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As you know, I've been going through all our records during a lull in SCO activity, trying to get Groklaw caught up so we can complete our preservation work. And we're making some progress.
Here's something. I found a 2001 DH Brown comparative technical assessment of Unix players. Guess who was the UNIX leader? Sun Solaris won that year. HP won the following year. So exactly how is SCO a market leader in the first wave of UNIX beginning in the 1990s, as SCO alleged in its recent Disclosure Statement in its bankruptcy, followed by Linux in the next wave? IBM references SCO's claims on page 18 of IBM's Objections [PDF] to SCO's Motion to Approve Disclosure Statement. IBM quotes SCO:
If one were to think about the landscape of UNIX-based application platforms, SCO would be the clear leader in the first wave with 43% market share in the 1990s. The second wave would see Linux at the forefront being led by IBM.
SCO's UnixWare came in dead last overall, as I'll show you in some
screen shots I took for you, because the 2001 DH Brown report is no longer available online, that I could find. At the time, the executive summary was free to the public. But you know me and copyright law. I try to be a good do-be, so I'll just show you just some fair use bits and pieces. You can purchase the complete report from DH Brown. So, fair warning to those of you on dial up -- graphics ahoy!
UnixWare only got an OK rating, dead last, in the Executive Summary:
You can still read the press release, by the way, in a couple of places:
D. H. Brown Associates, Inc. (www.dhbrown.com) has released its 2001 UNIX Function Review, a detailed technical assessment of the functional capabilities of five leading UNIX operating systems.
The study employed more than 115 technical criteria to rank the systems across five major functional areas: Scalability; Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS); System Management; Internet and Web Application Services; and Directory and Security Services. The studied systems include Compaq's Tru64 UNIX 5.1, Hewlett-Packard's HP-UX 11i, IBM's AIX 4.3.3, Santa Cruz Operation's UnixWare 7.1.1, and Sun Microsystems' Solaris 8.
SCO ranked high in terms of Linux interoperability, but so did Solaris, according to the 2001 UNIX Function Review, but in everything else, SCO was definitely not the leader.
As for market share, I think any SCO claims relate to Unix *on Intel*, not to the market as a whole:
UNIXWARE 7.1.1: Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) historically dominated the UNIX-on-Intel market with over 85% of marketshare and a deep understanding of the platform. SCO achieved its position through its long-standing OpenServer product. This product generated a respectable set of third-party solutions for meeting small-business requirements. More important, SCO gained expertise in supporting the vast and diverse array of hardware that permeates the Intel X86 landscape, offering a competency matched only by Microsoft. In recent years, SCO has focused on the more advanced UnixWare, which it acquired from Novell in 1996. UnixWare is an implementation of System V Release 5 (SVR5) with PC-oriented networking extensions, integrated Internet connectivity, and enhancements targeting reliability and scalability.
UnixWare 7 allowed SCO to make the leap from targeting small-to-medium-sized businesses to become a serious UNIX competitor, poised to take on enterprise requirements. However, despite its early success in lining up OEM partners, SCO was unable to continue the investments in UnixWare required to compete with the heavyweight UNIX systems from Sun, HP, IBM, and Compaq. SCO announced in late 1998 that it would no longer position UnixWare as an enterprise platform when IA-64 arrived, choosing instead to embrace the AIX kernel as the foundation for the next-generation “Monterey” product. Sound like UnixWare was leading the pack? Or OpenServer, for that matter? Or does it sound like a niche product for small to medium businesses on Intel, while the big boys took the rest of the market, the large enterprise customers? So, it comes down to how you define market share. Are you talking numbers of customers, without looking at size of the business or the hardware? Or are you talking about the entire Unix market? It would yield different results, I gather. For example, UnixWare isn't even on the list of supercomputing on page 24 of the DH Brown report. And UnixWare lacked certain functionality that all the others had. For example, the report says "All of the systems except UnixWare allow their respective Windows NT networking services to be protected with HA clustering tools." That's on page 65. And on page 67, it says that all the others, except UnixWare, supported cryptographic hardware:
Since then, SCO took a step further and announced that it would sell all of its UNIX products, including OpenServer and UnixWare, to Caldera Systems Inc., a leading Linux-distribution supplier. The transaction has not yet been completed, but Caldera has stated that it will sustain SCO’s efforts to enhance UnixWare for IA-32 platforms, which will remain relevant for some time until IA-64 enters mainstream markets. Caldera also plans to introduce a “Linux Kernel Personality” (LKP) for UnixWare that will allow it to run Linux applications. Caldera plans to position UnixWare as a kind of super-charged Linux environment that is fully compatible with other Linux distributions, but has more powerful functions under the hood than the traditional Linux kernel. To deliver on this promise, however, Caldera will have to marshal sufficient development resources to keep up with the investments of the established enterprise competitors....
UnixWare’s scalability fundamentally depends on the capabilities of the Intel server architecture, which will not complete its transition to 64-bits until later this year. UnixWare supports state-of-the-art enterprise servers based on current IA32 processors, including the Unisys ES7000, a mainframe-class machine that can be configured with up to 32 processors and up to 64 GB of memory. 10 Although UnixWare supports all 32 processors in ES7000, the maximum SMP configuration for which UnixWare has produced credible database-benchmark evidence on is eight processors. Like AIX and Solaris, UnixWare supports file systems and files up to one TB....
UnixWare supports up to 32 processors in SMP systems, but very few Intel X86based servers currently support more than eight processors. TPC-C results for UnixWare have only been produced on an eight-way server (41,085 tpmC on the Unisys ES2085R). However, Unisys recently began shipping a 32-way ES7000 server that supports UnixWare, so more competitive results may well appear in the future.
AIX, HP-UX, Solaris, and Tru64 UNIX have all run natively on 64-bit processors for years, and have been fully tuned and optimized for their respective environments (see Table 3 below).
All of the studied systems except UnixWare support cryptographic hardware, which offloads the encryption task to special-purpose processors, boosting the scalability of secure websites. Indeed, SCO has historically focused on supporting departmental and small-business applications using traditional access methods such as terminals, and UnixWare includes relatively few tools for managing enterprise networks or web-based infrastructures. UnixWare offers very little support for LDAP, runs the fewest non-LDAP directory services, and includes none of the studied network security functions except for TCP/IP wrappers....
All of the studied systems except UnixWare include at least one directory service that is compatible with LDAP V3 (UnixWare still provides an LDAP V2 server). ...
All of the systems except UnixWare allow the LDAP directory service to be integrated with the user login mechanism in the UNIX base operating system.
Here's a tidbit about APIs:
Application Program Interface (API) Compatibility: Although Linux APIs are very similar to those of the studied UNIX systems, there are enough divergences in the names, syntax, and semantics that porting issues will inevitably arise. To overcome these barriers, some UNIX vendors have launched efforts to implement the Linux APIs on their systems as faithfully as possible 45, seeking to allow applications to be recompiled on their platforms with relatively few hitches. The GNU tools and compilers mentioned earlier are of course important for this purpose as well. Let's look now at some of the graphics, because it will give you a clear picture of where UnixWare really stood in comparison with the others.
UnixWare and the Intel X86 version of Solaris 8 46 each have the ability to actually run existing Linux binaries by including the lxrun tool. UnixWare will strengthen its compatibility for Linux applications with the introduction of its Linux Kernel Personality (LKP) due in the next release scheduled for June of this year, which provides support for a full Linux distribution using the UnixWare 7 kernel. UnixWare 7.1.1 also supports device drivers written to the Uniform Driver Interface (UDI) Version 1.01. Device drivers written to UDI work without recompilation across a number of platforms, including UnixWare, Linux 2.2, and AIX 5.1. UDI support helps Independent Hardware Vendors (IHV’s) who can reduce their investment in device-driver maintenance by writing to UDI. UDI also allows for more advanced execution and protection environments, so that a driver written to UDI that misbehaves cannot, if running in such an environment, bring the entire system down as is the case in most native driver interfaces....
All of the studied systems except UnixWare can also integrate the LDAPdirectory service with their e-mail functions, allowing the sendmail that is included in the base-operating system to perform LDAP X.500 directory lookups. Solaris and Tru64 UNIX also integrate LDAP services with printing....
All of the studied systems support TCP/IP wrappers, and all of the systems except UnixWare provide trusted TCP/IP commands.
Get the true picture?
In other progress, all the Comes v. Microsoft exhibits are available now as PDFs, as are the Minnesota antitrust litigation exhibits from Gordon v. Microsoft. We're still working on completing the posting of a description of each of them, but at least the PDFs are there now. You can always find the links to these exhibits from our permanent MS Litigation page.
Update: Q: There is also an interview with SCO's then President of Server Division David McCrabb, dated May 5, 2000 on Slashdot, which includes this tidbit:
Will SCO be contributing / open-sourcing any technology and/or patents that it holds as part of its Linux adoption effort?
Also, did your market research pan out - is Linux really being used in large businesses or is it still primarily used by small startup companies strapped for cash?
SCO is accelerating its participation in, and contributions to, the Open Source Community. In some cases, we will be taking current technology that we think is needed in the Linux market and driving it forward as the project maintainers. Right now, we are focusing on bringing some of our high-performance Intel development tools to Linux.
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What Jeff Koons and Teenagers Knew About Appropriation
In the mid-1980s, comedy, athletics and graphic design found their perfect combination in the posters of John and Tock Costacos. "For the Kids," a new exhibition curated by gallery director Fabienne Stephan and advisor Adam Shopkorn at Salon 94 Freemans considers appropriation—specifically the pop-comedic idiom of '80s Koons—part of their formula.
The brothers, who first opened a T-shirt and sports paraphernalia company, got their start in the early '80s producing posters with a cold call to the Seattle Seahawks convincing football star Kenny Easley to do their initial campaign. They then produced hundreds of images that went against the industry standard of the time, which was to show athletes in action sequences. Instead, these iconic pros were given humorous personas as larger than life "superheroes" and paired with amusing taglines.
Dominant Oakland Athletics duo Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco dressed up as the Blues Brothers; the Costacos nicknamed them the "Bash Brothers" for their special high-five. The Indiana Pacers' Chuck Person ("The Rifleman") holds a basketball and a rifle, a bull's eye in the background; Kenny Easley ("The Enforcer") wears black leather as he patrols a sinister alleyway.
These examples and nearly 20 more mass produced lithographs from 1986-90 are currently on view. The curators chose to focus on this four-year period, because the kitsch esthetic changed considerably in the '90s. Koons began his work with appropriation of sports imagery just a year before the Costacos Brothers emerged as pioneers of sports posters.
Koons has loaned posters from his 1985 debut solo exhibition at International With Monument in the East Village. The pieces are Nike advertisements that the artist purchased from the brand, after going to the manufacturer to see if he could use them as his own. In one, Stormin' Norman (1985) we see a framed poster of Chicago Bulls great Norm Van Lier, riding through the composition on a thunderbolt, arm raised, basketball in hand with clouds revealing the Nike swoosh in the background; The Dynasty of 34th Street (1985) depicts a small group of basketball players. In a 2003 Artforum interview Koons said of this work, "I looked at the athletes in those posters as representing the artists of the moment, and the idea that we were using art for social mobility the way other ethnic groups have used sports. We were middle-class white kids using art to move up into another social class." While it's doubtful that Koons would be able to "collaborate" with a major brand so easily today, the artist's appropriation of pop culture as a means of social commentary became integral to his practice.
Stephan told A.iA., "These posters are by far not Jeff Koons' most famous body of work and yet, his radical gesture of appropriating a portrait created by Nike was genius. He picked up, at the time of it happening, on the rising phenomenon of the athlete as a pop star, something that the Costacos' posters participated in creating." Another connection between the Brothers and Koons (and Nike) is that they were presenting African Americans in a position of power and gave them the freedom to take on these fantasy personas that wouldn't otherwise have been possible. "A lot of [the athletes] stepped off the pedestal that the fans and the kids placed them on to have a little fun, because in some ways it made them feel like a little kid," remembered John Costacos.
He was unaware of Koons at the time, and never imagined his posters would be considered art. "For the Kids" reminds us of a more playful era and to take ourselves-and our athletes (LeBron James, anyone?)-a little less seriously.
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J.B. Nethercutt began his collection of automobiles in 1956, with the purchase of two antiques, a 1936 Duesenberg Convertible Roadster for $5,000 and a 1930 DuPont Town Car for $500. Nethercutt refurbished the antique cars and entered them in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1958. The DuPont won the coveted "Best in Show" award.
Through the rest of his life, Nethercutt continued to collect and refurbish antique automobiles, and in 1971 he and his wife opened their collection to the public, to view for free.
The collection is arranged in two large exhibition halls. The cars are classified by era: Antique (1890-1915), Vintage (1916-1924), Classic (1925-1948), and Post-War (1945-1970s).
As the collection grew, it came to encompass antique musical instruments, including phonographs and music boxes, as well as other relics of a bygone era, such as nickelodeons.
Additionally, the Nethercutt Automotive Research Library and Archives, one of the world’s top automotive research facilities, is housed in the museum. Just steps outside the Museum are a beautifully restored steam locomotive and rail car from 1912.
The museum regularly hosts musical events, such as organ concerts and silent films, free to the general public.
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02-07-2002, 09:29 PM
I got an e-mail a few days ago from someone (who saw my site, who got my e-mail from here, who knows) asking me for a tutorial on using the mouse to select an area on the form. So, I whipped up a little thing. Normally, I wouldn't post this kind of thing here (as I don't totally see exactly how useful it is), but this guy was extremely happy I wrote this little thing. That makes me think it could be valueable to others here. So, attached is a few lines of code (not much, really) demonstrating simple mouse techniques. It's fairly well commented, so I hope it's of use to a few people.
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5 ways couples can end money spats
You may not be able to head off every quarrel, but these guidelines can help couples keep minor conflicts from turning into nasty arguments.
Are you fighting with your spouse over money? If so, you could be doing more damage than you realize.
Twenty-seven percent of Americans say disagreements over finances are most likely to erupt into an argument, ahead of arguments over children, chores, work and friends, according to a recent survey of married or cohabiting couples by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Fights with your spouse are never easy, but evidence shows that arguments over money can be particularly distressing. A 2011 study by Jeffrey Dew of Utah State University found that married couples who disagreed about money once a week were twice as likely to divorce as those who quarreled less than once a month. This is partly because money arguments encompass more than just finances. "Money doesn't just represent money; it represents love, power, control, self-esteem, freedom," says Olivia Mellan, a money coach and the author of "Money Harmony: Resolving Money Conflicts in Your Life and Relationships."
"Money decisions are such personal decisions, which is why they can lead to nasty fights," says Scott Palmer, who wrote the book "First Comes Love, Then Comes Money: A Couple's Guide to Financial Communication" with his wife, Bethany.
When it comes to money, many couples are blinded by their own views on spending and saving, and they often can't see or understand their partner's perspective. "We always think our own way of looking at money is the best, and it creates a tug-and-pull inside the relationship," says Bethany Palmer.
Communication is the key to resolving money issues, experts say. Gaining a better understanding of your partner's financial habits will enable you to prevent arguments with your spouse over money -- or at least help keep such discussions from escalating. U.S. News spoke to experts for their recommendations:
Be financially transparent
Financial transparency is the foundation of good communication, says Bethany Palmer. "If you're not open with your spouse about your finances, it's very hard to have an intimate relationship," she says.
Being honest about your finances from the start -- including any debt you carry, for example -- will enable you and your spouse to avoid financial infidelity. "If both parties aren't on the same page, it leads to secrets, which can undermine a marriage," says Matt Bell, the author of "Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged and Newly Married Couples."
Jean Dorrell, a certified estate planner in Summerfield, Fla., who counsels couples about money, recommends that couples share credit reports and tax returns. That way, nothing is kept secret. This would ideally occur before they tie the knot, but it can still be effective if done at the beginning of the marriage. "When you fall in love with somebody, you don't think about going, 'Oh, by the way, how's your credit score?' But it's a conversation you need to have," Dorrell says.
If your partner has significant debt, Dorrell suggests that you consider signing a prenuptial agreement so you're not legally responsible for paying off his or her debt in the event that you divorce.
Establish a budget
Creating a budget for you and your spouse will take the guesswork out of your money arguments. "A budget gives you factual information," says Bell. "A lot of arguments around money have to do with assumptions and emotions. But if you have a budget, you can take a look strictly at the numbers, which will enable you to have a fact-based discussion about any disagreements."
Even if one spouse doesn't stick exactly to the budget, having one in place creates an expectation of how much each of you should be spending. Just be sure to allow some wiggle room for discretionary purchases, suggests Lynn Mayabb, a certified financial planner with BKD Wealth Advisors in Kansas City. "Everybody is going to have something they want to buy that the other person thinks is frivolous," she says. "Each person needs a certain amount of money that they don't have to explain where they spent it. If you have a budget that's too constricting, people have a hard time sticking to it."
Understand each other's money personality
Scott and Bethany Palmer believe each person has a money personality, a spending style that dictates money habits. At the most basic level, someone is a saver or a spender, according to the Palmers. If a saver and a spender wind up together, which the Palmers say often happens because opposites attract, the couple's day-to-day money lives are in conflict. The saver wants to make dinner at home; the spender wants to eat out. The spender buys himself a nice bathrobe and the saver resents it each morning when she sees it hanging on the hook. "You would think the biggest arguments about money would be over a big subject like a house or a car, but it's over everyday decisions," says Bethany Palmer.
If you take the time to evaluate and understand each other's money personalities, though, you'll likely fight about money a lot less. "We find if couples can understand how they look at money and understand their partner's perspective of money, that will start their relationship off on the right foot," Scott Palmer says.
If each partner is aware of the other's spending style and the lines of communication remain open, each person will have a better idea of where the other one is coming from. "Walk half a mile in your partner's moccasins," says Mellan. If you stop to think how your partner feels about the situation, she adds, you and your spouse will be less polarized.
Discuss family history
The way people approach money is, in large part, related to how their parents treated money, says Mayabb. Was money openly discussed in your household growing up? Did Dad make all the decisions, or was it a team effort? Did you admire your parents' spending and saving habits or did you vow to do the opposite of what they did? Having a discussion about your families' money habits will help bridge the gap between your outlook and that of your spouse, Mayabb says.
With the potential for money arguments to lead to serious marital problems, consider setting up weekly chats to tackle any money disagreements before they evolve into full-blown fights.
More from U.S. News & World Report:
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Fundamental company data and historical chart data provided by Thomson Reuters (click for restrictions). Real-time quotes provided by BATS Exchange. Real-time index quotes and delayed quotes supplied by Interactive Data Real-Time Services. Fund summary, fund performance and dividend data provided by Morningstar Inc. Analyst recommendations provided by Zacks Investment Research. StockScouter data provided by Verus Analytics. IPO data provided by Hoover's Inc. Index membership data provided by SIX Financial Information.
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The Post editorial board wrote yesterday: “It has been four weeks since President Obama delivered an address on the Middle East in which he said it would be ‘a top priority’ of his administration to oppose violent repression and support democratic transitions across the region, using “all of the diplomatic, economic and strategic tools at our disposal.” However, the Obama administration seems to be doing “nothing.” This is no exaggeration: “Apart from a passing reference at a May 25 news conference, the president has not spoken in public about Syria since his May 19 address. The token U.S. sanctions applied to the Assad regime at the time of the speech have not been stepped up. While Britain and France have pressed — unsuccessfully — for a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the Syrian repression, the United States has taken a back seat.”
Although Ambassador Robert Ford remains in Damascus there is little indication he is doing anything productive, certainly not speaking hard truths to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. At a State Department briefing this week, there was this exchange:
QUESTION: Mark [Toner], on Syria, yesterday [a reporter] raised the question of what the ambassador, Ambassador Ford, is doing there. Can you update us on exactly what does he do if the Government of Syria continues to ignore his requests to meet with officials?
And also, this does raise a broader question. When he was named by the President back at the end of last year, the criticism was: Isn’t the U.S. rewarding Syria? And lo and behold, he goes there and he’s ignored by Syria. Doesn’t it send a message that maybe it was a mistake to return an ambassador?
MR. TONER: I disagree with that question or the premise behind your question that he’s somehow not fulfilling the role that we sent him out to perform. We believe and have always held that it is in our national security interests to have an ambassador in Damascus. The fact that he had been unable to meet with his Syrian Government interlocutors over the last couple of weeks, I think only illustrates that they don’t like the message he’s delivering.
But that said, he remains on the ground and he remains in contact with members of the Syrian opposition and with civil society leaders within Damascus and outside — and beyond Damascus as the security situation permits.
And it allows us two things. One, it gives us a U.S. — a high-level U.S. voice in Syria, and if not speaking directly to the government, then to the Syrian people. And then secondly, it sends a clear message that we’re engaged, we’re not going to back away, and we’re going to continue to press the Assad regime to end its human rights abuses.
So he’s not there for the reason that prompted Obama to return him to Damascus. Where is the evidence that he is speaking to the Syrian people? No open meetings, public speeches or op-eds that I know of. And is he really in “contact with members of the Syrian opposition and with civil society leaders within Damascus and outside — and beyond Damascus as the security situation permits”? Surely he is under surveillance, and those people would be subject to arrest and execution.
In fact, when I inquired of the State Department about the contacts with dissidents, spokesmen repeatedly refused to give me any data, not even the number of meetings or the types of contacts for fear those contacts would be killed. So how is it Ford is having contacts in Damascus with such people?
And if the State Department is concerned that Assad will kill people who meet with the U.S. government, why have we not cut off diplomatic ties or taken other action to declare Assad an illegitimate ruler?
The pro-democracy Syrian community in the U.S. is mistrustful. Sherkoh Abbasof the Syrian Democracy Council tells me, “The State Department has been working with only groups who are not democratic, nor have any interests in real democratic change in Syria. End result, waste of U.S. tax dollars to show that democracy programs being implemented.” Likewise, Mountasir (who asks that I use first name only) tells me, “The inaction of our administration and our State Department is unconscionable. As an American of Syrian descent, at the minimum I demand that our government withdraw our Ambassador from Syria, and dismiss all Syrian diplomats from our soil immediately in order to finally begin doing everything in its power to declare the illegitimacy of Assad’s government.”
Even if we suppose the administration is having more than token contact with pro-democracy forces either here or in Syria, there is no evidence it is doing anything with the information it has gathered. It is both a mystery and an abomination that Obama has not carried out on his promises. But then this is an administration that places great emphasis on Obama’s speeches and spends very little energy constructing effective policies.
UPDATE (2:45 p.m.): Two senior officials just completed a background briefing on Syria. Perhaps sensitive to the charge that nothing is happening they stressed how “appalling” and “disturbed” they were by violence, which continued today. However, twice the president’s mantra “lead or leave” was repeated, all the while reeling off a list of atrocities perpetrated by the regime. One of the senior officials insisted the administration is working unilaterally regionally and internationally to build a broad base approach to support further action. I know. Gibberish. They did say that additional sanctions were under consideration. (When? Who knows.) They are also looking at the potential for a referral of charges for possible war crimes. To be clear, they have been doing all of this for weeks . Reporters tried in vain to get a response as to when there would be a “point of no return.” No luck.
As for Ambassador Ford the first senior official insisted that he meets daily with opposition figures, has freedom of movement and remains the eyes and ears on the ground. Yet, he also noted that opposition figures can’t possibly participate in dialogue with the regime because of fear of reprisal. In response to my question as to how then Ford can meet with such figures, the first official cautioned not to make to much of the contradiction. He stressed that people do seek out the ambassador.
If so, it’s not clear who these figures are or what they have conveyed. The first senior official admitted that in a perfect world things would be moving faster. But even in the imperfect world, couldn’t the administration move at more than a snail’s pace? This is of course precisely the same conduct as we saw with regard to Libya. Prizing international consensus above all else, the administration sacrifices speed, effectiveness and the high moral ground. In many administrations the endless cud-chewing and process-oriented disposition of the State Department are overridden by the White House. Not in this one.
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In the Value Report, the last question offered to readers asks, “How does the library contribute to overall institutional reputation or prestige?” There are several factors that are listed, but the third mentions that one of the ways libraries can contribute is through their special collections. As stated, “special collections can be the ‘differentiating characteristic of research universities, the equivalent of unique laboratory facilities that attract faculty and research projects’”. (Pritchard, Special Collections Surge to the Fore 2009.) [Value, page 137] Unique special collections are not just found in research libraries, as many smaller colleges have distinctive special collections that also provide value to their institutions. In fact, there is increasing use of institutional repositories and image collection management services that are being used to showcase and provide access to unique materials. One can collect usage statistics for these types of online services, but there may be additional tools you’ve found useful to promote the value to your institution. In evaluating your impact, one resource may be a toolkit for Archives and Special collections that is available online.
The University of Michigan has put together a toolkit, Archival Metrics, http://archivalmetrics.cms.si.umich.edu/ in cooperation with the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and the University of Toronto. In addition to the toolkit, there is a list of publications and presentations, as well as a bibliography of related materials
If you have completed some independent studies of your special collections and the prestige they bring to your institution, please share and let us know the nature of your study and if any completed reports are available.
Please note the Value blog will be taking a short holiday break and be back in January.
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The legacy of author Ambrose Bierce has survived primarily through one beautiful narrative trick, an Edgar Allan Poe- like "twist" ending he conjured for a famous short story in 1890. Variations on the idea have been seen in print and films ever since, most notably in the works of Luis Borges, who gave them a literary tone somewhere between the macabre and science fiction. Lucio Fulci's 1991 Door Into Silence (Le porte del silenzio) is a straightforward adaptation of the same idea.
Lucio Fulci is the Italian director most known for his gore horror films of the early 1980s -- Zombie, City of the Living Dead, The Beyond --- that followed the lead of George Romero, upping the ante for ghastly carnage. Fulci's cannibal zombie pictures were light in logic but often commendably atmospheric. The appalling gore effects were almost unthinkable for their time. I still have dread memories of The Beyond, where a shotgun blows teenage girl's head in two ... and she stares at us as she sinks to the floor. Nothing to take home to mother, but undeniably .... impressive.
Italian horror was undervalued in earlier decades, so filmmakers like Riccardo Freda and Antonio Margheriti routinely used anglicized credits and U.K. talent to give the impression that their films were English in origin, which explains why English actress Barbara Steele became a star in Rome. Perhaps for the same reasons, Lucio Fulci filmed one or two scenes for Zombie in New York City. Exteriors for The Beyond went on location in Louisiana. Door Into Silence, Fulci's last film, returns to New Orleans and the Louisiana countryside. The main credits have also been almost entirely anglicized, including the credit for director Fulci and his noted producer Joe D'Amato. Why this was done isn't clear. Although now a household name among horror fans, Fulci's real notoriety took off only after his death, when quality versions of his classics finally circulated on DVD.
Horror fans wondering why Door Into Silence isn't like the earlier gore pictures need to be reminded that the first twenty years of Fulci's career were spent on crime films, comedies and even a western or two. Before climbing on the giallo bandwagon his major accomplishment was Beatrice Cenci, a story of love and cruelty in Renaissance times. An attempt at something different, Door Into Silence is severely limited by an all-too familiar script. At the very least, it's not about a mysterious portal or portals into the jaws of Hell -- a theme done to death in Fulci's work.
Star John Savage plays Melvin Devereaux, a businessman first seen staring at a tomb in a New Orleans cemetery. He's accosted by a strange woman dressed in white (Sandi Schultz) and then begins a frustrating day trying to get back to his home in rural Louisiana. Melvin is delayed by detours, wrong turns, car trouble, muddy roads and a teenaged hooker, but they're nothing compared to the odd behaviors he encounters. Motorcycle cops catch him sneaking past a safety roadblock, but don't write him a ticket. The mystery woman in white refuses to identify herself but says that they'll "meet at the crossroads". He can't get anyone on the phone. The main source of Melvin's anxiety is a mystery hearse that tries to run him off the road. He's beaten up by its driver (Richard Castleman) and arrested when he breaks into the hearse to see who's inside. He disrupts a gospel funeral service by mistake before tracing the real hearse to a funeral home. A holding room contains a half-dozen corpses of different men, all bearing his name on their coffins. The last coffin contains a strange surprise ...
Actually, the surprise really isn't a surprise. Any viewer of average I.Q., even those who have never heard of Ambrose Bierce, will immediately know what's up. All the clues point in the same direction, and there's little in the film to deflect our attention elsewhere. Melvin's adventures build no sidebar angles of romance or mystery, so we must be content to follow the man as he drives halfway across Louisiana, encountering every bridge, ferryboat and causeway en route. All of this is well filmed, but since the entire story happens in broad daylight in such ordinary surroundings, not a great deal of atmosphere is evoked. The balance of the cast is uneven in the acting department as well, with the post-synched dialogue not helping to make the minor roles credible. Savage later married his co-star Sandi Schultz, which may be the happiest success story to come out of the film.
Seemingly left on his own, John Savage underplays his character, perhaps too much. Nothing seems to faze Melvin greatly, even events that surely belong nowhere except in an episode of The Twilight Zone. About halfway through the movie we realize that Savage's character is going to passively accept all that happens to him, more or less. From then on it's a matter of waiting for the clock to run out.
The matter-of-fact shooting style doesn't support the script's attempt at an uncanny mood. Some of the people Melvin meets interact with him fairly normally, but a hunter behaves as if our hero is invisible. Events seem to happen in random order. After witnessing phenomena that should tell him that supernatural events are occurring, Melvin goes back to a lower level of agitation. Door Into Silence might be compared to Steven Spielberg's Duel, another "road" picture in ordinary surroundings. Spielberg uses precise visual details -- parts of an ordinary truck -- to sell the idea that the truck is possessed by the Devil. He also works his everyman driver into a mounting paranoid frenzy. By contrast, Melvin Devereaux seems too relaxed, and Door Into Silence remains at a subdued level of creepiness.
Fulci completists will be interested in seeing Severin's Door Into Silence, a very good encoding of a 1:33 transfer. Colors are better than acceptable and the image sharp; I enlarged and cropped the picture on a large widescreen monitor and the resulting image held up quite well. The disc has chapter stops but no extras, which makes me curious to know why the names were changed for the credits. Door Into Silence doesn't seem to have been released outside of Italy -- could it have been made with a hopeful television release in mind? That may account for the film's lack of conventional horror excess and nudity.
On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor,
Reviews on the Savant main site have additional credits information and are often updated and annotated with reader input and graphics. Also, don't forget the
2009 Savant Wish List. T'was Ever Thus.
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Is College Over?
The public, in other words, is increasingly wondering what it is they’re paying for—as they’re paying more and more. They’re losing faith in the system. The disturbing financial implications of the rising cost of college are well documented: The cost of public and private colleges has tripled since 1980; over the past decade, the average cost per year of a public university jumped from 18 percent of a middle-class family’s annual income to 25 percent; the average student loan debt is now $23,000. But the rising skepticism about the value of the college experience itself is unsettling, particularly in Boston, where much of our economy is rooted in the university system.
I went to school here myself—literally buying into the notion that college was a worthwhile investment when I arrived on the Boston College campus. I continue to pay for that investment, and will for the foreseeable future. But in the wake of this educational crisis of confidence, I’ve found myself wondering how much I really got out of the whole thing.
And I’m far from the only one. As a result, universities are being forced to ask, perhaps for the first time, How much are our students really learning? Can our teachers actually teach? And what, exactly, is the point? So I set out for some answers. Because faith isn’t enough anymore. We want proof.
ARRIVING HOME EARLY early from high school one afternoon in the spring of my senior year, I went through my daily ritual of peering into the mailbox. Please, God, a sign of any kind. Finally, I got one: a big envelope. I collapsed to my knees on the brick walkway leading up to my door, tearing the envelope right down the center. I pulled out a folder and touched the raised seal of the college of my choice like a palm reader seeing the future. Relief and excitement and hope all washed over me. I had gotten in.
College was the golden ticket, the payout for slogging through high school’s tedium and testing. I didn’t have much say in where I went to high school—I was a public school kid with public school teachers for parents—but the college decision was mine, and it would catapult me into a future that I could define. Walking around campus a few months later, as I toured the athletic facilities, dining halls, and libraries with other recently accepted students, I was smitten with the idea of the new life I would have…and with the cute guy on my tour, who was also in my freshman class. We exchanged e-mails: “I can’t wait to party with you in the streets of Boston,” he wrote. (We never actually connected once classes started.)
It’d be easy to blame my hormones for the fact that I didn’t pepper the tour guide with dozens of questions about academic programs and my soon-to-be professors. But the truth is, I simply took it for granted that I was about to get an excellent education. Everyone from my guidance counselors to magazine rankings had told me so.
But as Academically Adrift’s findings prove, learning is something we can no longer assume is simply happening. And that means colleges are now having to defend themselves against a swarm of newfound skeptics.
Wanting to learn more about how the institutions are attempting to fight back, I call up Richard Hersh to arrange an interview. Hersh and his colleague, Richard Keeling, are coauthors of the upcoming book We’re Losing our Minds: Rethinking American Higher Education, and together they’ve consulted with nearly 400 colleges across the country. Our impromptu chat ends up lasting nearly two and a half hours.
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Conservative Christian approach to AIDS evolves toward compassion
WASHINGTON — Under a canopy of skylights in a modern church two blocks from the International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C., worshippers are dancing and singing an African American spiritual: ”We are Marching in the Light of God.”
On the wall hangs parts of the quilt commemorating AIDS victims. And Reverend David North preaches that the dead are not really gone.
“You’re still here!” he says, referring to the names on the colorful quilt. ”All the beauty and the wonder that you as an individual were, is still here. It’s still alive.”
North was a Baptist minister when he tested HIV positive in 1991. He was kicked out of his church, and his wife refused to let him see his children because he is gay.
“I lost everything – job, family, everything,” he said in an interview after one of the daily devotional services that was held during the July 22-27 AIDS conference.
AIDS has presented many Christians with a dilemma. Should people with HIV be condemned for behavior that may have given them the virus? Or should they be helped, in the name of compassion?
When the AIDS epidemic began in the 1980s, some Christian leaders chose the former. “AIDS is not just God’s punishment for homosexuals. It is God’s punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals,” said televangelist Jerry Falwell.
But attitudes have evolved since then, in part, because of clergy who found themselves with the virus that causes AIDS.
Christo Greyling is a Dutch Reformed pastor from South Africa. He is also a hemophiliac. His congregation took it in stride when he told them he contracted HIV from tainted blood.
“And then one person came after church to me, and he said, ‘You know, I’ve got sympathy with you because you contracted HIV in an innocent way. But those people, those people who got it through sex, they brought it on themselves,” Greyling recalled in an interview at the AIDS conference. ”And that’s for me where the penny dropped, that as people of faith, as church leaders, we cannot work with the concept of those and us.”
“God’s will is that we live our lives according to his will – to be abstinent, to be faithful in our relationships,” he says. ”But we realize that not everyone might be able to make those choices.”
During the conference, Greyling spoke at a summit of evangelical and other Christian leaders concerned about AIDS. He praised them for a pragmatic approach that he says was in short supply back when he disclosed his diagnosis.
“Since 1991 until now, I think we can celebrate that the church and the faith community has moved way out, further, in terms of our advances, from the way we were,” he said.
Their prodding led one evangelical Christian, former President George W. Bush, to start an AIDS initiative that is credited with saving many lives.
As for Reverend North, his life has also changed. He won a precedent-setting custody battle and reconciled with his biological family. His HIV has been suppressed.
“So all that I had lost,” he says, “I’ve not only gained, but I’ve regained even more”, including a gay-friendly church where he can serve God.
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When we got the news about the bombing, our first thoughts were of our friend. Did she finish already? We found that she had. How much before the bombing did she finish? We found that she had finished almost an hour before. We breathed a tentative sigh of relief, believing that she would have likely left the finish area during that time.
But my wife posted to her Facebook wall asking if she was OK. Someone else who had heard from her family that she had gotten in touch with them told us that she was OK.
When things like this happen, I think most of us are drawn to thoughts that unify us as a people and as a nation. It wasn’t Democrats or Republicans or Independents that were attacked, it was Americans. Our differences seem smaller, our kindness and understanding increase. Our humanity grows, perhaps like the Grinch’s heart in the famous Christmas story.
We see each other as people.
How long will it last?
That’s up to us.
For marketers, it can be easy to start to see those we market to as numbers. What are our numbers in this demographic? How can we improve them? What did we do that worked? How can we use that understanding to be more effective?
These are all good questions, and they all help the bottom line—something that is very important for businesses.
But we can improve our effectiveness if we always remember that we’re marketing to people. People know the difference; they can feel it—even if they can’t articulate it. They know when you value them as people in addition to valuing their business. They know this because of how you market to them, how you target them, and how you keep your promises (or how you don’t).
Never forget that each of those numbers you work with represents a person.
You can improve your bottom line and make the world a better place at the same time.
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Last week I talked about how the second you put yourself out in the tinterweb, you're pretty much branding yourself. I gave a list of pointers on what to do or not (like don't represent yourself with pictures of dead armadillos).
