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Francis Cardinal George
Francis Cardinal George of the Archdiocese of Chicago is alleged to have predicted that for upholding the teachings of Christ he will die in his bed, his successor will die in a prison cell, and his successor will be executed in a public square in Chicago. Therefore, I am unsurprised that he has written an open letter exploring the “Chicago Values” cited by Mayor Emanuel when he decided to attack the free speech rights of Chick-Fil-A:
Recent comments by those who administer our city seem to assume that the city government can decide for everyone what are the “values” that must be held by citizens of Chicago. I was born and raised here, and my understanding of being a Chicagoan never included submitting my value system to the government for approval. Must those whose personal values do not conform to those of the government of the day move from the city? Is the City Council going to set up a “Council Committee on Un-Chicagoan Activities” and call those of us who are suspect to appear before it? I would have argued a few days ago that I believe such a move is, if I can borrow a phrase, “un-Chicagoan.”
The value in question is espousal of “gender-free marriage.” Approval of state-sponsored homosexual unions has very quickly become a litmus test for bigotry; and espousing the understanding of marriage that has prevailed among all peoples throughout human history is now, supposedly, outside the American consensus. Are Americans so exceptional that we are free to define “marriage” (or other institutions we did not invent) at will? What are we re-defining?
It might be good to put aside any religious teaching and any state laws and start from scratch, from nature itself, when talking about marriage. Marriage existed before Christ called together his first disciples two thousand years ago and well before the United States of America was formed two hundred and thirty six years ago. Neither Church nor state invented marriage, and neither can change its nature.
Marriage exists because human nature comes in two complementary sexes: male and female. The sexual union of a man and woman is called the marital act because the two become physically one in a way that is impossible between two men or two women. Whatever a homosexual union might be or represent, it is not physically marital. Gender is inextricably bound up with physical sexual identity; and “gender-free marriage” is a contradiction in terms, like a square circle. Continue reading
Note how the Bishops in the above video indicate what a unique threat to the Catholic Church in America the Obama administration poses. They recognize that the goal of the current administration is to strip the Bishops, through fostering a de facto schism in the Church, of their ability to stand in the way of this administration. This is all very unprecedented in American history and all very dangerous to our concept of religious liberty enshrined in the Constitution. The Administrative Committee of the USCCB set out what is at stake well on March 14th:
The Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, gathered for its March 2012 meeting, is strongly unified and intensely focused in its opposition to the various threats to religious freedom in our day. In our role as Bishops, we approach this question prayerfully and as pastors—concerned not only with the protection of the Church’s own institutions, but with the care of the souls of the individual faithful, and with the common good.
To address the broader range of religious liberty issues, we look forward to the upcoming publication of “A Statement on Religious Liberty,” a document of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. This document reflects on the history of religious liberty in our great Nation; surveys the current range of threats to this foundational principle; and states clearly the resolve of the Bishops to act strongly, in concert with our fellow citizens, in its defense.
One particular religious freedom issue demands our immediate attention: the now-finalized rule of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that would force virtually all private health plans nationwide to provide coverage of sterilization and contraception—including abortifacient drugs—subject to an exemption for “religious employers” that is arbitrarily narrow, and to an unspecified and dubious future “accommodation” for other religious organizations that are denied the exemption.
We begin, first, with thanks to all who have stood firmly with us in our vigorous opposition to this unjust and illegal mandate: to our brother bishops; to our clergy and religious; to our Catholic faithful; to the wonderful array of Catholic groups and institutions that enliven our civil society; to our ecumenical and interfaith allies; to women and men of all religions (or none at all); to legal scholars; and to civic leaders. It is your enthusiastic unity in defense of religious freedom that has made such a dramatic and positive impact in this historic public debate. With your continued help, we will not be divided, and we will continue forward as one.
Second, we wish to clarify what this debate is—and is not—about. This is not about access to contraception, which is ubiquitous and inexpensive, even when it is not provided by the Church’s hand and with the Church’s funds. This is not about the religious freedom of Catholics only, but also of those who recognize that their cherished beliefs may be next on the block. This is not about the Bishops’ somehow “banning contraception,” when the U.S. Supreme Court took that issue off the table two generations ago. Indeed, this is not about the Church wanting to force anybody to do anything; it is instead about the federal government forcing the Church—consisting of its faithful and all but a few of its institutions—to act against Church teachings. This is not a matter of opposition to universal health care, which has been a concern of the Bishops’ Conference since 1919, virtually at its founding. This is not a fight we want or asked for, but one forced upon us by government on its own timing. Finally, this is not a Republican or Democratic, a conservative or liberal issue; it is an American issue. Continue reading
Year in and year out, the Catholic Church in this country, as well as around the globe, is the largest single private provider of charitable services to the poor. However, what if a government makes it impossible for the Church to carry out her mission? The Church in America with the HHS Mandate is facing just such a dilemma, and Francis Cardinal George of the Chicago Archdiocese tells us what to expect:
The Lenten rules about fasting from food and abstaining from meat have been considerably reduced in the last forty years, but reminders of them remain in the fast days on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and in the abstinence from meat on all the Fridays of Lent. Beyond these common sacrifices that unite us spiritually to the passion of Christ, Catholics were and are encouraged to “give up” something voluntarily for the sake of others. Often this is money that could have been used for personal purposes and instead is given to help others, especially the poor. This year, the Catholic Church in the United States is being told she must “give up” her health care institutions, her universities and many of her social service organizations. This is not a voluntary sacrifice. It is the consequence of the already much discussed Department of Health and Human Services regulations now filed and promulgated for implementation beginning Aug. 1 of this year.
Why does a governmental administrative decision now mean the end of institutions that have been built up over several generations from small donations, often from immigrants, and through the services of religious women and men and others who wanted to be part of the church’s mission in healing and education? Catholic hospitals, universities and social services have an institutional conscience, a conscience shaped by Catholic moral and social teaching. The HHS regulations now before our society will make it impossible for Catholic institutions to follow their conscience.
So far in American history, our government has respected the freedom of individual conscience and of institutional integrity for all the many religious groups that shape our society. The government has not compelled them to perform or pay for what their faith tells them is immoral. That’s what we’ve meant by freedom of religion. That’s what we had believed was protected by the U.S. Constitution. Maybe we were foolish to believe so.
What will happen if the HHS regulations are not rescinded? A Catholic institution, so far as I can see right now, will have one of four choices: 1) secularize itself, breaking its connection to the church, her moral and social teachings and the oversight of its ministry by the local bishop. This is a form of theft. It means the church will not be permitted to have an institutional voice in public life. 2) Pay exorbitant annual fines to avoid paying for insurance policies that cover abortifacient drugs, artificial contraception and sterilization. This is not economically sustainable. 3) Sell the institution to a non-Catholic group or to a local government. 4) Close down. Continue reading
The following is the second part to this post. It is recommended that you read the first part before reading the second part. There has been some request for the original address given by Cardinal George. I have been unable to locate it on the web and have not gotten around to scanning it in. As soon as I get a chance, I will try to get to up and available, barring any unforeseen copyright issues. For now, my humble comments and summary will have to suffice.
While the time from Augustine to Aquinas embodied a realization of Cardinal George’s incarnation metaphysics, things began to take a turn for the worse with Duns Scotus, a contemporary of Thomas. Scotus radically separated God from the world, and in so doing separated grace from nature. Instead of a metaphysics of participation, Scotus promulgated that, “God is no longer that generous power in which all things exist but rather that supreme being next to whom or apart from whom all other beings exist” (George, 15). Scotus begins what Descartes (through philosophy) and Luther (through theology) would complete. “In both its Lutheran and Cartesian manifestations, modernity assumes a fundamental split between the divine and the non-divine and hence implicitly denies the participation/communio metaphysics that had shaped the Christian world thought the ancient and medieval periods” (George, 16).
For those of you fortunate enough not to live in the Land of Lincoln, or, as it is commonly known today, The State Everyone Laughs At, you may have not been familiar enough with the State and therefore thought that Cardinal George’s most recent attempt to remove Father Pfleger, or as many of us refer to him as Father “Flakey”, would have caused him to mend his ways. Those of us who have followed Father Pfleger for decades, realized that this was merely the latest useless huffing and puffing of Cardinal George, and that Saint Sabina’s would soon return to normal, which is as a bastion of Left Wing political orthodoxy, with an exteme emphasis on race, where Catholicism is very much an afterthought.
This was graphically demonstrated by Father Pfleger having Gary McCarthy, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s new top cop, preach a “sermon” during Mass earlier this month. Chicago has an atrocious murder rate. It also has the strictest gun control laws in the nation. Here are Gary McCarthy’s deep thoughts on this contradiction:
“Now I want you to connect one more dot on that chain of the African American history in this country, and tell me if I’m crazy: Federal gun laws that facilitate the flow of illegal firearms, into our urban centers across this country, that are killing our black and brown children,” he said.
And he told an anecdote of just one night with the New York Police Department. After returning home from investigating a pair of shootings, he said he flipped on the television to relax, only to find “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” being broadcast.
Updates at the bottom. . .
The Chicago Tribune and WBEZ are reporting that Cardinal George of Chicago has removed from his parish of Saint Sabina and suspended Father Michael Pfleger sacramental priestly faculties ultimately due to his disobedience.
In a public radio show Father Pfleger threatened to leave the Catholic Church if he were to be reassigned to a Catholic High School by Cardinal George, his archdiocesan archbishop.
Cardinal George was disappointed in this particular response, “If that is truly your attitude, you have already left the Catholic Church and are therefore not able to pastor a Catholic parish(.)”
A Catholic priest’s inner life is governed by his promises, motivated by faith and love, to live chastely as a celibate man and to obey his bishop. . .Breaking either promise destroys his vocation and wounds the Church. . .With this letter, your ministry as pastor of Saint Sabina Parish and your sacramental faculties as a priest of the Archdiocese are suspended.
An “associate” minister of Saint Sabina’s Church, Kimberly Lymore, promised to have an “official” response from the Saint Sabina “leadership” to Cardinal George’s actions.
Well I have to say is Father Pfleger had certainly pushed the boundaries of patience on this one. To say that this was a “shock” or unexpected would be disingenuous of Father Pfleger.
Cardinal George is well within his authority as an apostle of the Church to govern his flock as stated in his role as Archbishop.
Obedience is certainly expected of all archdiocesan priests, but to have Father Pfleger not only disobey the wishes of his archbishop, but publicly threaten to leave the Church if he were to be reassigned to another post went beyond disobedience.
Pray for Father Pfleger, Cardinal George, and the parish of Saint Sabina’s.
Update I: Here is the letter Cardinal George handed to Father Pfleger personally simultaneously telling him he doesn’t want to ‘hear it’ about his options. For the letter click here.
The American Life League (ALL) is making a strong case of placing most of the blame for passage of ObamaCare squarely on the shoulders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
What the ALL is alleging is that the USCCB was very desperate to push for universal health coverage that they compromised on some key principles. One of which was that of abortion where instead of fighting against abortion they decided to stick their heads in the ground and use “abortion neutral” language.
“Sister” Carol Keehan, who is the president of the Catholic Health Association, endorsed ObamaCare. Thus declaring themselves in contradiction with Francis Cardinal George and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops who opposed ObamaCare.
Here is Diogenes’s brilliant column:
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who has devoted so much of his episcopal career to the effort to make everyone comfortable, is approaching his 80th birthday, and already the celebrations have begun.
(No, I don’t mean the celebrations of the fact that as of July 7, “Uncle Teddy” will be ineligible to vote in a papal conclave—although that’s definitely reason enough to chill the champagne.)
Pertinent to recent discussions of Stupak and the role of the USCCB in advancing the health care bill, Edward Feser offers his reflections on Bart Stupak, the USCCB and the Catholic principle of subsidiarity:
… before the health care bill vote, the USCCB urged Congress either to alter the bill to prevent federal funding of abortion or to vote the bill down. (The USCCB also objected to the bill’s failure to extend coverage to illegal immigrants.) But the letter in which this request was made also emphasized that “for decades, the United States Catholic bishops have supported universal health care,” that “the Catholic Church teaches that health care is a basic human right, essential for human life and dignity,” and that it is only “with deep regret” that the bishops must oppose passage of the bill “unless these fundamental flaws are remedied” (emphasis added).
Needless to say, the impression these words leave the reader with – whether the bishops intended this or not – is that, were abortion (and coverage of illegal immigrants) not at issue, the moral teaching of the Catholic Church would require the passage of the health care bill in question, or something like it. In fact the teaching of the Church requires no such thing. Indeed, I would argue (see below) that while the Church’s teaching does not rule out in principle a significant federal role in providing health care, a bill like the one that has just passed would be very hard to justify in light of Catholic doctrine, even aside from the abortion question. Nevertheless, as I say, the bishops’ language would surely leave the average reader with the opposite impression. And as the bishops themselves remind us, they have “supported universal health care” for “decades,” in statements that also would leave the unwary average reader with the impression that Catholic moral teaching strictly requires as a matter of justice the passage some sort of federal health care legislation. On the day Obama signed the bill into law, Cardinal Francis George, a bishop with a reputation for orthodoxy, urged vigilance on the matter of abortion while declaring that “we applaud the effort to expand health care to all.”
Read the rest!
After the breaking news that showed direct links between John Carr, a top executive of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, with pro-abortion groups dating back 30 years, John Carr has denied any wrong doing.
Below watch the full eight minutes for the most current update of this USCCB scandal on RealCatholicTV.com‘s Daily Catholic News Roundup and The Vortex. Vic Faust and Michael Voris will report how both the USCCB and the pro-abortion group scrubbed their websites simultaneously to hide any connection they had with each other plus much more.
When Cardinal George requested that pro-life Republicans vote for the Stupak amendment to the health care bill, he was shaming conservative American legislators that they need to stand up for what they claim in public. Cardinal George discounted reasonable Republican objections that this was just a ploy by Nancy Pelosi to get pro-life Democrats on board knowing full well that all pro-life language would be stripped in the joint chambers conference committee.
Was Cardinal George this naive to fall for this parliamentary trick? Can we assume he isn’t this naive?
No, Cardinal George is not this naive because why would the Vatican choose him to lead a diocese? The Vatican certainly takes its time to make wise and knowledgeable decisions don’t they? The Holy Spirit guides them in their work, granted that this is done primarily through the teachings of the Church. Though we can be reasonable enough knowing that the Vatican wouldn’t choose someone who is incompetent to be a shepherd to his flock.
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A selection blogs, articles, tutorials games, and more that might be on interest to Flash game developers (or any other game developers). This week we have entries ranging from generating 3D cube primitives to efficient game development. We also have 6 new retro-styled games to check out.
Flash game Blogs
GamePoetry open this weekly smash up of all things Flash-gaming with two new entries. The first concerns using design patterns in Flash game development, and the second tackles separating game logic from the user interface. Both are well worth a look.
Emanuele Feronato has put up the third part of his set of tutorials on making a Lumines like game. He also done a good job explaining the uses for the First Impressions service offered by FlashGameLicense.com
Pixelwelders has a great new demo and class that uses Papervision and AS3 to animate a set cube primitives. It makes use of the FIVe3D library.
We added 5 new deserving games to our retro showcase. It's not all Mochi games this week as we finally figured out how to add GameJacket games. We have still had some reports of them not loading though.
AS3 Gaming has a cool new tutorial called Creating a Dynamic Starfield with the Flint ParticleSystem
The Helion Code has a short entry called Efficient Flash Game Development. It has some very good tips methods to brainstorm, design, and code your game with out going mad. They have 34 tips for getting your game sponsored.
FlashPerfection has a nice tutorial on Setting up your-Game Development Environment in AS3 in an Object Oriented style.
Some games to check out:
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Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- President Obama wrapped up an eight-day tour of Asia on Thursday, holding talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and speaking to American troops at Osan Air Base.
Nuclear negotiations involving North Korea and Iran highlighted a news conference held by the leaders.
Obama announced that he will send American envoy Stephen Bosworth to North Korea on December 8 for bilateral talks on dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear program.
"If North Korea is prepared to take concrete and irreversible steps to fulfill its obligations and eliminate its nuclear weapons program, the United States will support economic assistance and help promote its full integration into the community of nations," Obama said. "That opportunity and respect will not come with threats. North Korea must live up to its obligations."
Obama also said the United States and its allies were working on steps to take against Iran after its apparent rejection of a nuclear deal.
"We have begun discussions with international partners about the importance of having consequences," Obama said. "Our expectation is that, over the next several weeks, we will be developing a package of potential steps we could take that will indicate our seriousness to Iran. I continue to hold out the prospect that they may decide to walk through this door. I hope they do."
Iran rejected a key plank of a deal Wednesday designed to ease international fears that Tehran aims to build nuclear weapons.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said his country will not send its partly enriched uranium abroad to be turned into material for medical research, but added that Tehran might allow its nuclear material to be reprocessed inside Iran, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.
The deal hammered out in November with the help of the U.N. watchdog agency aimed to reduce the amount of raw material Iran has to build a nuclear bomb.
Tehran denies that it wants to do so, saying its nuclear program is to produce civilian nuclear energy and do medical work.
During their news conference, Obama and Lee also expressed support for a stalled U.S.-South Korea free trade agreement. The deal was signed in 2007, but has yet to be ratified by the legislatures of either country.
South Korea was the final stop on Obama's four-nation tour of Asia.
Obama began his trip in Japan before traveling to Singapore, where he attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations economic forum, meeting on the sidelines with world leaders including Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Obama then traveled to China, where he met with leaders including President Hu Jintao. After their talks, the two spoke of a common vision of shared responsibilities and economic opportunities.
Trade, nuclear proliferation, climate change and the sticky issue of human rights were part of their discussions.
Obama, whose flight will stop for refueling in Alaska, is due back in the United States on Thursday.
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According to the Vedas there are 7 stages of the destruction of relationships and family happiness. I will share them with you here today.
Konstantin received this information in Ayurvedic doctor and guru of Vedic philosophy, Dr. Oleg Torsunov’s newsletter. He shared this information with me one afternoon. I call it a horror story because it freaks me out! It shows how easy it can be to get trapped in a downward spiral to unhappiness without even realizing what is going on. After reading this information, I hope that we will be more aware of the warning signs of what begins the destruction of family happiness, so that we can avoid it in our own relationships.
Ignorance causes conflicts in family life
The Vedas say that the primary cause of conflict in family life is ignorance. Both people just don’t know any better. They don’t realize how their intentions, actions and inactions are actually bringing unhappiness, rather than happiness. They have yet to acquire a higher taste of happiness. Because both partners have not taken the time to study how to achieve happiness in their family life, this fundamental lack of special education leads to all kinds of other problems. We need to learn specifically how to achieve harmony in all different spectrums of our life – such as how to develop a rich relationship with society, with our family, with ourselves. If we can learn how to do this, the other causes of conflict that stem from this root, can also be eradicated.
Masculine and Feminine consequences of ignorance
Today I want to share with you the consequences of ignorance in family happiness. Ignorance extends into the family differently in both a masculine and a feminine form. The way a man progresses or degrades is not the same as the way a woman does it, so it also manifests into the relationship in different ways too.
Men who don’t have a conscience and women who lie
A Woman’s anger: Secrecy
The masculine form is lack of belief and faith. The feminine equivalent is her tendency to lie and be secretive. Come on, you ladies know what I’m talking about. When we feel hurt by our partners, we show our anger and revenge by becoming very quiet and secretive. It takes a conscious effort to avoid this – but of course, it is possible, and we should train ourselves to do so. As a relationship falls apart, the man tends to get angrier and angrier, and the woman tends to get more and more secretive. She keeps things from her husband. She starts to live a secret emotional life. She puts her interest, focus and love on other sources (friendships with other men etc), and cuts her husband off from it completely. He has no idea of her secret emotional life, and thus his sense of belief, faith and conscience simultaneously begin to weaken. He may start a secret physical life (perhaps taking on a mistress) and continues to feel angry at his wife. As you can see , we are dealing with the same emotion but manifested in different forms.
A man’s downfall: Lack of belief and no conscience.
When the man in the relationship lacks spiritual faith and belief, he also sacrifices his conscience. When a man has a conscience he believes there will be some form of retribution for his bad actions, and rewards for his good deeds. When he does not have a conscience, he feels there is no spiritual consequences for his actions. He can do the right thing or the wrong thing without much implication. Doing bad things become okay, as long as he doesn’t get caught by somebody. But when a man has a conscience, he tries to avoid doing bad things because he realizes he will always be caught by god, by karma (cause and effect). He also realizes if he does the right thing, then everyone will be rewarded with happiness.
This particular force of disbelief effects mainly men, but can be seen in women a lot these days too, as our roles in society change.
Now the other force that causes the break down of a relationship comes from the woman, and it is her tendency to be secretive and untruthful.
Untruthfulness is a feminine nature – it is our challenge, ladies! The Vedas say that the masculine energy of a relationship is like the seed, and the feminine principles is the water that allows the seed to grow and survive.
A man without a conscience + A woman with secrets =
When a man without a conscience and a woman who is secretive come together, their relationship will fall apart. However, if there is a man who doesn’t believe and a secretive woman, but there is no actual cheating going on between them, then both of them do try to live an honest life, then they have the possibility of being okay. The danger lies when the man begins to develop negative character traits (through his lack of belief) and then attempts to enter into a deal with someone, but without using his conscience. He may attempt to deceive someone in his life, and from that moment, their family will enter the conflict cycles.
Dishonesty in women
A woman can betray her husband in many ways. The most obvious way is if she has an affair with another man. However, there are still more subtle ways that she can cut off her husband to her love- such as if she discusses her relationship problems in public, or if she says bad things about her husband to other people. As soon as she does this, her dishonesty can grow into more serious cases.
The 7 stages of the breakdown of a relationship
The Vedas say there are 7 stages to the development of family life riddled with deceit, secrets and anger.
Stage 1: Subtle betrayal
The first stage begins when the woman discusses her husband with other people and tells them about their personal relationship problems. It is only favorable to talk about your relationship to your mentors and gurus. She can talk to the wife of a wise, good man, and ask her for advice regarding her own relationship. If she wants to talk to a wise man about her relationship with her husband, she should only do it accompanied by her husband. They should all have a conversation together. These rules created by the Vedic culture were made in order to not permit any opportunities to deceive the husband.
Stage 2: Threats
In this stage ignorance begins to manifest into physical form, whereas in the first stage, the relationship basically just built itself on lack of faith and deceitfulness. This stage is primarily a masculine stage. The man begins to get angry and starts to make threats. Because the man here lacks a conscience, he believes he also has the right to threaten others. This is a form of violence in the relationship. He begins to get rougher and rougher. He loses his trust without knowing why. When a man believes in the laws of the universe, he is given the opportunity to trust his partner to trust him. But when a man does not believe in the laws of the universe, he also does not believe anyone else. He can appear to be a little bit rude and rough around the edges. He does not want to hurt other people but simply cannot trust them and believe in them, and so acts in a slightly threatening way because he believes that they will betray him.
When he does not trust others, he begins to make threats of varying degrees. The woman in turn, responds to these threats with more deceit, because she does not like this rough behavior of her husband, and does not know how else to protest to it. She can begin to cheat.
It can also happen the other way, where the man becomes deceptive, and the woman begins to threaten him and give him ultimatums. This is also possible in our society today when women are fighting for equal rights.
Stage 3: Man’s greed and Woman’s manipulation
In this stage, the man begins to develop another destructive force – greed. This is also another natural consequence of a lacking conscience. It stems from his selfishness. He becomes too attached to the things he likes, because he cannot control his feelings. He forgets about how other people might feel about his actions. He starts thinking from a “I don’t care what you need to do to be happy, I just care about how I can be happy” – so he stops thinking about his families interests. And so begins his greed.
The feminine destructive force is a ruse; her tendency to do things to trick or deceive someone- to engage in manipulative behavior. This obviously also increases conflicts in her family.
The woman finds that she just doesn’t know how to protest her husbands rough behavior. His lack of belief, his greed, his selfishness, his carelessness, his threats become too much for her. She finds it hard to do act this way back to him, due to her feminine nature, so instead, she does what she can – she manipulates him.
*As I mentioned a few times already, it can also happen the other way now in our society, as gender roles change and shift*
Stage 4: Anger and jealousy
In this stage, the man begins to develop feelings of anger, and the woman begins to get jealous. She becomes jealous of her husband, jealous of his attention to their children, jealous of other people etc. This jealousy and envy spoils her relationships between her and her family. It also spoils her relationship with other people. Envy and jealousy create gossip, and anger produces bad behaviors. Conflicts get worse and life in the family begins to feel miserable.
Stage 5: Fights and mean words
By the time the couple get to this stage, many fights start to manifest in their relationship. Fighting is generally a masculine quality, whereas harsh words and mean insults are in feminine territory. A good woman knows how to talk to her husband softly and gently, she knows how to talk to her husband. But in this stage, no one knows how to talk to each other. She is rude to him, insults him and puts him down with her words, and begins to resist and fight her. If there is physical abuse within the relationship, this is the stage that it is likely to emerge. Family life begins to feel intolerable.
Stage 6: Loss and fear
The man is usually the active principle of the relationship, he is usually the one who makes the family stable, rich etc – so in this stage the man usually does not bring stability to his family life, or somehow the family loses their funds, or the man simply does not make the money for his family in an honest way. Because of this, the family begins to fall apart in another dimension too. It is in this stage that the family begin to experiences losses of all forms.
There is also a woman’s influence in this stage of the breakdown. The woman, in general, is responsible for filling her family with a sense of emotional stability, satisfaction, well being and happiness, however after the influence of the fighting and mean words exchanged between the couple, the woman begins to spread fear energy and everyone in the family is under the influence of this energy. In this stage, the family undergo loss and suffering. They feel that nothing good can live long in their family life. Even the material accomplishments.
Stage 7: Pain and degradation
This is the final stage of the breakdown of a relationship. On the male side – the man develops a tendency of suffering and pain. He gets into situations that cause illnesses, accidents, and he suffers. He suffers from the emotional pain of seeing his broken relationship with his family, with his friends, with his wife and with his children. He starts drinking, smoking, and eventually cheating on his wife.
The woman, on the other hand becomes very pessimistic and depressed. She begins to cheat emotionally and/or physically on her husband, she desperately looks for someone who will listen to her.
As you can see the consequences for ignorance of family happiness is almost unbearable. The man will experience physical and mental pain, and the woman falls into a deep depression. The only way to overcome these stages is to learn how to acquire a higher taste for happiness. To educate ourselves on the correct type of love and happiness and how to bring this love and happiness into your family. I will share with you what I learn as I go along, because this area is very interesting for me
I wish you a lovely day.
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Santhan and Uncle Arnand just give as they give and do as they do and don’t think anything of it. They are surprised when someone, like me, says what they’ve said or done is so wonderful. It is not remarkable to them It's where they are..
What is it they do? They are always thinking of something thoughtful, generous, kind, and to them it is natural to do so and not noteworthy at all.
I suppose it feels to them the same as if I had said to them: How wonderful it is how you have legs to walk with!
They see their generosity as something taken for granted. They don't even see it as generosity. It's just what they want to do.
Actually, talking about legs and walking, I do have to say that Santhan and Uncle Arnand walk wonderfully! They walk with grace. Uncle Arnand walks purposefully. He knows where he’s going and gets there, and, yet, he is not racing.
Santhan’s walk is not a stride but how shall I describe it. I cannot. He doesn’t walk like a lion and yet… His walk is more of a gait than a stride. His walk is agile, lovely, filled with grace. I love the way these two gentlemen walk.
I have noticed that everyone in South Africa seems to walk beautifully. Maybe the people in South Africa are more at home in their bodies, and, therefore, there is an eloquence and naturalness. Or maybe they are at home in the world and have made peace with life, and so their walk is beautiful.
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We seek to help people and communities to harness information and communication technologies (ICTs) for learning. We believe that learning is the key to human development, and that ICTs - both old (telephones, radio, television) and new (computers, the Internet, wireless technologies) - can enable learning in powerful and economically and socially meaningful ways. more »
Intel Teach Master Trainers' Training in Batanes
Through the initiatives of its LGU and DepEd Division, a total of 51 Batanes public school teachers were trained last May 2009 on the two courses currently offered by the Intel Teach Program.
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by Harlan Ullman
Washington (UPI) Jan 9, 2013
If 2012 turned out to be the year of the "Cliff Hanger," what will 2013 bring? This column has written about the fiscal, strategic and civility cliffs. Alarmingly, the worst may yet to come: Consider the "Iranian cliff."
As Iran continues to enrich uranium and economic sanctions persist, a point of no return is fast approaching if the latter doesn't prevent the former.
Worse, that point may be determined by a small Israeli minority and not by the United States or other powers. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sees Iran's nuclear ambitions as an existential threat to his nation. Should Iran cross the so-called red line by enriching enough uranium to construct a bomb, Netanyahu has threatened an Israeli strike.
U.S. President Barack Obama says he has taken no option off the table including military force. But Obama also declared "containment" wasn't an option -- a strategic and grammatical contradiction of the first order. Hence, sometime this year, an Iranian cliff will materialize if sanctions don't yield constructive negotiations. Mishandled, that cliff will make the others look like anthills.
Arguments concerning the pros and cons of conventional air attacks against Iran's nuclear facilities are well understood. In sound bite form, proponents of an attack say that the very worst case is a nuclear-armed Iran. Hence and however dangerous, there is no alternative to a preventative military strike.
Opponents argue the reverse. As the West neutralized the Soviet Union's capability to eviscerate much of the world with its tens of thousands of nuclear weapons, Iran with a mere handful could easily be deterred and contained -- --although this language of the past must be translated into more acceptable wordage for today.
The consensus view is that conventional air attacks on Iran's nuclear sites would at best delay and could provoke retaliation as well as hasten acquisition of nuclear weapons by Tehran. Short of successful negotiations, Iranian self-restraint or an internal revolution that magically installs a friendly government, what then is the full range of options to prevent Tehran from obtaining and threatening to use nuclear weapons? The only certain ways to deny Iran's nuclear intentions permanently are through a nuclear strike or invasion and occupation. Are we prepared to consider either and think the unthinkable?
If Iran's threat is truly existential to Israel's survival or if an Iranian nuclear breakout sparked a destabilizing nuclear arms race with the danger of a regional nuclear war, why should the pre-emptive use of nuclear weapons or an invasion be automatically precluded from the options?
It is unlikely that Israel would ever and the United States never contemplate a nuclear attack. Regarding invasion and occupation, history matters. In 1978, the Pentagon produced the so-called Persian Gulf study headed by a mid-grade official, Paul Wolfowitz, later deputy secretary of defense. The study posited that if the Soviet Union invaded Iran driving south to seize its oil wells, what would be required to counter that assault. The conclusion was a U.S. force of about 300,000-400,000 troops.
Before his fall, the Iran Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi maintained a substantial military highly friendly to the West. Today, if Iran were to be invaded as Saddam Hussein attempted unsuccessfully, resistance would be massive. At least half a million troops would be needed to occupy and then pacify that country and its 80 million souls.
Barring some calamitous intervening event, making the case for an invasion with or without a supporting international coalition is beyond the reach of any U.S. administration.
Hence, given that conventional force provides no long-term solution to denying Iran nuclear weapons and could have disastrous consequences, invasion or nuclear pre-emption is unacceptable, the constructs of deterrence and containment albeit disguised with different words are the sanest and probably only policy choices. But would U.S. security guarantees be accepted? U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan would seem to confirm President John Kennedy's wry remark that the only thing worse than being an enemy of the United States was being a friend. And that was half a century ago.
My sense is that states such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey could accept a U.S. deterrent regime perhaps reinforced by British and French nuclear forces. Indeed, with skillful diplomacy that exploited an Iranian nuclear breakout, it isn't inconceivable that this common threat could force Saudi Arabia and Gulf states to forge closer ties with Israel -- reversing conventional wisdom that argues further proliferation is inevitable. While imperfect, a modified containment option is far better than the use of force, nuclear or otherwise, with potentially catastrophic effects that could set the oil rich region ablaze for decades.
If the way in which Washington negotiated the fiscal cliff is an indicator of things to come, we are in grave trouble. Make no mistake, the Iranian Cliff may well exceed our capacity to respond effectively or creatively.
(Harlan Ullman is chairman of the Killowen Group, which advises leaders of government and business, and senior adviser at Washington's Atlantic Council.)
(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)
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The Control Yuan yesterday censured the former Taipei County government, now the New Taipei City (新北市) Government, for its selection of a site for a maintenance depot for the Sinjhuang (新莊) line of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system that led to a partial demolition of the Losheng (Happy Life) Sanatorium for leprosy patients.
The Control Yuan also censured the Department of Health and Taipei City’s Department of Rapid Transit Systems for their handling of the case.
The construction of the Sinjhuang line, part of which has gone into operation earlier this year, had long been delayed since its original plan was put forward to demolish the sanatorium to make way for the maintenance depot.
Following continued protests, the government revised the plan to accommodate preservation of part of the sanatorium complex, the first leprosy hospital built by the Japanese colonial government in the 1930s and the only public sanatorium for leprosy patients in Taiwan.
Although part of the complex has been reserved, the ongoing construction of the maintenance depot caused severe damage to the sanatorium.
Control Yuan member Chen Yung-hsiang (陳永祥), who led a group in probing the case, charged the New Taipei City Government with selecting the site for the depot mainly because then-county commissioner You Ching (尤清) and then-Sinjhuang mayor Tsai Chia-fu (蔡家福), could benefit from property development.
Taipei’s City’s Department of Rapid Transit Systems was charged with responsibility for the damage caused to the sanatorium.
The Control Yuan members said that the department failed to thoroughly review the design of the construction and overlooked the risks that construction of the transport line posed to the sanatorium.
The Department of Health was charged with relocating the sanatorium residents to a new building, which sparked human rights concern, the Control Yuan said.
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The Cours Saleya is a famous open-air market just a block off the beach in Nice's Old Quarter. It's open every day, although on Mondays the vegetables and farmers are replaced by antiques dealers.
Most of the produce here is resold; it's bought wholesale at the airport or port by resellers who bring it to the open market. There are a few local producers, though, who have tables off to the side. (You can see olives and carrots from one of these vendors in the last photograph.)
The most famous part of the Cours Saleya is the flower market; there are rows of fresh flowers and plants covered by brightly striped awnings. But there are also plenty of stands selling fruit, vegetables, sweets, preserves, honey, Provençal soaps, olive oil, cheeses, cured meats, fish, and tourist knickknacks. You've never seen lavender until you've stepped into a Provençal tourist trap!
We were there in November, and some of the most common fruits and vegetables included persimmons (kaki), apples, clementines (with their leaves still on), wax-dipped pears, sweet and seed-filled grapes that tasted like honey, purple artichokes, garlic, leeks, chard, and uncured olives. In some of the photos you can see the round plastic trays the vendors hand you. You fill it up with produce then hand it back to be weighed and counted. It made it easier on us non-French-speakers, too!
One of the most popular booths there carried many different salts and spices, heaped up in gorgeous colored mounds for the shoppers (and tourist cameras).
Click through the thumbnails above for some of our favorite sights and memories of this sunny, beautiful market.
(Images: Faith Durand)
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Information contained on this page is provided by companies via press release distributed through PR Newswire, an independent third-party content provider. PR Newswire, WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
SOURCE Goodwill Industries International
National Partnership Captures Veterans' Stories for Library of Congress
ROCKVILLE, Md., March 11, 2013 Goodwill Industries International and StoryCorps have partnered to record the stories of veterans, service members, and military families as part of the StoryCorps Military Voices Initiative. The first recording will take place at Goodwill Industries of Houston, one of the leading Goodwill® providers of veteran employment services, from March 14-15 in Houston, TX.
Goodwill Houston has a long standing history of serving veterans. In addition to being the recipient of several federal grants for veterans, the agency is involved with Operation: GoodJobs, an initiative to empower military veterans with the tools they need to find employment, advance in their careers and ensure long-term financial stability for their families. The Goodwill not only assists veterans with job training and placement, but also designs individualized, holistic plans that support a range of family needs for the entire family and help ensure economic security in the long-term.
StoryCorps, a national oral history project, provides Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share and preserve their stores. Since 2003, StoryCorps has collected and archived more than 45,000 interviews with nearly 90,000 participants. From July 2012 through November 2013, StoryCorps' Military Voices Initiative is recording the stories of more than 700 post-9/11 veterans, active-duty service members, and their families.
Twelve veterans served by Goodwill Houston will share their stories during the two-day recording session. A family member, friend or other loved one will interview each veteran about his or her experiences in the military and the challenges faced in transitioning to civilian employment. Each conversation will be preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
"Veterans are civic assets and leaders. As a nonprofit whose commitment to supporting veterans transition to civilian life dates back to World War I, we are honored to be part of the StoryCorps Military Voices Initiative," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "The initiative will amplify our veterans' important stories, build support and appropriately honor them."
StoryCorps is the largest oral history project of its kind. A select number of interviews are edited for national broadcast and aired on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday. The project is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and The Boeing Company.
"The Military Voices Initiative will not only provide military families with a national platform to share their stories of service in their own voices, but will also enable civilians to understand more clearly the complex challenges of their bravery and sacrifice," said Dave Isay, founder and president of StoryCorps. "As veterans return to civilian life from Afghanistan and Iraq, we believe that the simple act of listening tells them how much they matter, and by preserving that conversation for posterity, we assure them that they won't be forgotten."
About Goodwill Industries International:
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with 14 affiliates in 13 other countries. Goodwill is one of America's top 25 most inspiring companies (Forbes). Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 2,800 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com. Local Goodwill agencies also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation, and document imaging and shredding. In 2012, more than 4.2 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services. Goodwill channels 82 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services. To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at locator.goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl or @GoodwillCapHill, or find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl.
StoryCorps is a national nonprofit organization that provides people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, preserve, and share their stories. Each week, millions of Americans listen to StoryCorps' award-winning broadcasts on NPR's Morning Edition. StoryCorps has published three books: All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps, Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps, and Listening Is an Act of Love -all of which are New York Times bestsellers. For more information, or to listen to stories online, visit storycorps.org.
About Goodwill Industries of Houston
Goodwill Industries of Houston provides training, education and employment opportunities to people with disabilities and other barriers to employment, improving the lives of individuals, families and communities. Goodwill Houston strives to be the premier workforce development resource in greater Houston, based on the excellence of our people and our career services. For more information about store locations, programs and services, visit goodwillhouston.org,facebook.com/GoodwillHoustonOrg or call (713) 692-6221.
About the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operation of more than 1,400 locally-owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.
About The Boeing Company
Boeing is the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. As a major service provider to NASA, Boeing is the prime contractor for the International Space Station. The company also provides numerous military and commercial airline support services. Boeing provides products and support services to customers in 150 countries and is one of the largest U.S. exporters in terms of sales.
©2012 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.
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It was almost four years ago when we decided it was time to launch our online video blog, NewTeeVee. At the time, I wondered to myself how I could best understand the ongoing broadband-based video revolution in a way that would give me a window into the future – so I decided to do what was unthinkable at the time: I called Comcast and asked them to turn off my cable TV. And remember, these were the glory days of The Sopranos and Weeds, so it was a major sacrifice.
Nevertheless, my broadband sources were telling me that bandwidth-to-the-home was on an upswing and was seeking a killer app — and that video was most likely it. Large media companies were demonizing devices like Slingbox and bemoaning YouTube. These were signs that the big shift was about to happen. So just like that, I became one of the earliest cord cutters.
