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|You Can Beat Prostate Cancer and You Don't Need Surgery to Do it|
|Reviewed By: Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN|
|Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania|
As with any cancer diagnosis, a man diagnosed with prostate cancer often feels overwhelmed and unable to do research on treatment options available to him. Many patients follow the first doctor's recommendation, without giving thought to what other alternatives there may be in his case. Bob Marckini was not that patient. When he received a diagnosis of prostate cancer, he set out to analyze and dissect every option available to him.
He quickly learned that the surgeons recommended surgery, the radiation oncologists recommended radiation, and the radiation oncologists who performed brachytherapy, well, they recommended brachytherapy. Seems that Bob was the “perfect candidate” for any treatment, yet these options were not exactly perfect for him. The potential complications and lifelong side effects drove him to find yet another alternative: proton therapy. The problem was, proton therapy is not available everywhere, and many of the doctors he saw simply did not know about it, so they dismissed it as an option.
Bob methodically researched the science of protons, interviewed former patients, and asked many questions of the proton team at Loma Linda University Medical Center, yet he could not find a reason not to have treatment with proton therapy. This book chronicles Bob's research, the pros and cons of each option presented to him, his decision-making process, his consultation and treatment at Loma Linda, and life after treatment. It is a must-read for any man (and his partner) faced with this daunting diagnosis and decision, or anyone interested in learning about proton therapy. Protons are becoming more widely available, with 5 centers operating in the U.S. and at least 16 more in development. Despite this, many doctors do not know much about it, and it often falls on the patient to explore protons as a treatment option. This book is a great place to start this exploration, as Bob has done much of the homework for you.
Bob has not beaten prostate cancer and then walked away; he has beaten it and continues to meet it head on for the sake of others. He started the first organization for men who have received, are receiving, or are considering proton therapy for prostate cancer. The group has over 2,500 members from 21 countries and is a tremendous resource for these men (and their partners). Visit their website at www.protonbob.com.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://oncolink.org/includes/print_article.cfm?Page=2&id=840&Section=Oncolink_Library
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|
en
| 0.973618 | 534 | 1.5 | 2 |
In 1905 one of the strangest challenges came from Dawson City, Yukon. Still in the afterglow of the Gold Rush, Dawson prided itself with keeping up with the outside world. It was a boom town filled with rogues and adventurers, none better known than Joe Boyle. The town was mad for hockey and had a state-of-the-art covered arena. On one of his frequent trips to Ottawa, Boyle issued a challenge to the reigning champion Ottawa Silver Seven and it was accepted.
Boyle organized an all-star team which included Weldy Young, a civil servant, "Sureshot" Kennedy, Hector Smith, Dr D. McLennan, who would play rover, and J.K. Johnstone, a former Mountie. The team would pick up cover-point Lorne Hannay in Winnipeg. Quebec native Albert Forrest, only 17 years old, would play goal. Boyle, who had amassed a fortune in supplying the gold mines, put up some of the money, but the players were expected to pay their own way, with hopes that expenses would be recouped from gate receipts.
The "Nuggets," as Boyle dubbed them, set out from Dawson on Sunday, December 18, 1904. Since lack of snow made the dogsleds useless, and after the bicycles all broke down, the men resigned themselves to a long walk (some 560 km) to Whitehorse. There they planned to board the White Pass & Yukon Railway for Skagway but a blizzard blocked the pass for three days and the men arrived 2 hours after the steamer left for Vancouver. "Hanging out in Skagway," wrote a later observer, "did nothing for the team conditioning. They were in serious liver training."
The next ship battled heavy seas and was diverted to Seattle by fog, so by the time the team doubled back to Vancouver they were five days behind schedule. The weary Nuggets arrived in Ottawa on January 11, 1905, just two days before the first game. The team checked into a local hotel and then made for a sporting goods store to buy uniforms.
Despite the exhausting trip the Nuggets were confident. They went to watch the Silver Seven practice and were not that impressed. One Nugget declared that Ottawa star Frank McGee was "not that hot." In fact the Ottawa team included several outstanding athletes. Goalie Bouse Hutton excelled at hockey, lacrosse and football. Defenceman Harvey Pulford was amateur heavyweight boxing champ of Eastern Canada and rowed in the English Henley Regatta. But McGee stood out. Even Gretzky's records pale in comparison. In 22 Stanley Cup games he scored 63 goals!
Dey's arena was crammed with 2200 spectators for the first game. The Dawson City crew skated out in their new black sweaters, trimmed with gold. They were satisfied when they were only down 3-1 at the half (there were only two periods in those days). The match was rough and got rougher. In an incident reminiscent of Todd Bertuzzi, right down to the last name of the victim, Dawson's Norman Watt smashed his stick over Art Moore's head and knocked him unconscious. The final score was 9-2.
While Boyle sent back overly optimistic reports to Dawson, blaming the loss on poor refereeing (a great hockey tradition), the eastern press was ruthless. The Toronto Telegram reported that the Nuggets "faded away like a snowball beneath a June sun."
The second game in this best of three proved another old hockey axiom. Hearing that the Nuggets sneered at his single goal in the first game, Frank McGee lit a fire in the second game, scoring 14 goals in a 23-2 romp, a record that will never fall. "Dawson never had the chance of a bun in the hands of a hungry small boy," mocked the Ottawa Citizen.
The Ottawa Silver Seven celebrated their victory by inviting the losers to a banquet. Later they took the precious prize cup and drop kicked it into the Rideau Canal, which fortunately was frozen. The tour was not a complete washout for the Dawson boys. They went on tour through the Maritimes, eastern Canada and the US, winning as many games as they lost and pretty well recouping their travel expenses. Boyle remained the optimist, promising to be back, but after this strange episode, the Stanley Cup trustees tightened up the rules.
James H. Marsh is editor in chief of The Canadian Encyclopedia.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/featured/klondikers-challenge-for-the-stanley-cup
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en
| 0.978847 | 912 | 1.804688 | 2 |
There are a lot of stopwatches out there, they all fundamentally do the same thing but there are subtle and important differences.
For example some stopwatches only run on certain devices, this is the case with most apps. A stopwatch app that was created for the iPhone for example will not work on an Android phone.
But just because it's a website doesn't mean it will work on any device. For example if a website uses Flash it will not work on the iPhone or iPad. Websites that use Java might have similiar problems.
Check out some of our special count down clocks:
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<urn:uuid:5cb7bdb6-68ed-4c9d-8335-80e1b11ad25f>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://ipadstopwatch.com/about.html
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|
en
| 0.935276 | 124 | 1.625 | 2 |
“Free people and free enterprise are more effective at reducing costs than government will ever be.” Gov. Romney said this, in regard to health care and the unelected Independent Payment Advisory Board that ObamaCare creates to oversee the plan’s implementation, at about six minutes past the hour mark. That thought is one that President Obama could never honestly utter. A tweet rolled by: “Romney is opening up Obama on IPAB like a boiled peanut.” Another noted that Obama’s open derision was unbecoming for him. The president struck me as frustrated with Romney and with the structure of the debate. When Romney violated the debate’s time limits, which he did routinely, he seemed eager to answer and get to the next fact. Obama seemed touchy and constrained. Romney had struck him for wasting two years while the American economy foundered, on ObamaCare, which hurt job creation. That took some of the wind out of the president. In football terms, it had the effect of the trailing team driving across the 50 yard line, only to throw an interception that turned into a pick six.
With 15 minutes left on the clock, Mitt Romney outlined his principles: based on the Constitution, with a strong military and a strong economy, empowering individuals and caring for the hurting. Romney projected optimism, caring, openness and a connection to the factual real world in that moment, a moment that may have changed the race and put him on a trajectory to become president of the United States. He closed that segment with another strike on Obama’s “trickle-down government” philosophy: “We know that the path we are on is not working, it’s time for a new path.” On the president’s green energy “investments,” Romney charged that “You don’t just pick winners and losers, you pick the losers.” Obama never appeared to realize that for every single problem, he proposes government as the answer. A majority of American voters consistently view government as less a solution than the problem itself.
By this point, Obama had spoken for about 10% more than Romney had, yet had stayed in the world of anecdotes and away from hard facts and statistics. Romney had pummeled the president with a barrage of facts. His energy gone, the president struggled even to explain his education policies. Obama accused Romney of plotting to cut education funding, but Romney retorted: “Mr. President, you’re entitled to your airplane and your house, but not to your own facts.” He struck the president again for wasting money on greendoggles, and noted that many of the recipients had been the president’s political supporters. It was probably too subtle a way to introduce the president’s cronyism, but time will tell whether that passage introduced that angle into the presidential conversation.
Gov. Mitt Romney destroyed President Barack Obama in this first debate. Had it been a boxing match, it would have been called after the first round, supposing that Obama was still on his feet. Tonight’s contest was as brutal a thumping as Americans have seen in a presidential debate to date. The president should have skipped the trip to Hoover Dam and buckled down to his debate prep. Obama was overmatched, badly, all night. And while his energy and demeanor flagged, Romney’s seemed to gather up and gain strength.
But watch George Stephanopoulos, Chris Matthews, Matt Lauer and the majority of the mainstream media turn Obama’s embarrassing performance into a triumph of some sort. No matter what really happens, they have their story to tell and they have their president to protect and re-elect.
More: Frank Luntz’s focus group voted almost to a person that Romney won. They described Obama’s performance as “flat” and “passionless.” They described Romney as strong and in command.
CBS insta-polled the debate: 46% think Romney won, 22% think Obama won. Honestly, I’m surprised it was that close.
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<urn:uuid:39c86a9a-9a25-42f5-ae65-fef68a7b416c>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/03/knockout-mitt-romney-crushes-barack-obama/2/
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en
| 0.979444 | 849 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The purpose of Knight Soul of the Community is to provide communities a roadmap for understanding what attaches residents to their community and why it matters – not to be prescriptive on what communities should do with the information. However, the findings do point to some general implications and suggestions, some of which the community may be already undertaking, or provide new opportunities for consideration.
Like the other 25 communities studied in Soul of the Community, Lexington’s key attachment drivers are social offerings, aesthetics and openness. However, it is not as simple as identifying best practices in each of these areas and replicating them everywhere. Instead, as the name implies, Soul of the Community encourages a conversation about a community’s soul or essential essence as a place around these key drivers. Some possible questions to ask are: What is it about our aesthetics/social offerings/welcomeness that is unique to our community? Where do we excel or struggle in those areas? Using that information to optimize those drivers to encourage resident attachment—and potentially local economic growth – is what Soul of the Community seeks to accomplish.
Attachment to the Lexington area remained fairly consistent over the three years of the study. This finding alone helps to demonstrate that attachment to place is about more than jobs and the economy. The things that most attach residents to the area – social offerings, openness and aesthetics – and the general rating of these areas by residents have remained basically unchanged during all three years of the study.
A consistent strength of Lexington in the eyes of its residents is its aesthetics, specifically its natural beauty. Social offerings, particularly residents caring about each other, and openness, particularly to young talent and immigrants, remain a challenge worth focusing on. The community should mobilize its clear strength in natural beauty to serve as a backdrop for social offerings and events that appeal to a broad range of people in the community. Locate social offerings near areas of natural beauty to allow residents opportunities for positive social interaction. This will be particularly important to engaging young residents in the community, which is important because 18-34-year-olds are the least attached age group in the community.
Overall, two of the three key drivers for attachment – aesthetics and social offerings – are rated higher this year. However, resident perceptions of openness is declining, and special attention should be given to this area. For attachment to really grow and for people to want to come to and stay in Lexington, all residents must feel welcomed there and cared for. This must become part of the community culture.
Make sure all groups feel welcome in the community by providing events as well as businesses and services that are specifically designed for them. For example, have the young professionals lead a series of community events in popular parks or volunteer their professional expertise to other groups in the community (tax help for young families, English as second language service for new residents, showcasing local bands, etc.). This will improve perceptions of openness to all and engage young people in the community in a meaningful way while also potentially improving the perception of residents caring for each other.
Lexington also seems like a prime community to try current third space innovations to boost peoples’ perceptions of resident caring and nightlife offerings. One example is DIY dining, which is an intriguing trend in dining, especially for the 30 and under group, where the customers either bring their own food or buy it on site and cook it themselves together. One such restaurant is the Turf Supper Club in San Diego. Such successful innovations should be considered for Lexington.
Lastly, the Lexington area must improve perceptions of key drivers for attachment aomng young residents. Investigate what older and long-term residents are experiencing in the community with these three key drivers that young residents are not. Replicating that community experience for young residents is critical for attracting and keeping young talent in the area.
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<urn:uuid:10c946ca-0b55-4bc0-933f-3ceffe99fb3b>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://soulofthecommunity.org/content/knight-soul-community-2010-lexington-implications?page=5
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.962017 | 771 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Pablo-Hernando ME, et al. (2007) Cdc15 is required for spore morphogenesis independently of Cdc14 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics 177(1):281-93
Abstract: In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, exit from mitosis requires the Cdc14 phosphatase to reverse CDK-mediated phosphorylation. Cdc14 is released from the nucleolus by the FEAR (Cdc14 Early Anaphase Release) and MEN (Mitotic Exit Network) pathways. In meiosis, the FEAR pathway is essential for exit from anaphase I. The MEN component Cdc15 is required for the formation of mature spores. To analyze the role of Cdc15 during sporulation, a conditional mutant in which CDC15 expression was controlled by the CLB2 promoter was used. Cdc15-depleted cells proceeded normally through the meiotic divisions, but were unable to properly disassemble meiosis II spindles. The morphology of the prospore membrane was aberrant and failed to capture the nuclear lobes. Cdc15 was not required for Cdc14 release from the nucleoli, but it was essential to maintain Cdc14 released and for its nucleo-cytoplasmic transport. However, cells carrying a CDC14 allele with defects in nuclear export (Cdc14-DeltaNES) were able to disassemble the spindle and to complete spore formation, suggesting that the Cdc14 nuclear export defect was not the cause of the phenotypes observed in cdc15 mutants.
|Status: Published||Type: Journal Article||PubMed ID: 17660551|
Topics addressed in this paper
Number of different genes curated to this paper: 5
- To find other papers on a gene and topic, click on the colored ball in the appropriate box.
- displays other papers with information about that topic for that gene.
- displays other papers in SGD that are associated with that topic.
The topic is addressed in these papers but does not describe a specific gene or chromosomal feature.
- To go to the Locus page for a gene, click on the gene name.
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<urn:uuid:79b17d1c-b253-4154-8978-f305efd2c06c>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.yeastgenome.org/cgi-bin/reference/reference.pl?dbid=S000123656
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.936732 | 454 | 1.820313 | 2 |
The last time that a dispute between Madrid and Brussels seized the international spotlight was in 1568 – and boy, was it big. That was when the Spanish rulers of the Low Countries sparked the 80-year-long Dutch Revolt by executing Counts Egmont and Horne on the Grand’ Place of what is today the Belgian capital.
This month, another quarrel between Spain and Belgium broke out. Admittedly, it’s less serious, and for the moment it’s stayed behind closed doors. But in the interests of transparency, and because the squabble tells you rather a lot about the way the European Union operates, I shall share the details with you. Read more
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<urn:uuid:227448c5-9cf3-41db-a3ee-5d01c38cc7de>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://blogs.ft.com/brusselsblog/2009/06/29/
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.967109 | 141 | 1.804688 | 2 |
VAPoR is on it's way again to discover more of the world. This time the trip led us to Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway, were we participate in AMASE. AMASE is the Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition. To quote from the website, this is the reason for us to go there: "With a unique combination of volcanoes, hot springs and permafrost, the BVC on the Arctic islands of Svalbard is the only place on Earth with carbonate deposits identical to carbonates in the Martian meteorite ALH84001. As such, it provides a unique opportunity to study the interaction between water, rocks and primitive life forms in a Mars-like environment and is an ideal testing ground for instruments under development for future "Search for Life" missions to Mars (such as Mars Science Laboratory and ExoMars)."
VAPoR was originally designed for deployment on the moon, however, we are capable to detected all kinds of astrobiologically relevant stuff and Mars would be a good place to go as well.
This is the view from Lonyearbyen Airport. I arrived around 2PM and had to wait a few hours for the others to show up and the flight to Ny-Ålesund.
This is the town of Longyearbyen
And it's worldfamous Svalbard museum that actually won the Council of Europe
Museum Prize 2008.
Museum Prize 2008.
It is really worth a visit, even though our visit got cut short, because we had to head back to the airport for the last lag of the day - to Ny-Ålesund.
In this plane.....
One seat left of the aisle, one seat right... Really my thing!
I did have the nerve to look out of the window to see this
While Carnegie-Gareth was kind enough to offer up his hand to my death grip
But the result was absolutely worth it.
The town of Ny-Ålesund
Where I stay in the yellow building in the right upper corner.
Approach for landing
And for some first impressions, the (retired) Ny-Ålesund train
And the 11.15 PM (23.15) view on the blue ice glacier across the fjord, which is worth staring at 24 hours a day.
No polar bears yet.....
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<urn:uuid:54ea4c66-cc65-4d87-b3b8-a29348cad112>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://vapor-fieldtesting.blogspot.com/2010/08/amase-day-1-arrival.html
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.951281 | 495 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Funding is coming
By IKE MGBATOGU
COLUMBUS – It goes without saying that it is enormously beneficial for every child to grow up in a loving home where he or she is raised by the nurturing presence of both parents.
Still, it is always important, even without saying it, to underscore why that parental responsibility is critical at a time when not everyone is necessarily living up to that role.
And when gaps in meeting those parental expectations play out at the detriment of innocent children, government programs often serve as their refuge and funding for those programs become critical in strengthening families and protecting the children being raised in them.
One of such initiatives, as recently announced by State Representative Sandra Williams, was funded to the tune of $75,000 to be awarded to the Ohio Fatherhood Commission’s County Fatherhood Initiative Trainer.
She spoke about the importance of supporting programs that shore up families.
“This is an important step to empower families and strengthen communities,” said Williams, who also noted, “I believe our community could benefit greatly from programs that emphasize the importance of having a father present in a child’s life and tools to enrich the relationship.”
Those enrichment tools are part of what the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood was created to provide to families by strengthening the capacity of fathers to play their parental role effectively.
The Fatherhood Commission was established out of the state’s 2000 – 2001 biennial budget bill sponsored by former State Representative Peter Lawson Jones.
Charged with the mission of enhancing the “wellbeing of Ohio’s children by increasing and promoting involved, nurturing and responsible fatherhood,” it operates out of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.
The current executive director of the Commission is J. Tracy Robinson.
Mgbatogu is a freelance writer and editor of Onumba.com based in Columbus. He can be reached by email at [email protected]
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<urn:uuid:945ba3d5-0ae7-488f-8a1c-1260b49a1a1c>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://callandpost.com/index.php/news/state/3089-rep-williams-applauds-funding-for-fatherhood-initiative
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.965499 | 407 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The danger to several churches which some mayors wish to see destroyed and which we have often mentioned here is still very real but circumstances have improved for some of them. We feel it is time to take stock by pointing out these victories as well as the new threats which continue to appear. The first show that the worst can be avoided, that a solution can always be found, contrary to what elected vandals would have us believe.
The church of Gesté saved ?
This article which allows us to review the situation today - at least for those buildings we have mentioned, as it is impossible for us, alas, to be exhaustive - is a result of some excellent news : the association created to defend the church of Gesté (ill. 1) in Maine-et-Loire (see article) (Association Mémoire Vivante du Patrimoine Gestois) has scored a significant victory since, after being rejected in its first trial before the administrative court, has won the appeal. The demoliton permit issued by city hall has been canceled and the city has been sentenced to pay the fees for the expert’s appraisal (16, 661.21€) and reimburse 2,000€ to the association. The taxpayers in Gesté will no doubt appreciate having to pay these amounts which could have just as easily gone towards restoring the building.
But the reasons given by the court for refusing the construction permit constitute the most satisfying element of this judicial decision. It in fact considers that, though the church is not protected by a listing as a historical monument (which, in our opinion, is not normal), the building still presented an "architectural interest, particularly due to its neo-gothic reconstruction", as proven in a letter written by the Directrice régional des affaires culturelles to the Mayor of Gesté on 2 July 2007, and also the opposition to the demolition of the church expressed by the Service départemental de l’architecture et du patrimoine (SDAP) of Maine-et-Loire "for the reason that it presented a certain interest justifying its conservation and restoration, stage by stage with maintenance work", given its originality amid the production of the diocesan architect, Alfred Teissier, because of its "organization on two levels".
So it is in fact thanks to its architectural importance that the demolition permit for this church was canceled by the Tribunal administratif, confirmed by the court’s appraisal which considered that "by its disposition, volume, split levels, the church constitutes a dominant and architecturally attractive element of the city" but also that it could not be considered as a "threatening ruin". The Court’s conclusion is overwhelming for this elected official : the mayor "could not have issued the demolition permit for this building without having marred his decision with a manifest error in appreciation". We hope it will set a precedent.
Although the DRAC and the SDAP played a positive role in this case by confirming the quality of the building and the possibility of restoring it stage by stage, evaluations which counted in determining the court’s decision, in our opinion it is clear that their decision not to classify the church as a historical monument is also "marred with a manifest error in appreciation".
Their role was important but, once again, without the mobilization of citizens by means of an association who took the risk of voicing their opposition to the mayor, this church would have been destroyed. The Art Tribune also played a part in this decision. Alain Durand, the president of the association, told us that it was our first article which convinced them to fight for preserving the church, helping them to realize that they were not alone in their fight. The association was in fact created on 30 July 2007, that is shortly after our article appeared and was commented in the media.
However, this does not mean that the fight is over since city hall might still decide to appeal before the court of Cassation (final appeals court). It would be wise for the DRAC to rethink a now outdated decision and benefit from the occasion to take the high road in resolving this matter. As we did in the case of the two churches in Lyon (see article) and as we intend to do systematically from now on everytime we write about a monument which is not protected but deserves it, we will send a letter to the DRAC requesting protection for the church in Gesté.
The church of Sainte-Gemmes-d’Andigné now threatened
2. Alfred Tessier
Church of Sainte-Gemmes-d’Andigné, 1865
In danger of being destroyed by the city
Photo : D. R.
At the same time we heard the good news about the cancellation of this demolition permit, another association informed us that, again in Maine-et-Loire, the neo-gothic church of Sainte-Gemmes-d’Andigné, designed by Alfred Tessier, the same architect as the church in Gesté (ill. 2), was in turn in danger of being destroyed by the city. The affair is practically the same and the arguments are identical : it would cost too much to restore the church - although it is not in a threatening state - and the destruction-reconstruction (with conservation of the bell-tower - ill. 3) would be too expensive. In short, according to them this is the only possible solution.
We were able to contact the mayor by telephone who, while emphasizing that this decision "does not make anyone happy", is surprised that this news "has created a buzz" when it results from a decision approved by the Municipal Council in September 2010, that is a year and a half ago. The estimated cost for the restoration (3 million euros) seems to have been confirmed by the studies which were carried out... ; to sum up, there would appear to be no other solution and this is "the right one at the moment we made it". We asked him then if he thought it was still the "right" one today and he answered that he did not know, that "good and bad were a philosophical notion" and that he was not here to philosophize.
3. Project of reconstruction of
the Church of Sainte-Gemmes-d’Andigné
Atelier B. Penneron
© Atelier B. Penneron
4. Alfred Tissier
View of the interior of the
church of Sainte-Gemmes-d’Andigné
Photo : Benoît Patier
This is too bad. We can indeed ask ourselves the following "philosophical" question : should we accept to destroy a village church claiming that it is too expensive to restore ? It sometimes helps to step back and reconsider but the facts here do not even require it. The association has, on its own, worked at finding alternative solutions. And it is now contesting city hall’s figures, supported by expert appraisals.
The city claimed that the demolition followed by a reconstruction would cost 2,100,000€ as opposed to 3,100,000€ for the restoration. We have no reason to doubt the first figure, which city hall has no interest in overestimating. As for the second, even admitting that it is correct, does the difference between the two justify the destruction of this landmark ? Here we have a philosophical question (to which we would answer "no" without hesitating). But is the figure of 3,100,000€ exact ? We can legitimately doubt it, as it concerns a church which is not in poor condition.
The association thus requested an estimate for a project by one of the chief architects for historical monuments, also an Inspecteur des monuments historiques, François Jeanneau, who in fact also knows this church well as he worked on it when ensuring security measures there. His project, which was forwarded to us by the association (and for which the total amount was confirmed by his office), states the total as 1,500,000€, that is half the amount quoted by city hall, and 600,000€ less than the project for destruction-reconstruction.
Five phases of work are planned, these could easily be carried out over a period of five years, even more, thus spreading out the costs as opposed to a destruction-reconstruction project which cannot be as long. Furthermore, a renovation by stages would provide access to subsidies by the Conseil Général which would go up to 200,000€. That is 800,000€ less than the destruction-reconstruction proned by the mayor.
It is hard to understand the mayor’s motivations, who however has said that this"does not make anyone happy", who told us he loved old buildings and who, during the municipal election campaign, said he had a project for "preserving community heritage (church, communal hall...". Of course, a project for the destruction of the church would not have been a very acceptable argument for being elected. Perhaps, he should begin to worry about the upcoming elections...
5. Stained-Glass Windows,
at the end of the XIXth century
Photo : D. R.
6. Paul Andfray (1893-1953)
Monument to the Fallen, 1927-1928
Oil on paper mounted on the wall
Pietà : 405 x 350 cm
Angels and Cemetery : 53O x 185 cm each canvas
Photo : Benoît Patier
No doubt the decision of the Administrative tribunal concerning the church in Gesté, clearly in poorer condition than that at Sainte-Gemmes-d’Andigné, is sure to bring a chill up his spine. Just like the "buzz" that is now going around. This church also deserves to at least be classified as a historical monument. Besides its elegant silhouette and its beautiful interior architecture (ill. 4), it holds some interesting stained-glass windows (ill. 5 ; restored in 1986-1987), three large maroufled painted canvases, produced by Paul Audfray between 1923 and 1928 (ill. 6) which form a monument to the fallen of 1914-1948, a large master altar (ill. 7) and an ensemble of furnishings . Is it religious fervor which is pushing the parish priest to support the destruction of this church in favor of the very ugly building planned by city hall ?
The other churches
We have often mentioned endangered churches on this site. To our knowledge, none of them has been destroyed yet, and one of them is now definitively saved :
Church of Arc-sur-Tille : located in Burgundy, this beautiful neo-classic building is seriously threatened ; fortunately, as we have already said here (see our articles, in French), the mobilization of an association has paid off and even cost the mayor his post. Since then, what was considered impossible has now become possible : the church has been saved and will be restored.
Church Saint-Jacques d’Abbeville (ill. 8) : we contacted the municipality and the person in charge of this case told us that "the mayor never intended to destroy this church". Although a final decision had not yet been made, our investigation there (see article) showed that it was imminent. The mobilization thus paid off and, in any case, we should commend the city mayor, Nicolas Dumont, who made the brave decision we so wished for : favoring the conservation and refusing the demoliton of the building. The roof, which leaked, is now protected with tarps and the gutters have been cleaned. The situation is thus for the moment stabilized although nothing has been done yet. City hall told us they were waiting for a study from the DRAC.
Church of Valanjou : although the building (see article) is still standing, city hall has managed to cut off the top of the spire, an extremely serious act, especially since it is not doing anything to provide maintenance for the rest of the structure, thus simply waiting for it to collapse by itself. However, the association for the defense of the church has had the church reopened for occasional services, proving that it presents no danger. Although dormant recently, the association plans to step up its activity, newly motivated by the victory of the association at Gesté.
Are the mayors in Maine-et-Loire different from those in other French regions ? Nowhere else is there such a concentration of elected officials wishing, purely and simply, to raze the churches at the heart of their villages, and some of them having already done so. Le Fief-Sauvin (destroyed in 1997), Saint-Georges-des-Gardes (destroyed in 2006), Gesté (threatened with destruction), Valanjou (threatened with destruction, already started with the bell-tower), Sainte-Gemme-d’Andigné (threatened with destruction)...this is not even an exhaustive list, since for example the church of Saint-Aubin-du-Pavoil, in the community of Segré, is also seriously threatened (see here). Do the mayors in Maine-et-Loire know that in many cities and villages in France, with the same meager resources as theirs, the elected officials are fighting for their heritage and manage to accomplish the desired restorations ? A solution can always be found. Especially when the problems are mistakenly stated from the beginning.
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Do you have a parent or loved one who would benefit from learning more about their home computers?
The Town of Oyster Bay is inviting seniors to take part in computer classes to be held at the William P. Bennett Hicksville Community Center in February and March.
The classes are held by the Education and Assistance Corp (EAC) Inc. to seniors 60 and older through its SeniorNet program and begin on Tuesday, Feb. 19.
“The town is pleased to continue our partnership with EAC and offer these classes to seniors,” said Councilwoman Beth Faughnan. “The classes are wide ranging and no prior experience with computers is necessary, just a desire to broaden your computer education.”
Classes are taught by volunteer instructors and coaches, who strive to make learning fun to help seniors adjust to the ever changing world of technology. There is a modest fee for materials.
“Enrolling in these SeniorNet classes will enable you to learn how to send emails to your grandchildren and even chat with old friends in other states that you may have lost touch with,” Faughnan said. “Keeping current with technology will open up new experiences each and every day.”
For more information regarding the SeniorNet Computer Classes program, including registration information, call 516-539-0150, ext. 130
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Union stronghold Superior, Wis. mobilizes for Tom Barrettby Dan Kraker, Minnesota Public Radio
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Just after schools ends at Great Lakes Elementary, kids are outside shooting hoops.
Inside, teachers have wrapped up their work in the classroom. But not all are ready to go home. Third grade teacher Kim Kohlhaas said after they leave, many teachers will put in several more hours of work — campaigning.
In the battle for the state's governor's seat between Republican Gov. Scott Walker and his Democratic opponent Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, schools like this are bases to many of the combatants.
"I know people who have put on miles and miles of walking to different doors in different communities," Kohlhaas said. "People who are out there making phone calls."
The recall effort has drawn national attention, and has bitterly divided many Wisconsin towns and families. In Superior, a union stronghold just across the Duluth harbor, Barrett enjoys strong support.
Kohlhaas is president of the Superior Federation of Teachers. Teachers' unions across the state have played a lead role in the campaign to recall Walker. One of the first-term governor's most controversial moves was to limit the collective bargaining rights of most government workers, including teachers.
Teachers were in the vanguard of the huge protests that followed. Kohlhaas said the recall effort has been incredibly emotional.
"People who signed the recalls, they cried," she said. "I think there will be people crying when they vote. This is the movement, whatever side you're on, this is the movement of our generation."
But not all teachers oppose Walker. Craig Rosand is an 11th grade history teacher at Superior High School. He supports the changes Walker has championed.
"It has cost me money, I have to admit that. And taking home a smaller paycheck isn't a pleasant thing for anybody to do," Rosand said.
But Rosand said even though he now has to contribute more of his paycheck to his pension and health care plans, he's standing up for what he believes in, as chair of the 7th Congressional District Republican Committee in northwest Wisconsin.
"I am a public school teacher and I do stand with Scott Walker," he said. "He was able to, with his reforms, eliminate a $3.6 billion deficit. Without raising taxes, without piling on debt and without firing a bunch of people."
But according to employment data that Walker has touted, Wisconsin state government payrolls shrank by 1,400 jobs, or 2 percent over Walker's first year in office.
Rosand is definitely in the minority in Superior, a blue collar town that's voted blue in almost every major election for decades. Barrett won 57 percent of the vote in Douglas County in 2010, compared to just 41 percent for Walker.
"Which actually is a weak showing for a Democratic candidate in Douglas County," said Joel Sipress, a labor historian at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. "In a typical gubernatorial election the Democratic candidate will typically carry the county by a two-to-one margin."
Sipress attributes that huge gap to Superior's strong labor tradition, starting with the railroad and shipping unions in the early 1900s.
On Wednesday afternoon, nearly 100 people crammed inside Democratic headquarters in downtown Superior. State Rep. Nick Milroy of nearby South Range gestures to volunteer sign up sheets taped to the wall behind him. They're nearly all full.
"But we need people to sign up to fill every one of these shifts. The only way we're going to win this election is if we get every one of our friends and neighbors here in the Northland out to vote," Milroy said.
While there are few voters undecided about the candidates, Milroy says the key to a Barrett victory is people who are undecided about actually voting. Democrats' internal polls show that Barrett has a 15 percentage point advantage among residents who aren't sure whether they'll cast a ballot.
But Republicans are also focused on getting out the vote.
Adam Hanson, 32, owns a telemarketing business in Superior and he's clearly comfortable making a sales pitch.
"Your vote on June 5th for Governor Walker is essential to moving Wisconsin forward," he says on a call.
Hanson admits it can be lonely being a Republican in Superior.
"It's been a very divisive campaign," Hanson said. "I've lost a few friends, they just don't talk to me as much anymore. It would be way easier to just be a Democrat."