I wanted to expand on this topic because Tahereh asked what I thought of Maureen Johnson's branding manifesto, on which she got 254 comments (as of this writing) all saying "Yes I love you and agree with you." (In fairness, I would have said that too.) To sum up the post, Maureen was passionate that social media for authors is a two-way conversation, and not about one person selling a book to another. And in this, she is absolutely right.
What is brand, again?
Maureen's example in her discussion was a woman at a conference who insisted that we all brand ourselves and sell, sell, sell. The woman is incorrect that this is what a brand is for. I suspect the woman doesn't quite know what a brand is, because she missed the boat on the online interaction that is so crucial to our world now. And also because she emphasized that you need to get out and sell or die. Branding is actually a set of consistent visual cues that define a certain sensibility for a person, company, or product.
If that is too rigid, think of this: a brand is a set of colors, or a logo, or a certain way of writing, or a habit that embodies you or your message. By this definition, branding isn't really related to sell sell sell, although it can be. Or you can use it to represent yourself. Maureen said that a brand is a package of yourself so that consumers know what to buy. This is true, but that limits the definition to purchasing.
Riiigght, so what does branding mean to authors?
It means that when you present yourself professionally and consistently, or in a way that embodies who you are, you're branding yourself. And my whole point in this discussion was that the second you step on the tinterweb and start pressing send on things, you're branding yourself because you're sending out representative material.
And if you're a writer aspiring to be published, you'll probably want to make sure you don't come across as a nut case. If you're already published, you'll probably want to convey what you write through color, fonts, and the style of your posts. (Psssst. That's a brand.) And guess what: your brand also includes how much you make yourself accessible to readers or others reaching out to you.
So let's see some examples.
Maureen's brand, as far as I can tell, is her iconic picture that she uses on Twitter. And a certain way of writing her tweets, including putting us into a jar. And while book covers will change between editions and print runs, her book covers are currently all consistent in the font they use-- a scripty type that fits in with YA. Coolio. I think Allison Winn Scotch's brand is wrapped up a consistent set of colors used throughout her communications: aqua and brown, and has also consistently been clear about wanting to help out aspiring authors through her blog. I think Tawna Fenske, quite apart from her high-quality monkey toes brand, has branded herself as a purveyor of humor by the type of posts she writes on her blog, and the effort she puts into amusing us on a regular basis through those posts. It wasn't a surprise to learn that she writes humorous romance.
What's my brand? Cripes. As far as I have tried, it's the visuals of the red scheme, my red photocopied-esque picture, and my font in my name up there. As far as I have tried with content, it's clear, concise information (I try) with lots of white space and headings. Since I write what I like to think of as humorous women's fiction, I hope my posts are somewhat funny (as in, laughing with me, right?). I'll stop there, because if I say I'm funny, then I fear coming across as someone with a very high opinion of herself. Or else a saddo who thinks herself is funny when no one else does.
Does it work? In the above cases, yes. In my case, um...I haven't got any books to sell yet, so only time will tell. If I ask you if you would buy my book based on what's on this blog, then you would be forced to say yes, and my head would be cleared for lift-off again.
Andddddd....why do we care again?
I did point out in my prior post that having a color scheme or a logo or a catch phrase might not be important for you. And you don't have to have those things. It's okay to have an ambiguous brand. Again, so long as you're consistent, and professional. People get along just fine without full branding guideline manuals. But you should, in my opinion, think about the way you come across to others and behave accordingly. That, to me, is the essence of branding.
I'd like to continue this discussion. What are your thoughts on this? Agree? Disagree?
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Here are some ideas (and I will look forward to hearing more ideas from you in the comments!)
- Sledding. Hopefully you already have sleds - if not try blowing up an old inner tube, using a piece of cardboard or an old plastic political sign. Get creative!
- Cross Country Skiing (if you have equipment already)
- Skating (again - if you have equipment - maybe you can barter for some if not.)
- Make Snowmen, igloos or have a snowball fight.
- Take a walk. When you start getting a little exercise it doesn't feel so cold - especially when you do bundle up and you are having to move that bundled up body around. Winter can be very beautiful!
- Play Broomball - you just need some old brooms (you can fix them up a little if you like), a ball, something to mark goals and a packed surface. (here are more high tech instructions than what we follow.)
Fun things to do at Home (indoors)
- Play Games. This is something we usually do at least one evening a week in the winter.
- Do crafts. Again this is fun to do either by yourself or with the family. There are so many fun things to make that you can make using things you already have on hand - whether regularly craft supplies or "trash".
- Sew - maybe your family would enjoy making a quilt out of old clothes together.
- Cook or Bake together. We have to eat anyway right? Why not have a fun time working together to make something. Doughnuts are a fun treat.
- Turn your house into a cafe. Have fun with it just as your family or invite somebody else over that would enjoy it too. The kids love to be waiters and waitresses.
- Watch movies - either from your collection or get some from the library or watch one that is shown on TV (maybe record it so you can zoom through the commercials).
- Do some puzzles.
- Invite over some company. It doesn't have to be fancy. Share a simple meal or some snacks, play games if you like or just visit. Have fun together.
- Play some music together or enjoy a time of singing. Winter time is a great to get out the instruments that may have been neglected during the summer months.
Places to go for Frugal Fun
- Church and Church events. It is free, it is beneficial and we love it!
- Community Concerts. Our town has free ones fairly often - sponsored by the library, the high school, the university, churches or other things - there is often a lot of music available to hear.
- Attend events at your library. Ours has story time, story tellers, magic shows and more at various times.
- Check for free nights at museums or if you already have a membership then you can make use of it. Yesterday we had a blast spending the whole day at the History Center in St. Paul. We bought the membership last year (when going to another place) and since Ken had to travel down there anyway we all went (and stayed with friends) and then had a fun day at the museum with no additional admission charge. (And sorry no photos from that as I still can't seem to upload pictures - I am recycling pictures right now that are already on my blog elsewhere.)
- Visit others. Many lonely older people would probably love to have you visit. Even busy families often enjoy having friends visit. I know we do and the friends that we visited this week seemed to enjoy having us come as well.
- Plan a concert or something else to share at a nursing home. Call and check - usually they are very glad to have you and they are not expecting perfection.
What do you like to do in the winter that is free? Please share your ideas!
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GROTON -- A conflict of interest predominated a public hearing held by the Board of Selectmen to consider making Off Prescott Street a public way.
At issue was disagreement between residents who live on the street, some of whom wanted the town to adopt the road so as to ensure winter snow plowing and maintenance and others who preferred that the town stay out, fearful that if their street became a public way, it would be opened to development.
That fear stemmed from the neighborhood's biggest landowner, Grotonwoods, which claims considerable frontage along the street.
But in a letter from Grotonwoods attorney Robert Collins, read at the meeting, his client had no interest in developing its land along Off Prescott Street.
That word was bolstered in person by Grotonwoods representative Richard Wolf, who told selectmen at the March 18 hearing, that there was "ambiguity" surrounding the legal status of the road.
That said, Wolf reiterated that Grotonwoods had no intention of developing its land in the neighborhood.
Still, there was confusion among residents whether Off Prescott Street was already an accepted public road, with one insisting that almost 30 years ago, someone in Town Hall told them it was.
One way or another, said DPW director Tom Delaney, who some residents said had "threatened" them with refusing maintenance of the road, the street had to be declared public or private.
Delaney explained that in order to use state
Boiling the issue down to its essentials, board Chairman Stuart Schulman said it all came down to the fact that everyone would agree to making Off Prescott Street a town way, providing there was assurance that the Grotonwoods land would never be developed.
Fellow board member Joshua Degen stated flatly that the street was very clearly a private way. If Grotonwoods would agree to place something like a conservation restriction on its land to keep it from being developed, he would agree to accepting the road as a public way, if not, he would be against it.
The hearing ended when it was decided that Grotonwoods meet with Town Manager Mark Haddad, the Conservation Commission, and attorney Collins to discuss a possible restriction and prepare an agreement in time for consideration at the fall special Town Meeting.
In the meantime, selectmen voted to remove an article on the warrant for spring Town Meeting that would have asked residents to accept Off Prescott Street as a town way.
Also at the March 18 meeting, selectmen voted to accept an request for proposal from the Prescott Re-Use Committee for the former Prescott school building.
The RFP is to be advertized in the state's Central Register and other real estate sources seeking contractors to bid on redeveloping the historic structure for "hospitality use" or as it has been described, a bed and breakfast.
The Re-Use Committee was charged by the Board of Selectmen to make a study of the Prescott School building to determine the best uses for which it could be redeveloped.
The 75-year-old building has been under scrutiny by town officials ever since the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District ended its use as an active elementary school and moved its administrative offices there from the now disused Tarbell Elementary School building in West Groton.
Among the possibilities for the building's use considered by the committee included a museum, affordable housing, office space, and the location for a new Center Fire Station.
In fact, the possibility that it might be used for a new fire station was what held up the RFP. When residents finally agreed to site the new station along Farmers Row, committee members decided that the time was right to bring the RFP forward.
If a bed and breakfast facility is eventually cited at the former school building, it would generate added revenue for the town.
"It will be real interesting to see what response we get," said Schulman of the RFP.
With the board's acceptance of the RFP, Haddad said he would have it reviewed by town counsel before advertising it.
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Insecurity may improve your chances in the dating world
We have long repeated the adage that confidence — whether real or faked — leads to success on the pick-up scene and in the dating world. But a new study by a psychology professor at Queens College in New York suggests the exact opposite: insecure people try harder in the dating world, which can lead to success at least as often as it can lead to your appearing desperate and needy.
“Insecure individuals [present] themselves as warm, engaging, and humorous people,” the professor, Claudia Brumbaugh, writes. In other words, maybe insecure people who fake confidence actually do better than confident people who take their self-confidence for granted. Insecure people tend to be more sensitive to someone else’s needs, interests, and desires, too, which can translate into being a good date… at least for as long as you can keep up the act. But, with any luck, by the time your natural tendencies toward anxiety, jealousy, and insecurity make themselves known, your partner will like you well enough to look past them.
So, insecure people of the world: Go forth and date! The professor says you can do it. [via]
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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A multi-storey building collapsed in Rio's centre last evening, leaving rubble strewn over a wide area but confusion about the number of possible victims and the cause.
Thick layers of debris covered cars and motorcycles. A neighbouring building sustained serious damage, and television showed at least two people on its roof apparently awaiting help from firefighters.
There were differing reports about possible deaths.
A spokeswoman from the city's Civil Defence department said two people were confirmed dead, but officials from City Hall and the municipal health department later disputed that, saying no deaths had been confirmed by early today. It was not clear how many people were injured.
Searchers were still picking through the rubble hours after the collapse.
There was a strong smell of natural gas in the area, but Rio's mayor said there were doubts that a gas leak caused the accident.
"There apparently was not an explosion. The collapse occurred because of structural damages," he said. "I don't think there was a gas leak."
Witnesses had reported hearing a loud explosion-like sound just before the building fell, and a strong odour of gas hung over the scene.
It was not immediately clear how big the damaged buildings were. The one nearly destroyed was at least five storeys high. It sat near Rio's historic Teatro Municipal and the Fine Arts Museum, both of which appeared undamaged.
The Civil Defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she believed the collapsed building was for commercial use and not residential. The explosion happened after 8:00 p.m. and there were hopes that would minimise the number of people who might have been in the area.
Police cordoned off the area and electricity to the street was cut off for safety reasons.
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Now we know why James Murdoch, heir apparent at NewsCorp, has been so messianic about the iPad recently. The Times/Sunday Times “apps” experiment is merely part of a bigger picture – perhaps a small one at that.
It has emerged – rather curiously via US fashion industry journal Women’s Wear Daily – that Murdoch Sr is working closely with Apple chief executive Steve Jobs on launching an entirely new, exclusively apps-driven newspaper (there will be no website or print ancillaries) that can be purchased on an iPad. Other tablet formats may follow (though Jobs’ views on this egalitarian gesture are unknown). What we can say is that the news vehicle will be called the Daily, that it will appear as early as the end of this month, that it has an upmarket skew, that it will cost 99 cents a week, and that it will probably be edited by NewsCorp’s blue-eyed boy Jesse Angelo, currently managing editor of The New York Post.
For the fuller implications of a personal alliance between these towering giants of the media and technology worlds, turn to Tim Berners-Lee. Spookily but – so far as I know – entirely independently, the founder of the internet has just published in Scientific American a searching critique of what he regards as internet abuse. Unwittingly, it provides considerable insight into why Murdoch and Jobs are batting in the same team.
Berners-Lee casts his net widely. He sees the internet – once a kind of communitarian brotherhood in virtual space – as increasingly under siege. The attack on its ‘inalienable’ freedoms comes from a number of sources, many of which are themselves firmly rooted in web culture. High on his list of targets, for example, are social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. To these he adds Google and US telecoms carrier Verizon, which earlier this year struck an agreement to exempt mobile access to the internet from web neutrality; that is, from the accepted principle that no web service may be prioritised over another by a pricing structure imposed on its delivery. And finally, he rounds on mobile and desktop applications – Apple’s in particular – which operate behind a walled garden of restricted access.
Berners-Lee’s wider point is that these forces have something in common. Each in its separate way is parcelling out the freedom to communicate on the internet by hiving off “silos of content”. Berners-Lee believes this development is a Bad Thing, because it will eventually choke off innovation by creating a more fragmented internet.
There is, however, another way of looking at Berners-Lee’s argument – and one likely to find far more favour with Messrs Murdoch and Jobs: turn it on its head.
While the internet remains a free, or “near-perfect” (in the economist’s jargon) market, no one can enjoy a lasting commercial advantage. Look no further than the record industry, or the media itself. This is good for internet joyriders, who want their news, views and music free, but unsustainable in the wider capitalist economy. Without a carefully managed investment programme and the principle of reasonable investor returns, innovation on the internet is just as likely to be stunted as it is by the dark forces of silo monopolies that Berners-Lee sees gathering on the virtual horizon.
Murdoch and Jobs have every reason to cooperate. The internet may, in the longer run, have much to lose if they do not.
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My dad, who works for SSA's Office of Hearings and Appeals sent me this. A lot of people are turned down for Social Security benefits because they simply have not worked enough and paid enough in taxes. These people file an appeal, which means the government has to A)fight the appeal or B) send the bum a check. So the government has created a rule that lets them do the latter. It's sort of like settling out of court.
Just thought you would like to know what your government is doing to deal with the crushing backlog of requests for hearing in disability cases in the Social Security Administration. I am particularly intrigued by the "No Work Experience Profile". Consider this: A person who didn't bother to get a high school education ("no more than a limited education"), hasn't bothered to work or has worked "under the table" in the past 15 years ("no past relevant work"), has managed to live to age 55, and has any impairment that causes more than a minimum limitation on his or her ability to work ("severe impairment"). Would you consider such a person to be disabled? Well, the Social Security Administration now does. The lack of past work experience would make the person ineligible for regular Social Security disability benefits, but the person could qualify for Supplemental Security Income. We call this "paying down the backlog." Just thought you would all like to know how wisely your tax money is being spent. The toughest part of my job lately has been holding my nose with one hand as I type decisions with the other.
Michael B. Enders
Hartford, CT Hearing Office
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Post by David Farrell (July 12, 2011)
It is not just political systems that need to be reformed from time to time, parties also need to go through a process of renewal if they’re to survive the trials and tribulations of electoral politics. As reported in today’s Irish Times, Fianna Fáil’s parliamentary party met yesterday to have a full and frank discussion about its future and about how it might change and adapt in the light of its recent electoral defeat. This is an entirely understandable move by the party leadership as it seeks to find a way back to electoral success in future elections.
The first attempt to explore the issue of party change systematically was by Kenneth Janda and Robert Harmel in a much-cited paper published in the Journal of Theoretical Politics in 1994. See also their paper in Party Politics published a year later. As they show using comparative evidence, the three most common factors behind major change in political parties, is election defeat, the election of a new party leader, or changes in the dominant faction within a party.
Fianna Fáil has experienced the first two of these factors (indeed, arguably all three), so it makes sense that the tone of the discussions about change and renewal should be ambitious. The party has a steep hill to climb.
Will it succeed? Well, if the comparative evidence is anything to go by, the party should. In a recent stock take of political parties in a number of the world’s democracies, my colleagues and I find compelling evidence of the adaptive capability of political parties. Of course, there are parties that come and go all the time, but the larger, more established parties seem to stay the course for the most part, and one main reason for this is because they successfully tack and change to meet the prevailing electoral winds.
The sorts of discussions that the Fianna Fáil leadership are currently having suggest that they are well aware of the need to do this.
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Available by prescription only, Lidex is a steroid used to treat various skin conditions, such as psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema. This medicine works by reducing inflammation and suppressing an overactive immune system. It comes in a variety of forms and is usually applied to the affected areas of the skin two to four times daily. Side effects may include skin irritation, such as burning or itching.
Lidex® (fluocinonide) is a prescription skin medication. It comes in the form of an ointment, gel, topical solution, or cream. It belongs to a group of medications known as topical steroids and is used to treat inflammation and itching due to a wide variety of skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and allergic reactions.
Brand-name Lidex products were made by Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation, but are no longer available. Generic versions are available and are made by various manufacturers.
Lidex is part of a group of medications known as glucocorticoids, which are a type of corticosteroid (or "steroid" for short). Although glucocorticoids have numerous effects in the body, they are used mostly for their anti-inflammatory or immune-suppressing properties. Lidex works for most conditions by decreasing inflammation or suppressing an overactive immune system.
Some general considerations to keep in mind during treatment with Lidex include the following:
- This medication is usually applied to the affected area(s) of the skin two to four times a day.
- Apply the medication sparingly; only a thin film is necessary.
- Use a dressing (such as a bandage) over Lidex only if your healthcare provider tells you to do so. Dressings can increase the effectiveness of the drug, but also increase the risk for side effects.
- For the medication to work properly, it must be used as prescribed.
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In the week that saw the DVD release of THE HOAX, a fictionalized film account of Clifford Irving's Howard Hughes autobiography fraud (at the time of the making of F FOR FAKE), it may be fitting in the name of caution to wonder further about the upcoming auction of Orson Welles' Oscar. Reliable correspondent that you are, Christopher, you raise more pertinent questions than the main stream media or the trades have bothered to.
For one thing, as you reasonably suggest, if the DAX Foundation received (purchased?) the Oscar from Beatrice Welles in 2003, after she sued Gary Graver and Southby's to prevent its auction in 1994, how is the Oscar at auction now, when the DAX Foundation did not come into existence until 2007?
What is the DAX Foundation? you ask. And if not Gregory Arkadin, who is "Mr. DAX"?
Well, the rather elaborate and flowing DAX Foundation website tells us with considerable hyperbole, and some very careful legalese, that the Foundation is into doing all kinds of good things for orphans, sick people, thirsty Africans, victims of Global Warming, broken down race horses, stray cats, and other needy creatures.
The website shows us a dark-haired man in a green silk suit, standing with his back to us. Alternatively, a Howard Hughes/Charles Foster Kane-like figure of a man in a wheel chair (attendant behind him), perched on the mesa of a cliff, is silhouetted against what looks like a tropical sea at sunset. The copy tells us that Mr. DAX was born and raised in the United States, but spent most of his life in Europe and Asia, presumably as some sort of tycoon. He has devoted the last 30 years, having returned from Macau or wherever, to quiet private philanthropy. Only in 2007, did he form the foundation which bears his name (or nom de guerre), and apply for 301 code status as a non-profit enterprise.
"All men dream: but not equally," DAX likes to say, quoting T.E. Laurence "Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams out in cold daylight."
If so, "The dark" to paraphrase Christopher Isherwood, "may be light enough."
For instance, almost the only accomplishment of the Foundation, aside from a vague reference to a speech on Global Warming, seems to be the procuring of the Welles' Oscar for sale. Every other enterprise or initiative listed by the Foundation either appears not to exist, is in the process of becoming, or makes no reference to participation by the DAX Foundation.
The Mayfair Foundation -- Said to be under construction by DAX to aid
disabled children in Southern California. No
other information available.
Over a Barrel -- Said to someday care for old lions, tigers, etc.
DAX tells us that it has purchased 120 acres
in the Lucerne Valley of Southern California.
Organs r' Us -- Founded in the San Francisco's Bay Area in
1997 to assist people in need of organ
transplants. Sponsors runners in the Bay-to-
Breakers. Has spread nationally, but lists no
affiliation with the DAX Foundation.
The Artesian African
Water Project -- Intends to provide drilling rigs to poor African
nations for water and irrigation. Not up and
running yet. Foundation promises 500
platform rigs over the life of the program. No
other information available.
Tanango Racing Horse
Rehabilitation Facility -- In the process of building stables. No other
Maui Cat Program -- Proposes to aid feral cats. No other
I could find no specific biography linking a David Weisman to the DAX Foundation. A Randy Shapiro was listed as a contact, with a Santa Monica area phone code given. Conditions are laid down for approaching the Foundation, rather like those that governed inquiries of the Thatcher Memorial Library.
It would seem inconceivable, having once been burned, that Southby's would not have carefully vetted the DAX Foundation, but if so, the charity certainly carries out its good works quietly.
Perhaps sharper minds than mine can gather more accurate information for you, Christopher. Thank you for stimulating a little detective work. We may find the need of "a little target practice," as I liked to say, when I was taking the Lady from Shanghai on the town.
Last edited by Glenn Anders
on Sat Oct 27, 2007 3:26 am, edited 7 times in total.
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Mitt Romney’s decision to tap Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential nominee could dramatically shift the campaign from one about Obama’s record and Romney’s biography to the huge policy divide between Democrats and Republicans over how the federal government should spend and raise money.
By selecting Ryan, Romney closely associates himself with the author of a controversial budget plan which would dramatically overhaul the federal government. Ryan, as head of the House Budget Committee, has called for big reductions in taxes for both wealthy individuals and corporations and for turning Medicare into a program in which each senior citizen gets a voucher of several thousand dollars to purchase their own plan, instead of the current, government-operated program. He would make Medicaid a block grant program where each state could set its own rules.
Under Ryan, corporate taxes would be 25 percent instead of 35 percent, and the highest tax bracket for individuals would also be 25 percent instead of 35 percent. He would also cut trillions in government spending, likely reducing funds for education, health care and transportation at a much faster rate than Democrats have proposed in order to balance the federal budget.
The Ryan vision is a dramatic departure from what the president is proposing. In his second term, Obama wants to raise taxes on wealthy individuals to fund increased spending in some areas of education and infrastructure and continue implementing “Obamacare,” which expands Medicaid and sets strict rules for states on how they use the program.
Democrats, including President Obama, argue Ryan’s proposals constitute “social Darwinism” and would benefit the rich at the expense of people who rely on Medicare, Medicaid and other programs.
The Ryan pick comes with major risks and rewards for Romney. On the positive side, Ryan will rally the GOP base, which has embraced the congressman for his bold, conservative budget plan. And unlike Donald Trump, Sarah Palin and other conservatives the Tea Party loves, Ryan does not have a controversial personality and is unlikely to hurl attacks about the president’s faith or birth. Also unlike Palin, Ryan is well versed on most policy issues and unlikely to worry independent voters by not being able to say which magazines he reads. And the 42-year-old Ryan could help the GOP appeal to younger voters.
At the same time, it’s not clear which voters Ryan brings to Romney who are not already conservative-leaning. Even though Ryan hails from Wisconsin, he’s never won a statewide race there and doesn’t guarantee Romney a victory in that state, which Obama won in 2008. Ryan’s strong conservatism will help Democrats rally their base. And a ticket with two white men does little to address the concern that the GOP is not in touch with an increasingly diverse America.
Follow Perry Bacon Jr. on Twitter at @perrybaconjr
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Sony's years-long effort to promote its Atrac audio encoding format appears to be coming to an end.
Sony's known for creating proprietary formats rather than adopting formats developed elsewhere. Many other companies--Microsoft in particular--do the same thing, but Sony sometimes seems to cling to its technologies long past the date where it makes business sense. Sony invented Atrac for its MiniDisc, but as MP3 players became popular, Sony tried to push the format into the new world of discless players. Those first Sony portable players didn't support MP3. This helped a down-on-its-luck company with no consumer electronics … Read more
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Posted on Nov 26, 2012
Report on meeting held November 22 November by the Community Panel:
Changes to your health care and services in Wandsworth, and what YOU can do about it'
Chair: Jeremy Ambache – ex LiNK, Healthwatch, Chartfield patient rep
Speakers: Dr Houda Al-Sharifi – Director of Public Health Wandsworth, Dr Peter Ilves – Danebury Surgery, Chair of West Wandsworth Local Commissioning Group, Mike O’Bryan – patient representative on West Wandsworth Commissioning Group, Heathbridge Practice.
Jeremy Ambache explained to us that Healthwatch will take over from LiNK in April 2013.
Healthwatch will comprise of a network of groups who use health and social care services, with the aim of giving patients and users a voice locally and nationally. There is Healthwatch England, which works at the national level, and then there are local Healthwatch groups. There will be one Healthwatch for every local authority area, and they will take the experiences of local people and use them to help shape local services. Healthwatch England will make sure that people who use health and social care services are able to have their voice heard by the Secretary of State, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the NHS Commissioning Board, and every local authority in England. More information on www.healthwatch.co.uk
Jeremy told us that there is the Wandsworth Clinical Commissioning Group (WCCG). The WCCG covers 46 medical practices, is lead by Dr Nicola Jones and works with NHS Wandsworth, Wandsworth Council, and patient groups. The public can attend meetings and ask questions of the speakers. GPs will work together to manage their budgets and to influence all the wider commissioning decisions within the new Wandsworth Clinical Commissioning Group. These commissioning decisions will be both ‘clinically led’ and worked out in partnership with patients / patient groups.
Dr Houda Al-Sharifi explained that the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) is a snapshot of the population in the Borough and the health and well-being of its people. There is a gap in life expectancy between the most and least affluent areas of more than 7 years, with coronary heart disease being the greatest single cause. Childhood obesity is a major concern, with teenage pregnancy rates, sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol related hospital admissions all having risen. Wandsworth has higher than expected rates of mortality from circulatory disease and cancer, as well as a high rate of excess winter deaths, and the mortality rate from winter falls is also high. There is concern that carers may have unmet health and support needs, and there is a drive to enable the over 75’s to maintain their independence. The full document is available on www.wandsworth.gov.uk/observatory
Dr Peter Ilves talked to us about health care services being patient focused, outcome driven, principled and collaborative. He outlined the Better Services, Better Value (BSBV) review in South West London. This will be formally consulted on in 2013 and will include: prioritizing clinical quality, less Hospital with A and E provision, more care out of hospital and savings that have to be made over 5 years.
(Primary care refers to services provided by GP practices, dental practices, community pharmacies and high street optometrists. Secondary care is defined as a service provided by medical specialists who generally do not have first contact with patients)
Peter talked about Personal and Community Resilience. At present we, the patients, are very Primary and Secondary care dependent. The hope and plan is that, as time goes on, we will become more involved with Integrated Health Care and will end up with Community networks of support, with Primary and Integrated Care working closely together. The need for Secondary care (both acute and non-acute) will be reduced by the other systems in place having kicked in earlier, in a more preventative way.
Wandsworth CCG and Health and Wellbeing Board are committing to deliver truly integrated health and social care through the Planning All Care Together programme.
(There are many Groups and organisations involved, but, as Convenor of the Community Panel of the Putney Society, I have decided that we will have to host another meeting in 6 months time. By then we should have a better idea of how things are going, and can then get to grips with all the different groups, what they do, and how they affect us. As well as learning their names and acronyms!)
Mike O’Bryan explained how the GP Practice Patient Consultative Groups work (PPCG) with the Local Commissioning Group (LCG). There are 9 practices in Putney and Roehampton working to produce consistent long term plans. It’s really important that patients get involved and join the Patient Groups at their doctor’s surgeries. If you don’t get involved and voice your concerns, then it’s going to be impossible for patient’s ideas and concerns to be taken on board, changed or improved. Mike collates the information gathered from the different PCG’s (Patient Consultative Groups) and takes it up the ladder to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
There are Clinical Reference Groups (CRG’s) which focus on different areas, such as sexual health, substance misuse, children’s services, diabetes, sickle cell, mental health etc.
There were a wide variety of questions about care of the elderly, worries about privatisation of the health service, Sure Start, the effects of poverty, the Maternity Unit at St George’s (Trudi Kemp from St Georges explained how their maternity unit was originally set up to take 3000 births a year, and is now up to 5000. They just can’t take more patients, hence having to send pregnant women to other hospitals), the Out of Hours (Harmoni) service, data sharing between Hospital and GPs, Drugs and alcohol services, developing community resilience, high rates of Cancer … and much more!
One thing we forgot to mention : 111 is the new three-digit telephone service that's being introduced to improve access to NHS urgent care services. Patients can use this number when they need medical help or advice and it's not urgent enough to call 999. NHS 111 operates 24/7, 365 days per year and is free to use from a landline and a mobile.
PLEASE JOIN YOUR PRACTICE'S PATIENT GROUP TO ENSURE YOUR VOICE IS HEARD. CHANGES WILL TAKE PLACE BY APRIL 2013
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Let's talk about the big economic story of 2013, energy independence.
U.S. oil production is now over seven million barrels a day, Bloomberg reports, up 1.13 million barrels/day from just last year.
The "spread" in price between West Texas oil and Brent is now over $23/barrel, notes MarketWatch, the reason being the cost of transporting oil from where it's produced -- often in North Dakota -- to where it's consumed by refineries.
The good news is Bakken oil is now starting to reach East Coast markets, which should show up at gas pumps this summer. The better news is that thanks, in part, to the natural gas glut that preceded today's oil boom, the U.S. is actually throwing less carbon into the atmosphere than before.Even better news is the continuing price spread and the gas glut combine to give U.S. manufacturers a huge price advantage over their Chinese competitors, partly offsetting labor cost differences. (Automation may help make up the rest.) But the best news is yet to come. The U.S. trade deficit is going down, Bloomberg reports, as some of that excess oil is exported. Wait, there's more. Vehicle miles traveled are leveling off due to higher prices, and gasoline consumption has resumed its downward slope from the Great Recession, thanks to higher-mileage cars. Only 7% of current savings come from better mileage, the Oil Drum writes, but that will rise as more high-mileage cars are sold. Detroit is rising on a wave of energy efficiency. Taking full advantage of this abundance, however, may mean going against the interests of the people who first brought it to us. Bloomberg is editorializing this week for higher oil taxes, saying it would not push production down and could help with deficit reduction. But all this ignores the real elephant in the room. I know, you're going to say climate change. I'm talking about the other elephant, renewable energy. Countries that don't enjoy our oil abundance, like Australia, are now finding that wind energy actually costs less to produce than electricity from either natural gas or coal, as Alternet reports. Germans are fully supportive of that country's move to renewable energy, CleanTechnica adds, so oil export markets are becoming more competitive.
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by lmessner - 3/15/12 7:01 AM
I'm just starting to learn web building on my own and need some resource tips. I'm having trouble finding out where to start with editing a site I recently acquired, and I haven't found consistent information on the web or from books.
The site was designed using Front Page and is on a local server (which I did not set up). I want to edit the site (preferably off line) and it needs to be user friendly.
Any help/suggestions are appreciated!
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A chance to be immersed in Islam, particularly Sufi traditions and the mystic Rumi - without having to convert...
A social enterprise is offering individuals the opportunity to immerse themselves in Islam, without having to convert, through a trip to Istanbul that takes in the regular sights and sounds but also includes prayers at dawn and midnight and lessons on Islam and its basic practices.
It draws heavily on the country's Sufi traditions – with a particular emphasis on the poet and mystic Rumi. Ben Bowler, from the Blood Foundation, which runs the project, said: "We wanted to focus on Rumi because he is a unifying figure. Turkey has a relatively open brand of Islam and Istanbul is an existing tourist destination."
"There is a willingness to engage with the west. We might not have found it in the Middle East or parts of south Asia. If we were in Saudi Arabia it would have been harder."
So, let's see:
- Find a Muslim country that is friendly to the West, because we sure don't want to challenge non-Muslim Western people's world view of what Islam should look like. Check!
- Make sure said country has a big cosmopolitan city and lots of touristy stuff to do, cuz we don't want to make it this Muslim-for-a-day thing too hard. Check!
- Present praying five times a day as a contest. Check!
- Charge typical tour-package fees (the £600 doesn't include airfare) to keep the riff-raff out. Check!
- Lie by calling it "Muslim for a month" even though it's for nine days Check!
- Focus on Rumi and Sufism, because those are the easiest for non-Muslim Westerners to "get into" and mis-appropriate for the cachet of being all advanced and open-minded. You know, that ally-cred thing. Check!
- Put a liberal "we're doing this to increase understanding" spin on it so that non-Muslim Westerners don't have to feel guilty about appropriating Islam. Check!
- Hey! Look! No commitment! Get your instant Islam fix! Check!
Yeah. Something that pisses me off is people wanting to get spiritual quick-fixes without doing the work or making a commitment, and somehow it always winds up being people with relative privilege cherry-picking the easy parts of non-dominant religions and cultures. I mean, how many "Be Christian for a month" tourist packages do you see?
It's like Madonna thinking that she's a special and enlightened honorary Jew because she practices a fake commercialized newage Kabbalah scrubbed clean of its years of study and torn violently off from Judaism. (Although, it seems Kabbalah isn't good enough for her any more; easy come easy go, I guess.)
It's like people saying they're Buddhist because they meditate and have a little shrine in their living rooms, complete with thousand-dollar gold-plated Buddha statues. As best I understand it, Buddhism is a way of life that encompasses compassion, non-violence, anti-oppression, and anti-materialism. Kind of like Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are. But that stuff is just so hard, and who wants to do that when you can just spend twenty minutes a day sitting with your legs crossed before you go to your job where you push subprime mortgages onto poor people?
If you want to take up a faith or a belief system, do the work of living it.
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Michael Stoff is a historian of the modern United States. He is the author of Oil, War, and American Security and coauthor of Nation of Nations: A Narrative History of the American Republic; American Journey: The Quest for Liberty; The American Nation; and America: A History. He is also coeditor of The Manhattan Project: A Documentary Introduction to the Atomic Age and series coeditor of the Oxford New Narratives in American History. Stoff has lectured widely on modern American history, the American presidency, and American foreign affairs. He has been honored many times for his teaching, most recently with election to the Academy of Distinguished Teachers.
Stoff received his PhD from Yale University. After teaching at Yale, he moved to the University of Texas at Austin, where he is currently a member of the history department. There he has served as director of the history honors program and the graduate program in history. At present, Stoff is director of the nationally acclaimed Plan II Honors Program, one of the oldest core curricula in the country.
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The Washington Post
A Survivor's Poignant Patchwork of Memories;
Esther Krinitz Told Her Story in Needlework
by Megan Rosenfeld
May 10, 2001
In the picture, three girls stand in the foreground, their backs to the viewer. They wear bright dresses but no shoes, as though they had been running free in the summer warmth. The girl in the middle is touching the shoulder of the one on her left, while the third has her hands behind her back, clasped at the elbows. Unfolding before them is a terrifying scene, described in carefully embroidered letters at the bottom.
My friends and I ran to see the first Nazis entering our village, Mniszek. They stopped in front of my grandparents' house, where one got off his horse to rough up my grandfather and cut his beard as my grandmother screamed.
Esther Nisenthal Krinitz made this picture in 1993, 55 years after the events she described. By that time, long after she'd escaped the Nazis and started a new life in America, run two dress shops and raised two children, she wanted to record her past. She remembered dreams from the horrible years, turned the dreams into pictures, using the art she knew -- embroidery, applique and sewing. She stitched with the same fierce energy that had seen her through the war, creating, with wisps of fabric and strands of thread, her story.
The dreams prompted other memories, scenes of life, terror, death and survival. By the time she died almost six weeks ago at the age of 74 she'd made 36 amazing pieces; 22 of them are on view through Monday at the D.C. Jewish Community Center.
Nobody knows quite what to call them. "They're not tapestries, in the formal sense. And they're not really collages," says Liz Diament, director of the JCC's Ann Loeb Bronfman Gallery, where the works are displayed. "Needle art" sounds like tattoos. "Stitchery" sounds like arts and crafts. Let's settle for "three-dimensional works on fabric."
What Krinitz did was re-create her world in a way that is somehow truer and more vivid than a photograph or film. In the tiny braided pigtails, the thin line of blue trim on a girl's white anklets, the lace curtains at a window or the pattern in a matzoh, you can sense real people living ordinary lives. The colors -- in contrast to the black-and-white pictures in which so much of our information about the war and the Holocaust is captured -- are bright and lively. The scenes are full of exquisite flowers, impassive witnesses to scenes of disruption and horror. Using embroidery as an art form to document the Holocaust -- so homely and familiar and yet adapted to such an unfamiliar purpose -- has a nearly surreal effect.
