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Most children want to dress up for Halloween, but for those confined to wheelchairs, it isn’t always that simple.
Ryan Weimer understands that concept better than most. When his oldest son, Keaton, was 3 years old, he told his dad he wanted to be a pirate for Halloween.
Instead of simply dressing him up, Weimer spent months building Keaton — who lives with muscular dystrophy — a pirate ship made of wood, tablecloth sails and specially-crafted cannons, all fitted to his wheelchair.
Keaton was ecstatic — and his dad never forgot the feeling.
"When you know that you have few memories to make with your kids, you want to make priceless ones," Weimer told NBC News, "and epic ones."
His second son, Bryce, also lives with muscular dystrophy. Over the years, their wheelchair costumes have gotten more elaborate and attracted more attention. And this year, the Weimer family project became a hugely successful non-profit, called Magic Wheelchair.
Volunteers from around the country donated their time, talents and resources to create dream costumes for eight lucky children — six from Weimer’s home state of Oregon and two from Georgia.
"When we have challenges and trials and hard times, those are the things that define us," Weimer said. "It doesn’t' matter your circumstances, you can still make beautiful things ... and it's great to see other people get behind that."
Students and supporters across Mississippi push for stricter gun laws as part of the national "March for Our Lives" movement.
Several hundred students, parents, concerned citizens and anti-gun advocates marched in Jackson Saturday to demand stricter gun laws in the U.S. "March for Our Lives" rallies were also held in Oxford, Amory, Gulfport, McComb, Tupelo and other cities.
In Jackson, protesters held signs and chanted as they marched from the Mississippi State Supreme Court to the Governor's Mansion and back again to the building across from the state Capitol where the Legislature was in session.
The rallies were held on the same day that hundreds of thousands of students — and their supporters — packed the streets in Washington, D.C., and around the globe Saturday to make a powerful statement against gun violence and call on lawmakers to pass stricter laws or face their wrath at the polls.
Hannah Davis, a 17-year-old Brandon High student, was among those marching in Mississippi. In an earlier story, she recounted to the Clarion Ledger how she stayed home from school last year after rumors began circulating that a student was planning to bring a gun to her high school. Now, every day that she drives through the gates outside her school, she wonders if they'll keep her safe.
"Honestly, anybody can walk onto our campus and anything could happen," she said. "I don't always feel the safest. Knowing the condition of our society, I'm always worried about it."
Such concern, and an urgent call to action, was reflected in Washington. Busload after busload filled the nation's capital with students from across the country, including some from as far away as California and Minnesota, for the March for Our Lives. The event was announced just days after a Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
In impassioned speeches, student after student from Marjory Stoneman gave a rallying cry to wild cheers from the thousands assembled along Pennsylvania Avenue.
"We are going to make this the voting issue," said David Hogg, a Stoneman Douglas student and organizer of the march. "We are going to take this to every election, to every state, and every city. We are going to make sure the best people get in our elections to run not as politicians, but as Americans."
A tearful Emma Gonzalez, whose speech at a Fort Lauderdale rally three days after the Valentine's Day shooting galvanized the student movement, paid tribute to all of her fallen friends who "would never again" do the simplest things in life. She then stood silently for several minutes before the crowd, a painful hush marking the little over six minutes it took for the gunman to snuff out 17 lives.
"Fight for your lives before it is someone else's job," Gonzalez implored.
Cameron Kasky, another Stoneman Douglas student, said the student movement's message to politicians was simple: "Either represent the people or get out.
The young Stoneman Douglas students, many of whom are just reaching voting age, vowed to work to make reducing gun violence the central issue of their generation.
Polls show that Americans are increasingly in favor of stricter gun laws. By almost 2-1, 61%-33%, they say tightening gun-control laws and background checks would prevent more mass shootings in the United States, according to a USA TODAY/ Suffolk Poll published last month. Even wider margins of Americans say semiautomatic weapons such as the AR-15, which was used in the Florida shooting, should be banned.
But Americans have little confidence that Congress will act. Fewer than one in five, 19%, say the odds are excellent or good. More than three in four; 76%, rate them as fair or poor.
Still, members of the student-led movement insist their generation can push the nation toward tougher gun laws.
“This is not a red vs. blue issue,” said Sarah Chadwick, a Stoneman Douglas student. “This is a moral issue. And to the politicians who believe their right to own a gun comes before our lives, get ready to be voted out by us, the future."