My cord-cutting adventure was helped along by a handful of services, which emerged as early players in the world of web video:
- MLB.com and Willow.tv took care of my need to watch live baseball and cricket respectively.
- Hulu, which despite my own personal skepticism became my best friend when I was recovering from my sickness.
- Netflix, which brought streaming (and DVD rentals) into my life.
- iTunes Video Store, which allowed me to purchase new television shows when I wanted.
This wasn’t a perfect solution, but it had one big upside – it freed me from the old school notion of television and allowed me to embrace the idea of “video” instead (read my essay — “There’s no new media. It’s all new consumption”.) In 2009, I compared Netflix to the iPod of broadband. When talking about the future of video, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings (speaking at our 2008 NTV Live conference) said:
We want to watch what we want, when we want, where we want, and discover the content how we want.
His comments made perfect sense to me – just as mobile phones freed me up from thinking about communications as a static activity and turned calling and texting into part of my daily life, ever-present broadband (wireless or wired) would eventually make video part of my daily media consumption.
Two years later, Netflix is one of the major drivers for folks to sign-up for broadband services. Some folks claim that at its peak, Netflix streaming videos account for about a fifth of the traffic flowing through North American broadband networks. According to Cisco Systems’ estimates, video now accounts for about 26 percent of total traffic on the Internet (and that’s not including P2P.)
In other words, my quixotic adventure is slowly becoming mainstream. According to NewTeeVee estimates, about 500,000 folks cut their basic cable subscription in the third quarter of 2010 alone. Are they all cord cutters? Not sure, but there are many who are. It is common for me to run into folks who tell me that they get their video-fix from Hulu, iTunes, Netflix and a handful of other services.
Whether it is the onslaught of new services (HuluPlus), Netflix embedded in televisions and DVD players, briskly selling $99 AppleTV or growing interest in Roku and Boxee, these days cord cutters are a whole new demographic. Like me, they are foregoing their cable or satellite television subscriptions, and instead opting for broadband-delivered video, which they consume on their own terms, on devices of their own choosing and at a time of their convenience. Last month, NewTeeVee launched a new GigaOM TV video show, called — what else — Cord Cutters (You can follow the show via @cordcutters on Twitter and watch the two episodes we have released thus far).
In a few days, we are going to host our NewTeeVee Live conference, and cord cutting is one of the major themes. To me, it is clear as day that we are at the cusp of another major shift in the world of online video. If the first phase of online video was about user-generated content and enthusiasm for new, fresh voices, the future looks to reinvent the past and old TV. (If you would like to join us at the conference, click here to get those tickets. And also check out the schedule.)
Related GigaOm Pro Content (subscription required):
- Three Reasons Hulu Plus is No Threat to Netflix
- Three Reasons Over-The-Top TV Apps Will Beat Big-Cable
- ESPN Leads the Way Over the Top, But Will Others Follow?
- How Online Video Is Shaping the Next Round of Retrans Fights
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Bethlehem Area School District officials yesterday spotlighted their educational programs for Hispanic students during a meeting with representatives of Allentown schools and two other eastern Pennsylvania districts with large Hispanic populations.
It was the third of four forums recently held by the districts. Forums were held earlier by the Allentown and Reading districts, and one is scheduled for Lancaster.
"These have been good meetings. We've stolen some ideas and, quite frankly, that's the point," district Superintendent Thomas Doluisio said in welcoming about 40 educators to the forum at the Mountaintop Campus of Lehigh University.
Afterward, the group visited Donegan and Marvine elementary schools and Liberty High School.
Thomas K. Gilhool, state education secretary, was invited but did not attend the morning forum because of a schedule conflict. He attended an hourlong luncheon with the educators and expressed support for bilingual programs, before leaving for a public hearing in Allentown on programs for helping at-risk students.
The forum in Bethlehem had been rescheduled from an earlier date because Gilhool could not attend at that time.
"Sure I'm disappointed he wasn't here for the whole program (yesterday), but he is a busy man and I'm just glad he could make it at all," Doluisio said.
Lillian Escobar-Haskins, a member of the governor's commission on Latino Affairs, said she was impressed by what she heard about Bethlehem's bilingual programs.
"A lot of them can serve as models," she said. "What I liked most is the way a lot of these programs involve Latinos who live in the community."
Bethlehem school officials stressed throughout the three-hour forum that their educational programs seek to build self-esteem and foster positive attitudes among Hispanic students, who make up 16 percent of the district's total enrollment.
Marie Proctor, principal of Donegan, located on the city's ethnically diverse South Side, called Donegan the "caring and sharing school," one with frequent cultural programs for its 510 students and homemade hallway banners that carry inspirational slogans.
Iris Cintron, coordinator of minority education, said a program for students in kindergarten through second grade, called Summer Advantages in Bilingual Education, uses non-traditional approaches such as visits to the local fire department to help students improve English language skills.
In addition, tutors in a "communication resource and enrollment center" help students who speak limited English with their school work, she said.
Other officials said parents are being given a bigger role in the educational process in Bethlehem.
A study group, for example, seeks to improve parenting skills, said Imelda Banuelos, a school psychologist. Another group, Puerto Rican Parents Pro Education, has sponsored career-awareness nights and other events, said Carlos Lopez, supervisor of curriculum and instruction at Northeast Middle School.
the community has been active in promoting education, according to some speakers. Luis Castro-Ortiz, president of the Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations of the Lehigh Valley, said his non-profit group has been helping the district battle its problem with school dropouts.
Another council official, Sergia Montz, said the agency would continue to help the district in other ways, including its sponsorship of an annual "human relations award" given to a deserving student.
"We want to see students develop in education," she said, "but we also want to see them develop character and the ability to get along with each other."
Jose Rosado, a Liberty High School counselor, said a 2-year-old peer counseling program at Liberty and Freedom high schools has helped improve classroom attendance and drop the number of students referred for disciplinary action.
The peer counseling program found an admirer in Dr. Roger A. Place, superintendent of the Lancaster School District.
"It's something we'll explore," he said.
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"Little and Great, Noble in Spirit as a King, Simple and Natural as a Peasant"
LOS ANGELES, 4 OCT. 2011 (ZENIT)
Here is a translation of an address given last Monday in Los Angeles by Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, at a meeting with priests of the archdiocese.
* * *
Very dear Priests:
A few decades ago, American writer Dorothy Thompson published in a magazine article the results of careful research on the ill-famed concentration camp of Dachau.
A key question addressed to the survivors was the following: "In the midst of the Dachau hell, who remained for the longest time in a balanced condition? Who kept his sense of identity for the longest time?" The answer in unison, was always the same: "the Catholic priests." Yes, the Catholic priests! They were able to keep their balance in the midst of so much madness, because they were conscious of their vocation. They had their hierarchy of values. Their dedication to their ideal was total. They were conscious of their specific mission and of the profound reasons that sustained it.
In the midst of the earthly hell, they gave their testimony: that of Jesus Christ!
We live in an unstable world. There is instability in the family, in the world of work, in the various social and professional associations, in schools and in institutions.
The priest must be, however, constitutionally a model of stability and maturity, of full dedication to his apostolate.
Along the uneasy path of society, a question often comes to a Christian's mind: "Who is the priest in today's world? Is he a Martian? Is he a stranger? Is he a fossil? Who is he?"
Secularization, gnosticism, atheism, in their various forms, are increasingly reducing the space of the sacred, they are sucking the blood from the contents of the Christian message.
The men of technology and well-being, the people characterized by the fever of pretense, experience extreme spiritual poverty. They are victims of a serious existential anxiety and manifest themselves incapable of resolving the underlying problems of their spiritual, family and social life.
If we wished to question the most widespread culture, we would realize that it is dominated and impregnated by systematic doubt and a suspicion of everything that refers to faith, reason, religion and natural law.
"God is a useless hypothesis and I am perfectly sure that he does not interest me," wrote Camus.
In the best of hypotheses, a dense silence falls on God, but often one comes to an affirmation of the incurable conflict of two existences destined to eliminate one another: either God or man.
If afterward we were to look at the whole of the picture of moral behavior, we would not fail to see the confusion, disorder and anarchy that reigns in this field.
Man makes himself the creator of good and evil.
He concentrates his attention egoistically on himself.
He substitutes the moral norm with his own desire and pursuit of his own interest.
In this context, the life and ministry of the priest acquire decisive importance and urgent validity. Better still — allow me to say it — the more marginalized he is, the more important he is, the more he is regarded as outdated the more he is timely.
The priest must proclaim to the world the eternal message of Christ, in his poverty and radicalism; he must not reduce the message but, instead, comfort people; he must give society — anesthetized by the message of some hidden directors, holders of the powers that count — the liberating strength of Christ.
Everyone feels the need of reform in the social, economic and political field; everyone desires that, in labor union struggles and the economic realm, the centrality of man be reaffirmed and observed as well as the pursuit of objectives of justice, solidarity, and convergence toward the common good.
All this will be only a wish if the heart of man is not changed, of so many men, who for their part will renew society.
Look, the Church's real field of battle is the secret landscape of man's spirit, and one doesn't enter it without much tact, much compunction, in addition to counting on the grace of state promised by the sacrament of holy orders.
It is right that the priest insert himself in the ordinary life of men, but he must not yield to the conformisms and compromises of society.
Healthy doctrine, but also historical documentation show us that the Church is able to resist every attack, all the assaults that political, economic and cultural powers can unleash against her, but she cannot resist the danger that comes from forgetting this word of Jesus: "You are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world." Jesus himself indicates the consequence of this forgetfulness: "But if the salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored?" (cf. Matthew 5:13-14).
Of what use would be a priest so like the world that he becomes an imitation priest and not transforming leaven?
In the face of a world anemic of prayer and adoration, the priest is, in the first place, the man of prayer, of adoration, of worship, of the celebration of the Holy Mysteries.
In the face of a world submerged in consumer, pansexual messages, attacked by error, presented in the most seductive aspects, the priest must speak of God and of eternal realities and, to be able to do so with credibility, he must be a passionate believer, as well as "clean!"
The priest must accept the impression of being in the midst of people as one who starts from a logic and speaks a language that is different from that of others: "do not conform yourselves to the mentality of this world," (Romans 12:12). He is not like "others." What people expect from him is, in fact, that he not be "like others."
In the face of a world submerged in violence and corroded by egoism, the priest must be the man of charity. From the most pure heights of the love of God, which he experiences particularly, he descends to the valley, where many live a life of loneliness, of lack of communication, of violence, to proclaim to them mercy, reconciliation and hope.
The priest responds to the needs of society by making himself the voice of those without a voice: the little ones, the poor, the elderly, the oppressed, the marginalized.
He does not belong to himself but to others. He does not live for himself and does not look for what is his. He looks for what is Christ's, what is his brothers'. He shares the joys and sorrows of all, without distinctions of age, social category, political membership, religious practice.
He is the guide of that portion of the People of God that has been entrusted to him. He is certainly not the head of an anonymous army, but pastor of a community made up of persons, each of whom has a name, a history, a destiny, a secret.
The priest has the difficult but eminent task of guiding these people with the greatest religious care and with scrupulous respect of their human dignity, their work, their rights, with the full awareness, then, that the condition of children of God corresponds in them to an eternal vocation, which is realized in full communion with God.
The priest will not hesitate to give his life, either in a brief but intense period of generous dedication without limits, or in a daily, long donation in the drop-by-drop progression of humble gestures of service to his people, tending always to the defense and formation of human greatness and of the Christian growth of each of the faithful and of the whole of his people.
A priest must be simultaneously little and great, noble in spirit as a king, simple and natural as a peasant. A hero in overcoming himself, sovereign of his desires, a servant of the little ones and weak ones; who is not humbled in face of the powerful, but who bends down to the poor and the little ones, a disciple of his Lord and head of his flock.
No more precious gift can be given to a community than a priest according to the heart of Christ.
The hope of the world consists in being able to count, also for the future, on the love of limpid, strong and merciful, free and meek, generous and faithful priestly hearts.
Friends, if the ideals are lofty, the way difficult, the terrain perhaps less mined, the misunderstandings are many, but we can do all things in him who strengthens us (cf. Philippians 4:13).
The eclipse of the Light of God and of his Love, is not the extinguishing of the Light and Love of God. Already tomorrow, what had interposed itself, darkening the faith, flinging the world into a terrible darkness, can become less dense, and after the long pause, too long, of the eclipse — the sun returns, full and splendid.
Beyond the anxieties and disputes that agitate the world, and which also make themselves felt within the Church, in action are secret, hidden forces fruitful in holiness.
Beyond the flow of words and speeches, of programs and plans, of initiatives and organizations, there are holy souls that pray, suffer, expiate adoring the God-with-us.
Among them are children and adults, men and women, young and old people, educated and ignorant souls, sick and healthy, and there are also so many priests, who not only are dispensers of the Mysteries of Christ, but in the present-day Babel are sure signs of reference and hope, for those who seek plenitude, meaning, the end, happiness.
Let us stay united, dear friends, in the Cenacle of the Church, around Mary our Mother, with Peter and the Apostles, submerged in the Communion of Saints, so that we can also be, truly, signs of reference and hope for all.
It is my wish, which I convert into a prayer for all of you who are here present and for all your Brothers, who are not here now. Henceforth I will always have you with me.
[Translation by ZENIT]
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B. Muralidhar Reddy
The demand for truce is a bogey raised every time the LTTE is militarily weakened, says Sri Lanka’s Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda.
Douglas Devananda, Social Welfare Minister in the Mahinda Rajapaksa government and leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), has clear views on the current military and political situation in Sri Lanka and the humanitarian crisis triggered by the ongoing war between the Sri Lankan Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Here are excerpts from an interview he gave The Hindu..
What is your assessment of the current military situation and what is the significance of the capture of Ponneryn by the forces?
Thanks to the relentless offensive by the military and the determined leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Tigers are cornered like never before. Since the current phase of the war in July 2006, the LTTE has lost control of the east and a substantial territory in the north. Its supply lines have dried up and the organisation has its back to the wall. The LTTE is designated as a terrorist outfit in 30 countries, including India, and is woefully short of manpower and ammunition. People have deserted the Tigers and are desperate to get out of the captivity of Prabakaran. It is no longer a question of if, but when, Kilinochchi, the so-called administrative headquarters of the Tigers, would fall into the lap of the military. At the moment, the Tiger cadres are confined to the thick jungles of Mullaithivu and leaders like Prabakaran are operating from deeply dug bunkers.
Against this backdrop, the fall of Ponneryn is very significant. It is the last important strategic sea base of the Tigers on the western coast of the Indian Ocean. With the control over Ponneryn for the first time in two decades, a land route to the Jaffna peninsula has opened up. Till now it was accessible only by sea after the military shut down the A9 highway in August 2006 on grounds of security as it runs through areas under the occupation of the LTTE. The gain of Ponneryn, a strategic land that runs parallel to the neck of the northern Jaffna Peninsula across a narrow lagoon, will enable the military to strike at Kilinochchi from three sides. Besides, the sea supply routes of the LTTE from Tamil Nadu would be sealed. Such is the importance attached by the LTTE to Ponneryn that when Madam Chandrika initiated talks in the 1990s, one of the main preconditions put by the Tigers was that the military should move away from Ponneryn. The LTTE walked out of the talks when she sought a time-frame for the withdrawal of forces. What has happened? Ever since, there has only been destruction and the victims are ordinary citizens of the Jaffna peninsula. The people of the peninsula would now have the benefit of a land-link to the rest of the island and the fisherfolk could freely pursue their chores.
There are concerns in India about the humanitarian crisis triggered by the war and it was reflected in the recent resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly seeking a ceasefire. How do you view it?
The humanitarian crisis and a ceasefire are two separate aspects. The concern about the plight of innocent citizens caught in the war zone is legitimate and we understand it. As a representative of the people of the north in Parliament I share their anguish. At the same time, let me hasten to add that there is a huge communication gap about the ground situation in the north of Sri Lanka in Tamil Nadu. Pro-LTTE elements have been engaged in propaganda that there is genocide of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. It is totally baseless. There is no genocide here. Yes, before the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka agreement the situation was different. Today only about 250,000 people are living in the areas under Prabakaran’s control and that too because they are forcibly kept as a human shield. It is a fact that 54 per cent of the Tamils in Sri Lanka live outside the north and the east. There is little doubt that the citizens of the north are faced with enormous hardships due to the conflict, but the real question is who is responsible for the situation. It is instructive to remember that it was the LTTE that started the current war. So many opportunities in the quest for a solution to the ethnic conflict were lost only because the LTTE was never interested in a negotiated settlement. The 1987 Indo-Lanka accord was a golden opportunity lost because of the attitude of the LTTE.
As for the demand for ceasefire, it is a bogey raised every time the LTTE is militarily weakened. The record is there for anyone to see. The LTTE has cynically used ceasefire and talks to strengthen itself militarily — to rest, rearm and recommence fighting. In my speech on the floor of Parliament on November 17, I asserted that till Prabakaran is alive he won’t allow anyone to solve this problem. According to him, every Sri Lankan President who tried to solve this issue starting from Premadasa to President Rajapaksa is wrong. Then who is correct? Prabakaran’s real problem is that he cannot survive in a democratic environment. He needs a piece of dreamland called Eelam that he can rule as a dictator. The truth is that after the Indo-Sri Lanka agreement, every leader in office has attempted to solve this issue. What was the approach of the LTTE to these efforts? It walked out of talks every single time on some excuse or the other. Three decades of war and destruction have brought nothing but misery to the people of Sri Lanka in general and Tamils in particular. We have to put an end to the politics of militancy and move towards a negotiated political settlement. The LTTE is part of the problem and not a solution and hence dealt with squarely. Ceasefire with the LTTE, as history shows, should not be mistaken for peace. It is postponement of war and prolongation of the sufferings of innocent citizens. President Rajapaksa makes a distinction between the LTTE and the Tamil people, concedes the need for a genuine political solution to address the legitimate grievances of minorities.
There are concerns in some quarters that the Rajapaksa government’s emphasis is on military victories and little has been done to move towards a political solution.
It would be unfair to suggest that the government has not moved at all on the political front. One might have differences over the pace of movement but there is certainly progress. Even as he attempted to engage the LTTE at the negotiating table within months of taking over as President in November 2005, Mr. Rajapaksa constituted an All Parties Representative Committee (APRC) to advise him on building consensus for a political solution. I realise the APRC is not a fully representative body with the mainstream opposition parties subsequently disassociating themselves from it. However, it is on the recommendations of the interim report of the APRC that the government held an election in the Eastern province and the people elected their leaders. Questions have also been raised on the fairness of the election and it is normal as in any democratic process. What is important is that we start wherever possible. Had President Rajapaksa also waited, nothing could have taken place. He has set up a Task Force for the Northern Province to look at development. I believe that this process will end with a political solution on the table. India is supportive of the approach.
The Rajapaksa government is committed to a full and faithful implementation of the 13th Amendment on devolution of powers to the provinces. In fact, my party has put forward a pragmatic proposal for the resolution of the ethnic question in three stages. Stage one involves the implementation of the 13th Amendment. It is already part of the Constitution and does not require parliamentary sanction. India is in favour of its implementation. We can take that as a good start. At the second stage, we can add whatever possible powers to the provinces. At the third stage, we need to mobilise the Sinhalese and the Tamil people on the larger issues of constitutional changes. We have to convince the people that with greater devolution of power the communities can come closer.
Talking of the east, recent weeks have seen an upsurge of violence. At least 20 persons, mostly cadres of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikkal (TVMP), have been killed by unidentified persons. Do you think the province is slipping back to disorder?
Yes, it is a very sad and ugly situation. But I do not think it is sliding back to the situation that prevailed before the LTTE was ousted from the province. I think the tensions in the east have more to do with the differences among individual leaders. I do not want to comment on the internal affairs of another party.
At the same time, we should be concerned about the developments and correct the situation. People who have elected the leaders expect them to rise above partisan considerations and address their issues of day to day lives. All I can say is that the President is aware of the situation in the east and hopefully the irritants would be sorted out sooner than later. There is also legitimate expectation on the part of the Eastern province, like other provinces in the island nation, for greater devolution of powers particularly pertaining to the police and land development. It is not a major issue and can be done.
In a recent interview to The Hindu Mr. Rajapaksa talked of his four D’s approach — de-militarisation, democratisation, development and devolution in that order. How do you look at it?
I have been in regular touch with the President. There is no rigidity in the four D’s approach. It is true that the immediate concern is to neutralise the military threat posed by the LTTE, but that does not mean political issues would be relegated to the background. I personally believe, and in my conversations the President has concurred with me, on the need for a simultaneous progress on the fight against the LTTE and the move towards political solution.
6 months ago
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No, this is not really about music “history”. Even if I wanted to write about the actual history of music I would be lost in a sea of my own ignorance. Instead, I am writing this as tribute to the incredible moments of great songs. The moments that you get awed by the awesomeness of it all, and you either enter a frenzied dance session or a jaw-dropped hypnosis. The part of a song that defines it, maybe defines the band, and maybe even defines a genre or a time. These are the things that stay with you, and I have always wanted to share them. These are the particular parts, the fragments of a song that have solidified a spot in my mind as some of the greatest moments in music history. So without further ado, here are my new entries…
I DON’T BELIEVE IN BEATLES (AT 2:30)
Beatlemania received its final nail in the coffin with John Lennon’s God. Although John showed his disapproval of idol worship for some of the most memorable figures in history (Jesus, Buddha, JFK, and Hitler), the most shocking moment was when he uttered the words “I don’t believe in Beatles“. And John knew damn well this would rock his listeners, as he saved this line for last, and dropped the piano and drums abruptly after singing it to add to the dramatic effect. It was a sad statement to swallow for Beatles fans. However, as John knew, if he truly believed in the harms of idol worship, he would have to first take himself of the pedestal.
HOMOPHOBICS AIN’T ALRIGHT (AT 1:41)
Photo credit – Terry Richardson http://www.terrysdiary.com
Thirteen years before Frank Ocean’s quasi-reveal of his sexuality, three hip hop heroes would do their best to promote acceptance of the homosexual community. In 1999 Slim Shady dominated the rap charts, and his anti-gay lyrics would still have to wait two more years before being counter-balanced with an Elton John duet. In the machismo world of late-nineties’ hip hop, homosexuality was a far cry from being acceptable material. That is until our three favourite fuzzy-customed crusaders came out with Alive. Alive was a new track released to promote the Beastie Boys’ anthology album, and alongside a killer beat and awesome video, it came with some thoughtful lyrics. At about the 1:35 Ad Rock dropped his memorable rhymes:
Now who in the world do you want to fight?
It’s against the system, we should unite.
Homophobics ain’t alright.
If you learn to love then you might love life.
What other rappers do you know have the balls to rap that way? Good on ya, boys.
A VOCAL TOUR DE FORCE (AT 0:17)
Cobain and the crew sought a more natural, more abrasive sound when they went into the studio for In Utero. With the help of Albini, what they created was exactly that. Corrosive and healing, aggressive and shy, In Utero was a triumphant success of the furious will of Cobain. His stubborn refusal to be polished and mainstream allowed for some of the most memorable moments in grunge music to reveal themselves. All other Nirvana tracks may have proved that Cobain had to pipes to belt out his lyrics, but Tourette’s proved that he had to pipes to be down right demonically possessed. Cobain holds nothing back in what is by far one of the most impressive feats of tracheal fortitude ever recorded. Nirvana had never sounded this raw.
PHEW! (AT 2:34)
I relate very much with Thom Yorke’s occasional feelings of misanthropy. In his lyrics, and in his interviews, you can sense an overwhelming discomfort and dislike towards the ever-apparent undesirable characteristics of our fellow people. Dealing with my own bouts of agoraphobia, and general critical nature, I understand that this “outside looking in” state of mind can be eye-opening, but also very self-involved and unhealthy. Karma Police, to me, has always been about misanthropy gone too far, wherein we wish the world would have vengeance against the wrongs we perceive in others. And in my mind, the line “Phew, for a minute there I lost myself“, is a glimpse at the moment Thom believes he has become too angry, too vengeful, and is shocked by what he sees in the mirror. I always imagined it as a window into one man’s realization of his own troubled mind. It feels incredibly honest, deeply personal, and undeniably troubling. Whether you agree with this interpretation or not, I think we can all agree on the line’s power.
CRYSTALLINE GUITAR (AT 0:40)
Sunday Bloody Sunday may have fixed Larry Mullen Jr’s place as one of the best drummers out there, but I believe it was Where the Streets Have No Name that proved The Edge’s mastery to the world. Recording samples of music on his four-track recorder, The Edge wanted to create “the ultimate U2 live song”, something that fans would love to hear at a show. What he came up with he would describe as “the most amazing guitar part and song of [his] life”. I couldn’t agree more. Although the song was an admitted headache to compose, took half of the studio session for the album to create, and came damn close to being erased in anger by producer Brian Eno, what was pieced together was arguably the most beautiful song in modern music history. Adam Clayton’s bass is fast and focused and Bono’s singing is inspired, but it is The Edge’s perfection of his signature guitar sound that made this classic song soar.
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I've been doing a lot of personal research into French PACS (civil unions) this past week, and it's gotten me to wonder about what exactly is going to happen to Californian domestic partners. California created its domestic partnership registry in 1999 and expanded the rights in 2005 to include almost everything marriage gets. But will those relationships change as a result of their supreme court's ruling?
Here's what the California Secretary of State's website says:
The California Supreme Court decision issued on May 15, 2008, regarding same-sex marriages did not invalidate or change any of the Family Code statutes relating to registered domestic partners. Until a Notice of Termination is filed with our office, a registered domestic partnership will remain active on the California's Domestic Partnership Registry. This office will continue to process Declarations of Domestic Partnership, Notices of Termination of Domestic Partnership and other related filings as permitted by the domestic partnership law. If you have specific questions about how the Supreme Court's decision may apply to your circumstances, you should consult with a private attorney.
That's good, but it still leaves many unanswered questions.
In France, same-sex and opposite-sex couples can enter a PACS, a relationship registry with many, but not all, of the rights of marriage. Inheritance and adoption rights are limited, but a PACS is easier to enter into and exit than a marriage. Also, French statutory law decides how property is owned in a marriage and divided after divorce, but a PACS requires the happy couple to write up their own agreement as to what will happen to property in the relationship and if it's dissolved.
In other words, a PACS is a useful way for many couples who aren't ready or able to marry to obtain some of the rights necessary to protect their relationship. If marriage ever gets opened up to same-sex couples here (lots of people have their doubts about that one, as France has started its own conservative back-swing), that would create a flexible, modern, and equal system of recognizing relationships in this country.
And the need is here - Le Monde reported last year that only 7% of people who get a PACS are same-sex couples, while the number of couples getting married here hasn't decreased in the seven years since the PACS was created. In other words, there were and are many heterosexual couples who don't want to get married, with all that entails, and would rather get a civil union. Something tells me that if same-sex couples had the option to choose from either, there would be many couples in either relationship, just like straight couples.
(It's also worth noting that even couples who don't get a PACS or a marriage are still entitled to "concubinage" rights, either through proof that they lived together and depended on one another or by getting a statement to that effect notarized. Rights are limited and relate to inheritance, taxation, and housing.)
That's why I'm interested in what's happening in California regarding domestic partnerships. Here a state that has created a two-tiered system (for a multi-tiered population), in a country where most people can only enter one type of relationship. If the initiative to ban same-sex marriage fails in November, the Secretary of State has indicated that domestic partnerships will continue there.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, this means that a couple can be both married and DP'ed at the same time:
The office of state Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, who sponsored the state's domestic-partnership legislation, has been flooded in the past week with calls from couples wondering if they would have to dissolve the union - which literally means going through divorce court - in order to marry.
Migden and Secretary of State Debra Bowen contacted the Legislative Counsel of California and were told dissolving a domestic partnership would not be necessary. A written opinion is expected to follow next week, Migden said.
"This is kind of the pleasant aftermath of a historic ruling," Migden said.
Until November, it's probably a good idea for married, same-sex couples in California to keep their domestic partnerships as well. What would happen, though, if a couple wanted to dissolve one and not the other (both require a couple to go to divorce court)? I'm waiting for the first case on that one.
Currently, though, same-sex couples in California have two options instead of one, even though they're pretty much the same thing, since domestic partnerships are only open to same-sex couples and elderly heterosexual couples who might see diminished Social Security benefits if they marry. And while marriage and domestic partnerships are pretty much the same thing in California, DP's do have a benefit:
It is easier to get a domestic partnership than it is to get married in California.
From NCLR: "In order to enter into a marriage, a couple must obtain a marriage license and 'solemnize' it - this requires having a ceremony with one to two official witnesses. Couples can enter a domestic partnership by filling out and mailing in a form, the notarized Declaration of Domestic Partnership. They do not need to obtain a license, have witnesses, or 'solemnize' the partnership with a ceremony."
And as someone who's particularly disdainful of ceremonies (my mother said I was the saddest student at my college graduation ceremony, and I said, yeah, I just had to sit through two hours of speeches after standing around for two hours waiting, followed by hours of small-talk, all in the heat. It put me in a bad mood all day), I wouldn't discount that benefit.
More importantly, though, there are many different relationships that people are engaging in right now and I hope that California decides to do something creative with their domestic partnership registry instead of eliminating it or rolling it into the marriage column, should Proposition 8 lose this November. There are many types of family relationships that need to be recognized, and one-size-fits-all marriage doesn't work for everyone, and France's two-tiered system for heterosexuals is proof of that.
The other, probably even more important question is whether businesses that offered domestic partnership benefits in the past will continue to do so in the future. A law.com article about just that quotes a Pacific Gas & Electric Co. representative who said that "the company is reviewing its policies." (Thanks to Ricci for emailing me that article.)
That difference doesn't apply to France, which has a wonderful single-payer health care system and a complete state-sponsored retirement program. But I'll hopefully have more information on how private businesses will treat domestic partnerships in coming days.
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By Michael Billington for The Guardian
What strikes one most about this Harlem musical by Langston Hughes and David Martin is its guileless innocence. Although set in 1957, when Governor Faubus of Arkansas sent in state troops to deny black children admission to Little Rock High School, the only reference to national events comes in a newspaper headline. For the most part, the inhabitants of Paddy's Bar are content to sing their troubles away.
You could excuse Hughes's detachment from current events in that he based the show on a 1953 collection of stories about his popular black hero, Jesse B Semple, a comic Everyman who suffers the daily frustrations of his race. But the emphasis, in a show clearly designed for Broadway, is less on Jesse's sudden sacking from an industrial plant than on his emotional problems. Yearning for a divorce from his estranged wife, he longs to marry the good-hearted, church-going Joyce. The problem is that he is constantly drawn to Harlem's Paddy's Bar where he is ceaselessly vamped by the fun-loving Zarita. click for more
****************************************** Simply irresistible
Charles Spencer in Th Daily Telegraph reviews Simply Heaven at the Young Vic.
Occasionally you run into people who announce, rather smugly, that they don't like musicals. For them, tune-and-toe shows represent everything that is vulgar, sentimental and brashly profit-driven in theatre. There's not much you can do for such deluded saps, but I've always thought that saying you don't like musicals is a bit like saying that you don't like sunshine, or love, or laughter. Indeed, my addiction to the genre is now so chronic that I even take a perverse pleasure in the flops as well as hits.
Make no mistake, though - Simply Heavenly is a terrific show, flawed certainly and a bit verbose but receiving a production at the Young Vic that sends you out into the night floating euphorically on cloud nine. click for more
<small>[ 29 March 2003, 04:28 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>
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On 18 Aug 10, The Providence Journal reported that St Nicholas Church, a small Greek Orthodox Church which was destroyed as a result of the World Trade Center terrorist attack, is still waiting for action by the Port Authority so that they might begin to rebuild. The report related that some Greek Orthodox Christians are confused why the church, which pre-dates the World Trade Center, is in bureaucratic limbo while so much attention is being paid to a a Muslim group seeking to build an 11-story mosque a couple of blocks from ground zero.
The report related a lack of communication between the church and the Port Authority. The Port Authority painted the church as being overly demanding by wanting to review plans for a Vehicle Security Center to be built under the church site. The church, on the other hand, contends it has done everything asked by the Port Authority and does not understand why previous commitments by the Port Authority are apparently off the table.
A 17 Aug 10 FOX News report related that, “While the mosque project cleared red tape earlier this month, negotiations between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the church stalled last year -- and will not be revived, according to government officials.”
The FOX News report quoted Father Alex Karloutsos, assistant to the archbishop, as saying, “We have people that are saying, why isn't our church being rebuilt and why is there ... such concern for people of the mosque?"
According to an 18 Aug 10, New York Times article, it is now seven years since the parish has had a place to gather. The article noted that “on the day in the liturgical calendar that honors the namesake of their church,” the parish “worshiped in a white tent pitched on the south edge of ground zero.” The report stated, “Emphasizing the commitment of government to help rebuild St. Nicholas, the ceremony was attended by Deputy Mayor Edward Skyler and Anthony E. Shorris, the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.”
The article also quoted Archbishop Demetrios, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, as saying, “May we be deemed worthy soon to celebrate not under a tent but in the new church of St. Nicholas.”
The report related that the church presented an Eric O’Connell photograph of the final moments of the church on 9/11, which also displayed the twin towers burning in the background, to the Tribute WTC Visitor Center. The article quoted Lee Ielpi, a visitor center founder who accepted the print, as saying “It says something in the background of what hatred can do, but it says something in the foreground of what love and faith can do,”
(In all that may confuse us, in all that may lead us astray, Jesus gave us a means to recognize false prophets among us. He told his disciples, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Those who preach hate, those who preach a culture of death, reveal themselves for what they are. -- Prayer Soldier)
Cited Articles and Posts
The Providence Journal (18 Aug 10)
New York Times (18 Aug 10)
FOX News (17 Aug 10)
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Dump NSW dams plan: Greens
- From: AAP
- February 14, 2013
PREMIER Barry O'Farrell must persuade his federal coalition colleagues to dump plans to build more dams in the state, the NSW Greens say.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott reportedly is considering building up to 100 dams across the country as part of a plan to prevent floods, fuel power stations and irrigate food bowls.
The idea, outlined in a leaked draft policy discussion paper, includes a $500 million plan to raise Warragamba Dam in Sydney and flags new dams for the Hunter Valley and along the Lachlan River, News Limited reports.
Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt says while there are no direct proposals for the dams, forward thinking was important.
But Greens MP John Kaye says additional dams in NSW are unnecessary.
"NSW has already been through this debate in the Hunter with Tillegra Dam and the Tweed with the Byrrill Creek project," he said in a statement on Thursday.
Dr Kaye said both those dams were found to be unnecessary after being tested in environmental assessments.
"Putting those projects back on the agenda will damage local economies, plunge communities back into uncertainty and waster another four years," he said.
Dr Kaye said the state government had promised to take the Tillegra dam off the agenda, but the coalition's federal colleagues were undermining the Lower Hunter Water Planning process with its new plan to build more dams.
"This is a test for the Premier. He must persuade the federal opposition to abandon any plans for a Tillegra Dam or face the electoral consequences, he said.
HOMEOWNERS will be the winners after BankSA ignited a discount war on fixed rate mortgages, which are already at all time low levels.
SPRING Gully Foods will hire more people and move to a two-shift operation for the first time to meet increased public demand for its products.
SA WATER executives spent more than $365,000 in 12 months on credit card expenses.
AN exhibition of works by one of Britain's greatest artists has broken the Art Gallery of South Australia's attendance record for paid exhibitions staged in the past 25 years.
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Wolraich: Obama at the Gates of... Gates
Dr. C: In Praise of Writing Binges
Maiello: Gatsby Doesn't Grate
By Garry Wills, New York Review of Books Blog, June 9, 2012
[....] hasn’t the plutocracy already won?
Not yet. There is help racing up over the horizon. The US Census for the year ending in July 2011, showed that white births in America were for the first time a minority compared to those of “minorities” (blacks, Hispanics, Asians). The state legislators seated by the 2010 elections have been fighting this drift with draconian immigration measures and new voter ID laws aimed at blacks and Hispanics, the young and the elderly. This slashing of the voter rolls may give them the edge of victory in 2012. But time is not on their side. It will get harder and harder to disqualify a growing majority of voters from non-plutocratic ranks.
That is why this election matters so much. It can give the plutocrats a seal on their accomplishments. New appointees to the Supreme Court can support drastic reduction of labor rights, voting rights, citizen rights. Further protections for corporate and lobbying power can be fixed by national and state legislators in laws difficult to undo or dislodge. The whole corporate superstructure of our economy can be made “too big to fail,” beyond retrospective regrets or futile tinkering. Finally, the plutocrats given power in 2012 can use their great ally, war or the threat of war [....]
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Decorative Stamp Overlaying is a process where we mix sand, cement, and polymers to create a material used to cover up old, cracked, or settling concrete.It may also be used to cover old countertops, wood, or Vinyl floors. It is very common to use this product on Patios, Driveways, and Roof Decks. ( A flat roof over living areas) When applied correctly this product is water proof and crack proof.
The material is usually applied with a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Overlays can be stamped with any pattern a customer desires, it can be colored with dyes, Acid Stains or applied with an intragal color. There are many Other methods of finishing this product such as a broom finish, hard polish, or you could add rock to the mix and after it is fully cured, grind and polish it to a terrazzo finish.
Tired of that old Carpet? Tear it out and put and overlay in its place. No engineering required.
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War Is Too Important To Be Left to the Politicians . . . No I Mean the Generals
Posted by Michael Cohen
Here's Max three days ago, channeling his inner General Jack D. Ripper, disparaging the Obama Administration for floating the idea of a more rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan and more important, ignoring the generals on the ground in Afghanistan:
The view of our veteran representatives in Kabul–General John Allen and Ambassador Ryan Crocker–is rather different. They have made clear they need to keep at least 68,000 troops in Afghanistan . . What do their views matter? They’re only the men on the front lines having to cope with a potent insurgency that threatens American interests. The White House has its own calculations which, one suspects, are guided less by the imperatives on the ground and more by the imperative to tell the voters prior to the November election that this president ended one war in Iraq and is ending another in Afghanistan.
Shorter Max Boot: War is too important to be left to the politicians.
Here's Max Boot today channeling his inner Clemenceau on Syria:
It’s easy to tell when the Pentagon is opposed to a military intervention. That’s when we hear leaks saying how difficult such action would be. We heard them in the 1990s concerning Bosnia and Kosovo, we heard them last year over Libya, and we are hearing them now about Syria.
. . . Washington could assemble a coalition of the willing as President Bill Clinton did for Kosovo. But that will happen only if the Obama administration decides that action is called for and does not allow itself to be paralyzed by the Pentagon’s reluctance to intervene.
Shorter Max Boot: War is too important to be left to the generals.
In an ideal world this rather blatant and stunning inconsistency might actually invalidate the arguments of the author. Ha!
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A great kid came by the house yesterday, to sell me these fantastic books that will help put my kids at an advantage when they are doing homework, or just interested in learning something new.
These are really a great bargain when you think of the cost of College texts these days (they were ridiculous twenty years ago. I can only imagine today’s prices). But see, I don’t think about my books in comparison to College texts. I think of Borders going out of Business and stocking up. I think of yard sales and library sales. Some of the best books we’ve found for the kids have been in random places.