Although Diament has arranged the pictures chronologically for easier comprehension, Krinitz did not produce them that way. The first scene in the show, from June 1937, which depicts her making a bowl of borscht for her misbehaving brother Rueven, was created in 1996. A day in April 1941 when her father, praying on the first night of Passover, was beaten and nearly shot by Nazi soldiers, emerged three years earlier.
There are disarming elements of whimsy in her story pictures, as in one labeled "Shavuot 1938," in which she is walking on stilts, leading her siblings to their grandparents' house. In another she has nail polish on her toes, tiny stitches in red. There are chilling stitches, too -- the red ones making welts on the back of a boy being beaten by the Gestapo, and the tiny pale pink tears on white cheeks you must squint to see. The perspective of every picture is hers, what she saw, straightforward and without sentimental commentary. It is her story.
The Nisenthals lived in a small Polish village called Mniszek. At that time most of the residents were Jewish; today none of them is. During three years of Nazi occupation, the years that Esther was 12 to 15, the Jews were increasingly restricted and threatened. When, on Oct. 15, 1942, the Gestapo ordered her family and all the other Jews deported, Esther talked her parents into letting her and her younger sister, Mania, seek shelter with gentiles.
Five of her pictures depict scenes from this one day. One scene she made twice -- the leave-taking. "This was the hardest thing for her," says her daughter, Bernice Steinhardt, who has had most of the works hung in her home in Chevy Chase. "She felt so guilty that she left them, that she was so selfish." Esther felt, without knowing exactly why, that the Jews who were being deported were doomed. Something deep within her wanted to take responsibility for her own survival. "Goodbye, my children, maybe you will live," she remembered her mother saying. The guilt came later.
In the first rendering of the farewell scene, her father holds her by the arms affectionately; there are two baskets with potato spades -- the girls' ticket for work -- at their feet. Yellow daisies cheer up one corner, but there are crows on the roof, their red eyes shining ominously. The second version, made seven years later, is more detailed. The Jews are loaded into carts, layered with clothes and bundles, while Esther and Mania can be seen in the distance, walking up the road carrying their spades. Each piece of gravel in the road is another knot of thread. They never saw their mother, father, sisters or brother again. (Neither of these works is at the JCC, but three others of Oct. 15 are.)
Another series, most of it created in 1994, depicts what happened to the two girls in subsequent weeks. A neighbor reneged on her promise to take them to a farmer who had promised shelter; they walked to his village alone. This farmer, Stefan, took them in for two days, then turned them out in the pouring rain. They hid in a forest. This episode is shown in one large work -- Stefan's initial embrace, the two girls working in his attic, the rain, then Esther and Mania drying their boots in the forest when the sun shone again.
There were other rejections before they found refuge in Grabowka, changed their names and masqueraded as Polish Catholics. Esther worked for an elderly farmer whose wife had died, and Mania as a housekeeper for the local sheriff. A year and eight months later, Russian soldiers liberated the village, and they were safe. After a month, Esther returned to Mniszek to find her family, but there was no trace of them. She next went to the camp she believed they'd been taken to -- Maidanek -- but found only gas chambers and crematoriums.
One of her most stunning works shows her at Maidanek, a girl in a bright yellow dress standing at the gate. Inside there is a small building filled with shoes; she went through them, looking for one she recognized, but they were all so worn "they looked the same." There is a small pile of hair -- even a brown braid -- and barbed wire made with minuscule X's. She found no record of her parents or siblings.
Esther began the rest of her life. She joined the Polish army and worked with the Russians at the camp. She was 17.
She cooked and changed truck tires, and her unit ended up in Berlin. She made her way to a displaced persons camp. There she met Max Krinitz and, at 19, married him. She wore the one wedding dress in the camp, a garment passed from one newly hopeful refugee bride to the next. Mania also met her husband there; they moved to Israel and had children before coming to the United States in 1960.
The rest of the Krinitzes' story is not unlike those of the many who came to this country after the war to make new lives and families. Esther and Max (he had his own story of survival) moved to Brooklyn; he managed a supermarket and she opened a dress shop. They had ambitions for their two daughters, and they took great pride in their house. After Bernice had her first child, the Krinitzes moved to Frederick to be closer to them, and opened a dress shop called Esther's. Max died in 1998.
She was never reluctant to tell her story, Steinhardt recalls. It was a regular refrain, generally starring Esther, but always with the theme "How did I ever do that?" She wanted one of her daughters to write it for her, or paint it for her. She thought she couldn't do it herself.
There was an 11-year gap between her first picture and her second, years in which her sewing energies were directed toward her grandchildren. But one night in the late '80s she had a dream, the same dream she'd had that first night in Grabowka. From then on her fingers were on fire. She described the dream in a caption.
"I had a dream that my mother came to get me, running and pulling me along. 'Why are we running?' I asked her. She said, 'Because the sky is falling, and when it reaches the ground, we will die.' When I looked back, black pieces of clouds were falling to the earth."
She embroidered the dream, and cut out black pieces of clouds from cloth, and sewed them to a canvas. And gave the picture to her daughters. Between 1991 and 1999 she made more than 30 pictures while also running her dress shop.
"She never thought of herself as an artist," says Steinhardt. "She was making them for us."
But Steinhardt and her sister, Helene McQuade, could see that these were more than needlework. Where their mother saw a kind of documentary, they saw art; where Esther thought of them as a private family legacy, the daughters saw creations that should be seen and acknowledged by others.
Eventually they arranged this exhibit at the JCC. Others have joined in their enthusiasm; Tuesday night the Polish ambassador, in one of his country's ongoing efforts of expiation, hosted a reception and showing of the works at his embassy. A nonprofit organization called the Cultural Exchange Foundation is raising money to send the works to Poland, Germany, Israel and other cities in the United States.
The exhibit was scheduled before Esther Krinitz died March 30. Her daughters say she would have been thrilled to see it.
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Last Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average — the benchmark stock index of America’s blue chip companies – closed above 14,000 for the first time since the financial meltdown sent the U.S. economy into the worst crisis in decades. The continued resurgence of the U.S. auto industry and growing optimism about the overall economy helped propel the Dow above the psychologically important 14,000 point level. The surging Dow is an indication of the increasing financial health of the largest American companies, a bright spot in an otherwise shaky U.S. economic recovery, particularly with respect to unemployment. America’s blue chip firms — including industrial giants, banks, and auto companies — are healthier than they’ve been in years. But what about the largest U.S. tech companies? Like the other major stock indices, the tech-heavy Nasdaq index is at or near multi-year highs. On Friday alone, the Nasdaq rose 1%, nearly touching the index’s five-year high, which it hit last September, driven in part by tech juggernaut Apple, which had just released the iPhone 5. But Wall Street sentiment has soured on Apple in recent months, somewhat tempering the Nasdaq’s continued ascent. How high can tech stocks go? Given Apple’s size — it’s the largest tech company in the world — it makes sense to begin any forward-looking evaluation of the Nasdaq with the Cupertino, Calif.-based cash machine. Apple constitutes about 12% of the Nasdaq’s valuation, and there’s no question the company’s recent stock swoon has placed a drag on the tech-heavy index. Let’s take a look at Apple and three other important Nasdaq companies. Two weeks ago, for the third consecutive quarter, Apple fell short of analyst estimates, sending the company’s stock down 10% in after-hours trading, wiping out nearly $50 billion in shareholder value. Although it reported record financial results, Apple’s slowing growth rate has spooked investors, who are growing increasingly concerned about the next stage in the company’s epic story. Can Apple maintain its heretofore astonishing growth-rate on the back of existing products like the iPhone and the iPad or does the company need new, breakthrough products? Investors seem to think the latter, which explains why its stock has declined 26% over the last six months. As the largest single component of the Nasdaq index, Apple’s continued growth is crucial for the tech-heavy stock tracker. If there’s a true standout among big tech stocks, it’s clearly Internet titan Google, which hit a record high on Friday, closing up 2.6% to $775.60, the highest value since the company went public in August 2004, according to Bloomberg. As rival Apple has stumbled, Google shares have increased 30% over the last year. Google now has a market capitalization of $250 billion, with $50 billion cash on hand. Not bad for a 15-year-old academic project. Last month, Google reported strong revenue growth, as the online advertising market keeps shifting away from traditional ad platforms — including print — and toward Internet-based marketing. This trend will continue indefinitely, and as the world’s largest Internet advertising company, Google is perfectly poised to capitalize here. Another bright spot for the Nasdaq is social media colossus Facebook. After a rough few months following the company’s controversial initial public offering, Facebook shares have soared over 30% in the last three months. Last month, Facebook delivered a strong earnings report, with mobile revenue surging from 0% to 23% of total revenue in just one year. That’s another figure that will only increase. “Today there is no argument,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Wall Street analysts. “Facebook is a mobile company.” The company’s overall ad sales growth is booming, increasing in the fourth quarter by 41% to $1.3 billion. As the largest of the new class of Nasdaq’s stocks, Facebook’s continued success is crucial for the tech-heavy index, which endured withering criticism of its handling of the IPO. If the Nasdaq has a compelling underdog story right now, it’s a company called Blackberry, formerly known as Research in Motion. (Why it took so many years for the company to make this obvious branding change is beyond me.) Practically left for dead just six months ago, Blackberry is up a whopping 49.6% over the last three months. Last week, Blackberry unveiled its long-awaited Blackberry 10 operating system, and unveiled two slick-looking new Blackberry phones. Taking several pages from the Apple/Google playbook, Blackberry announced a marketplace for music and movies, and an app catalog that will include more than 70,000 apps at launch, as TIME’s Techland reported. Blackberry shares are still down over 80% since their 2008 peak, but if the company can launch a product that genuinely competes with Apple and Google, that will be good for the tech sector, because competition spurs innovation, and innovation drives the Nasdaq. It’s important to remember that the health of stock market indices does not necessarily correspond with the overall health of the U.S. economy. In fact, there’s frequently little connection at all. Stock markets are driven by corporate profits, which seem increasingly disconnected from the health of the U.S. consumer, a key driver of the economy. Still, rising corporate revenues, profits, and stock prices are an unambiguously good sign for the U.S. economy. And tech companies are a key element of overall U.S. corporate health. What drives tech revenues and profits? Consumer and corporate spending. There’s no doubt that investors have grown skittish about Apple, which is weighing on the Nasdaq. But overall, U.S. stock market indices and other key economic measures appear to be contributing to a virtuous cycle — however halting — that will ultimately benefit investors.
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On July 14, 2011, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals a new kind of database application interface for social networkers that use Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and other services. It's an idea that could appeal to social networkers who don't own a personal blog but still wish to show their friends or colleagues items of interest. It could be to show off an exotic car or baseball card collection, or maybe a catalog of the flowers in their garden or even for showcasing a shoe collection for the ladies. This unique database could also be used as a central home for your resume when looking for work. Yet the potential behind Apple's proposed application really rests in where this application could go in terms of appealing to home businesses. Time will tell how this new app will actually play out, but it seems to hold a lot of potential for social networkers. And lastly today we take a peek at Apple's newly proposed solution for avoiding headset cable tangling. Lord knows we need a solution for that headache.
A Database Message Builder
A patent application from Apple describes a new kind of database application interface that centers in on a unique "Message Builder" which is designed to work with social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and others. Apple doesn't clarify whether the database application is part of their FileMaker application or a new simpler database application for iWork.
In some implementations, database message building functionality could be included in an application using an Application Programming Interface (API) in place of the user interface 102. The API could allow a programmer to access database message builder methods and classes according to call conventions defined by a database message builder API specification.
The application appears to allow a user to build a database of interest or perhaps a database of items for sale that would allow them to reach potential customers using social media sites. The database, as I read it, wouldn't require a user to first own a blog of any kind to reach potential customers or friends. If someone on Twitter, for example, answers the tweet created by the new database application, that twitterer would be directed to the database to view the intended item.
Apple's patent FIG. 1 shows an example user interface (100) for a database application that includes a database message builder interface (102) in a text editing mode. In general, the database message builder interface provides a user with tools for combining unstructured data (e.g., free-form text) with structured data retrieved from a database records, and submitting the combined unstructured data and structured data to an application such as email, text or instant messaging (e.g., SMS), or a network resource such as a social networking website.
You'll notice in the highlighted area of FIG. 1 that there's a selector control (126) provided so that the user could select a target application or network resource to receive the message of combined structured and unstructured text displayed in the input box (124). For example, the selector control could provide the user with selections for popular social networking services such as Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. The selector control could also provide the user with selections for applications, such as email, instant messaging, text messaging (e.g., SMS), word processing, a clipboard, or other application that could accept text input.
An activation button (128) could be included to initiate a transmission of the combined text to the selected service or application. In the illustrated example, the user could press the activation button and the combined text "Alyx bought a 1979 Cadillac Phaeton from Tom's Junk Yard on December 6, 2007," will be sent (e.g., "tweeted") to the Twitter social network service.
The patent figure also illustrates a counter indicator (130) which displays a count of the total characters in the combined text string, the maximum number of characters allowed by the selected target service or application, or both. For example, Twitter allows users to submit strings of 140 characters maximum, the Facebook service allows a 1000 character limit, SMS messages could be up to 160 characters long while an email application may present no practical limit on the number of characters that may be used.
What is Apple Targeting Here?
While the patent is mildly positioning this application for ways to share your interests with friends, there seems to be so much more potential for this application. In theory, it could be used by a home business to create an online catalog of sellable items or be some kind of personal eBay-like system. It may also be a way to present your resume on a social networking site, as patent FIG. 1 presents that in their database library under "Job Search."
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think that Apple has shown us their full hand on the true purpose of this database application just yet. For now however, it's an idea that could very well appeal to social networkers who don't own a personal blog but still want to show others items of interest, whatever that may be.
For more information on the proposed "Database Message Builder," see Apple's patent application 20110173238 which was originally filed in Q1 2010 by inventor Ryan Griggs. Feed the patent application number into this search engine.
Other Noteworthy Patent Applications Published Today
Another patent application of interest could be found under 20110167591 which covers Apple's iMac Hinge Mechanism. You could read a brief description of that patent which was covered in our May 3, 2011 Granted Patent Report. Another one of mild interest was patent application 20110172994 which discusses the tinkering of more voice enabled features in future iOS devices.
The last patent application of interest is one titled Cable Structure for Preventing Tangling.
Apple's Abstract: Apple's patent is about a cable structure for use with an electronic device. The cable structure could include one or more conductors around which a sheath is provided. To prevent the cable structure from tangling, the cable structure could include a core placed between the conductors and the sheath, where a stiffness of the core can be varied along different segments of the cable structure to facilitate or hinder bending of the cable structure in different areas. The size and distribution of the stiffer portions could be selected to prevent the cable from forming loops. The resistance of the core to bending could be varied using different approaches including, for example, by varying the materials used in the core, varying a cross-section of portions of the core, or combinations of these.
For more information on patent application 20110170733, simply feed the patent number into this search engine.
Notice: Patently Apple presents a detailed summary of patent applications with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent application should be read in its entirety for full and accurate details. Revelations found in patent applications shouldn't be interpreted as rumor or fast-tracked according to rumor timetables. Apple's patent applications have provided the Mac community with a clear heads-up on some of Apple's greatest product trends including the iPod, iPhone, iPad, iOS cameras, LED displays, iCloud services for iTunes and more.
About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments.
Here are a Few Great Community Sites Covering our Original Report
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Best hope for permanent peace ever -Ranil
[TamilNet, Friday, 12 April 2002, 18:19 GMT]
The chances for peace are better than ever, said Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Friday. "The hope for permanent peace has been built which is not witnessed before in this country," said the Prime Minister, addressing a conference at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall designed to educate the newly elected heads of local government institutions in the south.
The Prime Minister further said, "it is a mark of progress in the peace process that three ministers of the United National Front (UNF) government have been invited for talks by the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam."
The Prime Minister said that his government was elated over the remarks by the LTTE leader Mr.Pirapaharan that he could consider a political solution to the ethnic problem on the basis of a self-rule with the right of self-determination within a united country.
"The path to peace is very difficult. However we have to travel along that route with optimism," said Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe.
In the meantime, President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Friday visited the Peace Secretariat of the UNF government and held discussion with its members about the outcome of the Wednesday's press conference by the LTTE leader Mr.V.Pirapaharan.
President Kumaratunge told the members of the Peace Secretariat that she was keenly studying the comments of Mr.Pirapaharan and that she would be consulting the leaders of all political parties regarding the comments made by the LTTE leader.
The President said she would issue a statement shortly about her stand on Mr. Pirapaharan's comments.
Meanwhile the politburo of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress meets Friday night in Colombo to decide on the composition of the delegation, which is to meet the LTTE leadership on Saturday in Vanni.
The politburo will also decide the matters, which are affecting the northeast Muslim to be discussed with the LTTE leaderships Saturday, SLMC sources said.
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12 Apr 2010 10:39 AM #11
Xtypes can be (as usual) a useful thing ... or not.
If you (a) might create a bunch of instances of "a thing," but (b) don't really know if you're going to need to do so or not ... then XTypes might well be the cat's meow.
When you declare an XType, one instance of the object is always created so that it can be associated with the type-name in the hash. The benefit then comes from being able to coin any number of copies of that object, just by cloning what is already in memory.
This is not the same as a system which would create the first object-instance only on-demand.
It is, therefore, "a practical system, but not entirely without cost." Know how it works, then "ask your doctor..."
12 Apr 2010 3:31 PM #12
- Join Date
- Jan 2009
- Palo Alto, California
- Vote Rating
The type registration pattern is one which occurs quite frequently - for example in 3.x the ComponentMgr is actually managing two types of object - Components and Plugins.
These two can be split apart into 2 separate Managers (while maintaining backwards compatibility) and the common Manager functionality abstracted up to a Manager class. This is very much on the radar and is something I'm actively investigating. The pattern can be applied in other areas also.
16 Apr 2010 6:15 AM #13
One "cheap trick" solution that just might work is to allow the XType to be associated with a closure that returns a type-instance.
When instantiating the type, the code would check to see if the associated object is a function. If so, it would be called, and the result would (say, unconditionally...) now replace the function itself. (The closure, its life's work done, would now vanish forever into the gloom...) From now on the code would work as it does now, creating a new instance of the memory-object.
Plainly, the first thing to determine is whether or not this approach would actually yield benefits of time and memory. It might not be possible. It might not do any good if it is. And BTW, I'm not "signing-up" to do it...
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Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s “house of horrors” was discovered following drug-related complaints. In 2010 the FBI first raided the facility after reports that painkillers were being improperly distributed. But rather than mere pill violations, what authorities found was far more sinister.
When law enforcement officials went in, the conditions of the clinic were horrific, dead fetuses and severed feet reportedly stored without reason inside the establishment — and with blood splattered all around the examination room? Considering these conditions and the many additional details that have emerged since the case began, many are wondering why the media have been so silent on reporting on what took place at Gosnell’s Auschwitz like clinic.
Video Org: 3801lancaster
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Remembering Father Brian Ballard, O.M.I.: 1950-2001
The late Oblate missionary Father Brian Ballard,* who was posted in Smithers, British Columbia, during his ministry, stirs fond memories in Eileen Bouvier, former president of the Prince George diocesan Catholic Women's League. The 70-year-old retiree believes that the small town that prides itself as "a place for all seasons" has been blessed with "a missionary for all seasons."
Catholic Missions In Canada donor Eileen Bouvier, in photo with friend Elaine Elliott, has been a charter member of the Catholic Women’s League in Fort Nelson, British Columbia, since 1957.
"We knew him very well. He loved my home-made jellies, especially raspberry.
He did so many extra things for me when I was CWL president."
During a diocesan CWL convention, she recalls, Fr. Ballard volunteered to print the booklet for the delegates and, with the help of his pastoral assistant Elaine Farrell,** sorted and bound them a day before the event.
"They also helped us in a big way during a British Columbia Winter Games event. It was a busy time. We were feeding about 800 people at St. Joseph Catholic School. They were there with their mops and brooms helping us clean up every night."
What she remembers most, however, were the reflection sessions they held for the CWL members. "Father Brian introduced us to the history of our faith as well as to the significance of some of the native
symbols and rites, and how these symbols and rites could be included into the practice of our faith."
In the late 1990s, Fr. Ballard used to fly into the isolated mission at Fort Ware which could only be reached by truck in the summer. "Before he went, I would prepare about 100 to 150 apple ‘leathers' or dried apples on a string from fruit harvested from neighbours' backyards. Father would bring them to this fly-in mission, and as his plane landed, children would run and meet him, asking for ‘the stuff.' The apple leathers would probably be the only apples they would taste during those long, harsh winters."
Bouvier also describes how Fr. Ballard was so well loved by his people that they buried him in a place of honour, on top of the highest hill in Fort Babine, where he had served the longest. "The native people there say it would be harder now to misbehave because they feel it in their hearts that Father would be watching over them," says Bouvier.
*Oblate Father Brian Ballard from the Diocese of Prince George died when his plane crashed in the Hugh Allan Basin area in British Columbia on August 20, 2001. Fr. Ballard and another Oblate, Father Ivan McCormack, vicar general of the diocese, were killed while on their way to an Oblate conference at the University of Calgary in Alberta.
**Elaine Farrell is now pastoral life director at St. Theresa's Missions in the Diocese of Prince George, in northern British Columbia. She received the St. Joseph Award for outstanding missionary work in 1996.
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Screenings will include blood tests and exams by Loyola urologists
WHAT: Prostate cancer ranks only behind skin cancer as the most common type of cancer found in American men, according to the American Cancer Society. You don't have to be among the more than 29,000 American men who will die this year of prostate cancer. Early detection can dramatically increase your chances of survival. Men should be screened for prostate cancer annually after age 50 - even earlier if they are African Americans, who have the highest rate of the disease and the lowest rate of survival. To help fight the deadly disease, Loyola University Health System will be offering free prostate cancer screenings. The screenings will include blood tests and exams by urologists. Participants will be notified of the results of their blood tests by mail. If your test is abnormal, Loyola medical staff will contact you by phone to arrange additional care.
WHO: Loyola University Medical Center urologists.
WHEN: 3-7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008
WHERE: Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, 2160 S. First Ave., Maywood.
HOW: Appointment times are limited and registration is required. Call (888) 584-7888. Parking is available in the parking lot of the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center. Valet and self-parking are $3. The screening is not recommended for men currently under the care of an urologist.
Loyola University Health System (LUHS) is a member of Trinity Health. Based in the western suburbs of Chicago, LUHS is a quaternary care system with a 61-acre main medical center campus, the 36-acre Gottlieb Memorial Hospital campus and more than 30 primary and specialty care facilities in Cook, Will and DuPage counties. The medical center campus is conveniently located in Maywood, 13 miles west of the Chicago Loop and 8 miles east of Oak Brook, Ill. The heart of the medical center campus, Loyola University Hospital, is a 569-licensed-bed facility. It houses a Level 1 Trauma Center, a Burn Center and the Ronald McDonald® Children’s Hospital of Loyola University Medical Center. Also on campus are the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola Outpatient Center, Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine and Loyola Oral Health Center as well as the LUC Stritch School of Medicine, the LUC Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and the Loyola Center for Fitness. Loyola's Gottlieb campus in Melrose Park includes the 264-licensed-bed community hospital, the Professional Office Building housing 150 private practice clinics, the Adult Day Care, the Gottlieb Center for Fitness, Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Care and the Loyola Cancer Care & Research at the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Center at Melrose Park.
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Home Improvement Tax Credits for 2011
As a homeowner, home improvement tax credits and tax deductions are great incentives for you to complete desired upgrades to your residence and get a ‘discount’ while doing so. Though not actually discounts, federal tax credits or deductions basically amount to the same thing – dollar savings for qualified improvements. While many are familiar with tax credits being given for the installation of certain energy-saving systems such as qualifying furnaces, water heaters, solar panels or wind turbines, there are other types of home improvements that also carry financial incentives from the government. It’s also important to note that savings on your federal income taxes may just be a part of it, as home improvement tax credits or rebates are also sometimes offered by state and local jurisdictions and even some utility companies, and these may all be used in conjunction with one another.
Credits For Energy Efficiency
For the year ending December 31, 2011, the IRS is issuing tax credits for the installation of energy efficient windows and exterior doors, although the maximum allowable of 10% of the purchase price, to a maximum of $700 ($200 for windows and $500 for doors), is significantly lower than the $1500 maximum allowed in 2010. Limitations include the following:
- Installed windows and doors must be Energy Star qualified.
- Cost of installation labor is not included.
- Items must be installed no later than 12/31/2011.
Additional home improvement tax credits for the 2011 tax year also include:
- Installation of asphalt or metal roofing.
- Adding insulation to an existing home.
- Installation of qualified HVAC systems or non-solar water heaters.
While the above listed home improvements eligible for federal tax credits ended with the close of the 2011 tax year, several more are still in place until the end of 2016. These include the installation of small wind turbines for homes, solar energy systems, or geothermal heat pumps. Tax credits for these systems are equal to 30% of the purchase price of the equipment, with no upper cost limit. These credits apply to primary or secondary residences, but not to rental homes. Full details can be found at the EPA’s Energy Star website. Another helpful site that fully explains federal incentives offered and the process for claiming your tax credit is the Department of Energy’s Energy Savers website.
Other Tax Deductible Home Improvements
In addition to home improvements designed to increase energy efficiency, there are two more areas where upgrades to your home could benefit you when it comes time to figure your federal tax liability. The first is a deduction allowed for home remodeling necessary as a result of a qualifying medical condition. The most common of these is when someone in your household requires the use of a wheelchair and certain alterations to the home must be made to accommodate this new condition. Needed improvements could include the addition of wheelchair ramps or an elevator, the widening of doors, installing handrails and the lowering of light switches, cabinets, or counter tops.
Other medical conditions that require special facilities or treatment areas within the home may also require home remodeling work that is tax deductible. This could include therapeutic pools, spas, or areas expressly designed for the accommodation of cumbersome medical equipment. For family members suffering debilitating allergies or breathing problems, doctors may recommend an upgrade to your home’s HVAC system or the addition of air filtration equipment. This will probably also qualify as a tax deductible expense. For more details regarding this area you can check out IRS Publication 502.
Finally, home remodeling paid for through a home equity loan or line of credit may provide some tax relief as the interest paid is generally tax deductible.
Mr. Handyman can maintain your home to save you money. One call really does take care of everything on your to-do list. All Mr. Handyman franchises are Fully Insured with General Liability and Workers Compensation. Some services are subject to state and local licensing and may not be available in all locations. Make sure to stay on top of all your household repairs, improvements and maintenance needs and request service in your area.
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were one of America's most distinctive and original bands of the '80s. They may have had a hit with "La Bamba" in 1987, yet that cover barely scratches the surface of their talents.
are eclectic in the best sense of the word. While they draw equally from rock, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music, their music never sounds forced or self-conscious. Instead, all of their influences become one graceful, gritty sound. From their very first recordings, their rich musicality was apparent; on nearly every subsequent record, they have found ways to redefine and expand their sound, without ever straying from the musical traditions that form the heart and soul of the band.
After releasing an independent EP in the late '70s and an EP in 1983, Los Lobos
delivered their first major-label album, How Will the Wolf Survive?
, in 1984; it received an enormous amount of critical acclaim, as well as a dedicated following of fans. In the next four years, they released a marginally successful attempt to make their wildly eclectic sound palatable for a pop audience (By the Light of the Moon
), a soundtrack of old Ritchie Valens
songs that was a hit (La Bamba
), and an album of traditional Mexican music (La Pistola y el Corazón
). The band took two years off and returned with The Neighborhood
in 1990; the album was a varied and powerful rock & roll record that was better than anything they had released in six years. Kiko
, released in 1992, brought Los Lobos
into more experimental territory, without ever abandoning their graceful songwriting.Los Lobos
celebrated their 20-year anniversary with Just Another Band from East L.A.
, a modestly titled two-CD set that featured most of their biggest singles and recognized songs. It also had rare tracks from their first album, outtakes, and live tracks that fans had been waiting for. They didn't appear together on record again until 1995, when Los Lobos
and Lalo Guerrero
released the children's record Papa's Dream
on Music for Little People Records. They also scored the film Desperado
and contributed tracks to several other soundtracks and tribute albums.
Their last release for Warner Bros. came in the form of 1996's Colossal Head
, another critically acclaimed album that still failed to excite the label enough to keep them on the roster. Feeling dejected, they left one another to concentrate on side projects, like Soul Disguise
, and the Latin Playboys
. The latter was the most dedicated project of the bunch, eventually becoming another regular group for David Hidalgo
and Louie Pérez
, on top of their duties for Los Lobos
, after previously releasing an album in the early '90s.Los Lobos
came back together in 1999, when they recorded and released their first record for Hollywood Records, This Time
. Another Los Angeles-themed gem from the group, it didn't perform up to the label's liking and they only managed to deliver one more record for the company, the re-release of 1977's Del Este de Los Angeles
. Rhino/Warner Archives released the Cancionero: Mas y Mas
box set the following year, but despite the career retrospective, they were still together and came back on Mammoth Records for the Good Morning Aztlan
release in 2002. Two years later, artists such as Elvis Costello
, Tom Waits
, Richard Thompson
, and Mavis Staples
joined Los Lobos
for The Ride
In 2004, as Los Lobos
celebrated 30 years in the music business, they recorded a pair of sold-out shows in San Francisco, which became the basis for a live album and DVD, Live at the Fillmore
, remarkably the veteran group's first "live" set. Wolf Tracks: The Best of Los Lobos
, the first successful attempt at a concise overview of the band's weighty catalog, arrived in 2006, along with the loosely conceptual new release The Town and the City
, which ranks up there with the best of the band's three decades of material. Their second children's album (following the aforementioned Papa's Dream
), Los Lobos Goes Disney
, appeared in 2009 and found the band paying tribute to Walt Disney movie musicals. The band returned to originals for the sturdy Tin Can Trust, released in 2010. Kiko Live was released in 2012, a recording of the band revisiting their 1992 album in concert in 2006.
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Two ideas are gaining momentum as Texas lawmakers consider ways to raise more money for road projects: raising the vehicle registration fee by $50 and dedicating the sales tax on car purchases to transportation. Supporters of both ideas are working to convince lawmakers that ignoring the issue for another session is a more expensive option.Full Story
Texas requires an extensive and expensive system of highways, railways and roads.
Building new roads and maintaining old ones has become increasingly costly, and efforts to keep that balance have been politically perilous.
The Trans-Texas Corridor — an attempt to pull together a master plan for the next stage of transportation building in the state — fell to political foes who objected ...
A possible boost in imports to Texas has prompted state officials to consider allowing heavier trucks on some of the state's interstate highways.Full Story
A study by a transportation research group suggests that issues with Texas roadways cost drivers $23 billion a year in lost time and vehicle damage.Full Story
Think older drivers might be a problem now? Wait for the baby boomers, who are reaching retirement age.Full Story
The 85 mph speed limit assigned to a new toll road opening in Central Texas is drawing plenty of interest, but it may not draw many truck drivers, according to an official with the Texas Motor Transportation Association.Full Story
Plans to allow the highest posted speed limit in the country on a new Texas toll road are drawing warnings that the project is reckless, while local residents fear their interests are being ignored.Full Story
The Texas Department of Transportation's annual list of the 100 most congested roadways ranks a section of Interstate 35W in Fort Worth as the worst stretch of asphalt in the state. Use our sortable table to look at TxDOT's list.Full Story
UPDATED: The Texas Department of Transportation has approved an 85 mph speed limit, the fastest in the country, for a toll road stretch under construction from Austin to Seguin.Full Story
The Texas Department of Transportation will decide soon whether to grant a new stretch of toll road the fastest speed limit in the country. More than just bragging rights are at stake.Full Story
El Paso is facing an unusual problem as it prepares for its first toll road. Drivers without electronic toll tags will be sent a bill in the mail, and some are wondering if Mexican drivers will get a free ride.Full Story
Ten months into his tenure, the executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation on funding the state's transportation needs, the prospects for high-speed rail and what the expansion of the Panama Canal means for Texas ports.Full Story
This week on the Newsreel, a look at property taxes versus sales taxes, 85-mph speed limits and Super PAC contributions from Texas.Full Story
By 2020, bullet trains might be transporting Texans between Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston in less than 90 minutes, if a private firm's plans to build the system without public funding come to fruition.Full Story
A new report shows a growing disconnect between the number of jobs located near public transportation and the number of workers who can easily use it. And Texas metro areas are below the national averages for connectivity.Full Story
A Texas conference started 15 years ago at the request of U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, has grown into one of the leading transportation policy gatherings in the country.Full Story
TxDOT released the state’s first transportation plan for rural areas last week, intending it as a “blueprint” for future transportation projects and services in rural areas through 2035.Full Story
The Texas Department of Transportation announced this year that it had an extra $2 billion in funding. And that could hurt the agency's attempts at getting extra funding next session.Full Story
The Texas Department of Transportation is urging Congressional leaders to give states more discretion in charging tolls and using private funding for road projects.Full Story
More energy producers are making "donations" to the Texas Department of Transportation to fix roads torn up by gas well operations.Full Story
Voters clearly want good schools and nice roads and low taxes. It's a political and policy question straight out of a business textbook: What's the right balance of price and quality?Full Story
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I didn't pick up on this in my review, probably because it never occurs to me to adopt normative development processes without also applying common sense – methodology (and why not call it method) should be a guide, not a master. Departing from the standard method will have consequences; if all of these are adequately addressed and the overall results are "better" (which implies that this only really works in a mature organisation with metrics behind "better"), then the departure is going to be OK.
Besides, as far as I know, there is no definitive statement of what XP actually is (and can't be, as an XP precept is "if XP is broke you're allowed to fix it" AIUI).
Anyway, I simply can't see anyone completing an entire system test pack before they do any coding any more than I see them producing an entire corporate data model before building anything. The principle of requirements being testable and of producing some tests before you start coding is still valuable, however; as is the principle of modelling data structures and relationships before trying to write code.
When I talked to Kevlin about this, he mentioned that the people who revised Myers seem almost to be recommending a sort of "reverse waterfall". Well, I can defend Waterfall too. As I understand it, the waterfall is actually an iterative process and no one, in practice, ever sets the requirements in stone and delivers on them five years later without a change. Mainly because so doing would make no sense (and isn't what Royce asked for anyway).
Kevlin's comment on this makes interesting reading:
Well, that's not a defence of the Waterfall: it's a defence of what Royce said, which is subtly different. In his original paper, Royce outlined a number of process models. Two things are notable about this paper: (1) he never used the term "waterfall" and (2) the process model that has since been named the Waterfall is one he criticises. However, he still gets the infamy associated with the process!
There are a surprising number of projects and companies that are drawn to the Waterfall as the default process. Closer inspection reveals why there is this attraction -- I wrote about it in Objective View 10 [big pdf download necessary - Ed].
In the end, of course, talking about "methodologies" is going to go on for ever. I sometimes think that actually following any method, as long as you're prepared to depart from it in a controlled way when this makes sense, is better than the common practice of not following any particular method - while paying lip service to something or other fashionable. ®
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DOHA: The Presidency of the European Union praised the significant progress made by the ongoing talks in the 18th Conference of the States Parties in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 8th meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol under the patronage of the State of Qatar.
The Presidency of the European Union stressed that all participants are optimistic to reach a decision in the most important issues on the agenda of the conference, especially with regard to identifying the extension of the Kyoto Protocol, long-term cooperative action and the work of the negotiating subsidiary bodies.
In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of the conference, Environmental Counselor and Permanent Representation to the EU of the Republic of Cyprus, current holders of the presidency of the EU Council, Dr. Costas Papastavros said that hosting this conference is a challenge not only to the State of Qatar, but also to the Arabian Gulf region and it qualifies them to play a pivotal role in the climate change field which is not only an environmental issue, but it affects the energy and development sectors in general.
Regarding the role of Cyprus Presidency of the European Union during these talks, Dr. Costas Papastavros said that the presidency is seeking to coordinate between the 27 countries fall under the umbrella of the European Union and Commission on the one hand and the rest of European countries that seek to join the European Union such as Croatia, which will become a full member of the Union in June 2013, along with the rest of states participating in the Conference and the agencies emanating from the United Nations Framework Convention in order to come out with an unified and integrated vision to address the challenges of climate change.
The goal of the European presidency is to reach a common ground for cooperation and to reach a number of recommendations that will be forwarded later to the environment ministers within the European Union to find solutions and appropriate proposals in the policy pertaining to the climate change, Dr. Costas Papastavros added, noting that most of the outstanding issues are of a political character.
Regarding the European Union action plan of 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared to 1990 levels, the Senior Environment Officer for Cyprus Dr. Costa Papastavros said that the EU succeeded so far to reach the level of 17% and more during the past five years, noting that EU countries in light of the economic and financial difficulties they faced cannot propose a higher level to reduce the emissions, but this did not stop them from taking other measures such as the discussion of legislation to reduce fluorescent gases, solar energy and others.
In this context, Dr. Papastavros expressed confidence that the EU takes firm steps to fully fulfill its obligation by the year 2020 and to achieve a greater percentage after this date.