Many of the Florida students took particularly sharp jabs at their junior senator, Republican Marco Rubio, who they note has received about $3.3 million in campaign contributions from the NRA and gun lobby during his political career.
The students wore orange price tags of $1.05, the amount Rubio has received from the gun lobby divided by the number of students in Florida, to suggest that's how much they were worth to him.
Stoneman Douglas students and brothers Juan and Santiago Munera said they were tired but determined as they walked on Pennsylvania Avenue toward the main stage. They arrived in Washington two hours before the rally after a grueling 23-hour bus ride from Florida.
Juan Munera, 17, said he's been inspired by his Stoneman Douglas peers that they can help make change.
As marchers filed down Pennsylvania Avenue, the main arterial between the White House and the Capitol, many students stopped by the Newseum, a museum dedicated to the history of media, where a billboard was set up for marchers to write down their reasons for taking part in the moment.
“I wrote down that I march for my generation, for our future,” said Natalia Carrillo, 15, a ninth-grader from Ashburn, Va. “I think they’ll (politicians) finally listen to us; we finally came together."
The Clarion Ledger contributed to this report from Mississippi.
Thomas Scherman and his Little Orchestra Society, fixtures of New York's musical life since 1947, dropped the curtain on their final season Wednesday night at Avery Fisher Hall with Elgar's oratorio “The Dream of Gerontins.” This season, before going out of existence because of what are officially described as “economic considerations,” the society has been presenting reprises of outstanding efforts from its previous 26 years. “Gerontius” was one such event.
But there are moments in “The Dream of Gerontius” when Elgar overcomes all objections, and where the parochial is transformed into the universal. Mr. Scherman, conducting with unusual authority and assurance, did not obscure such moments, at least, and his orchestral and vocal forces supported his intentions admirably for the most part.
Kenneth Riegel, the Gerontius, did not extract the subtlest meanings from the text (listen to Peter Pears on the recent London recording for comparison), but he sang with full‐toned security. Beverly Wolff, with her big and expressive, if sometimes woolly, mezzo‐soprano voice, gave a surprisingly robust and corporeal portrayal of the Angel. But for dramatic protection, Morley Meredith as the Priest and later as the Angel of Agony put everyone in the shade. Mr. Meredith managed to persuade one even when, as the Angel of Agony, he entered for his aria wearing a blood‐red dinner jacket, evidently intended as an evocative staging touch.
The chorus, prepared by Dino Anagnost (a marvelously liturgical name to come across in connection with such a work as Elgar's), performed ably, though there were many moments when the conductor's tentative indications caused thin or unsteady attacks.
Mr. Scherman's over‐all conception of the score seemed quite valid, and many individual pages came across with conviction. But orchestral and vocal balances sometimes went out of kilter, resulting in soloists' words' being swallowed up in uncontrolled din. And the pacing of the difficult, almost Mahlerian second half, with its alternations of demonic and angelic voices, was somewhat less than virtuosic.
Nevertheless, “The Dreams of Gerontius,” a problematical but fascinating score, had one of its rare presentations here. Such services to music distinguished Mr. Scherman's 27 seasons, and his society's place will not be easily filled.
Is "Arab democracy" worth all this chaos?
Is “Arab Democracy” Worth All This Chaos?
Washington forgot an important component—stability.
Lebanon’s “cedar revolution” was exhilarating. The Syrians were kicked out of the country after years of occupation. The international community conducted a wide-reaching investigation into the murder of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. “Lebanon,” said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, “had, at one time, a great democracy that was prosperous and that the world knew for that prosperity.” The hope was that it would be so once again.
The Middle East roller coaster was on an upswing, and the view was magnificent. But the descent was fast and scary. And also predictable. What’s happening in Lebanon is a reflection of one of the most troubling aspects of the democracy project: the tendency to celebrate democracy without regard for stability.
Israelis were always suspicious of American idealism about the tough neighborhood they live in. The hawkish Ariel Sharon and the dovish Yitzhak Rabin had similar feelings about Arab systems of government: It’s better to deal with a strong, authoritative, reliable leader than risk the complications of a free and chaotic Arab society.