Hanson's not planning on changing parties. But he's hopeful that after the election, maybe football season will help reunite Wisconsin. After all, he said, everyone loves the Packers.
"Honestly, that's what unites our state," he said. "Once politics are said and done, everyone loves the Packers."
- Morning Edition, 06/01/2012, 8:40 a.m.
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It would be a big mistake to assume that the end of Syrian crisis is near. Those forces loyal to president Bashar al-Assad will fight to the bitter end in a protracted war, stated a colleague of mine.
Actually, several reports and analyses that appeared during the past year made it clear that the “inner core” of the Syrian regime’s military and security apparatus has remained almost intact. Even the gradual weakening of the regime’s grip on Syria’s cities and countryside has not drastically affected the destructive capabilities of that power-wielding circle.
This “inner core” is composed of individuals to the president, who boast an advanced arsenal of weapons.
In this instance it is worth remembering that the official U.N. casualty figures put the number of those killed at more than 60.000. Furthermore, Lebanon’s minister of Social affairs said before the Arab foreign ministers’ meeting last week that the number of Syrians displaced by the war, and now living in Lebanon, is about 200,000. He added that by next June the number is projected to more than double.
With this in mind, let us take into account the numbers and situation of those taking refuge in Jordan, Turkey and Iraq, and the victims of the internal “forced migration,” where reliable reports talk of more than a million refugees.
Still, in spite of the above, the Syrian president and his functionaries have continued to insist on their own version of the events. This may prove that the regime is fighting a “war of survival.”
The regime is operating in a regional climate beset by division and polarization, one that is increasingly threatened by unprecedented blood-stained fragmentation.
Such a catastrophic “scenario” transcends the Syrian situation to cover the whole Arab Near East under the weight of several factors which include:
The Israeli case, where Israel feels threatened by any kind of regional peace that would help the current countries in the area on their way to development, institutionalization, coexistence and respect of liberties.
The Iranian case, based on Tehran’s regional expansionism under the
slogans of Islamic leadership against a “West” hell-bent on demeaning Muslims, while dealing with its Muslim Arab neighbors in flagrant sectarian way that deliberately destabilize their countries.
The factional-sectarian culture, which has remained deeply-rooted in the social and political narrative of the area’s countries which have deluded their people into believing that they were living under revolutionary, secular, liberal, or progressive regimes. This is what we are unfortunately witnessing today in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, or even Egypt.
Another factor is the rise of “Political Islam,” and its role as the sole alternative to the nationalist, liberal and leftist currents that have lost popularity throughout the Arab Near East during the last four decades. This has also led to the emergence of extremist Islamist groups that do not care much about civil society, and show total disregard to the fears of those considered outside the extremists’ political agenda.
No wonder then that a security-based mafia-style regime like that of Syria has been able to murder 60.000 of its own people. The factors above have allowed the leaders of such a regime to gain power and keep it despite carnage and destruction.
The factors have also allowed a rich country like Iraq to end up all but partitioned, while the only sign of “sovereignty” is issuing death sentences and rushing the condemned to the gallows as the fabric of Iraqi society disintegrates.
In any normal situation it would have been unlikely that Lebanon’s Christians, traditionally the pioneers of enlightenment and education in the whole Arab world, should follow a reactionary and extremist party whose leader has led them to wars; some against one another. Even less likely that the Greek Orthodox sect, one of the most progressive and open-minded Christian sects, should allow a divisive electoral law to carry its name.
Additionally, tribalism and provincialism have emerged in Yemen and Libya following decades of the rule of “comrades”, “brothers” and “revolutionary committees” seeking to revolutionize the world.
But perhaps the worst case remains that of Egypt, where some of the “Political Islamists” seem to regard 10 to 15 million Christian Copts as outsiders in their own country.
To conclude, we look as if we are facing an existential problem.
Are we aware enough to deal with it?
Is it not incumbent on us to reach a realistic and historical compromise, based on recognizing the fears and respecting the differences within our societies, en route to eliminating any excuses for partition and disintegration?
We in the Arab world have tried since the 1950s, “total” centralized unions which failed. We have also tried impulsive personality-inspired unions which turned out to be stillborn. However, the unions that have survived were the ones that eliminate nobody and bluff nobody. Thus it is time to safeguard our vulnerable countries through real national unity that upholds coexistence and is built on administrative decentralization.
*This article was published in Al-Sharq Al-Awsat on Jan. 15, 2013.
(Eyad Abu Shakra (also written as Ayad Abou-Chakra) began his media career in 1973 with An-Nahar newspaper in Lebanon. Joined Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper in the UK in 1979, occupying several positions including: Senior Editor, Managing Editor, and Head of Research Unit, as well as being a regular columnist. He has several published works, including books, chapters in edited books, and specialized articles, in addition to frequent regular TV and radio appearances
Active in academic, social and charity work, and a former active member of the Labour Party in the UK)
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These comments were made recently at the "Race and Education" forum sponsored by New Path and Memphis Urban League as part of their important series of honest conversations about race and Memphis:
If urban school districts like ours had a dollar every time somebody said, "Children are our future," they'd never have a funding problem.
Unfortunately for these districts, we are long on platitudes and short on support.
That said, let me begin with the obvious: children are our future.
Or more precisely, well-educated African-American students will in fact determine our future - whether Memphis is on the front of the knowledge economy wave or stuck in its back wash.
That's because, as most of you know, we are unlike the other 50 largest metros in the U.S. because of our bulge in children under 18. Next time you wonder why Nashville has so much money for parks, libraries, and public realm, just remember that percentagewise, Nashville has 25% fewer children than we do. That's a $200 million swing in mandated public spending for our community on schools alone.
The bulge of these young people is the good news, because while the rest of America's cities are grappling with workforce problems, we have the next generation of workers already here.
The bad news is that we are in the bottom rungs in percentage of our population over 25 that is college-educated, and if you want to know if a city is going to be competitive in the knowledge economy, that's the only number you need to look at.
It's the Rosetta Stone for future competitiveness.
Power of Self-Interest
While it's tempting to define this issue in terms of lost opportunities for young people, with images of how multi-generational poverty in shameful environments remains a birthright for too many of us, let's just define it in terms of our own enlightened self-interest.
Here it is: If we can move our metro from where it is today to just the median for the largest 50 metros, it would create $3 billion in economic wealth – more money in our cash registers, more tax money for our public services, and more ticket buyers for sports and arts.
In other words, rather than chase companies and sell our city at a discount by giving away taxes to make them love us, our economic development agenda for Memphis should be one thing – getting more students to high school graduation and into the line receiving a college diplomas.
The Memphis Overlay
Of course, there's no question that things in Memphis are always complicated by emotion and reality because of the overlay of race. Just think: anytime Memphis wants to really identify a serious problem, it puts African-American on it: black neighborhood blight is worse than neighborhood blight, black crime is worse than crime, black workforce, black elected officials, and black school system.
Here's the thing: we'll be the first African-American majority metro – not city, metro – of more than one million people in history, and if we want to preordain our own failure, we will allow our institutions to treat our demographics as a problem.
Instead, in a world characterized by its diversity, why shouldn't we be able to have a competitive advantage? Why shouldn't we be able to position ourselves for federal programs and foundation funding for projects that prove that an African-American metro can succeed?
In a world where talent is the key to whether a city succeeds or fails, why shouldn't we set our goal of being the center for 25-34 year-old African-American, college-educated talent?
Getting The Focus Right
And above all, that should be the goal of our schools, because in the end, Memphis City Schools is in the talent business.
It all begins there. Although all the school districts in our metro are important, we rise or fall based on Memphis City Schools, and routinely, its students are victims of the most insidious racism of all – low expectations.
Because of race, our city is lethargic in its push to demand the best urban district in the nation, and because of race, our region essentially assumes that there will only be a handful of students in Memphis City Schools who will excel and that we can't do anything to help the tens of thousands who don't.
To explain it, we talk about the lack of a student ethic, we talk about the stigma of "acting white" by studying and doing homework, we talk about the lack of mainstream values, we talk about the lack of parental involvement, and we talk about how black families are failing to emphasize the importance of education.
That's the rhetoric.
The Facts And Just The Facts
Here's the facts.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 43% of African-American fourth graders do one hour of more of homework per night. 45% of white fourth graders do, and African-American students are more likely than any other group to study more than one hour a night.
Black students are twice as likely to get help from their parents on homework every day than white students, and the lower the family income, the more likely the students are to get more help from their parents. Half of the poorest students' parents work with them compared to a third of the wealthiest students.
There is no substantial difference between white and black students in whether their parents attend parent-teacher conferences or school meetings.
Three out of four African-American children are read to by their parents when they are young.
African-American 12th-graders are more likely than whites to have perfect attendance.
A poll of African-American youths 11 to 17 found that their biggest hope is to go to college, valuing academic success just as much as white students.
There are more and more of these kinds of statistics, and the fact that I am reciting them is testament to the relationship between race and education and our ignorance about our own history. After all, the history of the U.S. tells us that African-Americans learned to read even though the law forbid it, set up their own colleges when they were prohibited from attending white schools, established "freedom schools" in Mississippi to make sure "separate but equal" did not block opportunities of their children.
What do these statistics mean to me?
They mean that unequal outcomes result from substantially unequal opportunities – especially quality teachers, quality academic programs and quality curriculum.
Some are the result of the hopelessness that surfaces whenever we talk about Memphis City Schools, some is the connection between poor teaching and poor student achievement, some is the lack of challenging curriculum and innovative use of technology, some is poor teachers being sent to the poorest schools, and some is teaching to the test, and some is the prejudice that African-American students need remedial classes more than accelerated classes.
In other words, it shouldn't be surprising that students perform poorly when everything about their lives tells them that they are not as smart as white kids, that their schools are not as good as other schools, that the assumption from the outset is that they will not succeed and that their own city places no value on them.
It's The Teaching, Stupid
If you remember nothing else I said tonight, remember this: a study in Tennessee found that elementary school students who are assigned to ineffective teachers for three years in a row score nearly 50 percentile points lower on achievement tests than those assigned to highly effective teachers over the same period.
That's where we start…in every classroom and with every teacher.
In the end, there are no magic answers. There is only the magic that comes from the kinds of teachers that make a difference and do more than teach. They do in fact turn lives around. Most of us in this room can point to the impact of such a teacher in our lives, and we need to make sure that the current students in Memphis City Schools do the same.
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Geriatrics expert Teepa Snow presents lectures on dementia care for professionals and family caregivers
Snow's presentations take place over two days at the Schiff Conference Center at Cintas
Nationally-recognized dementia expert Teepa Snow is offering presentations for caregivers, professionals and students about caring for people with dementia in two sessions taking place today, Wednesday, March 14, and Thursday, March 15.
Alzheimer’s is the best known type of dementia, but many people deal with other forms of the disease. Snow is presenting “Improving Hands-On Skills for Providing Care” for family and caregivers of those with dementia today, March 14 from 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. in the Schiff Conference Center at the Cintas Center. Cost is $5 per person. Registration deadline was March 9, but limited registrations are being taken at the door. Learn more at the registration website.
The presentation is designed to help caregivers and family members learn effective strategies to provide care for a person with dementia. The behavior of persons living with dementia can change from one moment to the next. Experience and research have shown that active engagement in functional tasks can be enhanced through appropriate support from caregivers. Changing ways of communicating, sensory input and timing of activities by caregivers can improve the way in which daily tasks are completed by the person with dementia.
Snow is also presenting a seminar designed for professionals as part of the Fourth Annual Inter-Professional Teaming for Clients with Dementia, presented by the College of Social Sciences, Health, and Education. Her keynote lecture, “Dementia 360: A Compass for the Journey – It Takes a Village,” is on Thursday, March 15, from 1:00 p.m-2:40 p.m. at the Schiff Conference Center. The seminar offers 1.5 CEU for counselors, nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists and social workers. Cost is $25 per person. Registration is required.
The session provides a wide variety of perspectives on dementia for people who work in the health care field, offering an insider’s guide to typical changes that happen when a person develops dementia. Snow addresses the impact the disease may have on family relationships and roles, professional care providers, rehabilitation professionals, medical providers, social supports and settings, and care and housing options. The session emphasizes the value of using a team approach to cope with the challenges of providing the best quality care, using resources wisely and communicating effectively with various players.
Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, is an occupational therapist with more than 28 years of geriatric experience. She is a specialist in dementia care and education and has held clinical appointments with Duke University's School of Nursing and UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine. Snow is widely known for her exceptional teaching and presentation style.
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Originally posted by premshree
Creating such quiz programs are not very difficult, but it depends what you want the program to do after taking the quiz
.whether you want to display the quiz result
.whether you want to give scores based on answers
.whether you want to store result in a database (you will need server-side scripting for this)
I want to do it just like it is in the example I showed. Give a certain result based on the answers. If someone has a majority of answers that correlate, then they get a certain result. I dont necessarily want to give them a certain SCORE. And I dont want to store the result in a database.
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Don't forget America's kids
As Washington turns its focus to the next issue du jour – the so-called “fiscal cliff” – there’s an issue just beneath the surface that could make the cliff look like a bump in the road. The fact is, America’s kids are in trouble, and increasingly at risk of falling behind – in health, in education, and in their prospects for a promising future.
America’s children are “too small to fail.” And yet, we’re failing them with increasing frequency.Continue Reading
Addressing the issues that America’s kids face are a top priority for a majority of voters. Election-eve polling designed and commissioned by The Center for the Next Generation showed that Americans are anxiously awaiting a focused, national conversation on the plight of our children, and want to see action, now.
An overwhelming majority of Americans (81 percent) agree that America’s children are falling behind the rest of the world in education, and will struggle to compete in the global economy. In addition, strong majorities (88 percent) think we should make the same type of commitment to children as we do to seniors.
These results are not surprising. After all, what parent wouldn’t be concerned about their child? And don’t we all have a stake in the next generation?
Because the well-being of America’s children transcends partisan lines, we have joined together with the Center for the Next Generation to help launch a national movement to put kids and family issues back on the national agenda. The movement, called “Too Small to Fail,” kicks off this week with provocative new ads that are designed to startle the nation’s TV viewers. One ad shows a child on the verge of drowning; another shows a young girl stuck precariously in the middle of heavy traffic. Both urge viewers to “stop watching” and “face the facts”. We chose this provocative approach because the sad truth is, the lack of understanding regarding the condition of America’s children, and our collective failure to act, is both morally outrageous and fiscally insane.
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William F. Buckley |
February 29, 2008
ALL OF MY EXPERIENCES WITH WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY,
JR. WERE POSITIVE
In 1960, at the age of 19, I had recently, as a sophomore,
been elected President of the Harvard Student Council.
Bill Buckley invited me, by virtue of my achievement, to be
one of the principal speakers at the Fifth Anniversary Dinner of
National Review magazine held at the Waldorf Astoria in
New York City.
When I came under attack from Harvard liberals because of my
role in 1960 as a founder of Young Americans for Freedom and my
outspoken opposition to all forms of socialism, Communism, and
liberalism, Buckley wrote two columns in my defense which were
prominently placed in National Review magazine.
On a subsequent occasion, when I was doing all I could to aid
anti-Soviet Angolan Freedom Fighter Jonas Savimbi while the U.S.
State Department was doing all it could to limit Savimbi’s
ability to defend against the Marxist-Leninist military
onslaught, I asked Bill Buckley to write a column explaining the
issue and pressing the Reagan administration to overrule its
Left-wing Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Chester Crocker. Buckley accommodated me by letting me write the
column, which was dispatched under his by-line.
On every occasion I dealt with Buckley, the result was
positive, even though he and I had numerous policy differences,
involving such issues as CIA control of the U.S. National
Student Association and his support for the surrender of the
U.S. Canal and Zone in Panama.
I am grateful to have enjoyed Bill Buckley’s friendship. May
he rest in peace.
President Bush's Top 10 |
February 22, 2008
GWB’S STATE OF THE UNION: MORE OF THE SAME
Human Events (2/4/08) does a good job of delineating
the Top 10 Big-Government Requests in President Bush’s State of
1. Keynesian Economic "Growth" Package
"This is a good agreement that will keep our economy
growing and our people working. And this Congress must pass
it as soon as possible."
2. Global Regulations on Greenhouse Gases
"Let us complete an international agreement that has the
potential to slow, stop and eventually reverse the growth of
3. More Global AIDS Funding
"I call on you to double our initial commitment to
fighting HIV/AIDS by approving an additional $30 billion
over the next five years."
4. No Child Left Behind
"It is succeeding. And we owe it to America’s children,
their parents and their teachers to strengthen this good
5. More Ethanol and Hybrid Subsidies
"Let us continue investing in advanced battery technology
and renewable fuels to power the cars and trucks of the
6. Global "Green" Subsidies
"Let us create a new international clean technology fund,
which will help developing nations like India and China make
greater use of clean energy sources."
7. Double Taxpayer-Funded R&D
"I ask Congress to double federal support for critical
basic research in the physical sciences and ensure America
remains the most dynamic nation on Earth."
8. More Foreign Aid
"The Millennium Challenge Account…and I ask you to fully
fund this important initiative."
9. Even More Foreign Aid
"I ask Congress to support an innovative proposal to
provide food assistance by purchasing crops directly from
farmers in the developing world, so we can build up local
agriculture and help break the cycle of famine."
10. Coal Subsidies
"Let us fund new technologies that can generate coal
power while capturing carbon emissions."
The "Mayor of Hollywood" |
February 21, 2008
JOHNNY GRANT WAS A TERRIFIC MAYOR EVEN THOUGH
HE NEVER WON AN ELECTION
In 1992, when I was the U.S. Taxpayers Party nominee for
President of the United States, on a campaign stop in Hollywood,
I was warmly greeted and hosted by Johnny Grant, the Honorary
Mayor of Hollywood who died recently at the age of 84.
WHO WOULD BE A MCCAIN TICKET-MATE?
Now that John McCain seems to be on track to win the
Republican Presidential nomination (although the convention is
months away and much can happen between now and then),
speculation has begun regarding potential Vice Presidential
Here is a brief summary of some of the names being mentioned:
- Mike Huckabee – Huckabee is strong in the South,
where McCain is weak. Many of the states which McCain won on
Super Tuesday will almost certainly go with the Democrats in
November, including California and New York. This
strengthens Huckabee’s hand in the decision process.
- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison – McCain may
want to have a female running mate. In the case of Kay
Bailey Hutchison, he would have a partner from a swing state
with a considerable number of electoral votes – Texas.
- Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana (age 48) moved
in McCain’s direction on the immigration issue. He has been
defending Rush Limbaugh against encroachments by the FCC,
and he is still regarded as a conservative by most
Republicans who know him. Given the fact that McCain, at age
72, would be the oldest person ever to begin a first term as
President, having a relatively young Vice Presidential
ticket mate, is something McCain will surely consider.
- Former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee
would add strength to McCain in the South.
- Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
would add credibility to McCain in the South, although his
involvement in health care issues would be a potential
weakness, as well as a strength.
- U.S. Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas sided with
McCain on the immigration issue and is very popular with
- Florida Governor Charlie Crist gave his strong
endorsement to McCain at a crucial moment just before the
- Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina is a
strong conservative, widely respected by all familiar with
him. The fact that he is a governor is another argument in
- Tim Pawlenty, who has served as governor of
Minnesota, was an early McCain backer and would also be
- Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi is very
popular with all wings of the Republican Party and would add
strength to McCain in the South.
- Former California Congressman Chris Cox, currently
Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, would
provide a level of economic understanding and sophistication
which McCain personally lacks.
I am sure there are others on McCain’s short list, but those
are the names which come to mind at this time.
Bush & McGovern |
February 7, 2008
GEORGE W. BUSH AND GEORGE MCGOVERN -- ONLY THE
LAST NAME IS CHANGED
Do you remember George McGovern? I do.
As a candidate for President in 1972, he urged that every
American citizen be given $1,000.
George W. Bush is the new McGovern. He wants to give less
money to those who paid more taxes and more money to those who
have paid less in taxes.
In addition to being unconstitutional, the Bush stimulus
scheme is outrageously stupid.
Here follows a list of those members of the U.S. House of
Representatives who, for various reasons, opposed the stimulus
Brian Baird (D-WA), Marion Berry (D-AR), F. Allen Boyd
(D-FL), Paul Broun (R-GA), Michael Burgess (R-TX), John Campbell
(R-CA), Howard Coble (R-NC), Jim Cooper (D-TN), Barbara Cubin
(R-At Large-WY), Tom Davis (R-VA), Nathan Deal (R-GA), Jeff
Flake (R-AZ), Randy Forbes (R-VA), Phil Gingrey (R-GA), Louie
Gohmert (R-TX), Virgil Goode (R-VA), Duncan Hunter (R-CA),
Timothy Johnson (R-IL), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Jack Kingston
(R-GA), John Linder (R-GA), Ron Paul (R-TX), Collin Peterson
(D-MN), Ted Poe (R-TX), Tom Price (R-GA), Dana Rohrabacher
(R-CA), Ed Royce (R-CA), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), F. James
Sensenbrenner (R-WI), John Shadegg (R-AZ), Adam Smith (D-WA),
Tom Tancredo (R-CO), Gene Taylor (D-MS), Lynn Westmoreland
(R-GA), and Robert Wexler (D-FL).
Walter Williams on the Housing Crisis |
February 6, 2008
COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT IS A BIG REASON FOR
THE HOUSING CRISIS
In an important January 23 article on WorldNetDaily.com, Dr.
Walter Williams makes these comments:
"A subprime lender is one who makes loans to borrowers who do
not qualify for loans from mainstream lenders. It's a market
that has evolved to permit borrowers with poor credit history
and an unstable financial situation the opportunity to get home
mortgages. The catch is they pay a higher and typically an
adjustable rate mortgage. Encouraged by the housing bubble, easy
credit, along with the expectation that housing prices would
continue to appreciate, many subprime borrowers took out
mortgages they could not afford in the long run, particularly if
interest rates rose and housing prices depreciated.
"As with most economic problems, we find the hand of
government. The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, whose
provisions were strengthened during the
administration, is a federal law that mandates lenders to offer
credit throughout their entire market and discourages them from
restricting their credit services to high-income markets, a
practice known as redlining. In other words, the Community
Reinvestment Act encourages banks and thrifts to make loans to
"According to an article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
Nov. 4, 2007, titled "Black Atlantans often snared by subprime
loans," by Carrie Teegardin, a national study of credit scores,
not just mortgage loan applicants, found that 52 percent of
blacks have credit scores that would classify them as subprime
borrowers compared with 16 percent of whites.
plan to deal with
the subprime crisis is to freeze interest rates on adjustable
rate mortgages. Freezing interest rates would stop people's
mortgage payments from increasing."
In particular, Dr. Walter Williams calls the subprime bailout
a violation of the Fifth Amendment.
"That is a gross violation of basic contract rights and would
appear to be a Fifth Amendment violation. If a contractual
agreement is willingly entered into and agreed upon by a
borrower and lender, it is binding and if broken by one party or
the other, harsh penalties should ensue.
"Now here comes government, under the Bush plan, to declare
millions of contracts null and void. The long-run effect of the
Bush plan is to make lending institutions even more selective in
choosing borrowers. Then there's the question: If government can
invalidate the terms of one kind of contractual agreement where
the borrowers can't pay, what's to say that it won't invalidate
other contractual agreements where the borrowers encounter
hardship, and what will that do to financial markets?
"The Bush bailout, as well as Federal Reserve Bank cuts in
interest rates, is a wealth transfer from creditworthy people
and taxpayers to those who made ill-advised credit decisions,
and that includes banks as well as borrowers. According to
Temple University professor of economics William Dunkelberg, 96
percent of all mortgages are being paid on time. Thirty percent
of American homeowners have no mortgage. Delinquency rates were
higher in the 1980s than they are today. Only 2 to 3 percent of
all mortgages are in foreclosure. The government bailout helps a
few people at a huge cost to the rest of the economy."
(Walter E. Williams, Ph.D., is the John M. Olin Distinguished
Professor of Economics at George Mason University in Fairfax,
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JIA SHI'AN, Taiwan (CNN) -- The Dalai Lama -- on a visit to Taiwan that includes prayers for recent typhoon victims -- has rebutted China's claims that he is there for political reasons.
The Dalai Lama visits the typhoon-hit village of Hsiaolin, in Kaohsiung county, southern Taiwan on Monday.
In a Monday interview with CNN's Sara Sidner, the Tibetan spiritual leader said he was visiting the island to comfort victims of Typhoon Morakot. He added that he would not meet Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou, to avoid politicizing the trip.
"As soon as I received the invitation, I know there's some complications maybe. But it is my sort of moral responsibility to come and to see, show my face, to those people who are passing through a difficult period," he said.
The Dalai Lama was in southern Taiwan on Monday to meet and pray with survivors of the disaster, a day after he arrived from India. Morakot caused heavy flooding in the south and killed more than 500 people when it struck August 8. Watch as Dalai Lama opens up »
"As a Buddhist monk, it is my moral principle to go there, see them and at least share some of their sorrow, some of their sadness," he told CNN shortly after he arrived on Sunday.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency said Sunday that Beijing maintained "resolute opposition" to the visit, which it said "is bound to have a negative influence on the relations between the mainland and Taiwan."
"We will keep a close eye on the situation," Xinhua quoted an unnamed spokesman for the government's Taiwan Affairs Office as saying.
Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province and accuses the Dalai Lama of advocating Tibetan independence from China.
Asked about Taiwan's relations with mainland China, the Dalai Lama said he has told Taiwan's leaders they should have close relations with China.
"Your case, of course ultimately up to your people. But in any case because of economic reasons, because of defense, (you) should have very close relations with mainland China, that's how I feel," the spiritual leader said.
"So now in recent times seems closer relations with mainland China, this is good. I think it reduces fear here, obviously."
The Buddhist leader is to give a public talk on compassion and religious harmony before returning to India on Friday, his spokesman, Tenzin Taklha, said last week.
Typhoon Morakot dumped more than 3.3 meters (100 inches) of rain on the island before moving onto the mainland. The resulting flooding and landslides killed at least 543 people, Taiwan's Central Emergency Operation Center said last week, with at least 117 more still missing.
Rescuers struggled to find many of those who were missing in the island's remote southern mountains, and Ma apologized last week for the government's slow response to the disaster.
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Amazon ruffles retailers' feathers in the US
04 May 2012 - 10:25Tweet
E-commerce giant Amazon has been battling to secure a greater proportion of the retail market for many years, but it seems that its efforts are doing damage to its relationship with bricks and mortar retailers in its native America.
The Financial Times reports that US shopping chain, Target, will no longer be stocking the Amazon Kindle eBook reader after it made an announcement of the cessation to its staff this week.
Analysts believe that the main motivating factor behind the withdrawal of the Kindle range from store shelves is that Amazon's outlet for safe shopping online is pricing its products so aggressively, that other retailers do not have a hope of keeping pace.
Interestingly, while Amazon's near-ubiquitous eBook reader is going to be pulled from Target's shelves, the retailer will still sell rival devices.
Many experts believe that high street retailers are tired of acting as showrooms for e-commerce sites, because many people visit their local electronics megastore or homeware shop to get to grips with a product, only to leave the bricks and mortar outlet and buy it later via safe shopping online.
Perhaps most telling about this particular debacle is the fact that Amazon and Target previously had a much tighter partnership, with the e-commerce retailer taking charge of the firm's online activities. However, this relationship ended and Target took back control of its web-based destiny.
There are some, including analyst Joseph Feldman, who believe that the ousting of Amazon products could also have been caused by the influence of Apple.
This is because the Kindle Fire tablet from Amazon is doing so well, eating into a portion of the market that might have otherwise been controlled by the ever popular iPad range, which is, of course, exclusively produced by Apple.
21 May 2013 09:21
Although the web has certainly altered the function of the UK's postal service, making written communication between people a relative rarity, it seems that it might also be the saviour of the Royal [...]
20 May 2013 10:10
Just days after Morrisons was criticised for its lack of action over the launch of an e-commerce service, the supermarket giant has confirmed that it will be working with delivery firm, Ocado, to [...]
17 May 2013 10:58
The results of a survey published this month, suggest that there are still many improvements which retailers can make to modern m-commerce platforms, to enhance customer satisfaction.
See our The Gruffalo buy guide
Save your favourite shops, get the chance to write shop reviews and more. It's free!
For the best in UK online shops add Shopsafe to your favourites now. Safe online shopping starts here.
Shopsafe is a safe shopping directory, we list only secure UK online shops so you can shop online with confidence. We're your online shopping guide.
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More about our star ratings.
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A foiled plot to sneak a bomb through airport checkpoints and onto a plane bound for the United States calls attention to gaps in screening measures that are supposed to detect threats airport metal detectors miss.
Outside the United States, the controversial body-scanning technology is not widely used, security experts say. But they say it is the best way to detect plastic explosives hidden on people boarding airplanes.
"Since most of these airports are not using body-scanning technology, including for American flights, I would say that this is an opening that was probably intended to be abused by (the bomb-maker) and those who planned the attack," said Rafi Ron, president of New Age Security Solutions and former head of security of Ben-Gurion International Airport in Israel.
The latest nonmetallic bomb to be discovered never made it to an airport and posed no real threat to air travelers. It is similar to, but more sophisticated than, the device discovered in a failed attempt to bring down a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day in 2009.
That attempt hastened deployment in the U.S. of advanced imaging technology, or body scanning, at airport security checkpoints across the country. There are about 700 machines in more than 180 airports nationwide. Pat-downs are used when passengers decline body screening or when a scan reveals a need for additional screening.
"It's not a perfect technology, and there are several ways that it can be bypassed," Ron said. "But at the same time, it is the best technology that we have available at this time."
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said there is a "high likelihood" the latest bomb would have been detected if attempts had been made to slip it past U.S. airport security.
Use of advanced imaging technology abroad is "woefully inadequate," said Chad Sweet, a former CIA and Department of Homeland Security official and co-founder of the Chertoff Group, a security firm that has worked with clients that manufacture advanced imaging devices.
"In order to be optimally effective, we can't have gaping holes that terrorists can exploit," Sweet said.
In addition to the 700 scanners employed by the U.S., Canada has about 50, Australia is planning to install machines in July, and the technology is in use at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport and in the United Kingdom, according to Airports Council International. The council said there is no central repository tracking the use of the technology worldwide. A spokesman for the International Air Transport Association also was unaware of exact figures and locations of the machines but said it is not a common screening method outside the U.S.
"We're not suggesting that (advanced imaging) is the magic bullet. It's one of many layers of technology, processes and people needed for a multilayered defense," Sweet said.
He said the U.S. should step up deployment of the technology and increase the use of behavioral detection officers and bomb-detecting dogs in airports as well as employ additional analysis of passenger data before travelers even arrive at the airport.
Carrying on with that layered, risk-based approach to security is exactly what the Department of Homeland Security is doing in response to the latest threat, the agency said.
"These layers include threat and vulnerability analysis, prescreening and screening of passengers, using the best available technology, random searches at airports, federal air marshal coverage and additional security measures both seen and unseen," the agency said in a statement.
The use of intelligence to head off threats before they reach the critical airport screening stage "has been proven very successful in this instance," Ron said. "On that level, I think we have already established a good foothold."
Rep. Mike Rogers, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said it is too soon to say whether the latest plot will lead to more stringent security measures.
"I'm not sure we're there yet," he said.
"Preliminarily, many believe that you won't have to have anything different than we have right now. The systems in place would have detected this. That's the good news. The bad news is a lot of people don't like the systems in place at the TSA."
And those systems have been widely criticized by privacy advocates in the U.S. and abroad. In Europe, privacy concerns have long delayed implementation of body scanning technology.
International airports with direct flights to the U.S. are required to meet International Civil Aviation Organization security standards and some TSA requirements, but the use of advanced imaging machines is at the discretion of each country.
Even in the unlikely event of global adoption of body scanning, the technology has its limitations.
The machines are not designed to detect explosive devices concealed inside the human body, and the Department of Homeland Security has identified some "vulnerabilities" in the screening process, according to a summary of classified advanced imaging testing published in November. The office made eight recommendations that the TSA agreed to as a result of the testing. Details of those recommendations are classified.
In March 2010, the Government Accountability Office said that "while officials said (advanced imaging technologies) performed as well as physical pat downs in operational tests, it remains unclear whether the AIT would have detected the weapon used in the December 2009 incident based on the preliminary information GAO has received," noting that the results of the TSA's testing are classified.
No magic bullet, indeed. What remains clear is the need for a security strategy that evolves quickly, officials say.
"Every time we think we have them, they come up with something new," said Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Peter King, R-New York.
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Tin Arts offers participatory arts and culture programmes in the north east of England. Underpinned by the belief that arts and culture imparts a greater sense of well-being, it strives to make arts and culture accessible to all. Tin Arts programmes operate both on an individual or group basis and can take place in many settings including educational, community and hospital locations. Tin Arts offer activities in all areas of society and across many art forms, with strengths in creative movement-based programming.