The math book that he showed me–books, actually, there are two volumes for math–was excellent. I loved the straight-forward way it laid out the steps for any math function, be it algebraic, simple calculations or geometry. I wanted it. Like, I really wanted this book in my home. It’s awesome, it’s packed with stuff. Perfect for the family with a kid who reads the encyclopedia. For fun.
All the books are supplemented with a website. Free through September (when the kids go back to school, natch) and after that it’s a subscription based site. For just Twenty Bucks.
Twenty bucks? Not bad, that’s what–a buck-sixty a month?
Uh, no–that’s twenty bucks… A. Month. Dude, I don’t pay that much to host my own freaking site. I am not paying it to access yours.
Because, son, $420 is just too rich for my blood. Oh, yes, you did read that right. I’d pay $220 for the math volumes, and then $200 for ten months of subscription site service.
Do I want my kids to have access to information at their fingertips? Yes.
Are they the kinds of learners who do well from multiple presentation approaches? Yes.
Do these books with the subscription website offer just that? Without a doubt.
Daisy and Bubba are both readers and still find that there are certain things you can read all day long, but never understand how it works until you actually do it yourself. So they benefit from approaching math, especially, from various angles (heh, heh…)
So, for my fellow parents in Podunk, and elsewhere, who may not necessarily be able to cough up hundreds of dollars for very cool, information-rich books that I am not denigrating in any way whatsoever beyond their exorbitant price…I have a few workarounds for you:
You can use the FPU library year round (it’s open all summer) as a resident of Podunk. That’s free (well, you probably pay taxes already, but hey, there’s no out-of-pocket).
Even if you’re not a local, check into local colleges in your area. They often offer local residents access to their collections.
If you want a great straight-up mathematics resource to keep in the home, I recommend Math on Call. The hub actually found it at the swap shed at the transfer station, but you can purchase it online. Seriously, click the link and read the reviews of this book–it is invaluable.
The kid selling the books was great–he was smart and personable, and awesome in general, with me and with my kids. But I can’t see my way clear to paying that kind of money for brand new books when $20 bucks covers my mathematics needs with Math on Call, there’s a University Library in town, and on-line resource at Kahn Academy both of which don’t cost me
over $200 a year ANYTHING.
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By Beverli Jinn
Twenty-five years seems like a long time. If it’s your age, of course, it is a long time. It’s your whole life, for God’s sake! If it’s your anniversary, it may seem even longer.
For almost all of those who attended the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Dana Point Historical Society, it probably didn’t seem all that long. Melvin Pierce, for example, has lived in South Orange County since 1930. His dad worked for developer Sidney Woodruff.
There was no Hide Trail in 1930, no drogher statue. That didn’t come until 1990.
The real droghers were the sailors of the brig Pilgrim and others like them who, with R.H. Dana, climbed the steep cliffs overlooking the sea and hurled dried hides to the rocks below. It was 1835; 95 years before Mel Pierce and his family arrived, 170 years before there was a Dana Point Historical Society.
So there we were in 2012, mostly the same people who always support city events, watching the sun disappear on the other side of the Headlands as we sipped our cocktails and marveled, as human beings are prone to do, at how the years had slipped by. Certainly we all understood that the sun had not actually gone anywhere. If we’d chosen to do so, we could have walked or driven to the Headlands and reassured ourselves that the sun was still in place. We could have watched it seem to drop into the sea, all the time knowing that it was not the sun but we who were hurtling through space.
In a nano second of universal time, we would be gone; the Hide Trail might be at the bottom of the sea; Dana Point itself might be in Riverside, the Town Center still unrealized.
Had we been able to time travel to 1835, of course, there would have been the same sun and the same cliffs and maybe an occasional drogher, but no wooden bridge or rock-lined paths descending to the beach, no railings or safety warnings, no homes overlooking the jetty-enclosed harbor, no hand-mixed concrete arches of what had been promised to be a luxurious hotel, the Dana Point Inn.
After all, 1835 was not a long time ago. The cliffs and the rocks and the sea that battered those cliffs had not suddenly appeared so that R.H. Dana and ships like the Pilgrim could visit what would someday become Dana Point.
In her book, Home Port for Romance, Doris Walker discusses the history of this area. “At one point in geologic history,” she writes, “the land for miles inland was the bottom of a bay that covered most of Orange County and beyond.”
Homo sapiens probably wouldn’t show up for a million years or so.
It wasn’t until the 14th century that Copernicus and other scientists began to insist that the sun itself was firmly in place and that the Earth and its seven companion planets orbited around it.
So . . . where does all this leave you and me and the folks who attended the 25th anniversary of the Historical Society? For that matter, what does it mean to anyone? Why bother to restore photographs of bean fields or buildings constructed in the 1920s or of the construction of Roosevelt Highway? Why do we need a museum to house the relatively young artifacts of the 20th century? Humankind comes and goes. So what?
Well, I don’t pretend to have an answer to the “so what?” question. I’ve been working on discovering the meaning of life, but thus far the truth has eluded me. This does not, however, rule out the possibility that a 21st century Copernicus will figure it out. Maybe I’m just not listening.
What I am sure of is that change is inevitable. What I am sure of is that the Dana Point Historical Society does much to connect us with the humanity of those changes. What I am sure of is that in some mysterious way the droghers and the Spaniards and the Indians and the many forms of life before them existed and evolved.
Most of them undoubtedly watched the sun set and pondered what it means.
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By Nidhi Khurana:
The lure of lucre has always been there in man. And when it comes to his career, this statement becomes even more valid. As per the Indian mentality, one should either be a sarkari babu or an engineer or a doctor sahib. Or the newer category is manager sahib. There is a mad race to get admissions in IITs and IIMs, like always. These careers seem promising and attractive because of the social acceptance and prestige they enjoy in our society and also because of the package worth lakhs they ensure in ones life.
Over the last few years, there has been a constant discussion on ‘alternative careers available to the youth’, whether in the media or by the intellectual lot in colleges. New careers that are available are numerous- Photography, Journalism, Fashion Designing, Charted Accountancy, Law and so on. However, the road less travelled or the road not taken is that of careers in the development sector. Today, NGOs have emerged as an unconventional option among the youth. But what is so disturbing is that fact that one cannot carve a beautiful niche in the development or social sector.
Well, I don’t know how feasible it is to pursue such a career in life, but the one thing I am always trying to sort out is why the development sector is so unpopular. Why are subjects like social work and sociology a stock of laughter for some?
Probably the answer lies in the fact that subjects like these have nothing lucrative to offer. There are not enough number of opportunities available to social science students without pursuing any professional course or training. And another reason is the lack of awareness among the youth. Youth especially in rural and less urban areas are not even aware about such subjects and the opportunities it has to offer. Yes, one option of course is to take up some job in NGO’s and research organizations. But options like this are the most challenging because jobs in this sector are not even well paid and more importantly because of the social mockery it suffers from. No one likes to be called as jholachaps or chappalchaps wandering in ghettos and shanty places to bring about the change, the change that we all speak of but no one ever does anything to bring it.
Today there is need to recognize that the development sector offers several opportunities, some of which we are unaware of and there is an urgent need to create awareness through social media and other sources. I am ready to work for it, to take such a career to its glorious heights. I am happy to contribute to the empowerment of other people. I want to take the road less travelled. The question is: Are you okay with it? I pose this question before everyone who has ever questioned my pursuit in life.
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Obama still says, in the name of fairness (a term he will never precisely define) and social/economic justice (another term he will never precisely define), the rich (a term that keeps changing) should pay their fair share (but he never seems to get around to specifically defining an amount or percentage). So, when most of the rich legally avoid paying taxes, and/or take their money out of the US, who will pay a fair share? The middle class (who will then be deemed rich)? Come on, Democrats/liberals/progressives (DLPs), specifically answer the questions. Or do y'all even know the meaning of the word specific? (see definition 3) Obama may know, but he'll never admit to it.
Here's a by the way that DLPs may find interesting (but I doubt it). Where will Obama be on January 2, 2013, when all the coming tax increases are finally applicable? Hawaii! Obama's 21 day vacation will cost us taxpayers only $4 million. That's OK, since the tax increases will cover Obama's vacation, but all us taxpayers will be lucky to get any vacation at all.
But that's just my opinion.
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LEDs are changing the world, and this Koncept Z-Bar lamp makes it immediately obvious how useful they can be. The $130 lamp packs 66 tiny LEDs into a neat little row, and that rank of electronic marvels can crank out 100 lumens. That doesn't sound like much—it's less than a quarter of the light you'll get from an everyday light bulb—but that's 100 lumens of light pointed in one specific direction, rather than throwing light in every direction as conventional bulbs do.
Sitting on its heavy base or clamped to your desk, it has a hinged stalk that helps you aim this light source in just the right direction, letting you bend and rotate the fixture so it's pointing exactly where you need it. The lamp's tiny LEDs have a surprisingly long life of 40,000 hours until you need even think about changing them. Neat stuff, and certainly worthy of its I.D. Magazine "Best of Category" award.
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A Parable for Modern times - Midas and Flywheels
Why are so many leaders in politics and business failing to live up to expectations when they take over the reins?
While Obama won a decisive victory over Romney, it was seen to be a very close race right till the balloting was over. Obama had come in with great expectations after the much tainted Bush era lasting two terms. However, he failed to fix the economy thus raising Republican hopes boosted by an ambivalent mood among the electorate. Was it fair to expect Obama to turn around the world's largest economy in four years?
Let us look at his inheritance; a broken economy, US moral and political authority in question post Iraq war and a rising China challenging the economic and political supremacy of the United States of America.
Could he have changed the fortunes of the American people in four years during his presidency as most Americans and the world put their faith in him?
Did Vikram Pandit fail to turn around the behemoth Citigroup when he took over from Chuck Prince? Prince's legacy was indeed toxic; Prince said in a statement that given the size of losses - between $8 billion and $10 billion - retiring was the only honourable thing for him to do. Analysts view was that Citi had taken strong positions in risky securities and had pushed profit growth very hard that made them highly vulnerable to risks.
But many investors worried that the losses were even bigger than they appeared. Can behemoth corporations be turned around in a couple of years - well even in 4-5 years?
More recently, Stephen Hester was forced into giving up his bonus in view of the colossal losses suffered by the bank and the government bailout. From 2000 to 2008, Fred Goodwin presided over RBS's spectacular rise to becoming the world's largest company by assets - £1.9 trillion and it's even more infamous decline as it was forced to nationalize in 2008. RBS announced a loss of £24.1 billion, the largest annual loss in UK corporate history soon after Goodwin retired in 2009.
Did anyone with a modicum of business sense expect Hester to make good those losses in two to three years?
So do CEOs with the Midas touch exist in the real world? If you can think of one, do share with everyone. And remember Midas came to a tragic end - greed finally caught up with him. If you inherit a lemon it will take you a while to set things right. However, if the previous management has already paved the way and primed the company and given it a successful strategic direction, then a new CEO can quickly reap the rewards and take the credit too.
Ford's management failed to adapt to a new environment and was closing down while Jaguar and Land Rover were safe. So when Tata Motors bought these two, they were able to ride a declining market because of new innovations in the pipeline in tune with the fast changing consumer landscape and on account of their presence in the fastest growing car market - China.
Jim Collins in his iconic book Good to Great likens companies to flywheels and says it is the Flywheel Effect that makes companies from good to great. Change does not happen overnight and this is how he describes it happens;
"Now picture a huge, heavy flywheel. It's a massive, metal disk mounted horizontally on an axle. It's about 100 feet in diameter, 10 feet thick, and it weighs about 25 tons. That flywheel is your company. Your job is to get that flywheel to move as fast as possible, because momentum will generate superior economic results over time.
Right now, the flywheel is at a standstill. To get it moving....you push with all of your might, and finally, you get the flywheel to inch forward. After two or three days of sustained effort, you get the flywheel to complete one entire turn. You keep pushing, and the flywheel begins to move a bit faster. It takes a lot of work, but at last the flywheel makes a second rotation. You keep pushing steadily. With each turn, it moves faster, and then -- at some point, you can't say exactly when -- you break through. It spins faster and faster, with its own weight propelling it. You aren't pushing any harder, but the flywheel is accelerating, its momentum building and its speed increasing.
This is the Flywheel Effect. It's what it feels like when you're inside a company that makes the transition from good to great."
It takes time to build a company just as it takes time to destroy a good company built over years. What a CEO inherits decides the momentum the company will gain or lose in the next few years. We need to be patient when inheritances are toxic but must remember that Midas CEOs often ride on the shoulders of previous managers who were pushing the flywheel.
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Kamini Banga's Recent PostsWomen in decision making – changing the debate Branding Politicos A Parable for Modern times - Midas and Flywheels What does 'Made in India' mean to the World And the ‘Best Marketer of the Season’ Award Goes to ...... The S Factor Akhilesh Yadav - a marketer par excellence A Public Hanging Who wants to be a CEO? India's Growth Story - Hungry and Dreaming
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About the Author
Emerging markets - trends and consumer behaviour, your resident London guide on art, music, theatre, whats the buzz -what are the opinion leaders talking about
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Should We Be Creating a New Anti-Bullying Cause of Action
I know, opposing a law that seeks to prevent workplace bullying is like criticizing mom and apple pie. Still. More workplace litigation??? And why isn't the existing cause of action for the intentional infliction of emotional distress a perfectly good alternative for anyone who's truly "severely" damaged by "outrageous" conduct that goes beyond the bounds of human civility?
One of the great benefits of posting on this topic over at Forbes.com is the number of comments it generates. Not because it insures "hits" but because it engages a far larger community in a constructive multilogue on an issue of genuine and important public interest. Here's an excerpt:
According to a post in the Wall Street Journal Law Blog yesterday -- For Businesses, Bully Lawsuits May Pose New Threat -- New York's state Senate has passed a surprisingly bipartisan workplace anti-bullying law.
According to the Journal, the law would "allow workers who've been physically, psychologically or economically abused while on the job to file charges against their employers in civil court."
Economically abused????? The mind boggles.
The bill defines "bullying" broadly as the "repeated use of derogatory remarks, insults and epithets" that the (mythical and chronically overly sensitive) "reasonable person" would "find threatening, intimidating or humiliating."
Let's give this proposal a second thought, particularly in the context of legal practice. We lawyers do endeavor to "keep calm and carry on." We have been known, however, to push ourselves and to be pushed past our tempers' limits. We're human. We're under a lot of pressure. And we're fallible.
Read more here.
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© Our Plot on Green Lane Allotments -
Archive for previous years' diaries dating from 2007 can be accessed by clicking here
We have been full of good intentions for the start of the New Year but the weather has really meant that much of the time we have been confined to indoors dreaming of the things to come and also concentrating on cooking our stored produce rather than growing it. It’s been the month for hearty soups made from stored root vegetables and also delicious desserts made from stored soft fruit.
The month has been very cold and frosty. It’s been a while since our pond froze over
but the weather has been cold enough for this to happen this month. The greenhouse
has also developed ice patterns on the windows which is reminiscent of childhood
The birds have been struggling as the bird baths have kept freezing over in spite of us regularly thawing them with hot water. On one occasion a collared dove landed in the middle of the bird bath where the ice was very thin. As it stamped about with his feet the ice broke in the middle of the water. To start with the bird was standing in the water but trying to get a drink from around the sides of the bird bath where the water was still frozen. Eventually the penny dropped. A flock of sparrows soon noticed that there was water to be had and descended as they did every time we thawed out the ice.
One bird that was not welcome in the garden was the heron that paid us a visit. We still aren’t sure how many fish it had before we spotted it. Some fish refuse to come up from the bottom of the pond and are just shadowy moving forms. They say fish have short memories but it’s a week since the heron’s visit and still the fish are lying low. The pond is now totally netted to prevent a recurrence. Our pond is surrounded by a wall on top of which are large terracotta plant pots which we thought would prevent a heron from accessing the pond. The pond is also very deep. We were told that herons need to be able to walk into a pond and wade from the shallows but we have learned the hard way that this is not the case.
In the garden bulb shoots are continuing to emerge – the snowdrops are pushing up from amongst the carpet of dead magnolia leaves. In tubs and beds daffodil and hyacinth shoots are emerging along with the crocuses (or is it croci?).
We had some fairly sunny days last week, although the weather was still bitterly cold we have managed to carry out a little work on the plot. We made good use of the woolly hats and scarves knitted over Christmas. To keep warm we need plenty of layers which means that I end up looking like a dumpling but vanity has to come a poor second to keeping warm.
One major task has been trying to clear the huge pile of debris which accumulated as a result of the severe ‘pruning’ of the overgrown laurel that was threatening to take over part of the plot. We sorted through the cut down branches to retrieve any timber that can be used for pea sticks or other supports. Hopefully this will cut down on the number of bamboo canes that we use. The leaves and small twigs which are of little use will be left to provide homes and foraging areas for visiting birds, hedgehogs, frogs, toads and invertebrates. We have a couple of hazel bushes that have now produced some very stout branches. The intention is to cut out some of these to use as bean poles.
The plum and greengage trees have been treated to a winter wash to hopefully reduce the risk of aphid attack which has devastated the trees in the past. Last year’s plum crops was disappointing and the greengages haven’t really cropped well since being planted so we are keeping fingers crossed for better results this year.
The ground is still very wet and where we have trudged along the grass paths they are looking worse for wear. We just hope that they recover when the weather improves.
We are still managing to harvest a few vegetables and have a supply of stored potatoes, onions and squash. The squash are stored outside under a porch in the garden. Some have been spoiled by the frosts and become mushy and unusable, however the Crown Prince squash are still really firm. I doubt that we will manage to eat all of them as we did have rather a large harvest.
The garlic continues to grow in the allotment greenhouse – the second variety that seemed reluctant to sprout is now also pushing through. We are not really sure what the varieties are as the bulbs were just some that we bought at a supermarket in France. The garlic being used in the kitchen is beginning to sprout. More cloves – Solent White have been planted in pots in the greenhouse. Two bulbs were bought each producing 18 cloves so hopefully we should have enough garlic to keep any nearby vampires away. Garlic is supposed to benefit from a period of cold weather and so the conditions should be ideal. The pots have been covered with fleece but this is more to try and deter mouse attack rather than keep off the frost.
All our seed potatoes have now arrived. We have bought Charlotte, Juliette and Nicola all salad varieties which have done well in previous years. This year we have also bought salad varieties Anya and Belle de Fontenay and the reputedly blight resistant Sarpo Mira. We will see whether or not it lives up to its reputation. It seems that Sarpo Mira is also a very vigorous variety – the haulms can stretch to 2m and stay green until the first frosts. The tubers continue growing throughout the season so Sarpo Mira will need different treatment to its less vigorous cousins. All have been set out in the greenhouse to chit and covered with four layers of fleece. Whether or not chitting is beneficial is irrelevant. When potatoes arrive in January then there is no decision to make.
In the garden greenhouse it is now definite that the wild primrose seeds that I gathered last year (from plants in our garden) have germinated. I think primrose seeds are best sown fresh, the seeds sown from a packet of seeds bought from the garden centre have done absolutely nothing. We have had difficulty germinating cultivated primroses in the past but have noticed plenty of self sown seedling germinating around existing plant! An example of leaving it to nature – it knows what’s best!
In the garden the bulbs are continuing to shoot – in spite of the weather the whole process seems to be gathering momentum. The snowdrops are now in bud so it won’t be long before we are treated to a display – can’t wait! The hellebores are also now budding – this year I would like to try and find some different varieties to add to the colour range as most of ours are a dark plum colour. I also noticed that the cowslips have buds too.
A few perennials are also pushing through – the moist noticeable being the irises. The Sambucus Nigra has now produced rich deep purple buds and the garrya is dripping with catkins. They look great against the clear blue sky.
The mahonia is in flower although the display is toned down by the activities of the birds. They seem to find the flower buds really attractive and sit stripping them off the plant.
One bit of good news in a week where this has been sadly lacking has been that we think most of our fish survived the heron attack. They are just beginning to feel confident enough to show themselves again. If fish have such short memories then why did they stay hidden for so long after the visit of the heron.
Looking forward to next week no doubt the birds will go into hiding as it is the Big Garden Birdwatch next weekend and in our experience the birds seem only too aware of this and go into hiding. Maybe they think that if we count too many of them we will stop feeding them!
Some very varied weather this week. At the start of the week we had a flurry of large snowflakes but fortunately nothing that hung around – as the flakes fell to the ground they disappeared. We also had some bitterly cold frosty weather made even colder by the winds and then of course some rain. On some plots we now have standing water the rest are just soggy and muddy so no possibility of doing much digging. I think we may have to consider planting rice this year!
We have a bit of a field mouse problem in the garden greenhouse. They know when they’re onto a good thing – lovely dry and warm housing with plenty to nibble on! All the nooks and crannies have been cleared but still they keep coming. We have to cover most pots and trays where seeds are planted otherwise the mice have great fun digging everything up.
In spite of the weather if you take time to look carefully things are beginning to grow. In the garden the snowdrops continue to progress and buds are beginning to bend their heads – a sign that soon the flowers will be opening. Shoots and sprouts of bulbs and perennials are continuing their push.
On the plot the blackcurrant and blueberry bushes are now in bud and the hazel catkins are growing well.
The winter onions are still growing and now the winter shallots which seemed as though they were never going to sprout are at last making an effort.
We are still managing to harvest fresh vegetables – carrots, parsnips, sprouts and the occasional cabbage. There is also some cavolo nero kale on offer but this isn’t our first choice mainly due to the amount of whitefly that it houses.
The pile of debris from the laurel bushes which has now been cleared has provided us with plenty of sticks for peas etc.
We spent some time counting the birds in the garden for the Big Garden Birdwatch and as predicted we seemed to have far fewer visitors than usual. Hardly a blue tit in sight!
Another very mixed week weather wise, really cold most days but with sunny interludes. One sunny day tempted us to go out and get a bit of exercise. The allotment is still very wet so we went for a walk around one of the lakes at Pugney’s Country Park. The park was reclaimed from old quarries in the 1970's. There too it was really boggy and wet away from the path and the dogs that were enjoying being exercised looked as though they would be in need of a good bath when they got home!
Back in the garden we did manage a bit of tidying up – cutting back some dead perennials, the seed heads of which had been left over winter for the birds. We also tidied up the leaves that were shrouding the bulb shoots. The snowdrops still are not quite on flower in our garden but I have seen some fully open elsewhere. In the pond the fish venture out from their hiding places when there is the hint of a bit of sunshine. They love to just bask in the small amount of warmth and it has given us a chance to check how many have survived the heron attack. Fortunately most have!
Three potato Belle de Fontenay tubers were planted in a large pot in the greenhouse so hopefully we should have one or two helpings of early new potatoes.
The garlic that was slow to shoot in the allotment greenhouse is now growing more strongly so maybe it is a later variety. That’s good and should give us some succession.
The allotment visit was confined to harvesting, carrots which we leave in the ground over winter, parsnips, leeks and cavolo nero. The cavolo nero seems to have less whitefly so maybe the cold weather is having an effect on the population. Incidentally is this kale or cabbage? I always thought of it as kale but TV cooks seem to consider it to be cabbage.
Everything looks really bare in January but at least the daylight hours are on the increase. We just desperately need the soil to start drying out but with threats of snow next week this doesn’t look as though it will happen any time soon!
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Consumers running any edition of Windows 7 or Vista now have a few more years of support to look forward to.
Microsoft recently tacked on five additional years in the form of Extended support for all editions of both operating systems for individual users. Full support for every edition of each OS will now last for approximately 10 years from release date, pointing ahead to January 14, 2020, for Windows 7 and April 11, 2017, for Vista.
Microsoft offers both Mainstream and Extended support for its operating systems and other products. Mainstream support lasts for five years and covers all major upgrades to the sofware as well as security updates, bug fixes, and other patches. Extended support then kicks in for an additional five years, at which point only security updates become available.
But individual consumers of certain editions of the two latest flavors of Windows were previously entitled only to Mainstream support, which means support for Windows 7 for some would have expired in 2015 and support for Vista in 2012. Microsoft's latest move guarantees protection in the form of security patches and other updates for all editions of Windows 7 and Vista for that extra five years.
Windows XP is still set to lose Extended support in April 2014, only now that timeframe will apply to all editions of XP for businesses and individuals alike. This means that anyone still running the decade-old OS will no longer receive updates in another two years. Microsoft has been urging companies on XP to plan their migrations now, even going so far as to advise them to forget about Windows 8 and focus on moving to Windows 7.
A Microsoft spokeswoman sent the following statement CNET clarifying that the Extended support now applies to all editions of Windows.
Microsoft has updated the Support Lifecycle Policy description to clarify that all consumer editions of our desktop operating systems are eligible to receive five years of Mainstream Support and five years of Extended Support. This clarification formalizes that all editions of our operating systems will receive security updates as long as they are using the most current Service Pack.
Updated 10:45 a.m. PT with response from Microsoft.
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The land for the so-called Gateway project at the entrance of Mammoth Lakes will be donated to the Town of Mammoth Lakes by Mono County, the county’s five supervisors agreed Tuesday.
The Gateway project, a volunteer-supported, large, rock and wood sign, designed to give visitors entering Mammoth a sense of arrival, will be located on county land just off of both sides of S.R. 203 near the entrance to town, just east and across the highway from, the Mono County Courthouse.
The project has been spearheaded by longtime Mammoth local Elizabeth Tenney, who has secured a veritable army of architects, designers, laborers—and the raw materials—to create the project. Work on the project is expected to begin this summer.
“We want to show the world that we are here and invested in our future,” Tenney said Tuesday. “That’s why this is important to do this now, despite all the bad press the town has been getting.”
On Sunday, the Mammoth Police Department and the Mammoth Fire District will conduct a “Chili Cook-Off” at The Bistro (Snowcreek) to raise funds for the effort.
The project has been in the works for about a year and a half.
The vote to donate about 5,000-square feet to the Town of Mammoth was unanimous, but the supervisors didn’t make the decision without strong assurances that the county would not end up maintaining the project in case the legal judgment against the Town sours further. Should the judgment against the town cause it to declare bankruptcy, or should Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition consider the land a Town asset, the supervisors said, it might be that they ended up with an unwanted burden.
The supervisors also wanted to be sure no other signs were put on the land. They noted, too, that they weren’t adverse to being give some credit for donating the land, say on a plaque in the park near the sign, something that Mammoth Lakes Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht said he was sure could be accomplished.
Mono County Counsel Marshall Rudolph reassured the supervisors that the terms of the land transfer and donation could be written to fully protect the county.
The project will consist of two, tall wood and slate signs in the Craftsman style, surrounded by landscaping and a small pocket park (on the courthouse side of the highway). The signs will read: “Going to the mountains is going home” (John Muir) as the driver exits town, and “The mountains are calling” (John Muir) and “Mammoth Lakes” as the driver arrives.
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The drawback is that some feats, as neat as they are, just aren’t very interesting. Like the lady who made the large yarn ball. Some of the footage shown is of people and places that time forgot, which consist of old hermits who lived on the same out of the way farm all their lives. Looking back at 1930s America that doesn’t seem that hard to believe. But at the time I’m sure folks were wowed by it. The information is presented quickly and at times is a bit hard to digest or get a handle on, making it a bit difficult for those that want to go and actually check Ripley’s facts. An interesting note here is that Ripley did have a fact checker, one of the best and most dedicated in a linguist named Norbert Pearlroth, who had been with Rip since his early newspaper days. So I’m sure most of the facts stand true, believe it or not.
The two-disc DVD is a good look at Ripley and the legacy he created. We see in these 24 short films the beginning of the latter-day television shows, one hosted by Jack Palance is the one I remember most, which continued to bring these odd feats, strange places, and people right to our doorsteps and into our homes. The major drawback to the two-disc set is that there are no special features at all. Not even a five-minute look at the life of Robert L. Ripley, which would have been the best part of the set, giving us a bit more information on the man and what he created. It would have been nice to further explore the T.V. shows that came later, the museums and “odditoriums” he opened and which house many of his finds and art work. If you want to know more you have to search it out which is okay but it seems like a missed opportunity to make this set even better by adding just one more short film on Ripley himself. I say rent this one for its bits of good facts, displays of oddities, and historical significant but overall not really worth the loot, especially with no extras.
Believe It Or Not.
Available to order through Warner Bros. Archive.
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At the Sept 11 memorial that took place on Sunday, President Barack Obama quoted Psalm 46 and caused a stir on various Internet platforms.
"God is our refuge and strength," Obama said, quoting Psalm 46 from the Bible after a symbolic moment of silence that represented the initial destruction of the World Trade Center north tower ten years ago.
“…God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved,” continued Obama as he stood before the white oak trees of the new 9/11 memorial.
In one forum, a blogger questioned the biblical remarks.
“Was it inappropriate for Obama to read Psalm 46 at the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony this morning," the individual wrote.
According to Josh Earnest, principal deputy press secretary for Obama, the president had a reason for choosing the passage.
"The President chose a scripture which he believed was most appropriate -- he believed it was particularly appropriate to use -- to read scripture this morning,” Earnest said. “And he chose a passage that talks of persevering through very difficult challenges and emerging from those challenges stronger."
A twitter user seemed to disagree with those sentiments.
"They have no prayer in schools but today at a memorial Pres Obama stated the 46 Psalm and Pres Bush stated God established this nation," the user wrote.
This is not Obama’s first time referring to Psalm 46 in the face of tragedy. After a Tuscan shooting that injured Gabrielle Giffords and killed others, Obama referred to the scripture.
Despite backlash, some seemed to appreciate Obama’s choice of biblical reference to commemorate the tragedy that struck the country.
"Our president is reading Psalm 46 over ground zero right now,” one twitter user wrote. “Perfect words.”
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Stoller Chemical Company
The Stoller Chemical Company, Inc., (Stoller Chemical) site is located at 5200 North Columbia Street, east of the intersection of Hwy. 87 and Business 87, north of Plainview. The Stoller Chemical facility has been inactive since March 1992 when Stoller filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The site occupies 4.99 acres, and included a warehouse, a fenced storage area and an abandoned cattle trailer containing leaking drums of hazardous waste. The warehouse contained formulating/mixing vats, leftover fertilizer products and a channel sump system. Tests indicated the site was contaminated with heavy metals and 4,4'-DDE. On October 24, 1995, TNRCC and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) personnel conducted a preliminary assessment at the site. Between January 6 and 9, 1998, TNRCC used state funds to remove the 25 drums from the cattle trailer. After the removal action, some drums and storage containers of hazardous wastes remained at the Stoller site pending further investigation and remedial activities.
Superfund Actions Taken to Date
- May 15, 2000, a hazard ranking system (HRS) documentation record was prepared for the Stoller Chemical Company site.
- July 14, 2000, a legal notice was published in the Texas Register (25 TexReg 6851) describing the site, proposing the site for listing on the state Superfund registry, and proposing nonresidential land use specifications for remediation of the site contamination. The land use designation may be considered in any remedial action proposed for the site. A public meeting to receive citizen comments was to be held at the City of Plainview City Council chamber on August 16, 2000.
- July 26, 2000, TNRCC issued a work order to construct a fence around the site perimeter to limit unauthorized acess, and post signs on the fence warning of contamination. The contractor was authorized to start the remedial investigation scope of work.
- August 16, 2000, citizens commented on the proposal of the site for listing on the Superfund registry and received explanatory responses to questions and concerns at the public meeting held at the Plainview City Council chambers.
- September 1, 2000, a site perimeter fence was constructed to limit unauthorized access and signs were posted warning of contamination.
- September 15, 2000, a community relations plan was prepared for the Stoller Chemical site.
- December 20, 2000, the contractor submitted a revised scope of work for the remedial investigation.
- January 8, 2001, TNRCC approved the revised remedial investigation work plan.
- April 27, 2001, TNRCC approved a work order amendment to begin the remedial investigation at the site by sampling on-site containers and wells.
- May 5, 2001, the project manager visted the site to supervise sampling of the wells and containers.
- June 11, 2001, the contractor delivered a field sampling plan
- July 5, 2001, TNRCC approved a work order to conduct soil sampling.
- Jul 31-August 2, 2001, the contractor conducted remedial investigation activities: soils and groundwater sampling.
- December 10-12, 2001, the contractor conducted additional remedial investigation activities: additional sampling of the soils, decontaminating of the building slab, taking wipe samples and concrete chips of the slab, and disposing of the 55-gallon drums and their contents.
- February 12, 2002, the contractor removed and disposed of the wastes in the aboveground storage tanks.
- May 23, 2002, TNRCC issued a work order to remove and dispose of the aboveground storage tanks, 55-gallon drums and various containers located at the site. Soil sampling and off-site disposal of the waste was included in the work order.
- July 12, 2002, a legal notice was published in the Texas Register, (27 TexReg 6453-6454) of the intent to take no further remedial action at the site and proposing to delete the site from the state Superfund registry in accordance with 30 TAC §335.344(c). The site no longer presents an endangerment to public health and the environment. A public meeting to receive comment on the proposed deletion of the site and the determination to take no further action was scheduled August 15, 2002, at the Plainview City Hall.
- July 25, 2002, TNRCC approved the technical memorandum for remedial investigation that included the results of the removal and sampling of the remaining soils and the groundwater. The memorandum showed that the cleanup was completed and the site did not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment for industrial or commercial use.
- August 1, 2002, due to a failure to provide proper local public notification, the public meeting scheduled for August 15, 2002, was cancelled. The public meeting on the intent to delete the site from the state Superfund registry was to be rescheduled.
- August 7, 2002, the TNRCC project manager concluded that no further remedial action is warranted at the site, and that conditions at the site met commercial/industrial (nonresidential) cleanup criteria established by the Texas Risk Reduction Program.
- August 9, 2002, a legal notice was published in the Texas Register (27 TexReg 7298) of the postponement of the public meeting on intent to delete the site from the Superfund registry. The original meeting, scheduled for August 15, 2002, was cancelled.
- August 23, 2002, a legal notice was published in the Texas Register (27 TexReg 8047-8048) rescheduling the postponed public meeting on intent to delete the site from the Superfund registry. The meeting was scheduled October 1, 2002, at the Plainview City Hall council chambers.
- September 1, 2002, effective date of the name change from Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
- October 1, 2002, a public meeting was held at the Plainview City Hall council chambers to receive comment on the proposed deletion of the site and the determination to take no further action. No comments or challenges were received on the determination that the site no longer presented an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and safety or the environment.
- November 8, 2002, a legal notice was published in the Texas Register (27 TexReg 10640-10641) officially deleting Stoller Chemical from the state Superfund registry in accordance with 30 TAC 335.344(c). No challenges or comments were received on the determination that the site no longer posed an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and safety or the environment. No further remedial action planned.
- December 17, 2002, a notice of a lien against the property was recorded in Hale County, seeking to recover the state's portion of costs associated with site activities to date.
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For the past nine months, transit agencies have been spewing out ridership data fast enough to make your head spin. And why wouldn't they? Ridership skyrocketed when gas prices rose to record levels last summer, and continued to climb even when fuel prices fell and unemployment rose. So it came as no surprise when the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) released 2008 ridership totals today that showed transit agencies posted 10.7 billion trips in 2008, a 4 percent increase compared with 2007 and the highest ridership level in 52 years.Talk about perfect timing. The transit industry is just about to start heavily advocating for a new surface transportation authorization bill, as SAFETEA-LU is set to expire on Sept. 30. The latest ridership stats serve as further proof that transit options are wanted, needed and should be expanded. APTA is capitalizing on the public transit renaissance by launching "Public Transportation Takes Us There," an advocacy campaign aimed at building congressional support for increased federal investment in transit. Featuring advertising, public relations and grassroots outreach components, the campaign will highlight transit's role in creating jobs, improving the environment, boosting energy independence, and improving quality of life.Fittingly, the association announced the new campaign earlier today at its Legislative Conference currently being held in Washington, D.C., where more than 500 APTA members are convening to promote the importance of public transit to congressional representatives. Given the new staggering ridership figures, growing need for affordable transportation options and overall increased awareness of public transit, I think it's safe to say many congressional leaders are listening.
Being that transit is so unrelated, because of politics, to the actual market demand of riders it has been difficult for systems to handle this massive increase that has been occurring. One of the biggest problems facing the industry as a whole is how to connect funds to actual demand so that services can increase when demand goes up.
As it stand even here in uber transit friendly Portland, the local authority TriMet, is cutting services on a number of lines and canceling services outright on others. All at a time when demand is higher than ever and the actual need has increased more than ever!
Being disconnected from the market, is well, disconnecting.
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Steny Hoyer: U.S. risks Greece's fate with inaction
- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) blamed tax cuts under George W. Bush for the current state of the deficit. AP Photo
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer warned that America faces a Greek-style economic implosion if the U.S. doesn’t get its debt under control soon.
“It is enough to look across the Atlantic at Greece’s extreme economic crisis and understand: It can happen here, unthinkable as that may have been,” Hoyer said, in an afternoon speech at the Brookings Institution. “If we don’t change our course, it will happen here.”
Hoyer said tax increases should be part of a “balanced approach,” arguing that relying on spending cuts alone could hurt seniors who depend on Medicare.
“No one likes raising revenue, and understandably so,” he said. “But if you’re going to buy, you need to pay.”
The Maryland congressman said that the proportion of public debt as a percentage of the gross domestic product is nearing “a tipping point.” He warned that credit may start to dry up if tangible steps aren’t taken.
“We would not be the first to fail,” he said. “Spain under the Hapsburgs. France under Louis XVI. The Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. The British Empire in the 20th. All of them, all of them, were crippled by borrowing, by interest payments, by debt. We, of course, are not exempt. In every era, these fiscal issues are questions of national security and national success.”
At the same time, Hoyer disputed that Obama shares blame for the nation’s fiscal woes. He cited a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities to say that “the tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the economic downturn together explain virtually the entire deficit over the next 10 years.”
After blasting the Bush tax cuts, Hoyer said he wants to protect the middle class — which he defines as an individual earning less than $200,000 and a family earning less than $250,000 a year — from losing advantages set to expire in 2010.
“Clearly, in my view, we would not want to raise the taxes on the middle class,” he said. “Families are stretched. We have no intention of doing that.”
Hoyer insisted, though, that Obama and Congress already “take the deficit seriously.” He said Obama’s proposed budget would cut the deficit by more than half by 2013 and that health reform will eventually reduce the deficit. He said the recently enacted statutory pay-as-you-go prevents Congress from making the problem worse. Hoyer hopes the bipartisan fiscal commission, which is now forming, will come up with recommendations that force tough choices. Obama announced his picks last week, but congressional Democrats haven’t nominated anyone for the panel yet.
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These last few weeks have seen some exciting things happening in the heart of the American money machine – Wall Street.
Occupy Wall Street is a leaderless resistance movement with people of many genders, colours and political persuasions. The one thing they have in common is that they are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%.
Having seen the changes that have swept over several Middle Eastern countries in the past months in what has come to be known as the Arab Spring, where we have seen people gathering for change, not sure of how to achieve it but sharing the same feelings deep down that things need to be very different. We now see the same ideas and tactics coming home to roost in Wall Street – America’s financial heart. Originally, this movement of people gathered first in Tahrir Square, Egypt. After one week numbers had swelled to 250,000 people – all sick of the rising costs of basic food supplies and the losses of liberty - ‘a hungry man is an angry man’.
Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, Israel, Algeria, Morroco, Palestine, the protests spread as more and more people found the courage to see things differently. Now these ideas have spread across the lands and seas to the west. The only differences being that we see our democracy as working, we don’t have such an obvious source of repression as the middle eastern countries did, we think we are free but we fail to see that our oppression is so much subtler, so much more advanced than what has been fought and changed in the Arab Spring. The ironic thing about what is now happening on Wall Street – the centre of American economic power, is that Wall street is a victim of its own manipulation. Prior to the Arab Spring demonstrations and uprisings, Wall Street and other major financial centres and stock exchanges needed a new cash cow to hedge their bets on. The Dot Com bubble had failed, so had the Housing bubble – the major trigger of the 2008 financial crisis. They needed another target for their speculations, and they chose food stocks – everybody needs to eat so there will always be money to be made. Right? Wrong. As their investment algorithms and hedge funds targeted food stocks in the Middle East it caused a 20% increase in basic food costs for the regular citizen in Egypt, Yemen and their bordering countries. That may not seem too much but considering that an average person in the Middle East was spending 80% of their income on rent and food, 20% is the rest. All gone. Done. In England a tenner gets you fuck all!
So it is ironic that something that Wall Street started fucking with 12 months ago has come full circle to where so much of the Arab Spring’s initial unrest emanated – The stock markets. Now people who are 99% of the American population have created Occupy Wall St. Despite being in the heart of America, it took the mainstream media 9 days to respond. No doubt the powers hoped it would fade away. It is now entering its third week and the numbers are growing. 700 arrested yesterday on the Brooklyn Bridge. This is not going to fade away.
The root cause of all of our problems – whether in the UK or thousands of miles away, our problems are the same…
Finance. Greed. Corruption. They are the 1%. We are the 99% regardless of which part of the world your parents were from. The same value systems, principles and policies govern most of the countries in the world now, the Soviet era died its death and Capital came to town, everywhere.
We are the 99%.
We are getting kicked out of our homes. We are forced to choose between groceries and rent. We are denied quality medical care. We are suffering from environmental pollution. We are working increasingly long hours for little pay and no rights. We are getting nothing whilst the other 1% is getting everything.
Occupy Wall street is now supported by occupations in the following American cities – word up Los Angeles, Denver, Colorado, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, and the list is growing…
London – October the 12th, get down and get involved, all you have to do is turn up. I for one am tired of this shit, so many friends with amazing skills unemployed, a slave to their debts, frustrated and tired. Occupy The City starts next week. The London Stock Exchange has taken the piss out of all of us for too long.
Here is the facebook link. 1091 and counting, even if you can’t be arsed going down on the saturday, click attending anyway if you think that things are fucked and show some support.
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Grooming of Boston terrier pets is an easy and quick process and should not be neglected at any cost. Grooming of a Boston terrier is more than just walking, bathing and feeding. The pet is completely depended on you when it comes to care. The Boston terrier is known to be a companion dog and it is supposed to say in the company of humans, grooming is highly recommended. They are of course supposed to be very friendly with children and therefore cleanliness is a must.
Apart from the regular veterinary care and immunizations, care should be taken to keep them clean of ticks, dental care, eye care and internally as well. Both the internals and the external care are advised if you want to see your pet happy and cheerful. Other than this, proper nutrition care is also vital to keep it fit. Feed the pet the best nutritionally balanced food that you can give. However, be sure that it is fresh and healthy. Water should also always be clean and pure.
The Boston terrier needs very little time to groom. Their coat requires very little brushing and they rarely need a bath. However, attention should be paid to the facial areas, something that is rather specific to this breed. Brushing takes up a large part of the grooming part. Lose hair from the coat, although it does not get tangled, tends to sit on the top and may fall everywhere in the house or on your furniture. Use a soft bristle brush for this task.
The eyes and face wrinkle can get dirty as the dog is very active and likes to play anywhere. Special care should be taken of the places around the eyes and they should be cleaned regularly with a damp cloth. Clean the face and wrinkles ensuring you have covered all the facial parts. Dental care and nail clipping are also an important part of grooming the Boston terrier. The pet shops have toothbrushes and dog pastes that can remove plaque or staining from the teeth. For clipping nails, approach the professionals as they know their profession well. Ears should be cleaned with cotton balls or with ear cleaner for dogs.
Dogs need to chew, chewing helps in strengthening the dog’s teeth. Get the pet some chewing toys that help the dog in chewing and also strengthen the teeth. There are many toys that are especially designed to help improve the strength of the teeth.
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By Jennifer Coias
I often come across parents who do not agree that circumcision should be illegal. They usually argue by saying it is a parental decision like vaccination, homebirth, etc. Here is my response:
Vaccines cannot be compared to a cosmetic surgery that removes healthy organs for non-therapeutic purposes. This is like comparing apples to oranges. Let's stick with comparing other actions that are considered bodily modifications of non-consenting minors when contemplating the legality of circumcision.
Piercing is a body modification, but because it does not alter the function of a body part, nor does it remove any tissue or organs, it is generally accepted within reason (earlobes, for example).
Tattooing is much more extreme in that it is permanent, yet it still does not remove any organ or alter the functions of any healthy body parts. However, most people agree that parents should not be able to tattoo their infants or children. In fact, a Florida family was recently charged with cruelty to children for tattooing their 6 kids.
And then you have circumcision - a genital surgery which does alter the function of the primary sex organ, does remove otherwise healthy tissue and the prepuce organ, does alter appearance forever more and is permanent. If you aren't allowed to tattoo your children, why on earth would you be legally able to remove healthy, functioning tissue from your son's genitals?
Besides being creepy that a parent would have the say over the cutting of their child's genitals, circumcision of children violates all our current laws concerning alterations of a child's body. In our country we have laws in place that are designed to protect the bodies of children. These laws state that no parent can request to alter their child's body unless: A) it is medically indicated and B) a more conservative treatment has failed to correct the medical problem that exists. These laws are in place because bodily integrity (an intact body) is considered a basic human right in our society.
Human rights are granted to every single person regardless of gender, age, nationality, culture or religion. Furthermore, doctors caring for patients who are under the age of 18 are not legally permitted to perform any surgery on a minor unless there is clear medical need and more conservative treatment has failed . This is basic medical ethics, and yet somehow circumcision has become the exception to this well established legality. A parent cannot ask a doctor to remove a fingernail, an earlobe, a toe, or any other part of the body. A parent cannot remove the clitoral hood of their daughter (which is the female foreskin - the prepuce). A parent cannot even pin prick their daughter's genitals without it being a federal crime punishable under the FGM Bill. Basically, every square inch of a child's body is protected by bodily integrity laws and medical ethics laws -- every square inch, that is, aside from the infant male foreskin. How can this be?
Now one can try to argue that circumcision is in some way a form of preventative medicine, however, in doing so, we will run into trouble arguing this because we are no longer living in a day and age where amputation is considered preventative medicine. In modern medicine, amputation is always a LAST resort when conservative methods have failed. The only reasons amputation would be considered a first choice would be in the case of gangrene, malignancy, frostbite, or serious trauma to that body organ.
In addition, when you amputate any part of the body you remove the off-chance that something can go wrong with that part. After all, it no longer exists! That isn't rocket science. The male foreskin, however, is no more pathological than any other part of the body. In fact, the intact female genitals are more likely to cause its owner problems than any intact man will ever experience on behalf of his foreskin. 65% of American women will have a bacterial vaginal infection in their lifetime, 40% of women will have yeast infection in their lifetime, and girls are six times more likely to suffer from a urinary tract infection (easily treated with antibiotics). Each of these health concerns for girls and women far out number any problems a boy or man may have with his foreskin at any point in life, yet somehow we find a way to treat women without amputating genital organs. In the unlikely event that a man has a foreskin problem, he can enjoy the same conservative methods of treatment that are allotted to women. Studies conducted in countries that do not routinely circumcise have found that less than 1 in 6,000 men will ever need circumcision surgery for medical reasons.
We must attend to the fact that no medical organization in the entire world recommends routine infant circumcision. Each and every organization has made a statement that the potential benefits do not outweigh the risks and guaranteed negative consequences. This alone is proof to the absurdness of using circumcision as preventative medicine.
The final, last ditch effort to arguing for circumcision would be the very controversial study that was performed in Africa. Even if you believe this study, which is loaded with methodological errors, you'd only have a reduction in female-to-male sexual transmission of HIV. In our country 88% of HIV is transmitted through male-to-male intercourse and/or IV drug use. Circumcision has proven no benefit for male-to-female transmission, male-to-male transmission, or IV drug use.
In reviewing The Nuts and Bolts of HIV in the USA and Why Circumcision Won't Protect Men you will see that a heterosexual American man who engages in moderately risky sexual activity will have a less than .03% chance of catching HIV over a 60 year period...not exactly a reason to routinely circumcise all infant boys. Aside from this statistic, we can all agree that infants and young boys don't engage in sexual activity until they reach an age where they can make an informed decision as to whether or not they want to amputate their precious foreskins.
All this, and I still haven't even mentioned that a 5-year review of this so-called 'study' in Uganda reported that the circumcised group and their female partners began to acquire HIV at alarmingly higher rates. Rates so high, in fact, that the study ended early due to ethical concerns. These results (circumcision increasing HIV transmission in Africa) were not formally published because the study ended early. There are several studies in the last decade that have reported no reduction in sexually transmitted infections or HIV among circumcised males. Several studies report higher rates among circumcised men. Our nation's track record should be testimony to an already failed circumcision experiment. We are, after all, the only developed nation in the world who routinely circumcises boys and we also happen to have thee highest STD and HIV rates of any other developed nation.
Last but certainly not least, there was a recent study of circumcised females which reported a 50% reduction in HIV among circumcised women. Shall we also suggest that women be circumcised based on the findings of this study? This is all moot point, however, because we do have effective protective methods against HIV and all sexually transmitted infections: condoms. Condoms are over 98% effective and do not involve any genital reduction surgery on non-consenting persons.
So there you have it.
Circumcision violates our human rights laws, which are designed to protect the bodies of minor children.
Circumcision violates our medical ethics laws that state a doctor can only perform procedures on a minor when there is clear medical need and a more conservative treatment has failed.
Circumcision is not good preventative medicine because amputation is always a last resort to conservative treatments.
Circumcision on babies cannot be considered a good prophylactic measure against sexually transmitted infections.
And last but not least, because baby girls are protected from even the most minor genital surgery (even a pin prick), circumcision is a violation of the equal protection clause of the Constitution of the United States which states that, "all persons shall receive equal protection under the law" regardless of sex.
Case closed, circumcision is technically already illegal. The question is not then whether or not it is legal to circumcise a child - we have already established that the male foreskin and its removal exists outside our legal and medical norms. The real question is, when will our government recognize that they have failed to apply the law accordingly and, in doing so, they have failed to protect our most innocent and most fragile of citizens?
For more on the legality of MGM in the United States, visit the MGM Bill homepage, stay up to date on research at the Circumcision Public Health Policy site, and join with physicians from around the world who stand up for human rights and ethical legal and medical practices at Doctors Opposing Circumcision. Hear Dr. Dean Edell discuss the latest research in Africa on circumcision and HIV. Explore more of the history behind FGM (female circumcision) in the United States.
Additional articles by Jennifer Coias:
The Phony Phimosis Diagnosis
The Nuts & Bolts of HIV in the USA and why Circumcision Won't Protect Men
Basic Care of an Intact Child
Painful Urination During Prepuce Separation
Who Are you Calling an Intactivist?
Turn Your Crib into a Co-Sleeper
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WHEN Chris Geiger was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, he spent hours scouring bookshops, desperately hunting for books by people who had fought and survived cancer.
"Ironically, coincidently or probably luckily for me, the night before I was diagnosed, I watched a film about Bob Champion, a jump jockey who fought and won his battle with cancer and then amazingly went on to win the Grand National," he said.
"The film was based on the book called Champion's Story, which he wrote with his friend Jonathan Powell.
"Little did Bob know that his story would create an idea to inspire me. Watching his film kept me fighting despite my diagnosis and ultimately led me to write a book."
Chris endured two years of cancer treatment, operations, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant before he was in remission.
"I'm convinced having a target, being positive and having the distraction of writing every day got me through my treatment," he said.
"Daily I wrote a diary, creating a light-hearted memoir, recording my thoughts, feelings and treatment.
"Within weeks I was back at work again, trying to act as if the previous two years hadn't happened. Any ideas of writing a cancer survival book were purposely forgotten.
"Not because I didn't care, but every time I re-lived events, I instantly smelled those disinfected hospital wards, tasted the chemotherapy or pictured the faces of those poor patients who weren't as lucky as me.
"Each time I recalled these events I was physically sick, ruining a good shirt and triggering those awful recurring nightmares."
Chris said his inspiration to write his book, The Cancer Survivors Club, came while recalling his experience.
"I wanted to read stories of other 'normal' cancer survivors, for encouragement and guidance for myself and my family," he said.
"So began my personal campaign to create awareness and help patients and their families. This book is the result of one of those projects.
"My hope is cancer sufferers, their families and friends will gain strength and encouragement from the stories within this book."
The Cancer Survivors Club is a collection of inspirational stories from cancer survivors, including Gold Coast resident, Shelly Ostrouhoff.
An excerpt from Chris's letter - full version is in The Cancer Survivors Club:
I feel compelled after all these years to write to you and tell you how I feel.
I guess you know I was a fit 24-year-old. I guess you also know I never smoked and only drank moderately at a weekend. So why did you pick me?
For eight months I continually visited my doctor. He was convinced that I was stressed or asthmatic, despite losing weight, struggling to breathe and knowing the slightest exertion would tire me out for days.
Eventually after waking up from a general anaesthetic, having just had an operation on my chest to discover what was causing all my problems, I was told they'd found you lurking, wedged between my heart and lungs.
The surgeon sat down on my bed, wiggled my toe and said you'd arrived.
Initially I was actually pleased they'd found you, having felt so unwell for so long.
I wrongly assumed I'd swallow a couple of tablets and you'd disappear.
The surgeon was a little more concerned than me about finding you. He said you'd kill me within three months and I had a battle on my hands.
In my mind I imagined you as a lump of melting snow, black ugly slush that's found at the side of the road.
A snowball the size of one-and-a-half grapefruits buried in my chest. My consultant said it looked like I'd swallowed a dinner plate.
Our first battle together was with radiotherapy. You were clever, you were obviously experienced or expecting this.
The radiotherapy did little to destroy you. For 10 days you withstood the onslaught admirably. I was left exhausted.
Our next battle was with chemotherapy, but not just once.
You and I continued sparring like heavyweight boxers, both of us putting up a courageous battle.
You withstanding the onslaught of every chemotherapy drug I could get my hands on.
Then eventually came my masterstroke. I'd finally convinced reluctant oncologists that a bone marrow transplant would finish you off once and for all.
Finally the time had come and I arrived at University College Hospital, in London. This was going to be the location of our final battle.
It was now or never. However 20 months of fighting you had taken its toll on me.
For you that's the end of the story, the end of your involvement with me. However for me I had a lot of recovering both mentally and physically.
Sadly I can never forget our duel, but do hope you regretted picking on me.
If you had one ounce of humanity or intelligence, you'd recognise it's just a matter of time before you'll be wiped off this planet and extinct forever.
I hope you rot in hell.
Always your number one enemy.
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All you can do is shake your head.
Just as long as you don’t initiate contact with that very same head (wearing a helmet) on a “defenseless player” in the NFL. This weekly soap opera within a football game within a football league is getting ridiculous. Last week, in the Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore game, Emmanuel Sanders caught a pass over the middle and Ravens safety Ed Reed tackled him. Here we go again.
Sanders immediately got to his feet, while Reed needed a minute to collect himself. The officials were quick to apply the latest in player protection by throwing penalty flags, and the Ravens went on to beat the Steelers 13–10. But as the players were walking off the field, the NFL was deciding just how egregious Reed’s tackle was.
Ed Reed was suspended for a game, but it was later changed to a $50,000 fine. Ouch.
I would urge you to reference the hit for which Reed was penalized. It is a prime example of a rule that, at the end of the day, is almost impossible to correctly officiate.
As you watch this clip, notice how Sanders catches the ball and lowers his head to take on Ed Reed’s hit. I am not sure that it is humanly possible for Reed to have done anything other than what he did.
Begging the question: so if a wide receiver is catching a football, that makes him defenseless?
What if an inside linebacker diagnoses a play correctly, starts to scrape down the line as the offense runs a sweep to his side of the defense. The linebacker has done his job, and he is about to be rewarded for his work by making a great play.
Wait a minute, the offense isn’t running a sweep, they’re running a CRACK sweep.
Crack sweeps are just like regular sweeps, except the wide receiver angles sharply inside as the play begins, and even though he might be somewhat smaller than the linebacker, he has the element of surprise on his side. It's the perfect opportunity for the itty-bittly wide receiver to finally get some payback on that linebacker that has been working him over all day.
It is known in the world of pro football, as “the Ear-Hole.” And I can tell you, from experience, that getting ear-holed is the perfect definition of a player (the ear-holee) being in a “defenseless” position when cracked by the wide receiver (the ear-holer).
Former Bronco Steve Watson was the one wide receiver that could deliver the perfect Ear-Hole. Like an assassin, void of any emotion, his target was that linebacker that needed a little work expanding his peripheral vision. Watson’s skill catching the ball got him to the Pro Bowl, but to watch him on a crack-back block was as beautiful as it was horrifying.
My point is that any of the 22 players engaging on any particular play on any given NFL Sunday will have moments where they could be deemed “defenseless,” and in a tenth of a second, the defender stands no chance to perfectly adjust his entry into a collision.
Billy Ray Smith is a former Chargers linebacker and a U-T TV personality. He teams with Scott Kaplan and Amber Mesker on the Scott, B.R. + Amber Show, Monday through Friday from 6-11 a.m. on Cox Ch. 114, AT&T U-Verse Ch. 17 and uttv.com.
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He lives in Los Angeles now, where he produces television and feature films. He recently worked with James Franco on an adaptation of Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying. And he also coproduced a teleplay written by David Milch (creator of the HBO hit Deadwood) that was based on Light in August, which HBO has purchased an option to license. But Caplin is not naive about the law: He is a graduate of the University of Virginia Law School and frequently travels back to Faulkner's hometown in Oxford, Mississippi, to teach a course on entrepreneurship for lawyers at the University of Mississippi.
According to Caplin, the Faulkner family regularly grants licenses for the use of Faulkner's works. He notes, for instance, that Ron Howard asked the estate for permission to use a quote in the pilot of his TV series Modern Family, and a license was granted. Caplin says he even gave Sony the opportunity to take a license after he saw the Woody Allen movie and realized that the quote was used, but Sony refused. "This is not about the estate withholding permission in order to get more money," he says.
Still, criticism of these cases abounds, with most of it focused on the suit against Sony. Lawyers have questioned the plaintiff's understanding of copyright lawspecifically the factors that are considered by the courts when weighing whether the fair use doctrine should apply. They say, for example, the amount of the copyrighted work used is too small and insubstantial to be deemed infringement. The quotes, they add, were transformative in nature, making them prime examples of fair use. And they stress that the fair use doctrine permits courts to avoid rigid application of copyright law when it would stifle creativity.
Jonathan Stuart Pink, an intellectual property attorney at Bryan Cave, is absolutely convinced that the Faulkner estate will fail in its attempt to make a case for infringement. "Even if they can successfully argue that the material used was pivotal, they won't be able to dispute that the material was used in a transformative way," he says. "It's a different medium; it's commentary; and it's a different story," he added.
Paul Goldstein, a professor at Stanford University Law School and an expert on copyright law, agrees with this view. Speaking of the plaintiff's case, he says: "It could be tough. The defendants will probably argue the movie is a transformative work, which means fair use will apply."
But Caplin sounds undeterred. The most important factors, which include whether the copyrighted material is used for commercial purposes and how important the material is to the new work, should lead the courts to conclude that fair use does not apply, he says. The movie, he notes, is a commercial enterprise, and the line in question comes at a crucial point in the film and is used to convey a major point: "It's arguably the most important thing the actor says in the entire movie." (The plot revolves around time travel by Wilson's character, and the line refers to the ability to journey into the past.)
"I'm sure if Woody Allen thought he could have written something better," Caplin concludes, "he would have."
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Categories See All
The Simple Answer is No
There are many different dream states that you may find yourself in throughout your life i have listed some of the dream states Below.
They are created by ourselves as the reality we want. Dream reality is removed from physical reality as a prearranged series of events in which we play a role. It's like being an actor in a movie. However, there are different variations of ordinary or common dreams which differ due to personal desires or influential substances within the body. For example, if we are using a prescribed drug or medicine due to a certain illness, this might have certain side effects which the body is not accustomed to and when we dream, it may change the entire meaning of an experience. Other ordinary dreams are influenced due to our individual personality or desires.
Although a nightmare might shake us up, they should not be taken literally, as they may only be warning for a potential event. However, nightmares may also occur due to a preoccupation with solving a problem or if experiencing the side effects of a medicine we are taking. Certain foods can also trigger nightmares. Some bad experiences we had in the past could also be recalled by our subconscious mind in the present through nightmares. Nightmares are very different from reincarnation dreams that contain negative experiences.
UNIVERSAL ARCHETYPE DREAMS
Since we all belong to the same Origin, a person may have the same dream as another due to the Universal Consciousness we all share.
A Dream in which you know that you are dreaming is called a 'lucid dream'. It generally happens when you realize during the course of a dream that you are dreaming, perhaps because something strange or unexpected occurs. These types of dreams may reveal personal information as you observe the development of the dream through the expression of your feelings while being aware that you are dreaming. A lucid dream may develop directly or indirectly into an OBE. Sometimes during lucid dreaming we loose concentration for a brief period of time.
SPIRIT GUIDE DREAMS
When we are having an ordinary dream and some of the characters protect us, we are being contacted by our Spirit Guides. Protection may take shape through a helping hand or communication. The Entities in these dreams are in fact our Spirit Guides, which we all have throughout our lifetimes. When communication takes place we don't feel scared or shy as subconsciously we know them from other realities. These dreams differ from mediumship because they start and end as ordinary dreams, and in between we are introduced to Entities wishing to communicate.
ASTRAL PROJECTION OR O.B.E.
When the Astral Body separates itself from the physical self and travels to a particular place or event, the experience is referred to as an Out of Body Experience. OBEs are of many types, such as Interdimensional projection, NDEs and others.
Prophetic dreams or Veridical dreams - these dreams have a definite impact on us as we remember them quite vividly. They represent future events that are being foreseen or foretold.
Telepathic dreams - the dreamer receives information from another person, either living or dead, but pertaining to the present. The message may come from a distance.
Reincarnation dreams or past life dreams are dreams in which an individual sees himself/herself going through actions or places with which he or she is not familiar in present existence. These dreams differ from mystical experiences as they are normally in black and white. Mystical experiences of past lifetimes are a form of OBE and may be triggered through a form of trance or hypnotic regression. What we experience is very real.
Clairvoyant dreams - these dreams allows the dreamer to perceive things beyond the natural range of senses which trigger extrasensory perception (ESP). In other words the dream creates a keen intuitive understanding of places or events related or unrelated to the person.
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Thursday, November 29, the 193-nation United Nations General Assembly granted de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine.
The symbolic victory for Palestine was accomplished despite the opposition of the United States and Israel, along with a small contingency of allies who voted against elevating the Palestinian Authority's observer status at the United Nations to "nonmember state" from "entity.”
At the meeting, 138 nations voted in favor of the measure, nine opposed it, with 41 abstaining. Notably, the vote was held on the 65th anniversary of the adoption of UN resolution 181 that divided Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states.
Swiss Info reports “thousands of flag-waving Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip set off fireworks and danced in the streets to celebrate the vote.”
Not everyone was in the mood to celebrate, however.
In a statement, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) simultaneously reminded the world of his own fierce fidelity to Israel, as well as to remind the Palestinian Authority and Egypt (broker of the peace talks between Israel and Gaza) of their dependency on the largesse of the United States.
"This is a provocative unhealthy step that could undermine the peace process," Graham said.
At an appearance with Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and John Barrasso (R-Wy.), Graham expressed concern that an elevated Palestine might seek redress of its grievances from the global government.
"If you make a petition to the International Criminal Court against the state of Israel ... that will put the peace process in a ditch and undermine any chance of a peaceful solution anytime soon and we will cut off funding," Graham said.
“I will not sit on the sidelines and use American dollars in a situation where the Palestinians make every IDF member a war criminal simply by defending the sovereignty of the state of Israel," he continued.
Finally, Graham warned that he would see to it that $935 million in foreign aid to the Palestinians would be withheld should they attempt to flex their new UN muscle to call Israel to answer charges of war crimes in the International Criminal Court.
The $935 million aid package to the Palestinians includes $495 million in 2012 that hasn’t been paid, as well as $440 million for Fiscal Year 2013.
Graham’s response reveals two critical flaws in the official U.S. response to the UN’s actions regarding the stature of a sovereign Palestinian state.
First, Graham and nearly every other U.S. politician proclaim themselves to be friends of Israel. The tone of the pro-Israel rhetoric is very patronizing and paternalistic, assuming that Israel needs the protection and patronage of the United States to remain free.
Is it not odd, also, that Congress would coalesce behind Israel and its right to protect its sovereign borders, yet authorize millions in foreign aid to be sent annually to most of the nations that surround it?
For example, Egypt receives nearly $1.5 billion in aid annually from the United States. Jordan receives over $800 million in financial aid from the American treasury.
Gaza and the West Bank receive $575 million annually thanks to the largesse of the American taxpayer. Ironically, the enemy of our purported ally stands in the same U.S. welfare line as Israel herself.
The second problem with Graham’s rigid anti-Palestinian posture is that it fails to address the larger constitutional problem: the source of the UN’s authority and the participation of the United States in an international body whose ultimate end is the obliteration of borders and the consolidation of all legislative, executive, and judicial power from the otherwise sovereign nations on earth.
Last September, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced the Palestinian Authority’s intent to seek official recognition of statehood by the United Nations.
Predictably, the United States immediately responded that it would veto any Security Council resolution accepting Palestine’s application for recognition. The exercise of the veto would prevent the proposal from being placed before the 193-member General Assembly for the needed two-thirds vote.
Neither the United States nor its allies, however, have ever addressed the fact that the UN created this conflict by passing the Partition Plan in 1947. Could the silence on this issue be evidence of the belief by the rulers of these nations that they intend to support the UN and assist in its drive to rid the world of sovereignty?
It cannot be too often repeated that the UN is the primary cause of the contention in the Middle East. Neoconservatives in the U.S. government display the contradictory reality of their dual loyalties by annually supporting the UN agenda and by so often subjugating the sovereignty of the United States to the will of an unaccountable and unconstitutional international body. As Ron Paul once wrote:
The UN is a threat to our sovereignty — and as we are the main source of its income, it is a threat to our economic well-being. Increasingly over the past several years, we see the United Nations providing political and legal cover for the military aspirations of interventionists rather than serving as an international forum to preserve peace.
In his book, Liberty Defined: 50 Essential Issues That Affect Our Freedom, Paul correctly identifies the role played by the United Nations in not only the perpetuation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but in its genesis, as well. "One of the first decisions made by the UN was when the UN General Assembly accepted the Security Council’s recommendation in 1947 to partition Palestine. Considering the lives lost and the money spent, it doesn’t say much for the UN’s peacekeeping efforts or our own foreign policy of the past sixty years," Paul writes.
These early decisions on the part of the world body, insists Dr. Paul, “turned a local and demographic issue into an international and highly politicized one.”
With this opinion of the United Nations and its despicable history of “peace-keeping,” it is no wonder that Paul would counsel the Palestinians “to avoid the United Nations.” After all, what benefit has the United States or any other nation derived from this ill-conceived and unconstitutional organization? Every country seeking membership in the UN must offer up on the internationalist altar a measure of sovereignty, as well as the right of citizens to hold elected representatives responsible for laws passed to govern them.
There is no safety to be found in allying oneself with the UN or relying on its goodwill to promote peace and prosperity. As Ron Paul explained:
UN membership and participation is no guarantee that sovereignty will be respected. We see what happens to UN members such as Iraq and Libya when those countries’ leaders fall out of favor with US administrations: under US and allied pressure a fig leaf resolution is adopted in the UN to facilitate devastating military intervention. When the UN gave NATO the green light to bomb Libya there was no genocide taking place. It was a purely preventative war. The result? Thousands dead, a destroyed country, and extremely dubious new leaders.
How many more will die in Israel and Palestine as a result of American insistence on the perpetuation of the UN's 1947 partition? Witness this story from Friday’s New York Times:
As the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to upgrade the Palestinians’ status Thursday night, Israel took steps toward building housing in a controversial area of East Jerusalem known as E1, where Jewish settlements have long been seen as the death knell for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
After the General Assembly vote on Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice called for resumption of peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.
"The Palestinian people will wake up tomorrow and find that little about their lives has changed save that the prospects of a durable peace have only receded," Rice said.
Sadly, Rice is right. As long as the United Nations is supported financially and philosophically by the federal government of the United States and is allowed to retain its center of operations on our shores, very little is likely ever to change for the better in the Middle East or elsewhere.
Photo of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressing UN General Assembly November 29: AP Images
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presented by CBT as part of UT’s Africa Semester Celebration
KNOXVILLE — The Clarence Brown Theatre will kick off 2003 with “The Bacchae of Euripides: A Communion Rite” Feb. 6 – 22, in conjunction with UT’s Africa Semester Celebration. Nigerian-born, Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka has adapted the Greek classic to give a fresh outlook to the ancient myth of Pentheus and Dionysus. Soyinka focuses more on the celebration than the myth, and, in doing so, creates a ritual of renewal that combines Western and African imagery.
“The Bacchae is his best known adaptation of Greek theatre and it is so entertaining with music, dance and of course all the spectacle of Greek theatre, that it was such a likely choice,” director Beth Craven said.
In the play, Pentheus, a young king who has inherited his father’s kingdom, believes justice and the law will prevail throughout the land, and society will be a better place. His way of thinking contrasts with that of the god, Dionysus, who believes in celebration and creativity with music and art. Pentheus discovers the disguised Dionysus, orders his capture, puts him in chains and tries to deny him his godhood. Dionysus warns the egotistical Pentheus of revenge but the warnings are ignored. Fulfilling his promise, Dionysus plays a trick on Pentheus’s mother, Agave, causing her to mistake her son for a mountain lion and to kill him during a hunt. In the end, Agave realizes she has killed her son, and a renewal of the land occurs through Dionysus.
The production features professional actors, UT students and experienced African dancers and musicians from the community. The semester-long celebration will explore African culture, history, art and entertainment. Participating groups at UT include CBT, McClung Museum, and the departments of art and music.
“It’s a way to call a lot of public attention to the African culture, not only for this semester, but for the future,” Craven said. “The theatre department’s participation is essential, we’re one of the few departments that has the ability to reach a wide range of people, not only across the university campus but also in the community.”
“The Bacchae of Euripides” previews Thursday, Feb. 6 followed by opening night Friday, Feb. 7. The show will run through Saturday, Feb. 22. Ticket prices are $17 to $23 and $33 on opening night. Call the Clarence Brown Theatre box office at 974-5161 or Tickets Unlimited at 656-4444 to order tickets.
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By Katie Vloet
Photo by Leisa Thompson
From the beginning of the planning process, leaders of the University of Michigan Law School sought ways to make the new South Hall academic building a sustainable structure. That effort was recognized in June with the LEED Gold certification rating.
The 100,000-square-foot building's LEED score of 44 placed it solidly in the Gold category, which ranges from 39 to 51 points. LEED, or the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a rating system designed by the U.S. Green Building Council to evaluate the sustainability features of structures.
"We are very pleased by the LEED Gold certification, and also very proud of how we went about achieving it," said Dean Evan Caminker. "We wanted to make sure everything we were doing was sensible and appropriate for the building, as well as sustainable. We made an effort to seek LEED points by doing only things that would work well for the building and the people who use and maintain it."
South Hall, which opened to the public in January 2012, is a four-story building that combines a nod to history—the use of exterior stone from the same quarry used in the much-older Hutchins Hall, for example—and new features, such as wiring for modern technology.
LEED points were awarded in a number of categories, including the materials and resources used to construct the building, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design. Dual-flush toilets and low-flow sinks added points for water efficiency; high-efficiency HVAC systems and sensors that reduce indoor lighting with increased daylight contributed to the points awarded in the energy and atmosphere category.
"We have sophisticated lighting and HVAC systems, the likes of which have never been seen on this campus," said Michele Frasier Wing, '98, director of finance and planning at the Law School.
She also pointed out that some of the energy-efficiency standards are more difficult to achieve because of the school's geographic location. "Our systems have to deal with a range of 100 degrees in a year, which is a much bigger challenge than more temperate climates," she said.
Some of the systems are extremely complex. The intricate Quantum lighting system alone, for instance, required a three-day training session for Lois Harden, facilities manager for the Law School.
Around campus, LEED certification has been a priority in recent years. C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital was awarded LEED Silver certification earlier this year; the Samuel T. Dana Building in the School of Natural Resources and Environment became Gold certified in 2005; and the Stephen M. Ross School of Business Building was certified Silver in 2010.
Michigan Law students were actively engaged in the project from the outset. While the Law School always planned to make the building sustainable, some students urged the school to seek LEED certification for the project as well. One of those students, Sarah Bullard, '10, was pleased to hear the news of the LEED Gold certification.
"All along, we wanted to make sure the new building was beautiful but also sustainable, and for the Law School to be mindful of its impact," Bullard said. "They've done that, and I'm very happy that we were able to not just meet our goal of getting LEED certification, but to exceed it with the Gold rating."
Rebecca Eisenberg, the faculty chair of the Law School Building Committee, said the Law School found the most sensible ways to create a sustainable building, rather than "groveling for all the LEED points we could get." A roof garden, for instance, would have won more LEED points, but would not have made sense given the architecture of the Law School's buildings.
"We kept an eye on the LEED criteria to help us think of ways to minimize our environmental footprint, but we used our own judgment with the help of the University architects and engineers to make the best choices for us rather than following a standard list," she said. "In the end I'm happy to have the LEED Gold certification, but I'm really proud that we took responsibility for sound environmental stewardship upon ourselves rather than outsourcing that job to the LEED certifiers."
Alumni in Environmental Law
Professor Joseph Sax and his Intellectual Home at Michigan Law
Green Gavels Project
South Hall Awarded LEED Gold Rating
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Time and Men and Deeds
- Blue Highways: A Journey into America by William Least Heat Moon
Secker, 421 pp, £8.95, May 1983, ISBN 0 436 28459 6
The platitude about America, also voiced by Americans, is that it is a country that thinks big and thinks new. One sees why. There is plenty of there, there, between Nameless, Tennessee and Liberty Bond, Washington – two stations on Moon’s orbit of his own land. As for novelty worship, planned obsolescence – though not necessarily more objectionable than the unplanned British kind – came in 31 flavours or 57 varieties long before the phrase was invented. The celebration of obsolescence even lies near the heart of the terminally destructive arms-race which America, naturally, leads. In the city park of Langdon, North Dakota, the author gazes at a ‘retired’ Spartan missile ‘that now apparently serves the same function as court-house lawn fieldpieces with little pyramids of cannonballs once did’. In Britain, we clearly treat ephemera of this kind with sad disrespect. Why was Julian Amery never invited to unveil one of the Blue Streaks that never were as an adornment to St James’s Park? When Mrs Finchley trades Polaris in for Trident, will the old model be put on public display outside the United Reformed church of that borough (conveniently called St Margaret’s)? A poor nation like our own should never order a missile without thinking about its antiquarian value.
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For Immediate Release
Contact: Howard M. Shanker, The Shanker Law Firm,
PLC, 480-838-9448; email: email@example.com
Arizona Defends Its Right to Destroy the Last Free Flowing River in the Desert Southwest for Developers’ Benefit; Center for Biological Diversity Counters With Lawsuit
Phoenix, AZ– June 8, 2004 – A number of citizens and environmental groups, led by the Center for Biological Diversity, are waging an uphill legal battle to try to protect the San Pedro River Basin, a wildlife area located
The state is required to evaluate a developer’s water supply plans. If the state determines that water supplies are inadequate, then that determination must be disclosed in all promotional material and contracts related to the sale of the lots. Prior to September 29, 1993, the state issued most developers in the Sierra Vista Sub-basin of the San Pedro River, statements indicating that there was not an adequate supply of water. Since 1993, the availability of water in the sub-basin has been diminishing at an alarming rate. Nevertheless, since September 29, 1993, the state has maintained a practice of issuing statements to developers indicating that there is an adequate water supply.
The San Pedro River is internationally renowned for its biological diversity. In 1993, Life Magazine recognized the San Pedro River as one of “America’s Last Great Places.” In 1995, the American Bird Conservancy recognized the San Pedro River as its first “Globally Important Bird Area”
According to Robin Silver, M.D., the Conservation Chair for the Center for Biological Diversity and a San Pedro property owner, “ADWR adequacy determinations are a sham. An adequate supply of water does not exist without loss of the San Pedro and the taking of federal water rights. ADWR has issued approximately 1,345 new well permits and adequacy statements for more than 13,000 homes in the area since its 1993 policy reversal. As a result, an estimated 7,400 acre-feet per year of deficit groundwater pumping was projected in the sub-watershed for the year 2000, and the deficit is on target to increase to almost 13,000 acre-feet per year by 2020.”
Howard Shanker of the Shanker Law Firm, PLC, who is representing the plaintiffs, says, “The state appears to be doing everything in its power to destroy an ecologically unique and valuable area – all to benefit a handful of developers. There is no supportable scientific or technical basis to justify the state’s reversal in practice, yet our state government is continuing to mislead people who want to purchase homes in the area. They think they have a sufficient supply of water to last 100 years, but they do not.”
Shanker continues, “There is a clear connection between the draining of the groundwater for subdivisions and the viability of the base flow of the San Pedro River. The state argued in court that ADWR does not have to consider impacts on the river or surface water when it makes an adequacy evaluation – but that is tantamount to legally closing its eyes. In reality, the only way a 100-year supply of water in the Upper San Pedro Basin could possibly exist, is through the illegal denial of federal water rights and the resulting loss of the San Pedro River.”
In March 2004, the State Superior Court ruled, in part, that the plaintiffs did not have standing to challenge the state’s adequacy determinations. Shanker says, “According to the court, only the developers who benefit from this nonsense have standing to challenge the practice.” Plaintiffs have just filed their Notice of Appeal.
The Shanker Law Firm, PLC, is located at 600 E. Baseline Rd., Suite C-8, Tempe, Arizona 85283-1210; phone 480-838-9448; fax 480-838-9433.
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Puerto Rico-based bank Banco Popular was recently admonished for its approval of Small Business Association (SBA) loans to companies that it did not properly analyze for earnings and repayment potential. Now it appears the practice of issuing “liar loans” is not limited to Banco Popular, with industry insiders coming forth with claims that loan officers never look at earnings projections; that those concerns are so far down the list as to be unacknowledged. Further investigation has revealed that banks are only half the problem, and that many franchisors have provided false earnings statements to franchisees seeking loans, often inflating projected earnings on paper to ensure the franchisee accepts the risk and also gets the needed SBA loan. For more on this continue reading the following article from Blue MauMau.
A major franchise lender, Banco Popular, has been rebuked by the Small Business Administration for participating in lending chicanery. The censure has both the lending and franchise industries concerned that the investigation may spread beyond the Puerto Rico-based bank.