But the Bush doctrine complicated matters for wary Israeli leaders. To maintain good relations with the American administration, it became necessary to live with Arab democracy. It was the bitter pill one has to swallow to keep the doctor happy, even if the price was clear and high.
The problem was evident in the run-up to the Palestinian elections. Sharon didn’t want Hamas to run, but he decided not to fight it out when it became clear this was something the U.S. administration was going to insist on in the name of democracy for all. In Lebanon, things developed in a more subtle way. As the world rejoiced over the diminishing Syrian influence, it ignored Hezbollah’s continuing role. U.N. Resolution 1559 called for two things: Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon and the disarming of Hezbollah and the Palestinian camps. The first condition was implemented, but the second was basically ignored. When asked about this in her visit to Lebanon last February, Rice declared: “It is up to the Lebanese to decide who is going to govern this country. … Lebanon will resolve the situation in ways that are consistent with Lebanon’s desire to be a democracy.” So, a bomb was left on the side of the road just waiting for someone to pick it up and set off an explosion.
A new phenomenon called “Arab democracy” was born—that is, a democracy in which the militias are part of the government and in which the government is too weak to control the militias. Hamas has a majority in the Palestinian parliament and controls the government; Hezbollah holds 25 of the 128 seats in the Lebanese parliament and controls at least two ministries. But in both cases, the weak leadership is unable to rein in the armed militants, who are effectively controlled by outside destabilizing forces, namely Syria and Iran.
The situation presents a tactical and operational problem to those who need to fight and contain the armed groups—but it’s also a conceptual problem. Even as it backed Israeli raids in Lebanon, Washington was nevertheless irritated by the possibility of a major blow to the Lebanese political system—the same system and government it was taking credit for. Washington also repeatedly warned Israel to be careful with the Palestinian president—incapable as he is—so as not to undermine the great achievement of Palestinian democracy.
So, a dilemma is emerging: Is Arab democracy so important that maintaining it is worth paying the price of chaos and instability? And is there a way to establish an Arab democracy that’s stable from the outset?
This question needs to be answered by the Bush administration, because for the other players in the region, the answer is quite clear by now. For Israel—it’s security first, both in Gaza and in Lebanon, no matter what the consequences for democracy. In the Arab world, the reaction is similar. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal denounced Hezbollah by saying that their acts “will pull the whole region back to years ago, and we cannot simply accept them.” What better way to remind the world, yet again, that getting rid of the region’s autocratic regimes can be a risky business.
Adele shared a message to her fans on Twitter.
LONDON — If ever you needed further proof that Adele is a massively awesome person who genuinely cares about her fans, just take a look at the video below.
On Wednesday, Adele was forced to cancel a gig in Phoenix, Arizona due to illness. Despite being unwell, though, she still took the time to address fans directly in a Twitter video.
"I can't do my show tonight, my second show here," she said. "I'm really, really sorry.
"My cold has gotten the better of me, and as you can hear, even if I did the show it wouldn't be very good.
"I'm really, really, really sorry to let anyone down."
Adele promised to reschedule the tour at the end of clip. At the time of writing, her video has been liked around 40,000 times.
ABC’s “This Week” — Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
NBC’s “Meet the Press” — To be announced.
CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; former Secretary of State John Kerry; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic congressional nominee in a New York House district.
CNN’s “State of the Union” — Rubio; Reps. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Pramila Jayapal , D-Wash.
“Fox News Sunday” — Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C.; Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.
It happened some half hour before midnight on Saturday, Washington time. The US Geological Survey's Earthquake Hazards Program picked up an explosion with a 6.3 magnitude. The North Korean regime of Kim Jong-un had seemingly succeeded in testing a hydrogen device, bringing the number of nuclear tests to six so far.
It did not take long for observers to pick up that Trump's consternation may have been curried by other factors, not least of all his distinctly negative approach to an agreement he claims benefits South Korean companies. The South Korean-US free trade deal is set for a dramatic axing.
It is evident from this stance that neither national security advisor H. R. McMaster or Gary D. Cohn of the National Economic Council have much sway in convincing the president. Even in the shadow of a conflagration, Trump will still seek his variant of the deal.
Trump, he informed those gathered, had been briefed on 'many military options'. But Mattis must surely know that options, as he has alluded to before, vary on their feasibility. He said, in a mildly reassuring way, that the US was 'not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea, but as I said, we have many options to do so'.