Innovation is pivotal to Tin Arts’ approach, as the charity responding flexibly to the needs of individuals or groups, and this understanding of requirements can often play an important transformative role in affecting individuals’ ability to progress socially and intellectually.
Arts Council England is not responsible for the social media content on this organisation's page
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Iain Dale has an interview with Communities Secretary Eric Pickles today. As you might expect, it’s not exactly hard-hitting, but Pickles is given a bit of space to set out his ideas, and the changes he wants to bring about in local government. In answer to a question about council leadership models (mayors, cabinets or committees) he responds:
I don’t care how things are organised. They can have it on the basis of a committee system, on a cabinet basis, on the mayoral system. If they want to introduce it on a choral system with various members of the council singing sea shanties, I don’t mind, providing it’s accountable, transparent and open. That’s all I need to know.
Well, apathy about local organisation from the Secretary of State might make Tory councillors cheer, but local government matters, and so does local governance, so it’s not an issue one should be insouciant about.
Let’s start from the point about “accountable, transparent and open”. Pickles is right to imply that any system can be obscure and unaccountable, depending on people’s behaviours. However, some systems will be more likely to lead to accountability than others, so it’s not quite as much of an open choice as he suggests.
More important, the people who make the choice about governance models (and, under the Government’s policy, can veto boundary changes) are those most directly involved in the consequences – the councillors themselves. It’s no coincidence that powers for councillors to introduce directly elected mayors are little-used. Why would councillors agree to reduce their own power, even if it did make politics more accountable and transparent?
The local government governance mish-mash (two-tier, cabinet, mayors) will never be sorted out by the councils themselves, because the councillors and officer structures will build elegant arguments for their continued power and organisational survival no matter what the consequences for efficiency, accountability and transparency.
Councillor self-interest and public apathy mean that this is an area where localism should take a back seat to independent judgement by national politicians. There is no rationale for rural Herefordshire villages to be in a unitary authority when rural Kentish villages are not. Similarly, Watford is not better-suited by nature for a directly-elected Mayor than Sevenoaks. The Government should take a position, not leave councillors to be judge and jury in their own cases.
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WARREN - The American Red Cross is celebrating March as Red Cross Month with fundraisers across the Valley.
"We receive no federal funds," said Debbie Musser. "We're funded totally by local donations."
Musser, administrative assistant for the Mahoning Valley branch of the Red Cross, said the local Red Cross chapter is participating with chapters across the nation in using the month to encourage support for the organization.
Red Cross month was designated by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1943 to respond to the need for donations in World War II efforts and has continued every year since. To help raise funds this month, Musser said several restaurants have agreed to participate in their Dine and Donate program including:
"It's been going well," Musser said, "we're getting the word out that we always need volunteers."
Besides financial donations, the Red Cross is calling for volunteers for their Disaster Action Team, these are individuals who respond to local disasters such as fires or floods in the community.
Musser said there is a good core group of volunteers, but there are times when they may be unavailable.
For community members who have saved the life of another, the Red Cross is now accepting nominations for its 2013 Acts of Courage Awards. The awards are for Trumbull or Mahoning County residents who "acted courageously and selflessly in a time of emergency."
"We've had several nominations turned in," Musser said, "One was just turned in for a neighbor who saved someone's life."
Nominations are due by April 30 and the heroic event must have occurred between April 1, 2012, and April 1, 2013. The event does not have to have taken place within the two counties.
Nomination and volunteer forms can be found on the Red Cross' website, www.redcross.org/oh/warren.
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Feds unveil inaugural nerve center
As President Barack Obama takes the inaugural oath on Monday, representatives of 42 federal, state, and local agencies responsible for security will be keeping a watchful eye from a command center miles away in the Washington suburbs.
The Secret Service invited reporters and photographers to tour the "Multi Agency Communications Center" or MACC on Tuesday, on the condition they not describe its precise location. The center features a pair of video walls with large Google Maps of downtown Washington with security perimeters for the inauguration and parade marked in various colors.
The video walls and other TV monitors show images from closed-circuit TV cameras across the Washington area. During Tuesday's media tour, one of the cameras was trained on the reviewing stand on Pennsylvania Avenue, just outside the White House. Other displays showed a rolling list of mock incidents with details of which agencies were responding.
Security officials from various agencies who attended Tuesday's briefing said they're not aware of any specific, credible threats to the inauguration.
"We hope, plan for, and anticipate a safe and secure inauguration and one that will be memorable and historic," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.
The 2009 inauguration was considered a major success from a security point of view. However, it was marred by one major snafu—thousands of people who thought they had tickets for the event were marched into a tunnel where they were stuck for hours as the festivities unfolded.
"We are really trying to address that," said Ed Donovan, chief spokesman for the Secret Service. "Everyone was frustrated and disappointed, speaking for the planners, that that occured—that people were not able to get where they needed to go."
Donovan said planners have reviewed all invitation materials to reduce confusion about where attendees are supposed to go. Efforts are also being made to improve communicaion with the public by using text messages and social media to relay instructions in the event of an incident or problem, he said.
The Secret Service has overall responsibility for security at the inauguration, which like the national political conventions and the Super Bowl, has been designated a National Special Security Event. However, Donovan said the hodgepodge of agency jurisdictions don't change—those staffing the MACC are essentially there to exchange information in "real time." Agency officials at other locations will actually issue commands to their personnel in the field to respond to any incidents.
Obama's first inauguration drew an estimated 1.2 million to 2 million people. A much smaller crowd is expected this time, but most security officials at Tuesday's briefing declined to say how much—if at all—they'd scaled back spending and personnel for the re-inauguration.
However, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said her department is bringing in "over 2000" officers from out of town this time, fewer than four years ago. But there will still be officers from 86 jurisdictions across the country augmenting the D.C. force. "It's doesn't feel like we're stretching anything to me. It's something we do every four years," she told reporters.
Park Police Chief Teresa Chambers urged those attending not to be too concerned about security. "This is one of the greatest days of celebration for our democracy, so come down and enjoy it," she said.
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RIT welcomes back Rochester native, disaster researcher Claire McCurdy Feb. 5
Talk focuses on response to Japan’s triple disasters—hurricane, tsunami, power plant meltdown
Jan. 28, 2013
by Vienna McGrain
Follow Vienna McGrain on Twitter
Follow RITNEWS on Twitter
Rochester native Claire McCurdy, senior editor for International Policy Digest, has spent the last year closely following Japan and the world’s response to that nation’s recent string of disasters. Topping news headlines, Japan has endured triple disasters, from a massive tsunami triggered by a major earthquake on March 11, 2011, to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant meltdown occurring only hours later.
McCurdy will talk about this response and relief efforts throughout her presentation, “Japan 2011–2012: The Triple Disasters and the Humanitarian Response,” 10 a.m.–noon Tuesday, Feb. 5, in Rochester Institute of Technology’s Ingle Auditorium. The talk is free and open to the public.
McCurdy will be joined via telephone from Japan by RIT alumnus Deven Neel ’10 (international studies) who will share his experiences volunteering with the relief efforts.
McCurdy, who currently lives in New York, began her career as a teacher in Japan, followed by work as an aide at the Japan Trade Center in New York. She began her research on Japan’s triple disaster in July 2011. As senior editor, she has written extensively on international relations, with an emphasis on Japan and the arts. McCurdy’s other research interests include gender and politics, the economy, the Women’s Movement and history of feminisms, architecture and foreign policy. Her paper, “Mental health crisis in Fukushima,” was presented at the annual meeting of the Asian Association for Global Studies, in March, in Tokyo.
McCurdy’s presentation is sponsored by RIT’s College of Liberal Arts. For more information, contact Barbara Bangs at 585-475-2638 or [email protected].
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NYU’s Marc Siegel writes a poignant op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, echoing much of the sentiment on this blog.
“With more and more doctors dropping out of one insurance plan or another, especially government plans,” writes Dr. Siegel, “there is no guarantee that you will be able to see a physician no matter what coverage you have.”
He goes on to cite the depressing statistics, including the fact that more than half of primary care doctors in Texas refused Medicare, and that 28 percent of Medicare beneficiaries nationwide had trouble finding a primary care physician.
If universal coverage is enacted, especially if it includes a public option, more patients will be creating demand for government programs that doctors are rejecting in droves.
The result? “The doctors that remain in this expanded system will be even more overwhelmed than we are now.”
I have a similar take, which I expressed a few months ago in the NY Times’ Room for Debate Blog:
So, while any attempt at covering the millions of Americans without health insurance is a laudable goal, doing so without addressing a health care system ill-equipped to deal with millions more patients has the potential to make an already grim situation worse.
I’m happy to see that others are seeing the problem the same way.
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George White, founder and president of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, will be inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame, an honor bestowed by the American Critics Association and other members of the hall of fame.
White founded in 1964 the theater center which hosts the National Playwrights Conference, where many a play and playwright has been nurtured, along with the National Critics Institute, National Music Theater Conference, National Puppetry Conference and Cabaret Symposium. The center also administers Monte Cristo Cottage (O’Neill’s family home). Among other accomplishments, White co-chaired the Yale Theater Management Program from 1978 to 1992.
White was also the first director to stage an American musical -- "The Music Man" -- in China.
The 41st induction ceremonies will take place Jan. 30 at Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre, where the names of more than 400 previous Hall members adorn the walls in gold.
Founded in 1971, the Hall annually honors those who have made noteworthy lifetime contributions to the American theater. Eligibility requires a substantial body of outstanding work over a career of at least 25 years.
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"Do not be deceived, God
is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."
"And many will follow their
destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time
their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not
slumber." 2 Peter 2:2-3
"Fools mock at sin,
but among the upright there is favor." Proverbs 14:9
[the antichrist or lawless one] was given a mouth
speaking great things and blasphemies.... Then he opened his mouth in
against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in
heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome
them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All
who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written
in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
"For from within,
out of the
heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy,
pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and
defile a man." Mark 7:21-23
"...put off all these:
anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not
lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and
have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of
Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor
uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in
all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender
mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering...."
"I am in derision
daily; everyone mocks me.
For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, 'Violence and plunder!'
Because the word of the Lord was made to me a reproach and a
Then I said, 'I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in
But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my
I was weary of holding it back, and I could not."
"Now the men who held
Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him
on the face and asked Him, saying, 'Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?'
And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him." Luke 22:63-65
"And they bowed the
knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' Then they spat
on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked
Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to
be crucified." Matthew 27:29-31
is the man who
not in the counsel of the ungodly,
stands in the path of sinners,
sits in the
seat of the
his delight is in the law of the Lord,
in His law he meditates day and night." Psalm
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Getty Images/Getty Images
A mother and baby orcas, also called killer whales, swim at Sea World in San Diego. The company just filed for a $100 million IPO, much of which may go to put a dent in $1.7 billion of debt.
Last week, SeaWorld and its iconic orcas filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering. It's fair to call this the "Shamu IPO," even though the original Shamu, who performed at the original SeaWorld in San Diego, died in 1971. SeaWorld has kept the moniker around as a sort of branded stage name for orcas.
SeaWorld also operates marine-based theme parks in Orlando, Florida, and San Antonio, Texas; the parent company, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, runs eight other venues in the U.S. And that parent company is owned by Blackstone, a huge private equity firm that bought SeaWord from Anheuser-Busch in 2009.
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Birthday: Jan. 12, 1993
Capricorn Strength Keywords:
Capricorn Weakness Keywords:
Capricorn and Independence:
Capricorns are very independent because they know their capabilities and therefore they rarely trust others to finish details, they like to do it all themselves. Capricorn is the longer of all zodiac signs.
Capricorn and Friendship:
The Capricorn is the strong friend, they will always be there to help, they are very sympathetic, caring and helpful to a friend in need. A Capricorn will get someone back on their feet again with a steady plan for success and for all this, they expect nothing in return. The Capricorn friend is deep and mysterious and full of intrigue, there always seems to be something going on in their mind.
Capricorn and Business:
The Capricorn personality is geared towards that of leadership and achievement, they always want to climb the corporate ladder and be the best they can be. Capricorns have excellent sense of time and manage it very well, they are excellent organizers. Capricorns are very creative, not spontaneously creative but it is incorporated into their time management skills and their ideas for executing a plan. Capricorns make good, wise investments because they look at the long term and what will be the most beneficial down the road.
Capricorn and Temperament:
Capricorns might seem melancholy and stern because they live by self-discipline and responsibility. They evaluate everything and they don’t take daring chances without weighing the advantages and disadvantages first. To the onlooker, they might seem boring but it is the serious drive and structured way of life that the Capricorn feels safe with. Capricorn’s self-sufficiency is often mistook for coldness, they are not as cold as they seem, this might be apparent just because Capricorns like to do everything themselves this way there is no worry about something not finished or not done properly. It is all about control of their surroundings and their daily lives and sometimes this spills into other people’s lives. They believe they can give structure and organize other people’s lives too, which they can but others might see this as intrusive and not welcome the Capricorn’s suggested changes. According to Capricorn, there is only a right way and a wrong way to do things and this idea makes some Capricorns closed minded, stubborn and reluctant to agree with others. This is an ongoing lesson for Capricorns, knowing that there is more then one way of doing things and even though their way is usually right, it does not mean that they have to impose their ways on others.
Capricorn Deep Inside:
Capricorns have this sense of melancholy and necessity for structure and work because inside they feel they are unworthy and need to continuously prove their worth. Once they realize that all they need is self-love, door will open and they will see the world in a new light, one that allows for pleasure and guilt-free fun. Capricorns most important need is security, financial and material security. This is the driving force behind their ambitious character and all other personality traits of desire to succeed. They are very concerned with their public standing and their prestige. Capricorns are loners but they also need to feel appreciated, but they are excellent at hiding this truth. Capricorns are very self contained and they have many faces they present to the world, they are known as aloof and indifferent but this is them concealing themselves from the world, unfortunately, they may never know who they really are. This causes feelings of insecurity and causes them to question their own self worth. Capricorns make it difficult to get close emotionally because once they let someone in, they do not want to let them go and emotional connection makes them feel vulnerable yet satisfied at he same time. This is an ongoing internal conflict of contradictions inside the Capricorn’s mind.
Capricorn in a Nutshell:
Capricorns are very ambitious people, they always have something they are pursuing and they want their lives to be fulfilled and important. Capricorns are extremely patient and will wait a long time for something they want, when the opportunity arises, they will plan their steps carefully to others, they might appear hesitant but this is not true, they know that there is only one chance to succeed and they are filing together their information to take the proper steps to accomplish their goal with flying colors, not just second rate. Capricorns have a very active mind and strong powers of concentration. Capricorns like being in control of their surroundings and everyone in their life. Capricorns are very cautious but this only to survey the situation before leaping in, they will never make a hasty jump in. They accept change but introduce it slowly so they can get used to it and incorporate it into their life. Capricorns tend to see life in black or white, definitive’s only. There are no gray areas for these are areas that are not understood and this makes Capricorn feel uncomfortable. They tend to be in control in a romantic relationship that way they are never vulnerable to another person.
What it’s Like to Date a Capricorn Man:
The Capricorn man is very physical and passionate, but not emotional (on the outside). Deep inside he yearns for love but this takes a long time to become reality, he is very reluctant to place trust in another person. Show him how much you admire him and earn trust gradually over time. He is very faithful, probably the most faithful of all zodiac signs. Underneath his secretive mysterious nature is a romantic streak with a strong sensual side, this side is completely hidden and once unlocked, you’ll be amazed at the transformation this man has undergone! Patience and trust is key with a Capricorn man, he has so much to offer the right woman who will wait for him.
How to Attract Capricorn:
Make them laugh, they tend to be melancholy so anyone who can make them laugh is appreciated. Talk about anything but do not pry into their emotions. They do mind listening to yours however. When Capricorn feels safe, they will let some of their cat out of the bag. Talk about serious topics, things that matter and avoid unconventionality, they are very conventional people and do not like shock-topics. They like to be connected to on an intellectual level. They like gifts, not gaudy and expensive but practical and useful. Keep it high class, they do not like second-rate gifts, or dates for that matter. Plan an upscale date to a art gallery, theater or fancy restaurant. Never be late. Capricorns are very punctual and live by a schedule and they do not like to be kept waiting, it shows irresponsibility. Be patient with Capricorn, underneath that aloof, indifferent outside lies a physical, passionate loyal person that will come out when the time is right, once you have proven yourself.
Capricorn Erogenous Zone:
The legs and especially the knees are very sensitive. Lightly tickle the backs of Capricorn’s knees and this will get them giggling with excitement and initiate foreplay.
Sex With Capricorn:
Capricorns have stamina, lots of it. They like nice, classy surroundings and a comfortable atmosphere. In the bedroom, they will last all night and want some more. They are very physical and good at what they can do. Do not expect any creative or zany positions, but expect it to be good.
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It's only March, but with Americans already feeling the many economically detrimental effects of rising gas prices -- on top of the still disappointingly high unemployment numbers and a persistently sluggish economy -- energy policy is already playing a central role in the 2012 campaign conversation. Team Obama is working to counter the GOP's many energy-related criticisms (which, I might add, are all very valid), deploying strategically misleading statistics in an attempt to solidify control over the national energy narrative. At the moment, they're touting two specific statistics that deliberately distort the truth:
1) Domestic oil production has been higher under President Obama's watch than it has in eight years.
I realize I posted on this a couple weeks ago, but, to reiterate: In his energy speech at the University of Miami in late February, the President oh-so-patiently explained that Republicans are silly for thinking that "drill, baby, drill" is anything but a bumper sticker because, even if he were to approve a bunch of leases right away and allow energy companies to get crackin', it can take up to five, even ten years for these projects to really get off the ground and actually increase the oil supply. But, in the exact same speech, he said that domestic oil production has reached new heights under his administration. ...Does he think he can have it both ways?
The increased domestic oil production we're currently enjoying is due to the initiative of private businesses and the policies of "the previous administration" -- seems like incread oil production is one of the few things Obama isn't willing to pin on the Bush administration, even if that's where the credit is actually due.
In fact, leasing on federal land has gone down under the Obama administration (but hey, at least the federal government is using public land [read: public assets] to develop solar energy, right? Right?).
2) And the companion ad: Under President Obama's "energy strategy," we're less dependent on foreign oil because we're importing the smallest amount in sixteen years.
And in a report from this morning:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama receives a report on Monday showing a one million barrel per day decline in U.S. oil imports in 2011, as the White House arms itself against election-year attacks on his energy policies, which Republicans blame for high gas prices. ...
"When President Obama took office, America imported 11 million barrels of oil a day. By the end of last year, that number dropped to 8.4 million barrels per day," the White House said in an annual progress report on U.S. energy security. ...
Obama visited election battleground states North Carolina and Virginia last week to promote his message and will speak at the White House on Monday with local television stations serving key swing states, including Colorado, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
The Obama administration would have us believe the reasons we're importing less oil are because of both our increased domestic production and because of the success of his many taxpayer-backed green investments, but reality tells a different story. Increased domestic production is a factor in our decreased imports, but the root cause is the fact that our economy is still on the fritz. We're lately consuming less oil (ergo, importing less oil), because we're less productive and we're not making/spending as much money as we do in the good times. It's funny that Team Obama is touting this statistic as a positive, when really, it should be a pretty damning one.
What new and exciting statistics will they intentionally misrepresent next?
Addendum: In the WSJ this morning, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal published a piece slamming President Obama's politicized energy policy and misleading rhetoric, and outlining the steps we could take to increase our supplies and improve our economy right now. Solidarity, sir:
To pursue national and economic security, the president's first obligations on energy should be to increase the quantity of domestic energy sources and to decrease the cost of that energy to consumers. That starts with implementing a clear strategy of increasing energy production in all sectors—including the hydrocarbon sources abhorred by the left—and by providing the kind of long-term regulatory certainty that private capital demands before investment.
While the president is quick to tell anyone who will listen that domestic oil production is higher today than at any time since 2003, that's not the whole story. The truth is that today's production levels are not based on anything this president has done, but on the decisions made by private companies before he took office. And much of this production is taking place on private land.
Because energy prices are driven by a sense of future risk, the president should create a more predictable environment for exploration and production. In an election year, the federal government is now suddenly attempting to reach pre-moratorium—that is, pre-2010 BP oil spill—levels for approving deep-water drilling permits. That's not enough. The average number of deep-water drilling permits approved monthly by the administration is down by nearly 30% from the historical norm prior to the spill.
Fired IRS Commissioner: I Promoted Sarah Ingram To Head Obamacare: "We Provided Horrible Customer Service" | Greg Hengler
Acting IRS Commissioner Doesn't Know Who's Responsible, Objects to "Targeting" as "Pejorative" Term | Guy Benson
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The three-year multi-million dirham technology-based health information system project will enhance the quality of health care delivery in public hospitals and health care centres across the country through rapid access to patients' important information. Wareed will virtually link all public sector medical establishments across the country and automate all healthcare processes supported by high-end data centers and network infrastructure.
"Wareed's stand alone participation at the 30th edition of Arab Health coincides with the project's coming of age having evolved from a conceptual blueprint to the actual implementation phase which will gradually unroll over the next two-and-a-half years to bring tangible and highly beneficial changes for end users and medical professionals alike," said His Excellency Humaid Mohamed Al Qutami, Minister of Health.
"The Arab Health platform is the ideal forum for Wareed and the Ministry of Health to share details of this highly aspirational project with the medical community and the UAE public at large and to also create awareness of this initiative in the rest of the region and among key international constituencies."
The Ministry of Health and the project manager, Hybrid Health Solutions (HHS), have already started introducing the Wareed technological platform at Ajman's Khalifa Hospital and its affiliated Musharif Medical Centre, both of which are expected to go live with Wareed on July 23rd. The two medical establishments were chosen as the pilots for this project based on an evaluation of criteria such as complexity levels and number of modules that could be utilized at the selected sites.
This is the first concrete step towards establishing a completely integrated electronic platform linking a total of 14 government run hospitals and their 68 affiliated clinics across the country. After July, every three months two hospitals along with the affiliated primary care centres will go live with the system that is expected to be phased out until October 2011. A total of 6,000 medical professionals will use the system once fully deployed.
The Ministry of Health has appointed Hybrid Health Solutions (HHS), a Dubai-based project management and solution providers, to manage the project, which will be implemented by a consortium of internationally renowned healthcare technology providers led by leading IT systems integration and consultancy Company, iCapital.
The consortium includes system providers, Cerner Corporation, a leading US IT Healthcare specialist, Gulf Business Machines (GBM), that will provide the hardware and networking infrastructure for Wareed, and Mubadala-owned, Injazat Data Systems, which will support Wareed with the data center infrastructure and management.
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Friday’s dismal jobs report and some unexpected words from Bill Clinton delivered a bracing reminder to President Obama and his advisers that the election remains primarily a referendum on his record and that their path to victory may lie less in trying to discredit Republican Mitt Romney and more in winning a battle of ideas with their Republican rival.
The latest report — just 69,000 jobs were added last month — was far worse than forecasters had predicted and undermined the administration’s contention that the economy is truly on a path to recovery. Administration officials pointed out that the economy added jobs for the 27th consecutive month. The weakness of that response underscored the challenge facing the president as he seeks to convince voters that he has the tools and the political wherewithal to fix what still ails the economy.
Explore the 2012 electoral map and view historical results and demographics
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The troubles for Obama hit a day after the two campaigns staged dueling political spectacles. The Obama campaign chose the steps of the state Capitol in Boston to attack Romney’s record as governor. Romney went to the doorsteps of the bankrupt solar energy company Solyndra to attack Obama’s record as president.
As made-for-cable theater, the events attracted plenty of attention but not necessarily for the right reasons. Both were gimmicks. Friday’s anemic numbers from the Labor Department refocused the campaign where the voters live, on the fundamental issue of the overall state of the economy.
The Labor Department’s monthly report could not have come at a worse moment for the president, given the relatively weak jobs growth of the two previous months. History suggests that voters’ perceptions of the economy, and therefore the performance of the incumbent, begin to lock in several months before an election.
By that measure, Obama has little time to show progress. The economy appears to have fallen into another spring slump, after signs in the winter that suggested the recovery was genuinely taking hold. And the president may have only limited ability to affect the biggest looming danger to the U.S. economy, which is the situation in Europe. It is no wonder that analysts say the president’s prospects for reelection are no better than 50-50.
The president’s campaign has appeared wedded to a strategy of trying to discredit Romney. That began with attacks on his role at Bain Capital, the private equity firm where he made his fortune. Obama’s advisers believe it will have the desired effect on voters, but so far there is very little evidence that attacks on Bain are changing minds. Current polls continue to be extremely close.
The Bain attacks have caused grumbles from Democrats who have friends and allies in the private equity world, but those complaints did not deter the president’s Chicago team from pressing forward. What Bill Clinton said Thursday on CNN may give them greater pause — though Republicans may have rushed too quickly to embrace the former president.
Clinton said Romney has a “sterling” record in business. He also said that private equity is a legitimate part of the economy and that not all investments in failing companies turn out to be winners. He further said the combination of Romney’s experience in business and in Massachusetts means he is ready to serve as president.
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9:45am Thursday 7th February 2013
TEENAGER Beth Morris has launched a fundraising appeal to help her compete against some of the best athletes in the world.
The 16-year-old has been selected to take part in swimming and cycling races at the World Transplant Games, which will be held in South Africa this summer.
She hopes to add to her haul of medals from the 2009 games in Australia, when she won six golds and broke five world records.
But she has to raise £1,800 to pay for the trip and needs help to cover the bill.
As a junior, she must be accompanied by at least one adult — adding £1,400 per person to the cost.
Beth’s success comes after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was just 17 months old.
She was given chemotherapy treatment for two years, spending most of that time in hospital.
Although she seemed to be recovering, she had a relapse in 2001 and eventually received a bone marrow transplant a year later.
Beth, of Hollow Meadows, Ringley, hopes that businesses, organisations and individuals will make donations or hold fundraising events.
She will also organise a fundraising night to add to her fund. Beth, who is studying A-levels at Pendleton College, said: “The World Transplant Games is a celebration. All the athletes there have had traumatic experiences.
“They have all had a transplant and made it out of the other side. hey are all competing in a physically demanding competition with high expectations.
“It’s a way of standing up and saying that we are still living normal lives. It would mean the world if people supported me and helped me get to South Africa.
“To know that people out there are supporting me really makes me want to go out and do my best.” Anyone who wants to help can call Beth on 01204 705175.
© Copyright 2001-2013 Newsquest Media Group
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“Oh, with all the inventing you’ve done, you’ll have plenty to talk about,” she said.
That was sarcasm, of course. The only idea I’ve had for an invention is a towel warmer, which I was quickly informed has already been invented. Just as well. I don’t think I would have gotten around to it.
Before the meeting started, I had to sign something saying I wouldn’t share any of the ideas I heard. There are some good ones. In fact, the room was filled with some impressive, interesting people.
The inventors wanted to learn how to get their news into the paper. It’s pretty easy, I explained.
Here’s how it works — for anyone:
Though you’re welcome to send one, there’s no need for a fancy press release.
If you have news you want to share, you can call, e-mail or use old-fashioned mail. I prefer a quick e-mail that briefly states the news and clearly shows me a working phone number I can call for more information.
It’s that simple. Send away!
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Teacher Training Program (TTP)
is a wonderful way in which to broaden our understanding of Dharma and
enhance our spiritual life. TTP was designed by Venerable Geshe Kelsang
Gyatso as means to facilitate the spiritual needs and wishes of people
around the world. Classes begin with prayers that prepare the mind for
meditation. The prayers are followed by a meditation based on material
studied in the previous class. This is followed by the teacher reading
the text and giving some commentary, answering questions, and
facilitating group discussion. Finally,
students divide into partners to try and recall from memory the
essential points of the text that was covered in the class.
WHO CAN JOIN TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM?
Teaching Dharma to others is the
most meaningful thing we can do in our lives. Therefore the main
qualification for this program is a compassionate wish to become a
teacher of Kadampa Buddhism. Since this program
studies both sutra and tantra it is necassary that students have
recieved the Highest Yoga Tantra empowerments of Heruka and
Vajrayogini. The commitments are similar to Foundation Program,
however, in addition to there are three annual meditation retreats that
must be attended.
A COMMITMENT TO STUDY AND PRACTICE
Program which is casual and operates on a drop-in basis, Teacher Training
Program requires a deeper spiritual maturity and commitment. Students
who enroll in the program are the very heart of Samudra Buddhist
Centre. The main commitments of the program are: to
attend each class; to promise to study and memorize to the best of your
ability the material being studied; maintain retreat committments; to write an exam; to pay a monthly
fee; to cherish the Centre, fellow students, and to maintain harmony; and to attend the tsog offering pujas held each month.
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| 0.94163 | 408 | 1.773438 | 2 |
In more than two decades of living in New York City, I am not sure I experienced a moment stranger than what happened during a Tuesday-night cab ride home from work. We were driving downtown on Fifth Avenue, past shuttered boutiques and crowds of meandering pedestrians, when, almost imperceptibly, everything went dark. At each corner, the ubiquitous streetlights and flashing walk signs winked no more. Instead, a city of shadows loomed on all sides, illuminated only by whirring police sirens and the spectral glow of red flares planted in the ground by local authorities. The sidewalks emptied out. My cab driver, who had been speaking to a friend on his Bluetooth, made a startled laugh and lifted up his phone. His reception had vanished. I checked my gadgets and found them all equally useless.
We had entered what is effectively Manhattan’s dead zone, where hundreds of thousands of residents are now in their third full day without electricity. It’s a vast swath of downtown that encompasses the city’s financial district and trendiest restaurants and is the center of New York City nightlife. It’s also where I — alongside my family and myriad friends and colleagues — live.
New York City has always been a place of haves and have-nots, carved by divides both real and imaginary. It emerged as a global metropolis not just in the rise of its gilded quarters, tony boulevards and stately townhouses but in the swarming chaos of its slums, sweatshops and teeming tenements. Daily existence here is a journey through multiple New Yorks: entrenched ethnic neighborhoods and chic bourgeois melting pots, areas worn down by poverty and marginalization and others resplendent in their power and privilege. But ever since Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge on Oct. 29 flooded a major power substation on 14th Street, there are only two New Yorks: a city of light and a city of dark.
In the first city, life after the hurricane is lurching fitfully back to normal. The power is on (in most cases, it never shut off), stores are open, the Internet is working and folk pound the streets with the city’s customary hustle and swagger. But the other city, in particular lower Manhattan, where power is expected to return by this weekend at the earliest, is an eerie ghost of itself. Candles flicker thinly from windowsills. The residents that remain walk in a hushed befuddlement. With no electricity, iffy water and scant cell-phone service, the part of town that is usually New York City’s nerve center, its pulse, is now something altogether alien and detached.
Each morning since the hurricane, I’ve woken up in lower Manhattan not to an alarm or car horns on the street but to the overwhelmingly weird silence of this alternate reality. I scrub myself clean after heating water atop a gas stove, sip from a lukewarm bottle of orange juice and then trudge down pitch-black flights of stairs with the lantern that is my dying iPhone. By the time I’ve emerged into the sunlight, I’m ready, almost, to start running away from zombies. Yet 20 minutes and a shared cab later — this new tradition itself a kind of surreal act of post-cataclysm New Yorker bonhomie — I’m in midtown, where Sandy has become, like every other natural disaster in the world, something that happened somewhere else.
Friends who would wrinkle their noses at having to go north of Union Square are now refugees in their own city, huddled masses packed into buses headed uptown. On the coastal fringes of lower Manhattan, residents from housing estates are pumping sludge water out of basements and running short of food (most shops are still closed). As the week drags on, there are fears of a full-blown public health crisis in one of the wealthiest districts in the world.
Mind you, the situation is worse for many outside of Manhattan. On Tuesday night, as I tumbled out of the cab and groped through my satchel for a flashlight, the cab driver, an immigrant from Somalia, offered to lend me his. I declined, and for good reason. His house in Bayonne, N.J., was without power and water. He has two young children at home. “Just thinking about it right now makes me want to stop, turn around and go straight to them,” he said with a sad smile. Whole stretches of Long Island, New Jersey and adjacent states will likely be without power well into next week.
The cabbie drove away, and I clattered my way up five floors to check on my mother’s apartment. A professor at New York University and an inveterate Greenwich Villager, she has so far refused to leave. Having no power is something she is accustomed to; in India, the periodic loss of electricity is a fact of life, met with a roll of the eyes, the snap of a match and the rapid filling of water basins. It’s an inconvenience, a hassle, but you live with it, like you do with traffic jams and cantankerous neighbors. I’ve tried to embrace my mother’s Zen but can’t. Slinking home beneath the eaves of Washington Square Park — the trees now monstrous black hulks — I know this won’t last. But when the city of dark gets its light back, I wonder if I’ll ever be able to see it again without its shadow.
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The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and the National Police Department have ended their project using human-controlled vehicles for exploration and monitoring that had been started to eliminate the weakness of intelligence in the fight against terrorism. As a result, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel and Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz have appended binding signatures to bring the human-controlled intelligence vehicles from the United States to Turkey. Five planes, which will be rented from the US for two years, will be brought to Turkey at the end of May and deployed in the province of Batman. King Air 350 planes that are equipped with technical intelligence systems will be used in security operation zones.