Experts think that the real reason Banco Popular was singled out was that its vice president admitted to the SBA that the bank had not bothered to verify earnings projections from franchise borrowers. Although the SBA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) focused on 12 loans that the bank provided to Huntington Learning franchise owners, it looks like the number of loan applications with bogus earnings projections extend far beyond the confines of the bank, and far beyond Huntington Learning Centers franchisee borrowers.
Experts say industrywide abuse
Bob Coleman, publisher of the Coleman Report for lenders and a consultant to small business bankers, thinks that the situation isn't limited to just Banco Popular. Most lenders thought future projections were unimportant. "That was pretty much the whole industry that did it that way," he declares. He thinks future financial estimates for a business were never a high priority for bankers in screening the viability of an SBA-guaranteed loan. "Projections were seventeenth on the list," he emphasizes.
"This is a practice that is general with SBA loans in the lending industry," agrees Harry Rifkin, a Maryland-based attorney.
One businessman, John, has been instrumental in pointing out the dubious bank loans to the SBA's OIG. John told Blue MauMau that he is aware of the OIG tracking over a hundred other bogus loan applications from other lenders that fit the same artificially high earnings profile as the Huntington Learning loans at Banco Popular. It should be noted that all franchisees contacted by this journal, except one, wanted to stay anonymous for fear that their former franchisor might retaliate in court. Because of this, the franchisees have each been given fictitious names, including John.
"Lenders wanted to make sure you weren't on probation for murder," explains Coleman on how inattentive some preferred lenders were in the past in handing out SBA-guaranteed loans.
The abuse of taxpayer-backed loans by banks generally uncaring about having reasonable business earnings projections promises to go far beyond the rebuke of Banco Popular.
Barbara Arena, who has been an SBA lender for over 25 years with such companies as CIT and now New England-based Granite State Development Corporation, thinks from the SBA Banco Popular report that there will be more investigations to come. After all, the OIG only looked at 12 SBA loans from Banco Popular, out of a batch of 25. "The SBA will get around to everyone else. Banco Popular just may have been the first," says Arena. She thinks for the most part that her lending colleagues have been carefully watching loan applications.
SBA liar loans involve many banks, franchise systems
According to former franchisees Deborah Williams and Richard Welshans, The Coffee Beanery provided false financial projections for her to put in her SBA loan application, although she didn't realize it at the time. According to a successful lawsuit by Williams and Welshans, who were represented by attorney Harry Rifkin, The Coffee Beanery fraudulently hid critical information when they bought a coffee shop franchise. A former corporate officer for a national hair styling chain, Williams has pored over her early business documents. She says that The Coffee Beanery knowingly put in astronomic earnings projections of over $400,000 for the first year in her loan application, which was subsequently approved by Sandy Spring Bank of Maryland.
In The Coffee Beanery system, Williams and Welshans weren't alone in having such high, unsubstantiated numbers. The reality was that the franchising company had already collected revenues from every store and compiled the results in a report called the CB Data Historical Sales Report. According to 50 The Coffee Beanery store revenue reports that Blue MauMau has gathered, first year stores actually performed from a third to a half less than shown in the Welshans and Williams SBA loan application, from a low of $150k to a high of $320k. Most store revenues hovered around $200k. No store reached the estimated minimum sales of $410,000 that was declared on their loan application to Sandy Spring Bancorp. Its numbers were guided by their franchisor and prepared by a lending broker middleman on behalf of the franchisee.
With a lot of hard work and effort, Williams and Welshans managed to perform among the highest for first year franchises. Their store actually brought in $323.690. But that was short of what was planned, was under breakeven point, and was short of what the franchisor said it would be.
Was it just sloppiness in putting down figures or did The Coffee Beanery knowingly distort the numbers?
Records show that the franchisor knew. In a deposition of The Coffee Beanery's controller Robert Duha at an arbitration hearing, Mr. Duha was asked, "Was The Coffee Beanery aware that except for one, maybe two, that the cafes were losing money?"
"Yes," answered Duha.
And yet the franchisor provided figures on the SBA loan application that showed stores breaking even in order to qualify for the loan. According to Mr. Welshans, franchisor The Coffee Beanery was heavily involved in telling him what numbers to put into the loan application. The former franchisee recalls: "The SBA will never give you a loan on that (revenue projection) said the finance manager at Coffee Beanery." Welshans was told to increase revenue projections by $75,000 for the first year of the cafe. "There are many more franchisees in Coffee Beanery that had the same thing happen to them that happened to me," says Welshans.
Controller Duha wasn't alone in his testimony. The Coffee Beanery's former Chief Operating Officer also testified in the arbitration hearing that only three stores out of the system broke even the first year.
"After that, everybody else lost money," said the Chief Operating Officer.
"Was this known to The Coffee Beanery management?" asked franchisee attorney Harry Rifkin.
"Yeah. We weren't dummies. I mean, we discussed it," the COO answered.
Welshans and Williams feel that they have been misled by the franchisor from the very beginning and never really had a chance. In the end they filed for bankruptcy, lost their house, and for a time wondered if they would be homeless. They feel that the intent of both their franchisor and the bank was to put in whatever was necessary to qualify them to buy a bad concept that never worked, courtesy of U.S. taxpayers.
However, the Williams and Welshans case was not part of the batch that the SBA's Office of Inspector General examined. The OIG narrowly focused on one bank's, Banco Popular's, loans to one franchise chain, Huntington Learning Centers.
Franchisee John paid his banker a fee of $13,000 for underwriting his franchise loan and paid his loan broker $4,000. Not being able to break even for a single month, he folded his business within 18 months. He filed for bankruptcy, losing half a million dollars in the venture, and is now having to sell his home to pay his debts.
What was known was far from what was used in the loan applications. After he bought the franchise, the Huntington Learning Center corporate office in Oradell, New Jersey, published first year earnings for their centers in a February 2008 Huntington Headlines newsletter to franchisees. "Brand new franchise centers increased by five percent from $20,734 per month in 2006 ($248,808 annual) to an average of $21,856 per month ($262,272 annual) in 2007." In contrast, John's projection in his SBA loan application filled out by the loan broker was $523,000. The projections in the loan were 100 percent higher than the company's own published first year store average.
When John's first year settled, his revenues in reality were only $200,000.
Another former Huntington franchisee, Randy, told Blue MauMau that the SBA had contacted him as well. His application mirrored those that Banco Popular had approved. However, his lender was CIT, a giant national lender that recently declared bankruptcy.
Randy went bankrupt in two years.
This is part two of a five part series in which Blue MauMau investigates how SBA-backed liar loans have encroached into franchising. It is the result of months of investigation by this journal of SBA-backed loan applications to banks and lenders. Read Part 1: SBA Rebukes Banco Popular for Liar Loans
This article was republished with permission from Blue MauMau.
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You may have seen the recent article in the Lawrence Journal World about ebook lending in area libraries. Or maybe you’ve tried the State Library’s 3M ebook service, available via our website, and wondered why there aren’t more titles available. The availability of ebooks for libraries is a hot topic right now, one that is complex and a little confusing. Here’s a brief from the American Library Association about the state of ebook publishing and sales to libraries:
Who are the “Big Six” and why are they called that?
The Big Six publishers are: Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin, Random House, and Simon & Schuster. They are known as the “Big Six” because, together, they control roughly two-thirds of the U.S. consumer book publishing market.
With the October 29, 2012, announcement that Random House and Penguin plan to merge, and news in November that News Corp. (owner of HarperCollins) was in talks to acquire Simon & Schuster, the number of major publishing houses could decline to four.
What is the status of Big Six publishers selling to libraries?
While they are sometimes lumped together, the large publishers vary widely in their approaches to selling e-book titles to libraries, and conditions continue to shift as publishers change prices or restrictions and undertake pilots. As of November 27, 2012, this is the status of relations between large publishers and U.S. libraries:
- Simon & Schuster has never offered e-books to libraries and has not indicated plans to work with libraries. Among their most popular e-book titles denied to U.S. libraries are: “Bruce” by Peter Ames Carlin and “Team of Rivals” by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
- Macmillan has never offered e-books to libraries but announced plans in September 2012 to begin a pilot to explore how they might work with libraries. Among their most popular e-book titles denied to U.S. libraries are: “Killing Kennedy” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard and “Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel.
- Penguin offered titles to libraries through e-book distributor OverDrive until February 2012, when it discontinued its relationship with OverDrive. It recently launched a pilot with two large New York libraries and announced its content will be available to libraries through the 3M Cloud Library. Among the popular titles denied wide distribution to U.S. libraries are: “This Is How You Lose Her” by Junot Diaz and “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett.
- Hachette offers “backlist” (older) titles to libraries and has a pilot underway to explore conditions for offering more recent titles. OverDrive announced in September that the publisher was raising prices for its titles by about 100 percent. Among their most popular new e-book titles denied to U.S. libraries are: “The Casual Vacancy” by J.K. Rowling and “NYPD Red” by James Patterson and Marshall Karp.
- HarperCollins and Random House have always offered e-book titles to libraries. In February 2011, HarperCollins announced that new titles licensed from library e-book vendors would be able to circulate only 26 times before the license expires. In March 2012, Random House dramatically increased prices for libraries.
What about other publishers? Do they restrict sales and/or mark up costs to libraries, too?
Licensing terms of e-books to libraries vary among other publishers. In fact, hundreds of publishers of e-books have embraced the opportunity to create new sales and reach readers
through our nation’s libraries. One recent innovation allows library patrons to immediately purchase an e-book if the library doesn’t have a copy or if there is a wait list they would like to
avoid. This offers a win-win relationship for both publishers and library users since recent research from the Pew Internet Project tells us that library users are more than twice as likely
to have bought their most recent book as to have borrowed it from a library.
Why are e-books treated differently than print books?
As content migrates from physical to digital forms, the typical access model shifts from purchasing to licensing. Digital music and online journals represent examples of this shift from
the last few decades; e-books represent the latest form of content to make this transition. As licenses are contracts, libraries receive the rights articulated in the agreements. The usual ebook license with a publisher or distributor often constrains or altogether prohibits libraries from archiving and preserving content, making accommodations for people with disabilities, ensuring patron privacy, receiving donations of e-books, and selling e-books that libraries do not wish to retain.
Why does library lending matter when so many people are able to buy what they want?
America’s libraries have always provided unfettered, no-fee access to reading materials (no matter the format), which fosters educational opportunity for all. To deny library patrons
access to e-books that are available to consumers—and which libraries are eager to purchase or license on their behalf—is discriminatory. Society benefits from library book lending because it:
- Encourages experimentation with new authors, topics, and genres. Library lending promotes literacy, creativity, and innovation—all critical for being competitive in the global knowledge economy. This experimentation also stimulates the market of books.
- Provides access to books to people who cannot afford to purchase them. Access to books should be available to everyone regardless of financial or other special circumstances.
- Promotes substantive pursuits that necessitate access to diverse materials, including those that may not be popular bestsellers. Education, research and other projects may depend on access to tens, hundreds, or even thousands of books.
- Is complemented by library support for digital literacy. The technologies, formats, and systems associated with e-books are changing rapidly. Libraries help people develop the skills necessary to make efficient and effective use of e-books as a technology and service.
- Is accompanied by library values and advocacy on behalf of individuals. Libraries strive to ensure that personally identifiable reader information, along with reading activities, remain private.
(Last revised 11.27.12)
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Macalester Student Receives $10,000 to Improve
Irrigation in Zimbabwe this Summer
Davis Projects for Peace Initiative Renewed for Third Year
St. Paul, Minn. ― Douglas Mapondera, a sophomore at Macalester College, has received $10,000 from the Davis Projects for Peace Initiative. Mapondera, a native of Zimbabwe, will use his award to refurbish the irrigation infrastructure in Vuka Resettlement Community of Zimbabwe, an eight-year-old village of about 700 people in Vuka, Centinary, Zimbabwe. His project will begin May 24 and will take approximately two months to complete.
Through a competition on over 85 campuses, including Macalester, 100 projects from all regions of the world were selected for funding at $10,000 each. Designed to encourage and support motivated youth to create and implement their ideas for building peace throughout the world in the 21st century, “100 Projects for Peace” is an initiative open to students at Davis United World College Scholars Program schools, such as Macalester. Students design their own grassroots projects for peace that they themselves will implement anywhere in the world during the summer of 2009.
Karin Trail-Johnson, Associate Dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship and Director of the Civic Engagement Center, was part of the Macalester selection committee. “Douglas’ project exemplifies creativity, feasibility and originality, with potential for a lasting community impact,” said Trail-Johnson. “It’s his vision and ability to solve real problems that exemplifies the kind of “global citizen-leader” that Macalester fosters.”
Mapondera’s project objectives are to provide a sustainable source of income to Vuka villagers with a reliable water supply so they can farm lucrative cash crops, improve local standards of life and foreign currency inflow. Other objectives include creating a Project Fund to which beneficiaries can make monthly contributions to protect and maintain the equipment, improving food security thereby providing ample food year-round and reducing the odds of malnutrition, and encouraging hard work and optimism as well as dispelling discontentment.
“I plan to execute this project with my brother, (who is the project technical lead) and one of his colleagues,” said Mapondera. “They have worked together for the government for over five years in borehole and pump maintenance. My brother's expertise is in fitting and welding, his colleague is an expert electrician. Together they offer the technical knowledge critical to this project. The community head has also pledged support, mostly in manual labor.” Mapondera also said his brother has been working on the preparatory and logistical work for months.
Mapondera chose Vuka because he lives there, knows the villagers, understands the village’s needs, and will spend little on his accommodation and food expenses. In 2000, the area was a successful commercial farm when it was invaded by former liberation war fighters who damaged the irrigation system and stole parts. The land was divided into 70 family plots but now the villagers must carry water a significant distance to irrigate their crops. Vuka also has two large dams, the smaller being 1800 cubic meters (1000 meters liters is enough to irrigate the entire farm). And it has an established electrical supply, existent structures to house irrigation water pumps, functional, permanent, underground pipes, brick tobacco curing and sorting buildings, and very fertile land. This project will provide the resources for Mapondera to work with the family farmers to create a functional infrastructure for utilizing the water from the dams to water the crops.
Kathryn Wasserman Davis, on the occasion of her 100th birthday in 2007, launched and continues to fund the “100 Projects for Peace.” She has renewed her challenge to today’s generation of college students to undertake innovative and meaningful projects. She is the mother of Shelby M.C. Davis who funds the Davis UWC Scholars Program currently involving over 85 American colleges and universities, including Macalester.
“Kathryn Davis has been a lifelong internationalist and philanthropist, and has left her mark on a wide range of institutions and countless students,” said Executive Director of the Davis UWC Scholars Program Philip O. Geier. “The wisdom of her years has led her to look to young people for new ideas and fresh energy to improve the prospects for peace.”
At the end of the project, each student is required to submit a final report by September 14, 2009, limited to two pages of narrative with an accounting of the funds expended, and one page of digital photographs of the project. The narrative should include a brief restatement of the project’s purpose/plans, actual work completed, outcomes/achievements/failures, and long-term prospects of the initiative. Reports will be posted on the program’s website for all to see and learn from.
A complete list of the participating schools and projects, as well as a summary of the 2008 projects and a video interview with Davis from 2006, is available on the program’s Web site at www.davisprojectsforpeace.org.
Macalester College, founded in 1874, is a national liberal arts college with a full-time enrollment of 1,884 students. Macalester is nationally recognized for its long-standing commitment to academic excellence, internationalism, multiculturalism and civic engagement.
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Portland State Aerospace Society (PSAS) is a student aerospace engineering project at Portland State University. We're building ultra-low-cost, open hardware and open source rockets that feature perhaps the most sophisticated amateur rocket avionics systems out there today.
With the new proposed NASA budget eliminating the US manned spaceflight program and a heap of small private space companies popping up, the way we think about getting to space is changing. Is there room for open source in this brave new (space) world? PSAS has been working on open source avionics and hardware for small rockets for several years. We present our experience with, and thoughts on the future of, open source rocketry.
As a "software person," I found the hard technologies of building with steel and wood made for a very different creative and hacking process. At the same time, I discovered many parallels to software development, embedded hardware, and even open-source philosophies.
I'll talk about my methodology of finding inspiration, determining values, establishing functions, researching materials and methods, finding domain experts, building the structure, and solving problems. I'll also present some ideas to "sensorize" and network the vehicle, while keeping true to the overall design philosophies.
Inspired by gypsy caravans, British "showman's wagons," 1960s housetrucks & buses, Japanese architecture, and rustic shacks, the 8'x14' cabin is handmade of steel, wood, and wool, and is mounted on an Isuzu NPR truck.
With luck, the housetruck will be present onsite for touring and as a host of possibly the tiniest hacker lounge ever.
by Michael Pigg
I wanted to be able to monitor temperatures in multiple locations in my house so that I could tell if changes made in the HVAC system were working or not. Although a commercial solution would be easiest to implement, I decided to build my own instead. I designed a simple wireless temperature sensor around a Digi XBee wireless module that would send temperature readings at regular intervals. The next step was to build software to interface with the wireless sensors and capture the data that they were sending. The interface software (called XBeeLib) uses Apache Mina as a major component to handle translation of packets to and from the wireless modules. The monitoring software (called pHomeNet) is a Java-based system running on the Apache Felix OSGi container. Observations from the sensors are recorded into a database (Apache Derby by default). Although the system is currently focused on recording temperature sensor data, it could easily be adapted to record data from other sensors or even to control devices based on sensor inputs. This presentation will delve into the hardware and software aspects of the system, although with more emphasis on the software and the role that packages such as Apache Felix and Apache Mina play in the system.
by Sarah Sharp
This talk will provide a general overview of some of the cool new features of USB 3.0 devices, including link and function power management, and bulk endpoint "streams" that support SCSI command queuing.
Operating system developers will be interested in how to support those new features, USB hardware hackers will be interested in how to communicate with USB 3.0 devices, and everyone else gets a sneak peek into what the next generation of USB 3.0 devices will look like.
1st–4th June 2010
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Cops & Courts
How much of "Oakland" is actually in the Oakland Police Department?
Of the 2,000 people who initially applied for the 55 new positions on the Oakland Police force, most were from outside the city. In fact, more than 90% of the current police force does not live in Oakland, something that activists say strains community police relations and affects city resources. Oakland spends about 40% of its general fund on police – that compares with 26% spent on police in San Jose, 17% in Sacramento and 7% in Long Beach.
Oakland’s police expenditures are the focus of the cover article in this week's East Bay Express, which states that Oakland could be losing nearly $200 million a year in revenue because the money goes to officers who live elsewhere and consequently don’t spend much of their income within the city.
Reporters Ali Winston and Darwin Bond-Graham shared their thoughts on the OPD's lack of local officers with KALW's Holly Kernan.
DARWIN BOND-GRAHAM: "It is a two-part problem. One part is that if the officers aren't from Oakland and they don't live in Oakland, then when they come in to do their job, a lot of residents feel that they're coming in as some sort of an occupying force. That's one of the phrases that we've heard, and the community police relations are strained because of that. The second part of the problem is economic: if none of the officers live here, that means that a lot of money in the form of salaries and benefits are flowing out to suburban communities where officers live."
Click on the player above to hear the full interview.
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By MARC COHN
Special to the News
The Hood River News of March 29 had a number of letters and an Op-Ed piece all commenting negatively on “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” Unfortunately, these comments are just not based in reality.
Wendy Best would blame George Bush for our current economy when virtually every expert agrees the primary cause is the excesses of the “dot-bomb” phenomenon that drained one trillion dollars of investment capital and produced nothing in return (except a number of very young, very rich millionaires). Neither Mr. Bush nor Mr. Clinton nor any other president has been able to control senseless speculation or its negative effects.
Leigh Hancock worries about how many people will die in “this senseless war.” I don’t know but I do know the number of Iraqis Saddam has already killed and the casualties in this war cannot possibly come close to that total.
It makes sense to me to end the regime that has killed several hundred thousand of its own citizens even if it means that some more might die in the process.
Dee Holzman claims the administration is misguided but can there be any doubt that Iraq under Saddam has actively aided terror groups with various kinds of assistance and that the potential of providing them with nerve gas or anthrax is real? Yes, terrorism is accomplished by a “borderless enemy,” but too often they are “sponsored” by rogue states.
Lastly, Diane Allen tries to make a case for the current wave of war protestors. The problem is that the massive (and effective) rallies she alludes to that helped end the Vietnam War were not in violation of the law. Instead, they were held with proper permits and did not disrupt or interfere with people trying to conduct their everyday lives. The First Amendment does NOT guarantee the right to break the law.
The Hood River News op-ed piece warned “many were wary about picking a fight.” War is a terrible thing for everyone involved. The violence de-humanizes us all. But there are people and circumstances that offer no other options absent surrender. To allow Iraq to continue to defy the United Nations after 1991 was a mistake and we are now paying for the United Nations reluctance to face up to the problem. And oh yes, when the final accounting is in we will see that there were many multi-million dollar arms deals between Iraq and the French, Germany and Russia. Shame on them.
It irks me that many of those protesting the war seek to find ulterior motives when the simple explanation is that our president simply did not want to gamble with the fate of the United States against the potential damage of a madman. In 1963 President Kennedy gave Khrushchev a similar ultimatum — remove Soviet missiles from Cuba in 48 hours or face the Strategic Air Command with B52s carrying nuclear bombs. Unfortunately, Saddam did not take advantage of his 48-hour grace period.
Marc Cohn lives in Hood River.
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ALL South Africans, regardless of color, were safer and more prosperous under the old apartheid regime than they are now.
Click the above link, read the text, watch the videos, and read the comments.
While you’re at it, join Blogmocracy. You have to register to comment, but registration is open, and takes about a minute.
Oh, and by the way, Nelson Mandela is, and always was, evil.
I am old enough to remember that the only reason Nelson Mandela wasn’t let out of prison for so many years was simply that he refused to renounce violence. He is also a Marxist who brought ruin to his own country, as Marxists always do. In short, Mandela is no martyr; he’s a monster. But then, practically none of the Nobel Peace Prize laureates have been worthy. With scarcely any exceptions, the world would have been a far better place if none of the individual winners of the Nobel Peace Prize had ever been born, and none of the institutional winners had ever been founded.
I fear that Alfred Nobel may have earned himself a special place in Hell – not for manufacturing arms, nor for inventing dynamite – but rather, for endowing the Nobel Peace Prize and thereby offering a major incentive to psychopathic egomaniacs.
Politicians, like journalists, are egomaniacs, who search for a vehicle through which to leave their mark and attain prominence. This is why actors, singers and other artists are actually superior to politicians and journalists. They channel their egos into something creative, which doesn’t play with the world as if a chessboard, wreaking havoc and destruction in their wake. An egomaniac’s vehicle should always and only be the arts, not statecraft, religion or journalism.
No, the admins of 1389 Blog are not “white supremacists” (whatever that is supposed to mean).
I suppose I’d better get ready for the usual South African punishment for political incorrectness.
- Sheik: A Postcard From Fundamentally Transformed South Africa
- Ron Radosh: Stalinism Lives in South Africa: Was Nelson Mandela a Secret Communist?
With all due respect to Mr. Radosh, I’m not sure that Mandela’s Communist proclivities were much of a secret. The worldwide, “anticolonial”/”Third World liberation” movements were Soviet-funded from the get-go, and sought to replace Western colonialism with the Soviet variety. Same with the “civil rights movement” in the US. Even though the USSR is no more, its successors remain in the US, in South Africa, and many other places.
- Rian Malan: Mandela’s secret history
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My topic this week is the second round of the Police Chief Selection Committee.
After attending the first meeting of the retake of the Police Chief Selection Committee, I gave the staff and the committee an A+ for the teamwork they displayed.
Mr. Icsman physically appeared before the committee to let them know that the committee is considered a public body. He proceeded to enlighten them about the obligations of a public body. Before leaving the meeting, Mr. Icsman offered his help if the group should need further assistance from him. There was no question that his legal expertise was needed in assisting the group.
The definition of a “public body”: Any board, commission, committee, subcommittee, council, or similar decision making body of a state agency, institution, or authority, and any legislative authority or board, commission, committee, council, agency, authority, or similar decision making body of any county, township, municipal corporation, school district, or other political subdivision or local public institution.
As for the Human Resource staff member attending the meeting, she documented the meeting with assistance from a tape recorder so minutes of the meeting will be available.
HR should be trained in the Sunshine Law. If the HR staff member had been properly trained, she could have assisted the committee tremendously with her knowledge because she would have had the training to implement the following items listed below, which is required of a public body.
Basic 101 of the Sunshine Law:
Doors are to be unlocked during the public body meeting.
Minutes shall be promptly prepared, filed and maintained and open for public inspection.
Meetings are to be announced ahead of time. If a special meeting is called, other then the regular meetings, a twenty-four hour notice is required.
Meetings are to be open to the public.
Public bodies are allowed to go into executive session if the occasion warrants.
Until next week, the city staff and the commissioners must become more proactive and work as a team in order to prevent unnecessary legal expenses. There is absolutely no room for ignorance of the law when the Sunshine Law training is offered free by the State.
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By Paul Pannone
The high cost of labor and tax liability in the United States are blamed as primary reasons why American companies manufacture their goods elsewhere. While Americans say they want to see jobs return to the United States business owners say they’re torn between staying competitive and their patriotism. Meanwhile the outsourcing creates the easy opportunity for China to make the goods and sell directly to unsuspecting American consumers.
PortaPocket owner would love to find a way to make her products in American.
eWedNewz continues our investigation and why Americans say they want products made here while buying products made elsewhere.
One business owner says she’s torn between the no-brain move of making her products off-shore because of the cost effectiveness while maintaining her patriotism.
Kendra Kroll, owner of PortaPocket, explains;
”Not everyone making products overseas deserves to be shunned. The fact of the matter is; some of us “small guys” are totally patriotic, yet HAVE NO CHOICE than to make our products elsewhere due to being priced out of the market in the USA. Our products are made from neoprene which takes a certain type of machinery to work with. If you have a supplier in the states that can make my patented PortaPocket products at the same cost that I get from Cambodia and China… I’m all ears! I’d like nothing better than to manufacture my designs here but have not been able to find anyone who can do it at a rate that leaves enough margin so that I can price them at a level where people will buy.”
Kroll and many other US companies are forced to live with the problems and challenges of off shore productions of their products because of pricing. But new information shows American companies suddenly face competition from their manufacturing partners that copy products and sell to the same market for lower prices.
Liz St. John answers Kroll with empathy but keeps the record straight;
“PortaPocket Gal… I, like you, am a “little guy” and just to clarify, this story is not about manufacturing overseas, but rather about overseas manufacturers COPYING your product, and passing it off to unsuspecting consumers as an authentic product, made by YOU. It’s a lose/lose situation, for the consumer, that usually ends up with a far inferior product if they get one at all, and you lose a sale that was otherwise intended for you alone. If you have a manufacturer overseas copying and selling your patented PortaPocket direct to a consumer, and cutting you completely out of the transaction, you would feel the same way?”
A current eWedNewz poll asks whether it matters where products are made. Right now 38% say it does matter, while 19% say it doesn’t. 44% of respondents so far say they want to see products made here in the United States.
“One would think that’s a clear statement in favor of at least the quality of American-made products. In other words, no one favors the lack of quality displayed by the knock offs. Of course everyone wants to pay less but at what price? Certainly not in the disappointment given by supporting inferior products,” says Jim Duhe, a proponent for quality, wherever it’s made.
What do you think? Take the poll.
All Rights Reserved
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Miss Piggy: Hunters Frank Lizama, left, and Aaron Jessop displays the carcass of female wild pig at the Mangilao Community Center yesterday. They shot the swine while participating in the second Pig Hunting Derby. The islandwide hunt, sponsored by the Guam Bureau of Statistics, Guam Coastal Management and the Guam Department of Agriculture, was held to reduce the feral pig population. Jerick Sablan/Pacific Sunday Newsfirstname.lastname@example.org
Big pigs, small pigs, medium-size pigs -- all types of pigs were caught during the start of the second Pig Hunting Derby yesterday.
The hunt continues today and sponsors are hoping the hunters will get a good number of pigs by the end of the event. The first derby took place in April.
The derby is sponsored by the Guam Bureau of Statistics, Guam Coastal Management and the Guam Department of Agriculture. ...
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Issue 435 -- May 29- June 04, 2010
U.S. Militarization - The Tragedy Of Somalia
When Barack Obama was elected president of the US, it was supposed to be the end of the bad old days of George W. Bush. But in Somalia, the 'war on terror' continues.
March this year saw the start of a new US operation in support of the transitional government in Somalia.
According to the New York Times, American advisors had spent the last several months training Somali forces to be deployed in the offensive against factions of the Union of Islamic Courts movement, and the US had provided 'covert training to Somali intelligence officers, logistical support to the peacekeepers, fuel for the maneuvers, surveillance information about insurgent positions and money for bullets and guns'.
This was something of a covert operation from the US point of view. A US official, who told the paper 'what you're likely to see is air strikes and Special Ops moving in, hitting and getting out', said he was not allowed to speak publicly about it.
The Somali government, however, was happy to boast of US involvement. General Mohamed Gelle Kahiye, the new chief of staff of the armed forces, said of a military surveillance plane overhead, 'It's the Americans. They're helping us.'
On 2 May, explosions in a mosque in Mogadishu's Bakara market, a stronghold of the US-targeted Al Shabaab group, killed 45 people and triggered fighting between a pro-government militia and Al Shabaab and Hizbal al Islam, both factions of the Union of Islamic Courts movement. It's not clear who actually set off the explosions, but it is beginning to seem that Somalia could be the US Africa Command's (AFRICOM) first overt war.
The Obama administration's 2011 budget request for security assistance programmes in Africa includes $38 million for arms sales to African states, $21 million for training African officers and $24 million for anti-terrorism programmes. This is in addition to the 40 tones of arms and ammunition supplied to the Somali transitional government in 2009, and military aid to Ethiopia, which fronted for the US in the fight against the Union of Islamic Courts in 2006. AFRICOM has now taken over US security assistance programmes with Mali, Niger, Chad and Senegal, and the Defense Department is now considering forming a 1,000-strong marine rapid deployment force for Africa. Although AFRICOM gives the impression it is not a combat force, it looks as if this may change.
The justification for US involvement in Somalia is 'Islamic extremism'. Al Shabaab is on the US list of terrorist organizations as a supposed part of al-Qaeda. On 14 March, General William ('Kip') Ward, commander of AFRICOM, singled out Somalia in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee as the east African country most 'threatened by terrorists', while Senator Carl Levin stated that 'al Qaeda and violent extremists who share their ideology are not just located in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region but in places like Somalia, Mali, Nigeria and Niger'. Kip Ward also spoke of support for the Somali government, which is being fought against by radical Islamist groups, as a responsibility that the US has to take up. This means that there is no separation between the US-UK presence in Afghanistan and AFRICOM's operations in Somalia and other parts of Africa.
Writing in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on 10 March, the last ambassador of the United States to Somalia (1994-95), Daniel H. Simpson, posed the question 'Why, apart from the only lightly documented charge of Islamic extremism among the Shabaab, is the United States reengaging in Somalia at this time?' He provided the answer himself: 'Part of the reason is because the United States has its only base in Africa up the coast from Mogadishu, in Djibouti, the former French Somaliland. The US Africa Command was established there in 2008, and, absent the willingness of other African countries to host it, the base in Djibouti became the headquarters for US troops and fighter bombers in Africa.'
AFRICOM, responsible for US military operations for the whole of the African continent except Egypt, was established in October 2008, but the idea goes back to the beginning of the decade, when the US National Intelligence Council estimated that the US will buy 25 per cent of its oil from Africa by 2015. Oil and natural gas seems to always sit nicely with this so-called war on terror.
The case of Somalia epitomizes the proxy war situation in Africa and also smashes some of the myths around why African countries are in the situation they are. It's sometimes argued that the different languages and tribes in many African countries are the cause of their problems. However, Somalia is one country with one language and one dominant religion, so by that reasoning it should have more internal harmony than its neighbors. The explanation for its problems lies in the history of colonialism and exploitation by Western powers. The breakdown of national cohesion in Somalia and the civil war in 1988, since when the country has been ungovernable from Mogadishu, was caused by its use in the Cold War and specifically by President Siyad Barre's decision to seek alliances with the US and apartheid South Africa against Soviet Union-backed Ethiopia. Subsequent international interventions, like the UN force in 1992 and the Ethiopian US-backed invasion in 2006 have been more about occupation than mediation.
The US proxy war in Africa is a mechanism to re-colonize the continent and extend the boundaries of the war on terror. It's time to mobilize against it. To support the campaign against AFRICOM and the proxy situation in Africa, check the Sons and daughters of Africa Movement Facebook page, coordinated in Europe by Agnes Munyi-Vanselow and Explo Nani-Kofi of KILOMBO - Campaigning Against Proxy War Situation in Africa and AFRICOM. The latter is affiliated with the Stop the War Coalition in the UK.
This article was originally published by Counterfire. Explo Nani-Kofi is coordinator of KILOMBO - Centre for Civil Society and African Self-Determination as well as editor of the Kilombo Pan-African Community Journal.
27 May 2010
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I like to distinguish between a "goal mindset" and a "growth mindset." A church leader with a "goal mindset" has very tangible, numerical goals to achieve over a specific period of time. Nothing is wrong with clearly defined goals, but there's a better way of thinking that I call a "growth mindset." A growth mindset recognizes goals on the journey, but only as part of a process—not as the end results.
Leaders of successful churches are tempted to stop working on themselves, but when the pastor doesn't grow, the people don't grow. It's the Law of the Lid: a stagnant church leader stunts the growth of the church. I hope these thoughts on leadership will inspire you to maintain this “growth mindset,” for your personal benefit and for the benefit of those you lead.
- It's true that charisma can make a person stand out for a moment, but character sets a person apart for a lifetime.
- You build trust with others each time you choose integrity over image, truth over convenience, or honor over personal gain.
- Character makes trust possible, and trust is the foundation of leadership.
- Character creates consistency, and if your people know what they can expect from you, they will continue to look to you for leadership.
- Over time, is it easier or harder to sustain your influence within your organization? With charisma alone, influence becomes increasingly more difficult to sustain. With character, as time passes, influence builds and requires less work to sustain.
- Great communication depends on two simple skills—context, which attunes a leader to the same frequency as his or her audience, and delivery, which allows a leader to phrase messages in a language the audience can understand.
- Earn the right to be heard by listening to others. Seek to understand a situation before making judgments about it.
- Take the emotional temperature of those listening to you. Facial expressions, voice inflection and posture give clues to a person’s mood and attitude.
- Persuasive communication involves enthusiasm, animation, audience participation, authenticity and spontaneity.
- Credibility is a leader's currency. With it, he or she is solvent; without it, he or she is bankrupt.
- Speak the truth. Transparency breeds legitimacy.
- Don’t hide bad news. With multiple information channels available, bad news always becomes known. Be candid right from the start.
- A highly credible leader under-promises and over-delivers.
- Diligent follow-up and follow-through will set you apart from the crowd and communicate excellence.
- A trustworthy leader goes the extra mile to remedy strained relationships, even when it doesn’t appear to be required.
- "Failing forward" is the ability to get back up after you've been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.
- Don't buy into the notion that mistakes can somehow be avoided. They can't be.
- Failure is not a one-time event; it's how you deal with life along the way. Until you breathe your last breath, you're still in the process, and there is still time to turn things around for the better.
- You are the only person who can label what you do a failure. Failure is subjective.
- Don't allow the fire of adversity to make you a skeptic. Allow it to purify you.
- Generally speaking, there are two kinds of learning: experience, which is gained from your own mistakes, and wisdom, which is learned from the mistakes of others.
- Seek advice, but make sure it's from someone who has successfully handled mistakes or adversities.
- When to quit: (1) Quit something you don't do well to start something you do well. (2) Quit something you're not passionate about to do something that fills you with passion. (3) Quit something that doesn't make a difference to do something that does.
- People change when they hurt enough that they have to, learn enough that they want to, or receive enough that they are able to.
- More than anything else, followers want to believe that their leaders are ethical and honest.
- When your people see that you are not only competent to lead but also have a track record of successes, they will have confidence in following you, even when they don't understand all the details.
- As a leader, it's your job to get your people excited about what their work will accomplish; it’s a natural motivator.
Fostering Creativity in Others
- People are an organization's only appreciable asset, but creative people are an organization's most needed asset.
- Be willing to absorb some risk and failures to allow people freedom to express themselves.
- Creative leaders inherently know when rules need to be challenged, and they can see when a more flexible approach should be taken.
- Handle the ideas of your people carefully: If an idea is half-developed but has potential, pass it to the people in your organization who are proven process thinkers and implementers.
- Sometimes giving your people permission to be creative is not enough; inspire them by modeling creativity.
- The word 'reactive' and the word 'creative' are made up of exactly the same letters; the only difference between the two is that you 'c' (see) differently.
Fostering Your Own Creativity
- When you are the leader in your field, it takes a greater level of innovation and commitment to stay there.
- Make a point to continually search for a better way of doing things, even when things are going well, to ensure that a better alternative has not been overlooked and to keep your creative talents in practice.
- Practice mental agility: Before you write off a far-fetched idea, back up and look at the big picture, because it might fit perfectly on another level.
- Have fun: When you are truly having fun in your work, creativity flows freely.
Leading Difficult People
- Consider who you are working with: Part of the art of leadership is discovering the unique relationship between the needs of the individual and the organization.
- People only know that you and the organization intend to meet their needs when you tell them so.
- Determine how to help the person, tell them how you will do it, and follow through – before asking the individual to do things in return for you.
- People working together ultimately succeed or fail based on their commitment to one another.
- Never give up easily on one of your people; it does a disservice to that individual and to you.
- The better you are at surrounding yourself with people of high potential, the greater your chance for success.
- Every relationship in your organization will affect you one way or another. Those who do not increase you will inevitably decrease you.
- When you delegate a task to your people, make a point to help them capture your vision for what the completed task will look like.
- Hold your people accountable to a measurable standard of excellence, and make rewards and consequences a part of enforcing the standard.
- Give your people full responsibility (ownership) for the completion of specific tasks and the prospect of sharing in the rewards that result.
- Successful leadership is about 90% people knowledge and 10% product knowledge.
- You can have strong people skills and not be a good leader, but you cannot be a good leader without people skills.
- The highest compliment a person can receive is one given by his or her leader; make a habit of being generous and sincere with your compliments.
- When your people are having trouble seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, remind them of the purpose of their work and help them envision what their work will accomplish.
- Don't judge what your people want to tell you before they've told you. Listen to them.
- Part of your job as a leader is to help your people figure out what they're most passionate about, and then to help them pursue it.
- The more seriously you take your growth, the more seriously your people will take you.
- Leaders never outgrow the need to change.
- My leadership began to take flight when I allowed myself to press people to change—whether they thanked me or cursed me.
- Eventually, you must disengage from the relationships you’ve outgrown, or they will limit your growth as a leader.
- Leadership involves the heavy burden of responsibility, and the fear of getting it wrong can paralyze a leader.
- Confront your inadequacies and push your personal boundaries: It’s the surest way to grow, improve and expand the scope of your influence.
- It doesn't matter how hard or long you work if you're not accomplishing what needs to be done.
- Plan and execute your first failure so that you no longer have to fear it.
- If the size of a task causes you to procrastinate or completely shy away, break it into smaller, more manageable tasks.