In Australia, the reactions have been far from mild. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was less than reassuring, suggesting the un-testable notion that the Korean peninsula was closer to conflict than at any time since the Korean War.
"Julie Bishop suggests cutting oil supplies in an effort 'to bring unprecedented pressure to bear'. Her stress is on punishment and retribution. Such measures do less harm to the Kim regime than to the North Korean population."
The converse, if counter-intuitive argument can be made: that the Korean peninsula is being made safe from war through this aggressive pursuit of nuclear arms. This is not a view deemed acceptable to officials in Washington and Canberra but is entirely realistic given Pyongyang's aims.
One prospect as irritating, perhaps more so than Pyongyang's niggling weapons program, is the flagging of a regime collapse, a dangerous situation that would see an exodus of millions into China. If that happens, it will be in no small part due to the machinations of powers that wish to see the Kim regime toppled, despite words to the contrary.
This very fact is implied by the refusal to consider negotiations while attempting that old method of economic strangulation. Australia's own foreign minister, Julie Bishop, suggests cutting oil supplies in an effort 'to bring unprecedented pressure to bear'. Her stress is on punishment and retribution. Such measures do less harm to the Kim regime than to the North Korean population. Then there is the latest suggestion by Trump: US measures to stop 'all trade with any country doing business with North Korea'.
That measure, should it be implemented strictly, will lead to a merry series of trade wars, most notably with China, given its trading relationship with Pyongyang. Whether such nightmares factor into the package of new sanctions being compiled by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin remains to be seen.
The developments over the weekend suggest that Pyongyang is fortifying its diplomatic leverage, testing the resolve of powers that have come to a cul-de-sac of options. Much of that is self imposed, equating discussions with Pyongyang with appeasement.
Each nuclear test, and each ballistic weapons exercise, gives the regime an insurance policy against attack and regime change. Given that reality, the only prospect of de-nuclearisation would have to come from the most significant power in this dispute: the United States itself.
Until Kim - like Gaddafi - goes we won't know the full extent of the sufferings of his people. Regime change would seem to be the only realistic alternative. It may be possible to remove Kim without all out war. That would require a highly secret covert operation. Is it possible Kim's removal can be done with UN approval? Yes. I think attempting to negotiate with him is futile.
Thank you Binoy, it is good to hear the gentle voice of reason in this debate. Deliberately bringing about untold suffering on the people through severe sanctions is hardly going to endear the West to Nth Korea: has the whole debacle begun by fears about 'weapons of mass destruction' held by Hussein taught us nothing? Respectful dialogue is the surest way forward. We have seen enough violence in recent years.
Re Edward Fido's comment, removal of Gaddafi is hardly an example, far less a model, of regime change. Libya is now a nation without any real leadership, with competing claimants in Tripoli and Benghazi. Yes, removal of Kim would be an advantage to the world, and very possibly, to the North Koreans. But no short term advantage to them if they are left with no regime to replace the Kim dynasty. Civil war in the absence of any broadly recognised new regime would quite likely be worse than life under Kim. The possibility of change to any alternative regime is further reduced by Trump's assertion that USA will no longer be involved in nation building as part of their military incursions. Noting the position taken by South Korea's president, shouldn't we in the rest of the world be somewhat more open to his attempts to re-open negotiation as the method of resolving this current dispute? Or do we, particularly in Australia and USA, believe we can know North Korea better than their cousins in the South?
I don't think you can support the continuance of brutal dictatorships, such as those in the Middle East, like Iraq, Libya or Syria by pointing out the fact that things invariably get worse before they get better, as Ian Fraser does. Iraq now seems to be stabilising, although there are and will be problems in the Kurdish areas. Certainly, the situation for the majority Shi'ites is vastly better. Kim is a vicious dictator of the Stalin or Mao variety who has been responsible for the torture, murder and starvation of who knows how many of his subjects in the North Korean slave state. Ultimately, he needs to go. If the South Koreans can talk him through the current crisis, well and good. If this fails China may, I repeat may, be able to persuade him to go. He does need to go, for his own country, for the region and the world. A lunatic threatening other countries with nuclear strikes should not be allowed to remain. When he goes I predict North Korea will erupt in joy. It will be like the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Evil thrives when good people do nothing to defuse it, but punishment and retribution is the wrong response to a dictator like Kim. Russia and China have suggested a more considered approach to this situation: where is the wisdom in using punishment and retribution?