Pilots from the Turkish Air Forces (THK) will reportedly fly the King Air 350s instead of the unmanned Israeli-made Herons, which do not need to be controlled by human beings when they are in the air. The new aircraft use sophisticated and advanced technology and are expected to give an edge to the Turkish military in its fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The cameras set on the aircraft can even detect what type of rifle a terrorist on the ground is holding. The King Air 350 will transmit in code the visuals it records to a ground station. The King Air 350s will remain in service until the completion of the Turkish ANKA project.
The aircraft are able to ascend to a height of 30,000 feet, and three of the five planes can be in the air for 24 hours. The project will cost Turkey $70 million. Along with the TSK, MİT and the National Police Department will also be able to use new technology if they deem it necessary.
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| 0.946055 | 363 | 1.710938 | 2 |
171 men are still held in the “war on terror” prison at Guantánamo Bay, even though an interagency task force established by President Obama concluded over two years ago that 89 of them should be released. However, it is now 15 months since the last prisoner left Guantánamo alive, and as the long struggle to resume the release of prisoners from the prison continues, attention has focused on a number of specific cases: on Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in Guantánamo (please sign the UK petition and/or the international petition); on five Taliban leaders and the negotiations to release them as part of the Afghan peace process (or part of a prisoner swap); on Omar Khadr, the Canadian former child prisoner who was supposed to be released last November according to a plea deal he agreed the year before; and on the last two Kuwaitis, Fayiz al-Kandari and Fawzi al-Odah.
I have written extensively about Fayiz and Fawzi at various times in the last five years, and in February was delighted to be invited to Kuwait to step up the campaign to secure their release, which I wrote about here and here. I also posted videos of the Kuwaiti TV show that I took part in with Tom Wilner, my colleague in the new “Close Guantánamo” campaign and the US civilian lawyer for Fayiz and Fawzi. I was also there with Lt. Col. Barry Wingard, the military defense attorney for Fayiz, and I met Adel AbdulHadi and Sanabil Jafar of the Al-Oula Law Firm, which represents Fayiz in Kuwait, and Khalid al-Odah, the father of Fawzi al-Odah, and the head of the long-established Kuwaiti Freedom Project.
I was also delighted to meet Jenifer Fenton, a journalist who has become fascinated by the Kuwaitis’ story in the last year or so, and has been undertaking the kind of research and investigations that, in general, have been sorely lacking in the mainstream media. Last week, I cross-posted the first of two articles that she wrote following our visit, based on interviews with former prisoners, and published on Al-Jazeera’s website, and I’m now cross-posting the second article, analyzing the weakness of the supposed evidence against Fayiz and Fawzi. Read the rest of this entry »
Last month, I was invited to visit Kuwait to try and help raise awareness of the need for the Kuwaiti people to push for their government to demand the release from Guantánamo of the last two Kuwaitis — out of 12 in total — to be held in Guantánamo. These two men are Fayiz al-Kandari and Fawzi al-Odah, and, like dozens of the 171 men still at Guantánamo, they are held, possibly with the intention that they will be held for the rest of their lives, not because there is any evidence that either of them ever raised arms against US forces or were involved in any way with any acts of international terrorism, but because of institutional cowardice within the Obama administration, and because of fearmongering in Congress, in the mainstream media and in a particular court of appeals in Washington D.C.
That court is the D.C. Circuit Court, where a number of prominent judges have whittled away at the habeas corpus rights that the Supreme Court granted the Guantánamo prisoners in June 2008 (and which led to the release of 26 prisoners between December 2008 and January 2011), gutting habeas corpus of all meaning for the Guantánamo prisoners, by demanding that the government’s supposed evidence be given the presumption of accuracy, even though it has been well established (in the 38 cases won by the prisoners, for example), that the supposed evidence is an unreliable mix of statements and confessions made by the prisoners themselves, or by their fellow prisoners, in circumstances where torture, coercion and even bribery were widely used by the interrogators, and of post-capture reports, compiled by US personnel in situations whereby the prisoners were actually seized by Afghan or Pakistani forces, at a time when generous bounty payments were being offered for anyone who could be dressed up as an al-Qaeda or Taliban suspect.
I wrote about my visit to Kuwait here and here, and posted videos of the Kuwaiti TV show that I took part in with Tom Wilner, my colleague in the new “Close Guantánamo” campaign and the US civilian lawyer for the two Kuwaitis, and I have since followed up with profiles of the two men on the “Close Guantánamo” website (written by Tom, his colleague Neil Koslowe and myself). My visit was organized by Lt. Col. Barry Wingard, the military defense attorney for Fayiz, who was put forward for a trial by military commission in November 2008, just before George W. Bush left office, and who, absurdly, remains a candidate for a trial by military commission, even though nothing that could objectively be called evidence exists in his case. I also met other members of Lt. Col. Wingard’s team, Adel AbdulHadi and Sanabil Jafar of the Al-Oula Law Firm, which represents Fayiz in Kuwait, Khalid al-Odah, the father of Fawzi al-Odah, and the head of the long-established Kuwaiti Freedom Project, and the former prisoner Fouad al-Rabiah, with whom I had lunch. Read the rest of this entry »
Now that my first ever visit to Kuwait has come to an end — in which I was involved in events and discussions designed to raise the profile in Kuwait, and internationally, of the two remaining Kuwaitis in Guantánamo, Fayiz al-Kandari and Fawzi al-Odah — I feel as though I have been away from my home in London for weeks, and not just for five days, as the time was so busy.
I recorded an interview for the Al-Rai TV station along with the attorney Tom Wilner, which was aired along with a subtitled version of “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo,” the documentary film that I co-directed with Polly Nash, and I also traveled out to Kuwait’s main prison, to visit the rehabilitation center which was established for the four remaining prisoners in 2009, but which, after two of these four were freed that year, has been lying empty ever since, its staff and facilities awaiting the return of Fayiz and Fawzi, who, like the majority of the 171 prisoners stili in Guantánamo, 89 of whom have been cleared for release, remain trapped because of the cynical twists and turns of American politics — in the Obama administration, in Congress and in the courts.
I was also driven through the desert, on the highway to Iraq, to visit the grand and spacious farm of a prominent sheikh, in order to discuss the cases of Fayiz and Fawzi, and I also attended two dewaniyas (social events described by Wikipedia as being “the core of Kuwait’s social, business and political life, the places where topics of interest are discussed, associates introduced, alliances formed, and similar networking activities undertaken”), with lawyers and with the family of Fayiz. In addition, I met up with the former prisoner Fouad al-Rabiah and with Khalid al-Odah, Fawzi’s father, and briefly met another former prisoner, Adel al-Zamel. Read the rest of this entry »
Freelance investigative journalist Andy Worthington continues his 70-part, million-word series telling, for the first time, the stories of 776 of the 779 prisoners held at Guantánamo since the prison opened on January 11, 2002. Adding information released by WikiLeaks in April 2011 to the existing documentation about the prisoners, much of which was already covered in Andy’s book The Guantánamo Files and in the archive of articles on his website, the project will be completed in time for the 10th anniversary of the prison’s opening on January 11, 2012.
This is Part 19 of the 70-part series. 247 stories have now been told. See the entire archive here.
In late April, WikiLeaks pushed Guantánamo back onto the international media’s agenda by publishing thousands of pages of classified military documents — the Detainee Assessment Briefs — relating to almost all of the 779 prisoners held at Guantánamo since the prison opened on January 11, 2002, which drew on the testimony of witnesses — in most cases, the prisoners’ fellow prisoners — whose words are unreliable, either because they were subjected to torture or other forms of coercion (sometimes not in Guantánamo, but in secret prisons run by the CIA), or because they provided false statements to secure better treatment in Guantánamo.
As an independent media partner of WikiLeaks, I liaised both before and after the publication of these documents with WikiLeaks’ mainstream media partners (including the Washington Post, McClatchy Newspapers, the Daily Telegraph, Der Spiegel, Le Monde and El Pais), and then, after the killing of Osama bin Laden pushed Guantánamo aside once more, and allowed apologists for torture, and those who engineered its use by US forces, to resume their malignant, criminal and deeply mistaken defense of torture, and of the existence of Guantánamo, I began to analyze all of the Detainee Assessment Briefs in depth.
I began, in May and June, with a five-part series, “WikiLeaks: The Unknown Prisoners of Guantánamo,” telling the stories of 84 prisoners, released between 2002 and 2004, whose stories had never been told before. These men and boys were amongst the first 201 prisoners released, and unlike the other prisoners, for whom information was released to the public from 2006 onwards, as a result of court cases involving Freedom of Information requests, no information had been officially released about the first 201 prisoners. Read the rest of this entry »
Investigative journalist, author, filmmaker, photographer and Guantanamo expert
Email Andy Worthington
Please support Andy Worthington, independent journalist:
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Few Biologists but Many Evangelicals Sign Anti-Evolution Petition
By KENNETH CHANG
Published: February 21, 2006
In the recent skirmishes over evolution, advocates who have pushed to dilute its teaching have regularly pointed to a petition signed by 514 scientists and engineers.
The petition, they say, is proof that scientific doubt over evolution persists. But random interviews with 20 people who signed the petition and a review of the public statements of more than a dozen others suggest that many are evangelical Christians, whose doubts about evolution grew out of their religious beliefs. And even the petition's sponsor, the Discovery Institute in Seattle, says that only a quarter of the signers are biologists, whose field is most directly concerned with evolution. The other signers include 76 chemists, 75 engineers, 63 physicists and 24 professors of medicine.
The petition was started in 2001 by the institute, which champions intelligent design as an alternative theory to evolution and supports a ''teach the controversy'' approach, like the one scuttled by the state Board of Education in Ohio last week.
Institute officials said that 41 people added their names to the petition after a federal judge ruled in December against the Dover, Pa., school district's attempt to present intelligent design as an alternative to evolution.
''Early on, the critics said there was nobody who disbelieved Darwin's theory except for rubes in the woods,'' said Bruce Chapman, president of the institute. ''How many does it take to be a noticeable minority -- 10, 50, 100, 500?''
Mr. Chapman said the petition showed ''there is a minority of scientists who disagree with Darwin's theory, and it is not just a handful.''
The petition makes no mention of intelligent design, the proposition that life is so complex that it is best explained as the design of an intelligent being. Rather, it states: ''We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.''
A Web site with the full list of those who signed the petition was made available yesterday by the institute at dissentfromdarwin.org. The signers all claim doctorates in science or engineering. The list includes a few nationally prominent scientists like James M. Tour, a professor of chemistry at Rice University; Rosalind W. Picard, director of the affective computing research group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Philip S. Skell, an emeritus professor of chemistry at Penn State who is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
It also includes many with more modest positions, like Thomas H. Marshall, director of public works in Delaware, Ohio, who has a doctorate in environmental ecology. The Discovery Institute says 128 signers hold degrees in the biological sciences and 26 in biochemistry. That leaves more than 350 nonbiologists, including Dr. Tour, Dr. Picard and Dr. Skell.
Of the 128 biologists who signed, few conduct research that would directly address the question of what shaped the history of life.
Of the signers who are evangelical Christians, most defend their doubts on scientific grounds but also say that evolution runs against their religious beliefs.
Several said that their doubts began when they increased their involvement with Christian churches.
Some said they read the Bible literally and doubt not only evolution but also findings of geology and cosmology that show the universe and the earth to be billions of years old.
Scott R. Fulton, a professor of mathematics and computer science at Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y., who signed the petition, said that the argument for intelligent design was ''very interesting and promising.''
He said he thought his religious belief was ''not particularly relevant'' in how he judged intelligent design. ''It probably influences in the sense in that it makes me very interested in the questions,'' he said. ''When I see scientific evidence that points to God, I find that encouraging.''
Roger J. Lien, a professor of poultry science at Auburn, said he received a copy of the petition from Christian friends.
''I stuck my name on it,'' he said. ''Basically, it states what I believe.''
Dr. Lien said that he grew up in California in a family that was not deeply religious and that he accepted evolution through much of his scientific career. He said he became a Christian about a decade ago, six years after he joined the Auburn faculty.
''The world is broken, and we humans and our science can't fix it,'' Dr. Lien said. ''I was brought to Jesus Christ and God and creationism and believing in the Bible.''
He also said he thought that evolution was ''inconsistent with what the Bible says.''
Another signer is Dr. Gregory J. Brewer, a professor of cell biology at the Southern Illinois University medical school. Like other skeptics, he readily accepts what he calls ''microevolution,'' the ability of species to adapt to changing conditions in their environment. But he holds to the opinion that science has not convincingly shown that one species can evolve into another.
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L'Anse Creuse Applauds Dispatcher for Organizing Mock Crash
The LCPS Board of Education recognized the efforts of a district dispatcher who recently organized a training session focused on school bus safety for students with special needs.
L’Anse Creuse Board of Education members recognized Monday the district’s associate dispatcher who organized a mock school bus crash last month.
Michelle Metdepenningen received a “Make a Difference” award from administrators during Monday night’s board meeting at Harry L. Wheeler Community Center and Administrative Offices in Clinton Township. Her efforts provided training and information for securing and rescuing students with special needs.
At the training event, students participated by acting out a crash scenario from inside a donated school bus that had been tipped on its side. Medstar and a University of Michigan helicopter took part in the exercise, too, said Bill Bartman, transportation supervisor.
Metdepenningen said she wanted to organize a training event to make sure students are secured correctly and getting safe rides to and from school.
Bartman said, “Macomb County, especially, but really statewide, there’s really never any training like this stuff."
Although the training event was her idea, Metdepenningen gave credit to everyone behind the scenes who helped make the event a success.
“Tom Aretakis, our head mechanic, gave our fire department valuable information on actually how to cut into the bus,” she said. “The (buses) are built extremely tough.”
Board Vice President Linda McLatcher said, “It just shows you how our first responders respond. I’m just so happy that we were able to sponsor it and give our first responders that type of experience.”
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| 0.964665 | 370 | 1.804688 | 2 |
WASHINGTON — Even after a week of U.S.-led air strikes, forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi are a potent threat to civilians, say Pentagon officials who are considering expanding the firepower and airborne surveillance systems in the military campaign.
"Every day, the pressure on Gadhafi and his regime is increasing," President Barack Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday, aired just after Libyan rebels regained control of the eastern city of Ajdabiya. It was the first major turnaround in an uprising that once appeared on the verge of defeat.
Obama also readied for a speech to the nation Monday evening to explain his decision-making on Libya to a public weary of a decade of war.
Lawmakers from both parties have complained that the president has not sought their input about the U.S. role in Libya or stated clearly the U.S. goals and exit strategy.
"The United States should not and cannot intervene every time there's a crisis somewhere in the world," Obama said in the speech Saturday. But with Gadhafi threatening "a bloodbath that could destabilize an entire region ... it's in our national interest to act. And it's our responsibility. This is one of those times."
Among the weapons under consideration for use in Libya is the Air Force's AC-130 gunship, armed with cannons that shoot from the side doors. Other possibilities are helicopters and drones that fly lower and slower and can spot more than fast-moving jet fighters.
With the U.S. pressing to shift full command of the Libya air campaign to the NATO alliance, the discussion of adding weapons to step up the assault on Gadhafi's ground troops reflects the challenges in hitting the right targets.
U.S.-led forces began missile strikes last Saturday to establish a no-fly zone and prevent Gadhafi from attacking his own people.
American officials have said they won't drop bombs in cities to avoid killing or wounding civilians — a central pillar of the operation. Yet they want to hit the enemy in contested urban areas.
"The difficulty in identifying friend from foe anywhere is always a difficult challenge," Navy Vice Adm. William Gortney, staff director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Friday at the Pentagon. The difficulty in distinguishing "friend from foe inside an urban environment is magnified significantly."
Army Gen. Carter Ham, the U.S. officer in charge of the overall international mission, told The Associated Press, the focus is on disrupting the communications and supply lines that allow Gadhafi's forces to keep fighting in the contested cities.
Ham said in a telephone interview from his U.S. Africa Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, that the U.S. expected NATO would take command of the no-fly zone mission on Sunday, with a Canadian three-star general, Charles Bouchard, in charge. Bouchard would report to an American admiral, Samuel Locklear, in Locklear's role as commander of NATO's Allied Joint Force Command Naples, he said.
But with the Obama administration eager to take a back seat in the Libya campaign, it is still when — or even if — the U.S. military's Africa Command would shift the lead role in attacking Libyan ground targets to NATO. U.S officials say the alliance is finalizing the details of the transfer this weekend.
Obama spoke with Democratic and Republican congressional leaders about Libya on Friday afternoon. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said he was concerned that the current military action might not be enough force Gadhafi from power, his spokeswoman said.
Brooke Buchanan said McCain, the top Republican in the Senate Armed Services Committee, supports the military intervention but fears it could lead to a stalemate that leaves Gadhafi's government in place.
Associated Press writers Robert Burns, Ben Feller and Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.
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Carroll Jones has been in office for nearly 12 years.
The long time Mayor of Brunswick is seeking another term in office. Carroll Jones has been Mayor for almost 12 years. Prior to that, he spent 10 years on the the City Council.
Jones says one of the issues he wants to tackle, if he’s re-elected, is to resolve the water situation with the Town of Rosemont. "We’ve made great progress in the last few months, working with Rosemont, the Board of County Commissioners, MDE--Maryland Department of the Environemt--toward finding a solution," he says.
Residents in Rosemont are served by the Brunswick Water System. However, the pipes are aging, and there’s a considerable cost in replacing them. In 2011, the Maryland Department of the Environment agreed to fund the pipe-replacement project estimated to cost between $1.6-million to $2-million.
Mayor Jones also says he wants to see work completed on upgrading a water treatment plant to serve current and new customers. "It just started a couple of months ago, and that’s going to take about a year or two to complete that to insure that we have adequate water supply for us and the for the development at Brunswick Crossing," he says. That development is expected to generate 1500 new homes.
In addition, Jones says he wants to work on "branding" for the city. "We’re not trying to re-write history, and we’re certainly going to honor our railroad history," he says. "But we think we need to update how we are approaching things, to make Brunswick more attractive for businesses, which will give our residents a better choice as to shopping options and whatever, and also we’ll provide jobs to local residents."
The election is August 7th. Jones will be facing City Council Member Karin Tome for the job of Mayor.
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| 0.975862 | 399 | 1.515625 | 2 |
In March 2007, Lee Carson, of the Black Gay Men’s Leadership Council, and Tyrone Smith and Kevin Jones, of the Archivists Society, sat down to speak to the mother of Joseph Beam, Ms. Dorothy Beam.
Joseph F. Beam (12/30/54-12/27/88) was born in Philadelphia, PA. A noted author and activists, he edited In the Life, the first Black gay anthology (published by Allyson Press in 1986).
According to the mother of Joseph Beam:
“There is some kind of fear in the black population that says they have to hide their gay sons. Religion frowns on this, but this is YOUR child… They ask: ‘Well how can you be so expressive and your son was gay?’ How can I not be? He’s my son!”
“…When Essex (Hemphill) came over to finish the book, he stayed at my house and got himself a job and an apartment… Essex wanted to finish the book because he loved Joe…one of the things Joe wanted was for gay people to be gay people. Joe’s books speak for themselves. When he wrote his books, there weren’t that many black gay books out. He would have written more but God called him to glory. But I thank Essex for coming over to finish it.”
“They say to pray for the gay sons. I don’t have to pray for God to change my son because that’s how he made him. If I’m going to pray for anything, I’m going to pray for God to change me into a white woman with blond hair.”
March 24, 2007
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://archivistssociety.wordpress.com/tag/essex-hemphill/
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| 0.973978 | 364 | 1.742188 | 2 |
William D. Cohan on Wall Street and Main Street.
Can Goldman Sachs, the profit-seeking missile of high finance, really make money by investing $450 million in Facebook, at a vertigo-inducing price that values the social-networking company at $50 billion?
On first blush, the answer would appear to be no. After all, in May 2009, the company was valued at $10 billion. Last August, Facebook was valued at $27 billion and now it’s $50 billion — for a company with a reported $2 billion in revenue and negligible profits. If General Electric, with 2010 revenue of around $150 billion, traded at a similar multiple of revenue, it would be worth $3.75 trillion instead of $200 billion. Facebook is now considered to be worth more than Time Warner, DuPont and Goldman’s rival Morgan Stanley.
Just last week, Facebook’s shares were said to be trading on a private-market exchange at a valuation of $42.4 billion. Thanks to Goldman’s imprimatur, Facebook’s value increased 20 percent virtually overnight. Can Goldman really expect to squeeze more water from this stone?
To understand why, we have to go to the heart of the many problems in the way the Wall Street cartel does business, despite the promised reforms of the Dodd-Frank law. With Goldman’s investment in Facebook, we have a front-row seat to the process by which Wall Street creates and inflates financial bubbles.
This bout of hysteria involves not only Facebook but other Internet companies including Twitter, the gaming site Zynga, the social buying site Groupon and LinkedIn, another social networking site. The valuation of these companies has soared in the past two years, leading some to worry that the American people bailed out Wall Street so that we could relive the Internet Bubble of 1999.
Despite the high price of its investment, Goldman sees in Facebook a business bonanza, a nearly perfect nugget of investment-banking opportunities. First, Goldman’s cost of capital is close to zero — as a bank holding company, it can borrow from the Federal Reserve at negligible interest rates — so any capital gain it makes on its venture in Facebook will be sheer profit. Second, Goldman has almost certainly locked up the role of lead manager of the inevitable Facebook initial public offering.
Fees for underwriting public offerings are generally about 7 percent of the value of the stock sold. Facebook could easily sell $2 billion of stock or more, generating fees to Goldman and the other underwriters of at least $140 million. The other benefit for Goldman in leading the public offering — aside from major bragging rights — is that it can use its marketing, sales and distribution muscle to make sure the value of Facebook at the time of the offering exceeds the $50 billion valuation at which Goldman invested.
Goldman has also won from Facebook the right to offer an additional $1.5 billion of the company’s stock to its private-wealth clients. According to The Times, Goldman will be creating a “special purpose vehicle” to sell the stock to its wealthy clients and then will charge them a 4 percent initial fee plus 5 percent of any profits. While on paper it seems that these high rollers would be foolish to invest in Facebook at such a lofty valuation, they will still most certainly feel increased loyalty to Goldman for making such an exclusive opportunity available to them. On top of it all, there is the increased likelihood that Goldman will get to manage a good portion of the $12 billion fortune belonging to
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, for yet more fees.
If Goldman does take all these roles at once — investor, salesman, money manager, I.P.O. underwriter — it would certainly raise the ugly specter of conflicts of interest. But probably not to Goldman executives, who have always prided themselves on being able to “manage” through such situations. (In fairness, there’s likely no investment-banking firm on the planet that would not eagerly take Goldman’s place in this scheme, if offered the chance.)
Even though Facebook is reported to have little need for Goldman’s money, having Goldman validate Facebook’s exponential increase in value gives Mr. Zuckerberg the ultimate Silicon Valley street cred, far more than he got from having Hollywood make a movie about him or from becoming the youngest billionaire on the planet.
With all these winners, who will the losers be? The average investor, of course, who will get left holding the bag when, someday, Wall Street realizes the firm’s financial performance doesn’t live up to its hyped valuation.
This Op-Ed column appeared in print on January 5, 2011.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/friends-with-benefits/?hp
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| 0.945519 | 981 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Some real estate commentators are making ominous predictions that the market is once again inflating like a bubble. But Mike Orr, director of the Center for Real Estate Theory and Practice at the W. P. Carey School of Business, says there is no evidence in the data to support their assertions. Similarly, history shows that rising interest rates do not deflate buyer interest. Listen to this seasoned expert explain in this conversation about the latest Greater Phoenix Housing Report.
June 10, 2013
There’s a cloudy forecast ahead for corporate IT shops, and it’s getting cloudier fast.
Companies have invested heavily in information technology known as Enterprise Performance Management
Even as the U.S. begins implementation of one of the most comprehensive healthcare policies ever passed,
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu/
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| 0.931818 | 154 | 1.679688 | 2 |
"All servants imported and brought into the country ... who were not Christians in their native country ... shall be accounted and be slaves. All Negro, mulatto and Indian slaves within this dominion ... shall be held to be real estate. If any slave resist his master ... correcting such slave, and shall happen to be killed in such correction ... the master shall be free of all punishment ... as if such accident never happened."
-Virginia Slave Code of 1705, Virginia General Assembly
Although many criminal justice activists are quick to denounce the most egregious race-based expressions of prison privatization, ranging from involuntary prison labor to racially disparate sentencing policies, few, if any, have attended to the deeply racialized, yet somewhat arcane, relationship developing between the private prison industry and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Curiously, one of the best ways to understand exactly how the private prison industry views itself and its fundamental mission is to analyze changes in the IRS corporate filing status of private prison companies.
In July 2012, the GEO Group - the nation's second-largest private prison operator behind Corrections Corporation of America - sent a letter to the IRS requesting a conversion from a typical "class-c" corporation to a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).
At the time, the Florida-based company specializing in "correctional detention and residential treatment services" billed its potential REIT conversion as a way to increase long-term shareholder value, lower the cost of capital and attract a larger base of potential shareholders.
According to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), an REIT is an entity that annually distributes at least 90 percent of its taxable income to shareholders in the form of dividends in exchange for a zero federal and state corporate tax liability. GEO estimates a $50 million annual tax savings), invests at least 75 percent of its total assets in real estate, and - here's the key - derives at least 95 percent of its gross income from real estate-related sources.
Over the last six months, the GEO Group has assiduously lobbied the IRS claiming that it meets REIT eligibility criteria. "Fundamentally, GEO is in a real estate intensive industry ... and GEO has attractive real estate characteristics," reads an excerpt from its most recent investor presentation - one that leaves out all mention of rehabilitation.
On January 18, the GEO Group announced it had received a favorable private-letter ruling from the IRS in connection with its previously announced intention to convert to a REIT. Hours later, the company's shares hit an all-time high. (Corrections Corporation of America, by the way, is still awaiting its own REIT conversion ruling from the IRS.) Based on the receipt of the private-letter ruling, GEO's board of directors authorized the company to elect REIT status retroactive to January 1, 2013.
According to the AP, George Zoley, GEO's chairman, CEO and founder, said:
We are very pleased to have received a favorable private-letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service. This important milestone validates the decisive actions taken by our bBoard and our management team to position GEO to achieve REIT status effective January 1, 2013 and enable our shareholders to begin enjoying the benefits of REIT status as soon as possible.
Lobbying for and achieving a REIT corporate filing status with the IRS demonstrates that the GEO Group primarily sees itself as a real estate firm that incidentally dabbles in corrections, not an agency whose primary objective is rehabilitation, safety, or community restoration.
Mark Twain once said that although history doesn't repeat itself, it sure does rhyme.
The GEO Group's newly-minted REIT status calls attention to the relationship between historical forms of race-based, profit-making and racialized expressions of prison privatization. The language of "real estate" firmly codified by REIT status is deeply troubling in light of the reality that African-Americans - a racialized group once legally "held to be real estate" according to Virginia's 1705 Slave Codes - are vastly over-represented today in GEO's only Virginia-based corrections facility. GEO-operated Lawrenceville Correctional Center is a 358,000-square-foot corrections center located about 65 miles south of the state capital in Richmond, which houses around 1,500 inmates.
Whereas African-Americans comprise roughly 20 percent of Virginia's population and 61 percent of the state's total correctional population, they account for a full 75 percent of all inmates housed in GEO's for-profit Lawrenceville facility.
The striking overrepresentation of African-Americans in the only private, for-profit facility in Virginia operated by a REIT suggests that the containment of African-Americans - and people of color more generally – in that prison still functions primarily as a source of profit extraction, rather than as a resource for rehabilitation. In this scenario, "real estate" serves as a proxy for blackness. What's worse is that this trend extends far beyond Virginia. In a first-of-its-kind study recently published by The Society Pages, my colleague, Josh Begley, and I found that people of color are overrepresented in private prisons relative to their public counterpart institutions in states like California, Texas and Arizona.
Whereas the primary objective of public corrections agencies, ostensibly, is the promotion of public safety and personal growth through rehabilitation, private prison firms - which house around 8 percent of the prison population in the US - are first accountable to their shareholders. Companies like the GEO Group are legally obligated to increase shareholder value, an imperative that inherently compromises any deep commitment to rehabilitation, social re-entry or recidivism reduction.
GEO's successful conversion to a Real Estate Investment Trust ultimately proves that for all of its vainglorious depictions of high quality "residential treatment services," its unquenchable pursuit of profit erodes the difference between people of color - particularly African-Americans - and property, between real people and real estate.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/14255
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| 0.947187 | 1,217 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Take control of your health. Subscribe to MediResourceís Healthy Aging for FREE!
A doctor will ask questions about how you are feeling to see if your symptoms match those of people with low testosterone. Then, a blood test is performed to check the level of testosterone in the blood.
Because there are other conditions that are associated with low testosterone levels (e.g., hypogonadism, which causes retardation of sexual growth and development; diabetes; high blood pressure), your doctor will likely do tests to rule out these possibilities before making a diagnosis of andropause.
It is important to note that many of the symptoms associated with andropause are also a normal part of aging, and they may not be reversible with treatment.
Replacing testosterone in the blood is the most common treatment for men going through andropause. This treatment may provide relief from the symptoms and help improve the quality of life in many cases. Lifestyle changes such as increased exercise, stress reduction, and good nutrition also help. Your doctor will help you decide if testosterone treatment is right in your situation, as treatment does have risks.
Testosterone is available in a variety of different preparations including skin patches, capsules, gels, and injections. Your doctor will help determine which treatment is best for you and will often consider your lifestyle when making this decision. Follow-up visits with your doctor will be important after the initial treatment begins. At follow-up visits, your doctor will check your response to the treatment and make adjustments, if necessary.
Skin patches: People who wear a patch containing testosterone receive the hormone through the skin. The patch allows a slow, steady release of testosterone into the blood stream. It is applied once a day to a dry area of skin on the back, abdomen, upper arms, or thighs.
Testosterone gel: This treatment is also applied directly to the skin, usually on the arms. Because the gel may transfer to other individuals through skin contact, a person must take care to wash the gel from the hands after each application.
Capsules: Taken twice daily after meals, this is yet another option for testosterone replacement. Men with liver disease, poor liver function, serious heart or kidney disease, or too much calcium in their blood should avoid testosterone capsules.
Testosterone injections: This treatment involves injections of testosterone (testosterone cypionate* and testosterone enanthate) in the muscle every 2 to 4 weeks. They may cause mood swings due to changes in testosterone levels. Men with severe heart disease, severe kidney disease, or too much calcium in their blood should avoid testosterone cypionate. Men with severe kidney disease should not take testosterone enanthate.
Testosterone should not be taken by any man with prostate or breast cancer. If you have heart disease, are taking some medications such as blood thinners, have an enlarged prostate, or have kidney or liver disease, you will need to discuss with your doctor whether or not testosterone therapy is right for you.
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®). The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen). A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article lists medications by their common names. For more information on brand names, speak with your doctor or pharmacist.
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| 0.935464 | 702 | 1.835938 | 2 |
A friend of Indian extraction writes:
Wow how appalling. The British Raj is comparable to the IDF, according to the Weekly Standard? Then by this definition Israel is imperialist and must leave. Is that what the Weekly Standard wants?
A Gandhi (the Rx of the Weekly Standard piece) requires an interluctor who undertands and responds favorably to non-violence. The Brits also needed Indian troops to fight the Nazis and told Indian elites they could expect self determination, provided they support them. The Israelis do not understand pacifism and have other pathologies in their society, some deeply rooted: the belief that the world is conspiring against them, the belief that the Arabs are equivalent to the Nazis, and that they are not culpable for the pathologies of the Palestinians, even while their jackboot is on their necks. I await that Weekly Standard piece.
British elites and Indian (Hindu and Muslim) elites shared common values and aspirations and were drawn from a common culture- Jinnah for the Muslims and Nehru for the Indians. The British elites, leftist in outlook, shared two common ideals: an anti-imperialist and anti-fascist stance. IDF/Israeli elites have nothing in common with the Palestinians. Indeed, the Israeli elites have contempt and loathing for the Palestinians that meets or exceeds the white apartheid loathing for African blacks and is coupled with a belief that the Israelis are the victims.
Should we ask the Abba Eban question in reverse: Do the Israelis ever miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity?
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<urn:uuid:6ee08bfb-ae77-4f7e-a8bd-201513c764e7>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://mondoweiss.net/2009/03/gandhi-model-worked-because-british-and-indian-elites-shared-common-values-not-so-in-ip.html/comment-page-1
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en
| 0.94727 | 310 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Over the summer Friends of Hudson River Park (FOHRP) began community outreach to establish a Neighborhood Improvement District intended to help pay for maintenance at the beleaguered park. The FOHRP plan includes a tax for nearby residences and businesses located approximately two blocks inland from Chambers Street to 59th Street. The proposed district is the latest of several attempts to secure new funding sources for the beloved park.
