his slave trading life continued for
the next six years. Finally, he turned his whole life over to the Lord,
abandoned slave trading, and entered seminary. In 1758 he was ordained a
minister of the Church of England, fulfilling the prayers of his mother.
In 1807 he wrote his own epitaph: "John Newton, Clerk. Once an infidel
and libertarian, was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,
preserved, restored, pardoned and appointed to preach the faith he had long
labored to destroy, near sixteen years at Onley in Bucks and 28 years in
this church." He died December 21, 1807 at the age of 82.
That is the grace of God! A man who was crippled by hatred, fear, rebellion
and sin had his need met by God when he realized he could not save himself.
"Amazing Grace" was John Newton's life story of the God's grace
extended to a sinner crippled by fear, guilt, and shame.
Who is able to forgive sin? Only Jesus is able to forgive the sins that
keep us physically, emotionally, and spiritually crippled. Then only he
is able to give us the courage to take up our pallet and walk, setting us
free from guilt and shame. As a result, our hearts should be filled with
praise to the Lord for his mercy and grace towards us. Once we were sinners,
but now we are forgiven because we placed our faith in Jesus Christ, the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
If you have never invited Jesus Christ into your life, the Scriptures say
that you are dead in your trespasses and sins. It is not that you were created
to be dead, but that is the condition you are in: You are breathing, but
you are not living. You do not have the life of Christ in your heart. The
sin that finds you rebelling against God in your heart can be dealt with
in the name of Jesus Christ. He will come into your life and set you free
from that. Just ask Jesus to come into your heart, to become your Lord.
He will then forgive all your sins, become your Savior, and give you the
gift of the Holy Spirit, power to cope with all your present realities.
There are others of you who are struggling with a personal sin, such as
hatred or bitterness. I heard of a man the other day who has hated his father
for 20 years. That hatred can cripple a person so that his life in Christ
is useless. Those of you who struggle with sins of hatred, fear, stress,
gossip, immorality--all of those sins can be forgiven. You need to turn
to Jesus and ask him to forgive you and set you free to be used again for
his honor and glory.
Our gracious heavenly Father, we come to you in humility
and joy. What an amazing little story we have just read telling us that
you have not come for the righteous, but those who are sinners. Father,
I ask two things this morning: For those among us who do not know who you
are as Lord and Savior, I ask you please to save them. In Jesus' name, Amen.
If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ today, just
say by faith, "Dear Jesus, please come into my heart, become my Lord
and Savior. Forgive my sin of rebelling against you, save me and become
Lord of my life. Give me your Holy Spirit to live my life so that I please
you the rest of my life." If you say that simple prayer, you no longer
will be spiritually crippled.
For those brothers and sisters in Christ who struggle with sins--you have
problems with others in the body, you struggle with stress, false guilt,
drunkenness, immorality, hatred, jealousy, envy--it is crippling you, holding
you back from who you could be in Christ and the wholeness, joy and peace
that is part of your inheritance, I ask you to go to Jesus as this moment.
The scriptures say, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Just name the sin and ask Jesus to forgive you. He will.
Father, thank you for this morning. Thank you for the truth
that you are the only one through your Son Jesus Christ who can save us
and cleanse us from our sins, and give us newness of life in Christ, as
you did with this former paralytic man. Amen.
Catalog No. 4128
Ron R. Ritchie
November 5, 1989
Copyright © 1989 Discovery
Publishing, a ministry of Peninsula
Bible Church. This data file is the sole property of Discovery Publishing,
a ministry of Peninsula Bible Church. It may be copied only in its entirety
for circulation freely without charge. All copies of this data file must
contain the above copyright notice. This data file may not be copied in
part, edited, revised, copied for resale or incorporated in any commercial
publications, recordings, broadcasts, performances, displays or other products
offered for sale, without the written permission of Discovery Publishing.
Requests for permission should be made in writing and addressed to Discovery
Publishing, 3505 Middlefield Rd. Palo Alto, CA. 94306-3695.
