text:
Walter Mazzarri revealed Napoli felt the loss of Edinson Cavani during the 3-0 victory at Pescara, although he believed the win proved they were not dependant on the Uruguayan.
With the 26-year-old sidelined through suspension, Gokhan Inler, Blerim Dzemaili and Goran Pandev grabbed the goals against the basement boys.
And while admitting the team was "anxious" without their talisman in the first half, Mazzarri praised the resolve displayed by his men in the latter stages of the match.
"Tonight we took an important step towards the Champions League," the Italian acknowledged to reporters after the match. "We knew it would be a tough game.
"Cavani is certainly not a bad striker so it's normal we missed him, but I was still sure we would be able to do well without him. We are not dependant on Cavani, and I know what the rest can give.
"I liked the attitude of my players. We struggled to get past Ivan Pelizzoli which made my men anxious, but the first goal was fundamental to unlocking Pescara."
Though Napoli began the campaign as title contenders, they have fallen eight points off the pace from front-runners Juventus, with the Turin giants still boasting a game in hand.
But Mazzarri was adamant this season can remain a milestone in the club's history.
"We recovered after a brief decline. Do not forget that we did better than last season. Winning direct qualification to the Champions League is equivalent to the Scudetto for us," he added.
"I'm reluctant to talk about next season, but I know the team can play at the same level across domestic and European competition. I will talk about my future at the end of the season.
The 51-year-old's contract is due to expire in June, although there are rumours club patron Aurelio De Laurentiis is ready to offer his coach a three-year extension.


text:
Tigers Score 22 in Fourth, Overcome Miscues, 34-6
LSU Sports Interactive
NASHVILLE -- The 11th-ranked LSU football team overcame four turnovers and 14 penalties to turn in a brilliant defensive performance in beating Vanderbilt, 34-6, in front of 37,309 in Vanderbilt Stadium.
LSU statistically dominated the game with 479 yards of total offense but had little to show for it until a 22-point fourth quarter due to miscues. The Tigers had five fewer penalty yards than Vanderbilt's total offense (138-133).
Meanwhile, the LSU defense came up big for the second straight week, holding the Commodore offense that led the SEC in passing offense and ranked second in total offense to only 138 yards of total offense.
The Tigers also recorded six sacks of Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler, giving the Commodores 25 net yards rushing on 26 attempts for the game. The final play of the game was a 40-yard run.
Quarterback JaMarcus Russell finished the game 21-of-32 passing for 285 yards with two touchdown passes. Dwayne Bowe caught five passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, while Early Doucet added 94 yards on five receptions.
Runningback Joseph Addai had 102 yards rushing on 24 carries, while Justin Vincent tallied 77 on only 11 rushes.
LSU placekicker Chris Jackson had a 47-yard field goal hit the left goal post and a 42-yarder missed to the right to end the first half. He converted from 36 yards in the third quarter.
Vanderbilt managed only 138 yards of offense on 59 plays. Quarterback Jay Cutler, who leads the Southeastern Conference in total offense, was held to 11-of-32 passing for 113 yards with a pair of interceptions.
Vanderbilt won the coin toss and elected to defer until the second half. LSU took the ball to start the game and defended the south endzone.
Russell and Bowe connected three times for 77 yards on the game's first drive, including the second of two 30-yard receptions that went for a touchdown. The Tigers took the early 7-0 lead after only 2:33 of play.
The Tigers' next seven LSU possessions comprised of two punts, two fumbles, two missed field goals and an interception, resulting in a 303-41 advantage in first-half total yardage but only a 9-3 lead.
Cutler was tackled in the endzone by LSU's Chase Pittman for a safety with 5:33 to play in the first quarter giving LSU a 9-0 lead.
The safety was the first recorded by the Tigers since the 2003 SEC Championship game when the Georgia punter muffed a deep snap and was tackled by Alley Broussard in the endzone.
The Commodores' lone score of the half was a 36-yard field goal with 3:37 to play in the first quarter after a David Jones fumble was recovered at the LSU 20.
The Tigers started the second half in the same manner as the first: forcing Vanderbilt to punt from further back than they began a drive before fumbling on the next play.
Russell's fumble on a blind side hit again gave Vanderbilt the ball in LSU territory at the 36-yard line. The Commodores gained only five yards before placekicker Bryant Anderson converted a career-long 48-yard field goal.
The lead was cut to 9-6 with 11:36 to play in the third quarter.
After punting for third time, LSU answered defensively by intercepting Cutler for the second time. Cornerback Chevis Jackson recorded his first pickoff as a Tiger.
LSU was able to match the field goal with a 36-yard conversion by Chris Jackson late in the third quarter to extend the lead back to six points, 12-6.
On their next offensive possession, the Tigers went 62 yards on eight plays to score on a 2-yard run by Addai. The run put Addai at 100 yards rushing. A 30-yard reception by Early Doucet setup the score.
Leading by 12 points, LSU head coach Les Miles decided to attempt the two-point conversion. The pass from Russell to Doucet was completed for LSU's first successful two-point try since Sept. 4, 2004, against Oregon State.
LSU led 20-6.
Russell again connected with Doucet for an 8-yard touchdown with 7:42 to play in the game to put the game out of reach, 27-6. The touchdown was Doucet's second of the season, coupled with his game-winner at Arizona State.