- Often people fail to start or complete a task because they don't see any connection between what they're doing and what they really want to accomplish in life.
Recognizing Leadership Potential
- Your key people can be spotted when important decisions are being made, because they're the ones explaining what needs to be done.
- Determine how your potential leaders relate to the rest of your people; the people with the greatest potential won't have burned too many bridges.
- A potential leader who obeys God is in a much better position to succeed than one who ignores God's will for his life.
- Your potential leaders must have established a foundation of trust with others.
- A potential leader is the one who would be able to mentally sustain your organization's vision if you quit thinking for the next month.
- Potential leaders come to you to offer help more often than you go to them to give guidance.
- True leadership requires serving others full time; potential leaders are ready and willing to do so.
- Potential leaders make themselves valuable because they see and seize opportunities to better the organization—regardless of the nature or size of the task.
- Though loyalty does not make a leader, disloyalty prevents a person from becoming one.
- Reaching the top is a monumental achievement, but remaining there may be the most spectacular feat of all.
- The biggest detriment to tomorrow's success is today's success.
- Passion creates energy and magnetically pulls co-workers and customers into a shared vision, and it is exceptionally strong when linked with a leader's values.
- Leaders don't rise to the pinnacle of success without developing the right set of attitudes and habits; they make every day a masterpiece.
- The best leaders are humble enough to realize their victories depend upon their people.
- Teams make you better than you are, multiply your value, enable you to do what you do best, allow you to help others do their best, give you more time, provide you with companionship, help you fulfill the desires of your heart and compound your vision and effort.
- Transmit your vision emotionally by gaining credibility, demonstrating passion, establishing relationships and communicating a felt need. Transmit it logically by confronting reality, formulating strategy, accepting responsibility, celebrating victory and learning from defeat.
- Values hold the team together, provide stability for the team to grow upon, measure the team's performance, give direction and guidance and attract like-minded people.
- Coming together is a beginning, and staying together is progress, but only when teams sweat together do they find success.
- The Wrong Person in the Wrong Place = Regression. The Wrong Person in the Right Place = Frustration. The Right Person in the Wrong Place = Confusion. The Right Person in the Right Place = Progression. The Right People in the Right Places = Multiplication.
- An organization's structure does not cause growth, but it does control the rate and size of your growth.
- Talented performers flock to the best and brightest leaders, and these leaders in turn lift the lids off their people and uncork the latent talent inside of them.
- The best way to serve the individuals on the team is to see that the whole team wins.
- Although it's admirable to be ambitious and hard-working, it's more desirable to be smart-working.
- Though it's tempting—especially if you're a people pleaser—you have to learn to discern what wheels really need grease, what ones can be greased by others and what ones will squeak no matter how much oil they have on them.
- The key to becoming a more efficient leader isn't checking off all the items on your to-do list each day. It's in forming the habit of prioritizing your time so that you are accomplishing your most important goals in an efficient manner.
- The timing of your decision is just as important as the decision you make.
- To establish appropriate timing for a decision, first discern the connection between the needs around you and the calling within you.
- When assessing the ramifications for decisions, leaders must take into account the repercussions of failure.
- Plain common sense can be the best deterrent to far-fetched opportunities.
- All too often, would-be decision-makers take too much time collecting, analyzing and reanalyzing information, hoping for that one last convincing detail that will dictate the correct choice.
- Consider if the passage of time shrinks available options or creates new ones.
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In Ontario and Prince Edward Island, there are Liberal governments in power. In Ontario, McGuinty won the last election -- when his political fortunes were considered to be sinking -- in large part on a strong progressive environmental platform, emphasizing green energy and green jobs, mass transit, and a green belt around Greater Toronto and the urbanized "Golden Horseshoe" region to contain sprawl and preserve forests and farmlands.
(Although, more recent poll numbers have been more dire for the Ontario party, as it comes under fire for politically-motivated decisions to cancel the construction of gas-fired power-plants in electorally sensitive areas, and over public sector wage freezes.)
In Prince Edward Island, Liberal premier Robert Ghiz showed a clear understanding of the struggles of the Millennial Generation -- of the problems of student debt -- by eliminating interest on student loans.
Here in New Brunswick, while Liberals are not in power, they are still official opposition and stumbles by the Alward government on jobs -- unemployment has climbed to 10.4 per cent, higher than the 8-9 per cent rates in 2009 when the world was in the depths of recession.
In light of this, the last Alward budget -- which stated that jobs would be lost because of austerity measures -- looks a mismatch of priorities. Furthermore, a recent poll has shown a narrowing of the gap between the Liberals and Tories, though it is also noteworthy that NDP support has grown in the province to 24 per cent, something New Brunswick Liberals cannot afford to ignore.
The situation of the federal Liberal Party, however, is much more difficult.
Justin Trudeau's run for Liberal leader is the headline story. He is a compelling candidate, with a father who was a charismatic prime minister, and who himself is charismatic and likeable. However, for all the stories of the prospects of a Trudeau-led Liberal Party, one ultimately has to focus on the party itself -- on the federal Liberals' status as a third party, the inevitable "where to go from here" questions as the party struggles to find its raison d'être in this new political climate.
Can the Liberals survive as a third party? The NDP survived for decades as third -- and at times fourth -- party as the "conscience of the nation," the party of progressive ideals, causes, and principles. This inspired a fervour among NDP supporters that kept the party going through what were, in many cases, seemingly hopeless times.
Can the Liberal Party inspire the same fervour? It may very well need to. Liberals can no longer claim to be the natural governing party, nor to have the same ability to garner wealthy donors or those seeking connections. Liberals cannot coast by on "we win elections," "we're not Harper," or be the "everything to everyone" party -- if anything, it was this attitude that led Liberals to third party status in the first place. Being now a third party compels Liberals to provide a compelling reason for people to volunteer, donate, and vote for them.
The current official opposition leader, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, is a formidable presence in the House of Commons. In recent weeks -- likely in an attempt to broaden the party's support nationwide -- he has moved away from earlier NDP positions which contradicted the Clarity Act. In particular, Mulcair has moved away from the position that "50 per cent +1 is enough" for Quebec to separate from Canada in a referendum.
Mulcair is seeking to set up the NDP as a credible alternative to Harper.
Of course the NDP has its weaknesses -- there is still a strong Quebec nationalist element in the NDP caucus and among many of the voters in Quebec who delivered the NDP its breakthrough. When policies like multiculturalism or national unity come under attack from nationalists, the NDP still faces a tough time -- shore up its Quebec support, or try to broaden its support outside Quebec.
There are parallels between the NDP's breakthrough and Mulroney's in 1984, with success residing with soft-nationalists in Quebec. Ultimately, this blew up for Mulroney with the formation of the Bloc Quebecois and the defection of his Cabinet Minister Lucien Bouchard to head it. Given the volatile nature of the Quebec electorate, this is a risk the NDP runs as it seeks to prove its breakthrough is permanent, and not just a one-time fluke.
Liberals have traditionally occupied the ideal space in Canadian politics -- balancing a prioritization of jobs and entrepreneurship (something some elements in the NDP have trouble reconciling with) with recognition of the importance of social programs to help the poor and middle-class, the prioritization of environmental sustainability, and an emphasis on human rights (all areas where the Conservatives are lacking).
Liberals are the party of facts-based policy in areas such as global warming and crime. They are the party of immigration and multiculturalism -- it was Prime Minister Lester Pearson who liberalized immigration laws and Pierre Trudeau who brought in official multiculturalism. The Liberal Party has enjoyed strong support among immigrant and visible minority communities in places such as Toronto's "905" suburbs. The Liberal Party is the party that is unequivocally for a strong federal government, for national unity, with the Clarity Act.
The elements are there, but can Liberals articulate a clear message out of that? Could the Liberals articulate some clear policies based on these principles -- as the party of entrepreneurship and social justice, multiculturalism and diversity, as the party of national unity and as the party of facts-based policy?
The Liberals face a tough political environment, with the NDP trying to crowd them out, and with their own return to power far from certain. A compelling message and clear ideals to attract support is key. Liberals cannot pine for a messiah. It is about ideals and principles, finding a raison d'être to attract support and votes.
Follow Hassan Arif on Twitter: www.twitter.com/HassanNB
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It was during the Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh assembly elections of 2007 that the blatant sale of news space by some Hindi and Gujarati newspapers to political parties and candidates in the form of election coverage packages came to be noticed. As the malpractice became more brazen during the last Lok Sabha elections, the eminent Hindi editor and columnist Prabhash Joshi went into campaign mode and engaged with the issue till his last breath. He and some other veteran journalists petitioned the Press Council of India and the Election Commission against this media misdemeanour because political parties and candidates too become guilty of electoral malpractice when they disguise the expenditure made on campaign ads in newspapers as news reporting. Needless to say, these package deals were unaccounted for and paid for in cash. Senior functionaries and so-called war rooms of political parties seem to have monitored the activity during the campaign period. In fact, in one such ‘war room’ during the Lok Sabha elections, a senior political leader mocked me on the ethics of the media by thrusting under my eyes a full front page of news coverage bought by his party. This leader said they were left with no option as the newspapers insisted on such deals and denied even minimum coverage to those who refused to buy the packages. But there were politicians like Lalji Tandon of the BJP and Mohan Singh of the Samajwadi Party who went on record with their allegations on this count against specific newspapers.
The specific newspapers mentioned and documented in this regard are nearly all language ones—Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati and Marathi. Does it mean that the Indian language media is the inventor of this trendy irregularity? No. As everybody in the trade remembers, the leading light amongst English dailies launched a scheme to sell editorial space to corporate and socialite buyers. The daily maintained this was no malpractice as the transactions were accounted for and the published items were attributed. Yet the reader was completely deceived—as in the case of recent election packages in language dailies—because the legend was kept so minuscule as to render the ‘MN’ of Medianet nearly indistinguishable from the ‘NN’ of News Network. And of course, the management never bothered to tell the reader what ‘MN’ or Medianet really stood for. A fig leaf of deception. The language media walked this beaten path of the English brand leaders rather more crudely during the recent elections. Like a Madhu Koda or Shibu Soren or Laloo Yadav or Mayawati negotiating the political kajal ki kothri (a proverbial soot-smeared room out of which it’s impossible to come out unsullied) more clumsily than their supposedly more sophisticated peers.
Why this crudeness? Obviously because of the hurry to catch up with the more materially successful sophisticated Joneses of the trade. Despite the larger readership reach of language newspapers in India, look at the imbalance of earning they suffer from vis-a-vis their English counterparts. The readership of Dainik Jagran, the largest Hindi daily, is more than double that of the largest English daily, The Times of India. But ToI’s revenue of nearly Rs 5,000 crore is more than thrice Jagran’s approximately Rs 1,400 crore. Such a difference shows proportionately both in the quantum and rate of advertisements of large Hindi and English dailies. Any back-of-the-envelope calculation will place the average earning of an English newspaper at least three times more than a Hindi daily of similar standing and circulation.
The corporate clout of English newspapers, which depends on their turnovers and the purchasing power of their readers, is far ahead of the language ones. But the language newspapers beat the English ones hollow in political clout because of their much larger circulation, which matters more in the game of numbers that is democracy. During the elections, the language media saw an opportunity to lessen the gap in corporate earnings vis-a-vis the English media by their political clout. Political leaders, too, sought to pander to the language media much more than the English media during the elections. The crude hurry inherent in this phenomenon caused more din.
To point this out is not to condone corruption. Outrage should be the response to any corruption, but in the era of liberalisation, corporate transactions are questioned less and less, irrespective of whether they are ethical or unethical. Because of this, such questionable practices by leaders in English media as acquiring equities in lieu of advertisements, which is likely to colour their news reporting about the companies they acquire shares in, escape comment. A misuse of corporate clout, however sophisticated, is as irreprehensible as a misuse of political clout.
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During last week, crude oil prices remained nearly unchanged. According to the recent EIA report, oil stockpiles rose by 10.9MB. During last week, WTI oil rose by 0.5%; Brent oil declined by 0.6%. As a result, the gap between the Brent oil and WTI contracted; the difference between Brent and WTI ranged between $17 and $19. Will oil change direction and fall next week? During the upcoming week, several publications may affect the oil market. These items include: U.S Philly Fed survey, China’s GDP for Q4 2012, OPEC monthly report, IEA outlook and EIA oil weekly update.
Here is a weekly projection and analysis for the crude oil market for January 14th to 18th:
Oil Prices – January
During last week, crude oil price (WTI) rose by 0.5% and reached by Friday $93.56/b; Brent oil slipped by 0.6% to $110.64/b; during January, WTI oil rose by 1.9%; Brent oil decreased by 0.42%.
In the chart below are the developments in WTI and Brent oil prices during the month (rates are normalized to December 30th). As seen, the prices of oil have had a moderate upward trend in recent weeks.
Premium of Brent over WTI – January
The difference between Brent oil and WTI spot oil contracted again during last week at the range between $17 and $19 per barrel. During the month the premium fell by 11.5%.
Oil Stockpiles – Rose by 10.9 Mb
The oil stockpiles changed direction and rose by 10.9 MB and reached 1,795.4 million barrels. The linear correlation between the changes in stockpiles tends to be negative: this correlation implies that the price of oil, assuming all things equal, will slightly fall next week. The upcoming report will come out on Wednesday, January 16th and will refer to the week ending on January 11th.
OPEC Monthly Report
The OPEC report will present the main changes in crude oil and natural gas’s supply and demand worldwide; the report will also refer to the developments in the production of OPEC countries during December 2012; this news may affect oil prices (See here a summary of the previous August report).
The next report will be published on Wednesday, January 16th.
IEA Monthly Report
This upcoming monthly report will present an updated (for December) outlook and analysis for the global crude oil and natural gas market for 2013 and 2014.
The next report will come out on Friday, January 18th.
Main Oil Related News Items for the upcoming week
Thursday – Philly Fed Manufacturing Index: In the December survey, the growth rate rose from -10.7 in November to +8.1 in December. If the index will continue to rise it may positively affect commodities prices (the previous Philly Fed review);
Thursday–China Fourth Quarter GDP 2012: during the third quarter of 2012, China grew by only 7.4% in annual terms; the current expectations are that the Q4 2012 grew in annul terms by a higher pace than in the previous quarter; if the growth rate will be higher than in the previous quarter it might positively affect commodities;
Foreign Exchange and Oil Prices Relation – January
The EURO/USD rose last week by 2.1%. Further, the AUD/USD also rose by 0.52% during last week. This upward trend may have affected oil prices to change direction by the end of the week and decline. The correlations among these currencies pairs (Euro/USD) and oil prices are still positive and robust. E.g. the linear correlation between the price of oil and EURO /USD was 0.34 during December and January. If the U.S dollar will change direction and appreciate against the “risk currencies”, it may pull down oil prices.
Oil Prices Outlook and Analysis
Following the recent modest gain in the prices of oil during last, oil prices might shift pace and decline during next week. The difference between Brent and WTI oil may further narrow to the range of $16-$18 during the week. Oil stockpiles rose last week, which could suggest oil prices in the U.S will decrease this week. The upcoming reports on U.S Philly fed and China’s GDP could affect the path of oil from the projected demand side; therefore if such reports will show growth, they could positively affect oil rates. Finally, if major currencies including EURO will change direction and depreciate against the U.S. dollar, this may pull down oil prices.The bottom line, I guess the prices of oil will slightly decrease on a weekly scale.
I guess during the week, WTI oil will trade between $90 and $95 and Brent between $108 and $112.
For further reading:
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Demolition is about to begin at an aging Lugonia Avenue housing project, which will be torn down and rebuilt to provide modern affordable housing in Redlands.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday morning, Aug. 2, at the 70-year-old site, which has been emptied of tenants in preparation for the work.
The Housing Authority of San Bernardino County, which is partnering with Housing Partners I Inc., a nonprofit developer, has raised $29 million for the project, said Dan Nackerman, the authority’s president and CEO.
View New housing planned in a larger map
Factory-built units will be used to speed construction, which is expected to take about 16 months, Nackerman said.
The project, built in 1942 and last expanded in the 1960s, will be rebuilt in several phases. The first phase will include 13 buildings with five to nine apartments each and will house 85 families, officials said. A later phase will offer single-family homes along Lugonia Avenue to first-time homebuyers.
Nackerman said the project will include a recreation center, a pool, a community garden, landscaping along Orange and Lugonia and better security, including lighting and fencing. It will bring jobs and other forms of economic stimulus to Redlands, he said.
Ray Brewer, the Los Angeles field office director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said studies show that the opportunity to live in modern, energy-efficient homes encourages residents to achieve better health and higher education levels.
Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar recalled that one of his first jobs was working as a teacher’s aide at a Head Start preschool at the site while he was a University of Redlands student.
“This location is very strategic in the city of Redlands,” Aguilar said.
It is bordered by Highway 39 on the south and Orange on the west.
The project, previously known as Lugonia Apartments, has been renamed Valencia Grove, Nackerman said.
He joked that he had wanted the name to recognize a type of citrus other than the ubiquitous orange.
“I was rooting for the limes, who never get their due,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
Follow Jan Sears on Twitter: @jancsears
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Al Gore: It's An Honor To Be Attacked On Climate Change
"There's a long tradition of people who don't like a particular message turning to attack the person delivering the message," former Vice President Al Gore just said on NPR's Talk of the Nation.
That's why, the 2000 Democratic presidential nominee added, "I view it as an honor, really," to be the target of Republican jabs on the issue of climate change.
He went on to accuse those who express the loudest doubts about whether humans are contributing to climate change of "doing exactly the same thing that the tobacco industry did after the Surgeon General's report came out" linking smoking to cancer. "They hired actors and dressed them up as doctors and gave them scripts" saying that smoking isn't harmful. Today, said Gore, "carbon polluters" are paying for climate change doubters to say similar things.
"Each hour people living with the reality of climate change will connect the dots between recent extreme weather events — including floods, droughts and storms — and the manmade pollution that is changing our climate. We will offer a round-the-clock, round-the-globe snapshot of the climate crisis in real time. The deniers may have millions of dollars to spend, but we have a powerful advantage. We have reality."
Earlier this summer, on the pages of Rolling Stone, Gore made the case that the news media has not been a good "referee" in the climate change debate between "Science and Reason" in one corner and "Poisonous Polluters and Right-wing Ideologues" in the other.
He also wrote that President Obama "has thus far failed to use the bully pulpit to make the case for bold action on climate change."
Talk of the Nation host Neal Conan and NPR Political Junkie Ken Rudin also asked Gore about his one-time supporter, current Texas governor and Republican presidential contender Rick Perry, who worked for Gore's 1988 presidential campaign.
As he did on Colbert, Gore said "it would probably hurt [Perry] In the Republican primaries if I said good things about him. ... I do remember him and I appreciate his support back at that the time when he was a Democrat. ... I don't know what's happened to him since."
NPR's John Burnett reported last week that Perry is among the "global warming doubters" and has said "the biggest source of carbon dioxide is Al Gore's mouth." Perry argued in his book Fed Up that "the complexities of the global atmosphere have often eluded the most sophisticated scientists."
Gore, in turn, told Talk of the Nation that "97 to 95 percent of all the climate scientists in the world who actively publish in that field [climate change] are in agreement on this."
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Washington, DC, July 26, 2001 -- U.S. newspapers report dramatic changes in the way they define and cover news and even how they view their mission, a new survey of the nation's top editors reveals.
Key among the findings is that editors report a sharply increased appetite for more two-way connections with readers. Nine of 10 editors surveyed also say the future of the industry depends on even more interactivity with readers.
"This represents a sea change in the relationship between newsrooms and the public for a whole generation of journalists who joined the profession after Watergate," says Jan Schaffer, executive director of the Pew Center for Civic Journalism. The Pew Center sponsored the survey, along with the Associated Press Managing Editors association and the National Conference of Editorial Writers.
The unprecedented survey of all daily newspapers with circulation of 20,000 and more shows many papers are covering more topics than ever before. More than a third are covering more territory than ever before. Seventy percent of the newspapers responded.
"This survey tracks a hopeful and overdue trend in newsrooms," says
Chris Peck, APME President and Editor of The Spokesman-Review,
in Spokane, WA. "Journalists are realizing their role is to connect with
readers and interact with communities, not be disconnected and aloof."
Peck will release details of the survey on July 26 at a National Press
Club luncheon in Washington, DC. Terence Smith, Media Correspondent and
Senior Producer of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, will help lead
"The poll reflects that newspapers finally have gotten the message that
a press that too often emphasizes conflict and controversy to the exclusion
of explanatory and public service journalism alienates readers," said
Jack Nelson, chairman of the Pew Center's Advisory Board and Chief Washington
Correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. "It's a healthy development
for the press and the public that there is an increasing emphasis on articles
that better connect with readers and report on solutions as well as problems."
The study shows that the new communication technologies and the new geography of journalism "are forcing news organizations to pay attention. They are reassessing what they do - and how they do it," says Schaffer. "There is a higher comfort level for relinquishing traditional control and building journalism that is less of a one-way pipeline for information and more of a two-way conversation."
Few editors in the survey describe their newspaper's role in the community as simply a disseminator of facts. Eighty-seven percent say newspapers should have a broader role in the community beyond just printing news.
The editors rank "news explainer" first among six specific roles that newspapers can play. "News breaker" comes in second; "investigative watchdog," third; "catalyst for community conversation" and "community steward" follow. The role of "disseminator of just the facts" finishes last.
"The report challenges us," says Fred Fiske, NCEW president and senior editor of the Syracuse Newspapers. "Editors are not satisfied with efforts to date to increase reader engagement. Editorial page staffs across the country are equal to the challenge. They already are exploring new and creative ways to amplify that community conversation."
Large majorities of editors say they now offer many entry points for readers to interact with reporters and editors. Interactive avenues include widespread use of e-mail addresses and phone numbers for reporters; tips lines for reader ideas; venues, aside from editorial pages, for readers' own stories; and Web postings of news-gathering queries. More than half the respondents say they have convened conversations about a key community issue outside the newsroom.
"So much of current newsroom focus in journalism is on the 'C' word
- convergence, " Schaffer says. "But this survey suggests the focus
should be on a different 'C' word - citizens. The kinds of interactions
with readers will then dictate the appropriate news platform."
Editors who say they practice civic journalism, by seeking actively to engage readers in key issues, are more likely than professed non-civic journalists to have adopted a variety of outreach mechanisms. Forty-five percent of the editors surveyed say their newsrooms use both the tools and techniques of civic journalism.
Still, the survey found editors to be less comfortable with the label,
civic journalism, although the philosophy and tools are enjoying broad
acceptance. While 19 percent of the editors say they "embrace the label
civic journalism," a much larger group - 47 percent - say they "like the
philosophy/dislike the label." Just 10 percent say they "recoil" from
the label; 9 percent say they dislike both the philosophy and the label.
Nearly two-thirds of the editors say their newsrooms have formed partnerships with another local organization during the development of stories.
The survey also shows considerable changes in the way stories are written. More than half the editors say they have made a conscious effort to move away from building their stories around a conventional frame of conflict. Among the new approaches:
- Roughly one-third indicate they prefer to frame their stories around the potential impact of a news event on people or the community.
- Eight in 10 say they offer stories about potential solutions to community problems at least some of the time.
- Forty-three percent say they make an effort, most of the time, to include the views of all potential stakeholders.
- Fifty-seven percent say, most of the time, they try to report trade-offs their community might be forced to make in addressing problems.
The need to connect more with readers has prompted considerable shifts in the topics covered by many daily newspapers. One-quarter of the editors say their papers are covering education issues more than they did five years ago; nearly that many say they've increased coverage of health, medicine and personal fitness over the last five years. In addition, 22 percent report increased coverage of business and personal finance; 21 percent report more coverage of regional growth and development.
To accommodate the new emphasis on these coverage areas, at a time when editors are also reporting cutbacks in staff, newspapers have made some tough choices. By far, the biggest loser in this equation is the coverage of government. Three-quarters of the editors say their papers are covering fewer routine government and school board meetings.
One editor explains his newspaper's decision to scale back coverage of routine governmental meetings by volunteering: "Political pissing contests and personality conflicts -- these things, unless they actually affect real people, are pointless."
Surveyed were 512 U.S. dailies with circulations of 20,000 or more. Responses were collected via mail, e-mail and telephone and analyzed by the Campaign Study Group of Springfield, VA. Seventy percent, some 360 editors, responded.
The "Journalism Interactive" survey was funded by the Pew Center for Civic Journalism, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
the survey: Journalism
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The 1947 UFO controversy of Roswell, N.M. is like a bad penny: It keeps turning up.
The legend, rehashed by conspiracy theorists in countless documentaries, revolves around allegations that an unusual object fell from the sky — an object so bizarre that the U.S. Air Force issued a press release that a flying saucer had crashed.
That story was quickly recanted, creating what would become one of the greatest urban legends in American history.
Until now, most debunkers doubted that there was even one crash. Now, in an exclusive interview, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Richard French told The Huffington Post that there were actually two crashes.
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When youth lead the way to a brighter future
Walking up the stairs of the UN headquarters building one more time over a span of a year and a half was a dream that came true sooner than I expected.
February 2011 was a memorable month as I had a golden chance to be selected on an international scale-along with seven other girls- by my international girl guiding organization WAGGGs (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl scouts) to be part of a youth delegation to the United Nations and to participate in the Commission of the Status of Women. The Commission of the Status of Women is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) that takes place every year at the UN headquarters in New York from Feb. 22 through the first week of March. The commission has an important policy-making role in terms of gender equality and women’s advancement.
I was indeed the only Arab girl and therefore I was representing the Arab region. I was encouraged to share success stories, case studies and any relevant experience occurring in the Arab world in relation to the main theme that was about access and participation of women and girls in education, training, science and technology. I was almost 20 at that time, very dynamic and energetic but very inexperienced. I travelled to New York dreaming of the UN skyscraper as that place where amazing life-changing decisions are taken and where all voices are heard. Although the main focus of the commission was girls and young women, several youth-related issues were brought to the table. I was deeply struck when I walked in the UN main plenary room to find men and women of advanced age debating and arguing about youth issues. Youth presence in that room was very limited. The few youth delegates present were sitting on the back bench listening passively to what “grown-ups” were saying on their behalf. At that moment, I felt that there would be no progress without having young people speaking for themselves especially when it comes to issues that affect their entire life. Since then, I have been determined to come back to the UN not as a youth delegate watching debates and sitting on the back but as a youth representative sharing views and bringing talking points to the table.
That long-awaited day did not take long to come. A week ago, I received an e-ticket to travel to New York again and to take part in the UN general assembly’s annual debate about the post-2015 agenda. My participation in the World Health Assembly, UNESCO’s annual debate about youth civic engagement and the CSW made of me an attractive profile. When I got the email confirmation, I was both thrilled and frustrated. Thrilled: because my dream of partaking in a UN panel finally came true. Frustrated because I felt I was facing an uneasy challenge of voicing the youth’s concerns across the world in a realistic, articulate and consistent way, while sitting on a panel side-by-side with well renowned world leaders. Talking on the behalf of young people was a real responsibility that was growing heavier and heavier as the day of the event approached.
In September 2000, during the largest Millennium Summit in history, the UN member states committed their nations to a global partnership to set up a series of time-bound targets with a deadline of 2015. Those targets have come to be known as the MDGs. Although a significant effort has been deployed to achieve these goals, the MDGs are still off track from the deadline.
Youth participation and involvement in the process is still so insignificant. If there were to be involved, they would be visible only at an advocacy or promotion level but not really at a drafting or implementation phase. “Adults” would take over by putting forward the famous argument of experience and expertise.
My opening statement during the panel reiterated the importance of youth participation in any development process. That can be done through reinforcing peer-to-peer education to end up with a strong youth leadership that is able to engage in effective advocacy programs and lead the planning and implementation stages. As the debate started to take a speculative and theoretical course, I felt the urge to put in some practical words by saying, “life-changing resolutions about youth should not be drafted behind closed doors in the presence of grey-haired women and men who might be sometimes completely out-of-touch with what young people really are or feel. Young people should stop playing the role of formal advisers and should be given a chance to be active participants in the decision-making process.”
No concrete development can happen to the world without having young people placed at the heart of change. They are endowed with potentials and capacities for innovation and development that would pave the way towards a bright future if ever they are recognized.
On the international level, modern information media familiarize youth with different cultures while ignoring frontiers. On a world scale, a sort of international “youth culture” seems to have sprung up. So, young people worldwide should establish ties based on shared values of human rights. We should gather our forces to serve the common good of humanity at large.
Finally, I would like to voice a message to all the world’s decision makers: “Take youth seriously, give them responsibility and a place in society based on trust, and they excel.”
Pictures of the Year 2012-2013
8:00 am | MBA Information Meeting: AM session
10:00 am | SAP Farm Stand
5:30 pm | MBA Information Meeting: PM Session
7:30 am | GVSU Downtown Toastmasters
11:00 am | GVSU Track & Field at NCAA Championships
5:30 pm | MBA Information Meeting: Holland
7:00 pm | Failure Lab
11:00 am | GVSU Track & Field at NCAA Championships
No events for Sat
No events for Sun
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Remember the Daewoo Leganza? It was a good-looking mid-size Korean sedan powered by an ancient GM four-banger from Australia, sold here by an upstart company with no track record, few dealers, and a crackpot marketing scheme that proposed to have college kids sell cars to one another. It was hard to recommend that car with a straight face to anyone you might ever meet again, despite its apparent value for money. Not surprisingly, Daewoo went bankrupt under a crushing debt of some $10 billion, after which GM swooped in and cherry-picked the best bits of the conglomerate to form a new company called GM Daewoo Auto & Technology (GMDAT).
The car you see here is perhaps the sweetest of those cherries, and it is being sold on our shores through GM's global partner Suzuki. Conceived essentially as the replacement for the Leganza, the Verona carries little of the old car's DNA, which is probably a good thing. The sheetmetal is all-new, bent to a shape penned by Italdesign-Giugiaro in Moncalieri, Italy-about 200 miles west of Verona, the hometown of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
The new car grows almost four inches in length and 1.5 inches in width, to bring it up to the scale of the class leaders. It's as wide as a Honda Accord and as tall as a Mazda 6, and its wheelbase and length are an inch longer than the Mazda's. Inside, the Verona is five cubic feet roomier than the 6, its seats are more comfortable, and visibility out of the back seat is better. Relative to the Honda, the Suzuki is 1.6 cubes smaller, but the rear seat offers much better thigh support and more legroom.
Raise the self-supporting hood, and you'll be pleased to find that the hoary old four has been euthanized in favor of a brand-new inline six, co-developed with Porsche. The engine sits sideways, Volvo S80-style, and drives the front wheels through a four-speed automatic. To squeeze six pots into an opening where four usually line up, the engine derives its 2.5 liters of displacement from closely spaced, narrow 77.0mm bores pumping a long 89.2mm stroke, much like the Volvo 2.9-liter six does. But whereas Volvo tucks its Hydra-Matic transmission in back of the engine, the Verona's ZF-designed box sits in line with the motor. We expected the big, wide powertrain to limit how far the front wheels could turn, resulting in a nautical turning radius. But at 34.8 feet, the Verona needs 2.1 fewer feet of road than any Accord does to hang a U-turn, despite having an engine that's four inches wider stuffed into a slightly smaller track between bigger standard tires. That's clever packaging.
We'd be even more impressed if this new six could outperform Honda's 160-horse, 2.4-liter four-or Mazda's 2.3, or Toyota's 2.4, or Nissan's 2.5, or practically anyone else's big four. But that's not the case. Output is a fairly meager 155 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Apparently, Porsche didn't share many racing secrets with the Daewoo engineers. The six idles smoothly and plays a stirring soundtrack when you give it the whip, but towing 3446 pounds of car, it struggles hard to catch the back of the pack of similarly priced family sedans.
At 10.7 seconds to 60 mph and 17.9 at 78 mph in the quarter, the Verona would have placed dead last in our February comparison test, "Splashing in the Mainstream," where the next pokiest car was a 3300-pound all-wheel-drive Subaru Legacy at 8.8 and 16.8 seconds, respectively. Yes, most of those cars had manual transmissions (not available with the Verona), but shifting for oneself wouldn't shave off two-plus seconds.
Automotive obesity seems to be a major problem for Korean cars. Perhaps computer optimization of body structures is a skill yet to be mastered there, or maybe the pork comes from the astounding array of standard equipment. For a base price of $19,999, our ne plus ultra EX model featured a sunroof, leather, automatic climate control, anti-lock brakes, power everything, heated seats and mirrors, tilt, cruise, and a cassette/CD player as standard equipment (the only option is traction control, for $500). And it's all controlled from a two-tone interior that looks classy, from the soft-touch door panels with French-stitched leather inserts to the fake wood trim that nearly suspended our disbelief. Base S models start at $16,999, and the mid-level LX rings in at $18,299.
Another complaint we've had with Korean cars is that they tend to be too softly sprung to suit our tastes, but here we can thank GM/Suzuki for buying in early enough to recalibrate the front-strut, rear-multilink suspension. The ride is still comfort-biased, but most of the roll and float have been baked out. The tires generate a reasonable 0.78 g of grip without much squealing, and the standard four-wheel disc brakes can stop from 70 mph in just 185 feet-the same as an Accord EX and two feet better than February's comparo average.
This is not an enthusiast's sports sedan. Nevertheless, we found the Verona easy to place on a line through a series of esses, thanks to a no-surprises steering rack that builds effort naturally and provides a bit of feedback. Bumpy turns provoke some steering-wheel kickback and a general loss of composure that 6s and Accords don't suffer, due mostly to a body structure that trails the benchmark sedans for structural rigidity (impacts tend to resonate and reverberate somewhat).Continued...
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Facilities Task Force finalizing schools planRecommendation for new school, renovations awaits school board
A Facilities Task Force will present its findings on future needs of district elementary schools to Cape Henlopen School Board Feb. 28.
"The lion's share of what we're doing is because we're out of space, but it's also to have the best schools going forward into the 21st century," said task force member Christopher Weeks.
The task force has met for nine months to develop a plan addressing building needs for elementary students. The group used a 2007 University Delaware study on projected school enrollments in determining how to plan for future growth.
The report estimates student populations in five-year increments beginning in 2005 and ending in 2030, when Cape's student population is expected to have climbed nearly 60 percent to 6,890, according to the study. Fulton said the state allows districts to build for future growth – a change from past policy that required districts use current population numbers.
In order to prepare for growth, Fulton said bigger schools are needed. Originally the task force discussed schools for 840 students; the most recent plan calls for four new schools, each with space for 700 students, and renovations to Milton Elementary School to increase capacity to 700. Classroom additions at Beacon and Mariner middle schools are also planned.
The three-phase plan – trimmed from an earlier five-phase plan – starts with a proposal to build two schools: a new school west of Route 1, in a yet-to-be-determined area between Routes 9 and 24, and a new Shields Elementary in the open area behind the Lewes School.
In addition, classroom additions would be built at Mariner and Beacon middle schools – six classrooms at Mariner and 12 at Beacon. Sussex Consortium classes would be consolidated in the Lewes School; administrative offices and Osher Lifelong Learning would move to the Fred Thomas School on the same property as the Lewes School.
In Phase 2, Milton Elementary School would be renovated; students would move into the old Shields Elementary School during construction. In Phase 3 new schools would be built at the current sites of H.O. Brittingham and Rehoboth elementary schools.
A timeline for the three-phase project has not been released.
"I think the job this group has done should be commended," said Superintendent Robert Fulton during a Feb. 13 meeting of the task force. "I think this group put the time and energy to get this right."
A preliminary cost for new construction, renovation and equipment for the new facilities was estimated at $125 million. This price, however, does not include money to buy land for an anticipated new school, said Brian Bassett, director of administrative services.
The task force is made up of 23 members; about half are district employees. The other half is made up of parents, former educators and grandparents. Most live in Lewes; two live in Milton, one in Millsboro and one in Rehoboth Beach.
The task force will present its recommendation to Cape Henlopen school board during the next meeting, 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, at Beacon Middle School.
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Can you recycle a house? Find outPublished 12:01am Tuesday, July 24, 2012
While a bona fide recycling center still remains a somewhat elusive goal for the Green Alliance and other members of groups such as Leadership Natchez, Keep Natchez/Adams County Beautiful, several local businessmen, and a few innovated community leaders, the opportunity for “soft” recycling remains ever present.
Yes, yes, I know you have heard it before, taking your newspapers to the animal shelter is a form of recycling.
To that end, soft recycling is also happening when you donate usable items to the various charity thrift shops in the area, start a compost pile, take your white paper to Mississippi River Pulp and donate usable food goods to the Stewpot. All of these actions are forms of soft recycling.
But how can fixing up a house be yet another form of recycling?
Trevor Brown, the deputy director of the Historic Natchez Foundation, will address this very question at the next general membership meeting of the Green Alliance, which will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Foundation Building, 108 S. Commerce St.
Trevor is acutely qualified to address this issue.
Mr. Brown received his undergraduate work at Southern Mississippi, where he received a bachelor’s degree in history and minored in American Studies.
At Savannah College of Art and Design, he earned a master’s degree in Historic Preservation. His “real life” experiences vary from working on projects from John Paul Jones’s crypt to the original terminal of the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., and from being a carpenter in Hattiesburg, building new custom homes to working as a preservation specialist for more than 120 rehabilitations of historic buildings and properties damaged on the Gulf Coast during Hurricane Katrina.
We are truly fortunate to have such a qualified local source address this unusual approach/outlook to recycling.
Won’t you join us Thursday at The Historic Natchez Foundation Building located at 108 S. Commerce St. at 5:30 p.m.?
Light refreshments will be served.
Steve McNerney is a member of the Green Alliance.
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About Marilyn Monroe
There isn't much that hasn't already been said or written about every facet of Marilyn Monroe's life and legacy.
Her screen career started with a number of uncredited appearances, of which the most memorable was the final Marx Brothers feature, "Love Happy" in 1949, when she had a brief scene with Groucho. Four years later, the film was re-released, with Marilyn's image added prominently to the movie posters, along with the (slightly misleading) tagline of "The Picture That Discovered Marilyn Monroe".
Her real breakthrough was in 1950's "The Asphalt Jungle", and she went on to feature in a number of notable, and increasingly large, roles in major films such as "All About Eve" with Bette Davis, and "Monkey Business" with Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers.
She was now a real star, and the transition from a player in supporting roles in generally light comedies to heavier roles came with 1953's "Niagara", a dark dramatic thriller set at and around Niagara Falls, in which she was paired with Joseph Cotten.
This may well have been the happiest time of her life. She was now a major star, dating all-American baseball hero, Joe DiMaggio, and embarking on her first major dramatic role. And it was whilst on location at Niagara Falls that the images in the Marilyn at Niagara Collection were taken, by Canadian photojournalist Jock Carroll. During an assignment that was originally planned to last for two days and ended up lasting for two weeks, Jock and Marilyn developed an easy rapport, and it's clear from Carroll's candid photography that he was capturing Monroe on film at probably her most relaxed and carefree.
From here on, she hit the heights in her screen career, with a long sequence of popular hits, including "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", "There's No Business Like Show Business", "The Seven Year Itch", "Bus Stop", "The Prince and the Showgirl", the classic "Some Like it Hot", and her final film, 1961's "The Misfits".