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There’s just something about you, Bisbee. You are unapologetically insane. You’re ramshackle, you’re rough around the edges, and if we’re not careful, you might just pitch us down your hillsides or into your mines. You remind us of the steeper, rougher parts of Paris. Paul thought that in most other cities, there would probably be a code against trying to build in the areas that you embrace. Almost every one of your streets is a dead end, and lots of your houses can only be accessed by steep, rickety staircases. You look like you might give us tetanus. But the nicest, weirdest people live in your houses and doorways and you embraced us and made us feel strangely at home.
I probably don’t need to tell you this, Bisbee, but you were founded in 1880 as a mining camp. You generously gave up all of your riches, producing nearly three million ounces of gold, eight billion pounds of copper, and all kinds of silver, lead, and zinc. By the early 1900s, you were rocking it as the place to be between St. Louis and San Fran.
But then in 1908, some fool fire burned down the majority of your downtown and you had to be rebuilt from scratch. I know that this was a hard time for you, so we won’t dwell on it for long. After you were rebuilt, by 1910, your residents knew they had a good thing going and they haven’t changed much in the last 100 years.
By the 1970s, your natural resources ran out and the miners moved on. All that was left was a sweet town with lots of cute little miner cottages. That’s when the “artistic free spirits” moved in and made you home. All that’s left now is a constant battle against gravity, erosion, deferred maintenance, patch-work construction, and neglect to keep you cool. And these two misfits think that you are pretty cool, indeed.
Thanks to the Bisbee Visitor Center for the facts!
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David Lynch catalyzes the story of his film Blue Velvet by having the protagonist, played by Kyle MacLachlan, find a human ear in a field. That image, Lynch once told an interviewer, was actually one of his initial inspirations for the movie—it attracted him, he said, because the earhole is a gateway to the mind.
Lynch’s remarks pretty much sum up not only the career he's made of messing with audiences' heads, but also the deep strangeness of this 1986 cult classic. The plot of the surreal, noir mystery follows MacLachlan’s character as he tries to solve the case of the dismembered ear in his ever-dingier-seeming hometown. Along the way he encounters characters—in both senses of the word—played by Isabella Rossellini, Laura Dern, and Dennis Hopper (in one of his most memorable roles, as the demented Frank Booth). Watch a trailer below.
The movie ain’t exactly kid-friendly—but attending Tuesday’s screening of it is. That’s because the Portland Monthly- and Tonkin FIAT-presented showing on November 13 at Cinema 21 is a benefit for local arts-focused school Northwest Academy. Think of the children!
This contest is now closed.
You can purchase tickets here for $15 in advance and $17 on the day of the show.
For more about Portland arts, visit PoMo's Arts & Entertainment Calendar, stream content with an RSS feed, sign up for our weekly On The Town Newsletter, or follow us on Twitter @PoMoArt. Blog content reflects the views of the individual author and not necessarily SagaCity Media, Inc.
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What is "SEDBUK"?
SEDBUK stands for "Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the
UK", and is an industry standard for measuring and publishing the thermal
efficiency of a boiler. This is so the public can compare the economy of various
makes and models of boiler on the same fair basis.
They have a website www.sedbuk.com, where
you can look up your own boiler, or the one you may be considering buying. Lots
of other interesting stuff (interesting to plumbers, that is!) about boilers
there too. Highly recommended by me.
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Here’s the new issue of the Social Technology Quarterly, published by Kuliza. Features one article by me on ‘The Social Media Fatigue.’
Social technology quarterly Vol 1 issue 3
View more documents from Kuliza Technologies
Read the second issue of the Social Technology Quarterly, published by Kuliza Technologies here.
Social Technology Quarterly (Volume 1| Issue 2) View more documents from Kuliza Technologies
They say that the Social Media Technologies is the in thing right now. Some call is fashionable, while some call it a necessity to keep up with the times, while some see a real value add in it. While many companies adopt it, not all understand it completely. It is now well accepted that the Social Media Technologies (SMT) are an integral part of the marketing budget of any company. The adoption of SMT should be tied down to a business need and an assist with the business processes. Apart from the usual goals of increase in sales, the one thing that the social media technologies has done is, making the consumer more informed and help them in taking decisions that are influenced by a gamut of reasons. Come to think of it, the advent of SMTs follow a similar pattern. resulted in the way the audiences are exposed to media. We consume stuff in a different way than we used to in the days prior to the SMTs. To support the claim of Social Media technology being omnipresent in the lives of many now, one has to understand where this comes from.