With the game clearly in hand, Miles pulled his first string en lieu of his defensive backups midway through the fourth quarter. With 4:25 to play, LSU linebacker Ali Highsmith sacked reserve quarterback Chris Nickson, forced the ball loose and ran into the endzone for a touchdown.
LSU returns home for four scheduled games at Tiger Stadium including a makeup game against North Texas on Oct. 29. The Tigers will next take on Florida at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, in Tiger Stadium.
LSU at Vanderbilt
Oct. 8, 2005 - Vanderbilt Stadium
Game Notes
Team Notes
1. LSU's game captains are 4 JaMarcus Russell, 5 Skyler Green, 41 Chris Jackson and 90 Melvin Oliver.
2. Vanderbilt won the toss and deferred to the second half. LSU received the opening kickoff.
3. Tigers extending their consecutive starts' streak today were: OT Andrew Whitworth (43), FS LaRon Landry (24) and DT Kyle Williams (24), LB Cameron Vaughn (16) and SS Jessie Daniels (16).
4. DE Chase Pittman sacked Vanderbilt QB Jay Cutler in the endzone for a safety with 5:33 left in the first quarter. The safety was LSU's first since recording one against Georgia in the 2003 SEC Championship game. The last time an individual recorded a safety for the Tigers was against Auburn on Sept. 16, 1995 when James Gillyard sacked Patrick Nix in the endzone.
5. LSU extended its sack streak to 41 straight games with a sack on Vanderbilt QB Jay Cutler by DE Chase Pittman late in the first quarter.
6. PK Chris Jackson's missed field goal attempt late in the second quarter snapped LSU's streak of consecutive field goal attempts made at eight straight.
7. LSU's successful two-point conversion (JaMarcus Russell pass to Early Doucet) in the fourth quarter was the first for the Tigers since the fourth quarter of the Oregon State game on Sept. 4, 2004 (Russell rush).
Individual Notes
8. OT Andrew Whitworth started his 43rd straight game, moving the senior into a fifth-place tie with Chad Lavalais on LSU's all-time starts list. The career record is held by Jerel Myers and Rodney Reed with 48 starts.
9. C Ryan Miller, RG Herman Johnson, Nickelback Craig Steltz and Dimeback Jonathan Zenon (LSU opened the game in a dime package) made their first starts at LSU in tonight's game.
10. QB JaMarcus Russell completed 10 straight pass attempts (the final eight of last week's game at Mississippi State and the first two tonight) before throwing an incompletion.
a. Russell's 15-yard scamper late in the first quarter was the longest rush of his career.
b. Russell reached career-highs in passing yards with 285 tonight. His previous high was 232 at Arizona State earlier this season.
11. WR Dwayne Bowe pulled down the third touchdown reception of the season and eighth of his career on the 30-yard pass from JaMarcus Russell with 12:27 left in the first quarter.
12. With a tackle on LSU's first defensive series of the game, DT Kyle Williams and FS LaRon Landry extended their tackles in consecutive games streak. They each have now made a tackle in 30 straight games.
13. DE Melvin Oliver recorded the 14th sack of his career early in the second quarter.
14. WR Craig Davis pulled in a pass midway into the second quarter to extend his consecutive games with a reception streak to 15.
15. LB Ali Highsmith recorded the first sack of his career late in the second quarter.
16. WR/RS Skyler Green moved into third-place on LSU's career punt return yards list with his 17-yard return late in the second quarter. He moved past Sammy Grezaffi who collected 905 yards during his career. Green finished the game with 34 yards and now has 907 Yards for his career.
a. Green reached the 1,000-yard mark in career receiving yards with a 23-yard reception midway into the third quarter. Green entered the game needing 31 yards to reach the milestone.
17. FS LaRon Landry pulled in the eighth interception of his career late in the second quarter. He leads all active players in the Southeastern Conference.
18. RB Joseph Addai reached the 2,000-yard mark in career rushing yards on an 11-yard run late in the second quarter. Addai entered the game needing 55 yards to reach the milestone.
a. Addai recorded the third 100-yard rushing game of his career and the second this season. He finished the game with 102 yards on 24 carries.
b. Addai's 9-yard reception early in the fourth quarter, the senior has now collected at least one reception in 12 straight games.
c. Addai scored the 14th touchdown of his career on a 2-yard run with 12:32 left in the fourth quarter. The rushing score was the fifth of this season for Addai.
19. CB Chevis Jackson pulled down the first interception of his career with less than six minutes left in the third quarter.
20. PK Chris Jackson booted the 18th field goal of his career (2:29 left in the third quarter), moving him into a tie for ninth-place on LSU's career scoring list with Wendell Harris.
21. WR Early Doucet's 94 receiving yards set his career-high, surpassing his 86-yard effort against Troy last season. He also recorded the second receiving touchdown of the season midway through the fourth quarter.
22. DE Tim Washington recorded first career sack in the second game of his LSU career.

subset: commoncrawl


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SAN DIEGO — "The governor's call to suspend Proposition 98, the state's minimum school funding law, because he and a few Republican senators failed to do their jobs and pass a fair state budget by the July 1 deadline is totally unacceptable. After forcing the state into fiscal bankruptcy, he wants to take more money from schools, children's programs and health care.