Her private life wasn't so happy. Her death was at the tragically young age of 36. But in her dozen or so years in the public eye, she became (along with Chaplin and Elvis) one of the three truly iconic personalities to emerge from the 20th Century's world of popular entertainment. And with Audrey Hepburn, one of the most collectable poster stars.
One of the world's most photographed and photogenic women, she has left behind many wonderful images.
For Marilyn fans and collectors of rare photography, we are pleased to offer our collection of shots taken by Jock Carroll at Niagara. We own the copyright in these gorgeous images and are publishing them as very Limited Editions on the highest quality archival materials. They have never before been available for sale, and are now presented exclusively from our Website and at our London Gallery in Chelsea. They are not being offered anywhere else or through any other Gallery.
For film fans and poster collectors, we always have a large selection of stunning Marilyn images on original movie posters and lobby cards on our main Website.
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Procedure for IP Creation
The procedure of IP creation should be as per guidelines laid down in the IPR policy document of the Institute. Some basic features of this process in steps are as follows.
The Institute shall strive to market the IP and identify potential licensee(s) for the IP to which it has ownership. The creator(s) are expected to assist in this process. The Institute may contract the IP to Technology Management Agencies (Government/Private), for its commercialization.
For the IP for which exclusive rights have not been already assigned to a third party, the creator(s) may also contact potential licensee(s) on the initiative maintaining confidentiality and taking all necessary care so as not to affect the value of the IP, through appropriate agreements such as Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the potential licensee(s) during technology marketing discussions.
If the Institute is not able to commercialize the IP in a responsible time frame, then it may reassign the rights of the IP to the creator(s) may approach the Dean, SRIC for the assignment of rights of the invention(s) to them.
Any revenue generated by the exploitation of IPR, will be shared between the creator/inventor, his/her faculty or Department/Centre and the Institute after deduction of agreed costs borne by the Institute on the prescribed terms and conditions. Sharing of the net earnings generated from the commercialization of Institute – owned intellectual property will be made as per guideline laid down in the IP Policy document of the Institute.
The Institute Elective for UG students ";Introduction to IPRs" and a minor Elective for PG students as ";Intellectual Property Rights and Practices"; have been introduced through the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.
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Some of you has already seen my latest experiment that I published via twitter some days ago. Nothing new since then, I just want to put it up here as well. This is my second time trying out three.js. It’s a very competent framework with lots of features and examples available. If you got an idea, it’s blazing fast to put together a quick demo.
The inspiration for this experiment is planted in my own garden. The picture to the left shows the beanstalk growing with massive speed. The virtual one uses the object from the last demo as a base, but without the recursive children branches. It’s a custom geometry object, so I can control the initial shape and uvs, and save references of the vertices to different arrays for later manipulation. The illusion of movement is made up with points acting as a offset values for each ring of vertices in this tube (or cone), but controlling the xy-position only. Those values is calculated just as a classic ribbon, the body recursively follows the head. In each frame the offset of one joint is copied from the one in front of it. The speed is directly related to the frame-rate and the length of a segment, otherwise I have to interpolate the values somehow.
At a given interval a leaf (object exported from 3d studio max) is spawned at the position of the head and then on each frame translated along the z-axis with the length of a segment. One important thing here is to reuse those leafs, so when they are behind the camera it’s time for a swim in the objectpool for later use.
The control of the plant is made up of three components. Mouse movements, sound spectrum and a circular movement. The style changing every 15 seconds and blend these component in various ways. The sound spectrum, or amplitude, is exported with this little python-snippet from @mrdoob.
I made some tests with post-processing effects like bloom as well, but the result was not what I wanted, so I ended up disable them. The bloom-effect is still in the source though if you want to see how it’s done. (forked from ro.me-project BTW…)
I having some problems with artifacts between intersecting object though. I have minimal experience with the depth-buffer/tests and triangle-sorting to recognize if it’s a standard problems or caused by me or the engine. Depth-buffer resolution is my guess, to long range between far and close and to few “steps” in the depth-texture object. Maybe it’s different on different machines and hardware. If you have a clue, just let me know right?
I really want to do real projects with real 3D graphics soon. I envy you that can put on the label “a chrome experience”. However, I hope these little demos made by the community helps to spread the knowledge and inspiration that you can do more than games with this technique. Some of you got clients with technique friendly target groups with the latest browsers installed or who knows where the update button is. Lets help the future and start accelerating some hardware!
Enough talking, show me the demo already!
Some more pictures:
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Twitter’s CEO, Dick Costolo has recently revealed, during a meeting with the New York Times, that the micro-blogging site is working on a way for users to be able to retrieve old tweets.
Currently, Twitter only gives users access to the last few thousand posts made.
The decision comes at a time when the popularity and growth of Twitter, with 140 million active users, has lead executives to look into a way to build a solution as increased demand for such a service has become apparent.
Costolo said, “We’re working on a tool to let users export all of their tweets. You’ll be able to download a file of them.” The new tool is likely to limit Twitter users to their own backlog of posts rather than the entire collection of posts belonging to other users on the site.
Twitter has been slower than other social network sites like Facebook to make such a tool available. Facebook allows its users to download a file with their data. However, though other third party sites and apps have found ways for users to backup their tweets, these can often be costly.
“It’s two different search problems,” Costolo commented. “It’s a different way of architecting search, going through all tweets of all time. You can’t just put three engineers on it.”
While Costolo did not reveal when such a tool would become available, he did say that it was currently in the works.
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The Latest Top 125 GENEALOGY Websites are out !
Not surprisingly, all things Ancestry.com or owned by them are in the top 20.
The 1940 US Census that came out on April 2nd, had a profound impact on the rankings. Obviously any web site related to the 1940 US Census had a boost in their ranking (except Ancestry which was already number 1). Here are the Top 125 Genealogy Websites (or click the image) !
SteveMorse.org, the One-Step Website that is a king of Swiss knife of genealogy actually dropped about 100K in the ranking and rising nine places on the list to become the 19th highest rated website ! This impressive improvement is related to the 1940 US Census, even though this is not one of the four websites with actual census pages.
web page which helps you find the best Enumeration District (ED) to browse (until indexes are created) by utilizing an address or the 1930 ED to point you at the valid 1940 ED(s) that you should begin your search with.
Mocavo is the new genealogy search engine. You can think of this as a Google for genealogy web pages and databases. This is a fairly new launched service and was a big splash at this year’s RootsTech (2012). Mocavo too, was up nine places on the list and is now the 17th highest rated website.
Looking 4 Kin
This relatively unknown website jumped an astounding 38 spots (now #47) on the top 125 and this jester thought that kind of improvement had to be mentioned.
Louis Kessler‘s two websites: BeholdGenealogy.com (#87) and GenealogySoftReviews.com (#74) were new additions. I also added Archives.com to the list because it was one of the four websites hosting the 1940 US Census images. So Archives.com cracked the list at #6. Well done! You may also recognize this website as the newest acquisition by Ancestry.com.
Stanczyk has had to give his own website a honorary spot, as my blog has dropped out of the top 125??? I am bit surprised, as last year when my popularity increased 4-fold I gained 5M in the ranking and had a nice #120 spot. In 2012, thanks to you my faithful readers, my popularity increased between 2.5-3-fold again. Surprisingly, I dropped 5M in my rankings and I had to remove my website from the top 125. Alexa.com are you sure?
This jester is sorely puzzled as my website stats are off the charts this year and I have already matched last year’s unique reader count and it is only the end of April! Another indicator that my readership is up 3-fold. However, I yield to the methodology and look forward to making the list next quarter.
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President Obama won re-election in part by beating up on his opponent for receiving big corporate payouts in exchange for dubious work and for socking away money in tax havens such as the Cayman Islands.
So it’s a bit, well, rich that Obama chose as his new Treasury secretary a man who received a big corporate payout for dubious work and who socked away money in the Cayman Islands.
This awkward fact pattern forced a role reversal Wednesday on Capitol Hill, as Obama’s nominee, Jack Lew, came before the Senate Finance Committee for his confirmation hearing. Republicans expressed outrage about his compensation and his investment – in other words, giving him the Mitt Romney treatment. And Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., an outspoken foe of offshore tax havens, helped Lew defend himself.
In Washington, where you stand on an issue depends on where you sit.
Lew, who was White House chief of staff while Obama’s campaign was pummeling Romney over his pay and taxes, received a $945,000 bonus in January 2009 after a brief tenure at Citigroup – just as the bank announced huge losses and took a taxpayer bailout. Lew also invested $56,000 in a Citigroup venture-capital fund registered in the Cayman Islands – registered in the very building, in fact, that Obama labeled “the largest tax scam in the world.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, pressed Lew to “explain why it might be morally acceptable to take close to a million dollars out of a company that was functionally insolvent and about to receive a billion dollars of taxpayers’ support.”
Grassley also asked Lew to justify investing his money in one of the 12,000 businesses based in Ugland House, a five-floor building in Grand Cayman. “There’s a certain hypocrisy in what the president says about other taxpayers and then your appointment,” the senator observed.
Lew’s explanation was Romneyesque. “I was an employee in the private sector compensated in a manner consistent with other people who did the kind of work that I did in the industry,” he said, justifying his payout. As for his offshore investment: “I reported all income that I earned. I paid all taxes due.”
In a sense, none of this matters. Lew’s confirmation isn’t in doubt, a fact supported by the way he sauntered down the hall to his hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, hands in pockets. His answers were often vague but cheerful sentiments ("I would look forward to working with you and others on a bipartisan basis to think through these ideas”).
Lew’s best defense on the Caymans matter was that he lost money on the investment, so there were no taxes to be avoided. But this only proves that he wasn’t necessarily good at selecting tax havens. And his plum job at Citigroup, which Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said has been called “a political trophy position,” is a fine example of the revolving door between government work and private-sector lucre.
Obama frequently mentioned Ugland House on the campaign trail in 2008. Baucus held a hearing on it that year, saying that the place had “a lot to do with tax evasion” and the $345 billion gap “between the taxes legally owed and the taxes timely paid.”
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Patient care will be put at risk unless action is taken to avert a staffing crisis in the health service, according to a report published today.
The NHS faces a shortage of nurses and healthcare assistants, says the King’s Fund, the influential health think-tank.
Its report into the future of health and social care in Britain claims there is “a high risk” of a shortfall of up to 100,000 nurses by 2021, while the adult social care workforce will need to grow by about one million people.
The report was welcomed by the Royal College of Nursing. Its chief executive,
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The book's title comes from a letter written by 7 Tutsi pastors (Ezekiel Semugeshi, Isaka Rucondo, Seth Rwanyabuto, Eliezer
Seromba, Seth Sebihe, Jerome Gakway, and Ezekias Zigirinshuti) to the leader of their flock, asking for his help:
April 15, 1994,
Our dear leader, Pastor Elizaphan Ntakirutimana,
How are you! We wish to be strong in all these problems we are facing. We wish to inform you that we have heard that tomorrown we will all be killed with our families. We therefore request you to intervean on our behalf and talk with the Mayor. We believe that with the help of God who entrusted you the leadership of this flock, which is going to be destroyed, your intervention will be highly appreciated, the same way as the Jews were save by Esther.
We give honor to you.
This book won numerous awards, including the 1998 National Book Critics Circle award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the 1999 Guardian First Book Award and the George K. Polk Award for Foreign Reporting.
The book is a compelling narrative of survivor stories compiled from Gourevitch's travels in a Rwanda after the conflict. Gourevitch doesn't only retell the stories of...
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Yowza, it's been a while since I last posted. My excuse? The stuff I've been doing with my genealogy time, while worthwhile to me, is unutterably dull to write about. I've been labeling vacation photos and making backup disks at home, and conducting inventory at the genealogy library. Yawn, right?
Anyway, I don't want to talk about that stuff now. Tuesday, while I was staffing the front desk at the library, I was asked a question I totally failed to answer. And, since I hate being clueless, I've been doing a little research.
The question: Could I help identify this picture?
Known: The known woman in this picture moved to Wichita in the late 1910s and died in 1942. The picture has a Wichita photographer stamp on the back. The woman's husband worked for a railroad.
Observed: The dresses are almost identical, the women each have a dark ribbon tied in a bow on the left shoulder, they don't seem to have any other common jewelry or insignia, and the room looks more like a hotel banquet room than a church or home.
Answer: I have no idea what group this is. It appears to be an organized group, and, if they went to the trouble of matching dresses, it's probably an on-going group. The women are too old to be graduating from high school. The consensus of the folks at the library was that it is probably some sort of women's group, like Eastern Star.
So what women's groups were active in Wichita during the 20s and 30s?
The History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, published in 1910 by Orsemus Bentley, provides a whole chapter on Wichita women's groups. These include the Hypatia club, started in 1886 (and only recently ended), the Twentieth Century Club, the Wichita Musical Club, the South Side Delvers, the DAR, and the Fairmount Library Club.
There were many Masonic lodges in Wichita, and many wives and daughters joined Eastern Star.
There were trade organizations, with female auxiliaries, including the Peerless Princess Lodge auxiliary of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, and the Peerless Princess Division auxiliary of the Order of Railway Conductors.
Many of the same organizations are mentioned in Helen Winslow's Official Register and Directory of Women's Clubs in America from 1913.
So, I have the beginnings of a list of possibilities, but no pictures, which might help narrow things down.
I'll have to keep looking in to this...
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« on: June 30, 2012, 10:45:40 AM »
You would have thought Canon would have given these lenses STM, to make them properly video-friendly.
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
1st Thanks to the poster for putting up the video. It is great to start seeing the 1Dx in peoples hands.
2nd The poster has said future videos will be horizontal. He is new to posting videos online.
3rd This video reminded me of another video put together by a Canadian Comedy troupe. It is pretty funny and not meant to hurt anyone's feelings. :-)
The f / stop system used by photographers is unfortunately pretty useless, being only a simple ratio of the front element to the focal length, it was largely replaced in the film industry by T (transimission) stops, which instead measures the amount of light a lens is able to pass through. So a lens with an f/2.8 rating might not allow as much light through as a lens with an f/5.6 rating, but without measurement it's impossible to tell. Dxo have done some measurements, but as yet they have not measured this lens, so there are no actual T/stop figures for it , my personal feeling is however that this lens will not have a high value due to its 'different' optics.
You and I (and many other photographers on both sides) have very different ideas of what "reliable" means. And this is perfectly fine - that's why both types of modes exist.
The settings that the camera guesses on can change wildly, depending on where exactly you're metering. Your shots will not always be consistent. If you're using evaluative metering, changes in things like the background can have dramatic effect on your exposures. If you're using spot metering, changing where you're metering even slightly can also dramatically effect what the camera thinks is "right".
I guess my main point is that the camera does not have an intuitive sense of what I'm photographing. It can only guess, and allowing it to guess gives it the opportunity to guess wrong. Will I guess wrong too? Absolutely, but it trains me to keep an eye on the histogram and adjust. Exposure will never be something that you should "fire and forget" unless you're taking snapshots. (Again, this is my thinking, not what everyone should think.)
Your bulb mode comment is amusing, but entirely misses the point. The camera is good at precisely exposing the sensor for a specific time with a specific aperture. Nobody disputes this. What is disputed is whether the camera can automatically expose every frame properly. Some people think it can, and they use Av/Tv. Some people don't trust it completely, and they use Manual. Nothing wrong with either.
I am doing an outdoor shooting this morning. I will be in manual, 1/300, iso50, f/2 - f/4
Just use the sun as 1 of the light sources, not the only source.
Overpowering the sun means less light/contrast/blownout whites in the bg
yeah but you only have pretend sun over there anyway so its not hard to overpower
In Italy it's the same, but considering it's a really light-duty tripod, how can you demonstrate that the product was defective and that you didn't overload it? Warranty of course doesn't cover damages derived from improper use.
...it seems like letting the camera set the exposure and then using EC when necessary is faster.
Are you saying you wouldn't expect a lower-line tripod from a major brand to last more than a couple of weeks?
Yes, if the major brands clearly states that it supports up to 1Kg/2.2lbs and you load a lot more weight on it.
Because we keep on paying it.
My last 3 bodies have been grey, my last expensive canon lens was grey, anything else I've bought off brand or used.
Canon are taking the mickey.
The 40mm may well have been worth £229 to me, but it rankles a bit that it's worth only £129 to an american.
As much as I hoped for such a lens, I won't be buying it. Unless I get it grey.
If the retailers won't stick up for you (jacobs on sticky wicket, jessops indebited to tune of £10m to Canon) then stick up for yourself.
What did you expect when you bought a plastic-ish tripod? It's only made for lightweight gear. So tell us, what were you using on it? i have a 055xprob and the quality is excellent. A friend of mine has a really old manfrotto, and it still works perfectly.
If you want a good tripod, it comes with a price. What did you expect out of a plastic-ish tripod?
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Unincorporated Business Entities - LAW 7582-3 Hours
A study of the relation of principal and agent, including that of master and servant, and duties as between the parties themselves and as to third persons. Creation, nature, and characteristics of a partnership; partnership liability; rights and duties of partners among themselves; rights and remedies of partnership creditors; and dissolution of partnership are also covered.
Spring 2013 Section 001
Professor James McNeill, III
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Working out is hard for me because I'm very heavy-chested and I get sore. What can I do to keep in shape without hurting myself? - April*
Consider investing in a good, supportive sports bra. A proper sports bra will keep breast-bouncing to a minimum and help reduce soreness.
If a sports bra doesn't help, take gravity out of the equation and try an activity like swimming or water aerobics, where there is little or no stress placed on your chest. If you don't have access to a pool, give low-impact activities like walking, yoga, or riding an exercise bike a shot.
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Celebrate The Queen's 60-year reign
© Joseph Bennett
Join the crowds and celebrate the 60-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II with a fantastic range of royal events taking place over the Diamond Jubilee weekend and beyond.
The Queen gets things started with a trip to the Epsom Derby. It’s no secret that The Queen is a huge racing fan and she’s attended the annual races here since she was a young girl. She’ll be cheering on her horse, Carlton House, from the Royal Box. Join her and dress in your best to enjoy a flutter at one of the world’s most famous horse races.
Date: 2 June 2012
Web: Epsom Derby
On the afternoon of 3 June, 1,000 boats from across the UK, The Commonwealth and around the world will take to the River Thames in one of the most lavish processions London has ever seen. The Queen will lead the flotilla in her magnificent Royal Barge as the boats sail from Hammersmith in the West to Greenwich in the East. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle that will see the Thames come alive with colour, pomp and pageantry!
Date: 3 June 2012
Web: The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant
On Monday 4 June, 2,012 beacons across the UK, the Commonwealth and elsewhere will blaze into life to celebrate the 60th year of The Queen’s reign. Locations will include St James’s Palace, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Tower of London and the four highest mountains in the UK.
Date: 4 June 2012
Web: The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Beacons
This touring exhibition examines Cecil Beaton’s relationship with The Queen in his role as official royal photographer. From the 1940s to the 1960s Beaton captured The Queen as a young princess, as a caring mother and as a dedicated sovereign in these intimate photographic portraits.
Date: see website for dates and venues
Web: Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton
Explore the relationship between the royal family and the world’s most famous river in this major new exhibition. You’ll experience the sights, sounds and even the smells of historic royal pageantry on the River Thames through the ages. Items on view include Canaletto paintings, carvings from the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert II and even a stuffed swan.
Date: 27 April–9 September 2012
Web: Royal River
These 60 remarkable images, some of which have never before been on display, are dazzling in their variety. From official photographs by Annie Leibovitz to modern paintings by Gilbert and George and Andy Warhol, the changing representations of The Queen show how our perceptions of royalty have shifted over time.
Date: 17 May–21 October 2012
Web: The Queen: Art & Image
Buckingham Palace hosts this dazzling exhibition that explores the ways diamonds have been used by British monarchs over the last 200 years. You’ll have the chance to get up close to some of The Queen’s personal diamonds and learn how the history of the royal family is intimately connected with these beautiful gems.
Date: August and September 2012
Web: Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration
Bringing together some of the highlights from The Royal Collection to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, this one-off show includes over 100 items from eight royal residences. Objects include paintings, drawings, watercolours, miniatures, jewellery and sculptures from over five centuries of collecting. Don’t miss paintings by Monet, Rembrandt and Michelangelo and Imperial Easter Eggs by Fabergé.
Date: Until 4 November 2012
Web: Treasures from The Queen's Palaces
Head to the world’s oldest and largest inhabited fortress for this fascinating exhibition of photographs. Everything from official portraits to photos from relaxed family gatherings will be on display charting the remarkable reign of The Queen and documenting her travels around the UK and the world.
Date: Until February 2013
Web: The Queen: Sixty Photographs for Sixty Years
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You may have already read our Laptop Battery Usage & Optimization Guide. If you are looking for a free laptop optimization utility that will that uses advanced diagnostics and testing to guide you to get better battery life, you may want to check out Battery Optimizer.
Batter Optimizer has been designed to help laptop users circumvent a problem that bothers many and that is – short laptop battery life. This tool will run advanced diagnostics and testing and offer recommendations on how you could make better use of your battery. It will also tell you the health or state of your battery.
Features in a nutshell:
- Accurate estimates on how much battery life can be gained/lost by changing laptop settings
- Advanced monitoring of battery usage over time
- Shows time left on your battery when your operating system doesn’t
- Easy battery usage management.
How to use Battery Optimizer
Once you have downloaded and installed the freeware, disconnect your laptop from the Mains and run a diagnostic which will tests your laptops Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Infrared, brightness and other settings.
I repeat, to run the program you need to unplug the laptop battery from the power source and then hit the Diagnostic tab and run the Scan.
The diagnosis may take some time, depending upon your set up. The program will perform a number of tests as highlighted above. Once the scan is completed, a table is displayed which highlights how much battery life you may gain when you run the program’s optimizations. It tells you how much battery life you can save by turning off un-needed features of your laptop. The calculations are made using program’s own mechanism rather than Windows’ estimates.
Once you are sure that you want to run the optimizations, click on the Optimize Battery Life button.
Batter Optimizer however does not reveal the kind of optimizations that it will carry out on the laptop.
Battery Optimizer was earlier a shareware but now it has been made available as freeware. Create a system restore point first and try it out - who knows it may provide you those extra valuable minutes that you may require for taking the game to the next round.
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Car insurance: 10 things you need to know
Explore This Story
Here are ten things you need to know.
1. Keep a good driving record
The single best way to keep your premium low is to build a good driving history. Accidents and convictions stay on your driving record for years. It’s the number one thing insurance companies use to determine your rate.
2. Shop around
Many people think all insurance companies charge about the same for the same coverage and driving profile. Not so. Rates vary significantly.
This is primarily because insurance companies assess risk independently. They all consider such things as where you live, the type of car you drive, how long you have been licensed and your driving record to build a risk profile. But each company has different claims and loss experience and so rates can vary significantly from one company to the next for the same car and driver for the same level of coverage.
3. How brokers work
You may also think that your broker is able to shop the entire market for the lowest rate available, but he or she isn’t. He or she is limited to providing quotes from the limited number of insurance companies he or she represents, typically no more than four or five. An insurance company agent can’t shop the market at all and is only able to provide you with the rate available from the single insurance company he or she represents.
Since there are more than 30 companies selling car insurance in Ontario alone, the only way to be sure you are getting the best rate is to get competitive quotes from as broad a sample as possible. There are a number of online sources that can help including ours, InsuranceHotline.com.
4. Consider increasing your deductible
A deductible is the amount you must pay before your insurance company will cover any expenses related to a claim. Generally, higher deductibles translate to lower premiums. This means increasing your deductible can be an effective way to lower your rate. However, it’s important to realize you must be comfortable paying the higher out-of-pocket cost if something happens to your car and you need to make a claim.
5. Review your coverage
Depending on the value of your vehicle, you may want to speak to your broker or agent about the type of coverage you require. For example, if you drive an older model, you may want to consider removing or opting out of collision and comprehensive coverage which typically represents a significant portion of your premium.
6. The Porsche factor
The type of car you drive is another important factor used to set your rate. Generally speaking, new cars cost more to insure than older cars, sports cars more than family sedans and insurance companies look at statistics on theft, safety ratings, and claims history of each when setting their rates.
Visit the Insurance Bureau of Canada to see the difference in the frequency of theft and claims for various cars and to better understand how your choice will affect the amount you pay for car insurance.
7. Ask for discounts
The worst thing that can happen is the insurance company can say no. Some of the more common discounts are for bringing all your insurance needs to the same insurer, maintaining a clean driving record and installing an anti-theft device.
8. Accident forgiveness coverage
Accident forgiveness coverage protects your driving record and rate increases in the event of an “at-fault” loss. Costs for this coverage can vary from one company to the next, but it could save you hundreds of dollars on your next renewal.
Check if this coverage is offered by your insurance company and consider the additional cost as a way of buying “insurance” on your driving record. Some companies may even provide it free of charge.
9. Loyalty can be costly
Some insurance companies may offer discounts if you’ve been with them for a long time and there are benefits to not moving too frequently. But a loyalty discount can give you a false sense of security and may distract you from finding a better rate. In some cases, the savings associated with switching can outweigh any loyalty discount. The only way to know for sure is to shop around.
10. Drivers training
New drivers should take an accredited driver training course. It not only prepares you to become a better driver, but usually qualifies you for a significant discount with many insurance companies.
This article wsa prepared for Moneyville's launch. Andrew Wicken was the general manager of InsuranceHotline.com , a free online insurance rate comparison service.
InsuranceHotline.com , which is partly owned by The Toronto Star, is one of three free comprehensive online services that offer free insurance quotes. The others are MyInsuranceShopper.ca, which is run by Ontario’s independent insurance brokers and Kanetix.ca a private company which has been in business since 1999.
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Prices remain stagnant, inventory low five years after recession
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“How ya doin’?”
So began most conversations at The Mecca Restaurant early this morning, a day after word began to spread that the longtime Harry Hines fixture’s closing on August 12 and reopening five days later at Skillman and Live Oak, in the old Molly Maguire’s space. Didn’t matter who started the chat, either, server or diner; this morning, breakfast was being served with a heaping side order of bummer, for some of us more than others. As my mom reminded me (on Facebook, sigh) yesterday, “You were raised at the Mecca. Ate there twice a week before you were even born.” Mom and Dad moved three miles from The Mecca in 1968, not long after the diner pulled into its present-day location at Harry Hines and Lombardy.
We noted yesterday The Mecca dates back to 1938 — July 11, to be specific, as you can see above. But a swim through our archives this morning reveals there was actually another restaurant bearing the name years earlier: The Mecca Restaurant No. 1, located at 1206 Main Street downtown, which caught fire in August 1917, killing a baker and destroying the Mecca Room apartments above. Thirty years later, the obituary of 68-year-old J.E. Forstmeyer identified him as “owner of the former Mecca Restaurant for 18 years.”
Far as anyone can tell, the current iteration of The Mecca began on Denton Drive and Mockingbird Lane, its name having been borrowed from a Colorado Springs eatery of which the original owners, Roy Redding and wife Frances, had grown fond during a vacation. Below you’ll find a lovely photo taken inside the original Mecca, dating back to 1949.
Our archives are filled with helped-wanted ads from the ’40s and ’50s for the place, many of them promising “good salary, good tips” for the waitresses. Speaking of, there’s this piece from the June 1, 1950, edition of The Dallas Morning News about one Very Special Waitress at The Mecca …
But in October 1961, as you can see from the ad at the top of this item, The Mecca opened in the old Circle Inn on Northwest Highway. The News heralded its arrival with a brief note that said “Mr. and Mrs. Roy Redding, veteran restaurant operators in the Dallas area” would be “specializing in sea food and steaks” in their restaurant, which “has booth and table seating for 104 persons.” But not even three years later, as you can see in the notice below, Roy Redding was applying for a wine and beer permit for the Harry Hines spot that’s soon to be vacated.
My wife, son and I spent a good hour this morning with manager Cheryl Hurt, who moved to Dallas three years ago from Oklahoma, where she ran Clanton’s Cafe — “the oldest continually owned family restaurant on Route 66 in the state of Oklahoma.” Hurt knows all about tradition. She said she and owner Michael Sealy tried to keep The Mecca in our neck of the Northwest, but there weren’t many options — old strip clubs, mostly, no thanks. The Live Oak site was among the last shown, and the first to hit home.
Hurt will tell anyone who asks why they’re moving; the reasons, she says, are myriad. Among them: You can’t serve dinner on this stretch of Harry Hines, which isn’t far from the intersection not long ago considered one of the most dangerous in Dallas. And The Mecca needs the dinner service, because, sure, it may be packed on weekends, when tourists from University Park head over for the cinnamon rolls, but weekday service is slow.
And fact is, the restaurant’s falling apart — has been for as long as I can remember. I always thought that — and the bathtub in the upstairs bathroom — was part of its charm. Turns out younger customers like a little less funk with their fries. But Sealy doesn’t own the building; the Faust family does, per county tax records, and it appears the Fausts figure fixing up the joint won’t be a bargain they can afford.
The lease is up at month’s end, and so The Mecca will move, yet again, this time far away from where Roy Redding and wife Frances and Frances’s sister Patsy and their mother Mrs. Todd ran their original restaurants. Hurt says she’s hoping to do something special the week before the big move — perhaps a price roll-back of some kind, maybe a reunion, something. You still have time to get in your farewells, but you’d best hurry: They’ve already started taking down the flags and sending ‘em to the dry cleaners. The end is near.
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Like Google Wave before it, Google Buzz failed to attract a large following within the Internet’s social space. Google’s answer to Twitter was integrated into Gmail and shortly after Buzz launched it was quickly ignored. In what they’re calling a “fall sweep,” Google is eliminating a number of services from its arsenal, one of which is Buzz (along with the Buzz API). The company says it learned a lot from building and launching Buzz and that it will now focus all of its energy on Google’s latest attempt at social Google+. Sadly, Buzz, you will not be missed. In fact, I already forgot you ever existed. See what else Google dropped during their fall sweep at the source link provided below.
As soon as the announcement and release of Google Buzz hit the masses, users quickly recognized a “security flaw” in the service. Google shares the final diagnosis like this: “In particular there’s been concern from some people who thought their contacts were being made public without their knowledge (in particular the lists of people they follow, and the people following them). In addition, others felt they had too little control over who could follow them and were upset that they lacked the ability to block people who didn’t yet have public profiles from following them.” So what have they done to combat contact privacy issues?
1. More visible option to not show followers/people you follow on your public profile
2. Ability to block anyone who starts following you
3. More clarity on which of your followers/people you follow can appear on your public profile
In addition to these changes, Google has also revamped the “start-up experience,” the initial ‘Welcome to Google Buzz’ screen. An auto-suggest model replaces the auto-follow model, allowing the user to pick and choose who they want to follow instead of Buzz automatically adding their contacts and chat buddies to their follow list. Also, “If you don’t want to share the lists of people who are following you and people you are following publicly on your profile, you can opt out at any time from the [new and improved] edit profile page.” Some other changes include: “Buzz will no longer connect your public Picasa Web Albums and Google Reader shared items automatically” and now there’s a Buzz tab in GMail Settings where “you’ll be able to hide Buzz from Gmail or disable it completely.” All these changes in its first week, it’s quite impressive; Google is definitely taking to heart loud user feedback. And all of this seems to be resulting in a better Buzz experience so far.
Google’s latest foray into the social networking business has everyone atwitter; so what’s all the buzz about? Google Buzz is a new way to share updates with friends. It goes beyond the standard ”status update” from Facebook and breaks free from a 140-character tweet from Twitter, allowing you to quickly and easily share content across the Internet. Buzz is built into Gmail. If you have a Gmail account you are already set up for the service; your current list of contacts and people you chat with the most automatically become your followers. That last word strikes a familiar chord, doesn’t it? Buzz is very similar to Twitter; you follow people, people follow you, you post updates, and so on. What makes it different (and so much more expansive) is that there’s no character limit and the means of interaction with others is much more fluid. It fosters greater interaction with the ability to share links, photos, and video. YouTube videos can be embedded right into posts, along with pictures that can be viewed in full size and resolution. Besides sharing your own information, you will be alerted about new posts from followers and their group of followers; Buzz recommends posts from people you’re not directly following to promote a growing community of new friends and acquaintances. @-responses are supported, allowing you to specifically address a friend’s post. You also have the option to connect Buzz to other accounts like Picasa, Flickr, Google Reader, and Twitter and spread your posts, pictures, and breaking news that way. And don’t worry–you have the option to keep things private among friends or public with the Buzz community.
Google Buzz should be fully integrated into everyone’s Gmail account by now. You’ll notice a new small tab located under the Inbox tab labeled Buzz. Now what if you’re away from the computer and still want to buzz about stuff? Google’s created Buzz for mobile and it’s got some intruiging features. What’s unique about posting on your phone is that Buzz uses location-based services to pinpoint exactly where you are when you post something, allowing your followers to find you on a map. Tagged locations do away with long/lat numbers and display the actual names of places instead. There are four ways to access Google Buzz on your cell phone. (1) On an iPhone or Android phone go to buzz.google.com to access a Buzz web app; it has two views: “‘Following’ view shows buzz from the people you follow, just like Google Buzz in your Gmail; ‘Nearby’ view shows public buzz that has been tagged with a location near you, and might be from people you don’t follow. From Nearby view, you can also select a specific place from the list of nearby places and view posts attached to that place.” (2) Buzz on Google Maps for mobile, available only on Android phones, adds a new Buzz layer to the Maps application and ”allows you to see buzz near you or anywhere on the map. You can post public buzz directly from the layer, and even attach a photo from your phone.” (3) Buzz Shortcut from Google.com allows any cell phone with a browser to access Buzz. (4) The Google Voice application, available on Android phones in the quick search widget and on iPhones in the Google Mobile App, ”allows you to post buzz without typing anything. Just say ‘post buzz,’ followed by whatever you’d like to post.”
Is Google Buzz going to be a success? Will it catch on with the masses a la Facebook and Twitter? Buzz surely has the potential to replace Twitter as a social networking tool. At its core, Buzz is all about “start[ing] conversations about the things you find interesting” and it does it pretty well already. I agree with Mashable when they say “if Google Wave is the future, Google Buzz is the present.” The Google Wave beta made heads tilt in confusion, and Google thinks Buzz is an appropriate stepping stone to it. Buzz goes beyond email and IM but it does not overstep its boundaries (aka the craziness that is Wave). Thing is, Buzz does not feel like a transition service because it comes off as Twitter on steroids–something we’re used to, just beefier. Buzz is already making noise; today Facebook and AOL have joined forces to allow IM users to chat with Facebook friends over the AIM client. And Twitter should be scared, too; their 140-character limit and lack of expanding services may start to wear thin with Buzz lurking around the corner. A potential issue for some may arise in the fact that Buzz requires Gmail sign up but to these naysayers I say so what? Gmail is the best Internet email client out there anyway; now’s a better time than ever to jump on the bandwagon and join the Gmail community. Because that’s what it’s becoming thanks to Buzz–one giant place to share the things you find interesting with others.
Google Buzz in Gmail, for mobile, and the launch event can be found in video form after the break, you know, if you’re into that stuff.
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Not allowed to tell people who to set up proxies
The Netherlands' Pirate Party has been ordered to stop telling people ways to circumvent blocks to The Pirate Bay. The ruling is made by the highest court in Europe, in the Hague.
The anti-piracy group Brein moaned to the court that the political party was helping users overcome a previous ruling that had ordered two of the country's biggest internet service providers to prohibit access to TPB. That order instructed a further five ISPs to block access to the site.
The court also upheld an order banning the Dutch Pirate Party from offering a proxy to let users obtain TPB's links without directly visiting the file-sharing site's pages. The Dutch Pirate Party's homepage described the most recent rulings as "a slap in the face for the free internet" and further moves to censorship in Europe.
A spokesman warned that more of the internet will have to be censored because they might be used to get access to 'infringing' sites. Brein's website appeared to have been taken offline following the verdict to avoid the inevitable DoS attack.
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One of the first things that attracted me to Evernote as a tool for going paperless was its slogan, “Remember Everything.” I’d been trying to do just that for fifteen or sixteen years. Back in early 1996, I started keeping a diary. I was inspired to do so by my favorite writer, Isaac Asimov, who kept a diary from the time he turned 18 until his death at 72. Naturally, my diary was in the same style as his: a daily accounting of my social and writing activities. I never recorded anything that I wouldn’t want anyone else to see. At the time, I really had only one goal for keeping a diary: to have a record of when things in my life happened relative to one another. Over the years, it became a very useful reference for me. From 1996 through 2004 my diaries were all paper and that had some drawbacks:
The first drawback was that they were not easy to search. They were handwritten in small print without any index or thought or organization. When I needed to go find something, it often took a while. The second drawback was that there was no backup. If something happened to the diaries, that was it. I once tried to go back and put them into electronic format, typing each entry into the computer but it turned out to be too much of a chore.
In 2005, I moved to electronic diaries in the form of blogs and other things. But it wasn’t until I discovered Evernote that I recognized the possibility of “remembering everything” the way that I wanted to. So here are some tips on how I use Evernote to remember everything that I think is worth remembering.
Tip #1: Think of everything as fitting on a timeline
Everything I do (and want to remember) happens at some point in time. When it happens is always important to me. I, therefore, try to be very consistent about how I use the Create Date field on my notes in Evernote. The Create Date of a Note–for me–is the date on which the event occurred, not necessarily when the note was created. Sometimes that means altering the create date. For instance, if I created a note this morning teo remind me that my little girl attempted to crawl forward for the first time yesterday, the create date of the note will be yesterday, not today.
And it doesn’t matter what notebooks the notes go into. They will all have a create date and if I wanted to, I could build a timeline of events showing everything that happened on a given day, week, month, etc. Of course, these events can be sliced and diced in different ways. They appear in different notebooks, for instance, or they are tagged differently. That makes it generally easy to find what I am looking for.
Those who have been following along will recall that last week’s post described how I organize my notes in Evernote. One of those notebooks was called a “Timeline” notebook. It is in this notebook that I record miscellaneous life events. For instance, I have a note I added yesterday that reads, “[Little Boy] has a new phrase, “Mommy/Daddy, I have a question…”" I have it tagged accordingly and when I want to know when my kids said certain works or phrases for the first time, I can easily look them up and see the progress of their evolution.
Tip #2: Capture things discretely
One problem with my paper diary was that everything was jumbled together in a single entry. Not so with Evernote. I have not taken the path of creating one note for each day. Rather, I create one note for each unique thing I want to record. Thus, there is a note reminding me of when my little boy first said the phrase, “Daddy, I have a question.” There is a separate note for what I had for dinner (captured using the Evernote Food app). I have a note that contains the portion of the short story I wrote on that day. And more notes with my social networking activity.
By capturing these things discretely, I can more easily find the type of things that I am looking for and create unique timelines for those things. If I want to see just the short fiction I wrote last month, for instance, I can do a search in my Daily Fiction notebook for anything that has been created in the last month. That search string would look something like this:
notebook:"My Daily Fiction" created:month-1
Instead, if I wanted to see all of the places that I’ve been in the last month, I could do a search that would result in just that:
notebook:"Social networking" created:month-1 tag:foursquare
When all of these are combined together, I get a good picture of my life in a single timeline.
But, this seems like a lot of work, creating all of these notes, right? Well, that’s why I’ve included the next tip:
Tip #3: Automate note creation where possible using a tool like IFTTT
If you’ve never heard of IFTTT, you should check it out. It stands for If This Then That and it’s a web app that allow you to have data from one social networking application flow automatically to another application. You do not have to be technical to set it up and it works with Evernote! I currently use 5 “tasks” in IFTTT to automatically add routine notes to Evernote, and I’ll list them below as examples so that you can get an idea of how this tool work.