According to A.J. Pietrantone, FOHRP’s executive director, of New York’s 67 Business Improvement Districts (BID) 13 include residential assesments, but commercial businesses foot most of the bill. The plan would charge residents about 7.5 cents per square foot, meaning that a snug West Village condo measuring 500 square feet will pay $37.50 per year.
The park’s financial troubles began rearing their head as another park, the High Line, also running parallel to river, was stealing hearts and minds (and gathering the attention of donors) up and down the West Side. Hudson River Park Trust, the entity that runs the park, cast an envious eye on the High Line’s flush public/private model, so much so that they went to the State Legislature to loosen up the Trust’s charter to make ends meet. As with so many the city’s newer parks, Hudson River Park must be self-sustaining. But unlike most recent high profile new parks, the Trust’s charter strictly limits development. Meanwhile, the largest commercial operation intended to generate cash for the park, Chelsea Piers, is locked in legal battle with the State over maintenance and repair funding costing about $37.5 million.
The changes introduced in the Legislature might have allowed a residential/hotel complex to rise on Pier 40, among other provisions, but it was defeated in the State Assembly in July. There is slim possibility that the measure may be taken up again in December, but administrators at FOHRP aren’t counting on any single silver bullet to save the day. The Neighborhood Improvement District is one of many efforts, including philanthropy.
Several other Charter arrangements intended to generate funding are being contested. The state has also backed away from their responsibility of maintaining the median that runs down the middle of the West Side Highway. The once lush plantings are now a choked with weeds. The state wants to hand maintenance of the medians over to the city. The city’s position is that the state must complete the road (Interstate 9A) before the New York City’s DOT takes over. In the past FOHRP maintained the medians under contract from the state. The Trust is prohibited from spending money outside park boundaries, so it falls to FOHRP to raise the cash to spruce up what is essentially their front lawn. “I’m sure the state would be happy for any private funding sources,” said Pietrantone.
Another income source that never found its way to the park was the balance from a 15 percent fee charged to incoming cruise ships. Whatever leftover money not used for pier improvements was supposed to go back to park maintenance. But most of that money went to maintaining the cruise ship piers and portion for the park was never allocated. “There was nothing left over and that has to be clarified,” said David Gruber, chair of Community Board 2. Gruber said that the pier fees along the Hudson should also be reexamined as income for the park.
FOHRP continues to work with the Trust to amend the act, attract donors, and will reach out to the three community boards that boarder the park throughout the fall to build support for the Neighborhood Improvement District. “The proposal can’t go forward if there isn’t any support,” Pietrantone said.
So far the reaction has been somewhat muted, though major commercial interests are lined up behind the proposal, with representatives from Durst Organization, Tishman Speyer, REBNY, and Two Trees sitting on the FOHRP steering committee. Gruber thinks the tax can be justified easily. “It’s a dinner out,” he said of the cost.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=6217
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| 0.959875 | 866 | 1.570313 | 2 |
ALL-STAR GAME: 1997 WORLD SERIES: 1995, 1997 (0 wins, 2 losses)
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: Visit in February 1998, drive-by in August 1998, and a Twins-Indians game on August 7, 2012.
"Faith" is sometimes defined as the triumph of hope over experience, and Progressive Field is a perfect example. After getting burned by Cleveland Municipal Stadium back in 1932, the citizens of Cleveland had every right to be leery of funding another baseball stadium, just as the citizens of Montreal are today. Yet unlike the "Mistake on the Lake" where the Indians called home for half a century, this stadium turned out to be a wise investment, both in terms of the team's performance and in terms of revitalizating downtown Cleveland. Like Oriole Park at Camden Yards, this ballpark is superb in terms of both architectural design and aesthetics. In terms of field layout, it almost a mirror image of Camden Yards, with right and left fields reversed. However, Progressive Field's futuristic stylings, with bare white tubular structural steel that stand in contrast to its Baltimore counterpart. It may be considered as the first "postmodern" baseball stadium. The roof is suspended by a unique series or arches, and the outer eight or so feet remain exposed, as if it was designed to accommodate a temporary tarp to provide additional shading on hot days. Like Ebbets Field, the sides of the structure are determined by the surrounding streets, and except for the center field segment of the wall, all of the sides are either parallel to or perpendicular to the two wings of the main grandstand. The view of the Cleveland skyline behind the left field scoreboard makes this an authentic urban ballpark. One "debit" in the overall account is the fact that 88 percent of the cost to build Jacobs Field was financed with taxpayers' money, midway between the public funding ratios of Camden Yards (96 percent) and the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (80 percent). Of all the neoclassical" baseball stadiums, it has the lowest capacity in relation to that of its predecessor. It is a cozier, far more comfortable venue for watching a baseball game. Also like most other stadiums of this class, the playing surface is 18 feet below the main concourse, which is about street level.
This is a great ballpark from a fan's perspective. Like Camden Yards, there are three main decks plus a skybox level above the mezzanine level. The second deck is one of the largest of any stadiums currently in use, surpassed only by the new Yankee Stadium, and it is cantilevered so that it hangs out over a substantial portion of the lower deck. Thus, it is positioned closer to the diamond than any other mid-to-upper-level deck in a recent stadium. (Fans in the back rows of the lower deck might get a little claustrophobic, however.) The second deck is replaced by two skybox / press box levels in the right field corner, behind home plate, and all along the third base side of the stadium. Perched above the 19-foot left field wall, the bleachers offer a great view of what's happening on the diamond, but anything that happens on or near the warning track in left field is out of sight. At some point after the stadium was originally built, probably in 1997, the bleachers were expanded by adding a trapezoidal-shaped section of seats to each side. The huge scoreboard in back of the bleachers features a huge "Indians" logo on top and is crammed with billboards along the sides, usually including the world-famous Cleveland Clinic. It's all perhaps a bit overdone, but does add unique character to the ballpark. Next to the home team bullpen in center field is a terraced picnic area, adorned with a number of small trees and shrubs. In 2007, that area was converted into "Heritage Park," with monuments to past Indian greats arranged in an open circle formation. There is ample "standing room" in the left field corner and in right center field, where temporary bleachers are installed for postseason games and other high-attendance events. At Gate C (on the north side of the stadium) is a statue to Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller. One convenience is the elevated walkways extending from the ends of the upper decks on both sides to the parking garage in back of the bleachers. For the well-heeled fan, there are a series of glass-enclosed multistory skyboxes angled toward home plate, located near the left field foul pole.
From a player's perspective, there are also many unique features. In contrast to other Neoclassical stadiums, there is a relatively large area behind home plate, making pop foul balls and wild pitches more exciting. Even though the field dimensions are roughly the same from right field to left field, the sharp corners and odd angles in the outfield walls, and the varying height thereof, combine to make for a significant element of asymmetry. The 19-foot high wall in left field is a challenge to sluggers, and gives occasion for many weird bounces from line drives, as with the Green Monster at Fenway Park. Also, the visitors' bullpen in right field is partly covered by the overhanging second deck. One minor oddity is the fact that the wall in the right field corner is taller the rest of the wall in right field, about 14 feet compared to 9 feet. (Prior to 2003, it was 12 feet and 8 feet, respectively.) This reflects the fact that the "bend" in the lower deck grandstand in that corner (where the orientation of the seating rows shifts) is closer to home plate than the corresponding bends in the upper decks. Thus, there is virtually no overhang below the second deck on the right side of the bullpen.
Almost from the moment they started playing here, the Indians underwent a miraculous transformation from being perpetual losers -- as depicted in the movie Major League -- to frequent pennant contenders. They made it all the way to the World Series in 1995 (losing to the Braves) and in 1997 (losing to the Marlins); if it were not for that fluke ending to Game 7 in 1997, the Indians would have been world champions for the first time since 1948. The team's success was matched at the box office: From June 12, 1995 until April 2, 2001, there were 455 consecutive sold-out games, a Major League (!) record. The Indians have fallen behind in the standings in recent years, but they show occasional bursts of competitive excellence. Cleveland fans have a lot to look forward to in the future.
SOURCES: Lowry (2006), Pastier (2007), USA Today / Fodor's (1996), Gameface - Cleveland Indians Magazine (Aug. 1997), Google Maps
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Nick Hurd is right to say that there are plenty of unknowns about this year’s National Citizen Service. Last year’s scheme could be filed as a cautious success – it gave 8,000 young people the chance to engage in the three week programme and there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that young people and their communities got some enjoyment from the scheme. There is much to support in the aspirations of the scheme; the idea of getting 30,000 young people involved in their communities in a positive way and building their personal skills is unlikely to raise much serious opposition!
However, as I told Chris Wimpress as part of the Huffington Post’s analysis of the NCS, the persistent question remains whether or not the scheme provides value for money. If the Government was to roll the plan out nationally for all youngsters, the scheme would cost £355 million a year, more than the Government currently spends in total on youth services. Indeed, last year Parliament recommended reducing the plan to a gold standard mark for existing voluntary schemes as a way of keeping the operating title, but reducing the cost significantly. This could then support the promotion of existing local volunteering schemes, removing some of the duplication of work currently made by the NCS.
It is this cost question that is crucial to the future of the NCS. The 2011 pilot cost £1,182 per participant to run, in the same year German authorities spent £46 more per head than this on year long apprenticeship schemes. Whilst this programme may have some strong short term benefits, these resources could surely be better directed elsewhere? In a time where graduate unemployment remains stratospherically high, with 25% of last year’s cohort still unemployed, it must be time to direct this money into schemes that can have a practical benefit for potential employers and employees now. The Government has made much of its commitment to NEET young people that have recently left school, and their peers have other courses to pursue. For unemployed graduates however, since the cessation of the New Deal, there is little in the way of stimulating training. Diverting these resources into a comprehensive programme for young people with nothing to do now, rather than the worries of a long summer holiday, would be immediately productive and would be a much better use of significant resources in a challenging climate.
The cost question is also a barrier to attracting private sector investment. The NCS offer should play strongly to CSR strategies – young people, education, life-skills, employment-skills, disadvantaged areas, community. However, there seems to be no creative thinking that’s been done to draw up attractive and innovative packages which when linked to partnership with Central Government, would make for a compelling case. It might be uncertainty about the scheme’s future that is intrinsic to this problem and a vicious circle – comparatively high costs, and low certainty about long-term social impact doesn’t bode well for the private sector investment that could make the difference in developing the scheme’s long-term future. It is essential that NCS now demonstrates a bold, cost-effective and creative approach now, combined with addressing key issues surrounding support long-term for unemployed graduates and NEET young people – this is the key to unlocking the private sector investment that will form an effective and sustainable matched fund.
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At my Vinnie’s Lockers (Society of St Vincent de Paul) volunteer job serving the homeless, our longtime friend and client Dave Peters brought me a Christmas card. I loved it, and asked his permission to share it on my blog. The poem pasted in is one he wrote, and sent in to the International Library of Poetry, which published it.
DON’T X CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS
When you sit beneath the Christmas tree,
And open up your presents,
Don’t forget the King of Kings,
Don’t X Christ out of Christmas.
Jesus is the Son of God,
Who came to Earth a Man,
To save us from our mortal sins,
So that we might have salvation.
The Romans hung him from a cross,
To die in agony,
So we could sit upon a throne,
Beside our Father in heaven.
Why do strangers walk out in the cold,
Alone, afraid and hungry?
Share the warmth of an embrace,
With your sisters and your brothers,
And let the light within you shine,
Like a beacon in the night,
Beneath the starry sky.
He included also this clipping of one of his letters to the editor, from The Isthmus weekly. He points out that last year, 3 people he knew were found frozen to death. He mentioned to me in particular Billy Briggs. Within the last month or so, Dave’s encountered about 8 people sleeping out in the vicinity of Capitol Square, either unwilling or unable to be accepted into the shelter, but totally unequipped for a night outdoors. I asked him if it would help if someone went around with some blankets. He said yes. Among the various reasons (besides rationing their 2 month limit at the shelter) why some opt for outdoors: bedbugs.
Dave was one of the leaders of the troubled (by his own account) “Occupy Madison” homeless camp, an intelligent guy who is a very active advocate for his fellow homeless who attends countless meetings of government and community organizations. I don’t pretend to know the best solutions, but I am convinced that camping out is very problematic, and more overnight shelter and more skilled social work help are parts of the solution. Here’s Dave is speaking to a City Council meeting this past April (photo from the Daily Cardinal):
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In a report released on Wednesday, analytics firm Flurry found that in February Chinese mobile users activated more devices running the two top mobile operating systems, Apple's iOS and Google's Android, than any other country.
By tracking its entire data set of over 1 billion aggregated app sessions per day across 160,000 apps, Flurry was able to quantitatively measure the growth rate of device activations through software usage. An app session is characterized by the launch and use of a particular app, like opening a news reader and browsing articles for two minutes.
In looking at the 15 months following the first quarter of 2011, China gained 16 percent of the world market for new iOS and Android activations, jumping from 8 percent in January 2011 to an expected 24 percent by the end of March 2012. For comparison, the U.S. fell from a 28 percent share of new activations to 21 percent over the same period.
Interestingly, the growth of iOS and Android device activations in China remained fairly level until September 2011 when the country began its climb to the top. That month Apple launched the iPad 2 in China to an almost overwhelming demand that caused a brief suspension of sales due to rowdy crowds. The same rise in device activations was also seen in the U.S. during the same period, though a precipitous decline initiated in December brought the country's worldwide market share below China's by February.
China took passed the U.S. in February to become the world leader in iOS and Android activations. | Source: Flurry
Although the U.S. still trumps China in its installed iOS and Android user base, the rocketing adoption rate in China's burgeoning market is helping to close the gap between the two countries. Current estimates put the number of active devices in the Chinese market at less than half of the more saturated U.S. market, though the country's rocketing customer base has the potential to take the top spot and already boasts twice as many users than third-place U.K.
China is the second largest app economy and saw an amazing increase in app sessions over the past year, moving up from 7th place on a 1126 percent increase in app usage since the first quarter of 2011. To give a better perspective of China's staggering growth, the uptick in app use represents a figure nearly double that of next-fastest Argentina's 599 percent.
China's app use has grown an amzing 1126% over the past year to become the world's second-largest app economy. | Source: Flurry
Apple launched the iPhone 4S through its second official Chinese partner carrier China Telecom earlier in March, adding to the already strong sales seen from the country's number two carrier China Unicom.
Although not an official Apple partner, the world's largest wireless carrier China Mobile has reported that at least 15 million iPhones are being used on its network. The Cupertino, Calif., company is reportedly looking into a future deal with China Mobile, which would open the doors to the carrier's 600 million existing subscribers.
[ View article on AppleInsider ]
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The Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts in Japan is on a project to support young photographers, buying up work for their permanent collection. They are now calling for entries to the Young Portfolio 2012, a seach for exceptionally original work that pushes the boundaries of photographic expression or methods of production.
Qualifications for submitting to the seventeenth annual event are very inclusive. Basically, curator Yuko Yamaji writes:
As long as a photographer is under thirty-five years of age, he or she can participate as many times as they like, with the result that there are people who have taken part for over ten years and who have as many as one hundred works in our collection. Whether it is their first work or they have been published before is quite irrelevant.
Submissions will be accepted Sunday, April 15, 2012 – Tuesday, May 15, 2012. For an idea of the kind of work they tend to go for, the 178 images by 26 photographers that were selected last year with be on view at the museum Saturday, March 24, 2012 – Sunday, June 24, 2012.
This year’s selection committee is made up of Kikuji Kawada, Hiroh Kikai, and Eikoh Hosoe, Director of the Museum and photographer of the groundbreaking, classic Japanese photobooks Barakei and Kamaitachi. His 1963 collaboration with controversial author Yukio Mishima Barakei, part photographic performance, part surreal portrait of Mishima as both iconoclast and self-mythologist, was faithfully reproduced by Aperture as a facsimile in 2009, limited to 500 signed copies. Kamaitachi, another collaborative work produced with Tatsui Hijikata, founder of ankoku butoh dance, in 1969 was reproduced in close consultation with Hosoe by Aperture in 2005 as a limited addition facsimile, and again reprinted with an updated text in 2009. The work is a “magnificent and seductive combination of performance and photography,” a “subjective documentary” chronicling Hijikata’s spontaneous interactions with the landscape and people of the Japanese countryside.
Young Portfolio 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012 – Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Young Portfolio Acquisitions 2011
Exhibition on View:
Saturday, March 24, 2012 – Sunday, June 24, 2012
Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts
3545 Kiyosato, Takane-cho, Hokuto-shi, Yamanashi 407-0301 Japan
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Cheap fuel good for CAL, bad for Tobago
From time to time, and now with greater frequency, the bubble of complacency that surrounds the Trinidad and Tobago fuel subsidy appears in danger of being pricked. Outside of budget day ruminations by finance ministers, the fuel subsidy is little talked about in terms of an arrangement too good to last.
Here and there in Finance Minister Larry Howai's October discourse, references to the subsidy appear, as if reflecting relevant nagging concerns about financial and economic management. "I propose to address the inefficient allocation of resources and the associated budgetary implications of the fuel subsidies, as we move toward a balanced budget in the medium term," said the minister, in his most ominous suggestion that cheap fuel should not be regarded an unqualified blessing from any God who is a Trini.
Like predecessor Winston Dookeran, Mr Howai characterised the subsidy as a "substantial disincentive" in the conversion of vehicles to the more economic use of compressed natural gas. Both ministers resolved to market the idea of using CNG, but noted that consumers would hardly trouble to convert so long as subsidised gasoline and diesel kept prices at levels so attractive as to be even addictive.
Matters actually got worse with the creation of Caribbean Airlines at a time of sky-high international energy and fuel prices. To give the new airline a leg-up, CAL for its purchases of aviation fuel was made a beneficiary of the T&T state subsidy.
In the event, the ramifications of the Treasury subsidy inevitably extend beyond the shores of T&T. If the fuel subsidy benefit, which is not an entitlement, enjoyed by T&T motorists remains a thorny question of public affairs, the cheaper-gas benefit afforded to Caribbean Airlines looms as an ever-larger Caribbean concern.
Fuel sold at the T&T pumps below world market prices, thanks to the Treasury subsidy, has deflated transport and other costs in this country. Caribbean Airlines, which services Jamaica and the rest of the region, happily makes use of its subsidy to keep its costs down, and its fares competitive against other airlines.
More and more, however, other carriers, especially Liat, owned by regional governments, resent this advantage uniquely applicable to T&T's CAL. On behalf of Liat, complaints of unfair practices and of treaty violations have been voiced by St Vincent Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.
That this is more than a regional bandwagon has now become clear. THA Chief Secretary Orville London has clambered aboard, identifying a Tobago interest that he charges is being disserved by the CAL fuel subsidy. Mr London claims CAL, with fares lowered through subsidised fuel, has been squeezing out other airlines serving Tobago's tourism.
Suddenly, the CAL fuel subsidy question is being agitated both regionally and nationally. The T&T government, and T&T public opinion, cannot continue deferring consideration of when such potentially disruptive fuel freeness can be reduced or ended.
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Tell Me Something True
Tell Me Something True is about a young woman, Gabriella, who spends a summer visiting family in Colombia and what she learns about her mother, Helena, upon discovering her diary. Helena died when Gabriella was only a baby, so the image Gabriella has of her mother is broken when she is confronted by the secrets her mother kept. Meanwhile, she is dealing with her own life and the complications that arise as she develops a relationship with the son of a drug lord.
After reading the first few chapters, I thought I was going to hate it because it seemed too predictable. But as I kept reading, I felt myself drawn in by the lives of these two women and ended up really liking the book. Despite its predictability (which I found problematic throughout the entire book), it was the development of the characters that I enjoyed. I felt there was a lot about both Gabriella and Helena that I could relate to. As a Latina growing up in the U.S., I struggled with fitting in, balancing independence and obedience, managing expectations, visiting family abroad, etc., and I think a lot of that was captured very well in this book. Of course, these struggles aren’t exclusive to Latinas, and I think there is something for everyone to connect with as they read.
The structure of the novel is one of the things I liked most about it. Each chapter switches back and forth between Gabriella’s experiences in the present, written in the third person, and entries from Helena’s diary, written in the first person. Because the diary entries are moving forward in time (for the most part, anyway), there is an anticipation that comes with each entry as the reader waits to know the whole story. I like novels that jump through time and shift narrators, so in some ways I was the ideal reader. Those who find such narratives frustrating might have a hard time connecting to the story.
Based on the reviews I’ve read, another complaint people have about this book is that they don’t like the ending. There isn’t much I can say without giving it away, but I will say that in many ways the ending made me connect with Gabriella’s character even more. In my opinion, it was a more realistic ending rather than the typical storybook ending. There are also some questions left unanswered about other characters, so there isn’t the sense of closure that people expect. Personally, I don’t mind not knowing, but I can certainly see why others would feel let down by the ending.
So if you like books with traditional narratives and happy endings, you probably shouldn’t pick this one up. But if those things aren’t particularly important to you, this book might be a pleasant surprise, even with its predictability. At its core, this novel is a coming of age story with a couple of twists. It’s also about relationships – the ones that fall apart unexpectedly, and the ones that strengthen under unlikely circumstances.
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Montrose Academy and Mid Links 1815
Montrose Academy was founded in 1815 and succeeded the ancient
Grammar School of Montrose as the principal centre of education in the
town. For many years it catered for a relatively small number of pupils
following a limited curriculum. Since the beginning of this century,
however, it has expanded steadily in size and range of studies offered.
It is now a comprehensive school which seeks to meet the educational
needs of all young people in the town and surrounding district between
the ages of twelve and eighteen.
The original building, with its impressive dome, was designed and built in 1815 by David Logan. The original building contained three classrooms on the ground floor with an additional three classrooms on the first floor and one extra room within the dome. This building was extended either side in 1841.
Further improvements were made during the twentieth century expansion of the school. After World War II Montrose Academy's copper dome was covered in gold leaf as a war memorial. In the 1960s two memorials were added to the east exterior wall of the Assembly Hall, bearing the names of former students who had died in both world wars.
In 1961, a new extension, attached to the 1841 additions, was officially declared open on 23rd October. This is now known as the West Wing. The major work of the last extension in 1988-89 was the building of the East Wing, a two storey block linked to the old West Wing by two walkways and separated by the Precinct. It contains a number of teaching areas in addition to a superb Library, Communications Studio, Social Areas and a large Dining Room.
The adjacent new Sports Centre and swimming pool to be completed and reopened in 2012 and Academy Sports Field next to the Sports Centre greatly enhance the physical education and recreational facilities available to the School. The Sports Centre and pool are open to the school during the day and are available to the community from 5 pm, Monday - Friday, and at the weekend.
The Academy has approximately 850 pupils attending as of the start of the 2012-2013 session.
Dr JB Cavanagh
Rector of Montrose Academy
For all the latest Academy news please click here
Montrose Academy 10k Race Click in Latest News for details on how to register for this race.
Montrose Academy Sports Kits are now available to order. Click Here for more details.
A list of school holiday dates can be accessed here: Angus Council School Holidays
© 2012 Montrose Academy
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These are dark days for BitTorrent. Using it leaves you open to fake torrents, viruses, an ISP that throttles your connection, and media companies that snoop to see what you're downloading. If you want to avoid all that, you can create an uber-private BitTorrent community that only you and your friends can access. Here's how.
You're open to these problems because most BitTorrent trackers allow anyone to come in and share files (a BitTorrent tracker, for those that don't remember, is the server that connects you with other BitTorrent users in order to download files). Those other people could include virus spreaders, snoopers, and other untrustworthy folk. While joining a private tracker can help, many users feel they aren't private enough—after all, if you can get an invite, can't anyone?
What You'll Get: A Tracker Only Your Friends Can Join
You can do a lot of things to protect yourself, but why go through all that trouble? Between you and your best friends, you probably have a pretty solid collection of media and other files you could share without the need for other, less secure parties. We've shown you how to share your own files using BitTorrent, but if you want a bit more privacy, you can create your own BitTorrent tracker right on your home computer.
When you're done with this process, you'll have a (admittedly primitive) BitTorrent tracker running on your PC, sharing your files through torrents you create. Send those torrents to your friends, and they can download the files directly from you, without any other parties snooping. If your friends share their files too, you can pool your torrents together in a shared Dropbox folder (or something similar) and have a pretty sizable library of stuff to download, without the need for other unsafe channels.
Step One: Set Up Your Torrent Client
To get everything up and running, you'll need a torrent client that supports embedded trackers. We're going to use uTorrent for Windows as an example, but you can perform the same process with Vuze for OS X or qBitTorrent for Linux. Sadly, Transmission does not support embedded trackers, nor does uTorrent for OS X. Here's what you need to do:
- Head to uTorrent's preferences and click on Advanced. Scroll down to
bt.enable_trackerand double-click on it to set it to "True."
- Restart uTorrent for your change to take effect.
- Reopen uTorrent and head back to the Preferences. This time, click on Connection in the left-hand sidebar. Take note of your listening port, and make sure "Randomize Port Each Start" is unchecked.
- Go to Advanced > WebUI in the preferences. If you aren't using the web UI to monitor torrents from afar, make sure "Alternative Listening Port" is unchecked (even if "Enable Web UI" is unchecked, the "Alternative Listening Port" box must be unchecked or you'll encounter problems). If you are using the web UI, you'll want to make note of the "Alternative Listening Port" instead of the port you found in step 3.
- Take the port you found in Step 3 (or 4) and forward it on your router using these instructions. This is required for friends to connect to your computer.
Again, if you're using OS X or Linux, you'll have to do the same thing, but with your torrent client of choice. For more information on setting up an embedded tracker in Vuze, check out this wiki entry. qBitTorrent users, check out this how-to to set up your embedded tracker.
Step Two: Set Up DynDNS for Easier Connections
Now your computer is set up to act as a private BitTorrent client. However, there's one catch: in order for your friends to connect to you, you'll need to add your IP address to every torrent you create, and most IP addresses change over time—which means your friends could get disconnected from your torrents. To solve this problem, we recommend setting up a service like DynDNS or No IP. We won't go into too much detail about this process here, since we've shown you how to do it before. Once you've set it up, just write down your friendly domain name so you don't forget it—you'll need it in the next step.
Step Three: Create Your Torrents and Share Them
The last step is to actually gather the files you want to share, create torrents for them, and give those torrents to your friends. The process is very simple:
- Go to File > Create New Torrent and choose the file you want to share under "Select Source."
- Under "Trackers," you'll want to put the following two lines:
51413is the port number you found when you created your tracker in step one. Also, replace
my.dynamic-dns-hostname.comwith the friendly domain name you created in step two.
- Check the "Start Seeding," "Preserve File Order," and "Private Torrent" checkboxes. The "Private Torrent" checkbox ensures that other BitTorrent users can't share the torrent via PEX and DHT, meaning only those you give the torrent file can join your swarm.
- Click "Create and Save As" and save your torrent. Send it to your friend, and when they add it to their client, you should begin seeding the torrent
Repeat this process for each file or group of files you want to share (and have your friends do the same). This can take awhile initially if you're sharing a large collection. You can share the torrent files however you want, but the simplest way is to create a shared Dropbox folder for you and your friends, where everyone dumps the torrents of the files they're sharing. That way, you have your own mini search engine for finding exactly what you're looking for on your private tracker. Make sure you leave your computer and torrent client on when you're seeding, or your friends won't be able to download your files.
Don't forget to enable encryption so your ISP doesn't throttle you, either—whether you're using a private tracker or not, those same rules still apply. If you want, you can also use a proxy or VPN to anonymize your traffic, but it isn't really necessary as long as you trust your friends, since only they can see what you're downloading.
The Downsides to This Method
Like other BitTorrent privacy methods, this isn't perfect. This doesn't actually give you fine-grained control over who joins the tracker, so if one of your friends hands a torrent off to someone else, they'll be in on the tracker too without your consent (so make sure you trust your friends). In addition, anyone can seed on your tracker if they know your IP address or dynamic DNS hostname, but that's unlikely—and even if they did know it, all they'd be able to do is seed their own torrents and take up resources on your computer; they wouldn't be able to see what you're downloading.
Download speeds will also be slower, since you'll usually only be downloading the torrent from one person instead of many—that means your download speed is pretty much limited to your friend's upload speed. However, the extra privacy may be worth the slower speeds to you. After all, this doesn't have to be your only method of using BitTorrent—you can still download other torrents from public and private trackers as normal. This is just a simple way to take advantage of your network of friends, and share files with each other more privately than you can elsewhere.
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» Metal-theft crime wave
Last year, 200,000 gas cylinders were stolen across the UK by scrap metal thieves, at a cost to the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry of £9 million. Calor Gas Ltd’s cylinders accounted for 50% of these thefts – 100,000 steel gas cylinders with a market value of £4.5 million.
Almost three-quarters of Calor Gas’s business comes from providing gas to homes and businesses which are off the mains supply, mostly in rural areas.
Paul Blacklock, Head of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at Calor Gas, which sells more than 6 million gas cylinders a year through over 12,000 UK outlets, said that the cylinders cost up to £60 each to manufacture.
“For the last 75 years we have never needed a system to track our gas cylinders, but that has changed. There is a criminal element at play here. This is beyond casual theft.
“It is these cylinders that have fallen prey to the metal-theft crime wave. It is happening in some of the most remote communities in the country.”
Calor Gas has written to the managers/proprietors of 1500 scrap yards in the UK urging them not to accept the stolen steel cylinders. Even a nominally empty cylinder will contain traces of the highly flammable gas and represents a hazard to anyone involved in removing valves or cutting up the cylinder. Fires, serious injury and avoidable deaths have all been recorded.
Some of the bottles have been seen in scrap yards with their bases taken off or even cut in half. And one man was recently found hitting gas cylinders with a sledgehammer in a public car park in Newark in Nottinghamshire in an attempt to remove the brass valves prior to selling the stolen cylinders.
Recently Land Rover Monthly magazine ran an article showing readers how to make traditional-looking wood-burning stoves out of old gas cylinders.
Paul Blacklock wrote to the magazine, saying “We hope your insurance is good.”
At the start of December last year, 110 Calor Gas bottles were taken from a depot in Cardiff in what appeared to be organised raids. One gas cylinder has been spotted as far afield as Tanzania, where the company does not do business.
The police are reluctant to act, believing that evidence of ‘theft’ is too difficult to establish. It is for this reason that the debate in the House of Commons today is of crucial importance to the LPG industry.
“The UK police force and enforcement authorities need to take this seriously,” says Paul Blacklock.
“The Scrap Metal Dealers Act of 1964 needs to be updated to require the dealer to obtain further information on the individual or business supplying the scrap metal. Regarding the illegal export of the cylinders, formal recognition needs to be granted that the unauthorised handling of all LPG cylinders is a crime.”
For further information please contact Holly Sims at Calor Gas Ltd on [email protected]
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Narzibek Davlatov and Akhtam Toirov were sentenced to 15 and 22 years in prison, respectively, for serving as accomplices in the slayings. The two men were arrested in October 2001, and their trial began in June 2003.
The convictions come a week after a Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) delegation traveled to Tajikistan and called on the government to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the murders of dozens of journalists during the country's 1992-1997 civil war.
In December 1995, Olimpur was found dead near the University of Tajikistan with a gunshot wound to the head. Months later, in March 1996, Nikulin was shot dead outside of ORT's offices in the capital, Dushanbe.
The presiding judge in the case, Makhmadali Vatanov, told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that the murders were ordered by Nozim Yunusov, a field commander with the United Tajik Opposition who died during the civil war.
The man suspected of carrying out the killings, Nasrullo Sharipov, is serving a prison term in St. Petersburg, Russia, for an unrelated crime, according to Russian news reports. Russian authorities have rejected Tajikistan's extradition request.
"We are pleased that Tajik authorities are finally taking steps to end impunity and bring to justice those responsible for murdering journalists during the civil war," said CPJ deputy director Joel Simon. "We hope that this trend continues."
CPJ delegation calls for an end to impunity
During a meeting with the CPJ delegation last week, Deputy State Prosecutor General Azizmat Imomov agreed to review a CPJ list of about two dozen journalists who were murdered during the war and promised to respond in writing within 30 days.
Journalists in Tajikistan who met with the delegation said the government's failure to solve these cases continues to haunt the press and inhibits basic coverage of even mundane topics.
CPJ first visited Tajikistan in 1994 and found that both parties to the conflict—the People's Front and the United Tajik Opposition—were targeting journalists in reprisal for their reporting. A peace treaty between the warring factions ended the war in 1997.
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July 10th, 2012
By Jennifer Olin, BSN, RN
Being a traveling nurse can be great fun. There is the adventure of seeing new places and meeting new people. There is the less encumbered life of knowing everything you really need fits in your car. Finally, there is the knowledge that you are good enough at what you do to walk in any door, any where, and hold your own professionally. This is all great stuff.
There are also hurdles. Being a traveling nurse can be lonely. You are often far from home when major life events happen (good and bad) and since you are already the relief worker it may be difficult to get to be with your loved ones. Don’t get sick: traveling nurses don’t get paid when they don’t work.