The notion of followers
Over the course of this article, I wish to do a construct of the notion of the Social Media Technology as a new kind of media. I shall refer to Bolter and Grusin, amongst others to understand why the notion of the Social Media technology is a New Media that plays out on the notion of remediation. I shall be looking into this with the example case study on Social Commerce and how the notion of media and Social media is changing and will continue to change the way we do our commerce.
Marshall McLuhan one of the greatest writers on media . . . → Read More: The Social Media Construct – a case in remediation
I read a cartoon strip the other day. One mother to the other: My son is with a book always! How cool is that! The other mother: On that’s nice. His grades must be really good then as he is with a book always. First mother: He is on FaceBook.
Have you been bit by the Facebook bug yet ? I must admit that I have been to some extent. However there have been many other issues of concern that I have been having. One of them being the importance of maintaining my privacy.
The way people use Facebook, Orkut and other social networking sites (SNS) have been a matter of interest to me. This difference is also a result of the cultural differences people have across countries. The fact is also that people have taken a conscious decision on their part (or alteast have thought about it), when it comes to decide what information that they want to share .
One of the things that I always face a problem is the amount of information that I would be sharing on these SNS. Facebook now is the first choice of people to share images amongst friends. I have heard many people request me to upload my professional photographs on Facebook. I have done so only to a limited extent.
Another large chunk of people use Facebook as a way of letting the world know each and every activity that they do. I mean seriously, is there any reason why I should know in such detail what the other person is doing. If I do, then it is a serious case of intruding into the other person’s privacy. However, wait! I did not intrude… It’s you who made that information public. So there is something going on here and . . . → Read More: The side effects of FBing!
Of late there has been a sudden rise in interest in the propagation of Design Thinking. The impetus to this has been hugely due to some articles in the Harvard Business Review(last year), and Businessweek (this year).
If the need of the hour is to think innovation and think beyond the obvious, Design Thinking is definitely an essential tool. A lot of companies like Apple, who are driven by Design, have been doing it for years now. A few more have joined the bandwagon, as mentioned in this another post by BusinessWeek.
Apart from these above, there has been the recent publicly available talk by Tim Brown at the TED conference this year. Brown is evangelizing that Design Thinking needs to go to a much larger scale and also that designers should start to think big.
Everyone seems to be acknowledging it. A few seem to understanding it, and a fewer seem to be to be understanding it. The interesting point about Brown’s talk is that he looks at going beyond the notion of consumerism with which Design has been traditionally associated with.
One of the other great design thinkers, who I admire, and have been a student of myself, Erik Stolterman also talks about the notion of Design Thinking in his blog Transforming Grounds. He also makes the very valid point that Design Thinking is been there since a long time and has found its applications in numerous fields.
I strongly believe that one of the areas where Design can play a huge role is Design for Social Impact. This also happened to be the topic of my Masters thesis at Indiana. The challenges are immense, and the solutions are rarer to find, and that is why Design Thinking becomes important.
The outcome of the application of . . . → Read More: On Design Thinking and Beyond
One of my favorite methods of User Research is Ethnography. It could also be the result of my love for traveling and photography.
Historically, ethnography has been used as a research tool in Anthropology and also made an appearance in the other fields like Documentary film making, Market Research etc. In HCI, Ethnography is often aimed at doing, but is unable to be carried out effectively, owing to the large amount of planning that one needs to go through, especially when the time is short and there is quick research to be done.
In the context of Designing for Social Impact, Ethnography holds a special place. The following diagram would explain the areas on which one needs to concentrate in the context of the social innovations. Framing the situation from the Design perspective, becomes crucial. And ethnography is a great tool to enable the design researcher to come up with answers to these points as one gets to analyze the situation closely by staying within the context.