According to the proposals of the European Commission, carbon dioxide emissions, the primarily responsible for global warming, must be reduced by 20% by 2020. (QNA)
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Alien, UFO, USO policy activism and awareness tool for global citizens and political entities.
Logical and rational minds are confronting overwhelming evidence that UFO-USO activities are real. Now is time to manifest personal strength to expose the truth and then to find pathways to positively evolve as it is revealed.
Are alien entities and extra-terrestrial crafts visiting our planet? The answer must be either Yes or No.
Volumes of highly credible, eyewitness reports of unidentified crafts of exceptional maneuverability span every continent and every ocean for at least 50 years.
If you believe alien entities and extraterrestrial crafts are visiting our planet, then contemplate that each alien entity is either friendly or unfriendly to the human race.
(1.) If you believe alien entities are friendly to humanity, then you must conclude that you are denied peaceful and cooperative interactions with those friendly alien species.
(2.) If you believe alien entities are unfriendly to humanity, then you must conclude that you are denied vital knowledge to prepare personal defense contingencies and contributions to global strategy.
If you do not believe alien entities and extraterrestrial crafts are visiting our planet, then you must conclude that the unidentified objects are man-made.
(3.) Despite overwhelming evidence, if you still believe that earth is not being visited by aliens and extraterrestrial crafts, then you must conclude that the unidentified objects reported are made and controlled by man. Accordingly, you must conclude that you are denied the benefits from those human technologies that would immediately end every perceived global energy crisis, mass transit obstacle and personalized transportation need – avoidable human suffering from the failure to share advanced technologies.
If you believe that not one Alien-UFO-USO eyewitness report accurately depicts the truth, then you believe that there must be systematic delusions among independent minds experiencing the same phenomena.
Furthermore, these detailed delusions would have been successfully repeated on a global scale over decades of time. Such a hypothesis disrespects trusted and honorable men and women of varying professions and echelons of society, among whom are respected officials whose professional advice and testimonies were sought and valued during many years of faithful military or government service.
Global Disclosure and Transparent Discussions:
Independent of which hypothesis you choose to believe regarding the Alien-UFO-USO phenomena, you must logically conclude that you have been and continue to be denied information vital to your personal, national and global existence and advancement – potentially for future generations to come.
While sincere, global discussions and accountability would reveal truths, topic avoidance or sluggish and deceptive responses also provide valuable information. Although some governments have declassified some UFO-USO files, some are still holding back perhaps for reasons such as technology superiority, concerns of global panic or other covert agendas. Global citizens must understand that there are entities that expend enormous effort just to conceal these truths.
Failure to reveal all documents along with transparent, public, cooperative discussions by briefed government entities constitutes and sustains competitive psyche between covert entities and the public they serve. Unresponsiveness and failing to confirm Alien-UFO-USO existence and knowledge are deemed as major obstacles to the will and advancement of the people. Covert Alien-ufo-uso operations have the potential to subordinate every other government policy. One possible scenario could include financial policies that appear illogical and unjustified by rational thinkers, only to divert extensive resources to fund Alien-UFO-USO operations.
Inform yourself regarding all forces that influence personal, local, national and global security policy.
(1.) Challenge yourself to find an alternate scenario not listed above. Convince yourself, given only the mere existence of these unidentified crafts within the earth atmosphere, that there are no other logical scenarios to consider. Then conclude that the pursuit of global Alien-UFO-USO disclosure must not be delayed.
(2.) Vote only for political or government representatives that strongly advocate global Alien-UFO-USO disclosure and transparent government revelations among all nations as a top agenda. Then, hold them accountable for their commitments.
(3.) Mail, fax, email or otherwise deliver a copy of this analysis and activism agenda to your government representatives with any required personal identifying information and comments to express your commitment to full global Alien-UFO-USO disclosure. Use the printer-friendly PDF document linked below for global dissemination:
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Let me acknowledge that perhaps not everyone wants to settle down in a comfy chair with a glass of wine, a purring cat, and 22 very personal essays about death and dying. My daughter has taken to asking me whether I wouldn’t rather read — or write — about puppies and kittens.
But a new anthology called “At the End of Life: True Stories About How We Die” contains some truly gripping narratives that illuminate a hard truth about death in our culture: it is always so complicated, so much thornier than we think. A good death appears to require as much effort and commitment, from many parties, as a good life. And it happens much less often.
Lots of different kinds of people weigh in here: social workers, doctors and nurses, family members, hospice staff, a 911 dispatcher. A Houston gastroenterologist remembers the first time a grieving family asked her to turn off the ventilator in an intensive care unit. A leukemia specialist agrees to administer a third round of chemotherapy to a man who desperately wants to live, though some of the doctors’ colleagues believe he should refuse this painful and likely futile treatment. Not all the dying are elderly: a mother recalls every step of her decision to donate her 19-year-old daughter’s organs after a fatal horseback riding accident.
Conflict seems almost endemic in these final weeks and months. A very elderly man accedes to a colostomy he doesn’t want; a specialist overrules an intern trying to keep her patient from being intubated against his clear wishes. Perhaps the authors, in seeking drama as writers will, give short shrift to those people who actually do call hospice and die quietly at home with their families. As I read “At the End of Life,” I was glad I had known and seen people (including my mother) who managed that.
But the accounts in the book are probably reflective of reality, given what we know about how many people die in their homes — 19 percent, according to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though the percentage is climbing. And reality is what “At the End of Life,” the first book published by the journal Creative Nonfiction, delivers.
Its authors, and editor Lee Gutkind, deserve credit for being unsparingly honest about doctoring, about decision-making, about their own ambivalent emotions. They have a lot to teach us.
Paula Span is the author of “When the Time Comes: Families With Aging Parents Share Their Struggles and Solutions.”
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“The AAA’s Ad Hoc Commission on Anthropology’s Engagement with the Security and Intelligence Communities (CEAUSSIC) continues its work. Our main activities at present include: 1. the writing of a report to the AAA on the widely and hotly debated Human Terrain System of the U.S. Army, 2. The editing of a casebook illustrating the diversity of kinds of practicing anthropology, including associated ethical questions, with a primary emphasis upon the security sector broadly conceived, 3. And providing support for the AAA’s ongoing ethics process. In an effort to keep our work transparent and part of the public and disciplinary discussion of all of the above, CEAUSSIC is also going to be contributing a monthly entry to the AAA’s blog. Each entry, by different CEAUSSIC members, will address topics that have arisen or that we have been thinking about, which we will continue to discuss via the blog, a discussion in which we hope you will also participate.”
REFLECTIONS ON THE SOON-TO-BE RELEASED CEAUSSIC REPORT
November 30, 2009
Jean Jackson, Prof. of Anthropology, MIT
Perusing the various articles in Anthro News about ethics shows that the review of the Association’s Statement on Ethics is well underway, and that it continues to be controversial. I consider below some ways that CEAUSSIC’s work connects to the general debate on ethics.
Although the charge to CEAUSSIC encompasses a much broader area than the Army’s Human Terrain System (HTS) program, it was clear to us that evaluating it was of high priority, given the attention it was receiving in the media, and the concerns expressed by AAA members. The “Report on the Army’s Human Terrain System Proof of Concept Program” was sent to the AAA Executive Board (EB) in October, and will be available to the public on Dec. 3.
Our research into HTS allowed CEAUSSIC members the opportunity to discuss a number of fundamental ethics issues, most particularly ethical research practice. The debate has not involved the question of whether anthropologists should work for the military; in my view, and that of my CEAUSSIC fellow committee members, anthropologists may ethically work for the military in any number of capacities. For example, they might work in a Veterans’ Hospital. They might be hired to teach military personnel in a stateside university. They might serve as archaeologists. They might be hired to conduct internal research on whether the organization of a particular unit is optimal. The question is, when does work for the military, intelligence, or security communities skirt the edge, or cross over into, unethical practice?
The first question has to do with whether HTS research complies with Institutional Review Boards, whether located within the military, other government agencies, or civil sector institutions that conduct research on human subjects. Clearly research should only be undertaken after informed consent has been obtained, and the Report addresses this question with regard to HTS in detail, in particular whether informed consent is possible in situations where military personnel are asking questions in a zone of occupation, especially when they are dressed in camouflage and sometimes carrying a weapon. Evaluating this aspect of HTS has been a lot easier than resolving a number of the larger ethical issues under discussion among CEAUSSIC members, the Committee on Ethics, the EB, and the AAA membership.
A second, related issue is the question of whether it is possible to separate Human Terrain Team (HTT) members’ roles as researchers from roles as combatants. The literature put out by HTS argues that such a distinction is easily made. In our discussions we considered the evidence available from HTS, other military sources, and the media regarding HTS performance, and also addressed the question more broadly—hypothesizing about the possibility of conducting “pure” research in the context of military operations in occupied zones. The numerous concerns that have arisen with respect to the way HTTs are configured have been amply discussed in venues such as the several sessions devoted to the topic at the 2007 and 2008 AAA meetings, the Savage Minds anthropology blog, and CEAUSSIC’s blog posts.
An additional issue is what happens to the research findings. They are property of the military, and, unlike much other research funded by U.S. taxpayers, do not become public. Nor are civilian research subjects given access to any data collected—perhaps not a very important consideration in tribal areas of Afghanistan or Iraq, but potentially far more significant in a future field site where HTTs are deployed. This point relates to the much broader issue of proprietary research, in which a researcher is hired by an organization (in industry, the nonprofit sector, the federal government), and the findings are the property of the employer and not available to the public or the study community. This is the stickiest point for many Association members, the divide being sharpest between academic and practicing anthropologists.
A final issue concerns ethics only indirectly, but given that it continues to take up a lot of air space, I will attempt to lay it out. What is the relationship between “what should card-carrying anthropologists do and not do?” and “what is ethical anthropological practice?” The HTS program has provided us with a telling case study with which to consider the difference between the two questions. A significant amount of the discussion of HTS has been about the potential harm to anthropology’s image. A particular worry concerns the possible damage to anthropologists’ ability to carry out their field research: “If HTS continues to be developed and HTS teams deployed, won’t my ability to conduct research be jeopardized? I will be seen as a CIA or Army spy no matter where I go.” Anthropology has a spectacular history of problems resulting from its practitioners getting involved with U.S. military, intelligence, and security activities.1 Project Camelot is one example, as are the various scandals connected with the war in Southeast Asia that were denounced at AAA meetings in the late 1960s and early 1970s. (See David Price’s books, Anthropological Intelligence: The Deployment and Neglect of American Anthropology in the Second World War and Threatening Anthropology: McCarthyism and the FBI’s Surveillance of Activist Anthropologists.) It is true that most HTT members are not anthropologists, no matter how you define them. But because HTS is perceived to recruit anthropologists, the nature of HTS employees’ practices is a legitimate concern, especially given that “anthropologist” is the main label the Army initially used for HTT researchers (it has since changed its terminology), and “anthropology” continues to be used by the media to describe HTS personnel and the kind of research they are carrying out. The tribal societies residing in most of the locations in Afghanistan and Iraq where HTS teams are deployed certainly look like traditional anthropological research terrain. In certain respects they evoke some of the small-scale communities targeted by Special Forces in Vietnam, who drew on published anthropological research. Having been trained in anthropology, we do not need to be told why we should be concerned with such trafficking in anthropology-as-symbol by the military and media, even when actual practice does not involve anthropologists to any major extent. I believe that debates over what kinds of research practices potentially damage anthropology’s image should take place at this analytic level. Such discussions are important and are related to—but distinct from—those concerned with unethical anthropological research practices.
A final comment on the disagreement voiced in two previous blogs regarding whether or not discussions about ethics should include the political context: Carolyn Fluehr-Loban (October 13) says that “ethics is about principles, not politics,” whereas David Price (September 11) argues that there is “no political neutrality. Instead there is only silence or engagement on these issues…the convenience of a categorical separation of ‘the ethical’ from ‘the political’ has left large issues unaddressed, and like most unaddressed issues I suppose that in the future these will surface in all sorts of predictable and unpredictable ways.” Fluehr-Loban is describing a philosophical domain, and she is correct that if people are to have a fruitful conversation about an ethical problem, then they need to agree on how terms are to be defined—otherwise they will either talk past each other or continue to squabble about definitions throughout the discussion. During this process of establishing definitions and “rules of engagement,” the political context should be kept in the background, as disagreement over it can impede arriving at an agreement about terminology and ground rules. (Of course a given term’s political connotations can be discussed when selecting or rejecting it.) Price, on the other hand, stresses the need to always keep in mind the political context within which conversations about ethics take place, decisions are reached, and actions are taken. He is correct, and not only because just about every human (and sometimes non-human—consider social animals) action that anthropologists are interested in has a political dimension, but also because we are engaging in these conversations, and the media and other parties are interested in their outcome, because of the larger political context. To quote the EB: “In the context of a war that is widely recognized as a denial of human rights and based on faulty intelligence and undemocratic principles, the Executive Board sees the HTS project as a problematic application of anthropological expertise, most specifically on ethical grounds” (from the EB’s memo on HTS). Whether a given anthropologist agrees or disagrees with this statement, no one can deny that the context is 100% political.
1 Also see Mary Louise Pratt on E.E. Evans-Pritchard’s military role: “Fieldwork in Common Places.” In James Clifford and George E. Marcus, Writing Culture: The Poetics and Politics of Ethnography. Berkeley: University of California Press: 27-50.
[All guest commentary on this blog is posted with the permission of contributing authors. If you wish to reproduce work that appears here, please contact each author directly.]
Filed under: Commentary
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Cory Booker is the Chuck Norris of U.S. mayors, and his list of real-life acts of heroism keeps growing. The latest feat of the 43-year-old Newark, N.J., mayor: rescuing a freezing pooch from the cold on Thursday after concerned locals tipped him off on Twitter.
Reporter Toni Yates first noticed a dog suffering in the below-freezing temperatures while filming footage for a segment, but when she saw the dog was still outside hours later, she tweeted at Booker to take action — and that’s exactly what he did. The mayor arrived, scooped the dog up and carried it into a police car before delivering a stern warning by phone to the dog’s owners, who claimed they didn’t know “Cha Cha” had escaped outside.
“This dog is shaking really bad, and you just can’t leave your dogs out here on a day like this and go away and expect them to be O.K.,” Booker told WABC. “Hypothermia on any animal, including a human animal, will set in pretty quickly. So this is very sad, you can just feel the dog shaking pretty badly.”
Thursday’s rescue isn’t the first time Booker has braved extreme conditions — or used social media — to come to the rescue. To help you understand why some call Booker the Supermayor, NewsFeed proudly presents the Cory Booker Greatest Hits Collection:
- Last April, when a neighbor’s home caught fire, Booker saved a woman from the blaze without hesitation. “I just grabbed her and whipped her out of the bed,” he told the New Jersey Star-Ledger. The mission was successful, and both were treated at a hospital for some smoke exposure. (And as one Twitterer joked, “Smoke was treated for Cory Booker exposure.”)
- When Hurricane Sandy struck this past fall, knocking out power for many New Jersey residents, Booker opened up his home to let folks hang out, watch DVDs and charge their devices. He even had lunch delivered, because even though your phone’s charged, you still gotta eat.
- Booker still makes the world a better place even when he’s refusing to help. When a Newarker complained to Booker that he was running out of Hot Pockets post-Sandy, Booker declined, tweeting back, “I believe in you. I know this is a problem you can handle.” But before long, thanks to his social-media star power, the makers of the delicious frozen treats provided the town with hundreds of coupons.
- In winter of 2010, Booker turned his @CoryBooker Twitter account into a blizzard help line. When one man tweeted that his sister couldn’t make it through the snow to buy diapers, Booker showed up at her house with diapers. When locals were stuck in their cars (or, in one case, on a bus), Booker and his team helped dig them out the old-fashioned way: with shovels.
- In December, to better understand the struggles of citizens relying on food stamps, Booker took part in the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) challenge and vowed to spend $33 on food for a week. It wasn’t easy — he blew most of his budget on beans early on. So how does a tech-savvy mayor broadcast his food fails to the world? With Instagram, duh.
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Very few have experienced an event as stressful as losing all the data on their media device (Hard Drive, Flash drive, Memory Card, RAID configuration etc). Picture this: you are browsing the web, minding your own business, when all of a sudden, your computer begins emitting an inexplicable clicking noise. Such is one of the very first symptoms of hard drive failure, and complete data loss is sure to follow unless you act quickly to remedy the problem. You spend hours searching for help on the Internet, reading articles, downloading software, but all to no avail. Why? Sometimes the problem is much too complex for software distributed on the Internet to solve. For example, it may be a mechanical problem in which one of the physical components of your hard drive is malfunctioning. Eventually, your hard drive fails entirely and all its data becomes completely inaccessible. Family photos, music, movies, important documents, all gone.
Now you must rely on the services of data recovery specialists such as ASAP Data Recovery to recover your data.We'll give your data a Second Life!
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DALLAS--(TXU Energy and the Dallas Film Society as part of the 4th Annual TXU Energy Light Up the Red Carpet Student Film Contest. Now it’s up to viewers to choose the ideas that could take home top honors. Between now and Dec. 14, online votes for the best short film concept will determine which students will work with industry mentors to finish creating their films and compete for the chance to walk down the red carpet and share roughly $35,000 in prizes.)--What’s the big idea about energy? That’s what high school and college student filmmakers have shared with
Online voters can choose the high school and college film idea they like best via txu.com/studentfilmcontest. Participating filmmakers have been challenged to explore energy conservation, efficiency or management and to answer a simple question through their films: What does energy mean to you?
The top 10 high school and college student finalists will be posted to the contest site Dec. 17, the same day the contest opens to viewer suggestions on film ideas. At this point, viewers can win too: The contest will judge the viewers’ suggestions and award a $50 Visa prepaid card to those who post the best suggestions to enhance the finalist films via the contest website, up to three tips per finalist film. And, by the end of the contest, selected viewers who have shared enhancement ideas with the grand and first-prize winning filmmakers will be awarded an additional $100 Visa prepaid card.
The 20 students who win the chance to work with mentors will compete for the grand and first place prizes in the 2013 contest and will receive film editing software valued at roughly $300 to help complete their finished films by the contest deadline of Feb. 15. All other participants will have the chance to compete for the contest’s popular vote by submitting their finished films by the same date.
Winners will have the opportunity see their film on the big screen at the 2013 Dallas International Film Festival. This year, the grand prize of $7,500 goes to the top film in both the high school and college categories. First-place winners from each category will receive $3,000, and the films from each category that receive the most online votes will win the community choice prize and $1,000. Prizes will be split evenly between the winning students and their schools’ audiovisual departments.
KEY DATES FOR STUDENT FILMMAKERS
||Public online voting for concepts takes place|
||First round finalists announced, matched with industry mentors|
||Final film production; community members post suggestions|
||Deadline for finished films – all participants|
||Public online voting for finished films takes place|
||Final six films announced (three high school and three college)|
||VIP evening for the final six: awards reception, red carpet event and awards ceremony (where winners are announced)|
About TXU Energy
TXU Energy is a market-leading competitive retail electricity provider, powering the lives of more Texans than any other retailer. TXU Energy offers a variety of innovative products and solutions, allowing both its residential and business customers to choose options that best meet their needs, including exceptional customer service, competitively priced electricity service plans, innovative energy efficiency options, renewable energy programs and other electricity-related products and services. Visit txu.com for more information about TXU Energy. REP #10004
About the Dallas Film Society
The Dallas Film Society celebrates films and their impact on society. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the Dallas Film Society recognizes and honors filmmakers for their achievements in enhancing the creative community, provides educational programs to students to develop better understanding of the role of film in today's world, and promotes the City of Dallas and its commitment to the art of filmmaking. In addition to producing one of the largest festivals in the Southwest, the Society produces numerous year round events, screening series and partnership programs with arts organizations around the city. For more information, call (214) 720-0555, or visit dallasfilm.org.
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|T e n a n t U n i t
AF Reserve Command
459th Airlift Wing (AFRC)
The 459th Airlift Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Andrews. The wing is equipped with nine C-141B Starlifter aircraft, the mainstay of the AFRC airlift fleet. The 459th and its predecessor units have been based at Andrews since 1954. It is the only flying AFRC unit in the greater Washington, D.C., area. The wing is also a five-time recipient of the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Providing both strategic, long-range airlift support to the active duty Air Force and training for assigned Reservists, the 459th is, during peacetime, under the command and control of Headquarters, AFRC, Robins AFB, Ga., through 22nd Air Force. In war or during times of national emergency, the 459th would be under the direction of Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill., through 21st Air Force at McGuire AFB, N.J.
Recently, the 459th celebrated its 55th anniversary. A full-time civilian and Air Reserve Technician staff of approximately 230 people provide day-to-day administration and management of the 459th.
Many noteworthy missions have been flown by 459 AW crews. During Operations DESERT STORM, almost 1,000 459 AW members were called to active duty. In 1990, the president activated the 756th Airlift Squadron. Also activated were the wing's Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Medical Squadron, 69th Aerial Port Squadron, and Airlift Control Flight, as well as the wing's then-assigned 907th Airlift Group at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio, and its then-assigned 913th Airlift Group, Willow Grove Air Reserve Facility, Pa. All units were released from active duty in the spring of 1991.
In 1992, wing personnel flew supplies to the victims of Hurricane Andrew in Florida; medical equipment and supplies to Minsk, Belarus, as part of Operation PROVIDE HOPE; and food, medicine, supplies and medical personnel into Somalia in support of Operation RESTORE HOPE.
In 1993, the 459th continued to support Operation SUPPORT HOPE. For its heroic efforts in Somalia, a 756th aircrew was awarded the Air Force Association's President's Award for Outstanding Air Force Reserve Crew.
The pace has not changed. The wing provided humanitarian airlift relief in Rwanda and in support of the Cuban refugees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In addition, 459th personnel supported Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACY in Haiti as well as various other significant missions around the globe.
Air National Guard
Air National Guard Readiness Center
The Air National Guard Readiness Center develops, manages and directs Air National Guard programs which implement national-level policies set by the Department of Defense, the Air Force and the National Guard Bureau. It also performs operational and technical functions to ensure combat readiness of ANG units and is a channel of communication between the NGB and the states on ANG operational activities.
The commander, ANGRC, is responsible for four detachments and 23 operating locations with an authorized strength of 734 military and civilian personnel. Its mission is to provide service and support to the ANG and help accomplish its total Air Force mission.
When established in August 1977, ANG staff-policy functions (NGB) and operational functions (ANGRC) were officially separated. The building is a three-story structure with 87,300 feet of office space.
The old ANG Field Support Center was at Edgewood Arsenal, Md. After a three-year, eight-month tenure at the Army station, most of 1977 was required to assemble approximately 115 personnel in five buildings at Andrews. The combined force consisted mostly of personnel relocated from four NGB divisions and Edgewood. Some special support skills also were recruited.
On June 1, 1979, the old ANG Field Support Center at Edgewood Arsenal, Md., was inactivated as a named activity and, concurrent with inactivation, the Headquarters ANG Support Center was constituted as a direct reporting unit and assigned to the United States Air Force. This designated the ANG director as a dual positionone actively on the Air Staff and one as the ANG Support Center Commander.
The ANG Support Center was redesignated as a field operating agency of the National Guard Bureau in 1989 as a result of an internal reorganization. In late 1990, the NGB at Andrews was redesignated as the Air National Guard Readiness Center.
113th Wing (DCANG
Andrews has been the home of the 113th Wing and associated District of Columbia Air National Guard units since 1946. Over the years, the 113th has flown nine different fighter aircraft, including the F-100 Super Sabre in which the unit conducted the first all-Air National Guard deployment to Europe in 1964. Four years later the 113th aviators employed the F-100 in combat in Vietnam following the Pueblo call-up.
Wing members were also called to active duty in the Korean War, the 1961 Berlin crisis and most recently Operation Desert Storm.
The wing flew the F-105 Thunderchief for 10 years before it converted to the F-4D Phantom II fighter in 1981. The 113th now flies the F-16C Fighting Falcon and only recently the C-21 Learjet and C-22 Boeing 727, as a result of the DCANG unit reorganization when the 201st Airlift Squadron became part of the wing in October 1995.
Formerly Detachment 1, Headquarters DCANG, the 201st AS performs operational airlift missions for the National Guard Bureau, the Air Force and the Department of Defense.
Training for air combat and operational airlift for national defense is the 113th's primary mission. However, as part of its dual mission, the 113th provides capable and ready response forces for the District of Columbia in the event of a natural disaster or civil emergency. Members also assist local and federal law enforcement agencies in combating drug trafficking in the District of Columbia.
At Andrews, the 113th Wing, its associated DCANG units, and their people are full partners with the active Air Force.
121st Weather Flight(DCANG)
The 121st Weather Flight is an Air Combat Command-gained Air National Guard unit which provides operationally ready weather observers, forecasters and officers for contingency support to First United States Army Headquarters, Fort Gillem, Ga. And Simmons Army Airfield, Fort Bragg, N.C. in the event of war or national emergency.
The 121st WF performs crisis and consequence management weather support for Headquarters, First United States Army and backfill weather station support for Simmons Army Air Field when the 18th Weather Squadron there deploys.
The primary peacetime mission is to train personnel, providing weather support through observations of current weather conditions, forecasts, weather watches/warnings, staff and aviation briefings, climatology and astronomical data. The flight uses automated data retrieval systems such as the Automated Weather Distribution System, Next Generation (Doppler) Radar, laser beam ceilometer (cloud base measuring device), fixed satellite receivers, internet connective data bases and Air Force and Navy meteorological dial-in data retrieval systems.
The flight has called Andrews home since it was organized in 1953. One of only 33 ANG weather flights and the smallest independent unit in the DCANG, the flight has been recognized as a leader in the ANG weather flight program with the Maj. Gen. John W. Collens Award for Outstanding ANG Weather Unit, Non-Tactical, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, 1993-1995.
231st Combat Communications Squadron (DCANG)
The 231st Combat Communications Squadron is an Air Combat Command gained unit of the District of Columbia Air National Guard. The unit has federal and state missions.
The federal mission is to deploy, install, operate, and maintain Communications and Electronic facilities in support of USAF worldwide operations.
The state mission is to support applicable contingencies in the District of Columbia. There are 125 people assigned to the unit; 23 of whom are full time civil service technicians and active duty guard members who maintain the unit at a high level of readiness.
The 231st maintains tactical communications to include satellite, microwave, electronic telephone switching, communications center and computer server support. The unit is active in the Washington area supporting many DOD agencies and received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for 1994-95 and 1995-96.
Air Education and Training Command
317th Recruiting Squadron (AETC)
The 317th Recruiting Squadron, headquartered at Andrews AFB, is an Air Education and Training Command tenant unit and is responsible for recruiting highly qualified Air Force personnel from throughout a four-state area and the District of Columbia. The squadron recruits non-prior service, prior service, officer training school candidates, and all health professions personnel as well as potential candidates for reserve officer training courses, nurse and health professions scholarships. Fifty-five recruiters maintain operations from offices in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and North Carolina. Squadron members also process applications at two Military Entrance Processing Stations (Baltimore and Richmond).
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Air Force Office of Special Investigations has officially moved from nearby Bolling Air Force Base to Andrews.
AFOSI provides investigative and counterintelligence information to commanders at Air Force installations worldwide.
The agency identifies and stops espionage, subversion, terrorism, sabotage, economic crime and other criminal activities that threaten AF resources.
AFOSI Detachment 302, 3rd Field Investigations Region provides force protection and criminal investigative services to the Andrews community. The detachment also provides specialized investigative support for AFOSI detachments servicing more than 30 bases in the Eastern U.S. These services involve computer crime, polygraph, technical services, forensic science, counterintelligence and operational planning.
The USAF Special Investigations Academy is located at Andrews. The Academy instructs AFOSI agent trainees, as well as U.S. federal and allied country investigators in basic investigating skills. The Basic Special Investigators Course focuses on military law, criminal and fraud investigations, and counterintelligence services. Advanced training is also offered in such areas as fraud, environmental crime, criminal technical services, protective service operations, counterintelligence and counterespionage. The Academy's instructional staff is composed of education specialists, Special Agent officers and senior NCOs who have experience across the full AFOSI missions spectrum, and Combat Arms Training and Maintenance NCOs.
Civil Air Patrol
CAP-USAF Mid-East Liaison Region
The regional headquarters of the Air Force Liaison to the Civil Air Patrol is located on Andrews AFB. The Middle East Liaison Region is one of eight regions nationwide. Here, Air Force and civilian personnel provide advice, assistance, liaison and oversight to the Civil Air Patrol in emergency services (search and rescue, disaster relief), cadet programs and aerospace education. The states (Civil Air Patrol wings) within the Middle East Region include Delaware, Maryland, the National Capital Area, Virginia, West Virginia, and North and South Carolina. Each year, the region sponsors a variety of programs in support of the Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration personnel at Andrews are responsible for the airway facilities and air traffic control over and around Andrews.
There are 32 air traffic controllers and 25 airway facilities technicians assigned to Andrews. The FAA provides services for approximately 160,000 aircraft operations each year at Andrews, including movements of the president (Air Force One), vice president (Air Force Two), foreign heads of state and all types of aircraft from the Air Force, Navy, Marines, Army, Coast Guard and their reserve forces, as well as civil aircraft and commercial airliners.
The FAA men and women control and service the vast and complex network of air navigation and air traffic control facilities as part of the national airspace system. Their mission is the safe movement of air traffic in the nation's airspace.
In addition to the highly complex air traffic control responsibility it performs, the FAA tower plays a major role in the base's community relations program, taking hundreds of tour group visitors through the facility each year.
Naval Air Facility
Naval Air Facility, Washington, D.C.
A Naval Air Facility on an Air Force base? That's the situation at Andrews.
Naval Air Facility, Washington, D.C., is a Naval Air Reserve training facility operating under the commander, Naval Reserve Force.
NAF's mission is to train assigned Naval Air Res-erve units for their mobilization assignments and to provide administrative coordination and logistics support for these units. The secondary mission is to provide Naval air operations support for the Naval District of Washington, including any foreign Naval dignitaries.
NAF's mission is carried out by 451 active duty members and 155 civilian employees. In addition, there are more than 800 personnel assigned to NAF's 10 tenant commands. That group is complemented by more than 2,000 reservists who drill here every month.
The history of NAF can be traced to Anacostia, an area in southeast Washington where, in 1918, the Navy began testing its new seaplanes. Forty years later, when the Anacostia facility could no longer meet the needs of the Navy's local flying community, it was decided the functions of the air station would be moved to nearby Andrews AFB.
After four years of transition, a dedication ceremony in January of 1962 marked the official birth of the Naval Air Facility, Washington, D.C.
NAF has been dubbed "The Crossroads of the Navy" due to its high volume of air traffic bound for Naval air stations worldwide.
A variety of Naval aircraft can be seen on NAF's flightline. Regular sightings include P-3 Orions, C-20 Gulfstreams, C-130 Hercules, T-39 Sabreliners and F/A-18 Hornets.
On a pedestal next to NAF's operations building sits a World War II-era F-6F Hellcat fighter as a tribute to the Naval aviators of the Washington area.
Marine Aircraft Group 49, Det. A
In the best tradition of the Marine Corps, a "few good men and women" support two combat-ready reserve units at Andrews AFB.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 321, a Marine Corps Reserve squadron, flies the sophisticated F/A-18 Hornet. Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 49, Detachment A, provides maintenance and supply functions necessary to maintain a force in readiness.
Additionally, the Marine Aircraft Support Detachment flies the C-12 and C-20 providing support for the commandant of the Marine Corps and other VIPs in the Washington, D.C., area.
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Letter From African Civil Society and International Organizations
(Johannesburg) – The African Union should demonstrate support for justice for victims of grave international crimes at its summit meeting from July 9 to 16, 2012, African civil society organizations and international organizations with a presence in Africa said in a letter sent on July 5 to African foreign ministers.
The African Union should play a stronger role in supporting international justice, the organizations said. They urged governments not to renew African Union calls for non-cooperation in the arrest of International Criminal Court (ICC) suspect President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan. They also raised concerns about proposed plans to expand the jurisdiction of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights to prosecute international crimes. And they called for the African Union to ensure that Senegal fulfillsits pledge to prosecute Hissène Habré, the former Chadian president who is implicated in crimes against humanity.
The letter was endorsed by organizations across Africa that are among the most active participants in an informal network of African civil society organizations and international organizations with a presence in Africa who work to promote justice for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
The letter is available here.
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||Getting involved: Governor's Scholars
join clubs and organizations
RELEASED: July 15, 2004
DANVILLE, KYThis summer the Governor's Scholars on Centre's campus are keeping busy inside and outside of class. The Scholars have started more than 50 clubs to keep them engaged and get to know each other during the five-week program.
The Scholars started the clubs based on their individual interestseverything from flag football to French Scrabbleand then got their friends to join. Club meetings and activities are posted on the GSP daily bulletin so that everyone can find out whats happening.
"There are so many people you don't get to interact with, and clubs are just another way to get to know more people," says Scholar Audra Isaac.
One of the more popular clubs this year is ballroom dancing. The club has grown so large it has to meet at two different times each week. Click here for photo page.
Scholar Marcie Smith started the ballroom dancing club and helps teach fellow scholars the moves.
"The response has been overwhelming," Smith says.
And much to her surprise, she says, "The guys outnumbered the girls on the first night."
"It's kind of fun because no one really knows how to dance," says Michael Smith.
Scholar Virginia Deaton enjoys the ballroom dancing club, too.
"You get to learn and the boys will do it, and they probably wouldn't at home," she says.
Another popular organization is the Random Acts of Kindness Club. This group separated clothes at the Salvation Army and helped with the animals at the Humane Society.
"I like service projects and helping people and thought it would be a great way to get to know people and do something I enjoy," says Jennifer Adams.
Other students are taking the opportunity to do things they wouldnt normally try.
"I'm doing the Indian Dance Club. I'm not usually a dancer but this is a great way to meet new people and learn a new culture," says Amanda Maddox.
The Current Events Club meets to catch up on the news and hear from speakers on different topical issues.
"I'm a news junkie and use it as an opportunity to talk about some of the issues," says Wade Tandy.
Marcie Smith, who started this club, says, "I wanted something where people could come and talk about current issues. It's about information and learning, not about debating."
- end -
Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top-50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/
For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.
600 W. Walnut Street
Danville, KY 40422
Public Information Coordinator: Telephone 859-238-5714
Back to News and Events Home Page
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Many isle motorists going solo
A study shows that while carpooling remains high, more people drive alone
Every work day, Eddie Garcia and his wife commute in their car together from the Ala Moana area to downtown Honolulu.
"We work around the same time and place," Garcia said. "It's convenient."
If his wife needs their sole car, Garcia sometimes walks home.
Despite people like the Garcias, there's a reason traffic in Honolulu is getting worse.
A new Census Bureau study shows a growing number of people are leaving carpools and buses and driving solo to work.
The Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimates 67 percent of Oahu commuters drove alone to work in 2005, up from 61.4 percent in 2000 -- an increase of 20,344 cars.
It's part of a national trend, according to the census and transportation experts.
Even rising gas prices aren't moving many people out of their cars, said Panos Prevedouros, a University of Hawaii at Manoa engineering professor.
"People want to maintain their mobility and just don't give up their cars," he said.
Honolulu is still among the cities with the lowest number of solo drivers and the highest number of carpoolers, mass transit users and walkers.
The census study shows urban Honolulu, the area between Hawaii Kai and Red Hill, has the fourth highest number of people who carpool among the 50 biggest cities in the country. Honolulu also ranked sixth in the number of people who walk to work, ninth in bicycle commuters and 15th in public transportation use, just below Los Angeles.
Kalihi resident Elsa Siapno, an immigrant from the Philippines, rides the bus to work. "I like the bus very, very much," she said, although if she could afford it, Siapno said, she'd consider buying a car.
"Nobody else lives by me and the bus is slow," said Lori Voorhees, a solo commuter from Hawaii Kai. "I've tried the bus and I was late for work."
City spokesman Bill Brennan said if nothing is done to give commuters an alternative to driving, traffic and commute times will continue to worsen. The bus, he said, sits in traffic and is not meant to take people out of cars.
But Prevedouros, an opponent of rail transit, said changing lifestyles are driving people to cars and away from mass transit.
Prevedouros believes that traffic is bad because there are not enough freeway lanes in Honolulu.
Brennan points to statistics from the American Public Transportation Association that show mass transit ridership has outpaced population and the growth in highways since 1995.
Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa said the state is looking at ways to increase carpooling and reduce the need to drive into town from West Oahu to lessen the commute.
Ishikawa said the state is studying adding an afternoon zipper lane and the development of the new North-South road in Kapolei that will hopefully spur the development of UH-West Oahu and reduce the number of students who drive to UH-Manoa.
Another alternative to commuting is working at home -- which is on the increase, according to the census study.
"Telecommuting one day a week, working at home, cuts down demand on roads significantly," Prevedouros said. "It doesn't cost anything and immediately saves money."