TV anchor Matt Lauer, who got fired due to allegations of sexual misconduct last month, reportedly offered a heavy amount to his wife Annette Roque to call off their divorce. Lauer had Roque, who is also a model, sign a post-nuptial agreement which allowed her to get $5 million if she called off the divorce. In 2006, Roque, who was pregnant with their third child Thijs Lauer at that time, filed for divorce from Lauer following his alleged affair with "Today" show correspondent Natalie Morales when the two were assigned for the Winter Olympics in Italy, reports aceshowbiz.com.
However, Roque, cited "cruel inhuman" treatment as the reason of their divorce. According to court papers leaked in 2014: "Defendant has continuously and repeatedly given higher priority to personal interests than his family obligations to plaintiff, causing plaintiff to feel abandoned, isolated and alone in raising the parties' children," Claiming that the pair had reconciled, Roque withdrew her divorce three weeks later.
The couple had been living separately for the last decade. Sources told the site that Roque, a former Victoria's Secret and J. Crew model, stays at the couple's properties in ritzy Sag Harbor, Long Island, while Lauer remains in their Park Avenue apartment during the week. Lauer was fired by NBC after an employee met NBC News' human resource, allegedly accusing Lauer of inviting her to his hotel room late at night while covering the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in 2014.
iLuv Creative Technology, the premier provider of the most comprehensive line of accessories for the mobile lifestyle, today introduced the iMM155 Vibro™ II, the latest addition to their patent pending Vibro™ Series of digital alarm clock docks.
Milton Keynes based wedding and portrait photography team, Reid Photography, launch this years, My First Christmas baby portrait packages.
“ A Nice Vibe “, the US based phenomenon amongst independent recording artists, releases his new album “ San Francisco “ which consists of 13 original love songs chosen by his hundred thousands of loyal facebook fans.
Shopatmajorbrands is a renowned online shopping site that offers wide range of products like cosmetics, watches, handbags, accessories, footwear etc.
The International Home Show in Toronto has been chosen as the venue for the much anticipated international launch of Cubita, Panama’s latest secure real estate offering on the scenic Azuero Peninsula in Chitre, Panama.
Trade Interceptor offers currency traders live trading with Swissquote Bank on iPad, iPhone, Android phones and tablets, as well as desktop (Windows, Mac and Linux).
7 years ago, 2962 views, By Northern Response International Ltd.
The holiday season means crowded airports, delayed flights and frustrated travelers. The only bit of relaxation one can expect is when they cradle that Total Pillow® around their neck and quickly find themselves dozing off during their 5hr flight.
Palace Resorts LLC announced the rebranding of three all-inclusive resorts in Mexico. These resorts will join the former Moon Palace in Punta Cana, DR as Hard Rock Resorts. GoLuv to partner with Palace to feature Hard Rock in bridal show experiences.
Vintage Seekers has added to it's collection of rare collectibles with a range of 1st edition, signed and rare books.
Costa Rica November Honeymoon Offers at luxurious waterfall destination! Exotic Jungle Romance!
If you love nature - Costa Rica is the best place for a Honeymoon! Romantic Waterfall Honeymoon destination, Palm-lined Beaches, Adventure, excitement, and romance on the Pacific at Waterfall Villas for your Honeymoon in Costa Rica! November offers!
A Maine couple used one of the kits from My Wonderful Walls to the next level by creating four unique scenes in their playroom. They were blown away by the result, and My Wonderful Walls is excited that their kit helped them paint a wonderful room.
San Francisco Marina, Fort Mason Center, Union Street and Lombard Street, the "World's Crookedest Street".
Boston's Balloon Artist, Twisting at The Picture People Burlington, Ma. This Tuesday October 25, 2011 from noon-2pm for a Halloween Party!
For one week only, OSPREY LONDON has teamed up with McArthurGlen’s York Designer Outlet to launch a handbag amnesty where, for every unwanted bag donated to charity, they will offer shoppers 20% off a new bag from the Autumn Winter 11 collection.
What A Fan will make history when they turn fans into iReporters at sporting events and tailgating venues across the country during live events.
First Book – Brooklyn, an organization that provides disadvantaged children with their first book, launches today to help improve literacy rates among young children in socially and economically distressed areas of Brooklyn.