Designing for Social Innovations
Any problem space can be said to be a design space. And within that design space lies a design problem. One has to however justify, why the problem at stake is a design problem and not say some other problem. Can governance problem be classified as a design problem? Can the lack of facilities in a rural school be classified as a design problem? Any problem that is identified, will give rise to a Design Opportunity. Once that has been understood, it is an imperative on the part of the designer to apply proper Design Thinking in order to come up with Design Solutions. So, in the case of our examples, would ensuring a better governance system, be a well ‘Designed Solution’ or a ‘Design Solution’ . Finally . . . → Read More: Ethnography in User Research
Introduction Quite often we have heard people questioning the existence and nature of design. Questions like ‘What is design?’ ‘Does design mean art?’ Is designing an object similar to saying beautification of the object? Some even say, design is common sense; and comes from intuition. If we go a bit deeper into these questions, we get to know answers to many more questions like, what role does Aesthetics play in having a good design? What are the factors to which a design owns is success? Is it pleasure it mere satisfaction? Does good design come from experience of proper understanding of a concept? Do the cognitive faculties of the human mind play a role in deciding the quality of a good design? Should a good design mean ‘globally acceptance’? Does design depend upon the culture and context? Do environments pay some role? How is a priori synthetic judgment possible?
In this essay we will see the relation of beauty, aesthetics, art and design. We will see the factor that makes an object pleasurable, and how it aesthetics is a valuable source for designers. The philosophy of Immanuel Kant, and excerpts from his essays Critique of Pure reason,Critic of Judgment, Claims of Taste have been put in; in order to give a more explainable answer to these above questions.
Concepts and Knowledge According to Kant, concepts came from pure understanding and not from experience alone as had been put forward by David Hume. Kant says that all speculation about the nature of things in themselves, beyond the phenomena of perceptual experience , is devoid of all meaning, and cannot even in principle attain the status of knowledge. Kant speaks of metaphysics- that body of knowledge that is both ‘synthetic’ and ‘a priori’ , rather than that body of knowledge which pertains . . . → Read More: Kant and Experience Design
I love to critique. Being in a field in which I am always surrounded by the different forms of art that have been created, there is always a scope for criticism. So photographs that I take are criticized, and so are the designs that I make and I do so the same for any movie I see. Now there is a difference between the art of critiquing and the art of reviewing. While reviews are targeted for the common, general audience who do not have a flair for work, critiques are often targeted at a very specific audience.
When we view an art / design we start with an impression of it. Over a time we start to develop an opinion about it. And these opinions over a period turn into judgments. These judgments are what we call critiques. Thus if we analyze, any judgment is therefore ultimately what is what the judge thinks about it. And these judgments are subjective. Thus criticism is a subjective act. A critic is a judge of a piece of art, who gives his or her subjective judgments based on the opinions formulated after the impression of the artwork.
Now criticism has been prevalent in the society since a long time but it is only recently that I felt that there is a need for a sincere effort for an organization to send out an honest opinion without any bias. Often one confuses criticism with only negative feedback. The art of criticism is supposed to see the piece of art a consummation of efforts. So the good things, as well as the bad things should be highlighted in a critique. A good practice that I follow and propagate people to follow is to start by saying a positive thing about the cultural expression. This . . . → Read More: Approaches to critiquing
This is a final paper I wrote for the Interaction Culture class at Indiana University.
ABSTRACT As Interaction Designers, two of the most important things that one needs to consider are the experience and also the audience being designed for. The presentation of the cultural expression is dependent on the presentation style and a thorough understanding of the audience. This paper aims at giving a close phenomenological understanding of a highly successful photography exhibition by India’s most renowned photographer, Raghu Rai. In the later part of the paper, from these points and an overall experience point of view, it is aimed to generate points for a framework for its application in Interaction Design.