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Leadership Northern ColoradoLeadership Northern Colorado a joint initiative of the Fort Collins, Greeley and Loveland Chambers of Commerce, the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado and the Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County. It was established in 2010 to build human capacity in Northern Colorado to identify, define and address the issues facing the region.
The program is designed to educate and motivate leaders who are committed to shaping the future of our region.
"As the Northern Colorado region continues to grow, it is important to have leaders who understand issues in a regional context and have the ability to work together across traditional jurisdictional boundaries," said David May, president and CEO of the Fort Collins chamber. "Leadership Northern Colorado is about building the leadership capacity, knowledge and relationships to be able to successfully tackle those types of issues in the years ahead."
In a competitive selection process, thirty current and emerging leaders from throughout the region are chosen to participate in the program each year, which begin in January and concludes in June. Participants come together once a month for a day-long session to learn about public governance, land use and infrastructure, education and workforce, economic development, and regional leadership.
For more information about Leadership Northern Colorado, visit www.LeadershipNorthernColorado.com, contact the Leadership Hotline at (970) 488-1976 or e-mail info@LeadershipNorthernColorado.com.
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Politics and Government
State says Medicaid waiver will "transform" New York's health care
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s aides announced Monday they are asking the federal government for a Medicaid waiver that they say will help make the state a “national model” for health care.
New York State Commissioner of Health Dr. Nirav Shah says the waiver asks the federal government to let New York keep $10 billion of $17 billion in expected Medicaid savings over the next few years to invest in primary care, and even housing for some of the state’s sickest and costliest Medicaid recipients.
“This will substantially reduce the number of unneeded, expensive emergency room visits that currently occur today thorough out the system, ” Shah said.
The money would also be used to help struggling public nursing homes and increase mental health care.
The plan is supported by the state’s major hospital and health care workers groups.
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DETROIT (WKZO) -- There were nearly 28-million dollars in unclaimed lottery winnings in Michigan in 2012. According to officials with the Michigan Lottery, roughly two-percent of all winnings last year went unclaimed.
During the 2012 fiscal year, which ran from October 1st, 2011, to September 30th, 2012, the lottery awarded winners over 1.4-billion dollars. In 2011, 23.9-million dollars went unclaimed.
Michigan's lottery laws allow winners one year to claim their prize. If the money goes unclaimed, it's put toward the School Aid Fund.
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Gripping the club is the most basic act in golf, yet there are many variations in grip styles. The two most common are the interlocking grip and the overlapping (or Vardon) grip. Let’s examine the pros and cons of each.
The interlocking golf grip style finds the right pinky finger locked between the index and middle fingers of the left hand (for a right-handed golfer). Proponents point to its use by Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods – arguably the two greatest players in history – as evidence of the interlocking grip’s superiority.
The interlocking grip is widely recommended for players with small hands and/or short fingers (like Nicklaus), as well as beginners and those who lack forearm strength. It’s especially popular among LPGA tour professionals.
The Vardon grip, named for its originator, English legend Harry Vardon, is formed by placing the right pinky finger on top of the seam between the left index and middle fingers. Ben Hogan was among the advocates of overlapping, and it remains the grip of choice for a majority of amateurs and pros.
Overlapping golf grippers believe this style promotes better wrist action and allows a freer, more powerful release of the club through impact.
The bottom line: Test both techniques and go with the one that feels most comfortable.
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I hold a certain ambivalence towards the death penalty. On the one hand, I have deep concern over its use upon the innocent. At the same time, I recognize that some crimes are, by their very nature, so heinous that no other penalty is adequate to express society's outrage. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that some offenders -- and not just murderers -- clearly forfeit the presumption of a right to life by the very nature of their crimes.
And that is where I come to this case, which transfixed the nation this summer, and the community of faith that struggles to deal with it.
The United Methodist Church here is the kind of politically active place where parishioners take to the pulpit to discuss poverty in El Salvador and refugees living in Meriden. But few issues engage its passions as much as the death penalty.
The last three pastors were opponents of capital punishment. Church-sponsored adult education classes promote the idea of “restorative justice,” advocating rehabilitation over punishment. Two years ago, congregants attended midnight vigils outside the prison where Connecticut executed a prisoner for the first time in 45 years.
The problem, of course, with the whole "restorative justice" concept is that there is no real way of making whole the victims and the community in certain cases. And that is precisely the problem in the case at hand.
So it might have been expected that United Methodist congregants would speak out forcefully when a brutal triple murder here in July led to tough new policies against violent criminals across the state and a pledge from prosecutors to seek capital punishment against the defendants.
But the congregation has been largely quiet, not out of indifference, but anguish: the victims were popular and active members of the church — Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, and her two daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11. On July 23, two men broke into the family’s home. Mrs. Hawke-Petit was strangled and her daughters died in a fire that the police say was set by the intruders.
The killings have not just stunned the congregation, they have spurred quiet debate about how it should respond to the crime and whether it should publicly oppose the punishment that may follow. It has also caused a few to reassess how they feel about the punishment.
Yeah -- the liberal "principle" at work here gets really hard to stand by when it hits too close to home. All of a sudden one is forced to reexamine what one believes when the hard, cold reality and unspeakable evil intrudes. Sure, ideas like "restorative justice" sound great in theory -- especially when one talks about property crime -- but it doesn't work when you have three dead loved ones to deal with. They are not going to be restored.
At the heart of the debate are questions about how Mrs. Hawke-Petit’s husband, William, who survived the attack, feels about the death penalty. The indications are conflicting. Sensitive to his grief, many of the church’s most ardent capital punishment opponents have been hesitant to speak against the capital charges brought against two parolees charged with the killings, Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes.
“I’m treading lightly out of respect for the Petit family,” said the church’s pastor, the Rev. Stephen E. Volpe, a death penalty opponent. “I do not feel we, in this church, ought to make this tragedy the rallying cry for anything at this point.”
Yeah -- but if this was some other family from some other church, would you be more than willing to do so? If so, then that is either a sign that you are unwilling to stand by your principles when they are inconvenient, or that you know that they are wrong but unwilling to own up to that reality. After all, if you really believe that your position is coming out of the Gospel, then you need to proclaim it when it is hard, not just when it is easy -- unless it is less about the Gospel and more about a political agenda sugar-coated with a veneer of religion.
At the same time, there is a widespread belief that Mrs. Hawke-Petit was opposed to capital punishment. Having her killers put to death would be the last thing she would want, many say.
“It’d be so dishonoring to her life to do anything violent in her name,” said Carolyn Hardin Engelhardt, a church member who is the director of the ministry resource center at Yale Divinity School Library. “That’s not the kind of person she was.”
At least two church members say they think that Mrs. Hawke-Petit endorsed an anti-death-penalty document known as a Declaration of Life. The declaration states a person’s opposition to capital punishment and asks that prosecutors, in the event of the person’s own death in a capital crime, do not seek the death penalty. The documents have been signed by thousands of people, including Mario M. Cuomo, the former governor of New York, and Martin Sheen, the actor.
“She was a nurse and she would not cause harm to anyone,” said Lucy Earley, a congregant who notarized at least a dozen declarations during an appeal at the church and said she thought Mrs. Hawke-Petit’s was among them.
Declarations of Life are often kept with a person’s will or other important papers; sometimes they are filed with registries. But it could not be independently determined whether Mrs. Hawke-Petit had signed one. Although the family’s home was heavily damaged in the fire and no independent copies have surfaced, death penalty opponents both inside and outside the church have kept trying to find one. A clear indication that Mrs. Hawke-Petit rejected capital punishment could help them mobilize, they say, not only in the Cheshire case but also on behalf of the nine people on Connecticut’s death row in Somers.
The opponents also say that a signed declaration by Mrs. Hawke-Petit opposing capital punishment could help counter the public outrage to the killings — outrage that has pressured state officials to suspend parole for violent criminals.
I'm about to make a really terrible sounding statement -- the views of Jennifer Hawke-Petit (or her daughters, or her surviving husband and other family members) on the death penalty are at best tangentially relevant to the eventual sentence given in this case. When prosecuted, the case will not be prosecuted in her name -- it will be prosecuted in the name of the people of the state of Connecticut, recognizing that the offense committed was not just against her and her family, but also against society as a whole. Indeed, the question is what do the people of Connecticut view as an appropriate punishment for the horrific events that took place this summer -- views quite clearly expressed in support of the death penalty.
But I put a different question to those anti-death penalty ideologues who urge that the victim's views should be the overriding factor in determining the sentence for murder -- if a victim left behind some clear demand for the execution of their murderers, would you be equally passionate in demanding that execution be the only option at sentencing? If their clearly articulated religious views supported the death penalty, would you insist that they be the guiding force in this case? Or would you argue, in typical liberal fashion, that your views are so much more compassionate and humane and advance than theirs and that your views must therefore override the wishes of the victim? You don't need to answer -- we already know.
Still, if proof of Mrs. Hawke-Petit’s sentiments did surface, it would have little standing in court, lawyers and prosecutors say.
“Our job is to enforce the law no matter who the victim is or what the victim’s religious beliefs are,” said John A. Connelly, a veteran prosecutor in Waterbury who is not involved in the Cheshire case. “If you started imposing the death penalty based on what the victim’s family felt, it would truly become arbitrary and capricious.”
Michael Dearington, the state’s attorney who is prosecuting the suspects in the Petit killings, said he did not know whether Mrs. Hawke-Petit had signed a Declaration of Life. Asked if he knew Dr. Petit’s views on the death penalty, he replied, “I have a no comment on that.”
Interestingly enough, the article goes on to indicate that Dr. Petit is in support of the death penalty in this case. That creates an interesting problem for those who talk about "restorative justice", because it appears that the one surviving victim may have a very different view of what it will take for justice to be done. And while there is an anecdote regarding the use of the Prayer of St. Francis at the memorial service for his murdered family, and his struggle with the word pardon, let us not forget that forgiveness and justice are not mutually exclusive concepts in the Christian tradition, or in the American legal system.
I'm going to stop the fisking at this point. I do so for two reasons.
1) Much of the rest of the article constitutes a rehashing of the same issues raised earlier. and a focus on some genuinely good and decent works of the congregation. Frankly, I admire much of what is reported here, and do not doubt the people of the congregation are men and women of faith seeking to follow the Gospel. While I disagree with them on some points (in particular the death penalty issue), I respect them and mean nothing in the way of disrespect for them in anything I have written.
2) It hits too close to home. Jennifer Hawke-Petit, you see, was a friend of my wife's when they were growing up in Pennsylvania. She attended the couple's wedding, and the baptism of Hayley, their oldest daughter. She worked for Jennifer Hawke-Petit's father for a time. The events of this summer caused much anguish around our home, and much talk the victims and their families. I choose to honor those things revealed by not speaking of them more publicly in this forum.
OPEN TRACKBACKING AT Stop the ACLU, Perri Nelson's Website, , Stix Blog, The Populist, Shadowscope, Stuck On Stupid, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, Adeline and Hazel, third world county, The Uncooperative Radio Show!, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Right Voices, Church and State, Lost Paradise, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, AZAMATTEROFACT, A Blog For All, 123beta, guerrilla radio, Adam's Blog, The Bullwinkle Blog, Cao's Blog, Big Dog's Weblog, Jo's Cafe, Conservative Cat, Conservative Thoughts, Nuke's, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, Walls of the City, Blue Star Chronicles, Republican National Convention Blog, CORSARI D'ITALIA, The Yankee Sailor, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
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Spain finally asks for bailout and receives €100bn lifeline
Emergency meeting of finance ministers grants eurozone's fourth largest economy aid for its banks
After months of speculation, denials, and hoping for something – anything – to turn up, Spain has formally requested a bailout, by far the largest economy to do so. After an emergency telephone conference of eurozone finance ministers yesterday, an official statement was issued saying that the sum involved could be as large as €100bn.
Spain, whose banks are struggling with toxic property loans and assets, becomes the fourth member of the 17-nation eurozone to get a bailout since the continent's debt crisis erupted two years ago. In announcing the request, Luis de Guindos, economy minister, said the final figure was still in question and would remain so pending results of two independent audits of the banking sector, due by 21 June. But he insisted it would fully cover the needs of the country's banks, and not be followed by a request for further funds.
The minister was also at pains to stress that no further austerity measures would be attached as conditions for receiving the funds, which would be used expressly for the banks that need them, rather than to help cover Spain's public debt, which, as a ratio of gross domestic product, is lower than Germany's.
Only 10 days ago, Mariano Rajoy, Spain's Prime Minister, was adamant that his country's banking sector would not need bailing out. Few observers were persuaded, not least because of widespread suspicion that the full extent of Spanish banks' toxic debt is still unknown.
Back in the early days of the financial crisis, it looked as if Spain's economy – the fourth-largest in the eurozone – could withstand the squalls coming its way. But then its boom, based on inexorably rising property prices, began to totter and collapse. House prices went into freefall, and unemployment, a mere 8.3 per cent in 2007, began to rise, first to 18 per cent in 2009, and to the fearful figure of nearly 25 per cent now.
By 2009, the financial sector was sitting on €445bn of property-related loans, and regional governments saw their incomes plunge as the lucrative issuing of new construction licences and taxes dried up. Austerity measures were introduced and some lenders nationalised, but Spain's borrowing costs continued to rise. It became clear that it would be just too expensive for the country to borrow the money necessary for a bank rescue from the markets.
Eurozone finance ministers said in a statement that the bailout money would be fed directly into a fund Spain has set up to recapitalise its banks, but emphasised that the Spanish government is ultimately responsible for the loan. Still, that allows Spain to avoid making the onerous commitments forced on Greece, Ireland and Portugal when they sought bailouts.
Spain's rescue may not be the last. Attention will now switch to Italy, and Cyprus could also seek help. As the Swedish Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt – whose country does not use the euro – said: "We're talking about one of the greatest financial rescue operations the world has seen."
That's some guestlist! Stunning images show huge dynastic wedding between Ultra-Orthodox Jewish families which attracted 25,000 guests
Man and woman arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder victim of Woolwich machete attack, named as Drummer Lee Rigby
'Sickening, deluded and unforgivable': Horrific attack brings terror to London’s streets
Video: Woolwich attack - man with bloodied hands and knife addresses camera
Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, the mother-of-two hailed as a hero for confronting Woolwich attackers, thought: 'better me than a child'
- 1 Man and woman arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder victim of Woolwich machete attack, named as Drummer Lee Rigby
- 2 'Sickening, deluded and unforgivable': Horrific attack brings terror to London’s streets
- 3 Grace Dent: I’m not sure how these people can avoid being called ‘bigots’. And the more ‘civilised’, the worse they are
- 4 Woolwich murder: They killed, then they performed - these men should be starved of our attention
- 5 Woolwich attack: The EDL will seek to exploit this evil crime for their own evil ends
BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes
Find out what The Independent's resident travel expert has to say about one of the most beautiful small cities in the world
Nook is donating eReaders to volunteers at high-need schools and participating in exclusive events throughout the campaign.
Get the latest on The Evening Standard's campaign to get London's children reading.
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
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Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd takes part in Roundtable at Jersey Shore University Medical Center to Discuss Response to Hurricane Sandy
Health Commissioner Mary E. O'Dowd and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary toured the Emergency Department at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune yesterday to talk about how federal, state and hospital officials are working to provide services to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy.
"The storm has passed but as we move towards recovery, there are still hundreds of thousands of people in New Jersey in need of assistance," said Commissioner O'Dowd. "Both the state and federal government have resources that those impacted by Hurricane Sandy can take advantage of to help."
Joining O'Dowd for a roundtable discussion were US HHS for Assistant Secretary Preparedness and Response Dr. Nicole Lurie; John K. Lloyd, President of Meridian Health; Christopher Rinn, Assistant Commissioner for Public Health Infrastructure, Laboratory and Emergency Preparedness; and Robert L. Sweeney, D.O., Chair of the Emergency Department.
"We have plenty of doctors available to help people when they are injured," Robert L. Sweeney, D.O., Chair of the Emergency Department, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, "However, as people struggle with loss of power, property damage and displacement, stress can take its toll on anybody."
Lloyd explained that from the start of the storm through November 4th, the Emergency Department at Jersey Shore University Hospital treated over 1,870 patients. "Over 200 Meridian staff members stayed at the hospital during the storm and worked in 12-hour shifts to ensure the needs of our patients were met. It was a herculean effort by our team, who were here despite many team members facing very difficult personal circumstances.
The Department of Health opened a hotline November 1 with public health experts who are available to answer questions on mold cleanup food safety, mold and drinking water concerns. The public can reach the hotline either through the state's 2-1-1 system or by calling 1-866-234-0964. While the 2-1-1 system operates 24/7, the Department call center is open 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays and 10 am to 5 pm on weekends.
The New Jersey Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services - Disaster and Terrorism Branch is coordinating statewide efforts to help individuals and communities manage the emotional impact of the storm. The Disaster and Terrorism Branch partners with the Mental Health Association in New Jersey to offer assistance through a toll-free Disaster Mental Health Helpline: 1-877-294-HELP (4357). A TTY line is available for persons who are deaf and hearing impaired at 1-877-294-4356. The federal government also has a Disaster Distress website and provides 24/7 crisis counseling and support resources available at 1-800-985-5990 or Text TalkWithUS to 66746. The federal Helpline is staffed by trained counselors from a network of crisis call centers located across the United States, all of whom provide crisis counseling for those who are in emotional distress.
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Festivals Feel The Economic Pinch
The latest fallout from the economy may be annual festivals. From food and wine to music and poetry, festivals bring tourism dollars to towns across the country. But as both individuals and companies spend less, festivals are struggling to survive. Reuters reports that the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation's biennial poetry festival has already been cancelled for 2010 and South Florida's Langerado Music Festival was canceled due to poor ticket sales.
Corporations are also limiting their sponsorships both to save money and appear less frivolous, a situation which also doomed the Moscow World Art Fair this year. Some budget-crunched cities may also not be able to offer festivals and parades discounted services. Festivals which cater to larger crowds are particularly difficult to manage. Just as some museums are finding they have more visitors but less money from donors, larger festivals may have plenty of local attendees but less financial backing. Some high-end wine festivals are still doing well. The South Beach wine and food festival still found enough takers for a $1,000-a-plate banquet celebrating Spanish food and wine.
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Rediscovering historic St Andrews
5 December 2006
Historic Scotland inspectors are to visit the southern suburbs of St Andrews as part of a pilot study to identify the royal burgh’s important buildings and to review existing listings.
The team will visit locations in the southern suburbs, including the Hepburn Gardens conservation area, to ensure that the area has the appropriate statutory protection.
Head of Listing Dr Deborah Mays, said:
"St Andrews has a long and distinguished history as a cathedral, university and golfing town.
"This refresh of the listings will concentrate on the 19th and early 20th century development of St Andrews. A number of key local architects were responsible for much of the character of this part of the town.".
Buildings are listed as one of three categories that reflect their level of importance – A, B and C(s) – and alterations that will affect the character of the structure require listed building consent before work can begin.
The inspectors are looking for buildings of special architectural and historic interest, so local residents familiar with the area could provide invaluable information.
Anyone with a particular interest in the architectural history of St Andrews or who wishes to find out more about the pilot study can contact the lists officer on 0131 668 8705/8701.
Following consultation with the local planning authority, Historic Scotland will then make a recommendation to The Scottish Ministers to include a building on the list if it meets the listing criteria.
Notes to Editors
- Listed buildings are divided into three categories:
- A - Building of national or international importance - either architectural or historic – or fine little-altered examples of some particular period, style or type.
- B – Buildings of regional or more than local importance, major examples of a particular period, style or type that may have been altered.
- C(S) – Buildings of local importance, lesser examples of any period, style or type as originally constructed or altered.
- All buildings erected before 1840, the character of which remains substantially intact, may be eligible for inclusion in the list. Later buildings are selected on the basis of their individual character and quality. Special regard is paid to:
- planned streets, villages or burghs
- works of well known architects
- buildings clearly associated with famous people or events
- major examples of buildings connected with social and industrial history and the development of communications
- distinctive regional variations in design and use of materials
- good examples within individual building types; and
- technological innovation.
- The term “building” is defined broadly in the legislation and can include walls, fountains, sundials, statues, bridges, bandstands and telephone boxes.
- The list is compiled by Historic Scotland on behalf of The Scottish Ministers. A dedicated team within Historic Scotland’s Inspectorate undertakes the compilation, administration and maintenance of the list. Administratively, the list is organised into Council areas and then in parishes, burghs or city wards.
- The list is constantly under review and buildings can be added to the list by three main methods:
- By comprehensive re-survey of geographic areas
- By thematic study looking at one particular building type (e.g. hospitals)
- By individual proposals for buildings to be added to the list.
- The pilot study is concentrating on refreshing and rationalising the existing listings where necessary as well as assessing new additions to the list
- Formal notification of listing falls to the local authority, however, where possible Historic Scotland will issue informal notification of listing, together with supporting material. Details of this can be found at www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/ownersandoccupiers
- Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Executive charged with safeguarding the nation’s built heritage. It is fully accountable to Scottish Ministers and through them to the Scottish Parliament.
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The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Baltimore
National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
Balfour Beatty Construction, Fairfax
Clark Construction, Bethesda, Md.
RTKL Associates Washington, D.C.
KlingStubbins , Philadelphia
At 2.4 million square feet, this $1.4 billion project is the largest military construction project since the Pentagon was built in 1943. It created a new home for the nation’s National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), consolidating 8,500 employees from various locations throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Its timing couldn’t have been better, creating hundreds of construction jobs during the recession.
When NGA opened its new facility last September, it got a home custom built for its mission. The agency provides geospatial intelligence, including satellite imagery analysis, to support national security. The project’s centerpiece is a 2.2-million- square-foot, eight-story office building loaded with complex information technology and security systems. The main building consists of two curved office towers that define a 500-foot-long atrium in the shape of a lens — an appropriate metaphor for NGA, which serves as the nation’s eyes.
Besides the office, there’s a 146,000-square-foot technology center, a 105,000-square -foot central utility plant, a 5,100-space parking garage and a visitor control center. Improvements to what was a 130-acre site with aging buildings included nine lane miles of new roadways and three bridges. The project achieved gold certification under LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and is designed to be 45 percent more efficient than a building that meets standard code requirements.
One of the biggest challenges for contractors was meeting the congressionally mandated BRAC deadline of Sept. 15, 2011. Construction began on Sept. 6, 2007, and was completed by April 19, 2011. Activities were forced to overlap, with construction beginning 18 months before design was even completed. The project also required the collaboration of many partners charged with everything from construction to outfitting for security concerns. “Finishing the project six months early and meeting the BRAC deadline for a fully operational facility remains a testament to a truly integrated one team effort,” says Mike Phillips, a senior vice president for Balfour Beatty Construction.
What made it stand out
The new sprawling campus spotlights the dramatic change that occurred under the most recent government BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure Act) initiative, which moved 17,000 U.S. Department of Defense employees out of Arlington. Besides consolidating thousands of NGA employees, the project brought infrastructure improvements including new exits off Interstate 95 and created an economic boost in Springfield for retailers and restaurants.
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Eating more raw foods is a goal of mine, although I’d say I’m at the very beginning stages of this endeavor. For months now, I’ve been alternating cooked steel-cut oats with a green smoothie for breakfast. Since I’m such a creature of habit, I have no problem with this routine and I see no reason to change. However, my husband did wonder out-loud recently if there were some other breakfast foods we could incorporate into our diet? All I needed was inspiration from Angela’s post on raw buckwheat groats to take the big leap into making this dish.
The first step is to find yourself some of this grain that is not really a grain (it’s really a seed). You can find them in the bulk bins of your health food store or get them online from Bob’s Red Mill. Also, just wanted to mention that even though the seed is called buckwheat, there is no wheat or gluten in it, so it is appropriate for people who have a gluten intolerance.
The necessary first step in making this dish is to soak about a cup of the groats in a bowl of water overnight. I have been using 1 cup for two servings. You don’t need to measure the water, just put enough in to cover the groats and let it sit at room temperature. The second necessary step is to rinse the groats the next morning because there will be some slime on top (I have no idea why this happens but it’s normal). Lastly, you’ll need a ripe banana to make the cereal tasty. Trust me, I tried eating the groats plain and it wasn’t very good. The banana makes all the difference.
To assemble the cereal, it’s nice to process about half of the groats in a food processor with the banana to make it creamy. I add about 1/4 cup of soymilk and some cinnamon and dried coconut to jazz it up. Then, you’ll just serve it in a bowl like my photo above and add some chopped fruit on top if you wish.
I had to make this cereal twice before it really grew on me. I found it to be tasty with a wonderful texture and filling enough to hold me through a workout with no snack until lunchtime. Looks like change can be good as I am for sure going to incorporate this dish into my breakfast routine!
Raw Buckwheat Cereal – Serves 2
1 cup buckwheat groats, soaked overnight in water and rinsed well
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon coconut
1 tablespoon raw almond butter (optional)
1/2 cup chopped fresh fruit (optional)
Soak the groats in a bowl of water overnight and rinse well before using. Combine about 2/3 of the groats with the banana, cinnamon, soymilk and coconut in a food processor and whirl until blended. Serve the cereal with the remainder of the unprocessed groats on top with almond butter and fruit if desired.
It has been a crazy week as my summer coursework winds down. I’ll have a few weeks of time off before the craziness begins with the fall semester. Oh well, I guess it’s better to keep busy to stay out of trouble, right? I’ve been messing around some more with my food dehydrator, but a decent cracker recipe using the pulp from my juicer still eludes me. This recipe has been my toughest so far! I think I might take a break from trying to use the pulp and focus on a raw dessert, instead. Have a wonderful weekend!
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For each line, one alternative would have provided service in all time periods and included the construction of new stations in New York City in areas not currently served by regional rail service.
The second alternative involved providing service only during off-peak and weekend periods with no new stations. While still under consideration for implementation, the off-peak and weekend service alternatives will no longer be included in the federal environmental review. It was determined that the off-peak and weekend services, without new stations, could be implemented using existing equipment and infrastructure without the need for federal funding.
In consultation with the Federal Transit Administration, Metro-North has decided to progress both the full-service Hudson and New Haven Line alternatives as one proposed "Build" alternative including: Hudson Line Service to Penn Station during all time periods via Amtrak's Empire Connection with two new stations on Manhattan's west side in the vicinity of West 125th and the Upper West Side; and New Haven Line Service to Penn Station during all time periods via the Hell Gate Line with three new stations in the eastern Bronx in the vicinity of Co-op City, Parkchester, and Hunts Point.
Analyses performed to date on this alternative reveal no significant impacts that cannot be mitigated. Therefore, Metro-North has decided to prepare an Environmental Assessment, which is expected to be complete in 2011, rather than an EIS. Metro-North's EA will incorporate data now being gathered about the best long range uses of Penn Station by MTA Long Island Rail Road, New Jersey Transit, Amtrak, which owns the station, and MTA Metro-North Railroad.
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Heck, they try to bum rides from CHP's, why not checkout a boat for some fresh salmon:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 4SRV31.DTL
300-pound California sea lion apparently made his way nearly 100 miles from San Francisco Bay up the San Joaquin River and into the heart of farm country, where a surprised farmer discovered him Monday morning sitting along a road in Merced County about half a mile from the nearest water.
The sea lion, healthy and now resting at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, is expected to be released back to the wild.
California Highway Patrol officers raced to the scene to find the marine mammal on the shoulder of Henry Miller Road, north of Los Banos. While patrol officers waited for help from wildlife experts, the animal sauntered over to a CHP car, jumped up on the trunk and lay down.
"You can imagine it was an unusual sight -- a California sea lion sunning itself on the back of one of our patrol cars out here in the valley,'' said Mike Panelli, CHP public information officer in Los Banos.
State Fish and Game Department officials said they believe the animal wasn't dumped but traveled on his own, probably chasing fish up the San Joaquin River. Sea lions can travel 15 to 20 mph in the open ocean, and, unlike the awkward harbor seals, they are mobile on land.
On Sunday, someone reported to the California Department of Parks and Recreation a sighting of a sea lion at the former Fremont Ford Recreation Area, now part of the Great Valley Grasslands State Park, where Highway 140 crosses the San Joaquin River east of Gustine, about 15 miles from where he was rescued.
Sea lions on the CA delta are bad. I have lost allot of striper and salmon to them. They come 100's of miles up river on the Sacramento and Feather. Up as far as redding near lake Shasta we get them.
There is a spot on the American river you can legally night fish for salmon. Had a sea lion come half in my boat to see if I had a fish in the middle of the night. Scared the crap out of me.
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An open source project that aims to give people more control over how their personal information is used online has secured the backing of IBM and Novell. The Higgins Project, managed by the Eclipse open source foundation, aims to develop so-called 'user-centric' identity management.
Rather than big corportions managing identity data, the user-centric identity management approach puts individual surfers in the driving seat. Users will decide what information they want shared with trusted websites that use Higgins-derived software.
IBM, Harvard Law School's Berkman Centre for Internet & Society, Novell, and Parity Communications all said they are contributing code to the project, which aims to spawn new cross-platform security software. As well as supporting Unix, Linux or Windows machines, Project Higgins will support any identity management system.
Higgins breaks a person's identity into pieces, allowing users to dictate who can access parts of their identity information, within applicable privacy guidelines and laws. Organisations using applications built with Higgins open source tools can share specific identity information, such as their telephone number or buying preferences, according to rules set by the individual.
This set-up will allow users to change an address across all their online accounts more easily or delegate who can see what elements of their medical records, for example. The approach is also promoted as a means for businesses to create new channels of communication with customers. The idea is that individuals and organisations will form affinity groups and collaborative networks based on preferences and interests. Merchants can connect with consumers or other businesses that choose to be reached through digital 'clues' posted on websites or online social networks – such as whether they are interested in buying discontinued auto parts.
Higgins also provides a framework that allows organisations to integrate identity, profile, and relationship information across multiple systems. Using service adapters, systems such as directories, collaboration spaces and email systems can be plugged into the Higgins framework.
IBM has put Higgins support on the roadmap of its Tivoli identity management software next year, with added support by independent software vendors and IBM's consulting services division. IBM distinguished engineer and chief security architect Anthony Nadalin said: "Security is the next frontier for open source software. Open source ensures that there will be easy access to the technology, so that developers can innovate around it. It also means that customers won't be locked into a proprietary architecture when they adopt user-centric identity management systems." ®
The Higgins Project is named after the Tasmanian long-tailed Higgins mouse (not the butler character of the same name from the 1980s TV series Magnum, P.I.). According to a press release, the moniker reflects today's 'long tail' of micro-markets that complement traditional industries - such as new markets revolving around online auctions - and the fact that those markets will benefit from greater online collaboration. Emmm, do we detect the faint smell of joss sticks, perchance?
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As District 200 tries to explain its diversion of a state school construction grant for other purposes, part of the spin is a claim that the diversion will “save” the District money in interest costs. But District 200’s prepayment of a lease will actually cost taxpayers almost $800,000 MORE in interest costs, if the District’s proposed $17.6 million referendum passes in April. The District says it saved $133,922 in interest by using $2.8 million of the $14.4 million state school construction grant it received last May to prepay a lease. But the interest costs of reborrowing that same money for Jefferson, assuming you believe the District’s numbers, would be $922,780. This “new math” does not add up for the taxpayers. Here’s why.
On June 8, 2011, the District 200 School Board voted to upgrade its computer network and to pay for it by signing a finance lease with payments of about $3.3 million. A finance lease is similar to an installment contract for a car or other major purchase; it requires regular payments and has an interest charge included. According to the meeting minutes, “Funding for the lease payments will be allocated in the 2011-2012 technology budget” – in other words, the District said it had a plan to pay for this without using state funds.
Fast forward one year. On June 13, 2012, the Board, flush with cash from the $14.4 million school construction grant it had just received, voted to use $2,863,397.64 of school construction funds, NOT for school construction, but to pay off the finance lease for the computers. It said that paying off the lease early would save $133,922.36 in interest costs.
Yes, BUT the Board was already planning to borrow money to build a new Jefferson Preschool. Based on the Board’s current numbers (which some have questioned), borrowing $17.6 million will cost a total of $5.8 million in interest. What if the Board had, instead, put the $2.8 million it spent to pay off the lease toward school construction, and reduced the amount of the referendum by $2.8 million?
You can do the math. The $2.8 million would have paid for 15.9% of the amount the Board wants taxpayers to spend on a new Jefferson; in other words, the referendum could have been for 15.9% less money, and the total interest costs would have been 15.9% less. That would have saved taxpayers $922,780 in interest (which is 15.9% of the $5.8 million interest cost). Basically, District 200 prepaid low interest debt, and now wants to reborrow the same money at a higher
cost. It’s like taking a cash advance on your credit card to pay down your low rate mortgage.
The actual difference is probably even bigger, because the referendum is back loaded with the highest payments in later years. Reducing the amount of the total borrowing would save even more interest than the $922,780 - that number assumes each year's payment would be reduced proportionately, whereas actually the total would probably be deducted from the last payments. Even if we discounted future payments for inflation, it makes no sense to spend money that will be reborrowed at a far higher interest rate than the "savings".
So, don’t believe the hype. District 200 should use the money from the technology budget that it planned to spend on this lease anyway, to “make whole” the school construction grant over the next two years, so the money can be used for school construction at Jefferson. The only way to force the Board to do the right thing is to vote NO on April 9.
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The Vanishing Point
by Mary Sharratt
Published by Mariner Books
384 pages, 2006
Where the Wild Things Are
Reviewed by David Abrams
In her latest novel, The Vanishing Point, Mary Sharratt transports readers back to Colonial America, a land filled with impenetrable forests, grim foreboding and long distances between neighbors. It is the wilderness within the hearts of the characters, however, that proves to be the most dangerous.
As she did in her previous book, The Real Minerva, Sharratt brings the hair-trigger emotions of her characters to the surface as they play out the drama against the backdrop of history. In The Real Minerva, it was 1920s Minnesota; here, we're taken to Maryland in the 1690s.
Hannah Powers arrives on the wild, rocky shores of the Maryland colony, hoping to join her older sister May and her new husband Gabriel. May had left Hannah and their father, a surgeon, back in England several years earlier in the wake of scandal. We learn that May "had started with the boys" when she was 15. "In the beginning, she had tried to be a decent girl, contenting herself with kisses, sweet words, and secret glances. But her hunger mounted..."
Before she can bring disgrace on the family name, May's father sends her to America as a sort of mail-order bride for a distant cousin. Years later, Hannah arrives and makes her way upriver to the isolated homestead where May and Gabriel had settled. But before she can drag her trunks up the riverbank, she's greeted with terrible news from Gabriel: two years earlier, May died in childbirth and the farm has fallen into ruins.
At first, Gabriel is hostile and guarded, carrying a load of bitterness toward the rest of the world, but it's not long before Hannah penetrates his stoic, buckskinned exterior. A few chapters later, they're embracing and tumbling around in animal skins on the cabin floor. Though it's predictable and a bit quick to develop, the romance between Gabriel and Hannah is genuinely felt by the reader. As the novel progresses, it becomes the source of tension that keeps the pages turning: even as Hannah falls in love with her brother-in-law, she increasingly suspects him of murdering her sister.
Sharratt limits most of the novel's action to the isolated cabin, forcing us to feel the loneliness, the danger of the wilderness, the gritty way of life. The sex is dirty (in the unwashed sense), yet erotic; the mystery of the missing woman constantly haunts the edge of the pages, and the violence of mankind is always just beyond the threshold.
The strength of the novel lies in its details: food, clothing, gardening, medicinal herbs and ocean crossings are well-researched, a description of surgery to remove a kidney stone is especially vivid. I've no idea how accurate Sharratt's descriptions are, but the important thing is she convinces me and integrates the research seamlessly into the story.
The Vanishing Point has the hallmarks of a successful historical novel -- it's engaging, authentic in its period details, sexy when it needs to be, and is populated with characters the reader cares about. Despite its length, The Vanishing Point quickly becomes a page-turner and its flaws -- primarily clunky dialogue which teeters between Restoration England and 20th-century TV soap opera -- are easy to forgive once you get caught up in the story.
Hannah grows stronger as the story moves along (it's no coincidence that her last name is Powers). Sharratt has endowed her with the trademarks of a spirited, educated woman who can read and write in English and Latin, knows algebra, geometry, botany and astronomy, and wields a surgeon's knife with precision.
Years before the American Revolution, Hannah takes her own stance of independence. She's a formidable, and sometimes threatening, match for Gabriel as she plays detective in the mystery of her sister's death. The solution, not fully revealed until the book's closing pages, is as surprising as it is satisfying.
In her afterword, Sharratt tells us the seeds of The Vanishing Point were planted 20 years ago when she took part in a University of Minnesota seminar called "The Making of the Female Character (1450-1650)." Sharratt wondered, "What would happen to a late-seventeenth-century woman who was determined to carve out her own destiny and who demanded the same liberties, both social and sexual, as a man?" She more than adequately answers this question in the pages of The Vanishing Point. | August 2006
David Abrams is a January Magazine contributing editor. He has written for Esquire, Glimmer Train Stories, The Greensboro Review, The Readerville Journal and other literary magazines.