"California public schools and colleges have already been cut by a record $12 billion. Summer school classes have been eliminated, class sizes are increasing, and more than 27,000 teachers received layoff notices this year. These numbers are astounding. Our schools and children are hurting.
"Enough is enough! Instead of always cutting education and other vital services first, it's time to rescind the corporate tax breaks handed out earlier this year and tax oil production like every other state in the country. And it's time for real budget reform, including reducing the two-thirds vote requirement to pass a state budget. The partisan politics and gridlock are destroying our state.
"The Assembly had already passed a compromise budget fix that would have limited program cuts, restored some funding for schools, student loans and health care for poor children, and would have raised some state revenues. But because the governor and Republican senators failed to act, the governor is calling for a special session of the Legislature and the suspension of the state's minimum school funding law.
"Students and schools didn't cause this problem, and their education should not be undermined to solve it. Our children are our future. We should be trying to build one for them."
Every child deserves a chance to learn and no child succeeds alone.
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text:
Buckets of paint, concept ideas from artists and many volunteers will soon come together to create the city's first community pilot art project.
Buckets of paint, concept ideas from artists and many volunteers will soon come together to create the city's first community pilot art project.
Jeanne Johnston, business and community development coordinator for Lexington, came before the Lexington City Council on Monday to pitch the idea of a pilot mural project to benefit the Depot District.
"Many towns across North Carolina are doing interesting art projects in blighted and industrial areas. This enhances the district, adds color and life to blighted areas and revives the community art spirit," Johnston said.
With the idea in hand, preliminary discussions were held with artists, citizens and business and community development staff. They drew inspiration from the recent mural for the Davidson County Community College satellite campus in uptown Lexington and decided a time line mural on the side of 202 E. Third Ave. would be a great start. This building faces the field used for the BBQ Capital Cook-Off.
"We wanted to highlight the time line idea, going from the past to the future," said Jimmy Huynh, a citizen and artist who helped initiate the project.
So with the ideas in mind, the business and community development office is soliciting concepts of Lexington for the mural. This includes images of items Lexington is known for such as barbecue, the furniture legacy and connection to the Old Davidson County Court House.
"It is our hope that this mural could involve more than one conceptual design from several different submittals," Johnston said.
Once the deadline has passed, a volunteer review panel will compile the concepts and create a time line. The artist doesn't have to submit an entire time line but instead, he or she can create images that would be incorporated into it.
Once the final design has been set, the Lexington Appearance Commission will issue a call for volunteers to assist in painting the mural. The total length is expected to be around 25 to 30 feet and 8 to 9 feet high.
"This is an outdoor project, and it depends upon the weather, but we are shooting to see if we can get a portion sketched out by the time of the BBQ Capital Cook-Off" in April, Johnston said.
An additional project was discussed for the former Lexington Home Brands Plant No. 1 building now owned by the City of Lexington adjacent to the rail corridor. Huynh is working on a temporary paper panel of a train coming through a tunnel with the quote "the future is coming" to demonstrate the coming passenger rail station site. The Lexington Appearance Commission has agreed to fund both the temporary project and the materials for the permanent mural. Expected cost is anywhere from $800 to $1,000.
"We have not done a public art project since the police statue. We feel this is really important to do," Johnston said, adding that the mural is something that could bring people together.
Another artist, Stewart Knight, who is part of the review panel, also said he believes this project is important.
"This is something our community has needed for a long time. The community lost a sense of being in touch — where everyone knows everyone. Everyone kind of does their own thing, but slowly we're starting to move back to that sense of community," Knight said.
The city council approved moving forward with soliciting artists' concepts.
"This gives me hope for the future of an arts district here in Lexington," said Daniel Huynh, an artist who is part of the review panel.
Artists interested in submitting proposals can do so at firstname.lastname@example.com or via postal mail to Office of Business and Community Development, Attn: Pilot Mural Project, 31 W. First St., Lexington, NC 27292.
All concepts and forms must be submitted in a PDF forming, no jpeg, tif or doc files or any other formats will be accepted. Size of the PDF should not exceed 8 MB. Hard copies may be submitted, but they will not be returned.
All submittals and applications are due by Feb. 15. A separate request will be issued for volunteers to plan the mural at a later date.
Rebekah Cansler McGee can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 228, or at email@example.com.


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Innovative inspection system to make buildings safer
Concrete is used everywhere and particularly in critical areas such as high-rise buildings, bridges and industrial facilities. As a construction material concrete offers strength and versatility and its production materials – gravel, sand, cement, water and steel rods - are readily available. But the strength of concrete, particularly the foundation piles, can be damaged during or after installation or indeed over time if subjected to unforeseen stress.
Under the European Union (EU)-funded Pile-mon project, a consortium led by the Northern Ireland company Bullivant Taranto Ltd has developed an innovative monitoring system which can test the integrity of newly made pre-cast concrete foundation piles and monitor performance over their lifetime.
Project details
Project details
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text:
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
In the aftermath of the Navy yard shootings, we see and hear the same accusations where innocent law-abiding people are made the problem, and, in typical knee-jerk fashion, must be dealt with by punitive legislation as the immediate solution.