Author Keywords Phenomenology, experience, exhibition, photography, interpretation, culture
Excerpts from the paper Interaction Design and HCI are constantly seeking for analogies from the established fields like computer science, the cognitive sciences, and other disciplines like sociology, anthropology, critical theory and philosophy. There has also been considerable efforts in trying to get an understanding from film theory and looking at experiences in film.
Photography exhibitions on the other hand are highly subjective. It is therefore more likely that any critical accounts of such exhibitions are phenomenological in nature. There is always the vision of a photographer that is being conveyed. And more often that not there is a mismatch between the intent of the photographer and the intent with which the viewer interprets it. There is also the element of time that comes into the picture when doing an analysis of the exhibition.
Conclusion Feelings and sensibility cannot be rationally expressed in words. It can only be experienced. Any exhibition of this kind, not only expanded the horizons for what can be exhibited in the Indian market today, but also helped in understanding what goes on in . . . → Read More: Understanding experiences in photography exhibitions for Interaction Designers
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The Herald's story on Monday about Monterey Institute for International Studies students competing to formulate ideas for an entrepreneurial project that would represent the best use of Fort Ord lands proves the age-old belief that from the mouths of babes come pearls of wisdom.
The students who participated in this imaginative competition described one of their best ideas as having "a minor impact on water and habitat while helping visitors to the area ... to bring awareness of the beauty that is in your backyard."
This is not just an endorsement of a vision for economic development. It is a statement of values that has been conspicuously lacking in the Monterey Downs debate, the project that some county supervisors have apparently embraced as their vision of economic development. It has consumed the resources, time and share of mind of our governing bodies for too long.
By now, the issues raised by Monterey Downs are familiar: a project that originated with the possibility that Monterey County might be the site of the 2012 Olympic Games' equestrian events that did not materialize.
Then came the idea of a permanent horse training facility that on its own was unfinanceable, which in turn morphed into a racetrack as part of the plan that includes a hotel (presumably for all the visitors who come to watch horse racing), and 1,500 housing units, some
Under this plan, the current easy access to the hiking and mountain biking trails beloved by county residents would be closed, acres of pristine Fort Ord lands would be given over to the development, while the already despoiled acreage would remain.
The city of Seaside, which is hoping to annex this project to enlarge its tax base, would have to find new water to supply this 550-acre development. This is a huge — perhaps insurmountable — problem. If the Monterey Downs project were to be fully built out and occupied, it would be larger than Carmel.
Clearly, Seaside is counting on tax income from a centerpiece of the development, the racetrack, but there are huge problems with this idea. Racetracks are a failing business model, steadily losing customers to off-track betting sites such as the one that was just added to the poker room in Salinas.
Worse, anyone who followed the New York Times series on the cruelty of the horse racing industry learned that it is a culture of greed and corruption, abetted by unscrupulous veterinarians who give horses IV injections of potent drugs to mask pain and injuries. This results in the tragic loss of 24 horses a day on U.S. racetracks, horses that break down or are destroyed, often literally to be thrown out with the trash.
Even if there was a ghost of a chance that people would actually travel to Seaside to a racetrack when they are not doing it in other localities, do the residents of Monterey County want to support this cruelty?
It is time that voters begin to openly question why a project as flawed as Monterey Downs has consumed the time and financial resources that could be far better applied to the ideas that the MIIS students came up with, which curiously follow closely those in a 2011 Stanford Research Institute report commissioned by the Board of Supervisors. This report, prepared by professionals with years of experience, detailed how the county's assets could best be used as a basis for a new economic development vision. Almost all dealt with eco-recreation and agri-tourism in some form. None of these recommendations appears to have been adopted, though were they to be, there would be considerable multi-constituency support for them.
Monterey Downs is antithetical to the values that county residents have come to treasure. The MIIS students got it right on this front while their elected elders continue in confusion to write and rewrite the Monterey Downs plan at taxpayer cost. It's time for us, the voters, to respect what the students have given us—a call to action that we can embrace as a community and then hand back to them as their sacred inheritance.
It's time for us to decide—and articulate— that values matter as least as much as tax revenue.
Susan Meister is a journalist specializing in medical issues. She lives in Pebble Beach and writes regularly for this page.
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