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The Gaza Monologues: A Dramatic Reading
Don't miss this evening of performance and art! On Dec. 2, Chicago area actors will be performing the Ashtar Theatre's "The Gaza Monologues!" Written by teenagers in Gaza, the monologues are their stories of life under occupation and siege. "The Gaza Monologues" reveal the human face of Palestinian youth with virtually no outlet to the outside world.
The monologues have been brought to venues around the world and will be performed at the United Nations on November 29th. Join us as we bring this world-renowned performance to Chicago for the first time!
The Monologues will be performed at the 101 Exhibit area at Columbia College for the opening of Skip Schiel's "Windows into Gaza" photography exhibit. Skip's photography captures daily life of Palestinians in Gaza. The exhibit will be at Columbia from December 2nd until December 7th.
Doors open at 7:00. The Performance begins at 7:45.
Event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
Sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and Iymen Chehade, Department of Humanities, History and Social Science, Columbia College
Call AFSC at 312-427-2533 or email email@example.com.
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BETHLEHEM, N.H. - If the rainbow-painted deck chairs, fluttering rainbow flag, and purple shutters don't make it clear, the Highlands Inn's toll-free number, 877-LES-B-INN, leaves no doubt as to whom this White Mountains resort caters.
Innkeeper Grace Newman began hosting commitment ceremonies at this self-proclaimed "lesbian paradise" in the 1980s. Newman says she has lost track of the number of commitment ceremonies that have happened there; she estimates about 300 couples have honeymooned at the inn after getting civil unions in Vermont or marriages in Quebec, Canada, both short drives away.
In 2008, the inn's 25th anniversary coincides with another milestone: legal recognition of civil unions by New Hampshire beginning after midnight tonight. Newman, veteran host and overseer of many a union, isn't wasting any time. Two New Hampshire couples will be joined in civil unions during the inn's annual New Year's Eve dance after the clock strikes 12.
From the North Country to the State House steps, other gay couples are making similar plans.
"It would be pretty easy to take a little break from the party and celebrate some civil unions," said Newman, who plans to get her own civil union with longtime partner Maria Doyle this September at the inn.
The law plants another rainbow-colored flag in New England, which has grown increasingly gay-friendly since neighboring Vermont became the first state to legalize civil unions in 2000. It has been a quick reversal for New Hampshire, where as recently as 2004 lawmakers reacted to Massachusetts' gay marriage law by passing a ban on recognizing those unions here.
The law defines civil unions as the equivalent of marriage in all respects but name.
Beginning in 2008, five of six New England states will provide some form of legal recognition to same-sex couples: marriage in Massachusetts; civil unions in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Connecticut; domestic partnerships in Maine. Rhode Island does not allow same-sex marriages, but does not explicitly ban them, making the state one of only a few whose gay residents can legally marry in Massachusetts.
As ceremonies for gay couples go mainstream in New Hampshire, some innkeepers, hotel managers and tourism marketers are working to get some of the expected upswing in business.
"I think it can turn into another niche market for lodging properties and all of our wedding folks who provide services: photographers, florists, bakers, sleigh rides, the whole gamut," said Janice Crawford, executive director of the chamber of commerce in the Mount Washington Valley - a tourism-rich swath of ski resorts, retail outlets, and small amusement parks in northern New Hampshire.
Crawford said she started thinking about civil-union packages when the law passed this spring. The chamber already markets gay-friendly businesses on its website and will feature civil-union packages as they come available, she said. Speaking recently in her office, Crawford tossed out her pitch: "Plan your civil union ceremony around your vacation," she said. "There's plenty to do here in [the] Mount Washington Valley."
In Bradford, innkeeper Lesley Marquis said she has heard from couples who have seen her advertisement on the state tourism website for a $350 civil unions package at her Rosewood Country Inn. "Weddings are big for us. Whether it's regular couples or gay couples," she said. "Starting January, I think there are going to be a lot of people trying to do it, so I think that having it on the state site will benefit us," she said.
Marquis' first civil-union booking is from Sian Strobridge and Katie Bosse of Manchester, who are planning their ceremony to coincide with their third anniversary on Feb. 2. Strobridge and Bosse have their details set: A weekend at the inn with family and close friends; a beaded ivory gown for Sian and a tuxedo for Katie; a gourmet dinner by caterers at Canterbury Shaker Village; calla lilies for the bridal bouquet and hair and makeup appointments for Sian.
"In one aspect I see myself as a typical bride," said Strobridge, 34, who works at a Manchester retail store.
So far the couple have committed $5,000 for their civil union weekend; they plan to follow up in June with a weekend party for 200 at an apple orchard, Strobridge said. "That one we haven't even come up with a budget yet. That's going to be quite expensive," she said.
State record keepers recently distributed thousands of civil union documents to city and town clerks, who began offering the licenses for a $45 fee on Dec. 10. William Bolton, director of the state Vital Records Administration, said officials took the number of civil unions performed in Vermont in 2000 - 1,704 - and roughly doubled that for their estimate that 3,500 to 4,000 couples will get civil unions in New Hampshire in 2008. About 10,000 couples in New Hampshire marry every year, Bolton said.
While the civil unions estimate could be high - ceremonies in Vermont spiked early on before dropping significantly as other states legalized them - even conservative estimates are that civil unions will add millions to New Hampshire's economy.
A 2005 study predicted that legalizing same-sex marriage in New Hampshire would bring in an additional $630,000 a year in rooms and meals taxes in the first three years. The study, by The Williams Project on Sexual Orientation and Public Policy at the UCLA School of Law, was funded by two national gay rights groups. It estimated that half the 2,703 same-sex couples counted in the 2000 census in New Hampshire would choose to marry within three years if marriage was offered to them. A subsequent study in 2006 calculated that 1,352 gay couples, each spending about $7,600 - or one-quarter of the $30,510 straight couples spend on weddings in New Hampshire - would spend more than $10.3 million on weddings if they were allowed to marry.
Given a new census estimate for 2005 of 5,500 same-sex couples in the state - more than twice the 2000 total - the spending could be even higher, said Lee Badgett, a University of Massachusetts economist and author of both studies.
"It's just a question of how much, really," she said.
Cindy Sproul is co-owner of Rainbow Wedding Network, an online wedding registry for gay brides and grooms. She says the website has recorded a noticeable increase in New Hampshire users since the company hosted a gay wedding expo in Portsmouth in October.
"The amount of registries that come through is about 25 to 40 a week, and I can tell you that more is coming from New Hampshire right now than any other area," said Sproul, who is based in North Carolina. Based on experience from her website, Sproul estimates that couples spend $15,000 on weddings in states where gay marriage is not legal, and even more - $18,000 to $20,000 - where it is. Sproul said about 65 businesses advertised at the expo, which drew more than 200 couples.
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But the value of that patent in the modern market is determined by its defensibility -- literally, how much it can rake in, in infringement cases. Without that market value, much of the incentive for trying to build new technologies in the first place, may be lost.
That's the implication of a letter sent by a newly assembled coalition of manufacturers, most notably including Monsanto, along with the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), to Senators Patrick Leahy (D - Vt.) and Arlen Specter (R - Penn.), and to Reps. John Conyers (D - Mich.) and Lamar Smith (R - Tex.), the chairmen and ranking members of committees that will be deliberating the latest round of patent reform legislation to be deliberated on Capitol Hill, probably throughout this year.
One notes that in 2009, it is John Conyers, not Howard Berman, who will play a big role in patent reform in the House. Conyers has taken a strong, pro-protection, role in copyright. This shift in personnel should be noted in the reform calculus. The top players in the Senate (S.515 are the same), but keep in mind patent reform does not go along party-line vote.
EETimes on damages apportionment:
Opponents claim the mechanism called apportionment the new bill uses to determine damages won't work outside the computer and communications industries where hundreds of patents go into a single system.
"If you go to any other industry the amount of patents is small--it might be five or even one, said Tom Kelly, general counsel of Monsanto and a member of the Innovation Alliance, a group of technology licensing companies including Dolby Labs, Qualcomm and Tessera that organized a separate press conference.
The InnovationAlliance site contains the letter of ACORE to Leahy and Hatch, which begins:
We write today regarding the importance of the United States patent system to our
transition to a clean energy economy. Our companies and those we represent are committed to
nurturing the innovation pipeline and subsequent domestic manufacturing capacity that will build
the next generation of energy efficient, renewable energy, and renewable fuel technologies,
creating thousands of American jobs in the process. However, we are concerned with recent
legislative proposals to make fundamental changes to the US patent system that we believe
would weaken, rather than strengthen, patent protection, putting this innovation pipeline and
subsequent American manufacturing capacity at risk.
The patent reform legislation that has been introduced would reduce penalties for patent
infringement by changing the law of damages. This change would elevate the importance of one
of the factors now considered in calculating patent damages. By giving this one factor –
apportionment – a preeminent position in damage calculations, proponents of the legislation
would have achieved the goal of reducing damage awards. This type of reduction in the value of
intellectual property rights could adversely affect the future of our industries in the United States
in two ways.
***from a previous IPBiz post-->
IP-watch also noted:
Meanwhile, intellectual property issues - including patent reform and internet neutrality - in the 111th Congress will be taken up by the full House Judiciary Committee, and no longer by the Subcommittee on Courts, Internet, and Intellectual Property. Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, heads the Judiciary Committee.
**bio from infoplease:
CONYERS, John, Jr., a Representative from Michigan; born in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., May 16, 1929; attended Detroit public schools; B.A., Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich., 1957; LL.B., Wayne State Law School, Detroit, Mich., 1958;
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Tue January 1, 2013
What Does Senate Budget Deal Mean For You?
Originally published on Tue January 1, 2013 8:44 am
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning, I'm David Greene.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
And I'm Steve Inskeep. Happy New Year.
Let's start with the upside. Congress has yet to rattle the financial markets so far in 2013.
GREENE: Of course, the markets are closed on this New Year's Day, as the House considers a deal on taxes and spending. The Senate has already approved that plan by a huge majority.
INSKEEP: It would raise taxes on the wealthy, extend the tax cuts for everybody else, and temporarily put off the big spending cuts that are due later this year.
NPR's John Ydstie is with us to talk through this deal, what it means for all of us. John, good morning.
JOHN YDSTIE, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve. Happy New Year.
INSKEEP: Thank you very much. OK, so it is January 1st, they have not changed the rules -tax laws or spending laws - which means technically we've gone over the fiscal cliff. How's it feel in the air here?
YDSTIE: Well, technically the Bush tax cuts expired at midnight, that's true, along with some Obama era tax cuts. But most of those tax cuts are reinstated by this deal so the effects are minimal. In addition, it's New Year's Day, as you said, the markets around the world are closed so there's no danger of markets going off the rails, as the House debates this.
INSKEEP: As the House debates, yeah.
YDSTIE: Right. As for the hundred and $110 billion in spending cuts that were part of the fiscal cliff, this deal would push that deadline off for two months setting up yet another battle. At the same time, the Congress and the president will once again be required to raise the debt ceiling - so look for another fight in two months.
INSKEEP: Well, wait. The debt ceiling, so they've avoided this opportunity to implode the economy, but they have better chances up ahead.
INSKEEP: OK, we'll look forward to that. But meanwhile, there is this deal which the House we expect will take up today, consider today. They haven't promised to vote for it but they're going to consider today. What would it do to everybody's taxes if it becomes law?
YDSTIE: Well, honestly, the biggest effect is that the Bush era tax cuts will be extended for all individuals with incomes below $400,000 and households below $450,000.
YDSTIE: But taxpayers above those levels would see their top tax rates go to 39.6 percent for their earned income over those amounts. The deal also calls for high income people to pay higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains - the profits they make on the sale of stocks and other assets. That rate would rise from 15 percent, where it is now, to 20 percent.
INSKEEP: I want to ask you about something, John Ydstie. The president campaigned in the 2012 election on raising taxes or letting taxes go back up on the wealthy. He defined as people earning more than $250,000 a year. You just said 400, $450,000 a year, whether you're single person or a couple. That's a different benchmark.
YDSTIE: Yeah, obviously the president did compromise. But the deal does call for individuals above $250,000, and households above $300,000, to take a bit of a hit. That's because tax credits and tax deductions for things like mortgages, just would be phased out, starting at those income levels.
INSKEEP: OK, so they'll pay a little more...
INSKEEP: ...depending on who you are and exactly what your tax return has set. Now, below $250,000, does nothing change from 2012?
YDSTIE: To a large extent, no - nothing changes. Tax rates on earned income will remain where they were last year. The tax rates those folks paid, below $250,000 on dividends and capital gains, remains at 15 percent. And middle-class folks won't be threatens any longer by the Alternative Minimum Tax, which actually treats them as if they were rich - that's been patched, permanently.
there are also a number of tax credits, enacted under President Obama, largely favoring lower income people, that will be extended for five years by this deal, including college tax breaks, enhanced child and earned income tax credits as well.
INSKEEP: OK, but there's also the matter of the payroll taxes that millions of Americans pay that support Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. There's been a brake on those the last couple of years. What happens to that now?
YDSTIE: Right, the idea was to keep money in people's pockets so they could spend it to stimulate the economy. But now we'll go back to paying the full 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax on annual earnings of $113,000. That's two percent more than we paid last year. For taxpayers who make $50,000 a year, it means their take-home pay, over the course of 2013, will be a thousand dollars less.
INSKEEP: OK. So the payroll tax break goes away. Now, what about the estate tax, taxes on inheritance, which they were also negotiating?
YDSTIE: Well, this deal keeps the threshold for estate taxes at $5 million for individuals and $10 million for couples, but the tax rate on estates above those values will go up from 35 to 40 percent.
INSKEEP: OK, so that changes.
YDSTIE: And another very important part of this deal is that unemployment benefits have been extended for two million of the long term unemployed who would have lost their benefits at the end of January.
INSKEEP: Let me just mention that those long term unemployed are left over from the last recession. There was fear that the fiscal cliff could lead to another recession. Have they changed things enough, very briefly, John, for a recession to be avoided here?
YDSTIE: I think they probably have, Steve, but this deal doesn't do very much to reduce long term deficits.
INSKEEP: Which was the other problem they were discussing. John, thanks.
YDSTIE: You're welcome.
INSKEEP: That's NPR's John Ydstie. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
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POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 26, 2012
NEW YORK >> On a Sunday morning in March, the cavernous arrival hall at Terminal 8 at Kennedy International Airport was virtually deserted save for a cluster of people wearing white T-shirts with black “Sato Project” logos huddled near the cargo entrance. But when American Airlines Flight 648 from San Juan, Puerto Rico, touched down and a small, tanned woman wearing a white fedora and blue sweat pants emerged from customs, the group snapped to attention. Christina Beckles, 39, a former Golden Gloves boxing champion and the founder of the Sato Project, a rescue organization that brings abandoned and abused dogs to the continental United States from Puerto Rico, had just landed with 17 animals in tow.
Beckles had spent the previous four days in Puerto Rico, and it had been an emotional trip: On Day Three she had seen a puppy hit and killed by a sport utility vehicle that sped away. Now, she stopped to hug her husband, Bobby Beckles, 44, a professional stuntman, and dissolved into tears in his arms.
Then she wiped her eyes, thanked her white-shirted entourage and got down to business: keeping tabs on the procession of crates streaming into the arrival hall. Inside were 17 satos — Puerto Rican slang for mongrels — 16 of which Christina Beckles had rescued from Dead Dog Beach, the notorious and remote spot on the island’s southeastern shore, where for decades owners have routinely dumped unwanted animals.
As the containers piled up, the Beckleses methodically unlocked them, and out spilled the dogs: among them six fuzzy puppies whose mother had died while giving birth; two other puppy siblings found in a sealed cardboard box in the beach’s parking lot; Shiner, a personable terrier Beckles had plucked impromptu from the local Humane Society; and Murphy, a brindled boxer mix who had turned up, wet and hungry, on the beach one morning. Upon release, the dogs cavorted as if on a play date; the smallest puppies were cuddled in volunteers’ arms.
Other people have wrestled with the sato problem before. A 2007 episode in Barceloneta village, where hired “exterminators” rounded up dozens of dogs and threw them off a bridge, focused attention on Puerto Rico’s treatment of animals and led to a proposed tourist boycott of the island.
The issue was brought to light again by a People magazine article in 2008 about the frustrations of rescuers working at Dead Dog Beach. That same year, Public Law 154, which made animal abuse and abandonment illegal, became official, though advocates say that it is rarely, if ever, enforced.
Maritza Rodriguez, the executive director of the Humane Society of Puerto Rico, said her shelter took in 100 unwanted dogs daily. “Euthanasia in Puerto Rico is around 97 percent,” she said. “Adoptable animals are dying and suffering on our streets and beaches.” Taking animals off the island “is not the solution,” Rodriguez added, “but it is one more chance to save lives.”
Since November, when the British-born Beckles struck out on her own after several years of volunteering for other organizations but feeling dissatisfied by the results they achieved, she has become the unlikely but unrelenting savior of Dead Dog Beach. Operating out of her apartment in Brooklyn, and with minimal financial support, she has taken 81 dogs from the beach, paid for their medical care and placed 60 of the dogs healthy enough to make the trip to the United States in adoptive homes.
Without Beckles’ intervention, all of the dogs would likely be dead from starvation, sickness or worse.
By necessity, she has cultivated a network of volunteers on the island and stateside who share her passion. Two of the tiniest arrivals on Sunday were taken to their adopter in Boston by Lillian Penney of Center Moriches, N.Y., whose first encounter with the Sato Project came in February. While in Puerto Rico on a family vacation, Penney found a starving, pregnant dog in a restaurant parking lot. “Nobody wanted to help,” she said. “It broke my heart.”
After connecting with Beckles online, Penney was quickly enlisted as an escort for three puppies aboard the flight to Kennedy Airport from San Juan — and she ended up adopting one of them. “When you see the compassion she has, you feel like you just have to help,” she said of Beckles. “You look in the eyes of these dogs and actually see the difference you’re making.”
Dead Dog Beach, officially known as Playa Lucia, is nondescript in most ways, but notorious for the vagrant animals dumped there and left to fend for themselves or die. Sometimes the dogs arrive in cardboard boxes, nine terrified puppies crammed in. Sometimes they are booted out of vehicles. Many have wounds from abuse. Beckles and her surrogates do their work by daylight; after dark, the beach is safe neither for them nor the dogs because of youths who gather there to party and to use the dogs for target practice, local rescuers say.
“My goal is for it to be called by its real name, Playa Lucia, again someday,” she said.
Beckles heard about the beach from her husband: Five years ago, he was in Puerto Rico on a monthlong shoot for a miniseries when the driver of the van in which he and other crew members were riding hit a dog — on purpose. “There was a mother and her pups crossing the road, and our driver didn’t even try to avoid them,” Bobby Beckles said. The TV crew forced the driver to stop. “We gathered up the puppies and got them away from the road and fed them our lunch,” he said. Then he called his wife.
“I wasn’t Rescue 101 until I went to Puerto Rico to visit Bobby while he was on that shoot,” Christina Beckles said. “I went out to the beach with food for the dogs, and the people there looked at me like I was feeding rats. It touched a nerve in me so bad that I called every rescue organization there was and asked if I could help them do public relations, donate, anything.”
Beckles began coordinating rescues for two groups, Amigos de los Animales (Friends of the Animals) and Manos por Patas (Hands for Paws). She met Sandra Cintron, who lives in Yabucoa, near the beach, and for the last 12 years has been carrying food and water to the stray dogs every morning. Cintron became Beckles’ eyes and ears on the beach: She telephones Beckles each morning at 7 to report on the status of the dogs, she houses puppies temporarily and takes dogs to the veterinarian as often as needed. Twice a day, she and two new volunteers replenish the kibble and water stations the Sato Project has set up.
The dogs that Beckles and Cintron remove from the beach are brought to Candelero Animal Hospital in Humacao, where the veterinarian, Dr. Bianca Aguirre Hernandez, is highly sympathetic to their cause. Aguirre Hernandez vaccinates and neuters the animals and provides any other care they need. Beckles has an outstanding veterinary bill of $8,000 there, but the hospital lets her run a tab.
Beckles flies to Puerto Rico five or six times a year. Since November, when she officially went solo after an 18-month affiliation with a group called Pets Alive fell apart because of a business disagreement, she has flown dogs to the continental United States on a near-weekly basis, operating under the Sato Project umbrella and through a sister group, the Dead Dog Beach Project.
Once they leave Puerto Rico, Beckles’ dogs are introduced to their adopters or placed temporarily in foster homes. She charges the adopters $200 for a puppy and $250 for an adult dog. She also works with two nonprofit shelters. Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter, in East Hanover, N.J., took in five baby Chihuahuas that Beckles had flown into Newark in February, then took another five puppies from the Sunday airlift. Last Hope, a shelter on Long Island, took several of the puppies as well, and all of them have found homes.
Inevitably, the Beckleses also end up temporarily housing a number of the dogs, like Tiny, a one-pound, baldheaded Chihuahua who had been the runt of her litter and developed alopecia. Her initial adoption fell through after the adopters heard about her fur issues. The Beckleses nursed her with doses of scrambled eggs, salmon and chicken. Within two weeks her fur had grown back, and Bobby Beckles was angling to keep her. “My husband’s become a dog hoarder,” Christina Beckles said jokingly.
After regaining her fur and gaining a pound, Tiny flew to Las Vegas on March 21 to join Nanook, a sato adopted earlier this month by a couple there.
To say Beckles operates on a shoestring budget would be an understatement. She called it “more like a thread.”
“I couldn’t do this at all without Bobby’s support,” she added, “both emotionally and financially.” Whatever costs aren’t covered by donations, the couple absorb. Last year, he spent about $20,000 rescuing dogs; this year, with his wife expanding her efforts, the cost could be twice that. They have scheduled their first fundraiser for April 22 at a Long Island restaurant, and they rely heavily on Facebook pleas for donations.
On a recent Monday afternoon, Christina Beckles left the ground-floor apartment in Cobble Hill that she shares with her husband and their “forever” dogs, Basher (a Jack Russell terrier) and BoomBoom (a speckled sato that Beckles rescued five years ago), and headed to Gleason’s Gym in the Dumbo neighborhood for a training session.
She no longer competes in Golden Gloves events, which are limited to amateur fighters under age 35. But she occasionally fights at special events at the gym, like the bout she has scheduled in June as part of a masters competition for older boxers.
After the workout, Beckles, a chronic hugger, embraced Saxby and her former trainer, Martin Gonzalez, and then jumped into her Jeep to go home. The dogs were waiting, including Tiny, who had yet to go to Las Vegas, and a sweaty, weary Beckles needed to reboot with a chocolate milk.
Back in the couple’s kitchen, there was a whiteboard with the names of the dogs in her program, each listed by status: at the vet, in foster care, at Cintron’s or still on the beach. “Bobby made me do that so that he’d know where all the doggies are, just in case something happens to me,” she said. “It’s a good idea.”
Her cellphone rang. It was a call from Puerto Rico. Two new puppies were on the beach. Cintron had named them Mocha and Daisy and fed them, and she asked if she could take them under the Sato Project umbrella. Was there enough money? No, there was not. But, yes, she should rescue the puppies.
“I need to clone myself,” Beckles said, adding that if she did, she would make two significant alterations: Her clone would be independently wealthy and would not have a dog allergy requiring weekly injections. She adjusted Tiny in her lap and drank the rest of her milk. Then she grabbed a marker and added Mocha and Daisy to the crowded flow chart on the kitchen counter.
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Bio: Selena Salfen received her MFA in Photography, Video and Related Media from the School of Visual Arts and her BA from Columbia College Chicago. She lives in Brooklyn, New York but returns often to the rural Midwest to photograph. Her work can be viewed atwww.selenasalfen.com.
My grandfather has been a consistently frightening figure in my family. He returned severely damaged from the nine months as a starved and violently interrogated German prisoner of war in World War II. Functioning through the remnants of his untreated traumatic experiences, re raised a family in a physically and psychologically abusive household, governed by his alcoholism and nonsensical rules. He worked ad a mortician, stealing from those he embalmed and bringing a desensitized relationship with the death home to six children. This traumatic environment cultivated self-destruction and dysfunction amongst the children, leading to suicide, addiction, and many life-long struggles. The legacy of my grandfather’s experience in the war and the resultant abuse of his family has mutated and transmitted itself through three generations. For this project, I use the camera to disrupt the pattern of silence that had guarded our family’s dysfunction, while reconnecting the family and redefining their experience within my grandfather’s environment.
To make this body of work, I flew members of my family back from their scattered locations to the house in Missouri where my grandfather still lives. This process mimics the treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, referred to as exposure in vivo, in which subjects are directed to return in the physical location of a trauma and confront their fears in order to heal. The photographs I make in these locations are reconstructions of stories from the past, as well as observations of each descendant’s reimmersion into the historically traumatic location. In addition, I excavate the space, searching for evidence of past and present dysfunction amongst my grandfather’s neglected animals, rotting food, and sixty hears of hoarding.
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In the wake of BP’s hugely disappointing “top kill” failure in the Gulf, the Obama administration is jacking up the tough talk. Speaking in the Rose Garden today, the president himself vowed to support an independent commission’s effort “to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor.” And Attorney General Eric Holder is visiting the region to meet with top federal prosecutors. As the WSJ notes, this puts the Obama administration in the rather awkward position of trying to work with BP to contain the spill at the same time it seemingly explores criminal charges against the company.
But given the enormous and arcane technical challenges of solving this problem, it’s also probably the best Obama can offer us. The demands that he “do more” to stop the spill are increasing, but generally with few specifics. Many complaints seem to be asking for more symbolic demonstrations of outrage by Obama. (He needs to be more angry! He needs to spend more time in Louisiana! What is he doing sleeping and eating while this is happening!)
But, really, what’s the point? A president’s leadership power is valuable in the service of rallying the public around a difficult cause or sacrifice–or even lifting national morale in an intangible way to help, say, lift consumer confidence and boost the economy. It doesn’t make much sense for a president to serve as a vessel for our nonspecific national frustrations about a terrible situation that defies easy solutions.
And anyway, with public opinion trending like this, it’s a safe bet that the White House is doing everything it can to make sure that gusher gets plugged. As if Malia wasn’t enough.
Update: Greg Sargent makes a similar point, and helpfully links to some of the worst offenders.
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CQA was born in the fall of 1986. Our local quilt store at the time, In the Beginning, was supportive of all forms of quiltmaking. Lorraine Torrence had begun teaching some contemporary design classes at the shop—classes that were considered revolutionary at that time. In the spring of 1986, the store's owner, Sharon Yenter, along with Lorraine, organized a series of four lectures on the Art Quilt that were attended by about 30 people. The speakers were Nancy Dice, Buff Hungerland, Suzanne Kjelland, and Laura Reinstatler.
At the end of the lecture series, people left knowing that they wanted to form a group. Art Quilts were just beginning to be defined at this time. The group wanted to work together to explore how to present and promote their work as art, and themselves as professional artists. In the Beginning donated space for the monthly meetings. The group initially called itself the Northwest Association of Quilt Artists.
By 1987, the group, already a non-profit organization in Washington State, decided to apply for the federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to be able to apply for grants and receive charitable donations. This required developing bylaws: nearly a year's worth of work by a group of about 10 people.
There were 36 original members united by the desire to have the public understand artistic expression in the fabric medium. Members encouraged each other to develop their own visual style and language, and to work in a series. They developed artist statements. The very first exhibition was in the Edmonds Art Center. Jean Koskie was the first president. By January of 1988, there were elected officers, dues, a logo, and a new name, the Contemporary Quilt Association.
The 1991 Folklife Exhibition was a turning point in that it gave the group increased visibility and credibility. The title of the exhibit was By Design: The Quilt as Art. Members rotated responsibilities and duties so that people could continue to spend time in their studios as well as doing work for the organization. Gretchen Echols was president during the Folklife show. After that show CQA had a big influx of new members, as it virtually doubled overnight to approximately 76 members, half of whom had not been present at the start.
Growing pains ensued as CQA outgrew the meeting space in the store and had to find a new location. The new members did not necessarily buy into the goals of professionalism shared by the original core group. Karen Soma was president at this time and remembers that they had to endure the laborious process of re-writing all the bylaws, which were originally the "generic" ones required by the state in order for the organization to gain status as a non-profit. The revisions were geared toward making the bylaws specifically tailored to the group and its goals.
In July of 1993, the name of the group changed again, from the Contemporary Quilt Association to the Contemporary QuiltArt Association. At the same time, the logo was developed, letterhead stationery was printed, and the group got a PO Box of its own. (These tasks were not as simple as they sound here!)
Some of the things that we now take for granted, such as the information in the new-members packet, all had to be developed during those early years. For example, Jean Koskie brought in the idea of educating the members on the best long-term solutions for preserving flat textiles, such as rolling them instead of folding them, and using archival materials to prevent damage. This is one of the informative pieces of new-members information that remains relevant many years later.
The transformation of Show and Tell to Showcase was another important step in the development of CQA. The members didn't want to simply hold up their work like kindergartners and have it praised by the others. They wanted to learn to present their work as art and to talk about it as art. The idea was that they'd practice doing that in front of a friendly CQA audience, so that later they could do it in public. Developing a system to hang the quilts and stand back from them was a detail, but an important one as it provided some emotional as well as physical distance between the artist and the work.
CQA put on its first Symposium in October of 1993. The speakers were Patricia Malarcher, Nancy Erickson and Lynn Basa. It was held at Seattle Pacific University. That symposium was called Difference: Fuel for Creation.
The Difference Project was part of the event. Twelve members were paired with twelve non-quilters and each pair produced a single quilt that exemplified the facts of these two people's lives and their differences.
Stephanie Randall Cooper was the chair of the 10th Anniversary Committee. The group came up with ten activities to celebrate the anniversary year of 1996-97. These included three exhibitions, two books, a party, and an educational component, including a brochure for children to use when looking at the exhibit in the Convention Center. The group found that they got better and more extensive publicity with each succeeding show--the news articles got longer and included more photographs.
The 10th Anniversary events actually made quite a bit of money to support CQA (something around $17K). They got a lot of sponsors, raffled quilts, and so on. The events attracted both cash donations and in-kind donations.
Sharon Pelton Memorial Fund
The Sharon Pelton Memorial Fund, named for an early member of CQA whose life was cut short by illness, was established at the request of her family as a fund to provide seed money for opportunities that required it. For example, some symposia and exhibitions that are eventually funded by other arts organizations are actually reimbursable only after they have taken place. The idea from the beginning was that the Pelton funds would never be used to pay the rent or for other month-to-month operating expenses, but would remain to be used as a resource for future opportunities. This is another philosophy from the early days that has continued into the present.
In 1998, CQA put these funds to good use by sponsoring its second symposium. This one was called Bridging Two Worlds: Taking Our Private Art Public. It was held at Bastyr University in October of 1998. The speakers were Penny Sisto, Penny McMorris and Lou Cabeen.
In 1999, Los Angeles collectors Nancy and Warren Brakensiek offered CQA a generous five-year grant for a lecture series. This allowed us to invite a number of international fiber artists to speak at our monthly meetings. In 2001, with two years remaining on the grant, an ad hoc committee conceived of a special way to round out the lecture series—a collaboration of artists within and outside of the fiber world to attract a larger audience for the lectures as well as to serve as an interesting exercise in creativity. The result was “Visual Verse,” a celebration that included a traveling exhibit that involved 40 poet-quilter pairs, juried by Michael James (Ardis James Professor, Chair of Textile, Clothing and Design, University of Nebraska) and Hilda Raz (editor, Prairie Schooner, Professor of English, University of Nebraska). A lecture by poet Chick Chickadel and artist Dennis Evans at the Seattle Asian Art Museum kicked off the “Visual Verse” project in October 2002, and a lecture by James and Raz at the Seattle Art Museum in October 2003 marked the end of the remarkable Brakensiek grant.
In October 2007 CQA sponsored a third symposium, this time held at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. Keynote speaker was Robert Shaw; presentations were also given by Cynthia Corbin, Barbara Lee Smith and Michael Moore. An exhibit of members’ works was mounted at the Museum at the same time, titled “Evolution of the Art Quilt.”
20th-year anniversary book
Work started in 2006 for special projects to mark our 20th anniversary, with one result being the publication in August 2008 of our second book, Contemporary QuiltArt Association: 20th Anniversary. This attractive volume included color photos of images from five different CQA exhibitions mounted in recent years. We also created three “modular art quilts,” each comprising nine separate but related two-foot-square mini-quilts, that were very successfully raffled off at the 2008 Pacific Northwest Quiltfest show.
25th-year anniversary celebrations
By the fall of 2009, CQA’s 23rd year as an organization, we could count an active membership of 126 and were producing as many as eight major exhibitions in a single year. For our 25th anniversary in 2011, we mounted two exhibits specifically conceived to mark the occasion. One was titled “Twenty Five at Twenty Five,” featuring one quilt each from 25 current members. This show was a special juried exhibit within the Pacific West Quilt Show in Tacoma, WA in August 2011. A second juried exhibit, within the NW Quilt Expo, Portland OR, in September, was titled “25 Years of Art Quilting by Contemporary QuiltArt Association” and featured works from both current and former members of the organization, exhibiting both earlier works and new pieces.
Although a number of CQA members had particpated in the international, invitational "Patchwork Design" show in Brazil, in 2012, we were invited to participate as a group. Seventeen CQA artists were juried into the show, each contributing three quilts to this prestigious exhibit.
Information sources: 10th anniversary newsletter article by Janice Coffey (January 1997), "Blast from the Past" -- a January 2003 panel discussion with some of the original CQA members, including Stephanie Randall Cooper, Gretchen Echols, Karen Soma, Jason Yenter, and Jean Koskie, and some clarifying emails from other long-time members. Contributors: LorraineEdmond, Katy Gollahon and others
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"The truth shall set you free."
1 Corinthians 13
1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
"One man's trash is another man's TREASURE!"
I want the man who nevah said, "I love you"...but I nevah felt more loved than when I was with Him. It was in His kiss...for me.
For Him...The kiss was just a kiss. The sigh was just a sigh. We smiled...only for a little while. But oh goddddddd! We danced! And He took my breath away!!! There are no words to describe ...what it was like...with us.
There nevah were.
But I WILL tell you this. He made me feel...Truly beautiful...and I would do it all again...for just ONE kiss...from His lips.
It's His kiss...I miss. I can't breathe without Him.
Even now...to this day...this very moment in time...
I would have rather been a crystal glass held tenderly and caressingly in His hand...
His eyes gazing intently and lovingly upon my many facets...admiring the brilliance of His fire reflecting off me...feel the softness of His smiling lips sipping the sweetest nectar from me...and then...when He's savored His fill...be dashed against the fireplace, shattered and scattered into a thousand glorious pieces...left shimmering in the dying flames...
than I would to have been...a diamond solitaire.........anywhere.
I would like to dedicate the song below to my parents...still in love...together in God...and forever in my heart. Not even death could part them.
You Touched It ...
You were shopping today, you said . . . when you came across something with angels on it and I crossed your mind.
You almost bought it for me, but you didn't want to think about me, so instead . . . you passed it by and pushed the thought away.
I told you, jokingly, an almost thought didn't count and... next time to go with it!
But don't you know, my Angel . . .?
The fact that you thought of me today means more than any gift you could ever give me.
And yet . . . even the smallest token of that thought would be treasured always, only because...
You touched it.
~Breathe~ Copyright ©2003
JAM is the THE Reason I LIVE...
Have you ever really, REALLY EVAH loved a woman?
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State Police stress parents’ role in children’s lives
The West Virginia State Police is responsible for verifying information submitted by the 3,500 sex offenders who are required to register with the state’s Sex Offender Registry.
Starting last month, more than 1,000 sex offenders across the State have had information verified. As a result, 171 arrests have been made due to false information being submitted by offenders. Other arrests are expected.
The program is a partnership between the State Police and the U.S. Marshal Service. The increased compliance checks have been made possible by federal grant money, which allows troopers to work overtime hours.
The Sex Offender Registry continues to grow each year and requires more time and resources to properly maintain it. Over the past three years, the registry has increased by more than 400 offenders annually. Another 1,200 offenders are currently incarcerated and will need to be registered upon their release from prison.
The public registry can be viewed at www.statepolice.wv.gov.
Police stress it is merely a tool. The recent arrests confirm that sex offenders can’t always be trusted to provide accurate information to the registry.
The public registry allows computer screen names and email addresses to be searched. Keeping children safe remains a priority of the State Police.
While law enforcement is making progress in combating internet crimes against children, more can be done, said Colonel Jay Smithers, head of West Virginia State Police.
“Children crave authority figures in their lives that create an environment of discipline and structure,” Smithers said. “Children are in dire need of parents who are willing to take an active role in their daily lives rather than simply being a friend or a buddy.”