Reasonable firearms laws are for reasonable people, and there was nothing reasonable about Aaron Alexis, who obviously suffered from a textbook case of paranoid schizophrenia and gave multiple warning signs, and these were all ignored. These warnings included once having used a firearm to shoot out the tires of a car owned by a person with whom Mr. Alexis had a dispute, and verbalizing the conviction that he was under personal attack by unknown individuals using microwaves to attempt to control him. How this was all overlooked remains unclear, but the situation eventually reached a state of critical mass and finally erupted in a horrifying and devastating way. Many states presently do require background checks for firearm purchasers, but these checks are for criminal offenses and usually not for a history of mental illness, so Mr. Alexis flew under this radar as well, despite the reams of existing laws, regardless of their intensity or redundancy.
The media, which, in cases of mass homicides involving firearms, almost always gets things wrong, first reported that the weapon was a semiautomatic AR-15, which was totally false. Mr. Alexis primarily used a Remington Model 870 shotgun, which is a manually operated pump action firearm of a type which has been in existence since the late 19th century, and which does not have a magazine capacity even close to 15 rounds, as though Aaron Alexis was somehow incapable of reloading his own weapon as he went on his rampage.
The Second Amendment is not about hunting or about dispatching pest animals, it is about the intention of the framers of the constitution that it was their will that the people of this country be armed as a final defense against a government that may turn tyrannical. The founders were well acquainted with the evil that standing armies could do at the behest of government, and waged war against this oppression. We should not quibble about the fact that banning of any type of firearm or accessory for it that is currently legal to acquire and legal to own is not an infringement of the Second Amendment, and anyone using the term "assault weapon" to describe anything but a full automatic mechanism is using that term incorrectly. A military-style firearm is not capable of full automatic fire, but the fact that it resembles the military version is enough to confuse and frighten those with limited or no experience with them. If the Second Amendment is so woefully obsolete, then perhaps the same can be said about the entire Constitution? Why not scrap or "revise" the entire Bill of Rights, especially in a time where some choose servitude and dependency rather than freedom? The legislators in Colorado were recalled because they disregarded the will of the people, and the Constitution itself, because the laws they promoted were not reasonable, but invasive and would never stop criminals or the insane.
State National Guard units are part of the United States Army, and, in each state, are only on loan to governors and can be recalled by the federal government at any time, since the federal government has ultimate control over these units. Former Governor Dukakis found this out some time ago when he tried to make a court case out of not allowing Massachusetts National Guard units to be sent to El Salvador, since military operations conducted there during his term of office did not meet his personal approval. National Guardsmen wear the uniform of the U.S. Army, and a small patch on their sleeves does not confer ownership to any governor, and they are certainly not the private armies of any state governor.
Regarding firearm-related deaths, there have been comparisons and cross-comparisons of the United States with foreign countries for decades, but when deaths attributable to other forms of violence are considered, the seemingly rosy picture presented by these countries changes, as if being shot is the only violent thing that can happen to crime victims. Australia passed a national law some years ago following a mass homicide with a rifle and since then violent crime of every kind and description has accelerated, with the particularly frightening crime of home invasion being near the top of the list. This confiscatory new law mandated that all semiautomatic, slide action, pump action and lever action firearms be turned in for destruction, and law-abiding gun owners complied, while criminals and violent gangs must have laughed themselves breathless.
A criminal or maniac hellbent on committing murder will never be stopped by any gun law. The only thing that will stop a criminal attacker employing deadly force is an armed defender employing superior deadly force, and that is all there is to it. I believe that most people would prefer to have even half a chance rather than no chance, and not be relegated to the helpless position of sheep in a slaughter pen.
Michael F. Fontes
West Tisbury


text:
1. The election of the new Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, may be a "watershed" event. His powerful commitment to unlimited
quantitative easing could fundamentally
jumpstart the next leg of the gold bull market.
2. Please click
here now. You are looking at EWJ-nyse, an iShares ETF. It is a proxy for Japan's key Nikkei
index. Japanese stocks have been in a bear market for more than 20 years, but
this chart suggests that Shinzo Abe's policy
changes should not be taken lightly.
3. EWJ just burst above F3, which is the 3rd
fan line drawn from the $11.28 area high. When the price of an asset rises
above the 3rd fan line, it
usually signals the beginning of a significant move to the upside.
4. EWJ is also close to breaking above HSR (horizontal
support & resistance) near $9.50. Against the backdrop of the election of
Shinzo Abe, the technical action of the Japanese
stock market is very bullish.
5. Japan is the world's largest creditor nation,
and the 3rd largest economy. If Abe is successful in forcing the
Bank of Japan to embrace much more aggressive QE, it could spark what some
major bank economists are already calling, "The Great Reflation".
6. Most QE watchers had written off gold recently,
because they focused only on the QE4 unveiled by Ben Bernanke in America. The
election of Abe is forcing them to re-think their analysis, as it should.
7. Please click
here now. That's the daily chart for gold. I call the area above
$1800 the "green zone",
because it potentially represents a new floor for the price of gold. If the
Japanese stock market starts surging, it could create an institutional
"risk-on" buying
8. When the price was above $1800 in 2011, institutions
were already getting interested in gold and gold stocks. If Japan becomes a
global inflationary force, rather than a deflationary one, they could become
much more interested!
9. Rightly or wrongly, large institutional investors
view gold as a key risk-on asset, and a rise just to $1707 would likely usher
in substantial momentum-based buying.
10. Please click
here now. You are looking at the weekly FXY chart. It is a proxy for the
Yen. There is a massive head and shoulders top pattern in play,
and the neckline has been penetrated.