Sending the day’s weather to Evernote
I use IFTTT’s “clock” widget to set up a “task” that sends my local forecast to Evernote each morning at 5am. That way I have a note each day that has the forecast for that day, along with everything else that I record.
Send Instagram photos to Evernote
When I take a picture with Instagram on my iPhone, that picture will automatically get sent to a new note in Evernote. This allows me to have a little record of any pictures that I take throughout the day, kids smiling, sunsets, whatever. When you set up these tasks in IFTTT, you get a set of options so you can control what gets sent to the Evernote note. For instance, you can set it up to only send Instagram photos with a certain tag in the caption–or you can send all of the photos. You can also tell it what notebook to put the photo into and how to tag the note. There is a great deal of flexibility.
Send my blog posts to Evernote
Whenever I add a post to my blog, that post will automatically get added to Evernote as well. This is useful to have a record of what I posted on a given day, in relation to everything else. After all, I try not to duplicate efforts. I don’t create a note saying, “Wrote a new Going Paperless post today.” There’s no need for that since the post itself will appear as a note (and be searchable, along with everything else).
Send my Foursquare check-in to Evernote
I use Foursquare to keep track of where I have been. It’s a useful tool for capturing where you’ve been and you don’t have to share that information with anyone else, if you choose not to. I check-in to Foursquare when I go someplace and that check-in gets created as a note in Evernote (complete with a map!) via IFTTT. These are tagged as “Foursquare” so I can very easily pull up a list of where I’ve been and when I’ve been there.
Send my Tweets to Evernote
I use Twitter throughout the day to keep in touch with friends and colleagues, and it seemed to me that there was some useful information in my tweets that was worth capturing. So I setup a task in IFTTT to send each of my tweets to a note in Evernote so that I have a running log of those as well.
The key takeaway here is automation. I don’t have to spend time capturing these notes in Evernote. I go on with my normal everyday behavior and all of this data is captured and added to my “timeline” automatically.
Tip #4: Develop a process for “remembering everything”
Just like anything else, having a process or habit for capturing notes is an important way to ensure that it happens consistently. I’ve described my process for going paperless in 10 minutes/day. I have a process here, too, but it is one that has grown out of the habit of keeping a diary for as long as I have. I know what it is I want to capture and what I don’t particularly care about. Everyone will have a different set of things they want to remember and building the habit to remember to capture that information in the first place can be tricky sometimes, but if you keep at it (as I did) it works and it can be really useful. Here are some of the other types of information I capture (out of habit) as individual notes:
- When I start reading a book or story, I create a note. Often times, I’ll go back to that note when I finish and add my thoughts. I can easily go back and look to see when I read a particular book or story and what I thought about it.
- When I watch a movie or (much more rarely, a TV show) I’ll create a note. For movies, I’ll usually toss in an image of the movie poster, and just like books, I’ll sometimes go back and add thoughts or comments to the note.
- When I cook an unusual meal, I’ll capture it in Evernote using Evernote Food.
- When I see something I’d like to get, I’ll capture it in a note and tag it as “wish list”; when I actually get it, I’ll add a note indicated that I got it. Sometimes interesting to see how long it goes from wish list to in my hands.
So what good is all of this information?
When I’ve talked about this with friends, I often get the question, “what good is capturing all of this information?” For me, there are a number of things, but three things stand out as being particularly important:
- It helps me stay paperless. I no longer need my paper diaries, of course. But I also don’t need scraps of paper to remind me of something. If there’s some fact that I can’t conjure up in my brain (“When was the last time I took my little boy for a haircut?”) I can almost always search for it and find it. I can do this at home, on my iPad, on my iPhone, at my office, wherever I may be.
- It is one of my most important reference tools. I can find out when things happened, in what order, and see other information that happened around the same time. I am also a champion of personal analytics, about which I’ve written a couple of times (here and here and here) and being able to extract this data for that type of analysis has also proven useful.
- It provides a historical record for my kids. I think it would be cool to turn this data over to them when they are young adults and curious about what mom and dad did when we were younger. There would be a wealth of information for them to see, not only about us, but about them, too. I have notes, for instance, with pictures, of each of the art projects they’ve brought home from school. I have notes for when they said their first words–and can tell them if it was raining or snowing or hot and sunny when they said them. I think that would be a cool thing to see.
And yes, there is a lot of information that goes into Evernote. For those new to this column, I have written in an earlier tip how I protect and secure my Evernote data and I am satisfied with my methods there.
Being able to do all of this without the need for paper has made me feel much more clutter free, reduced my overall stress level, and provides some cool data that can be used in countless way. And it’s really not that hard to do at all, especially if you automate the process as much as possible.
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Many thousands of Irish visitors enjoy holidays safely and peacefully in Greece every year. The advice on this page is intended to help Irish visitors to avoid certain risks by taking simple precautions.
The Department of Foreign Affairs strongly recommends that you obtain comprehensive travel insurance which will cover all overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before travelling to Greece. You should check that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake and take note of any policy exclusions such as pre-existing medical conditions and injury or illness caused by alcohol or drug use.
Irish Citizens should note that the Embassy does not provide funds for emergency medical repatriation.
Citizens should be aware that the level of nursing care provided in most Greek public hospitals, particularly on the islands, is not as high as that provided in Ireland. Nurses deal solely with medical issues and do not provide assistance with cleaning and feeding. In Greek society it generally falls on the family to provide for all non-essential care to the patient or, when needed, a privately paid nursing assistant. Citizens should ensure that their medical insurance cover will provide for private nursing care if required.
Before travelling, you should also obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) free of charge which entitles you to emergency medical treatment. This card is NOT a substitute for travel insurance; it does not provide for assistance with emergency medical repatriation expenses. See www.ehic.ie for further details. The EHIC replaces the Form E111, which is no longer valid. There have been 44 reported cases of West Nile Virus in Greece this year, including three fatal cases.
Demonstrations and Strikes in Greece
In current economic and social circumstances, strikes and demonstrations which can affect visitors travel plans are a common occurrence in Greece. Demonstrations can take place in major cities and, while generally peaceful, can turn violent without warning. When a demonstration is planned or is in progress visitors should seek advice on and avoid the route marchers plan to take.
If a demonstration is in progress it is best to avoid central areas of Athens, particularly areas around Syntagma Square (Constitution Square), where the Parliament Building is located and where most demonstrations terminate.
All flights into and out of Athens International Airport will be affected on Thursday 16 May by a four hour work stoppage by unions at the airport. Travellers are advised to contact their airlines before travel.
Further details can be obtained at the links below, but the Embassy cannot verify this information or guarantee its accuracy.
Large demonstrations can disrupt traffic in Athens and other major cities and, at times, there has been violence associated with demonstrations in limited city centre areas.
Holders of valid Irish passports do not require an entry visa for
It is advisable to take a number of photocopies of your passport, as this will assist in the event that your passport is lost or stolen. It is recommended that you carry photo id or a copy of your passport with you at all times.
SECURITY, CRIME & PERSONAL
Most visits to Greece are trouble-free. However, you should be aware that the tourist season attracts an increase in incidents of theft of passports, wallets, handbags etc. particularly in areas and events where crowds gather. You should leave valuables in safe custody at your hotel or apartment. Particular vigilance should be exercised when using public transport. In Athens, we recommend visitors take extra care of their personal belongings when using buses or the metro; especially when travelling to and from the airport or the port of Piraeus. It is recommended that you obtain sufficient travel insurance to cover against the loss or theft of your belongings.
Personal attacks, including sexual assaults and rape, are infrequent in Greece. However, there is a higher incidence of sexual assault and rape on some Greek Islands. Do not lower your level of personal security awareness because you are on holiday.
LOCAL LAWS & CUSTOMS
High standards of public behaviour are the norm in Greece. While there is greater tolerance in tourist resorts, Greek courts impose heavy fines or prison sentences on people who behave indecently in public.
Visitors should be aware that alcoholic spirits are sold in significantly larger measures in Greek bars and restaurants than in Ireland.
There is no tolerance for Illegal drugs of any kind. Possession of even small quantities can lead to long terms of imprisonment.
Most Irish mobile phones with roaming facilities will operate on the Greek network, check with your mobile company before you travel. Credit can be added to pay-as-you-go phones by a friend or relative in Ireland using an ATM. The international code for Greece is 0030 and the local code for Athens is 210. You must include the local code when dialling. The local emergency service telephone numbers are 100 for the police and 166 for an ambulance.
Irish citizens driving in Greece should be exceptionally cautious in view of the very high incidence of road traffic accidents and different driving customs.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs will most likely invalidate any insurance coverage and you may incur severe penalties under Greek law. Police on the islands have advised that all incidents involving drink-driving will be prosecuted.
Pedestrians should also be vigilant and aware that traffic will be coming from the opposite direction to Ireland. They should also take particular care when using pedestrian crossings at intersections; vehicles will not necessarily stop when the signal indicates that pedestrians may cross the road.
Every year, motorcycles, scooters, mopeds and quadbikes are associated with a many serious accidents every year in Greece, often resulting in very serious or even fatal injury. Failure to wear a crash helmet or to have the necessary driving license may invalidate your insurance if you are involved in an accident. Visitors should note that an Irish provisional driving license is not recognised in Greece.
You should check that your travel insurance covers you for the relevant activity. Greek law requires you to wear a crash helmet on a scooter, moped or motorcycle. Quad bike riders require a full-face helmet (or non-full-face helmet plus goggles) under Greek law. Road insurance and a motorcycle license are also mandatory. You should also confirm that any insurance provided by the rental company is fully comprehensive. You may be arrested if you do not. You should be aware that when hiring a vehicle, hire companies will often demand your passport as a form of security. You are advised not to hand over your passport under any circumstance. You should also check any waiver which will come into effect if the vehicle is damaged.
Earthquakes: Many parts of Greece; including islands visited by Irish tourists are located in seismically active zones. While there has been no serious earthquake in recent years, quakes do occur and tremors are frequent.
Forest fires: In the past few years widespread forest fires have occurred in many parts of Greece which have resulted in a high number of casualties and significant damage to property and the environment. These fires can spread very rapidly in high winds Visitors should, at all times, act in a responsible manner when visiting wooded areas and under no circumstances light barbecues or leave any litter behind.
The Irish Embassy in Athens is located at Leoforos Vasileos Konstantinou 7, 10674 Athens opposite the old Olympic marble stadium, tel (0030) 210 7232771, fax. (0030) 210 7293383. The Embassy can also be contacted by email: firstname.lastname@example.org
The Embassy is open to the public from 09.00am to 13.00pm from Monday to Friday.
The Embassy may be contacted by telephone from 09.00 to 16.00 from Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours, urgent messages can be left on the answering machine service of the Embassy.Top
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Home / Fitness classes / Fitness Conditioning / Bums, legs & tums
Bums, legs & tums class
Bums, Legs and Tums (BLT) classes relate to exercise that concentrates on people burning fat off of these areas of the body and toning them to leave you with the body you want. The conditioning advice and training instruction you'll receive is of a high standard so be assured that you'll get your body into shape and look and feel your best for longer.
Bums, Legs and Tums (BLT) conditioning classes are a great way to firm up and ensure your fitness levels improve and can help you to maintain a healthier lifestyle. From toning these major muscle groups and getting a great workout to improving your circulation and getting blood and oxygen around the body to the muscles more quickly, workouts involving your Bums, Legs and Tums (BLT) are ideal for those of you looking to indulge in a low to moderate intensity exercise regime that will help you to condition your body into the shape and size you would prefer it to be.
Get the flat stomach, tight bottom and firm thighs you've always wanted and start looking and feeling great now. Most classes last for around forty five minutes. Stretching is advisable after warming up the muscles first and instructor led classes are fantastic for ensuring that you're in safe and qualified hands.
These parts last for approximately ten minutes and after exercise is complete, a cool down period is recommended to help relax the muscles and prevent strains and injuries. It is possible for anyone do join in such classes, assuming that you don't have physical difficulties or it might put your health at risk to exercise, say after an operation or injury.
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Visit to Haunted Jail helps local families during the holidays
As if a century-old jail that once housed the worst of Williamson County isn’t scarey enough, the narrow walkways and cell blocks will be especially creeped out this month as thousands of visitors wind their way through for a good cause.
First opened to prisoners in 1888, the old Williamson County Jail was closed in 1992 after it had been home to untold numbers of violent felons including the likes of more modern criminals like Henry Lee Lucas. Today, the jail is undergoing a horrific transformation as volunteers outfit it for a haunting like none other in Central Texas.
“People come through here and tell us it is the scariest haunted house in Central Texas, and some get so scared while they’re waiting in line outside that they never make it through the door,” said Sgt. Gary Haston.
Officers from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department and employees from throughout county government are volunteering their time this month to make the old jail a frigtening attraction — all to raise money for the Brown Santa program. Every year, the Brown Santa charity of the sheriff’s office provides gifts for hundreds of economically disadvantaged families during the holidays. In 2010, Brown Santa raised enough money to provide gifts for 2,100 children from 800 families living in the unincorporated areas of Williamson County including the Liberty Hill area.
Captain Fred Thomas, president of Williamson County Brown Santa, said the haunted jail, now in its third year, is the primary source of funding for the charity. And putting it all together is a collaborative effort between the sheriff’s office and other county departments, which volunteer every year to decorate jail cells.
Haston said each Halloween, the jail gets more scarey as volunteers get more creative. But it may be the things one can’t see that make the jail an uncomfortable place to be — even in the daytime.
“Oh, it’s haunted. There’s no doubt about that,” said Lee Bankston, who provides maintenance and security support for both the old jail and the current one. Like so many others who have worked in the jail, Bankston shares stories of unexplainable events and witnessed for himself as ghost hunters captured images on film of what appeared to be someone standing in a jail corridor.
“We were at that end and the flash on the camera went off down here,” he recalls as he shows The Independent where the ghost appeared. “It caught (on film) someone’s legs from just below the knees.”
Lt. Rick Pena worked one of the last shifts in the old jail before it was closed in 1992. He said he regularly was one of only two officers assigned to a shift watching over as many as 200 prisoners. He said it was not unusual to hear sounds of wind blowing through the jail when the windows were closed and all was still outside. Occasionally, a window would break for no apparent reason and the heavy iron doors would slam when no one was nearby.
But perhaps the most unsettling thing were the voices that could be heard at the quietest of times — voices that were loud enough to startle sleeping inmates. Pena said prisoners regularly complained about them. “It’s hard to explain,” said Pena, who was hesitant to attribute the unexplainable occurrences to paranormal activity.
“But there were a lot of things happening there that just didn’t make sense or couldn’t be explained.”
Pena, a former Austin police officer whose first job with Williamson County was in the old jail in 1987, remembers vividly an unexplainable experience he had on a night shift as he was preparing to distribute medications to the inmates.
“I had all the meds in a box labeled for each inmate and was about to pass them out when someone called out to me and I had to walk away for a minute,” he said. “When I got back, all the pills were mixed up.”
Pena, now 55, was one of only two officers on duty that night supervising a crowded jail, he said. His first thought was that his partner was playing a practical joke. But once again, something happened on a cell block to distract him from the task at hand, and when he returned a short time later, the pills were all back in the correct containers just as they had started. The other officer denied any involvement, and Pena said he never figured out what happened.
Haston, who works in the law enforcement division of the sheriff’s office, said in recent days as he has been decorating in advance of the Oct. 21 opening of the haunted jail, he has heard all kinds of unexplained sounds.
“The other day I was on the second floor and I heard someone calling my name,” he said, adding that he was the only one in the building.
Haston said the voice was so clear that he went downstairs and looked outside. There were no cars and no sign of life. He added that in one particular place on the second floor, he has repeatedly attempted to attach a black plastic decoration to a wall using various types of adhesive. While the same material will hold on other parts of the same wall, every time that he leaves and returns to it, it is has fallen.
“When I’ve been here working by myself, I’ve heard doors slam and felt cool breezes from nowhere,” he said, adding that all of the windows and doors were closed at those times. “I’ve actually seen the doors close by themselves.”
Haston said after working on the jail’s horror decor for a couple of years, he has learned a few things about how to keep visitors intrigued and on their toes.
“It all starts outside…,” he warned.
Before You Go: The haunted house is not handicapped accessible. Tours require climbing stairs and walking for about 20 minutes. Nightmare on Jail Hill 312 Main Street, Georgetown 7-11 p.m. Oct. 21-22, Oct. 28-29 $10/Adults, $5 Children ages 9-12 (Children 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent. Children 8 and under are not admitted. No refunds.)
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Santa Clara Mag Blog
Santa Clara Magazine's blog, updated whenever the writing goblin visits the editorial staff of the magazine.
Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011
Santa Clara and the Sacred Heart Parish commemorate the vision of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a 15-year tradition—and a four-year scholarship.
Photo by Charles Barry
The sounding of the caracol (conch) echoed through Mission Santa Clara de Asís on December 4. Then came drums, singing, and ancient Aztec step dancing. The joyous occasion: La Virgen Del Tepeyac, celebrating the miraculous apparitions of La Virgen de Guadalupe to Juan Diego, a Christian Indian, on the Tepeyac hill in Mexico City in 1531.
This year marks the 15th annual presentation of La Virgen in the Mission Church. The event is a collaboration of the University and Sacred Heart Parish. Performed in the Flor y Canto (Flower and Song) Nahuatl tradition, the celebration featured the Aztec dance group Danza Yoloxochitl with narration, colorful cultural costumes, and music: drums and guitars, violins and flute.
Ana Maria Pineda, RSM, an associate professor of religious studies at SCU, helps organize the public presentation each year. She arrived at Santa Clara University in 1997 to teach Hispanic Spirituality: Guadalupe—the country’s only course dedicated to studying La Virgen and her significance in history, popular religion, and current events—including immigration issues—as well as the daily lives of those who seek her comfort. La Virgen Del Tepeyac offers a two-way bridge to the underserved communities beyond SCU, venerating an icon central to many Latinos lives and identities, offering dignity, unity, strength, and hope.
While a student, María Del Socorro Castañeda-Liles ’98 was a member of Sacred Heart Parish. Her devotion to la Virgen inspired her to create a partnership between SCU and Sacred Heart. At the parish, she participated in El Teatro Corazón, made up of parish members. The parish had already been performing the Juan Diego account for nearly two decades. Castañeda-Liles helped persuade SCU’s Campus Ministry that the reenactment is a form of popular religious prayer, not simply theatre, and that it would be fitting to host the celebration in the Mission. Parish members joined with Pineda’s students with the help of Pia Moriarty, then director of Eastside Project (known today as Arrupe Partnerships for Community-based Learning), for the first celebration of La Virgen in the Mission Church in 1997. Since then, Castañeda-Liles has continued her involvement with SCU in another important way: She is an assistant professor of religious studies.
Santa Clara alumni are also strong supporters of the event. José A. Cabrales ’00, who serves as president of the Chicano/Latino Alumni Chapter, underscores that the celebration has become an important SCU tradition, binding the community and generations.
In addition to the many who come to the celebration each year, Pineda has had more than 500 students in her Hispanic Spirituality course. The reenactment helps non-Latino students and those of other faiths come to a greater appreciation of culture and religious traditions beyond their own, she says. And it is an important part of reflecting on their own religious beliefs and how education has brought them opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise. As La Virgen’s apparitions to Juan Diego symbolize her embrace of all, so does the presentation symbolize SCU’s connection with the community beyond its campus.
Students, scholars, and alumni
Preceding the celebration on Dec. 4 was another tradition: the awarding of the San Juan Diego Scholarship. It recognizes Sacred Heart students who are committed to the parish, youth leadership, and the Latino community. This year the scholarship was presented to Araceli Guiterrez, who plans to enter SCU in 2012 as a freshman. Thirteen students have received the scholarship over the years, including some who were the first in their families to attend college.
It was the celebration itself that inspired the scholarship: Touched by the first performance in the Mission Church in 1997, Stephen Privett, S.J., then provost and vice president for academic affairs at SCU and now president of the University of San Francisco, awarded two scholarships to Sacred Heart students. The scholarship was later formally established by President Paul Locatelli, S.J. ’60.
—Monique Marie DeJong ’06
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Anti-Measure 2 Activists At North Dakota Association Of Counties Got Nearly $450,000 In Tax Dollars In 2011
One interesting side-issue in the debate over Measure 2, which would abolish property taxes, is that a number of the organizations who have backed a political campaign called Keep It Local ND are heavily funded by our tax dollars.
Section 16.1-10-02 of the North Dakota Century Code prohibits the use of taxpayer funds, or goods/services paid for by taxpayer dollars, to be used for political activities. Here’s the pertinent text, which is rather unambiguous:
No person may use any property belonging to or leased by, or any service which is provided to or carried on by, either directly or by contract, the state or any agency, department, bureau, board, commission, or political subdivision thereof, for any political purpose.
Previously I’ve noted that the North Dakota Chambers of Commerce, a very political network or organizations that is outspoken in their opposition to Measure 2, had received $450,515.07 in payments from state taxpayers through December of last year. Now another organization that is partners with the Chamber of Commerce in the Keep It Local ND campaign is revealed to have taken significant sums of money from the taxpayers.
According to an open records request filed with the North Dakota Association of Counties, that organization received $449,101 in “dues payments” from counties in 2011. A document showing a break down of payments by county is below.
Most of what the Association Counties does is lobby on behalf of the state’s counties. That on its own is a questionable use of taxpayer dollars. After all, what do we elect mayors and commissioners for if not, in addition to making policies and administering their jurisdictions, also communicating their needs to other levels of government? Given that every corner of North Dakota is represented by squads of commissioners, school board members, legislators, etc., etc. the need to dole out hundreds of thousands of dollars to what amounts to a government lobbying firm seems a bit odd.
But going beyond that, to see this organization which wouldn’t exist were it not for the membership made up of our counties engage in an explicitly political campaign is downright illegal, I think.
Setting aside the Measure 2 debate, what good are our laws prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars for political activities if our politicians can shovel our tax dollars to a group like the Association of Counties (or the Chamber of Commerce, for that matter) and have them engage in political activities?
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I am getting my thoughts together for a piece on what to do in the long term about financial markets and housing policy. Here are a couple of thoughts on housing policy.
1. Why subsidize home ownership among people who are relatively low on the economic ladder?
2. Why subsidize mortgage indebtedness?
In economics, the rationale for a subsidy is a positive externality. The government taxes me in order to subsidize your actions, because your actions benefit me.
For example, if you own your home, then you may take better care of it, and that may help our neighborhood and raise my property values. So I might want to participate in a program that gives you a subsidy to own your home. But it is worth carefully thinking about how important these externalities are. We have a pretty intensive involvement of government in trying to get people in the bottom third of the income distribution to try buying rather than renting. Are the social benefits of that policy commensurate with its costs?
On point (2), off the top of my head, I cannot come up with any reason to subsidize mortgage indebtedness. How does your having a mortgage loan benefit me? Does anyone have an answer for that? Bueller?
I think that mortgage subsidies emerged pretty much by accident. The income tax deductibility began when hardly anyone paid income tax, and it has been grandfathered in ever since. In the 1930's, government decided to reshape the mortgage market, and that effort evolved into government agencies, such as Fannie Mae, FHA, and Freddie Mac. Fannie and Freddie were subsequently spun out to private shareholders as government-sponsored enterprises, but Congress never let the GSE's forget that they had a "mission" to provide subsidies to low-income borrowers. Whether you blame the privatization or the Congressional pressure, the results were not pretty.
Reshaping the mortgage market away from short-term balloon finance was a good idea. But creating a huge industry built on taxpayer guarantees was not a good idea.
All in all, I would say that the mortgage subsidies have given us systemic financial risk, which is a negative externality. A HUGE negative externality. What it has given us lately is a toxic financial spill, which is very hard to clean up.
I also think that promoting home ownership among low-income households may be something of a negative externality. Home ownership with low down payments poses systemic risk. As I've said before, when buyers don't put down much money initially, their equity has to consist of price appreciation. When prices are rising, everybody can buy. When prices are falling, nobody can buy. Instability is the natural result. If you stick with 20 percent down payments, then the market will not rise as much as it might otherwise, but it will not fall as much as it might otherwise, either.
Instead of handing a low-income home buyer a subsidized mortgage with a low down payment, I'd rather hand the buyer a check to use for part of the down payment. Then the buyer starts out with equity in the house, and we don't pile on so much systemic risk. But before we hand out checks for down payments, we ought to go back and estimate the extent of the positive externality that is involved in switching from renting to ownership.
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My history of monarchist sentiment
Coming by this reality was kind of a shock for me. When I was very young, just starting school, my Saturdays were spent watching cartoons coming up out of the States. As this was the early 70s, Schoolhouse Rock was like mother’s milk for me, and part of that was the lead-up to the bicentennial. All those songs about the formation of the US and the revolution were knit into my bones like calcium and strontium. I thought those songs were about me. I guess I knew I lived in Canada, but I didn’t have an idea of what a country was, as separate from another. So I didn’t see a contradiction. I remember I had a friend named John, a kid from England, and I teased him (bordered on picking on him) about what his country did to “mine”. At some point, my mother straightened me out. No, the USA was not our country. And, in fact, the evil guys in red in those cartoons? They were our guys. Do you remember that scene in The Omen II when Damien realizes he’s the antichrist? Well, I can relate. But, like him, I got over it. I learned to go with it.
So I went kind of hard the other way. I was still trying to figure out what our place was relative to other countries. When I was in grade nine, I remember our history teacher having to disabuse several of us in the class (including me) of the notion that, at some time during World War II, Winston Churchill had come over to be the prime minister of Canada... I don’t know where I got that idea, but I was surprised to find out it wasn’t true. That, and that we were no longer members of the British Empire, because it had effectively ceased to exist as such when our parents were still in school. Such were the vagaries of my understanding of Canada’s place in the world well into my teens.
But I did learn that Canada had, at least in part, forged itself in opposition to the US, and in loyalty to the UK. That we’d fought two wars against the States to maintain our independence, and narrowly avoided a third; the threat of which led to the creation of the modern federal state that is Canada. I became intensely interested in politics. For a while I was a member of a federal political party. I dug the monarchy, the ties it gave us to countries like ours, and I went for anything with a Union Jack on it. And that’s where I was for a long time. It cooled, slowly, but it lingered. Still does, I guess. Probably always will.
Lately, though, I’ve been considering the status of the monarchy in Canada. I’ve had to admit that it’s a justifiable sore spot with French Canadians, for whom having a British monarch as their head of state is a constant reminder of an extremely unhappy moment in their history. To be honest, when I think of it now, I have to credit them with a lot of patience. Likewise, I’ve had to recognize that most new Canadians, from different lands, could not possibly be expected to hold the monarchy in the same reverence as Canadians of British heritage like me. They might like it, they might even support it, but I can’t honestly demand they should feel it in their bones. It must make them feel like imperial step children... yes, fully and officially Canadian, but somehow, second class. I know I’m not speaking for everyone, but I suspect that must be a common sentiment where the monarchy is concerned.
And I’ve had to face a kind of embarrassing political oddity about Canada. Now, I wasn’t born in Ireland; my grandmother was. But that entitled me to become an Irish citizen by foreign birth registration, and I finally got off my ass and did it not quite ten years ago now. As such, I’m technically eligible to hold the office of President of Ireland, should I meet the other constitutional requirements. What I mean to say is, there’s nothing to stop me. But here, in the country where I was born and raised, and whose citizenship I have always held, I can never be the head of state. Nor can any other Canadian. Our head of state lives in another country, chosen from among a small number of people in one family, according to the laws of another land that we never had a hand in drafting. I mean, it’s kind of neat to have a queen and all in the Space Age, but the realities of Canada’s constitutional situation are, frankly, faintly humiliating for a country that’s existed for nearly 150 years, and has ostensibly been a peer to the UK on the international stage for just about 80.
And I finally decided yesterday, while laying it all out over a few beers with my friend P-Doug, that it’s time for that to change. Sitting there in a faux British pub in a faux British kingdom, I came to the realization that I’d gone over to “the dark side”. I went into the pub a jaded monarchist, and walked out a hopeful republican.
Peculiarities of the Canadian Constitution with regard to the Monarchy
Canada was established as a constitutional monarchy in 1867, in the British North America Act, which served as our constitution (in part) and still does. Because it was an act of the British Parliament, only Britain could amend it. Whenever we wanted to change our constitution, we had to ask another country to do it for us. And that was the way of things right up to 1982. That year, we patriated the BNA Act from Britain and renamed it the Constitution Act, 1867. It was immediately amended by the Constitution Act, 1982, which includes the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Not much changed about the BNA Act in all this; the new sections simply clarified how we would go about amending our own constitution from then on, and read in the other various statutes and documents that also form part of the Canadian Constitution.
One of those statutes is the Act of Settlement, 1701. This is also an act of the British Parliament, and designates the person of the monarch, and the conditions for acceding to the throne. This is a part of Canada’s constitution, but we can’t amend it. It’s someone else’s law to change. Technically, the Statute of Westminster, 1931, pledges the British not to change the Act without the unanimous consent of the other countries that share the Queen as head of state (the sixteen countries that are today called the Commonwealth Realms, of which Canada is one). The Act of Settlement is what decrees that Prince Charles will be the next King of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, etc. All but one of those countries are not able to change the nature of that law. As stated, Britain has promised not to change the Act without the agreement of the other countries, but the fact remains that they could.
One of the stipulations of the Act is that no Catholic, and no one married to a Catholic, can accede to the throne. No Catholic can ever be the head of state of Canada, where that denomination is the largest in the country. A few years ago, a man named Tony O’Donohue challenged the constitutionality of that in the Ontario Superior Court. The court ruled that the Constitution cannot contradict itself. Its provisions, where seemingly contradictory, serve to qualify one another. So Canada is nation of freedom of religion, albeit one where there is a religious qualification for the nation’s highest executive office. That’s the law of the land. And because of the Statute of Westminster, even if fifteen of these countries agreed to change that, it would just take one to veto it. Effectively, we’re locked into this and cannot ourselves change it.
Another odious aspect of the Constitution is the amending formula where the Monarchy is concerned. Nearly every other change to the Constitution can be ratified by being passed in both houses of Parliament, and by seven of the ten provincial legislatures representing at least 50% of the population of Canada. But not where the Monarchy is concerned. Changes to Monarchy in Canada require the unanimous consent of Parliament and all ten legislatures. And changes to the section that stipulates that also require unanimity. It’s a padlock on a padlock. All future generations of Canadians were saddled with this provision in 1982 by a group of WASP males born between the wars when the Union Jack was still flying over Parliament Hill. To me, that’s increasingly outrageous, and vastly undemocratic. No matter how many Canadians might like to change it, it would prove nearly impossible to muster that level of agreement. A mere handful of traditionalists could hold back the will of the vast majority of the people if they merely chose to.
That’s what republicans in Canada are up against: a rigged system and foreign law. I’m hardly joking when I say that by far the easiest way for Canada to disestablish the Monarchy would be for Britain to get rid of it.
My preferences for a Canadian head of state
Nevertheless, it’s worth discussing the project and giving some shape to the idea. So here I’d like to propose my own model for a truly Canadian head of state.
The easiest and most natural thing to do would be to simply take the office of the Governor-General, who represents and acts on behalf of the Queen in Canada, and convert it to a Canadian Presidency. In this, it would not resemble the US Presidency. The job is largely ceremonial, and has few real executive powers except to rein in the government. This is a balance that works extremely well, for the most part, for numerous Commonwealth countries; monarchies and republics. Few of them vest much real power in the head of state, be that the Queen or a president.
One of the things valued in the Queen is her experience due to her length of service. When I was discussing this with P-Doug, the matter came up, and to my delight and surprise, we both independently concluded the identical same time frame for a presidential term: 10-12 years. Whether or not the officeholder would be eligible for more than one term is something the country could work out. But such a long term would enable a Canadian president to preside over and work with several Parliaments. At least three, and possibly more, would fall within the span of a 12-year term. Canadians would get used to a certain person representing the country for roughly half a generation, and then it might be someone else’s turn. Aside from the duration of the term, this is very much like the character of the Irish Presidency (7 years, renewable once; so actually, at potentially 14 years, not altogether different from what I’m proposing).
As to the means of selecting the person, I personally favour a process in which a committee draws up a list of suitable candidates, which would then be voted on by the Senate. The nod might go to the candidate with the plurality, or perhaps there might be run-offs until one candidate had a clear majority of the votes. I’m reluctant to suggest direct election, because that would tend to imply a democratic mandate that could have the tendency to expand the powers of the presidency over time (particularly with the example of the US Presidency right next door) and put it at odds with the House of Commons, something I’d strenuously work to avoid.
The candidate for the presidency might be something like the following: a Canadian citizen (of course), having reached a certain age (35? 42? etc.), who, while preferably versed in or experienced in the workings of the Canadian government, should not have been a member of any political party for an appreciable length of time immediately prior to his or her appointment (say, 5 years). The office should be politically neutral, as the office of the Governor-General (not to mention the Queen herself) is currently. When I think of someone who would make an ideal candidate, the late Pierre Burton, popularist historian and raconteur, the author of numerous standards on Canadian history, springs to mind. Others like Desmond Morton, or authors on Canadian themes like Margaret Atwood and Roch Carrier, also strike me as admirable choices. This is something I feel we could do.
I’d like to sum up by saying that I still admire and respect the Queen, our heritage and traditions, our membership in the Commonwealth (which we should, of course, maintain), and that I’m not foaming at the mouth to see this project achieved. But I do believe that the days of Canada as a constitutional monarchy are justifiably numbered, and that we should put some thought into giving the institution a respectful retirement. I do feel that the head of state of this country should be of and from this country. Someone, if not born here, then at least raised here, with a love of Canada and the instinctive understanding of its cultures, politics, and aspirations that come from longtime residency; living and working every day in the land of one’s nationality, one’s home. Dear as she is, that’s something Queen Elizabeth can only ever furnish to Britain, but never to Canada.
I think it’s time for us to take that last, final step to becoming our own country, and no one else’s. Yes; finally, I do agree.
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David Hooker pulled a strand of hair from the clump of dust that had been dumped out of a vacuum bag. Some may find it unpalatable, he said, but in his eyes, it isn't dirty or gross. It's art.
The associate art professor at Wheaton College has taken the term "dust to dust" in its most literal sense. In a long and arduous process, Hooker has been sifting the debris, collected by the college's custodial staff, over a 5-foot-tall, ceramic sculpture of the crucified body of Jesus Christ.
The dust-covered sculpture symbolizes death and resurrection, said Hooker, 44, of Winfield.
"Literally, this dirt contains skin cells from the community. The idea is that our bodies are now connected to the body of Christ," he said. "At first, some might find it disgusting, or even sacrilegious, but I hope people can get past that and see the meaning behind it."
The sculpture will be included in a 27-piece collection that will debut at the college's Biblical and Theological Studies department at the Billy Graham Center on April 22. Among the paintings, photographs and etchings, Hooker's sculpture will be one of the more unusual, said Jeffrey Greenman, Associate Dean of Biblical and Theological Studies.
"I think it's bold and creative and controversial to a certain extent. If you want a picture of a very suburban, acceptable Jesus, this will not be it," he said. "It's not for shock value or disrespect. I would hope people will understand it in its context and eventually appreciate the message behind it."
In his studio, Hooker has collected 11 vacuum bags to be used on the piece, which will simply be called, "Corpus."
It is not a quick process. Hooker has to cover the sculpture with acrylic gel and then sift dust over it. It takes a day to dry before he can add another layer, eventually adding about five coats to the piece.
In a way, the dust represents "our sins or uncleanliness," he said. "It's our collective dust."
Hooker searched meticulously for the right corpus. He didn't want a brand new one, but rather one with a past, he said. He bought this one for about $4,000 from a vestments business that salvages and resells items from old churches. It's from a Catholic church, Hooker said, guessing it's age was "less than 100 but older than 50."
Hooker hopes those who see the sculpture will keep coming back to it.
"There's a difference between knowing something and understanding it," he said. "As you spend time with something day after day, its meaning will reveal itself over time."
Those who see the art will have to judge it for themselves, said Philip Ryken, president of Wheaton College. He hopes they'll see the college's message of "our need for God's grace, and that means being honest about our own failings."
"I think good art, or the best art, always provokes a response," he said. "I think most people, when they see this, will understand there are lot of things that are disappointing and even dirty about us and see the Christian message that God loves us in spite of our sins."
The collection, which is meant to tell the biblical story of salvation from creation to Christ, will occupy the fifth floor of the Billy Graham Center, which the college recently renovated.
The rest of the collection will feature work from other staff, including photographs and paintings. It will also include a large, color map of Jerusalem from 1588 and a piece of calfskin vellum with medieval text with unknown origin. It will be free and open to the public.
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Earl Gilliam: "A Huge Loss That Can't Be Filled"
Another of Houston's unique blues treasures, the effusive, ebullient and always stylish pianist Earl Gilliam, has moved on to the big juke joint in the sky. Gilliam, 81, died peacefully this morning at his home in Tomball of advanced lung disease. He had suffered from emphysema and other lung complications the past few years and was hospitalized several times, most recently with a collapsed lung.
Photo by Jesse C. Smith Jr.
Born in New Waverly on January 13, 1930, Gilliam moved to Houston when he was 18, just in time to be part of the first historic wave of Houston piano giants: Amos Milburn, Teddy Reynolds, Lonny Lyons and Elmore Nixon. After playing country-western gigs with his cousin for a while, Gilliam got his first major break when he was picked up by Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, the charismatic, hard-touring wild man who played guitar and fiddle.
In an amazing career that spanned more than 60 years, Gilliam literally played with virtually all of Houston's greatest talents at one time or another, plus a host of national blues acts that passed through places like Shady's Playhouse, where he ran the house band for years.
For five years in the '50s, Gilliam was part of Albert "Iceman" Collins' band that took the world by storm. After his stint with Collins, Gilliam and Little Joe Washington worked together in the wild border joints of El Paso and Juarez.
Back home in the '60s, Gilliam settled in at Shady's, one of the primary locations for blues on the Gulf Coast. A sideman/bandleader for hire, he worked extensively with Lightnin' Hopkins, Johnny Clyde Copeland, T-Bone Walker and songwriting genius Percy Mayfield.
Photo by Chris Gray The site of the original Shady's Playhouse in Third Ward
In his book Down In Houston, historian Dr. Roger Wood notes that Shady's Playhouse served as the main site for the mentoring of up-and-coming younger blues players. Pianist/composer Teddy Reynolds, one of Houston's most celebrated modern bluesmen, told Wood that he had been mentored by Gilliam at Shady's.
He also performed alongside many of the top female singers of his day, including Lavelle White, Trudy Lynn, Luvenia Lewis, and giants Big Mama Thornton and Little Esther Phillips.
Gilliam also had his own recording career, and while his catalog is not extensive, it includes tunes like "Petite Baby," "Don't Make Me Late, Baby," "Wrong Doin' Woman," and "Just You and I" that have become Houston blues standards. Late in his career, Gilliam teamed with Joe "Guitar" Hughes and also gigged extensively with guitarist I.J. Gosey.
Also in his later years, Gilliam became known for his famous "Doghouse Jams," informal Sunday affairs in the shop behind his home. Gilliam and his wife would barbecue and people would just show up.
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