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A pair of new government reports released this week paint a startling picture more than a year after the economic meltdown. On Tuesday, the New York Comptroller Office said Wall Street profits are set to exceed the record set three years ago. The four largest firms took in $22.5 billion in profits through September. Meanwhile, far more people are going hungry in the United States than previously thought. The Department of Agriculture estimates 50 million Americans, including a quarter of all children, struggled to get enough to eat last year. We speak to veteran journalist Robert Scheer. [includes rush transcript]
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: We turn now to the latest on the economy. A pair of new government reports released this week paint a startling picture of where the country is, more than a year after the economic meltdown. On Tuesday, the New York Comptroller’s Office said Wall Street profits are set to exceed the record set three years ago. The four largest firms — Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase — took in $22.5 billion in profits through September. The top six banks set aside $112 billion for salaries and bonuses over the same period. In a recent interview, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein, defended the bank’s massive profits, saying Goldman is, quote, “doing God’s work."
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture has revealed that far more people are going hungry in the United States than previously thought. The Department estimates 50 million Americans, including a quarter of all children, struggled to get enough to eat last year. The number of children who live in households in which food at times was scarce last year stands at 17 million, an increase of four million children in just a year.
Our next guest has been closely following the impact and causes of the economic meltdown. Robert Scheer, editor at Truthdig.com, author of many books, including The Pornography of Power: How Defense Hawks Hijacked 9/11 and Weakened America. His latest column is called "Where Is the Community Organizer We Elected?" He joins me here in Burbank, California.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Robert Scheer. OK, just talk about these figures, from hunger to Goldman Sachs.
ROBERT SCHEER: Well, first of all, I mean, the whole thing about the profit of Wall Street that makes it particularly obscene is that we gave them that money. Your previous guest talked about how China is carrying $800 billion of our debt. We’re running up a $1.4 trillion deficit. And what happened was, we threw a lot of money at Wall Street. In particular, in relation to Goldman, we had this buyout of AIG, $180 billion. We’ve guaranteed the toxic assets of these enterprises. And that money, in a really truly shameful way, was passed on directly to the very companies that you mentioned that are giving themselves profits. So there’s something — yes, I’ll use the word “obscene.”
It’s also interesting that he should say he’s “doing God’s work,” Blankfein, the head of Goldman Sachs. And my goodness, if Scripture is clear on anything, it’s condemnation of those who take advantage of the poor. You know, after all, Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple. Scripture is devastating in its condemnation of usury, the immorality of usury. And yet, in your promo, you mentioned Chris Dodd is trying to get a bill passed that would cap interest rates. You know, where is the Christian right? Where are the Christians? Where are the Jews, for that matter? Or the Muslims? At least the Muslims, in their religious practice, don’t believe in interest as a principle, but the idea that we’re jacking up credit cards to 30, 35 — this is loan sharking. And we can’t even get a bill passed through Congress that would cap interest payments.
The other thing is, their rationalization is they’re somehow saving the economy. It’s the old blackmail thing. They ruined the economy; they got the legislation, the radical deregulation they wanted, that permitted them to become too big to fail — Citigroup and these companies; and then they turn around and say, “If you don’t throw all this money at us, the economy is going to go into the Great Depression.” But they haven’t solved the main problems. Mortgage foreclosures this month are higher than they’ve been in ten months. We have the commercial housing market exploding, you know, apartment building rentals exploding, going into mortgages. And so, you know, they are not dealing with the fundamentals. What has happened is an incredibly expensive band-aid was put on this. And these people don’t even have — they’re not even embarrassed.
And the reason I wrote that column is they’ve also captured the President. And, you know, I voted for this president. I even contributed money that I didn’t have to his campaign. You know, I still feel great that he’s the President. You know, I’m biased. I like the guy, you know. I like everything about him.
AMY GOODMAN: Yet you ask, where’s the community-organizer-in-chief?
ROBERT SCHEER: I am appalled. This is not a minor criticism. I think the guy is betraying — betraying — his own presidency, the promise of his presidency, because he has taken these thieves — and I use the word advisedly. You know, I think people like Lawrence Summers, who pay themselves — you know, maybe he’s not legally a thief, but, you know, a guy who pays himself, or gets paid from hedge funds and other people, $15 million in ’08, while he’s advising Obama about the economy. And he’s the guy who, more than anyone else, when he was Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton administration, pushed through the radical deregulation that allowed these businesses to get in all this trouble and refused to regulate derivatives and all that sort of thing. And then these guys are made the head of the — what? They’re going to save us now?
And so, you have the one I attack, particularly, Neal Wolin, who was the general counsel of Hartford, but before that he’d been the general counsel to the Treasury Department, he’s now Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, and he’s the guy that pushed through the reversal of Glass-Steagall. He wrote the actual words in, you know, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. And now he’s our deputy. And he condemns —- the point of the column was that there’s actually a chance to do something now. Chris Dodd has finally seen the light. He is the most important -—
AMY GOODMAN: While he is running for reelection.
ROBERT SCHEER: Yeah, running for election.
AMY GOODMAN: Ralph Nader could run against him possibly.
ROBERT SCHEER: Right, and he’s also under pressure, because he did get insurance money and all that sort of thing. But the fact is, he’s got a bill that makes sense, which is, you know, the Fed has been at the center of the problem. Ron Paul is right. The Libertarians are right. You know, the Fed is out of control. It has a higher degree of secrecy than the CIA. We don’t know what they’re doing with our money. There is no accountability there. Basically it’s run by the banks themselves on the regional level. They’re the ones that are listened to. And what’s happened is that Chris Dodd said, no, you’ve got to take power away from the Fed, and you have to put a new agency that will control these “too big to fail” agencies. And the administration is opposed to it. I can’t — I mean, I know why they’re opposed to it.
AMY GOODMAN: The administration is opposed to it, and the Republican senators are opposed to it.
ROBERT SCHEER: Yeah, exactly.
AMY GOODMAN: Why are they opposed to it?
ROBERT SCHEER: Because they think — they like business as usual. I mean, they are for Wall Street going its own way. They haven’t learned the lesson that capitalism uncontrolled is capitalism destroyed.
You know, I really found your previous interview on the China thing fascinating. And why is China doing well? You know, this is a startling lesson here, because we were always told unbridled capitalism is the best capitalism. Well, the Chinese have a marriage, like western Europe, but even more so, of government and the free market. It’s not unbridled capitalism. And they’ve been able to come out of this recession that we created. It’s an incredible object lesson here. These commies over there were able to take the capitalist energy and free market model and control it to a considerable degree, and they have an eight, ten percent growth rate now at a time when we’re floundering.
AMY GOODMAN: OK, so you have Lloyd Blankfein, head of Goldman Sachs, saying they’re “doing God’s work.”
ROBERT SCHEER: Yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: And then a week later, they issue this apology, apologizing for past mistakes that led to the financial crisis and announcing a plan to work with Warren Buffett to help 10,000 small businesses recover from this recession and spend $100 million a year for five years. Now, the Financial Times did point out the $100 million annual cost is the equivalent of one good trading day, but explain what’s going on here.
ROBERT SCHEER: Well, first of all, Buffett is the biggest holder in Goldman Sachs, and Buffett is a man of social conscience. I think he’s a very decent, enlightened capitalist of the kind you would hope exists, a long-term view, doesn’t want to destroy the system. And Buffett has said a number of sensible things over the years. And I think he put pressure on them. He said, “Look, you guys are out to lunch here. You don’t understand how much the people hate you at this point.” You know, and Buffett is out there in real America, you know, and he called them on it. But it’s chump change, what they’re talking about. It’s a program to help small businesses.
I just want to say something emotionally, since you brought up the poverty. I happened to be in Riverside, California last week, and this is a place where the American Dream died at this point. These are people who work hard. You know, they clean our buildings. They work in factories. They got conned into buying homes they couldn’t afford by people who were then going to package them and sell them somewhere. And you go out there now — I talked to a young man, he bought a house for $350,000, scraped up everything. He works like a dog. His parents have been cleaning buildings for forty years. That house is now worth $120,000. He lost not only — he lost everything his family had ever saved. OK? So we’re talking about human tragedy. These people — he went to college, he went to Riverside, UC Riverside, did everything he was supposed to do, works, you know, twelve-hour days. As I say, his family has always worked hard, paid their taxes, scraped up this money. They buy this house and to have the American Dream. And every fourth house — they’re making their payments, but, you know, house next door, house over there goes back.
Why didn’t we have a freeze on foreclosures? The smartest thing to do. Jon Stewart recommended it on The Daily Show. He’s the only person. I mean, where are these pundits, you know? And they would laugh. His guests on The Daily Show would laugh at him when he brought it up. But, you know, a freeze on foreclosures, we still need it. A moratorium on foreclosures for two years. They’re not doing it. What they’re doing is throwing more and more money at Wall Street.
And I go back to Obama and the point of my column: he has betrayed his own — what is it? It wasn’t a revolution, but his own promise. You know, he gave a speech at Cooper Union in ‘08, in March at Cooper Union. This was two months after Robert Rubin, the mentor of all of these people, said there’s no problem, we don’t have any flap in the economy, it’s just a little mild blip. And Obama gave a speech that was right on. You could give that speech now, and it would be on target. He blamed Wall Street. He blamed radical deregulation. And then, inexplicably, when he got the nomination, he turned to these very same people that had created the problem and said, “OK, now you get us out of it.”
And they’re not doing it. You know, maybe if they’d gotten religion, maybe if they’d learned their lessons, you know, maybe if they were a different breed — but they’re not. You know, and this Neal Wolin, he attacked Chris Dodd. You know, and they say, “Oh, you’re going to create nervousness for Wall Street.” That was the word they used: you’re going to make Wall Street nervous. I want to make Wall Street nervous. You know, the next time these guys figure out another way to fleece us, they should worry they’re going to get caught. Maybe they won’t do it.
AMY GOODMAN: What about this new government report that’s found Goldman Sachs could have suffered dramatic losses if the federal government hadn’t intervened to bail out AIG, American International Group, the report by the special inspector general for the government bailout program raising doubts about Goldman’s previous claims that it was hedged against potential AIG losses?
ROBERT SCHEER: Yes, well, first of all, this has been —-
AMY GOODMAN: What does all that mean?
ROBERT SCHEER: This is the big lie from Goldman, is that, you know, we didn’t -— look, look what happened. Lehman was Goldman’s competitor, was allowed to go belly up, OK? The Secretary of the Treasury was a former head of Goldman Sachs. I don’t want to get into conspiracy theories here, but Robert Rubin was a head of Goldman Sachs, OK? And Paulson was a head of Goldman Sachs. They decide not to — you know, and Rubin was involved in these discussions, Lawrence Summers, Paulson and so forth. Timothy Geithner, who is our Secretary of Treasury, was head of the New York Fed for five years while all this was going on. So they say, “Let Lehman go, you know, down the tubes,” which is great for Goldman Sachs, because now you have basically two investment houses that are getting all the business. “But on the other hand, we’ll put all this money into AIG,” which was backing these junkie derivatives, these mysterious packages, “and it will be a pass through. People won’t notice, because we’re giving it to AIG.” $180 billion of our taxpayer money, we taxpayers get nothing in return, AIG is still in the toilet, but Goldman got its money. You know, it got upwards of $20 billion, that they don’t have to pay back. They make a big thing about “We’re going to pay back some of the TARP funds” and everything. And by the way, they were allowed to become a bank. No hearings, no judicial proceedings and so forth. You know, the very thing Lehman was asking for — “Let us become a bank so we can get some of this TARP funds and everything” — that was granted to Goldman Sachs.
You know, Ron Paul, by the way, who has been trying to go after the Fed, and he has an accountability piece of legislation that the Democrats have gutted, and said, “Let’s have an audit of the Fed. Let’s find out what does the Federal Reserve do. What are the deals they made? Where did the money go?” We don’t have that. And the inspector general of the Treasury Department, the inspector general, you know, Elizabeth Warren, all of these people have pointed — from the Congressional Oversight Panel — all of these people point out, “We don’t have the facts. We don’t know where the trillions are going.” We know trillions have been committed. We know all of these huge pools — Bank of America’s $300 billion of toxic assets have been backed up. But there’s no accountability.
I have covered the CIA, I’ve covered national security, and I’ve covered banking. I did it for the LA Times in one way or another for thirty years, OK? It is more difficult to cover Wall Street, in terms of secrecy and classification and their protection, than it is to cover the CIA and the Pentagon. That much I’ll tell you. You know, you get greater claim on the truth covering the Pentagon, as I did in my last book, than I’m having in my current book called The Great American Stick-Up that Nation Books is publishing. And, you know, these people go, “No, it’s proprietary. It’s our business. It has nothing to do with you.” And that goes for the Fed, which is supposed to be a government agency.
And so, for Chris Dodd to say, “No, we have to take power away from the Fed. We have to create a new independent agency to supervise these too big to fail institutions to make sure that they don’t go belly up and we taxpayers pay for them again,” he’s absolutely right. And people watching this, if there’s one thing they should demand from the Obama administration, is get behind the Dodd bill on taking power from the Fed and creating a new publicly accountable agency. That’s absolutely critical. Without that, we’re not going to get out of this mess, and we’re not going to prevent a future one.
AMY GOODMAN: Very quickly, you profile — you profile Brooksley Born in an article, “They Shot the Messenger.”
ROBERT SCHEER: Yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: What was his message?
ROBERT SCHEER: That was in Ms. Magazine, that my wife wrote, Narda Zacchino, and I worked with her. Brooksley Born is the great hero of the whole drama. Brooksley Born was the head of the Commodity Futures Board. And Brooksley Born, seventeen times, testified before Congress that this was a disaster in the making. And the old boys’ club that is now in power — Lawrence Summers, Timothy Geithner, and it was Robert Rubin and Neal Wolin, who condemned Dodd the other day — they smashed Brooksley Born. They took away her power. They pushed through the Commodity Futures Modernization Act that said there can be no regulation of these over-the-counter derivatives. That’s why we’re in this big mess today. So Brooksley Born should have statues to her, you know? She is on the committee — Nancy Pelosi appointed her to the committee that’s supposed to be, you know, overseeing the rewrite of legislation. I’m hoping, you know, that she’ll be listened to. But basically it’s the old boy club that got us into this mess that is scamming us once again.
AMY GOODMAN: Robert Scheer, I want to thank you for being with us, of Truthdig.com, author of many books, including, appropriately, The Pornography of Power.
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| ||Welcome to the American Hockey League Hall of Fame! |
The American Hockey League has a history virtually unmatched outside of major-league sports, and is proud to be represented by more than 100 alumni who are honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The creation of an AHL Hall of Fame in 2006 allowed the league to recognize, honor and celebrate individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions specifically in the AHL.
Each class of inductees is officially enshrined during the league's annual All-Star festivities.
The 2013 ceremony was held January 28 in Providence, R.I.
The first class of inductees honored for their outstanding achievements and contributions in the American Hockey League were Johnny Bower, the winningest goaltender ever in the AHL; Willie Marshall, Fred Glover and Jody Gage, the top three scorers in American Hockey League history; Frank Mathers, all-star defenseman and long-time coach, general manager and president of the Hershey Bears; Eddie Shore, architect of the storied Springfield Indians franchise; and Jack Butterfield, successful general manager and the AHL’s longest-serving president (1966-94).
In a unique effort to make the rich tradition of the AHL available to the widest possible audience, the AHL Hall of Fame is housed on-line at www.ahlhalloffame.com and is accessible to fans worldwide with the click of a mouse as a member of the AHL Internet Network. The Network also includes theahl.com and all 30 official team sites, and hosts more than 250 million page views each year.
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Yahoo! (YHOO) is one of the first widely used internet search engine companies. Yahoo! is currently in the middle of a company-wide reorganization, primarily because its revenue has declined in each of the last four years, from $7.2 billion in 2008, to $4.9 billion in 2011. The main reason that Yahoo!'s revenue has decreased is because it has been hurt by strong competition from Google (GOOG) and the soon to go public Facebook (FB). In an effort to turn the company around Yahoo! hired Scott Thompson as its new CEO in early January. Prior to signing on with Yahoo!, Mr. Thompson served as the president of PayPal's online payment service.
Mr. Thompson's job was to turn Yahoo! around, and in early April he began the reorganization by announcing that the company would be to laying off 2,000 of its 14,000 employees, which would amount to 14% of its workforce. Mr. Thompson told the company's remaining 12,000 employees that he was "revamping the company into three divisions: consumer products, geographic regions, and technology." The company's goal would be to take advantage of Yahoo!'s media properties and the wealth of data it has on its users. It was estimated that the layoffs would save the company about $375 million a year. "The company said it expected to record a pretax cash charge of $125 million to $145 million for severance payments, mostly in the second quarter." It was speculated that Yahoo! needed to reduce its workforce because "The revenue that Yahoo! generated per employee last year was only half the average generated by its peers." Scott Kessler who is an analyst for Capital IQ believes that Yahoo! earned revenue of $353,000 per employee, while Google and Facebook each earned revenue of $1.2 million per employee.
Yahoo! reported first-quarter earnings in mid-April. The company reported earnings per share of $0.23, which was a 35% increase from earnings per share of $0.17 in the first quarter of 2011. First-quarter revenue was $1.22 billion, which was roughly equal to revenue of $1.21 billion in the first quarter of 2011. First-quarter net income was $286 million, which was a 28% increase from net income of $223 million, in the first quarter of 2011. While Yahoo! increased each of its year-over-year earnings metrics, it took a step backward from the fourth quarter of 2011, when it reported earnings per share of $0.24, with revenue of $1.3 billion, and net income of $295 million. It is difficult to get a read on were Yahoo!'s earnings will be moving in the future because the company is in the middle of a reorganization and Scott Thompson will be leaving.
Positives for Yahoo! as it moves forward
Yahoo! is still a major internet content provider, which has more than 700 million people visit its website every month. The company increased the amount of visits to its site by 7% in January and February, and in an attempt to further increase usage Yahoo! purchased the start-up Best Site Ever website. On May 11th 2012, Mr. Thompson announced the purchase.
Yahoo!'s stock is probably undervalued because the company owns about 40% of Alibaba (ALBCF.PK), which is worth more than the $12.8 billion implied by last year's valuation and Yahoo! Japan, which is said to have an $8 billion market value. Yahoo!'s $20.8 billion ownership rights in these two companies does not seem to be reflected in its $18.6 billion market cap.
Negatives for Yahoo! as it moves forward
Yahoo!'s year-over-year first-quarter advertising display sales fell by 4%, also "eMarketer estimates Yahoo!'s U.S. display share fell from 15.4% in 2009 to 10.8% in 2011."
Yahoo!'s first-quarter revenue was 7% lower than its fourth-quarter revenue, while first-quarter net income was 3% lower than the fourth quarter. This is a trend for Yahoo!, which has seen its revenue consistently move downward. From 2008 through 2011 Yahoo!'s revenue has decreased every year by a total of 47%.
Yahoo! is in a fierce legal battle with Facebook regarding numerous patent infringements.
Yahoo!'s stock price has performed poorly. The stock is down by 8.9% over the last year and up by just 4.6% over the last three years.
Yahoo!'s new CEO Scott Thompson has been embroiled in a hurtful scandal. Activist investor "Dan Loeb, founder of Third Point LLC, which held 5.8% of Yahoo! stock as of May 4, 2012, revealed that Thompson's degree was solely in accounting, a fact later confirmed by Stonehill College." In Mr. Thompson's PayPal bio it had been reported that he had a degree in both accounting and computer science. Dan Loeb had called for Mr. Thompson's resignation and May 14, it was confirmed that Scott Thompson will step down from his position with Yahoo!. Mr. Thompson will not receive severance pay and will be forced to surrender unvested stock awards valued at $16 million. It has also been announced that the company's chairman of the board Roy Bostock will be replaced by Fred Amoroso.
Yahoo! has finally begun its long-needed reorganization. The reorganization was desperately needed to reduce cost and increase productivity. Unfortunately, the company's management team is in a state of flux, and that could scuttle the company's reorganization plans. In addition, Yahoo!'s stock price has been flat for years, and since the company does not pay a dividend, there is no incentive to hold the stock while waiting for a turnaround. Internet content providers such as Google and Facebook are trending upwards, and I believe that there are better investments than Yahoo! at this time. At $15, I don't see much value in the stock. Based on the factors discussed above, I anticipate the stock will trade around its 52-week low of $11.09 by late 2012.
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You Can Do Anything You Put Your Mind To
August 5, 2012
By: LaBre Tyler
After getting slammed in spades by my father and grandfather this Saturday, I decided to sit down and watch the Olympics with the rest of my family. As the men’s 400M race was starting, the camera shifted to a South African runner. I immediately realized that he did not have the lower part of his legs. Who is this guy? I wondered. So, as I do with everything, I Google’d him and was mesmerized by his story. His name is Oscar Pistorius. Yesterday, August 4th 2012, he defied all odds and became the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympic Games. He finished second with a time of 45.44 seconds. This was a dream come true for him to just compete in the Olympics. He’s been trying to qualify to compete with “able-bodied” runners for 6 years now.
Born with fibula hemimelia, the absence of fibulas, in both legs, his legs were amputated from the middle of his knees to his ankles at 11 months old. Despite his disability, Pistorius has been playing sports since he was young, from rugby to water polo; Pistorius never let his disability define him. In an interview from the Daily Telegraph a London based newspaper, Pistorius stated, “You’re not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have”. Pistorius spent years proving that his does not have an advantage over runners without a prosthetic limbs and that he should be able to compete. In Summer 2012 Olympics he proved himself to the world.
His story is so encouraging because he never gave up on himself. He wanted to compete in the Olympics and he never let a panel telling him he does not qualify stop him. If you believe in something and work hard you can achieve it. His story allowed me to take a step back and look at myself and my worries and realize they are small compared to what he had to overcome. I can be anything I want to be, if I believe it and put forth the effort and work it takes to achieve it.
So I just want to encourage all you aspiring models, rappers, singers, athletes, writers, businessmen, etc, to think about what you want and go out and get it. Some beginning steps you can do is write out what your goal is, research your goal and jot down the steps you should take to achieve it. When you think about it, no one is stopping us but ourselves and as Pistorius stated we are able by the abilities that we have. So lets go!
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Do you want to make politics illegal? Should our opponents be blocked from democratic participation? Must those who agitate for ideas that we disagree with be silenced?
Surely, most Americans are blurting out, "No! Of course not!"
Yet, that's the growing trend in today's politics: the totalitarian impulse. Quietly, behind the scenes, it's rearing its ugly head again, this time in Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Education Association is not demanding its political opponents be thrown into gulags. The state's largest education labor union would do nothing that extreme. Don't be silly. The OEA just wants to silence citizens petitioning to place an initiative on the ballot.
This isn't rampant, chest-beating totalitarianism. There is nuance. Only a smidgen of despotism.
At issue is a measure called Stop Over Spending, which is similar to Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights. A group of citizens filed the initiative and formed a campaign committee called Oklahomans in Action. The goal of the measure is simply to put the people in charge of state government spending.
The Stop Over Spending (SOS) initiative places a cap on how much politicians can increase government spending. From year to year, the increases cannot be greater than inflation plus population growth. No cuts in spending are mandated, but the increases are capped. That is, unless the people of Oklahoma vote to let their state government spend more money, which they can do. The SOS Amendment thus puts government on a citizen-controlled diet.
State Senator Randy Brogdon of Owasso calls the measure "a true friend of taxpayers, a fuel for the economy and the enemy of the bureaucrats and big spenders." He points out that state government spending is growing four times faster this year than the income of the average Oklahoma household.
But the education workers union and other government employee unions furiously oppose the measure. They don't want the people to place any limit whatsoever on what government spends. It may have something to do with wanting the government to have plenty of dough so as to better butter their bread. (Excuse the mixed metaphor.)
Yet, rather than convince fellow citizens that they shouldn't choose to sign the SOS petition — an action the union has every legal and political right to undertake — the OEA is asking its members to become the thought police at stores and malls in the state.
A recent email alert urges OEA members to, in effect, falsely report that they are being bothered by Stop Over Spending petitioners. The idea is to have the petitioners removed from stores and malls and anywhere they might be able to speak to their fellow Oklahoma voters. The message from Brenda Snider, the union's "membership accounts consultant," reads:
While you are shopping, going to the post office or sitting at a football game please be on the lookout for the petitioners. If you see a petitioner while shopping this weekend contact the malls at the numbers listed below and tell them that you are being bothered by their petitioning. Print a copy of the message and take it with you this weekend.
"Oklahoma's organized left is now officially panic-stricken," offered Brandon Dutcher, vice-president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, sizing-up the union's ringing call for an enforced political silence. And Dutcher added, "Well, I would suggest they're right to be concerned about a spending limitation. A statewide survey conducted two weeks ago by Cole Hargrave Snodgrass found the idea is ridiculously popular, at 74 percent to 17 percent."
OEA's call for harassment of petitioners is having an impact. Here's an interesting reply from Steve Hunt of Oklahoma City to an article about the spending cap initiative on the website for the OU Daily:
The other day I saw one of these people outside a store. I went into the store and told the manager that he cussed me and my mother out for not signing. He called the security people and they ran him off. Now, sure this isn't true . . . he didn't cuss me out. But the way they are subverting democracy is a heck of a lot worse than me dealing with them in a manner I did.
I guess it'd be a waste of time to explain to Mr. Hunt that the end doesn't justify the means. But he should think again about who's subverting democracy.
And there is that lingering odor of totalitarianism. Sure, I know that's too strong a word. It's just that squelching speech and strong-arming people to prevent the free exercise of individual rights are the hallmarks of totalitarianism.
On the other hand, the American way is to peacefully persuade people in open debate. Oklahomans should be free to decide for themselves if they want to Stop Over Spending.
BREAKING: Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Gang of Eight Immigration Reform Bill | Daniel Doherty
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The scene before me was mesmerizing. I stood at the entrance to a cavernous room: circular in plan, the walls soared upwards on all sides towards a domed ceiling; shelves of books lining the walls. Ladders were propped intermittently against the shelves on various levels. There was a hush over the interior; this was a library – the State Library of Victoria. People sat studying at wooden desks that were arranged in rows like spokes of a cartwheel converging at a central hub. Green reading lamps glowed across the room illuminating the study areas and softly lighting the gloomy interior. This first memory of mine was when I was about five or six years old and already having a love of books and reading, this cathedral of books validated my own obsession. This awesome vision planted the seed of my desire to become an architect. It is ironic that becoming a librarian did not occur to me.
I had cause to visit the State Library of Victoria again this week and it never ceases to inspire me. The thoughtful and spectacular renovations have brought the library into the 21st century. I could not resist a visit to the domed reading room that is no longer gloomy as the skylights have been rebuilt. The Redmond Barry Reading Room is such an inviting place I wished I could stay all day. Their approach to their collections and exhibitions also send out firm messages that this is not an old stuffy and irrelevant institution. With offerings such as Inside a Dog for teenagers, Mirror of the World for book lovers, SLV21 for electronic media, and their new Ergo site for student researchers, they truly do try to engage and inspire us all. I looked in at the Medieval Books exhibition that was so busy it was difficult to squeeze in between other people to see the rare books on display.
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Liberia, in concert with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union (AU), will support the regulation of arms sale to legitimate states worldwide, said the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Cooperation and Economic Integration, Sando Wayne ahead of the Arms Trade Treaty conference beginning next Monday in the United States.
"Liberia, ECOWAS and AU support the convention that will regulate the sale of arms worldwide to legitimate government or country," Wayne told the media Wednesday in Monrovia. The one-time political activist here in the 1980s believed that the country cannot move forward if it stayed outside of the conference that would regulate the sale of arms.
"Liberia's support is not only transferring from manufacturers to end-users, but must be domesticated (enforcement). Therefore, we are asking the media to help us disseminate information on the process to our people," Wayne pleaded. He said that African nations have adopted common position for the control of arms sale which has caused so many suffering to the people on the continent.
"The New York conference is going to be tough between rich and poor countries. Manufacturers verses end-users. There will be intense lobbying because envelopes will exchange hands," he believed.
Wayne, a founding member of the University of Liberia campus-based Student Integration Movement (SIM) in 1986, indicated that the treaty is not to ban arms sale, but to regulate it.
"What we are saying is that, sell arms, but do it with legitimate governments or countries. Liberia has no option, but to support the treaty," he noted. Since 2006, the United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly recognized that the absence of common international standards for the transfer of conventional arms contributes to armed conflicts.
As a result, this has cause displacement of people, crimes and terrorism, which, in turn, undermines peace, reconciliation, safety, security, stability and sustainable social economic development.
Some of the weapons reported to have been regulated by International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and treaties of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) are Explosive projectiles weighting less than 400 grams and bullets that expand or flatten in the human body. Others are poison and poisoned-weapons and chemical weapons.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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Costs of Roaming will decline from 1 July 2009
SMS-Services, Calls and Data Services become cheaper
The times where consumers had to expect "bill shocks" for downloading a picture or a movie with a mobile phone while roaming in the EU are over.
The European Parliament, in its plenary session in Strasbourg, today voted by a large majority in favour of new EU rules on SMS and data roaming, proposed by the European Commission in September 2008.
The Parliament also voted for further cuts in the price of mobile phone calls while roaming in another EU country.
The present cap for a mobile phone call made abroad will progressively drop from €0.46 to €0.35 per minute by July 2011, and from €0.22 today to €0.11 for mobile calls received while roaming abroad. Mobile operators will also be required to bill roaming calls by the second from the 31st second at the latest, which will end the current practice.
The new EU roaming rules endorsed by the Parliament (22.04.2009) will:
- SMS-services: cap the price that consumers can be charged for sending a text message while abroad at €0.11 (excluding VAT), compared to a current average of €0.28 (with prices per roamed SMS above €0.35 in the Netherlands and in Portugal).
- Data roaming: substantially reduce data roaming charges (the cost of surfing the web or downloading movies with a mobile phone while abroad) by introducing a wholesale cap of €1 per megabyte downloaded, compared to an average wholesale price of € 1.68 per megabyte, with peaks in Ireland (€6.82), Greece (€5.30) and in Estonia (€5.10). The wholesale cap will fall to €0.80 in 2010 and to €0.50 in 2011.
- Protection from "bill shocks": by allowing customers to choose a cut-off mechanism once the bill reaches €50, unless the consumer opts for a higher limit. Operators will have until March 2010 to put these transparency measures in place.
- Mobile-phoning: further reduce price caps for mobile roaming calls. Now at €0.46 for calls made and €0.22 for calls received abroad, the caps will go down to €0.43 for calls made and €0.19 for calls received abroad on 1 July 2009, to €0.39 and €0.15 on 1 July 2010 and to €0.35 and €0.11 by 1 July 2011 (all prices per minute, excluding VAT).
- Per second billing: introduce the principle of per-second billing after the first 30 seconds for roamed calls made and from the first second for calls received while abroad. At present, consumers are paying around 20% more than the time they actually consume when making or receiving calls.
Put into force : 1. July 2009
Following today's Parliament vote, the new EU Roaming Regulation will become directly applicable law throughout all 27 EU Member States on 1 July 2009.
The new roaming rules, which add to a first EU regulation on voice roaming adopted in 2007 will apply until summer 2012. The European Parliament has asked the Commission to report on the functioning of the new rules again by summer 2010. The Commission could then propose further rules, if required, by the end of June 2011.
Since the present European Commission took office, the use of mobile telephony in the EU grew from 84.6% to 119% of the population.
The EU's telecoms market counts 500 million potential users of fixed and mobile telephony, Internet broadband and mobile data services.
To solve structural problems of competition and regulatory consistency within this market and to stimulate new investment, the European Parliament, in its May plenary session, is expected to vote on a major reform of the EU's telecoms rules initiated by the Commission in November 2007.
The new rules include the establishment of a European Telecoms Regulator called "BEREC" (Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications) by January 2010.
The EU Roaming Rules in detail:
|Rates excluding VAT from:||01.07.2009||01.07.2010||01.07.2011|
|SMS-Roaming per SMS||€ 0,11||€ 0,11||€ 0,11|
|Data-Roaming per Megabyte||€ 1,00||€ 0,80||€ 0,50|
| Aktiv-Roaming per Minute|
(calls made while abroad)
|€ 0,43||€ 0,39||€ 0,35|
| Passiv-Roaming per Minute|
(calls received while abroad)
|€ 0,19||€ 0,15||€ 0,11|
Per-second billing is mandatory after the first 30 seconds for roamed calls made and from the first second for calls received while abroad.
© European Communities, 1995-2009
|
<urn:uuid:02222256-3b04-461d-ae43-35b6c05a0410>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.europakonsument.at/cs/Satellite?pagename=Europakonsument/Artikel/Detail&cid=318856129376
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.933725
| 1,017
| 1.820313
| 2
|
The RADWAG MYA/2Y series of microbalances are designed to meet the highest requirements of mass measurements. Balance's weighing chamber is adjusted to calibration of piston pipettes.
The non-central location of the opening in chamber's top cover facilitates pipette insertion. Such design eliminates air drafts occurring during calibration of pipettes, and the process itself is carried out in a closed weighing chamber. The main application of MYA/P series is calibration of pipettes, but on replacement of the weighing pan, it may function as a standard microbalance. Measurement reliability and accuracy are maintained by system of automatic internal adjustment / calibration.
Microbalances comprise two major components (an electronic module and a precise mechanical measuring system are enclosed separately). Such design eliminates the influence of heat sourcing from instrument's electronics on its mechanical components and additionally protects it from shocks and vibrations caused by users operating the instrument.
All the elements of a microbalance are made of glass and steel which eliminates the influence of electrostatics on weighing process.
|
<urn:uuid:1619acf8-d4e5-4a42-877a-355b2179ee1c>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.unahealth.co.uk/Micro-Balances-for-Pipette-Calibration/Default.6191.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.932279
| 209
| 1.820313
| 2
|
While the PJM Interconnection has made no major changes to its prototype capacity market since it proposed the idea a year ago in August, and though it has won a tacit OK from federal regulators...
Facing Compliance Risks
Enforcement trends call for a proactive approach to complying with market rules.
Federal regulators have penalized wholesale energy market participants with fines ranging from $300 thousand to $300 million over the past two years. The magnitude of the penalties, along with uncertainty over how to effectively mitigate the risk of any civil action by regulators, has raised concern about how companies are approaching their regulatory obligations.
Enforcement by FERC has taken on a shape that has many wholesale market participants wondering whether they are adequately addressing their existing obligations in a manner that is consistent with regulatory expectations. 1 While FERC commissioners and staff have made it clear they want companies to adopt a “culture of compliance,” there remains some ambiguity over what that means from a practical perspec- tive. Whether a company is a gas or power asset owner, operator or user, regulators expect—if not require—the enterprise to have adequate processes, practices, and systems in place to support the demonstration of compliance. With the rising stakes and continued uncertainty around how various rules, statutes and standards will be enforced, companies cannot afford to haphazardly address the regulatory risks inherent within their operations and market activities.
Catalyst for Change?
Adhering to regulatory requirements is not a new phenomenon. Energy companies participating in wholesale markets have had rules, standards, codes and permitting requirements ever since the first wholesale energy contracts were established in the latter part of the 19th century. These collective obligations have addressed nearly every facet of market involvement. The most important variable over time, however, has been the degree of rigor regulators have applied in fulfilling their regulatory responsibilities.
Over time, a combination of factors has changed the regulatory landscape upon which market participants interact. These factors include the enhanced enforcement authority of federal regulators, rising concerns about infrastructure adequacy, shifting stakeholder attitudes toward renewable energy and climate change, and the general rise in capacity and energy prices. In addition to these factors, FERC has been pushing companies across the industry to adopt a culture of compliance as opposed to waiting for an incident, an investigation, or both to prompt attention to this issue. It remains to be seen, however, whether perceptions have changed with regard to the cost of being proactive relative to the risk of experiencing an incident. With this backdrop, it is no surprise regulatory compliance has taken on a higher priority among many energy companies and their senior management, evidenced by the high profile of sponsors that submitted a white paper to FERC on compliance enforcement in November 2007. 2 The magnitude of potential penalties and the uncertainty of regulatory risk exposure (not to mention reputation risk) are creating the platform and the impetus for companies to begin re-examining how they go about demonstrating, documenting and reporting compliance.
|
<urn:uuid:4b3e11d6-57c4-4432-9662-ae99631e5555>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.fortnightly.com/fortnightly/2008/04/facing-compliance-risks
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.96547
| 594
| 1.773438
| 2
|
Can Electronic Cigarettes Supply A Throat Hit?
Electronic cigarettes are becoming more and more popular as traditional tobacco users begin looking for more affordable and healthier options. Many smokers are curious about electronic cigarettes, but have yet to try them due to the fact that they are afraid electronic cigarettes cannot provide them with the same smoking experience that traditional tobacco can. This simply is not true.
What is a Throat Hit?
When traditional tobacco cigarettes make the switch to electronic cigarettes there are a few things that these smokers are hoping for. A throat hit is one of those things. A throat hit is the burning sensation in that back of the throat that smokers experience when they take a drag off of a traditional tobacco cigarette. While this burning sensation may sound unpleasant, it is actually something that smokers enjoy and look forward to.