11. Abe is committed to knocking down the value of his
country's fiat currency, the Yen. His
election probably ushers in an acceleration of the global fiat currency wars,
and that's more good news for gold investors.
12. Gold stocks may benefit even more than gold does, as
Japan prepares to take on the role of global "QE leader". Please click
here now. That's the GDX daily chart, and I've highlighted
the 15,9 series of the TRIX indicator.
13. I refer to the TRIX as the "King Daddy" of technical
indicators, because the moves that follow crossover signals tend to be enormous.
14. When Ben Bernanke's QE4 was greeted as the end
of the road for American QE, I was a little worried that rather than flashing
a crossover buy signal, the TRIX was starting to "flat line".
15. I'm not worried now. Shinzo
Abe's election is probably the fundamental catalyst that creates a
powerful technical buy signal, for gold
16. It's hard to envision a "Great Global Reflation" without
the participation of financial stocks. Please click
here now.
17. After falling about 90% in 2008, this IYG iShares fund of global financial services stocks rallied
into HSR in the $54 area. From there, IYG "stalled", and began an enormous consolidation.
18. Now, an upside breakout has occurred, and I think it
will rise to $80, and then to a new high above $125.
19. It's important to understand that the Japanese
stock market is down about 75% from its 1989 highs. If a "Great Global Reflation" theme
takes hold around the world, a new bull market in Japan could pull other global
markets much higher, too.
20. Japanese retail investors could also become very
keen to own gold and gold stocks, if they believe that their Prime Minister
is about to embark on an extremely aggressive QE program.
21. What about junior gold stocks? Some have recently
"popped 100% higher",
like the first pieces of popcorn in a popping machine.
22. Some analysts have argued that a lot of mining
companies have run out of money, and few investors are willing to finance
them. That's true, but if inflation replaces deflation as the global
theme of institutional investors, the situation could reverse itself, very quickly.
23. Please click
here now. You are looking at the daily chart of GDXJ. Note the action of
both the 10,9 and 15,9 TRIX indicators. They are
exhibiting powerful buy signals. At this point in time, hedge funds that have
shorted junior gold stocks are probably rethinking their strategy.
24. I've argued that surprise is the theme of any
super-crisis. The actions of Shinzo Abe may soon
bring great surprise to most deflationists, and nice profits to gold stock
Special Offer For Website Readers: Please send me an email to email@example.com
and I'll send you my free "Japan,
Options, And You!" report. Learn how to play the great reflation
theme, using options on gold and gold stocks!


text:
Status Of Women In Islam
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Joined: 07 July 2012
Status: Offline
Points: 12
Topic: Status Of Women In Islam
Posted: 07 July 2012 at 5:54pm
As-Salamu Alaykum,
In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.
There have been many misunderstandings regarding how women are treating in Islam. There is no better way of explaining what status a woman has in Islam, than referring to the Holy book itself (Quran).
I have come across many Hadeeths and tried to find the one that would show exactly what I am trying to bring across in this message. "…And live with them in kindness…" (Quran 4:19)
The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) instructed all men to be good to their wives and show affection towards them. He said that the most perfect of believers in belief is the best of them in character. The best of you are those who are the best to their women. This itself shows how much consideration that he had towards this topic.
People do mistake Islamic teachings with what the cultures teach, people don't see how women are mistreated nearly everywhere. What we need to look at here is the fact that Islam gives so much respect to women, however the religion today is not shown in a very positive way. Do not paint a negative picture of something (Islam) just by hearing what people say or what the media shows you, do your research and read the Quran if you want the TRUTH ..
I have also come across this Hadeeth and thought it would be perfect to describe what the prophet (PBUH) felt about a pious women. The prophet (PBUH) said, "the whole world is a provision and the best object of benefit of the world is a pious woman"
The status of a believing woman in Islam:
When she is a daughter, she opens the door of jannah for her father
When she is a wife she completes half of the deen of her husband
When she is a mother jannah lies under her feet
I hope this made sense to you and helped
May Allah guide us to his Jannah
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Matt Browne
Senior Member
Joined: 19 April 2010
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 940
|Posted: 22 July 2012 at 8:38am
Please explain Qur'an 4:34. And Aisha is quoted to have said: "I have not seen any woman suffering as much as the believing women. Look! Her skin is greener than her clothes!" True?
A religion that's intolerant of other religions can't be the world's best religion --Abdel Samad
Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people--Eleanor Roosevelt
Joined: 07 July 2012
Status: Offline
Points: 12
|Posted: 23 July 2012 at 12:23pm
Firstly can I just add that, what you have quoted above is actually a Hadith (teachings of the prophet (PBUH) not a verse from the Quran.
The Hadith you are referring to is:
(Hadith, Bukhari, vol. 7, # 715)
And I can explain this to you but I am not a scholar so can you please talk to someone who has more knowledge about this topic. I do not want you to get the wrong information or wrong idea towards Islam.
He Who Can Bow Down To Allah Can Stand Up To Anything ..
Matt Browne
Senior Member
Joined: 19 April 2010
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 940
|Posted: 25 July 2012 at 8:47am
Here's another example:
Unlike a Muslim man, a Muslim woman can't marry a non-Muslim. Both the Qur'an and the Hadith are full of examples where women have less rights than men.