That last thought brings me to today’s topic. There are quite a few misconceptions about being a traveling nurse and most of those revolve around money.
I don’t think I ever had an assignment where at least one nurse in my unit wasn’t under the impression I was getting paid a boatload of money to work as a traveler. Trust me, it wasn’t even a rowboat.
In general, traveling nurses make about the same hourly wage as staff nurses. Lets take a look. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) last released salary numbers for nurses in 2010. The BLS shows that the median annual salary for a staff nurse in this country is $64,690 with $31.10 being the median hourly wage. In a quick perusal of other sites with more recent numbers, the median wage has not gone up significantly in any particular staff nurse field.
Traveling RNs, on the average, make between $30 – $40 an hour. Really not different from what your staff counterparts are making when it comes to straight wage. The variations in that 10-dollar range come from location and cost of living and from nursing specialty area. Not a boatload difference.
Now let’s take into account a few other factors. There is no vacation or sick day pay for traveling nurses. Yes, you can take off as many days a year as you like or can afford between contracts. But, no one will pay you if you aren’t in uniform and at the bedside. Get a cold, your sister’s wedding—you can probably get the days off but there is no money coming in while you are away. Also, if you miss too many days of work (think bad cold) your travel company will dock your paycheck for housing on the days you weren’t earning money.
There isn’t always work available. In early 2009 I was working as a traveling nurse. With a contract nearing completion I was trying to decide if I should stay where I was or move on. The national recession had been in play for about two years. When I went to my company’s job listings I was shocked. In my specialty there were fewer than 10 jobs listed. I was working for the largest travel company in the country at that time and I had never seen so few jobs.
According to the Professional Association of Nurse Travelers, “Mid 2008 saw the numbers of nurse travelers peak at close to 30,000 full time equivalents (the bottom industry estimate is 26,000). In late 2008, travel assignments stopped rising, and there was a dramatic and precipitous drop of nearly half of the travelers on assignment by spring 2009 (some sources estimate an average 55% drop, and a few individual agencies saw a short trough of 70% of the peak). While the economic downturn is still lingering, in late 2010 travel assignments increased by 10 percent over the same period in late 2009, possibly signaling the end of the general employment downturn. However, the total number of travelers on assignment in early 2011 is still only a bit more than half the number in 2008.”
So, don’t be mistaken, when the economy goes downhill, one of the first places hospitals make cuts are in their use of temporary workers—nursing shortage or not. Since I had been invited I stayed put, particularly since another thing you have to remember is there are nurses just like you competing for exactly the same jobs.
Another myth about traveling is all the great bonuses. Yes, some jobs will offer sign-on or completion bonuses for a contracted nurse. They tended to be around $1,000. Keep in mind 33% tax rate on bonus money and you are down to $700 now. And, those offers will all disappear when the jobs disappear. They are employment incentives in times of prosperity.
It is level playing ground when it comes to other benefits. Just like staff nurses the major companies offer health and dental insurance but it’s not free. Just like with other employers, nurses are usually expected to pay a percentage. Some companies offer 401Ks and some may even contribute, but again this is no different than what the staff nurse is receiving.
There is one area particularly that can put a travel nurse ahead of the pack financially. That is in housing money. If you are a traveler and you don’t own a home or keep an apartment then you will have extra money in your pocket compared to staff nurses. Your housing or a housing stipend is provided as part of the job contract. Not paying mortgage or rent and utilities is a definite cost savings and makes the money you earn go a lot farther.
However, many traveling nurses own homes somewhere. They are still paying on a mortgage or rent, just like the staff nurse.
There’s lots of talk about how well you can do with a housing stipend. You can take the money, find your own housing, and pocket the difference. That does give you more cash but there are laws and taxes that come along with that extra money.
For me, the benefit of traveling was the adventure of going places I had never been. Work is work. One OR was like another, more or less. However, that time in New England, the roar of New York City, figuring out why New Jersey is called “The Garden State,” and spending a fall and winter in Colorado were all amazing experiences for this born and raised Texan.
If you are considering leaving your staff job to pursue travel nursing I wish you bon voyage. Those years on the road were some of the best of my life. If you think you will get rich doing it, think again. You could probably do as well financially by taking some per diem work in your area, downsizing your home, or just generally cutting back. What I can guarantee you will get is adventure.
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Remember last week’s post on Mutant Healing Aspects? And Brad Murray’s follow-up? It triggered some more thoughts regarding compels in Fate, and the difference between an “internal” compel and a “world” compel.
Let’s take a fun example: Renowned Rakehell. It’s nice and alliterative. Also, it’s totally Bond.
An internal compel is one where your character is driven to act in a particular way. The GM could say “you see a beautiful woman sitting alone at the bar,” and to chat her up rather than push with your mission could be a compel. It could complicate your life by allowing yourself to fall into the clutches of a femme fatale. But for whatever reason, it’s your character’s feeling that’s pushing action complicating your life, or your resistance of that feeling that’s canceling the compel.
A world compel is one where because of your aspect, the world complicates your character’s life. The GM could say “remember that woman you were with in Monte Carlo last month?” (Naturally, the right response is “which one?”) “Well, her husband just saw you from across the room. And he’s armed.” Or someone snubs you because of your reputation, or seeks you out because of it, whatever.
Supernatural Compels: Internal Compels That Really Aren’t
Let’s take another example, one from The Dresden Files RPG: White Court Vampire. Now, technically, the GM saying “there’s a tasty mortal there, and you’re hungry” is an internal compel from my write-up above. It’s your character’s feeling pushing an action, but it comes from a different place. It’s an entity that is a part of you but isn’t entirely under your narrative domain. So, it looks like an Internal Compel, but it really comes from the World. Ths distinction is important for the upcoming bit.
A New Way of Compelling and Buying Off
Once we separate these three types of compels, we can change the way in which compels are triggered or bought off. Now, what I’m proposing is for the sort of people that hate the GM inflicting an Internal Compel on you (or for GMs uncomfortable with it). Or, hell, just people who want to mix it up.
Internal Compels are entirely done as self-compel. The player says “I’m doing X because of my aspect” and bam, Fate point. The GM can propose a compel, if he thinks there’s a neat moment for it, but the player can refuse without spending a Fate point — thus making it functionally a self-compel.
World Compels are entirely done by the GM, and without the option of buyoff from the player. That’s because once the GM asserts a fact about the world, buying that off feels weird to me. It also allows for adventure construction based on a projected budget: the GM should create an adventure that “costs” him, oh, 5 Fate points (number pulled out of the air) through the course of the adventure.
Supernatural Compels work like compels do now, where the player can self-compel or the GM can propose a compel, with the player allowed to buy-off in resistance.
What All This Means
Here’s the thing to consider: this paradigm and the standard compel paradigm are equal in validity, but whichever one you use will change the feel of your game. As would allowing players to buy off Word Compels. I feel like a Bond-style game (without Supernatural Compels) would work well like this. Or a Bond-style game with Supernatural Compels. But if I wanted to do something like Warren Ellis’ The Authority, I would probably allow World Compels to be bought off, or even self-compelled.
There’s a lot to think about when you look at different scopes of compels mixed with different scopes of aspects (as presented by Diaspora) as well, but that’s an exercise for another time. And maybe another person (*cough* Brad *cough*).
And thanks to everyone who StumbleUpon’d it. I appreciate it!
My favorite piece of Fate tech that came from outside the Evil Hat team.
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A Chinese regulator said the Chinese subsidiary of ConocoPhillips can resume operations at an oilfield that was closed in 2011 after two oil spills.
The State Oceanic Administration said in a statement Saturday that conditions at the Penglai 19-3 oilfield had returned to normal after a series of rectification measures. It says ConocoPhillips can gradually resume production there.
The oilfield off northeastern China is jointly owned by ConocoPhillips’ Chinese subsidiary and China National Offshore Oil Corp., China’s main offshore oil and gas producer.
The two spills occurred in June 2011. Combined, they released more than 30,300 gallons of oil, and more than 110,000 gallons of mineral oil-based drilling mud, which is used as a lubricant for drilling. The oil and mud drained into the Bohai Sea and its bay.
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Money is cheap. With interest rates at an all-time low, now is the time to borrow money. Granted, rates are low because the economy is stalled, but it can’t stay that way forever. The sooner people start borrowing the sooner the economy will rebound.
Contractors are returning calls. Remember when you used to call a contractor, a plumber, or an electrician, and he would call you back in a couple of days or not at all? Try calling a contractor now. I’d bet that if you call before lunch, you’ll hear back from him before closing time. There is a reason they are returning calls; they’re hungry. And they will give you a good price on any work you’re considering. As the economy comes back, costs will increase again. Already, housing starts are picking up dramatically.
Housing starts equates to pets in suburbia. Recent data shows housing starts are up for the first time in four years. That means people are buying houses again, have more money to spend, and might very well get a dog or cat.
Your willing to go beyond the little fixes. During the past four years you may have limited yourself to small improvements like painting walls and hanging new artwork. Perhaps now is the time to step it up. You don’t need to build a Taj Mahal, but consider a renovation or expansion.
You take a number to get an exam room. Are you unable to get into an exam room when you need it? Maybe you’ve tightened up your appointment scheduling or extended your hours to include evenings and weekends, but still you can’t fit everybody in. Your future economic growth is directly linked to the number of client appointments you can schedule and the number of exam rooms in your hospital limits client appointments. Take the next step.
You don’t do dental work. Dental procedures are one of the strongest and most lucrative aspects of most veterinary practices. If you’re not doing dental work because you don’t have the room, you’re missing out on a cash cow with gold fillings. Again, take the next step.
Clients are voting with their feet. If you see your clients going someplace else because they can’t get in or your competition has a nicer looking hospital, you’re missing out. Studies show that it takes significantly more money to find and win new clients than it takes to keep your existing ones. Do something about it now while money and services are cheap.
The sooner you start buying toys, the sooner we’re out of this mess. It has been shown that the gross national product is more directly impacted by the purchasing power of private individuals, households, and small business than anything else. The sooner you buy a new X-ray unit, otoscope, or any other piece of equipment, the sooner the economy picks up. Save our economy—buy something!
You're ready for change. Are you thinking about bringing on new associates, retiring, or selling your practice? If so, there’s often a direct link between the value of a veterinary practice and the perceived quality of the facility. A practice that looks like it’s successful sells for more. It’s like washing and polishing your old Chevy before you put it on Craigslist.
Your spread has increased. As your practice grows, the spread between what you make and what you can save or take home grows. Likewise as your practice grows, you’re probably paying down your debt. The money you have available to build, remodel, or expand is equal to your gross income minus your debt. With banks starting to lend again, you should be able to walk into a bank and borrow that amount of money. Conversely, if you are not capitalizing on your spread, then you are not making your money work for you. Think of it this way: The money you have in the bank is, at best, earning you one or two percent. You can probably make more than that by investing in your practice.
The model on the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition is an American. According to the Bespoke Investment Group, this is an indicator that the S&P 500 is going to be positive, and in turn, the U.S. economy is going to grow. Before you discount this, you should know that this indicator has an accuracy rating of 80 percent over time.
You’ve done your homework, and you still feel good. No matter what you do in terms of remodeling, rehabilitating, expanding, or building new, you need to do your homework and carefully consider your options. Look at the indicators, but also talk to people who know, including your accountant and your practice manager. Get on the phone and talk to a veterinary design consultant. Most consultants will play it straight with you because they want you to know the odds and want you to succeed. If you do your homework and it still looks like a good idea to expand, do it. Studies have shown that the first people in on a stock rally, or as I see it, the first ones to build in anticipation of future growth, make the most money.
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Recovery at last?
IMF chief Christine Lagarde said on Sunday (March 18) that measures taken to fight financial woes in Europe and the United States were beginning to pay off.
Friday 23 March 2012, 09:36AM
Ms Lagarde was in Beijing for a two-day trip to attend a forum on China’s development and hold meetings with her economic counterparts, such as Vice Premier Wang Qishan, before she travels to India.
In a cautiously upbeat assessment of the global economy, she said, “Even just a few months ago, the situation was decidedly gloomy. Indicators for the last quarter of 2011 – namely for Europe and the United States – did not
provide much reassurance.
“Yet, today, we are seeing signs of stabilisation; signs that policy actions are paying off.
“Financial market conditions are more comfortable and recent economic indicators are beginning to look a
little more upbeat, including in the United States.”
Europe – China’s top export market – has been hit by a severe debt crisis that has seen a wave of credit-rating downgrades and brought Greece to the brink of bankruptcy, sparking concern across the world.
But Lagarde said some of the policy actions taken – particularly by the European Central Bank and some European countries – had helped stabilise the overall situation.
Most EU nations agreed in January to a treaty that will require governments to introduce laws on balanced budgets and impose near-automatic sanctions on countries that violate deficit rules.
And the looming threat of a Greek default has receded after a large majority of the country’s private creditors agreed to a bond swap that will see them accept huge losses and wipe some 100 billion euros (B4 trillion) off Athens’ debt.
In the United States, meanwhile, the economy is showing signs of improvement with better consumer and business spending and an improved job market, though there is still high unemployment and a depressed housing sector.
But Lagarde warned there were still major vulnerabilities, with public and private debt still high in many advanced economies, oil prices rising, and the risk of slowing activity in emerging nations.
She also praised China for its “leadership and adept policy skills” in the global financial crisis, but said it should continue to move away from its dependence on exports and investment, and focus more on domestic consumption.
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Valves From the Unknown: Cheetah Coupé (1961)
The Cheetah had a tubular spaceframe chassis and powered by a Corvette V8 small-block engine bored out to over 6 liters. Thomas [the creator], was restricted to only Corvette parts, so all components were stock or modified Corvette materials.
The Cheetah had a tuned-version of the Rochester fuel-injection system which helped produce over 475 horsepower. The positioning of the engine was done to improve performance; it sat very far back in the engine bay resulting in the driver compartment moving rearward. The engine was mated to a Borg Warner T-10 four-speed gearbox and sent the power to the rear wheels. The rear wheels were a mere inches behind the driver.
Corvette drum brakes were placed on all four corners which would prove to be unworthy to handle the massive amounts of power produced from the engine. The entire package was clothed in a lightweight aluminum hand-formed coupe body featuring exotic gullwing doors.
Theory never guarantees success. After much planning, building, tuning, and modifying, the Cheetah was brought to the track. Its performance was less than adequate and disappointing. Teething problems are to be expected from any new race car, but some are just too difficult to overcome.
The doors blew off the vehicle while at speed, its brakes were inadequate, and the cockpit had poor ventilation making it unbearably hot for the driver. The heat problem was solved for at least on car whose top was cut off. The first year proved to be a valuable learning experience.
Valves from the Unknown — Aston Martin DBR3 (1958)
“An Aston Martin, unknown, you say?”
Yes, I say. You probably know about the DBR1 and the DBR4, have you ever wondered about what happened in the middle of these?
The DBR3 was not meant to be the successor of the DBR1. In fact, the DBR3 was a DBR1 underneath, only with a different engine and front end setup. It had a detuned version of the road DB4 car, a 3 liter engine, to be able to compete in the same 3L category as the DBR1.
It had very little success, as the engine proved to be a bit on the unreliable side. And so the only DBR3 ever built was converted back into a DBR1.
Valves from the Unknown
Bosley MKi (1955)
“Low, sleek, and stunning, the bright red coupe with the egg-crate grille might appear at first to be the work of an established coachbuilder adorning, most likely, a Ferrari chassis. Dramatic and somewhat brutish, it is at the same time delicate, projecting a look of graceful motion even when at rest.
Few would argue if it were passed off as the work of Vignale’s stylists, or perhaps the artisans of Carrozzeria Touring. Few designers outside the exclusive design houses of Italy could have managed the purity of form and exquisite detailing displayed here.”— source.
— Valves from the Unknown
The Trident Clipper.
Built in 1968 as a TVR prototype, it was later on picked up by a company named Trident, which wanted to give this Clipper a go in the British market. It featured an all-american V8 under the bonnet and was astonishingly quick, with 270bhp to put on the rear wheels. Sadly, no one seemed to notice it. Even though it remained until 1977 on the market, only 140 units were built and sold.
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| 0.978139 | 763 | 1.796875 | 2 |
A Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is defined as an institution of higher education that—
(A) is an eligible institution; and
(B) has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application.
The Title V Program does not pre-certify institutions as Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Institutions that meet these eligibility requirements and want to apply to the Title V Program, simply must submit an assurance with their Title V application with the necessary student enrollment data.
For your information, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) publishes IPEDS data on institutions that serve large populations of Hispanic students. The list published by NCES is based on a wide range of data, including full-time enrollment figures, the number of degrees conferred, and the type of institutions, i.e., for-profit or non-profit, public or private, and four-year or two-year institutions of higher education. Some of the institutions on this list may qualify as Hispanic-Serving Institutions, provided that the institutions meet the eligibility requirements described above.
Institutional Service Home
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What is Napa Valley Community Housing? Watch our video.
According to Housing California, "Many men, women, and children find themselves homeless after unexpected life changes such as an illness or death in the family, a divorce, or a layoff. They never expected their lives could be so altered so quickly. But it happens and when it does, they quickly learn there simply aren't enough safe, decent, and affordable places to live."
In each of the past six months an average of 61 families came to NVCH in search of an affordable home. The majority (90%) of our families would be categorized as the "working poor." They work in low wage jobs in the agriculture, hospitality or retail sectors or are self-employed working in childcare or housekeeping. The balance of the households are either retired or disabled and living on minimum government assistance.
We are a California Nonprofit Public Benefit 501(c)(3) Corporation, that develops attractive, well-built, affordable housing for Napa County's low & moderate income residents. In that effort, we plan and build new housing, we purchase existing run down properties and rehabilitate them, and we manage affordable rental units. Our management portfolio includes sixteen properties housing 1,750 residents, including 650 children, and over 200 seniors. By responding to the unique housing needs of low and moderate income residents in Napa County, NVCH has been the premier developer and provider of affordable housing in the Napa Valley for 34 years. Please enjoy reading our Fall 2011 newsletter, Affordable Dreams.
Click here to see Kathleen Dreessen our executive director in an interview with Jack Hanson for the Comcast Newsmakers broadcast on CNN regarding affordable housing in Napa Valley.
Thank You Rabobank for your $15,000.00 donation to NVCH!
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Pharmacy professor is berry, berry excited about medicinal plant research at URI
Dave Lavallee, 401-874-5862
Playing role in returning College of Pharmacy to prominence as plant natural products research center
KINGSTON, R.I. – September 25, 2008 – He’s been here less than a year, but Navindra Seeram is already putting the University of Rhode Island’s College of Pharmacy back in the spotlight for its research on plants, including the health benefits of medicinal foods such as fruits and vegetables.
The assistant professor of pharmacy has been recently selected the editor of the Clinical Pharmacognosy Series, a new CRC Press (Taylor and Francis) book series that will delve into uses and benefits of natural products in clinical pharmacy practice. “There is much need for a book series targeting the clinical study of natural products, and I started working with the publishers on this project about four years ago”.
The Clinical Pharmacognosy Series will address the fusion of classical pharmacognosy with modern chemical and biological approaches, along with their applications in clinical settings. Each volume in the series will run about 500 pages. The scientific, peer-reviewed books in the series will address issues such as infectious diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, aging, and “we’ll add more as the scientific evidence grows,” Seeram said.
In addition Seeram has been featured in the April 2008 edition of a popular trade magazine, Nutritional Outlook, in a story titled, “Superfoods Help Heart Health,” and the magazine’s September issue in a story about consuming “Superfruits” like pomegranate to improve joint health. He was also quoted in the January 2008 edition of Oncology News International in a story titled “Black raspberries show promise in human trials.”
Seeram, who was hired last January by the College of Pharmacy, said he responds to many media and publishing requests to get the word out about the importance of medicinal foods, particularly berries, in enhancing human health.
“It’s not only important to do good science, but you also have to tell the story,” Seeram said. “As scientists, we are obligated to discuss our research in a way that the mass audience can understand. However, we need to communicate the science responsibly. I take time out of my busy schedule to talk with the popular press because the average person is not reading about our work in scholarly journals.”
Seeram also wants to play a role in restoring the College to its prominence as a center of research in medicinal plant research, a hallmark of the College from the 1950s.
Since his arrival, Seeram has established a research partnership with City of Hope Hospital outside of Los Angeles, which is an independent biomedical research, treatment and education center dedicated to preventing and curing cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is one of only 40 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers nationwide and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
In addition, Seeram wants to make the University a regular home for national conferences on natural products research. In the past, the University hosted two annual meetings of the prestigious American Society of Pharmacognosy, and three of the College’s faculty members, the late Heber Youngken Jr., the first dean of the pharmacy college, Yuzuru Shimizu, professor emeritus of pharmacy and Roy Okuda, a former URI professor now at San Diego State University, served at various times as the organization’s presidents.
Focusing on the medicinal properties of berries and other fruits and vegetables comes as nations around the world deal with increasing rates of obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and other life-threatening illnesses.
“At URI, and other laboratories around the world, we are interested in compounds that make the blueberry blue and the strawberry red,” Seeram said. “Because plants are rooted and can’t escape the effects of the sun, dangers of predators and other threats, they have developed bioactive compounds such as pigments that we have found are natural antioxidants,” Seeram said. “Colors in plants protect them from solar irradiation. These are the anti-cancer agents we are paying attention to.
“So, go ahead and snack on those strawberries, raspberries or blueberries because they taste good, but you are also doing yourself a healthy favor,” Seeram said.
“In tropical Africa, 50,000 years ago, humans walked all over the place and ate more than 800 varieties of foods that provided them with more than 25,000 phytochemicals (beneficial plant compounds) that kept them healthy. Today, we don’t walk anymore and we eat loads of processed foods,” the researcher said. “Fewer than 25 percent of Americans eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and the negative health effects can be seen everywhere.”
To call attention to the bounty of berry fruits all around us, Seeram and his team of researchers and students have been collecting native New England berry fruits on campus and at other sites. “We are looking at native berries that have never been researched,” he said.
Among some of the varieties found on campus are dogwood berries, huckleberries, blueberries, American beautyberry, and not far away at the coast, the beach plum.
Focusing on such fruits is important, Seeram said, because the nutraceutical and medicinal plant industry will become a $600 billion business by 2010. Such growth is also important for pharmacists and the reason why he teaches a course in medicinal plants to the doctor of pharmacy students.
“Pharmacies experienced an increase of 45 percent in sales of herbal supplements in the 1990s and it is estimated that almost 19 percent of persons using prescription medications also use herbal products,” Seeram said. “The modern-day pharmacist is constantly challenged to counsel consumers, patients, and also other health care professionals, on various aspects pertaining to natural products.”
The professor said much of this growth is arising out of America’s changing demographics related to immigrants from Southeast Asia and other eastern cultures with long traditions of using natural products to treat and prevent illness.
He said many of the compounds he is studying prevent disease. “Prevention is always better than the cure, because once you are involved with the cure, you already have the disease,” he said. “Two-thirds of our health is out of our control because of genetic and environmental influences, but one-third is our control through our choices relating to diet and exercise.”
IN THE WILD BERRY PATCH: Navindra Seeram, URI assistant professor of pharmacy, examines some dogwood berries that are native to the Kingston Campus. URI Department of Communications and Marketing photo by Nora Lewis.
(Lavender berries)American beautyberry
GATHERING DOGWOOD BERRIES: Navindra Seeram, URI assistant professor of pharmacy, left, examines some dogwood berries he and Dinorah Jean-Gilles, center, a URI pharmacy graduate student, and Liya Li, a post-doctoral fellow, picked on the Kingston Campus. Seeram’s research team is the first to examine the potential health benefits of the dogwood berry, which is a native Rhode Island berry. URI Department of Communications and Marketing photo by Nora Lewis.
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See also:HENRY (1835–1900),
See also:American journalist and financier, was
See also:born in Speyer, Rhenish
See also:Bavaria, on the loth of
See also:April 1835 . His baptismal name was
See also:Ferdinand Heinrich Gustav Hilgard . His parents removed to
See also:Zweibrucken in 1839, and in 1856 his
See also:father, Gustav Leonhard Hilgard (d.1867), became a
See also:justice of the Supreme
See also:Court of Bavaria, at
See also:Munich . Henry was educated at the gymnasium of Zweibriicken, at the French semi-military academy in Phalsbourg in 1849–5o, at the gymnasium of Speyer in 1850-52, and at the
See also:universities of Munich and Wiirzburg in 1852–53; and in 1853, having had a disagreement with his father, emigrated—without his parents' knowledge—to the
See also:United States . It was at this
See also:time that he adopted the name Villard . Making his way 1kestward in 1854, he lived in turn at
See also:Belleville (
See also:Peoria (Illinois) and Chicago, engaged in various employments, and in 1856 formed a project, which came to nothing, for establishing a colony of "
See also:soil " Germans in Kansas . In 1856–57 he was editor, and for
See also:part of the time was proprietor, of the Racine (Wis.) Volksblatt, in which he advocated the election of
See also:John C . Fremont (Republican) . Thereafter he was associated (in 1857) with the Staats-Zeitung,
See also:Leslie's and the Tribune, of New
See also:York, and with the Cincinnati Commercial in 1859-6o; was correspondent of the New York
See also:Herald in 1861 and of the New York Tribune (with the Army of the
See also:Potomac) in 1862-63, and in 1864 was at the front as the representative of a
See also:news agency established by him in that
See also:year at
See also:Washington . In 1865 he became Washington correspondent of the Chicago Tribune, and in 1866 was the correspondent of that paper in the Prusso-
See also:Austrian War . He began to take an
See also:interest in railway financiering in 1871, was elected
See also:president of the
See also:Oregon & California railroad and of the Oregon Steamship
See also:Company in 1876, was
See also:receiver of the Kansas Pacific railway in 1876-78, organized the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company in 1879, the Oregon Improyemert Company in 188o, and the Oregon & Transcontinental Company in 1881, becoming in that year president of the
See also:Northern Pacific
See also:rail-way, which was completed under his management, and of which he remained president until 1883 .
In 1887 he again became connected with the Northern Pacific, and in 1889 was chosen chairman of its
See also:committee . He was actively identified with the financing of other Western railway projects' until 1893 . In 1881 he acquired the New York Evening
See also:Post and the Nation . In 1883 he paid the
See also:debt of the state university of Oregon, and gave to the institution $5o,000, and he also gave to the
See also:town of Zweibriicken, the home of his boyhood, an
See also:asylum (1891) . He died on the 12th of
See also:November 1900 . See
See also:Memoirs of Henry Villard, Journalist and Financier, i835-xpoo (2 vols., Boston, 1904) .
VILLANUEVA Y GELTRU
LOUIS THOMAS VILLARET DE JOYEUSE (1750-1812)
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Big Tex, the 52-foot talking cowboy that has welcomed visitors to the Texas State Fair for 60 years, was destroyed today by a fire, The Dallas Morning News reports.
The newspaper quotes fair spokeswoman Sue Gooding as saying the fire began with smoke pouring from Big Tex's neck, indicating that the fire was electrical in nature.
"It's a very sad day for all fairgoers," she says. "It's a sad way to end the fair."
Only Big Tex's hands, Dickies belt buckle and skeletal structure were left of the iconic figure.
The News reports that firefighters were alerted to the blaze by an unusual report from a Dallas Fire-Rescue dispatcher:
"Got a rather tall cowboy with all his clothes burned off," the dispatcher said over the radio, according to the newspaper.
WFAA-TV says the structure was originally created as Santa Claus and was bought by the State Fair for $750 to become the hulking cowboy.
Bill Bragg, who provided Big Tex's voice live for the past 10 years from a nearby trailer, tells the News he was reading from his script and didn't see the fire until he glanced up. "He went down talking," Bragg, who watched with tears in his eyes, tells the News.
Mitchell Glieber, vice president of marketing for the fair, says it was likely an electrical short circuit in Big Tex's vocal equipment that caused the blaze.
"There's obviously some electronics inside of Big Tex that leads to the ability for his mouth to move when he speaks," Glieber tells WFAA-TV. "I believe there was an electrical short, but that hasn't been confirmed or investigated."
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On 17 Feb 2010, at 22:24, Masataka Ohta wrote:
Martin Rex wrote:
DNSsec, as far as I can see, does not use a PKI in the traditional
sense. There are _NO_ persons involved in the process,
FYI, zones are operated by people.
I can forge a key of your zone. I can, then, ask a person operating a
parent zone of yours to issue a valid signature over the forged key.
Yeah, but at least now we know the difference between the subversion of the
"Chain of trust" and some bloke with a packet sniffer. As soon as the
"Integrity" of the "Chain of trust" becomes obviously broken, for whatever
reason, it's totally within our power to do what we do now, and ignore it.
The point here is, we now have a way to verify the technical functions we
depend on today are working properly. It isn't about reputation or the trust
of any given person or entity, any more than it is now. I can *still* find
ingenious ways to bribe or subvert or otherwise make your registrar publish
records of my control and design that pertain to your domains, with or without
that verification function. Well, I could if I were sitting at the top with
lots of money and nothing else to do. But when the data we receive is
authentic from the intended, authenticated source, we have a chance to assign
our own trust policies as we see fit (and it may be, though I doubt it, that I
find the bloke with a packet sniffer a more reliable source than ICANN). The
utility of online banking and shopping, as certified by some sort of
certification authority about whom we know next to nothing, suggests that we
prefer some - any - degree of accountability, and the result of some CA being s
loppy has always (and will continue to be) grounds for distrust. And the same
has applied as well to webs of trust, like those of PGP, where some degree of
fuzzy logic is applied to make multiple vouches constitute more solid evidence
of "Trustworthiness". Single roots may present problems when there is no other
root, but never to the extent of being an unchallenged authority, and certainly
not to the degree that the Internet would experience an irreparable divide.
The problems only really show up when people get involved, and that's why
certification authorities are so rich.
Ietf mailing list
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Armstrong said he would participate if the agency forms a broad "truth and reconciliation commission," involving doping across the sport of cycling.
Blaming yourself is not the same as telling it all.
"I deserve this," were his comments on his fall from grace to public disgrace. In the interview he disparaged his own character for hours, calling himself "deeply flawed," "ruthless" and "arrogant."
"I was a bully," he told Winfrey of how he treated others who might expose his doping and lies.
Armstrong admitted to personal guilt but was careful not to implicate others.
Things escalated to the level they did "because of my actions and because of my words, and because of my attitude and my defiance," he said.
But he also blamed the culture of cycling during the time he doped, saying the practice was widespread and just as much "part of the job" as water bottles and tire pumps.
There were also allegations he still denies, like coercing teammates to dope as well.
People will believe a lie.
Armstrong cheated for years, and no one in the sport of cycling stopped him. He lied under oath about his use of performance enhancing drugs. "Hundreds of millions," as Armstrong has put it, believed him, adored him, and many wore yellow bracelets, because he inspired them.
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| 0.993852 | 282 | 1.578125 | 2 |
My MPH Degree
Bloomberg School MPH students are a diverse and highly motivated group of individuals who share a common purpose—to protect health and save lives, millions at a time.
If you are interested in pursuing a Hopkins MPH degree, we encourage you to explore these pages to learn more about the academic program, admissions information and what life is like in the vibrant city of Baltimore.
Successful applicants to the MPH Program typically have the following.
- A strong academic record and relevant academic preparation with particular emphasis on quantitative skills. It is important to submit application materials that clearly demonstrate strong quantitative skills, (e.g., quantitative coursework on your academic transcripts or quantitative scores on standardized tests).
- Clear career goals that are consistent with your anticipated training. It is important to clearly communicate how an MPH degree fits in with your overall career goals.
- At least two years of full-time, post-baccalaureate, health-related work experience or a doctoral degree in a field underlying public health. This requirement is waived for applicants who are medical students or applicants to the JD/MPH, MSW/MPH, and the MSN/MPH combined degree programs.
For more information, you can contact the MPH program office.
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| 0.93087 | 254 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Your chance to grab a greater slice of the pie
Illustration: Matt Davidson
A Mortician, an illegal immigrant from Senegal living in London, needs your help. She has been bequeathed a sizeable inheritance but cannot claim it for fear of revealing her identity and being deported.
Just send details about your identity, including your bank accounts, and she will use it to claim the money. You can have some too. What to do?
Ignore it, says the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. It's a scam. And not even the scam judged the worst by ASIC when it considered entries for this year's Pie In The Sky awards. The awards rank the worst rip-off attempts - many of which succeed.
This year, ASIC said, the worst offender was a loan touted as "interest free". The Carsworthy Scheme convinced 220 people to take out loans worth $2.4 million to buy cars through a club.
They borrowed extra cash and invested it offshore on the promise that the returns would repay their car loans. The returns were not achieved and participants had to pay up.
Wide-I Design Corporation made similar promises over car and home loans, which raised $2.2 million from about 180 investors. Both schemes targeted Queenslanders. Both have been wound up.