Electronic cigarettes can provide the same taste and throat hit that traditional tobacco is capable of. Many users state the electronic cigarettes gives them the same throat hit that they have become accustomed to with traditional tobacco without the harmful chemicals and irritation that traditional tobacco is infamous for.
Can Electronic Cigarettes Provide Smokers with Throat Hits?
Many smokers want to know if electronic cigarettes can provide them with a throat hit. The answer is yes. Many brands of electronic cigarettes can provide the same throat hits that traditional tobacco supplies. The stronger the electronic cigarette refill cartridge that is used the stronger the throat hit that can be expected.
Refill cartridges come with varying amounts of nicotine. Eight grams, sixteen grams, and twenty four grams are the most commonly sold increments. Electronic cigarettes are perfectly capable of providing the same throat hit that a traditional tobacco cigarette would provide.
Liquid Nicotine can Provide Throat Hits
Electronic cigarettes use e-liquid nicotine. The nicotine is what is responsible for causing a throat hit more than anything else. A certain amount of milligrams is required for a smoker to achieve the same effect. A heavy smoker would want to consider nicotine refill cartridges or eliquid at a high strength (at first at least) which is usually expressed as a percentage of the nicotine liquid – 18mg is often enough, though some brands who offer 24mg or even 36mg eliquid (you can purchase the eliquid independently – and may even find flavors you prefer or enjoy the variety of – and refill cartomizers from your e-cig brand of choice if they don’t offer the highest levels and you find that you need them).
Some Recommended E-Liquid Suppliers Include:
1) Smokeless Image (famous for their VOLT E Cig and Now The X2 Model – their eliquid is really great too)
2) HighBrow Vapor (absolutely AWESOME supplier – small business who shows amazing passion in their flavors and quality of USA made ingredients, nothing but the best here…)
Low nicotine levels will not deliver the same satisfying throat hit that heavy smokers are looking for.
Liquid nicotine can provide the body with the same effects of smoking without all of the harmful chemicals and potential health risks. Smokers can finally enjoy their throat hit without having to put themselves at a higher risk for heart disease and many types of cancer.
Make the Switch to Electronic Cigarettes Today
In summary, throat hits can still be enjoyed, even if you choose to make the switch to electronic cigarettes. E-Cigs have become increasingly popular over the last few years and their popularity is only expected to grow as more smokers learn that electronic cigarettes can provide the same smoking experience as traditional tobacco. Say goodbye to all of the things that you hate about smoking while still being able to enjoy the things that you love about smoking. Make the switch to electronic cigarettes today, read our e cigarette reviews and guides and pick the model and brand that best suits you – then get started!
|
<urn:uuid:540ba540-d140-4dde-9279-adf9c3e86483>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://whitesmokereview.com/throat-hit-eliquid-e-cigarette/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.939727
| 764
| 1.757813
| 2
|
RFC: Make javax.jnlp package visible to javac
Joseph D. Darcy
Joe.Darcy at Sun.COM
Tue Jun 16 09:59:48 PDT 2009
Martin Buchholz wrote:
> The Java world has always made a bigger distinction
> between interface and implementation than other projects,
> especially since (most of) the interface is (at least in principle)
> controlled by the JCP (this includes javax.* but not com.sun.*).
> Moving an API to a more public location is as big a deal
> as creating that new API in the first place.
> Currently the process for making small (i.e. non-JSR)
> changes to the JDK is in flux. In the past (and still at present)
> one needs a Sun-internal sponsor to push such a change.
> In future probably there will be a more public process that
> anyone can participate in.
Yes, adding classes/packages in the javax.* namespace is generally out
of scope for OpenJDK 6, but it is possible they could be added in JDK 7.
More information about the distro-pkg-dev
|
<urn:uuid:90242671-22b3-453e-b25a-ca80c1d074b8>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/distro-pkg-dev/2009-June/006201.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.931667
| 258
| 1.570313
| 2
|
Sam Simmons family
Sam Simmons was born c 1838. Sam's first wife "Chowestas", who may have been Cherokee. Sam's second wife was Annie. Sam's town affiliation was Weogufke. Sam died about 1884 in Creek Nation, Oklahoma. [notes]
of Sam Simmons and Chowestas:
- Moses Simmons was born c 1854 Oklahoma.. He married Lucy. Moses died Nov. 9, 1902(or Feb. 1901).
- Emma Simmons was born ?. Emma died "Feb. 2, 1989".
- Walter Simmons was born c 1883.
- Dorsey Simmons was born c 1885.
- Louisa Simmons was born c 1887.
- Louina Simmons was born c 1857 Oklahoma. She married Wesley Smith.
- Anna Eliza Smith was born c 1887.
2. Descendants of Sam Simmons and Annie:
- John Simmons was born 1869-71 Creek Nation, Oklahoma.. He married Selie Fixico/Fields. John died January 1903.
- Kogee Simmons was born 1895. She married William Fisher. Kogee died Feb. 27, 1928 and was buried Hillcrest cemetery, Weleetka, OK.
- Sam Simmons was born March 13, 1902. Sam died "Oct. 10, 1918."
- Sandy Simmons was born c 1875 Creek Nation, Oklahoma.. He married Dudie (Bird). Sandy died 1905-1920.
- Ida Simmons was born June 9, 1905.
- Aggie Simmons was born 1877-79 Creek Nation, Oklahoma.. She married Mickey Smith. Aggie died May 10, 1901 near Hannah, OK.
- Sam Smith was born Oct. 26, 1900.
- Mary Simmons was born c 1881 Creek Nation, Oklahoma.
- Martin Simmons was born ?? Creek Nation, Oklahoma. He married Nafey. Martin died before 1899.
- Martin Simmons was born c 1872.
- Mary Simmons was born c 1876. She married Solomon Bullett.
|
<urn:uuid:c46463e4-447d-44e6-a273-97135596cc73>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~texlance/my/simmons/index.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.991063
| 420
| 1.796875
| 2
|
Stressing that their War and Peace sticks more closely to the Russian text than any other, including Louise and Aylmer Maude's semi-canonical 1923 version, Pevear and Volokhonsky retain the considerable amount of French used by Tolstoy's counts and princesses, preserve the author's penchant for word repetition and aim to match his tidy syntactic conciseness. The result certainly reads smoothly, its English being neither egregiously contemporary nor inappropriately old-fashioned. In this respect, the Pevear-Volokhonsky War and Peace joins company with recent translations of The Tale of Genji, Don Quixote and In Search of Lost Time, these being among the few works of classic fiction equal to Tolstoy's in scope and richness. Given so capacious and generous a masterpiece, it's simply impossible to do more than offer -- with due humility at how much is being overlooked -- a few introductory propositions for the would-be reader.Share
Nearly every man and woman in War and Peace is deeply flawed, and will make at least one truly terrible mistake in his or her life. This may be an epic, but there are no larger-than-life heroes in it. The main character, Pierre Bezukhov, is illegitimate, clumsy, naive, absent-minded and fat. He has red hands and wears glasses. The exuberant, impulsive Natasha Rostov, the principal heroine, eventually settles down as Tolstoy's ideal woman, but not before her unnaturally repressed libido wrecks her own happiness and that of her fiance, the noble-minded Andrei Bolkonsky.
Minor characters tend to be unconsciously corrupt or simply depraved. Boris Drubetskoy starts off as a charming young man and turns into an ambitious, calculating trimmer, always looking out for his advancement. Though the Countess Helene Bezukhov is promiscuous and stupid, her beauty ensures that the world finds her profoundly witty. The gorgeous Helene knows that her smile can reduce all male arguments to nonsense. Salons and drawing rooms reveal the French-speaking Russian aristocracy as venal, unctuous and self-important.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Posted by elena maria vidal at 10:20 AM
|
<urn:uuid:1fa0f3ed-817d-41c9-b88e-5c6f92e82c84>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://teaattrianon.blogspot.com/2007/10/tolstoy-revisited.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.947465
| 468
| 1.757813
| 2
|
- Arts & Literature
- Science & Technology
By Jonathan Tomlin
A petition against falling standards at Oxford University Press (OUP) was delivered to the Vice-Chancellor’s office on Wednesday.
Frances Moore Lappé and Dr Michel Pimbert delivered the petition to highlight their complaint that several OUP publications are failing “to meet basic scholarly standards”.
Lappé, a multi-million selling author and world hunger activist, and Pimbert, Team Leader for Agroecology at the International Institute for Environment and Development, are among seven originators of the campaign.
The petition has so far attracted about 5,000 signatures from 55 countries and all 50 US states, including from many academics and students.
The petition has also received roughly 1,500 comments from signatories, many of whom said they were “shocked” and “appalled”.
One student commented that they “would flunk without full, traceable citations”, while another said that “democracies depend on the citizenry being well-informed”.
415 people have also signed up to follow the progress of the petition.
The campaign arose after Lappé expressed “shock” at the standards of Dr. Robert Paarlberg’s book, Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know, which was published by OUP in 2010.
Lappé criticised OUP’s claim that the book met scholarly standards, saying: “If it meets their standards, they are saying citations are optional, they only need to disclose conflicts of interest that involve financial ties, that it is acceptable to promote a book as a ‘map’ of ‘conflicting claims and accusations from advocates on all sides’ when it is instead narrowly partisan.”
She added: “To find OUP was publishing not just one, but several books without citations was deeply worrying. From our petition, we see many people feel the same way. It is about trust… you expect the academic community to uphold the line.”
But Lappé said that she was pleased with the response of the Vice-Chancellor’s Private Secretary, Alasdair MacDonald, on Wednesday: “He said that he was really just a messenger boy. I think he felt that he couldn’t express an opinion about anything that we were discussing, but he was certainly very respectful and communicative through body language [which suggested] that he took this seriously. He indicated that he would share this document with the delegates and with the VC.”
She added: “I think anyone reading those comments would feel quite moved, and, as we underscore, I think the pain that comes through many of those comments is that so many feel that the media in general is less and less trustworthy and really want to know that OUP, the gold standard of publishing, is holding the lines and is something they can trust.
“I said at the end of my remarks that people perceive OUP as a public treasure that they do not want to move, and that is my feeling and I think it comes through a lot of the comments.”
She continued: “I think what is striking is we even have some executives of academic publishers that have weighed in themselves, as well as quite a few professors, including one college president from the state of Maine in the US, and many students.”
She also said that she was surprised that about a third of those who signed the petition added comments, especially on “something that could be seen as kind of peripheral”.
“I think there was shock and surprise, that people thought they could count on OUP, especially at this time.
“I think there is such pervasive disappointment and fear about the decline of the trustworthiness of media… so maybe this is a reflection of this in part, this is the reason it’s struck this nerve right now.”
She also said that she hopes that Oxford students help to push for a change to the policy: “I would dearly hope that the students take this on, because you have the power that we don’t have.
“My highest wish would be a student body initiative to have a public forum on what makes sense in terms of the standards of the press. It seems to me that that would be such a high reflection on the university, on the students.”
Dr. Paarlberg claimed the criticism was the result of his defence of high-productivity farming and his view that organically grown foods are no more nutritious or safe than conventionally grown food. He described these claims as “hardly news” to crop scientists and nutritionists, but that the idea “threatens directly the dominant narrative of most food activists”.
He defended the fact that he did not include footnotes because “it was part of a series published by Oxford for classroom use or general-interest consumption, as opposed to research monographs making original claims, which remain heavily referenced”.
He added: “Lappé began her attack on my book, not with an open critique but with a private letter of complaint to the president of Oxford University Press in New York.
“As for alleged factual errors in my book, Ms Lappé and her supporters pointed directly to only four. Yet for each of these, I was able to provide Oxford with documentation revealing that it was Ms Lappé’s claims, not mine, that were in error.
“I believe activists are welcome in the academic world, but when they engage in unscholarly conduct, they forfeit their right to be taken seriously.”
Niko Pfund, President of OUP USA, said: “We have reviewed our extensive pre-publication vetting of Robert Paarlberg’s manuscript, and of the published work itself, which has reaffirmed our confidence in the book.
“As Dr. Paarlberg outlines in his foreword, the politics of food production are an ideologically contentious subject; while we respect the right of others to engage and disagree with Dr. Paarlberg, we reject any suggestion that the scholarship of his book is skewed or flawed.”
|
<urn:uuid:77f5f7e5-74e6-41ab-9b30-bc6c5f0934b3>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://oxfordstudent.com/2012/04/26/anger-at-oxford-university-press/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.980915
| 1,302
| 1.695313
| 2
|
Date of this Version
Selenocysteine (Sec) is the 21st amino acid in the genetic code. Its tRNA is variably methylated on the 2’-Ohydroxyl site of the ribosyl moiety at position 34 (Um34). Herein, we identified a role of Um34 in regulating the expression of some, but not all, selenoproteins. A strain of knock-out transgenic mice was generated, wherein the Sec tRNA gene was replaced with either wild type or mutant Sec tRNA transgenes. The mutant transgene yielded a tRNA that lacked two base modifications, N6- isopentenyladenosine at position 37 (i6A37) and Um34. Several selenoproteins, including glutathione peroxidases 1 and 3, SelR, and SelT, were not detected in mice rescued with the mutant transgene, whereas other selenoproteins, including thioredoxin reductases 1 and 3 and glutathione peroxidase 4, were expressed in normal or reduced levels. Northern blot analysis suggested that other selenoproteins (e.g. SelW) were also poorly expressed. This novel regulation of protein expression occurred at the level of translation and manifested a tissue- specific pattern. The available data suggest that the Um34 modification has greater influence than the i6A37 modification in regulating the expression of various mammalian selenoproteins and Um34 is required for synthesis of several members of this protein class. Many proteins that were poorly rescued appear to be involved in responses to stress, and their expression is also highly dependent on selenium in the diet. Furthermore, their mRNA levels are regulated by selenium and are subject to nonsense-mediated decay. Overall, this study described a novel mechanism of regulation of protein expression by tRNA modification that is in turn regulated by levels of the trace element, selenium.
|
<urn:uuid:dca33d6e-2d1b-49f0-be13-e595b0c26d0c>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/biochemgladyshev/54/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.958308
| 405
| 1.796875
| 2
|
Can things get any worse for Lance Armstrong? Most definitely.
Armstrong got hit with another double-dose of bad news on Monday. Cycling’s world governing body, the International Cycling Union (UCI), officially stripped Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles. “Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling … He deserves to be forgotten in cycling,” UCI president Pat McQuaid said in a news conference. McQuaid said he was “sickened” by the revelations in the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s report.
(This claim, incidentally, rang hollow to vindicated journalist David Walsh, whom Armstrong sued for writing a book about Armstrong’s alleged doping. McQuaid, after all, could have more thoroughly investigated the suspicions about Armstrong, and reached a similar conclusion to USADA).
After the UCI’s decision was released, Oakley, the sunglasses and sports wear maker, became the latest company to dump Armstrong.
Armstrong has lost his titles, his sponsors, and his chairmanship of cancer awareness charity Livestrong. Now, he could lose some cash — in lawsuits. The Sunday Times of London, which published an article referencing Walsh’s book, L.A. Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong, in 2004, is considering suing Armstrong over a libel case the cyclist brought against the paper back in the mid-2000s. Armstrong won that case and reached a financial settlement with the paper: now that evidence has emerged that Armstrong indeed doped, the paper is “considering taking action to recover money spent on a libel case Armstrong brought and to pursue him for fraud.”
And the money woes continue. It’s been reported that Armstrong will need to repay his Tour de France winnings, estimated at $3.85 million, with Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme describing the UCI decision as “totally logical.” And a Texas promotional company that paid Armstrong millions in bonus money, for winning the Tour de France, may look to get that money back, now that Armstrong isn’t a champion. As Reuters reports:
Dallas-based SCA Promotions paid Armstrong $7.5 million for winning his sixth Tour title in 2004 – $5 million as a performance bonus and $2.5 million in interest and attorney fees – as part of a 2006 legal settlement. Armstrong had sued SCA when it withheld the payment after doping allegations against him surfaced.
Tailwind Sports, the owner of Armstrong’s U.S. Postal team, had promised the cyclist a $5 million bonus if he won a sixth Tour title and it took out insurance coverage with SCA.
In all, SCA Promotions paid Armstrong some $12 million, the company’s lawyer Jeffrey Dorough said.
It was unclear exactly how much SCA may seek to recover.
“Mr. Armstrong is no longer the official winner of any Tour de France races, and as a result it is inappropriate and improper for him to retain any bonus payments made by SCA,” Dorough said in a statement.
He said SCA Promotions was “digesting the UCI’s decision” and that the company was taking into consideration the possibility that Armstrong or the World Anti-Doping Agency could appeal.
In February, the U.S. dropped a federal criminal investigation into Armstrong’s doping. Now the USADA has uncovered what seems to be new evidence against Armstrong, could the feds reopen the case? Armstrong has testified, under oath, that he did not dope, leaving him susceptible to a perjury charge. “I would be shocked if the case wasn’t reopened,” says Peter Keane, ex-dean of the Golden Gate University School of Law. Keane has closely followed doping trials against professional athletes. “I’d imagine that there is a fair amount of lobbying amongst investigators to rev it up. For career investigators and prosecutors, there’s the thrill of the hunt. They want a trophy case on their wall.” Especially since high-profile doping cases against Roger Clemens, who was acquitted, and Barry Bonds, who was found guilty of obstruction of justice, but escaped perjury, didn’t go the government’s way.
For Armstrong, the pain might just be beginning.
|
<urn:uuid:8352d83b-2213-4e13-bef7-e10050c942ba>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2012/10/23/lance-criminal-now/?iid=sp-main-mostpop1
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.966598
| 908
| 1.679688
| 2
|
The tWitter user has been back online a day after it was disabled!
and within a few hours was sending further homophobic messages despite having initially claimed their phone had been used maliciously by others.
while we are on the subject, Graig Roy (who last year stabbed his gay friend Jack Frew repeatedly in the neck anmd left his body in woodland) is currently on trial at Glasgow High Court. Like the Walker case Strathclyde Police and the Procurator Fiscal have refused to see this as a homophobic hate crime. How much does the religion of police officers play in decisions about these crimes? In a Scotland where the loudest voices from the Catholic Chruch are pumping out vitriolic homophobia?
that should have been Craig Roy, sorry
Who gives a toss about hate crimes. I find them biased, political and unnecessary.
It should not matter who or why you committed a crime, or who to; the result should be the same.
What really needs to be done is sort out the pathetic sentencing this country dishes out in the first place.
Whilst, Spanner1960 has a point about sorting sentencing …
I can not agree that hate crimes should be ignored.
They are a tool that many countries use to try and expose bigotry and hatred and influence a change in culture …
One of the major reasons for hate crime law was the bombing of minority communities by David Copeland. Aimed at mass murder, based on self confessed hatred of non whites and homosexuals. I for one am pleased that the UK has taken a decision to implement legislation that regards hatred as a factor of aggravation in any other offence against a person or property.
There are many offences that can be aggravated for many different reasons, and it is for the prosecution in all cases to explain in court (if the defendant is found guilty) any reason why the offence is aggravated eg the specific offence of aggravated burglary, aggravated vehicle taking – hate crime in one sense is just a different type of aggravation to an offence. It is for the defence to explain mitigation (if there can be any) and then for the judge (or magistrates) to determine an appropriate penalty.
Hate crime legislation is important in enssuring the community safety of all. When utilised properly it deters.
Maybe it’s not a hate crime, you did say gay friend.
I don’t know anything about the case you are referring to but what makes it a hate crime in your eyes?
There needs to be no evidence in the investigative stage for it to be treated as a hate crime (per ACPO and ACPOS manuals on hate crime), merely a suspicion from someone that it is.
In terms of charge and successful prosecution in court, there needs to be evidence that the offenders behaviour was motivated by hatred of a particular element or elements of society.
I certainly think there are plenty of people who would have considered both offences as hate crimes, whether the evidence would have supported a charge to court of the hatred element is debatable, but there was sufficient reason to consider hatred as an legitimate motive.
Strange that in two high profile cases that Strathclyde Police are in denial about the potential for homophobia to be a motive.
the press dubbed him a ‘friend’. In both cases the victims came from small towns and anyone who comes from a small town can tell you that you end up knowing everyone and many of your contemporaries who adults might have seen as your ‘friend’ were actually bullies. What kind of friend would stab you in the neck and thorax 43 timesin a frenzied attack after all?
A crazy friend obviously.
How though does that mean that they are a homophobe?
You know frenzied murders of colleagues/neighbbours/friends are actually EXTREMELY rare in the wider population but statistically much more common when the victim is gay. Don’t you think there might be a reason for that?
If the victim had been the only black person living in a white only village where there was a history of distrust of nonwhite people would you be so quick to rule out racism for a frenzied knife attack?
Surely it would have been very easy for Stephen Gray to do a simple search and check to see that @Mabsmiller’s account is not suspended and he has been freely posting homophobic abuse on Twitter including disgusting images of a person engulfed in flames.
“The man, who was taken into custody on Thursday evening, is expected to appear at Ayr sheriff court today.”
Anyone know what time? So far today there hasn’t been a word about this on the BBC News channel.
It was mentioned on either 6 O’clock News or Reporting Scotland on Fri,
I know the story was reported last week on the BBC, but I am particularly interested in the court appearance today.
The man, who’s name is Ryan Esqierda, does not appear on any of the listings of Ayr Sherif Court for today or the next three days.
He woudlnt necessarily appear on the listings if he was from a remand in custody at the police station – as it would be an additional case
It appears that Ryan Esquierdo did have his hearing yesterday and has been remanded in custody. He is accused of two crimes:
1. The murder of Stuart Walker
2. Theft of various articles from Stuart Walker
I doubt very much will happen, hence why its being kep hush hush, as they dont want mass homosexual hysteria.
On a better note,mabsmiller is again free to make his opinions, views and thoughts know, as his is within his right as anyone..
Matthew is competing with Keith to see who can be evil personified the most.
Matthew it would be a very pleasant thought to think you might meet Ryan Esquierdo in a dark alley one night
Stu, face it, we can say what we want, how we want, so your just going to have to like it and lump it.
And stop being a goody goody, no one likes a grass or an ass licker.
Oh and Ryan Esquierdo, I have no problems with him. Happily meet him for coffee.
I appreciate you can say exactly what you like, and so can I … so lump it- if you continue with your vitriol, I will expose you for the hate inspired person that you are …
The other issue is, again you can say anything you like – you are far more likely to be in breach of criminal law by persvering with your hate inspired rhetoric, and thus face significant consequences of choosing to say what you do.
Oh, meet him, Matthew – please, please meet him. It sounds like a match made in heaven, and I hope you’ll be very very happy together.
I am sure it could be arranged at Her Majestys pleasure, if you commit an offence in Scotland
it’s quite amazing that nobody so far has mentioned how pathetic our community is when such a dreadful thing can happen to one of its members because it was – quite wrongly, but that doesn’t matter if it’s juicy gossip – summised that he had his hand down a kiddie’s trousers.
When will our society give honour where it’s due and act when the facts are known.
The Red Tops have an awful lot to answer to because they inculcate this attitude in our younger society members who aren’t the sort to think things out for themselves.
I hope the family members of this poor, poor man find peace and forgiveness once the truth has come to light and justice has been done.
So it turns out that the man who made a false and malicious accusation against Stuart was a heterosexual sex offender. How absolutely amazing! Who would ever have expected it?
I hope the scumbag gets life for this. Solitary confinement is what he deserves.
The scumbag who done this to that poor man needs to get a harsh prison sentance for what he did!
Yes, we need to send out a clear message that this sort of thing is completely EVIL.
The sexuality of the victim can no longer be used as some sort of excuse for an appalling offence!
No doubt this scumbag will try to say in court that he met the victim completely by chance at a ‘industrial estate late at night’… and was shocked by his advances towards him…
No excuse… This person, (if guilty) is over the age of both consent and criminal responsibility and (if guilty) should suffer the maximum punishment allowed by law. LIFE.
LIFE is one thing, but this killer obviously needs a brain scan, psychiatric help and/or heavy sedatives.
The Gay Police Association have made a press release in relation to Stuart’s killing.
I wonder if any of the press, including PN, will pick up on it?
Thanks for this…
A brilliantly worded press release by the GPA …
Will Strathclyde Police act, Will the Crown Office act?
Will PN hold them to account?
It is so sad that Stuart is not alive to defend himself and all these allegations thrown at him.
The truth will prevail. They probably all lies and made up stories to make Stuart look bad when there is no story to tell.
R.I.P. Stuart they cannot hurt you any more.
It has been reported in scotland that the accusations were baseless. Also on here.
There is an ongoing issue of Twitter refusing to take action in cases of homophobia, racism, deceptive & malicious impersonation & hateful trolling following someone’s death.
Twitter really is becoming a trolls paradise where they can literally say anything they like to get a negative response.
Moderation is very very very important – as many of us were originally also telling Pink News.
Its simply not acceptable to allow people to get away with illegal inflammatory remarks online in a way that wouldn’t be tolerated in the ‘real world’.
But twitter is an American website like YouTube who also ignore racism/homophobia/anti-semitism/all other types of bigotry and hate speak, citing freedom of speech as their excuse to do so.
Americans are very eager to defend freedom of hate speech.
The only immediate way to try and prevent trolls of this nature would be to prosecute them, which seems excessive and potentially very expensive given how many vile people seem to exist.
It would be much better if we came to a point in society where such abhorrent views were extinct but that is not going to happen anytime soon.
Why has this gone quiet. Has justice been served?
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netware client for linux
at current, I have a laptop running windows 95, which has a novell client installed on it for accessing my college's network to get my files and have internet access etc...
as i'm sure most people know, win95 is probably one of the worst operating systems for any kind of security at all, so i want to go for a small linux distro (the hard drive is 800mb, its a 100mhz proccessor and has 40mb ram) but i need to be able to have a novell client on it so i can log in and access my files on the server and access the net.
so my questions are this, what would be a sutible distro to use? and also: is there a novell client for linux?
any help would be apprieciated.
There is a command line Novell Client for Linux from Caldera available in RPM format, which should work on most distros, including Redhat and Caldera. Slackware also has support for RPM's, though not officially supported :)
A good guide is here: http://www.caldera.com/support/docs/...ent/index.html
The only thing I could personaly say is that RH8 would become a bit of a squeeze with X installed on an 800MB drive.
I was thinking probably one of the earlier versions of slakware.
Being a bit of a newbie, I need to ask a newbie type question...
whith windows, when i install a bit of new hardware, windows will start up fine and ask to install drivers for my new hardware from a cd or whatever. but will linux do the same?
my reason for asking is that i have no cd drive for my laptop, so to install an OS i have to put the hard drive into my workstation with a 2.5 laptop to 3.5 ide hard drive adapter. but when i put the laptop back in the laptop, will i get lots of errors from linux? with windows i just had to install the new drivers etc. but i'm not to sure about that for linux.
If you are going to switch between machines, it should be Ok if you use the i386 kernel (barei) from the installation CD. You may need to reconfigure is X, this can be done by typing XF86Config at the command line because you will need to configure it for the laptop video adapter and screen.
When you install and reach the lilo configuration, select the screen resolution that you laptop works at. (check your display properties in Win95 to check before formatting.)
1. Novell has no client for linux of any variation.
2. You can also look here http://www.winehq.com/ for Wine is an implementation of the Windows Win32 and Win16 APIs on top of X and Unix.
I have not tested Wine with Linux networked with Netare yet, my test machine at work died before I got to it. I don't test on my linux servers (I try not to :( ) So I have to wait till my next out of service (obsolete) machine arives to try it.
Has anyone tried wine? If so what do you think as far as ease of installation and how stable is it?
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Lets face it most people are stressed out, but I can venture a guess that entrepreneurs are at the top of that list. Running one’s own business can be very stressful indeed. Stress can cause destruction on levels you many not even realize.
Here’s the the bad news first…
1. People become numb to stress.
This can cause you not to see injuries or illnesses that your body is trying to tell you about. An injury or illness can cause an entrepreneur a loss of precious time away from whatever project they are working on at the time.
2. It causes Cortical inhibition.
That means it causes smart people to do stupid things. As an entrepreneur, the last thing you want to do is make mistakes because you are overloaded with stress.
3. Your body does not care if the stress is a big one or small one.
Your body releases 1,400 biochemicals every time you get a paper cut or lose a big client. These biochemicals cause chain reactions that prematurely age your body and exacerbate how you deal with stress the next time.
Now here’s the Great news!
1. Regular massage will help you check in with your body.
Your massage therapist can feel imbalance before it gets out of control. Whether it is in your muscles from hunching over your computer for days at a time or a cold coming on. A massage will help flush toxins from your muscles that are causing aches and pains. It will also boost your immune system so that you can fight whatever the flu season has to throw at you. This is especially important for entrepreneurs who work in office settings or around many people.
2. Regular massage makes you smarter!
Ok well maybe not smarter but it does increase mental clarity, reduce mental stress, promote better sleep and sleep patterns, induces mental relaxation, calms temper, enhances capacity for calm thinking and creativity while heightening mental alertness, it helps improve concentration, provides mental clarity among some things. Most entrepreneurs I know would love to add any of those things above to how they feel on a daily basis. So If you do get massage on a regular basis I have to amend my previous statement, I do think regular massage makes you smarter!
3. Regular Massage releases endorphins! I love endorphins they make me feel amazing!
- Regular massage releases large amounts of endorphins into the bloodstream. “The mind, which before massage is in a perturbed, restless, vacillating, and even despondent state, becomes calm, quiet, peaceful, and subdued after massage. In fact, the wearied and worried mind has been converted into a mind restful, placid, and refreshed. “-Dr. Dowse
- Recent studies have suggested that endorphins enhance the immune system, relieve pain, and reduce stress.
- Scientists also have found that beta-endorphins can activate human NK cells and boost the immune system against diseases and kill cancer cells.
- Endorphins act as a pain regulator.
- Endorphins are connected to euphoric feelings and appetite regulation
As a very passionate massage therapist I could go on and on about the benefits of regular massage. These are just a very few of the benefits that I think would be the most important for entrepreneurs. With all of the stress we put on our minds and bodies, I think you owe it to yourself to get on a regular schedule of massage at the minimum once a month during less stressful times and twice a month when you know your workload is going to increase. Those 1-2 hours a month is going to pay you back in spades. It will be one of the best investments you can make in your business and your body.
Yvonne is a massage therapist and massage instructor with over 10 years of experience. During her career, she opened 3 SPAs and co-founded myHolisticServices.com, an online market place to save time, money and energy looking for certified holistic practitioners in your area. Book a massage now!
Image Credit: Shutterstock.com
Category: Startup Advice
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Profile: Female Rwandan killer Pauline Nyiramasuhuko
Sixty-five-year-old Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, who has been sentenced to life in prison, has been described as a tyrant and one of the key players in instigating the Rwandan genocide in the south-western border town of Butare.
This once powerful politician came from humble beginnings - she was a social worker and obtained a university law degree at the age of 44.
At senior school she became friends with Agathe Habyarimana, the future wife of President Juvenal Habyarimana, whose assassination triggered the genocide, the New York Times reports.
She rose to become family affairs and women's development minister in Mr Habyarimana's government.
Nyiramasuhuko was the complete opposite of the man she married, Maurice Ntahobari, a quiet and humble former speaker of parliament who was chancellor of Rwanda's National University based in Butare at the time of the genocide.
End Quote Pauline Nyiramasuhuko in 1995
I couldn't even kill a chicken. If there is a person who says that a woman, a mother, could have killed... I am ready to confront that person”
Before the massacres, the district of Butare, on the border with Burundi, was a happy mix of ethnic Tutsis and Hutus.
The 100-day mass slaughter in the country started on 7 April but did not begin in Butare until 21 April.
Nyiramasuhuko had ordered the then-governor to help organise the killings.
But when he refused, he was sacked and then killed.
Afterwards, Nyiramasuhuko called for militias from the capital, Kigali, to come to her home region to carry out the mission to kill the Tutsi population.'Unfathomable depravity'
Looking younger than her 65 years, she stood trial at the court in Tanzania along with her son, Arsene Shalom Ntahobali, in a case that lasted 10 years.
During the case, the court heard how she asked her son to organise militias to take part in the kidnap and rape of women and girls in Butare.
She would also force people to undress before loading them on to trucks taking them to their death.
Her son, who was in his early 20s at the time of the genocide, was also found guilty and sentenced to life.
Presiding Judge William Sekule said scores of ethnic Tutsis were killed after taking refuge in a local government office.
"Hoping to find safety and security, they instead found themselves subject to abductions, rapes, and murder. The evidence... paints a clear picture of unfathomable depravity and sadism," he said.
Nyiramasuhuko herself is the first and only woman to be tried and found guilty by the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
When the then-rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, seized power in July 1994 ending the genocide, she fled across the border into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a Congolese refugee camp in 1995 she told the BBC she was not involved in the killings: "I couldn't even kill a chicken. If there is a person who says that a woman, a mother, could have killed, I'll tell you truly then I am ready to confront that person."
Three years later, she was arrested in Kenya and later transferred to the ICTR.
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It wasn't their mother's Sunday Hebrew School class, what with the panel discussions on cosmetic surgery and Jewish sex manuals and the yoga in the library.
But the room was packed all the same. More than 100 people - 20-somethings, grandmothers and even a few teenagers - came to the Jewish Museum of Maryland yesterday to hear a half-dozen experts talk about everything from prayers said during pregnancy to what the Torah and other sacred texts have to say about intercourse.
The event, "Women's Sexuality: Bodies, Beauty and the Ethics of Intimacy," was part of Rashi's Daughters, a Jewish education organization that, until now, has focused on teaching women about sacred texts in small groups during monthly gatherings. The group takes its name from the medieval commentator and scribe Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaqi, known as Rashi, who taught his daughters to interpret Scripture because he had no sons.
Yesterday's event was the first time the group put on a large-scale community program in hopes of engaging more women in a traditionally male-centered religion that some feel has excluded a female perspective.
"After 2,000 years of men constructing the basic texts that form contemporary Judaism, it's time for women to contribute to the construction of these fundamentally sacred texts," said Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, one of the founders of Rashi's Daughters and a featured speaker at yesterday's event.
The religion may be thousands of years old, Cardin said, but the texts are peppered with commandments and commentary regarding body image, sex and even cosmetic enhancements.
Ellen L. Taylor, chief of Northwest Hospital Center's department of gynecology, told the group that sexual satisfaction is part of the ketubah, or Jewish marriage contract, and that a healthy sex life is considered a mitzvah, or good deed. As she spoke, a PowerPoint presentation behind her ran images of women such as Botticelli's The Birth of Venus and side-by-side photographs of Katie Couric - the natural one and the digitally slimmed-down one that CBS News used to promote her ascension to anchor last year.
The fact that it wasn't the typical Jewish education class is what drew many of the attendees.
"The topic of women's sex - I don't often see that available for Jewish adult education classes," said Amy Shulkin, 50, a middle-school psychologist from Owings Mills.
Added Sarah Gratz, a 26-year- old architect from Pikesville: "I don't think women get together often enough to talk about issues such as sexuality."
Women have always been a crucial part of Jewish life, with responsibilities for keeping the home, lighting Shabbat candles and raising the children. But Judaism has not always carved out a place for liberal women.
It was only 20 years ago that the first woman was ordained as a rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, the center of learning for Conservative Judaism. More recently, Conservative synagogues were debating whether to allow women to read Torah or lead services. And in some Orthodox circles, the devout still say a blessing thanking God for not making them a woman.
In recent years, though, there has been a national movement to become more inclusive. Events like yesterday's help make the religion even more relevant to modern life, said graphic artist Ellen Kahan Zager of Pikesville.
"It's a challenge for women to read themselves into very old traditions," she said. "Every time we come to something like this, we learn a little more."
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Well I do object to the phrase "Childhood is a praradise for a grownup individual" coz it may be the contrary and be the burning hell of human torture. Nothing is determined by our own experience but it is all about others through which we can gather a whole frame out to the definition of childhood.
I think childhood is the foundation of what was planted in us by parents in the first case and the surrounding including external factors. If the seed reveived enough water, air and sun then it will give its best plant and fruit whereas if been deprived of love, care and the appropriate climate the result is disasterous.
Childhood is not only about us ... it is mainly a chance for parents to prove they are smart or idiots.
"Childhood sometimes does pay a second visit to man; youth never."
Hi, Libra, thank you for your response to this topic. I do agree that childhood may not be sweet for all, and it may turn out to be the hell for some. But I believe for most of people who live in a civilized and war-free society, childhood is usually happy when people look back on it.
I also agree that parents may exert the biggest influence on the growth of children, which may prove them to be smart or idiots. It is true. Sometimes I have to tell myself that parents are not completely independent of the influences of the historical epoch and their living environment. They may not be able to do anything. An older individual argues against his resentment for his parents by indicating to himself that parents could not do anything for him, only because they could doing nothing for themselves either. If they were not there for their kids, it is only because they were not there for themselves either.
Therefore, to live a happy life, one should learn to be content and forgiving while creating happiness on one's own and in cooperation with others.
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