In fact there are also examples in the Bible. In the New Testament Paul told women to shut their mouths in church. The difference is that we Christians can examine the Bible critically. And Christianity can evolve. Today in many Protestant churches women can become ministers and bishops.
Edited by Matt Browne - 25 July 2012 at 8:48am
A religion that's intolerant of other religions can't be the world's best religion --Abdel Samad
Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people--Eleanor Roosevelt
Joined: 07 July 2012
Status: Offline
Points: 12
|Posted: 27 July 2012 at 6:12am
Our religion or Muslim men do not oppress women, infact the only thing that oppresses Muslim women are ignorant, judgemental people like you.
First of all men and women in Islam are prohibited to marry non- muslims, we can only marry them once they have converted to Islam. "Do not marry unbelieving women until they believe" (al-Baqarah, 221) This is straight forward, Allah (swt) is saying this to believing men and the same apply's for believing women.
The bible blames Eve for eating the apple where as the Quran holds both of them equally responsible. This is what God says to Adam in the bible, Genesis 3:17-19 "Because you listened to your wife's voice and took to eating from the tree concerning which I gave you this command, 'You must not eat from it,' cursed is the ground on your account". "Listened to your wife's voice" clearly states that Adam ate the apple because of Eve.
Aisha (ra) was reported to be a great scholar, she narrated over 2 thousand hadith's
It was the Prophet of Islam (pbuh) who was the first to acknowledge that "the wife is the empress of the husband's house," the first to declare that a man or woman's first duty is not to help his/her father first but he or she should attend to their mother's need first.
He also said the best among you (men) is the one who is best to his wife. He said that heaven lies beneath your mothers feet
The Holy Quran ordains: "Reverence God, through Whom ye demand your mutual rights, and reverence the wombs that bore you: for God ever watches over you." (Sura Nissaa, Verse 1)
The first person to embrace Islam was a lady -- Hazrat Khadijatu'l-Kubra (RA.
The first Shahid (martyr) was a lady -- Bibi Sumaya (RA).
My only advice to you would be read the Quran if you haven't read it or to actually talk to a Imam. Don't make judgements please.
He Who Can Bow Down To Allah Can Stand Up To Anything ..
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News, notes and observations Wednesday as the Raiders prepare to host the Miami Dolphins:
— Al Davis has a fondness for collecting players he liked coming out of the draft but were taken by someone else.
The latest is Jarvis Moss, the No. 17 overall pick out of Florida in 2007 who was waived by Denver a week ago after an unsatisfying three seasons.
As things were going badly for Moss in Denver, Davis was remained curious enough to mine Louis Murphy for information.
"He told me the owner had asked about me several times,'' Moss said. "It was all positive stuff so from my point of view that's good to know I'm wanted. Now I want to give, knowing that I was actually wanted and they gave me an opportunity.
"That just gives me more incentive to go to work and bust my tail wearing black.''
Upon his arrival, Moss said he had a "quick, cool conversation'' with Davis where he said he planned on giving it his all.
Moss, who will be used as a defensive end, said he thought he was just getting the hang of being a 3-4 outside linebacker when he got word he was being waived.
"I was actually getting used to it. It wasn't a hard transition,'' Moss told reporters following the Raiders morning walkthrough. "(Josh) McDaniels told me he didn't want me to just be a special teams guy there, I had done everything they asked of me, and we weren't parting ways on bad terms. He just gave me the opportunity to go start over and I'm happy about that.''
Moss, an angular 6-foot-7 and 258 pounds, had only 3.5 sacks with the Broncos and is hoping Oakland's emphasis on rushing the passer will pay off in better numbers.
"The D-line here has more sacks than the whole Bronco defense right now, so it could be a schematic thing,'' Moss said.
— Defensive tackle Richard Seymour limited his comments about his $25,000 fine and open-handed blow to the face of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a statement issued by the team.
Seymour actually got the statement to the Raiders Monday, but the club never made it public until Wednesday.
Rather than put it on their Web site, or on the normal Raider letterhead and distribute it to the media, the Raiders instead had the statement typed out on what looked as if it was a manual typewriter on a blank sheet of paper and then gave it to a single member of the media with the request to pass it around.
The statement read:
"I apologize to my teammates, fans and coach for my actions in yesterday's game. This is an emotional game that sometimes triggers frustrated reactions when you are out on the field. I reacted in a way that was unprofessional to the game and not in line with the respect that goes along with wearing the NFL shield and for that I apologize.''
Correction: A Raiders spokesman said Seymour's statement was put out through his own P.R. firm and not through the club. Near as anyone can tell, no one in the local media received the statement until it showed up in Alameda Wednesday.
While some players have looked at the three-game win streak as an example of what can be accomplished and as a way to put the Steelers loss aside, Seymour is of the "one game at a time'' ilk.
"I don't look at it as it was three in a row, we won one individual game and strung it together to another one,'' Seymour said. "In my mind, one game is really not connected to the next. Every game is its own individual game.
"Different matchups, you see it all the time, you beat me and then I turn around and beat someone who beat you, however it works out.''
— Punter Shane Lechler was part amused and part disgusted that game announcers Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts made such a big deal of his habit of using ammonia capsules before every punt.
"It's nothing I haven't been doing for the last seven years, something a lot of players in this league do before every series. There must not have been anything else to talk about.''