"As people continue to borrow more, ASIC is seeing more schemes like this being advertised," said Greg Tanzer, ASIC's executive director of consumer protection. "It's high time that people realise that loans without interest are just pie in the sky.
"The serious purpose behind these awards is to warn the public. Financial scams still devastate far too many people. Scammers frequently use sophisticated props and hard-selling techniques that trap even financially experienced people."
Other runners-up included a scheme out of Dominica that promised to get people's superannuation before they were legally entitled to it.
And investors in a Chinese scheme were told their funds had been invested in factories washed away by floods. In fact, the cash was used to buy luxury cars. Two of the scheme's proponents are now in jail.
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About the Cover
One-year-old Bob is a rabbit roommate to Keiki, a Java macaque at OPR Coastal Primate Sanctuary in Longview, Washington. OPR takes in monkeys formerly used in research laboratories, as well as unwanted or abused monkeys from private owners. OPR generally pair-houses monkeys with their own kind. Some, however, act aggressively toward other monkeys but will accept and nurture rabbit companions. Keiki arrived at the sanctuary in 2002 after his former owner pleaded no contest to animal abuse and surrendered custody. The monkey was in shock, with an untreated heart condition, a concussion, and a damaged finger (which had to be amputated) after his owner hit him with a stick for stealing one of her cigarettes. Keiki is thriving at OPR, and he and Bob have become inseparable friends. See page 14 to meet more OPR residents and learn about the sanctuary.
Photo by Polly Schultz
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FoodandDrinkEurope.com takes a look at what we can expect to see on supermarket shelves this year as food retailers race to keep ahead of growing trends.
Organic continues dominance
Despite comments made earlier this month by UK Environment minister David Milliband that organic foods are not superior to cheaper more conventionally produced foods, the organic sector is expected to maintain its steady growth.
A new report, entitled The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink, published late last year by British consultancy Organic Monitor predicted global sales would reach 31bn (US$40bn), as consumer demand for natural produce rises.
Consumers get ethical
Shoppers are becoming more interested in where their food comes from, who grows it, how it is produced and what this means for growers and their communities around the world.
As a result of these growing concerns trend spotters at the Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD) predicted recently that ethical produce, such as Fairtrade products, will soar in 2007.
In the UK last month Waitrose extended its Fairtrade range to include chocolate and coffee, while Sainsbury's switched to 100 per cent Fairtrade bananas, after revealing that a considerable 60 per cent of its customers buy Fairtrade products when shopping.
Food retailers help reduce waistlines
The New Year is full of good intentions and resolutions waiting to be fulfilled: an ideal time for supermarkets to cash in with new healthier launches. UK supermarket Sainsbury's recently told consumers that snacking doesn't have to be unhealthy with the launch of a new lower-fat, lower-calorie avocado this January.
Smoothies become the new fast-food
Market research group Mintel released a report earlier this month suggesting that smoothies would be the high street success story of the coming few years, trebling in sales. The report found that smoothies were most popular among the under 35's on the go, looking for healthy fast-foods to aide hectic modern life-styles.
Online sales on the up
Supermarkets are seeing a surge in online sales as shoppers seek out new ways to make life more convenient and time efficient. British supermarkets Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury's saw online sales jump by 70 and 60 per cent respectively during the third quarter of 2006.
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| 0.943075 | 462 | 1.796875 | 2 |
We were dismayed to read about state Rep. Paul Stam's proposal (HB 41) for a refundable tax credit for parents to send their children to private school. Our objections to this bill are numerous but, at the core, we object to using our tax money to fund private school education.
Public education has been one crucial equalizer across races, cultures and socioeconomic status. We, as a society, should be willing to allocate what is needed in the way of public funds to ensure the high quality of education for all segments of our society. To weaken it by siphoning off resources to other, less well-proven and accountable alternatives is unacceptable.
We should be ashamed of efforts to design a situation where there are parallel but unequal education systems. We would create an unfair playing field as long as private schools can pick their students and are exempt from many of the regulations required of public schools. In this scenario, public schools will lose students, support, funding and more.
It is time for all of us to take measure of what is important to our quality of life, and if public education for all our young citizens is not, then woe is us.
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What do we stand for?
Shouf Shouf stands for an intercultural and tolerant society. We can only advance, if we co-operate and learn to understand each other better. Shouf Shouf stands for positive thinking. At Shouf Shouf you and all others are the central point.
Shouf Shouf helps gay people from different cultures to cope with their lifestyle in a discrete way. We offer our information not only online, but also through our volunteers on our monthly activity.
It all begin in Brussels in 2006. Abbi, Jamila and Jessaya, three friends from Antwerp, where sitting together in the sun, outside a bar, and got the idea to start an intercultural gay and lesbian association.
Their goal was to bring different cultures and intercultural gay people together. Shouf Shouf wants to help our intercultural society to move forward.
The 5th of june 2007 was the day that our three friends introduced the intercultural gay-organization Shouf Shouf to the board of members of the Roze Huis.
After one year of hard work, Shouf Shouf started it's activities in august 2007. Shouf Shouf wants to support all cultures to have fun together.
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This video of Queen Esther White Young singing the song “If Jesus Goes With Me, I Can Go Anywhere” at the Tabernacle Echoes Grand Reunion Concert stirs up so many images and stories of the rich tradition of African American gospel music and choirs.
Uncle Willie's Stories. Although the speed of this song is not extremely fast, but rather a slow-medium speed, watching and enjoying this video reminds me of stories I heard from my Uncle Willie Johnson (1915-2000), a brother of my maternal grandmother. In describing the church services of his youth during the 1920s and 1930s in Warren County, NC, Uncle Willie enthusiastically recalled the days of his family’s church when there was no piano or musical instruments. “As we walked through the woods towards the church, you could hear the church rocking and the saints singing and clapping and praising God,” he recalled. “Then we would walk or run a little faster to get to church.” These were also the days when rural churches typically had wood floors, so I’m sure Uncle Willie also heard foot tapping along with the singing and hand clapping.
The Choir Rock. One thing I notice in this video which stirs up memories is the choir rocking from side to side in unison to the beat of the music. Sometimes a Choir Director gestures to the choir which direction to begin moving. At other times, some choir members may just begin moving to the music on their own. This takes me back to my days singing in the church and college gospel choirs during the 1970s and 1980s.
The Choir’s Attire. I knew this had to be a special occasion concert just by looking at the attire of the choir members with the ladies all dressed beautifully in varying black dresses accessorized with white beaded necklaces and a red flower, and the men dressed in black suits with white shirts and red ties. The red flowers and red ties are the accessories which make these various styles of dresses, suits, and necklaces look uniform.
The Soloist. Sister Queen works this song and I love it when she comes down into the church aisle. You can hear and feel the electricity in the audience as she walks down the aisle bellowing this great tune. The sound of the hand clapping gets louder and it is at this climatic peak that the church is officially ROCKING! This is the point where my mind drifts back to Uncle Willie’s recollections of the church rocking during his youth and I sit in front of my computer singing, clapping and swaying from side to side in my chair as I enjoy this song and travel down memory lane.
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May 21st, 2013 World Day for Cultural Diversity May 22nd, 2013 World Biological Diversity Day May 22nd, 2013 National Maritime Day May 25th, 2013 African Liberation Day May 26th, 2013 Trinity Sunday May 27th, 2013 Jefferson Davis Birthday May 27th, 2013 Memorial Day May 29th, 2013 International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers May 30th, 2013 Corpus Christi May 31st, 2013 World No Tobacco Day June 1st, 2013 Statehood Day June 3rd, 2013 Jefferson Davis Birthday June 4th, 2013 World Day for Child Victims of Aggression June 5th, 2013 World Environment Day June 6th, 2013 Isra and Mi'raj June 8th, 2013 World Oceans Day June 11th, 2013 Kamehameha Day June 12th, 2013 World Day Against Child Labour June 14th, 2013 World Blood Donor Day June 14th, 2013 Flag Day June 16th, 2013 Father's Day June 17th, 2013 Bunker Hill Day June 17th, 2013 World Day to Combat Desertification June 19th, 2013 Juneteenth June 20th, 2013 World Refugee Day June 20th, 2013 West Virginia Day June 21st, 2013 June Solstice
Baby Angel Vtg Religious Medal French Catholic Jewelry Charm Raphael's Cherub For Sale
THIS is a vintage religious medal in heavy silvertone metal.
Measures 9/16 inch diameter, not including top loop.
HAPPY offerDING AND PEACE BE WITH YOU!
If you need to contact us for any reason, please use 's messaging system.Please do not hesitate to contact usif you are looking for something specific, as we have a large inventory of itemsthatare notlisted here yet.
Please note that thephotographs are not to scale. Measurements are clearly stated in the listing, please refer to them for description of the actual size. The color may also vary slightly due to the differences in lighting and the brightness and color of yourcomputer monitor.
We guarantee our items are described accurately, and we encourage you to have all precious metals confirmed at a jeweler's if you so desire. Occasionally, we may sell a medal that is marked "heavy silver tone metal" that is in fact sterling silver. However, we will NEVER sell a medal described as "solid silver" that is only silver coloredand not marked and/or confirmed asactual silver.
Items are securely packed and shipped within 2 business days of cleared payment. Standard domestic shipping is USPS First Class with Delivery Confirmation. Standard international shipping is First Class withRegistered service, theleast expensiveway to track it.Faster servicesare available for your choosing at checkout.
Please pay as soon as you will, unless you have won more thantwo items, in which case a combined invoice with possiblyreduced shipping costs will be sent to you shortly after the sale ends. We accept Paypalonly at this time.
Thank you and God bless!
This item has been shown 16 times.
Baby Angel Vtg Religious Medal French Catholic Jewelry Charm Raphael's Cherub: $15
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The worldwide battle to get away from the coal and oil industries has been underway for some time. Countries are fighting to gain a share of the new green manufacturing industries with millions of jobs and trillions of dollars on the line. Country after country is executing plans to grab a share of this new industry. But not us. Oil-funded conservatives are trying to keep us from even fighting in that war.
Oil And Coal Are The Problem
Look around you, the climate is changing, the seas are rising, terrible storms are hitting, huge fires are burning, terrible droughts are causing crop failure, and plants, animals and insects are migrating to new areas. (In DC right now you might not be able to turn on a light because of that huge, freak storm you just had, so maybe wait and look around you after the sun comes up.) We have to stop burning oil and coal, and find a way to get that carbon back out of the air.
Aside from the terrible effects of climate change, our country has a trade deficit that is partly about buying oil, and those purchases send money to places that use that money against our country’s interests.
Other countries get all of this. But our country is in the grip of an oil-and-coal-funded propaganda machine that tries to keep us from getting it.
Green Job Opportunities
We are in a worldwide economic competition to build the post-oil economy. This is a competition for millions of jobs and trillions of dollars. Every country wants a share of the design and manufacturing of wind turbines, solar panels, geothermal systems, biofuels, electric cars, high-speed rail, urban and suburban light rail, advanced batteries, smart-grid power transmission systems, and all of the rest. And there is also the fight for the construction, installation and maintenance contracts for all of these systems.
Many countries are fully engaged, and have national plans to capture a share of this new industry. They compete with us as countries, and see us as a country to compete with even if we do not. Because we refuse to act as a country, we send our companies out to compete with countries, and as big as our companies are they cannot compete with the resources of engaged countries.
Conservatives Demand Surrender
Our top competitor is China. Shots have been fired; China is helping their companies compete, and this has cut solar prices. So a few American companies are going under. In response, America’s oil-backed conservatives are demanding immediate surrender. In fact, they don’t just demand surrender, they are giving aid and comfort, even actively helping the other side, running down America’s efforts to fight for a share of the new green economy.
This huge effort by conservatives to keep our country out of the world competition for a share of the new green economy kind of makes you wonder about the secrecy surrounding all of the money that funds the conservative movement, its think tanks, media outlets, and now even funds political campaigns. We don’t even know where the hundreds of millions funding these horrible, negative ads comes from! Does any of it come from our economic competitors? Shouldn’t we at least be able to find out who (or where) is funding the conservative propaganda and political machine that is running down our own government and demanding we surrender the new green economy to China?
Solyndra And Chevy Volt
Conservatives celebrated the fall of Solyndra, declaring that its demise meant that green energy in general is a “bad bet,” or losing technology. They also have been trying to convince people not to purchase hybrids and new technologies like the Chevy Volt. The next time you hear someone of FOX running down our country’s green energy efforts, knocking the Chevy Volt or denying climate change, think abougt this: Fox’s second-largest shareholder is a billionaire Saudi oil prince. Fox might just have an agenda beyond backing conservatives here. Speaking of conservatives, though, keep in mind that the Koch brothers == oil.
Abound Solar Goes Under
Last week solar panel manufacturer Abound Solar filed for bankruptcy. NY Times reports in “A 2nd U.S.-Supported Maker of Solar Panels Will Close,”
Republicans, including Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, seized on Solyndra’s failure as evidence that the Obama administration was wasting taxpayer money by supporting clean energy companies.
… The company said it could have been profitable if it had had large-scale manufacturing under way, but “aggressive pricing actions from Chinese solar panel companies have made it very difficult for an early stage start-up company like Abound to scale in current market conditions.”
Abound Solar was unable to compete with low solar prices resulting from Chinese subsidies for their own solar manufacturers. (Add to that, China’s currency manipulation which keeps the prices of everything made there up to 30% lower, even bore their subsidies, trade barriers, etc.) Federal officials froze their credit line last year, after the Solyndra failure, so Abound was unable to draw on credit to scale its manufacturing to a level that could compete with subsidized Chinese imports.
Conservatives immediately stepped up their drumbeat of demands that we surrender to China. Here are a few examples of conservatives blaming America first, calling America’s efforts a failure, or generally running down efforts to fight for a share of the new green economy:
Hot Air: Yet another DOE-backed solar panel company bites the dust
Good grief. I feel like these ailing Department of Energy-backed loan guarantees are so laughably many that they’re barely even worth noting anymore, but you’re darn tootin’ I’ll continue to do so as long as President Obama keeps acting like it’s the federal government’s divine right to pick and choose winners in the energy market on the taxpayers’ dime.
… This article tries to spin the situation to suggest that the company’s failure is the result of too much unfair competition and global oversupply, and we should therefore direct our ire at China. No — just no. This is the fault of the Obama administration. Maybe if we had just left the decision to develop solar (or not!) up to the private sector, we would’ve quickly figured out that investing in solar energy was a bad idea.
Weekly Standard: Video: Obama Touted $400 Million Loan to Another Solar Company Now Declaring Bankruptcy
Washington Moon Times: Yet another government-backed solar company turns out the lights
News of the company’s demise prompted early criticism from Rep. Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican and chairman of the House subcommittee on regulatory affairs, stimulus oversight and government spending.
In a statement, Mr. Jordan, among other Republicans, said Abound’s collapse shows that “our government is not good at picking winners and losers in the marketplace but has certainly proved it is good at wasting taxpayer dollars.”
National Legal and Policy Center: Yet Another DOE Green Failure as Abound Solar Goes Bankrupt
And now with failures like Solyndra and Abound Solar, in addition to several others, these crony redistributors leave the political fallout to others and just move on to their next “green” scheme. Unfortunately we won’t find out if the ultimate political price is paid until November, but in the meantime DOE continues with its renewable energy “investments,” which will undoubtedly lead to more pain for taxpayers.
Abound had borrowed about $70 million against these loan guarantees. That would have bought a lot of health care for poor people, but the Obama Administration blew it on solar panel junk instead.
Heritage Foundation: Another Stimulus Backed ‘Green Energy’ Company Goes Bankrupt
Another stimulus-backed green energy company has filed for bankruptcy, further fueling criticism of Energy Department programs that backed highly-risky investments on the taxpayer dime.
Like Solyndra and a number of other green energy investments made under this administration, Abound Solar had a very poor credit rating, but enjoyed a wealth of political connections.
So … should we respond as a country to this economic attack on us by other countries who see us as a country and compete with us as a country? Or should we surrender the new green economy to others?
This post originally appeared at Campaign for America’s Future (CAF) at their Blog for OurFuture. I am a Fellow with CAF.
Sign up here for the CAF daily summary
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People for Puget Sound, supported by EarthShare Washington, hold restoration workdays on the Duwamish River.
Charitable nonprofits maximize your gifts.
"Over the past three years, the CFD has donated more than half a million dollars through EarthShare Washington, supporting the critical work of America's most trusted environmental and conservation charities. We count on this support to protect children from toxic toys, help develop green jobs, keep Puget Sound clean, maintain our wilderness and parks, and protect wildlife. One gift to EarthShare Washington supports organizations and helps them budget with confidence and plan into the future so the environment and quality of life we enjoy will be around for generations."
Jeff Whitton, Communications Director, EarthShare Washington
A child, whose quality of life has been vastly improved through research, receives daily respiratory therapy.
Charitable nonprofits can fund critical research.
"One in four people in the workplace has a chronic disease or cares for someone who does. Our member health charities are able to maximize their support of medical research, patient services, and community education because of generous contributions through the UWCFD. Continuous payroll giving allows them to plan their annual budgets, receive sustaining income, provide uninterrupted services, and reduce other more costly forms of fundraising. More of each dollar can fund significant clinical trial research at the University of Washington and other Puget Sound facilities."
Karen White, Executive Director, Community Health Charities of Washington & Idaho
Youth realize their college dream with help from Seattle Education Access.
Charitable nonprofits gain leverage.
"UWCFD funds help Seattle Education Access provide consistent services and support to low-income students throughout the county who want to go to college, but need the extra bit of help from us to get there. Your support makes the dream of college a reality for our students. Individual donations also show foundations and corporations that we have a strong base of community support, and this helps us compete successfully for grants."
Anthon Smith, Executive Director, Seattle Education Access
Art time at University Y summer camp.
Children, youth, and family services benefit from CFD funding.
"The YMCA is a place where kids of all backgrounds and income levels have a chance to thrive. As someone who grew up as a camper at the University Y, I can attest to the power of the programs. Kids find a safe environment, strong role models, days of laughter, and lots of time in the sun – and their lives are strengthened. Due in part to donations from the UW Combined Fund Drive, hundreds of children struggling with poverty are able to attend summer camp, receive childcare, and find academic support programs that are positive and will ultimately be life-changing."
Steve Lewis, Executive Director, University Family YMCA
Customers choose from nutritious fresh produce items at Northwest Harvest's Cherry Street Food Bank.
Hunger relief programs benefit from CFD funding.
"UWCFD funds are critically important for Northwest Harvest. When employees give through the UWCFD, we're sustained by knowing what quarterly pledges we'll receive, plus we save substantial time and money on gift processing. CFD giving has helped us feed hundreds of thousands of hungry families and supported our distribution of over 26 million pounds of nutritious food in Washington last year. We're grateful for the generous support of the CFD and UW employees."
Shelley Rotondo, Executive Director, Northwest Harvest
ROOTS guests, after a night of shelter, wondering if they should expect rain.
Efforts to help the homeless are bolstered by CFD funding.
"ROOTS has been providing shelter to homeless youth since 2001 at our location right across the street from UW. We're fortunate to have such amazing student and faculty volunteer support from our UW neighbors. Our Young Adult Shelter program served over 500 young adults last year, many of whom are now students or in stable housing. Your support through the UWCFD goes toward the cost of sheltering young people; in fact, you can sponsor one night of shelter for just $29. Your gift means the world to those who would otherwise sleep outside."
Kristine Cunningham, Executive Director, Rising Out of the Shadows (ROOTS) Young Adult Shelter
A rescued seal pup receives care and rehabilitation at PAWS.
Animal protection services benefit from CFD funding.
"Community support is vital for PAWS to continue our lifesaving work for the animals who come to us in need. Through the UW Combined Fund Drive, friends of animals can easily fund the sheltering and adopting of homeless dogs and cats, emergency and rehabilitative veterinary care for injured and orphaned wildlife, and our outreach efforts to make a better world for animals and people. Each year, more than 6,000 animals arrive at PAWS. Caring individuals ultimately fund their survival."
Tana Feichtinger, Development Manager, PAWS
Donors find choice.
"I give through the UWCFD because it's an easy, efficient way for me to plan my giving and donate to the many nonprofits I support all at once. Having the payroll deduction option actually enables me to give more, as the donations are spread out over time. I also enjoy learning about organizations that I'm not familiar with through the UWCFD activities. Each year, I find one or two organizations that interest me, in addition to those I already support, and make donations."
Lisa Hanna, Human Resources Consultant, UW Human Resources
Donors find it's easy.
"I give because of the huge need for social services in my community that I care so much about. I appreciate that the CFD method makes giving so easy for both me and the social service providers I select. It's easy to select payroll deduction and my service provider gets ONE easy check donation. It's extremely cost efficient, and it enables more focus on needed services rather than overhead cost."
Noel Bain, Fiscal Specialist II, Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Donors appreciate that it's tax-deductible.
"I give because I love the variety of the CFD charities I can give to. Whatever mood I'm in, I'm able to give, all at once, to multiple charities and causes that touch my heart. I give donations as gifts based on the interests of my family and friends. Each year, I get a year-end statement that's handy at tax time."
Brianne Kegley, Patient Financial Services Supervisor, UW Medicine
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back to homepage
Zimbabwe: WOZA activists arrested
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Zimbabwe.
Brief description of the situation :
The Observatory has been informed by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) about the arbitrary arrest of nearly 300 demonstrators, including members of the NGO Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), in Bulawayo and Harare.
According to the information received, on February 13, 2006, approximately 181 persons, mainly women, who were demonstrating under the banner of the NGO Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), along with 14 children, were arrested in central Bulawayo, as they were dispersing from a peaceful protest against human rights violations. Among those arrested were four WOZA leaders, Mrs. Jennifer Williams, Mrs. Magodonga Mahlangu, Mrs. Emily Mpofu and Mrs. Maria Moyo, who were finger-printed and ordered to make statements. The detainees were charged with “organising an unlawful gathering” (Section 24 of the Public Order and Security Act). Their lawyers, who were prevented from seeing them, were told that they could see them on February 15, 2006.
Those arrested were allegedly exposed to heavy rains as they were detained in the open police courtyard at Bulawayo Central police station for several hours, before being moved to cells at around 10:30 pm.
Moreover, on February 14, 2006, over twenty uniformed police, armed with baton sticks, and some sporting full riot gear, arrested between 60 and 100 women from WOZA in Harare at lunchtime, as they gathered in the city centre as part of a peaceful protest against social and economic inequalities faced by women in Zimbabwe. The women were rounded up and callously loaded into trucks marked “City of Harare Municipal Police” to be taken to the Law and Order section at Harare Central police station. Mr. Tafadzwa Mugabe, a lawyer from the Rapid Reaction Unit of ZLHR, was harassed, verbally abused and finally arrested and bundled into the truck with his clients. Amongst the detainees are a considerable number of elderly women, as well as at least one young child of around four years of age.
These demonstrations are conducted every year in association with Valentine’s Day.
The Observatory expresses its deepest concern about these events, and urges the Zimbabwean authorities to conform with article 12.2 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1998, which states that “The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”.
More generally, the Observatory reiterates its concern about the situation of human rights defenders in Zimbabwe, who face serious risks to their security as well as infringements of their freedoms of expression and association.
Action requested :
Please write to the Zimbabwean authorities, urging them to :
i. Guarantee, in all circumstances, the physical and psychological integrity of all persons detained, including Mrs. Jennifer Williams, Mrs. Magodonga Mahlangu, Mrs. Emily Mpofu, Mrs. Maria Moyo, Mr. Tafadzwa Mugabe, all WOZA members, as well as of all human rights defenders in Zimbabwe;
ii. Ensure that those arrested be immediately released and granted a fair and impartial trial so that all charges against them be dropped, as they are arbitrary;
iii. Put an end to all acts of harassment against WOZA members and all human rights defenders in Zimbabwe;
iv. Conform with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in particular its article 1 which states that “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, and article 12(2) above-mentioned;
v. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Zimbabwe.
President of Zimbabwe, Mr. Robert G. Mugabe, Office of the President, Private Bag 7700, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe, Fax : +263 4 708 211
Mr. Khembo Mohadi, Minister of Home Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, 11th Floor Mukwati Building, Private Bag 7703, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe, Fax : +263 4 726 716
Mr. Patrick Chinamasa, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Fax: + 263 4 77 29 99
Mr. Augustine Chihuri, Police Commissioner, Police Headquarters, P.O. Box 8807, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe, Fax : +263 4 253 212 / 728 768 / 726 084
Mr. Sobuza Gula Ndebele, Attorney-General, Office of the Attorney, PO Box 7714, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe, Fax: + 263 4 77 32 47
Mrs. Chanetsa, Office of the Ombudsman Fax: + 263 4 70 41 19
Ambassador Mr. Chitsaka Chipaziwa, Permanent Mission of Zimbabwe to the United Nations in Geneva, Chemin William Barbey 27, 1292 Chamb้sy, Switzerland, Fax: + 41 22 758 30 44, Email: [email protected]
Please also write to the embassies of Zimbabwe in your respective country.
Geneva - Paris, February 14, 2006
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax FIDH: 33 1 43 55 55 05 / 01 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT: + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29
The Observatory recalls that Mrs. Jennifer Williams is nominated for the 2006 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA), See Observatory Press Release, February 13, 2006.
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Over 1800 Canadians rejected changes to copyright, even before bill was introduced.
OTTAWA, June 22 - On Monday, June 20 Parliament introduced Bill C-60, "An Act to amend the Copyright Act", which proposes many radical changes to copyright law. Before the introduction of this bill, approximately 1800 Canadians had already signed the Petition for Users' Rights. This petition calls on Parliament to reject the majority of what was later included in Bill C-60. Some signatures have been introduced in Parliament by NDP MP Peter Julian (Burnaby--New Westminster, BC) and Liberal MP David McGuinty (Ottawa-South, Ontario).
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The BBC is reporting that Shadow International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell will tell the Party Conference that a Conservative Government will end aid to China. Britain currently gives £38m pa in aid to China although the communist state spent £20bn on this summer's Beijing Olympics.
We hope that Mr Mitchell will also look at Britain's aid to India. The Department for International Development has already signalled an end to aid to China; the position with the world's other emerging supereconomy is much less clear. The Burning Our Money blog has noted a large increase in defence spending by India and wonders why UK taxpayers are paying for anti-poverty programmes in India: "Why doesn't the Indian government tax its own booming economy? Or why doesn't it, say, use some of the money it currently spends on defence?"
It's time to stop UK aid to India and China and redirect it to the world's very poorest nations.
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As you all know by now, I despise rhetoric aimed to deceive rather than inform and enlighten. So last year, as Parks Canada commemorated its 100th birthday with spurious claims of greatness, I decided to borrow PolitiFact’s Truth-O-Meter™ and turn it on the celebratory messages coming out of Parks Canada’s outsized PR department.
By my crude math, Parks Canada spent at least a million dollars on its jubilee public relations campaign, including advertising, books, films, even a reality TV show. The good news was everywhere. This is “an opportunity to recognize the great Canadians who had the foresight to provide a great gift to future generations and led our nation in building the national dream of having Canada’s nature protected and celebrated,” wrote Parks Canada CEO Alan Latourelle in the “CEO’s message” accompanying the 2010-11 Parks Canada agency corporate plan. “Parks Canada’s network of national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas has become symbolic of our national identity and is recognized internationally as the greatest among the great.”
Hogwash, I thought. Yes, our national parks are great. But it is despite, rather than because of, Parks Canada’s oversight. If they symbolize anything, it is a tendency for Canadian governments to develop vague plans they never fund or implement and call it good management. And so I started muckraking.
Turns out, things were not as rosy as Parks Canada’s spin doctors might have us believe. Sure, we have many and great national parks, and even Harper’s government has expanded some and created others. But all in all, I found that the peer-reviewed scientific research did not support most of the exaggerated claims gushing from Latourelle’s office. I’m sure Parks Canada wasn’t happy with the results of my independent research, but based on most of the feedback I got from those I respect following the magazine feature I finally wrote, I was on the right track.
There’s “lots of concern in [Parks Canada] about the re-emergence of the dual mandate (if it ever really went away),” emailed one academic in the know on such things. “Even nicer to see a journalist who picked up on an empirically based estimate from the primary literature about ‘how much is enough’ instead of repeating old news about 50 per cent!”
Sometimes things take on a life of their own, and the magazine feature morphed into a gathering of experts on national parks and other so-called protected areas in Calgary this week. They have descended on Big Oil Town for a panel on the status and future of ecological integrity in Canada’s national parks, part of Mount Royal University’s (MRU) wildly successful Under Western Skies 2 Conference, which got underway on October 10.
The parks panel today (October 11) promises to be enlightening, and potentially controversial. According to the conference website, Parks Canada’s “strengthened [ecological integrity] mandate seems itself at risk of becoming a shibboleth. ‘EI’ has disappeared from Parks Canada organization charts; there is less emphasis on ‘greater park ecosystems,’ where a number of important threats to ecological conditions in parks arise; and resources to address questions about the causes and consequences of changes in ecological conditions in and around parks have been reduced.”
Pamela Wright, who was vice-chair of the federal government’s Panel on the Ecological Integrity of Canada’s National Parks, which gave 38 of 39 national parks failing grades, wrote in her abstract that “there has been significant improvement in transforming Parks Canada into a learning culture where evaluation and feedback are welcome and knowledge and expertise are valued,” but that Parks Canada has become “an utterly devastated organization” that may, itself, be an institution that has become impaired for future generations.
John Shultis, a professor at the University of Northern British Columbia, argues that “park management has once again swung towards neo-liberalism (practised fervently by Stephen Harper) and a focus on use versus preservation.” Although he admits that declining visitation has played a key role in the shift back to use, he suggests that “the rise of neo-liberal ideology has also had significant impacts on the recent shift towards an emphasis on use over preservation in Canadian national parks.”
The University of Calgary’s own Shaun Fluker, professor of law, suggests that the Canada National Parks Act, which states that maintaining and restoring ecological integrity is the “first priority” of parks management, “may be completely flipped on its head when necessary to satisfy the competing interests of ecological protection and human use.”
In an effort to find solutions to some of these defects, Okanagan College’s Rosalind Warner will discuss how to “find a way to incorporate the norm of intrinsic value [rather than just utilitarian value] into permanent governance arrangements in the most effective and direct way.”
Too often, conferences like these are only open to attendees who pay the (usually expensive) registration fees, which means important ideas are left to reverberate in the academic echo chamber. But MRU has opened the national parks panel to the public, which can purchase a ticket for a nominal price to learn more about the fate and future of our precious national parks.
If you care about our national parks, and want to find out what’s been going on in our national parks for the last 12 years, join me at MRU’s Ross Glen Hall at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 11.
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Maybe it’s a stretch, but something about the linear and technological elements in Lars Henkel’s excellent collages reminds me of Marcel Duchamp’s famous The Bride Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors, Even. Perhaps it’s the fact that the technical elements in his work don’t quite make sense (many aren’t even connected to anything), or that there is a distinct lean towards early 20th century imagery and a beige color palette. The many levels of detail certainly lead us to believe that there is more going on than meets the eye.
Henkel studied Illustration and Visual Communication at the University of Aachen in Germany, later completing post graduate studies at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne. He has taught at both the Muthesius Academy in Kiel, and at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen. His artwork has been featured in a number of high-level publications and for clients as diverse as Ride Snowboards and Universal Records. You can see more on his blog or at larshenkel.com.
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Literary magazine Open City is closing
Open City was founded in 1990 by Thomas Beller and Daniel Pinchbeck. They were soon joined by editor Robert Bingham in 1993, who was a key figure in shaping the magazine's early voice.
"The Open City people were from an earlier time — the mid-'90s," novelist Sam Lipsyte told the Observer, which reports on the magazine's demise. "The last time you really felt an understanding that the man was inherently bad. A distrust of the official discourse was what bound people together — and a distrust of hippies.... I remember Bingham called me up and said, 'Don't sell out to the majors.'"
Bingham died of a drug overdose in 1999, after which Pinchbeck left and Yas, then managing editor, joined Beller as co-editor.
Poet and Silver Jews singer Dave Berman, whose work had often been found in the magazine, told The Observer, "I feel a tremendous amount of admiration for Joanna for squeezing an extra decade out the magazine."
Open City's issue No. 30, which is available now, includes work by Sigrid Nunez, Ed Park, Ann Packer, Yusef Komunyakaa and more. It will be the magazine's last.
However Open City Books, its publishing arm, will continue. Open City Books has published fiction by Jerry Stahl, Berman's poetry, nonfiction by the Times' Meghan Daum and Sam Lipsyte's novel "Venus Drive."
-- Carolyn Kellogg
Photo: Joanna Yas, left, with veterinarian Jennifer Hall at an Open City party in Los Angeles in January 2009. Credit: Carolyn Kellogg
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Will Europe’s spoilt children put us to shame by saying No to the EU empire?
By PETER HITCHENS
To the secret horror of the real rulers of Europe, one tiny country is letting its people vote on whether it should give up its independence for ever.
The other 26 members of the Franco-German Empire have meekly agreed to accept their new status as provinces.