— Davone Bess, the Miami wide receiver and former Skyline High School product, grew up on 77th and Rudsdale within sight distance of the Coliseum. He was a fan of the Raiders, A's and Warriors.
Bess paid very close attention to one Raiders receiver in particular, and in some ways modeled his game after him.
"Tim Brown, man, that was my guy,'' Bess told Bay Area reporters by conference call.
Since 2008, Bess has 179 receptions, the most in franchise history for a receiver in his first three seasons.
Signed by Miami as an undrafted free agent after a productive career in the run-and-shoot offense at Hawaii, Bess never got a sniff from the Raiders.
"Me and my agent talked about it but they never reached out,'' Bess said.
Bess said he bought between 55 and 60 tickets and expects even more people to turn out on his behalf.
Although he never had the speed Brown had coming out of Notre Dame, his game has similar elements to Brown as a veteran player.
"One of the things with (Brown) is he was so quarterback friendly. The guy was a very, very smart player and always in the quarterback's face as far as visibility out there in routes, uncovering, doing some of the things that I always talk to my guys about, moving without the ball. Kind of like basketball,'' Miami coach Tony Sparano said. "With Davone, he's kind of done that at a young stage. He really does a god job of working with the quarterback, quarterback friendly is what we call it.''
— Miami has a lot of key players who have been hurt, but Sparano was keeping it close to the vest as to who would be available.
The list includes quarterback Chad Henne (knee), offensive left tackle Jake Long (shoulder) and wide receiver Brandon Marshall (hamstring). Henne has been getting some work in practice.
If Henne can't play, Tyler Thigpen would start for Miami.
Interesting note on Thigpen _ he's 1-11 as a starter with the lone win coming on Nov. 30 against the Raiders.
Put another way, he's 1-0 in games where the opponent tries a trick play in which the punter laterals the ball through his legs to a 250-pound place kicker, expecting him to turn the corner for a first down, resulting in a fumble return for the defense.
— Speaking of fumbles, one of the Raiders' first drills Wednesday during the coldest practice of the year was practicing scooping up fumbles.
Whether it's the drill or just plain luck, recovering their own fumbles continues to be a Raiders' strength. Oakland has the most fumbles in the NFL with 25 but has lost only five of them.


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text:
Like many of the bands that make it into the annual flurry of Top 10 lists, consensus itself may be a bit overrated. This was a year without a central nation-galvanizing album — and last year's, Adele's "21," was the highest-selling this year, too. Without an obvious album of the year, critics can enjoy a more free-roaming diet.
Suffice it to say, it was a filling year. Our picks for the year's best albums come from the tip-top of the charts and the very edges of the underground, representing rock, folk, electronic, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, classical, world music, and all the hybrids in between.
Because so much of our favorite music arrives unattached from albums these days, we've gathered up some of our favorite tracks of the year. And no, "Gangnam Style" isn't one of them — so perhaps consensus isn't dead after all.


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Brussels, 27th September 2007
Two new European coordinators for the trans-European transport networks
The Commission, on a proposal from Vice-President Barrot, has just appointed two new European coordinators in the trans-European transport networks sector: Mrs Karla Peijs for inland waterways and Mr Luis Valente de Oliveira for the "motorways of the sea". These coordinators will facilitate the dialogue between the Member States concerned so as to synchronise the work and the financing plans better. "These projects are essential for developing a sustainable transport policy, but they also have considerable implementation problems to tackle: the choice of these two well-known personalities in the transport world will guarantee success", said Mr Barrot.
The Commission had already adopted, on 20 July 2005, a decision on the designation of six European coordinators to facilitate the coordinated implementation of certain priority projects between Member States. The European coordinators have become reference figures and their work has had a positive impact on these projects.
Encouraged by this successful experience, Vice-President Barrot has proposed to the Commission to designate two new coordinators: Mrs Karla Peijs for inland waterways and Mr Luis Valente de Oliveira for the "motorways of the sea".
Mrs Karla Peijs was the Dutch Minister of Transport from 2003 to 2006. Before that, between 1989 and 2003 she was a Member of the European Parliament. She is now going to be in charge, in particular, of priority projects 18 ("Rhine/Meuse-Main-Danube") and 30 ("Inland waterway Seine-Scheldt"). These two projects are essential to improving the cohesion of the trans-European inland waterway network and making this mode of transport more competitive. The first concerns the removal of several bottlenecks which are severely restricting the efficiency of the Rhine-Main-Danube route but at the same time are in sensitive natural environments. The second aims in particular to fill an important gap in the network by connecting the North Sea ports with the Paris Basin.
Mr Luis Valente de Oliveira has performed a number of roles in the Portuguese Government in recent years, having been, in particular, Minister for Regional Planning and Administration from 1985 to 1995 and Minister for Public Works, Transport and Housing from 2002 to 2003. Developing the "motorways of the sea", now to be his responsibility, is intended to ease the modal shift in goods transport from road to sea. It consists in setting up regular high-quality maritime connections between different European Union seaports, to form a fully-integrated multimodal chain which will overcome road transport bottlenecks while at the same time better integrating the EU's outlying regions and islands.
For more information on the trans-European transport networks see:
Side Bar


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I thought it was an exciting game. I think the defenses made it look sloppy because they are so good. Each team knows each others offenses so,well, it gets to the third fourth fifth option and then someone has to make a desperation play.