But Ireland, which fought so hard to break away from Britain less than a century ago, is obliged by its cunningly-drawn constitution to put the issue to a referendum. The Irish government hates this but must allow it.
Since the 2001 Nice rebellion, the rules of referendums in Ireland have changed, making it far harder for the No side.
That is the nature of ‘democracy’ in the EU. You can vote for anything you like, but it will always be difficult to oppose them - and in any case the result won’t count unless the authorities agree with you.
Yet it is also wonderfully gallant, and a bitter reminder to the passive, wilfully ignorant people of Britain - who have never really thought about the EU, who dumbly allowed themselves to be bamboozled into voting for it the one time they had a real chance to escape - that resistance is both possible and thinkable.
And how enjoyable it is that the one challenge to Europe’s most dishonest and greedy seizure of power should be happening in Ireland, the spoiled child of Brussels, soothed with flattery and sprayed with subsidies.
For the EU, like every other continental great power in history, knew all too well how to play on the old rivalry and hostility between our two amazingly different islands.
What joy there has been in EU headquarters to have one Englishspeaking country that happily embraces the Euro, that flies the Euro flag with enthusiasm, scraps miles for kilometres on its signposts and generally lies back and enjoys being ravished by the new superpower.
Most Irish people believe their new prosperity has come from Europe. They are partly right, though much has also come from Ireland’s very low business taxes.
Doubters will point out that it is hard to work out a balance between forfeiting £150billion in lost fisheries and gaining nearly £50billion in subsidies for new roads.
But the roads, and the flashy new wealth, are easier to see than the vanished fishing fleets.
As a result, the EU has a kind of cargo cult status here. It is the source of great gifts from above, and the idea that Ireland might be better off out of it (which it would be) is never spoken out loud even by those who believe it.
That will change because the cash has already stopped. Ireland is now a net contributor to the EU by most calculations, and certainly will be once great slabs of ‘peace money’ have run out, as they soon will.
Ireland is also suffering from the same raging increase in the cost of living as Britain.
When I apologised to a Dublin cafe owner for paying for my €10 breakfast with a
€50 note, worth almost £40, he said: ‘Don’t worry. Inflation’s so bad that’s becoming the most common note in use.’
But right now the pro-EU consensus is as bad as it was in Britain 30 years ago. Every major political party is united in favour of the Lisbon Treaty (formerly known as the Constitution).
There are various rather noble but tiny organisations producing clever anti-EU posters. The best shows three unhelpful EU monkeys - ‘They won’t see you, they won’t hear you, they won’t speak for you’.
The fiercest pictures the 1916 independence proclamation made during the Easter Rising, which is Ireland’s combined Trafalgar, Dunkirk and Battle of Britain.
It points out uncomfortably that: ‘People died for your freedom. Don’t throw it away.’ Another, aiming lower, simply warns: ‘It’ll cost you.’
These are hopelessly outnumbered by the bland and smiley Yes placards that decorate every Dublin street in their hundreds.
With impeccable logic, Sinn Fein (’Ourselves Alone’) is the only remotely significant party prepared to say No.
Which would mean a pretty unbalanced battle if it weren’t for the slightly mysterious multimillionaire, Declan Ganley, who has flung his great energy and wealth behind a one-man No campaign that has obviously infuriated the Dublin establishment.
I watched Mr Ganley debating with the spokesmen of the two main parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.
They didn’t have a chance. Most people don’t have a clue what the Lisbon Treaty is about so Mr Ganley, who does have a clue, tells them in fierce, forceful English that the government is lying.
And when I say English, I mean English. Mr Ganley was born deep in Galway but he speaks in the unromantic accent of Watford, where his parents emigrated to find work in the hard times.
I’m not sure this helps him, but he insists it signifies nothing.
Time and again, Irish unemployment forced him to live and work in England, until he made his fortune trading aluminium in the collapsing Soviet Union. Now he sells communications equipment to the US National Guard.
Last week a pro-EU Dublin newspaper tried to suggest there was something bad about this, trumpeting portentously that Mr Ganley’s Libertas group has ‘ military links’.
This sort of stuff is easier than taking him on. EU documents are notoriously tangled, but I think time will prove him right and Lisbon will leave Ireland even more powerless, isolated and vulnerable than it will leave Britain.
Like us, Dublin will lose its permanent member on the Commission and, with its tiny voting strength, this is a much graver loss than it will be to Britain.
The new powers of the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg could one day be used to override Ireland’s unique laws.
Nobody really knows how the Charter of Rights and Freedoms could be interpreted.
And Ireland’s crucial 12.5 per cent tax rate on company profits (compared with Britain’s 28 per cent) could be vulnerable to new rules on ‘distortion of competition’.
Ireland was told in the past that its fishing and sugar industries were safe from the EU, and then saw both devastated anyway.
Ganley’s rhetoric is tough and he takes meetings by storm. In the debate I watched, the chairman couldn’t stop him, and when Ganley decided his Sinn Fein ally on the panel wasn’t up to much, he simply took over, leaving the man opening and closing his mouth silently like a fish.
His rhetoric has a directness you don’t often find in crabwise Irish politics. For example, he has described the Common Agricultural Policy as ‘a weapon of mass destruction’.
He declared that ‘after Lisbon there will be nothing left of our benefits from the EU except a piece of dental floss’.
His sharpest opponent, Fine Gael’s Michael Creed, meanly suggested Ganley was ‘the West Wing of British Euroscepticism’, a sly attack that may do damage since any link with British conservatism is poison here.
The Fianna Fail government simply denies all Ganley’s claims. But what does it know?
You sense that many of these people simply take the EU on trust, regarding it as an unstoppable natural force, and enjoy the prospect of having more power and less responsibility.
I watched the Deputy Prime Minister, Mary Coughlan, floundering helplessly as she revealed her own ignorance of the thing she was defending. She claimed that the bigger EU countries still each had two Commissioners, which hasn’t been so for years.
Even so, the pro-EU politicians have fear on their side. They often speak of how Ireland will lose the ‘goodwill’ - that is, the special favour it has been shown - if it votes No.
And there has been talk of ‘reaping the whirlwind’ if one small country falls out of step with the other 26.
The best riposte to that, surprisingly enough, came from Killian Forde, a bright and witty Dublin councillor who is a prominent member of Sinn Fein.
I asked him why people who had fought so hard for independence, and gone to war over the wording of a treaty, now seemed ready to give that same independence away again and leave a far more important treaty unread.
He says people don’t realise how much the EU menaces their liberties because it has crept up on them. ‘They started on the soft stuff and only now are they getting to the sovereignty issues.’
He points out sarcastically that the mainstream parties all go on about how much the EU has done for equality. ‘Why could we not have done that ourselves if we wanted it?
Were we so stupid and backward that we needed the enlightened Europeans to tell us what to do?’
Forde also suspects that many Irish leaders have deliberately courted the EU to annoy Britain and rejects the idea that Ireland should be grateful for what it has got. What about the future?
‘If it doesn’t work out and we end up as an economic backwater on the edge of Europe, our children are not going to thank me for voting Yes.’
I don’t know how this vote will go. The polls say that the Yes campaign is winning, but they said the same thing at this stage in the campaign over the Nice treaty and that went the other way.
Declan Ganley’s intervention has upset a lot of calculations, and as another No campaigner said to me: ‘When all the fat-cat politicians are agreed on something, surely you’d think that people would smell a rat?’
Well, I hope they do because if Ireland votes No it will hurl a small but dangerous spanner into the whirling, roaring innards of the European project, possibly causing an uncontrolled explosion of bile, rage and frustration that will not make it any easier to persuade Ireland to do as it is told.
What concessions can the EU bosses give that will make a difference? In reality, none.
Can they abandon the treaty? Not without abandoning the whole scheme for ‘ever greater union’.
Can they allow others to do the same? I don’t think so.
It would be pleasing to think that the courageous, resourceful and determined Irish people, whose unembarrassed love of their country puts us to shame, could unhorse the mighty European empire, as they once humbled ours.
But, since the last thing the No campaigners need is a British voice on their side, I wouldn’t dream of saying so.
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The Voice: Winter 2002
Visser and Vander Plaats bring their courses around the world
Why would two business professors already swamped with teaching responsibilities and grading in one of Dordt's largest academic departments take on additional teaching responsibilities? Because they take their work of training people to be good Christian business people seriously.
Professors John Visser and Gary Vander Plaats each spent a week helping World Vision
employees around the world learn more about financial management and accounting in the past
several months. Their intensive week-long courses were part of an MBA program designed
specifically for World Vision, an international development organization, through Eastern
College's MBA program. Visser and Vander Plaats were tapped as adjuncts because of their
experience teaching similarly-styled executive education courses in the past several years.
World Vision is the largest non-profit organization in the world with hundreds of staff members
in many countries and a budget of over a half a billion dollars a year. The courses taught by
Vander Plaats and Visser were part of a sequence of courses that are offered in various locations
to keep down costs for earning an MBA and to allow workers to spend less time traveling.
It was a great experience to teach a group of committed Christians focusing on issues faced by
non-profit organizations, said Visser. And it was good for us, forcing us to think outside the
box about principles that have been timed-tested in business, but really need to be modified for
Non-profits often don't do so well with numbers, says Visser. They are used to simply working
from a budget_doing what they can with the money they have. Business works from different
mentality: you need to increase your expenditures at times to increase the value of the products
and services you are providing.
Students in the program were World Vision managers and accountants from many different
countries. Vander Plaats taught in Bangkok to mostly Asian nationals. Visser taught in South
Africa to people working in a variety of countries. Nearly all of the participants worked in their
Vander Plaats and Visser went through topics in financial accounting, management accounting,
and non-profit accounting as well as operations management and corporate finance. They used
case studies that would help give managers the tools to answer questions such as: What are we
trying to do in a particular program and are we doing it well? How do we measure what we are
accomplishing? How do we figure out the relation between costs and benefits? The classes
met from 8:30 to 5:30 each day with participants gathering for devotions before beginning their
day. Students often stayed through lunch and after class to con-tinue discussions and ask
questions in an attempt to learn as much as they could.
These were people in their twenties and thirties identified as bright, ethical Christian people
who should be trained as future leaders, says Visser.
I was impressed with the level of Christian commitment demonstrated by people in a variety of situations, says Vander Plaats. Such an atmosphere made it possible to accomplish a great deal. He adds, International experience is always a positive thing.
Visser agrees. He says being in South Africa when the United States started bombing
Afghanistan helped him see in a new way how American decisions affect people in other
countries. Many of his students were deeply concerned for their families and some debated
whether to go home. It was clear from their comments that resentment against the United States
mistakenly spills over into resentment against Christians, especially English-speaking Christians
in the Third World countries.
Both professors say they will take aspects of their experience into their classrooms at Dordt,
whether that is through a lecture in GEN 300: Calling Task, and Culture, an economic
development class, or the senior business seminar. And for Visser, the conversations and
interaction he had with his students fit in perfectly with research he is doing on wealth creation
and the importance of non-profit organizations in its creation. They also deepened his
understanding of why there are so many problems in certain countries.
Visser believes that the impact of his and Vander Plaats' as well as others' teaching will be felt
broadly. Nearly fifty people from twenty-five countries now know something about Dordt
College and what it stands for, he says. And he's been reminded again that we are part of a
diverse family of God and that we have much in common with people of other racial, ethnic, and
language groups simply because we profess and worship the same Lord and Saviour. That, in
addition to everything else, makes the extra teaching load worth the effort.
Dr. John Visser's twenty-eight students came from countries in Africa, South Asia, and the
Dr. Gary Vander Plaats taught a course to World Vision employees in Thailand. He also took
time to experience some of the culture.
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While other Senate Republicans led by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) boycott action on the climate crisis, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has chosen a leadership role. In a press conference today with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), the author of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Graham rebuked Republicans unwilling to address carbon pollution, asking, “If you can’t participate in solving a hard problem, why are you up here?” Saying that he has “seen the effects of a warming planet,” Graham called for the United States to “lead the world rather than follow the world on carbon pollution”:
The green economy is coming. We can either follow or lead. And those countries who follow will pay a price. Those nations who lead in creating the new green economy for the world will make money.
Graham’s words recall the testimony of former Center for American Progress Senior Fellow and White House official Van Jones, who told Congress in January, “We can build a green economy Dr. King would be proud of.” Van Jones, the founder of Green for All, left the White House after talk show host Glenn Beck targeted him as an “avowed communist and radical activist.” Beck has warned that efforts to build a green economy are “socialism,” “black nationalism,” and “fascism.”
Sen. Kerry announced that the three senators would work in a “dual track” to the committee process now underway to craft clean energy legislation in concert with the White House, which they hope to present directly to the Senate leadership. The senators conducted the press conference in between meetings with Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, and White House climate advisor Carol Browner.
Graham also discussed how Americans of any party “really feel uncomfortable with the fact that our nation sends a billion dollars a day overseas to buy foreign oil from some countries who don’t like us very much,” saying that part of “this initiative is to create a vision for energy independence and marry it up with a responsible climate control carbon pollution controls and create a new economy.”
Graham emphasized that his vision is to “help this planet” that “is in peril, create millions of new jobs for Americans that need them, and to become energy independent to make us safer,” because he believes that “controlling carbon pollution is good business.” Although he hoped for participation from his fellow Republicans, he said, “If you believe carbon pollution is not a problem, then you wouldn’t want to work with me, because I do.”
GRAHAM: The reason I’ve gotten involved in this issue is I see kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity politically to solve two real problems that I think the country and the world faces. One, carbon pollution. I am no scientist, but I’ve traveled throughout the world with Sen. McCain and others and seen the effects of a warming planet. And I do believe all of the cars we have on the roads, and the trucks, and all the energy we use that produces carbon daily is not a good thing for the planet.
But if environmental policy is not good business policy, you’ll never get 60 votes. So my goal is to try to make sure that we fashion environmental policy that will create millions of new jobs for Americans who are desiring to have new jobs. Virginia and New Jersey are going to benefit from what we do. South Carolina, Connecticut, and Massachusetts will benefit.
The green economy is coming. We can either follow or lead. And those countries who follow will pay a price. Those nations who lead in creating the new green economy for the world will make money. The business community senses an opportunity they’ve not had before. That’s why they’re at least exploring the possibility of a new pathway forward.
I’ve been told by a lot of business leaders in South Carolina, “Senator Graham, once you price carbon in a reasonable way, this green economy that we’re hoping for really will begin to flourish.”
The other aspect of why I’m involved is energy independence. Remember “Drill here, drill now”? Where did that go? Four dollar a gallon gas is not in our face but it could be soon. I think most Americans — Republicans, independents or Democrats — really feel uncomfortable with the fact that our nation sends a billion dollars a day overseas to buy foreign oil from some countries who don’t like us very much. Part of this initiative is to create a vision for energy independence and marry it up with a responsible climate control carbon pollution controls and create a new economy.
Finally, our country doesn’t have a vision on carbon. We need one. And we need to lead the world rather than follow the world on carbon pollution. Our country doesn’t have the infrastructure in place to build a green economy and never will until we price carbon.
And our country doesn’t have a vision for energy independence. We need one. Our goal is to create that vision that not only will help this planet — that I think is in peril — but create millions of new jobs for Americans that need them, and to become energy independent to make us safer.
. . .
What I’ve got to do is convince people in South Carolina and our colleagues up here as a whole that environmental policy will be good business policy. And if Congress doesn’t act, the EPA will.
Every member of Congress, Republicans included, has to answer to themselves and their constituents. Is carbon pollution a problem? If it is, what are you going to do about it? Some Republicans want a carbon tax. In many ways, that is a fairer system but I don’t think there are the votes for it. If you believe carbon pollution is not a problem, then you wouldn’t want to work with me, because I do. Now, if you … a cap-and-trade bill has to be well-crafted not to put us at competitive disadvantage to China and India.
I am convinced with my colleagues that controlling carbon pollution is good business. If you do it right, people can make money and you’ll have a cleaner planet and the world will follow. So I hope my Republican colleagues will at least listen, come to the table as the Chamber has, see where we’re going, give us input and if at the end of the day, you can’t support it, that’s okay.
But last thought. Doing nothing has a consequence. The EPA will do something. Doing nothing has a consequence to our business opportunity in leading the green economy revolution that’s coming and controlling carbon emissions.
So I think most people are upset with the Congress because we’re not doing anything that matters. And the things that we do do we’re overdoing. So we’re trying to get that sweet spot of a bill that will be good for the environment, good for business and make us energy independent.
So my hope is that participation is seen as a positive, not a negative. If you can’t participate in solving a hard problem, why are you up here?
At The Vine, Bradford Plumer comments:
At this point, the odds of a bill passing still look reasonably decent, but it’s looking less and less likely the Senate will make much headway before the Copenhagen talks in December—which is why U.N. officials are starting to lower expectations for that summit and talking about extending the climate-treaty negotiations through to next year.
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I use soft pencils and I bear down hard when I write. As a result, I have to resharpen the pencils frequently. A few years ago I came across this pocket-size two-hole pencil sharpener and now swear by it. It produces very sharp points and does so efficiently. Joe Stirt reviewed it here in 2011, but I thought it would be worthwhile to take some photos to show how it works:
Hole 1 shaves just the pencil’s wood casing , exposing (but barely touching) the graphite. You are left with a cylinder of graphite sticking out of the pencil tip, as shown below.
Hole 2 sharpens the graphite to a point, but does not shave the wood.
You can easily control the sharpness.
When it’s time to resharpen, I try hole 2 first. I can usually get a few sharpenings this way before I go back to hole 1. Because of the way it sharpens, pencils last much longer.
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- A séance has been held at the great house of Collinwood—a séance which has suspended time and space, and sent one woman on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past, back to the year 1795. There each of the Collins ancestors resembles a present day member of the Collins family, but the names and relationships have changed, and Victoria Winters finds herself a stranger in a sea of familiar faces. The evil which plagues the family makes itself seen and felt in many ways, one of which will be death by violent means.
Suki Forbes tries to leave the Old House and is chased back inside by a bat. As Suki cries out for Nathan Forbes to come, the bat breaks through the window and enters the parlour, transforming into Barnabas, who then strangles her. Nathan finds Suki on the floor. Before she dies, she tells him Barnabas is her attacker.
Nathan finds Joshua Collins at Collinwood and tells him that Suki has been found dead at the Old House. They return to take care of her body. Nathan tells Joshua that with her last breath, Suki accused Barnabas of attacking her. Joshua believes there is a simple explanation. Nathan finds it disturbing because he swears he saw Barnabas the night before. Joshua repeats the story that Barnabas is in England. He changes the subject by asking about the relationship between Nathan and Suki. Joshua is suspicious because of his lack of grief over her death. Nathan claims he is still in shock. While the men are preparing to search the house, Josette Collins comes downstairs and calls for Barnabas before she faints.
Naomi Collins and Millicent are waiting in the drawing room for news of the missing Josette. Joshua and Nathan bring Josette to the Collinwood to rest. Joshua and Naomi take Josette to her room while Nathan tells Millicent of Suki's death. While tending to her upstairs, Naomi notices that Josette's neck has been bitten.
Millicent writes a letter to Suki's family concerning her death and asks Naomi to read it. Naomi approves and tells Millicent to have a servant send it after she gets the address from Suki's room. Millicent leaves as Joshua enters with smelling salts. Naomi shows him the bite on Josette's neck. They note that they are the same marks Barnabas had before he became sick and died. Millicent takes a box of Suki's personal papers to the drawing room to find the address for the letter she wrote. Nathan comes in for a drink and is visibly upset when he sees Millicent searching through Suki's personal papers. To stop her, Nathan gives her the address she is seeking. While putting things back in the box, Millicent notices a marriage certificate. She is shocked when she discovers to whom Suki was married.
She reads aloud that Suki Wales was married to Nathan Forbes. Millicent realizes that Suki was Nathan's wife, not his sister, and Nathan has been deceiving her. Nathan tries to explain but she won't listen and never wants to see him again. She runs out of the house and he follows her. Naomi and Joshua discuss the Collins family history book its accuracy in predicting Sarah Collins' death. Joshua tells Naomi that the book also predicts that Josette will die the next day by her own hand unless they can prevent it. In her room, Josette sleeps fitfully, calling to Barnabas that tomorrow she will belong to him forever.
Memorable quotes Edit
Dramatis personae Edit
- Joan Bennett as Naomi Collins
- Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
- Louis Edmonds as Joshua Collins
- Joel Crothers as Nathan Forbes
- Nancy Barrett as Millicent Collins
- Kathryn Leigh Scott as Josette DuPrés
- Jane Draper as Suki Forbes
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yadave wrote:You are correct. I will try to dot my i's in future and use "idealism" rather than "solipsism" to describe the view that "reality is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial."
Ok, but it isn't "mentally constructed" either, a mental construction would have to originate from a mind.
yadave wrote:I did not know you were a guru. Right on.
I didn't know I was either, but yes... right on!
yadave wrote:I would need you to unpack this for me before I know how to respond.
Modern cognitive science and buddhism may have some parallel similarities on a relative level but ultimately they're not of the same nature.
yadave wrote:Well, there is no "me" as you pointed out above and my concern was how your (1) and (2) treat the brain as a source of things. I compare the brain to the heart. Some years ago, Israeli scientists successfully coerced stem cells into heart cells and the damn things were beating. It's amazing, they know how to be a heart on the cellular level. Similarly, brains know how to think, brains exude thoughts.
I didn't say there's no "you", i said there's no "you" apart from the concept of "you", apart from the conventionality of language the self or agent has no inherent existence. But i suppose that's irrelevant since you're thoroughly convinced you're not equipped with any frame of reference with which to gauge what i'm saying. I'm essentially some guy talking on an internet forum, you can't believe there's no self or substratum, it isn't a philosophy, it requires first hand experience for validation. How can the brain be the source of things?
yadave wrote:"Reality" is a word. It is subject to the world's shared definition of it if we are to heed Buddha's advice and "accept what the world accepts."
Yes reality is a word, so is every other word on this forum. I'm using the term reality to describe this "happening" called life. If the Buddha truly believed that one should "accept what the world accepts" then everyone would remain in ignorance.
yadave wrote:But it is a new paradigm, my Lord. I think that should count for something.
I'm sure that day countless centuries ago when someone declared the world is indeed flat, that paradigm counted for something then as well.
yadave wrote:Actually, lots of people are saying "the car really doesn't exist" or "ultimately, the car doesn't exist." It's awful. If this Ultimate Reality is not unreal then the car really doesn't exist and Buddhism reduces to Idealism.
Why would that be awful? Idealism asserts that reality is fundamentally a mental construction, again a mental construction would depend on the existence of a mind.
yadave wrote:Seems simpler to just say "for Buddhists, the car is not what it seems" and if anyone is curious we explain how the car depends on many factors. I mean, look at the expression "inherently existing". Does *anything* have this property? No? The darn thing (i.e., the concept "inherently existing") is metaphysical to start with yet it litters every other sentence. I appreciate its importance but wonder if we could leave existing language conventions, like "exists" and "reality", out of it and simply say "the car is empty" which has a specific meaning that differs from the notion of "empty space" which is what "nonexistent" brings to mind.
Why would this only apply to "Buddhists"? No-thing has inherent existence, every-thing is empty, including emptiness. It's no more metaphysical than believing you're a subjective entity encased in a body experiencing a physical world which is separate from you. And sure say "the car is empty".
yadave wrote:The car will pass by and we will see it regardless of whether:
4) We both somehow magically create mental projections of the same blue car moving at the same speed; or
5) The car possesses an external reality / existence that causes us both to experience the same thing.
I'm a Number 5. I think both (4) and (5) require us to grow up in similar environments where there are cars and such.
Ok, if you want to believe the car has an external existence have at it! I'm not here to win you over, i have no way to convey to you that essentially all that is, is timeless "consciousness" devoid of duality. Those are just words typed onto a computer screen, I really wouldn't want you to believe what i'm saying anyways in all honesty... adopting that as a belief and attaching to that would be just as counterproductive as insisting any other point of view.
yadave wrote:The language is too far from the world. Trust me on this one.
Yes that point of view certainly mirrors what you believe to be true.
I don't really understand the nature of this debating going on, refuting what's said, i mean it's all well and good refute what's said all you want it's just a conversation... but what is your perception of buddhism? Are you just here to stir the pot? Because that's great if that's the case, debates of this nature are good to get people thinking and answer questions for not just the ones debating but for others reading it. Or are you just attempting to have someone thoroughly convince you out of your conditioned point of view you've had your whole life? Only YOU can do that. You don't seem to be very "open" to the teachings, insisting the point of view you champion is some kind of ultimate truth.... almost like you're trying to convince yourself that your point of view is correct for reassurance. I'm not here to propagate some belief system or philosophy, the teachings may be presented in that manner but ultimately they're to be applied to yourself and to your experience, empirically, to bring about a change in perception and being. Buddhism is meant to radically alter life in it's entirety. The effects of the teaching are real, the change is real, but you have to want it, and you have to be open to it, otherwise you remain attached to an archaic conditioned point of view which only leads to suffering.... liberation is here for the taking, everyone wants you to know that love, but nobody can save you except yourself.
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Most Active Stories
Fri February 8, 2013
Special Taxing Districts Reform Sails Through Kentucky State House
FRANKFORT, Ky. - A bill reforming how the state's special districts are categorized and making them more transparent easily passed the state House this morning, 96-1.
State Rep. Lynn Belcher, a Republican from Crittenden County, was the lone "no" vote.
Many local library boards, sewer districts and fire districts are considered special taxing districts separate from other types of government.
House Bill 1 is a partnership between Auditor Adam Edelen and House Speaker Greg Stumbo. It helps create a central registry of special districts as well as reforms how they file their financial information and sets penalties when they fail to do so.
Speaking on the House floor, Stumbo said the bill wasn't created due to bad actors.
"This is not an act in response to bad conduct. This is an act that compliments good conduct," he said.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where Senate President Robert Stivers says his chamber is still reviewing the bill before it commits to keeping it as is or tweaking it.
In a statement after the bill passed, Edelen said he appreciates the bipartisan support the bill received.
"I'm pleased House Bill 1 passed with broad bipartisan support today. That it has moved through the House so swiftly speaks to the overwhelming need to bring transparency and accountability to a $2.7 billion layer of government. I encourage the Senate to give similar treatment to this important legislation and deliver to taxpayers the reform that they deserve."
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From Tar Valon Library
Author: Atarah al'Norahn
Agni Neres is a ship owner and a smuggler; he owns the Riverserpent, which is not a large vessel, though it is wide (TFoH, Ch. 48; TFoH, Ch. 49). He lives in Ebou Dar, though he only ever stops there long enough to load a new cargo (TFoH, Ch. 49).
He is a tall, bony man with a narrow face and ears that stick out. His face has a dour look (TFoH, Ch. 48).
Agni Neres hates women and does not like to even look at them. He blames pretty much everything on women. However, he has a wife and a hoard of children in Ebou Dar (TFoH, Ch. 48).
- Galad buys passage on Agni Neres' ship for Elayne and Nynaeve to Boannda. Galad complains to Elayne and Nynaeve that he charged ten prices (TFoH, Ch. 48).
- Elayne, Nynaeve, Birgitte, Thom, Juilin, Galad, and the Shienarans arrive at his ship. Although Galad had only paid for Elayne and Nynaeve, Nynaeve pays for Birgitte, Thom, Juilin, and the Shienarans, and for a group of refugees, whom she forces Neres to take onto his ship (TFoH, Ch. 48).
- During the trip from Samara to Boannda, Elayne channels to make the winds better, and they sail day and night. Neres gives his cabin to Elayne, Nynaeve, and Birgitte; Nynaeve is certain that Thom, Juilin, and Uno had something to do with it. Nynaeve also makes him throw his smuggled cargo overboard to make room for the refugees (TFoH, Ch. 49).
- On the third day, they reach Boannda, and most of the refugees get off. Nynaeve makes him take her, Elayne, Birgitte, Thom, Juilin, the Shienarans, Nicola, Areina, and Marigan to Salidar (TFoH, Ch. 49).
- On the fifth day, they reach Salidar and the rest of the passengers leave the ship (TFoH, Ch. 49).
- His cabin is smaller than the wagon that Nynaeve and Elayne traveled in with Valan Luca's Circus, and contains only a heavy table and high-backed chair; a bed; a washstand with a pitcher, bowl and mirror; and a few shelves and pegs. The ceiling beams are very low (TFoH, Ch. 49).
- Thom and Juilin think that Nynaeve had no right to get rid of his goods; he might be a smuggler, but he still paid for them. When they leave, Elayne gives him a necklace of gaudy yellow opals to make up for it (TFoH, Ch. 49).
Neres looked for Galad only to find that he had moved away to speak with the other Whitecloaks, then eyed the folk ashore and spoke at the air above Nynaeve's head. "Any who can pay. Not many in that lot look like they can. And I could not take the lot if they could." (Neres about the refugees; The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 48).
Women cost a man money, they fought like alley cats, and they caused trouble. Any and all trouble a man had could be laid to women, one way or another. Neres expected half of them to be rolling on the deck clawing one another before the first sunset. They would all flirt with his crew, and bring on dissension where they did not cause fights. Could he have sent all women off his ship, forever, he might have been happy. Could he have had them out of his life, he would have been ecstatic. (The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 49).
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Unless you came from a family of small business owners, the mindset of owning a small business probably wasn't taught to you. They don't teach it in business classes and it's certainly not taught in our schools. Schools are more interested in making sure we show up to the factory on time and stand in a straight line. Look alive citizen. So when I started my own business, there were three important psychological breakthroughs that thankfully developed on their own, but it took years. These were thought processes that helped me succeed that nobody taught me, and perhaps they can't be taught.
You have permission. You can leave your job. You can start your business. When I first started, I had this anxiety that I wasn't supposed to be doing this, that someone was going to come and get me and bring me back to reality, to work or maybe school. There's a bit of insanity inherent in starting a business, because you just don't know. Whenever a prospective business owner asks me how he should project his sales, I laugh like a maniac for a moment. You just don't know. Project them to cover your costs. What else can you do? Asking that question is the first koan of small business.
Even if you think it's perfectly fine to start a business, there's nobody to tell you when to begin or to say when you've had enough. Worse, there's no safety net or unemployment if you fail. There's no relevant trade organization or support group. You're on the trapeze. There is no net. Nobody is even watching. I worried the IRS would audit me for being implausible.
It took about two years to realize I had permission to be there, I could truly own the business and only then did I have the confidence to move forward. Before that time, I was tentative, asked a lot of people what they thought I should do, and constantly kept my options open. I was always afraid to burn a bridge, and always wanted to keep one foot in my old life. Accepting I had permission opened me up to be creative in what I was doing right now.
The money is mine. If you've never had your own business, the money you've been spending at work is someone else's. It may be a faceless corporation, some shadowy investors, or a mean boss, loved only by his dog. Spending money at work is like playing a game, passing Go, exchanging wood for sheep. It's not your money, so it's never a big deal. The rent went up? Well, what's a Sim to do?
Realizing it was my money got me to resent when money was spent, when someone had their hand in my pocket. It took three years to get to this stage. It required profits really, the realization that if I paid an extra dollar in rent, that was a dollar I couldn't use to pay my mortgage. Bills and debt weren't passive things to be endured, they were active enemies to be conquered, potentially eliminated. Sales were important, but you have less control over income than you have over expenses. Beating down expenses became fun, even when they caused endless headaches. You know my goals in December to reduce the alarm and Internet expenses? Nothing but trouble. But there were savings and eventually the pain will be forgotten.
There is no limit to your success. You own a small hobby store. You probably won't make much money. You certainly can't afford a mortgage or an education for your children. You should probably expect a modest salary. It's a monastic lifestyle without the spiritual benefit for yourself and others. These are all things you're told or tell yourself or worse, your family tells you, so you can accept that you won't be making what you used to, or you won't aspire to the middle class ideal (mortgage, retirement savings, college savings and annual vacations). Perhaps they hope you'll come to your senses and get off that trapeze. It's a lie.
It took about six year to realize I wasn't being held back by society, my trade or the invisible hand of economics. There was nothing holding me back but myself. There was no limit in how much my business could earn, if I could figure it out. I wasn't getting rich, but I was punching through my self limitations. The worst group to listen to turned out to be my peers, the majority of whom, like peers in every trade, had limitations for themselves firmly in place.
At this stage, my personal effort wasn't as important as figuring out how to leverage the energy of others. In other words, if I could plan it properly, other people could continue it after execution. A lot of business owners quit early because they can't give up control, can't delegate, can't accept their job is coming up with the sausage making process and not physically making sausage. The thought of future sausage making exhausts them and they quit. Sure, there are some theoretical limits in all this, but these are limits you realize after you hit them, rather than barriers you place in front of yourself.
Finally, these are hard won realizations, but realizations that many small business owners come to. It explains why many are fiercely independent, do their own thing, spit in the eye of anyone who tells them it can't be done. Doubt and apathy are indulgences they can't afford.
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| 0.988997 | 1,107 | 1.828125 | 2 |
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