Bold last pass to Green for the 3 pointer from the corner. I thought Bosh fouled him, but by then, the refs had put away their whistles.


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"What can schools learn from why millions of people of all ages are turning to online gaming and online virtual environments? I've been reading this book by Jane Mcgonigal on the effect of and reasons why millions of people of all ages are turning to online gaming and online virtual environments. Here's Jane at TED http://ow.ly/fr2Ag ; summarizing the book in 15 minutes. The basic premise is that the continuous feedback and desire for self-improvement becomes the drive to continue."
It goes as far as to say that games that have a definitive end and can be won are less appealing. A classic example is "Tetris" which became one of the most popular games in history regardless of not being able to win it! It never ends, you just continue to challenge yourself to last longer each time, whilst receiving continuous visual and sound feedback.
Via John Evans


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A North Andover man will spend up to four years in state prison for his role in a sprawling criminal enterprise led by reputed New England mob boss Mark Rossetti, prosecutors said.
Joseph Giallanella, 64, received a 2-to-4-year prison sentence Monday from Judge Maynard M. Kirpalani in Essex Superior Court, District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett's office said in a statement.
A lawyer for Giallanella, Michael J. Callanan, declined to comment.
Giallanella pleaded guilty in January to several charges including managing a gaming enterprise, criminal usury, and being an accessory after the fact of larceny, the statement said.
An investigation of his loan-sharking and gambling activity in 2009 led to a probe of organized crime across Eastern Massachusetts, according to prosecutors.
The inquiry culminated in the indictments in October 2010 of about 30 people who allegedly belonged to the outfit headed by Rossetti, formerly of East Boston. The defendants, many of whom have been convicted, were charged with crimes including drug trafficking, extortion, gaming, loan-sharking, home invasion, kidnapping, and illegal possession of firearms.
Rossetti, 53, is serving multiple state prison sentences for convictions of breaking and entering and heroin trafficking. The Globe reported in 2011 that Rossetti was acting as an FBI informant while State Police were investigating him.
He still has charges pending in Suffolk County.
John T. Dawley, an Essex prosecutor, requested that Giallanella be sentenced to five to seven years for his role in the Rossetti organization, according to Blodgett's office.
"This defendant is at the top of the pyramid of an organized loan-sharking and bookmaking enterprise which is the lifeblood of traditional organized crime," Dawley said in his sentencing argument, according to the statement. "He collected gaming debts and street loans using threats and violence."
Dawley added, "While people choose to associate with and do business with the defendant at their own peril, society is nevertheless harmed when those people in turn steal substantial amounts of money from legitimate businesses to cover their own gaming losses."
An employee of a Wakefield corporation who owed Giallanella money stole nearly $1.8 million from the company, Dawley said.
Giallanella has more charges pending in Middlesex County, including assault and battery, witness intimidation, and attempted extortion, the statement said. Attorney General Martha Coakley's office is handling that prosecution.Travis Andersen can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.


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Chevrolet unveiled five Camaro concepts at the annual Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association convention today.
Chevy claims each represents a "different vision of style, personalization and performance."
Currently the retro Camaro is sold out at least through the end of this year. It is one of GM's few clear-cut successes as it attempts to regain momentum after emerging from bankruptcy this past summer.
The Camaro concept vehicles include:
- A "race-ready," twin-turbocharged V6 concept built for talk show host and auto enthusiast Jay Leno.
- The Camaro Synergy concept, which has a new, limited-production exterior color due next spring. Chevy says it is "accented" with a number of production accessories and custom touches.
- The Camaro Chroma, an SS-based concept with a number of proposed future accessories.
- The Camaro Dusk, which incorporates current and proposed accessories to create a "contemporary tuner aesthetic."
- Camaro Graphics, highlighting six proposed accessory graphics packages, with online voting by the public to gauge interest in potential future production of one or more of the packages.


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Regular price: £10.19
Through the eyes and words of survivors and victims alike, as well as the careful research for which Newberry Honor Award winner Jim Murphy is known, listeners will experience one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history and understand why, from that day on, life in the United States was forever changed.
For family listening, ages 8 and up.
This is a well written report on the freak blizzard that covered the Northeast in 1888 and brought about changes in the law and in people's habits. Power lines were buried; garbage and manure were no longer allowed to he dumped in the streets and more responsibility was required from the factory owners for their employees welfare. There were stories of fortitude and occasional gallantry as well as a few of sociopaths in human form. Though 125 years have passed many circumstances seem similar to today. Natural disasters serve to remind us that for all of technological advances in our world we're never exempt from the laws of nature. Hurricanes Eileen or Sandy demonstrated that in the northeast in 2011 and 2012. I lived in Boston in the eighties where the blizzard of 1978 had already become legend. It's apropos that nature reminds us occasionally that our power is limited.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Each generation endures Storms of the Century that are promptly forgotten by succeeding generations. This book takes you into the heart of New York and New England for a breath taking tour of a storm that challenged the way we did things back in the late 19th century. One can feel the snap of the wind or the bitterness of the cold in the prose as well as the reading. A fine short read.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I have a great interest in weather, so his lack of information as it related to accumulations of snow, left me a bit empty in the end. Having said that, the author does a wonderful job placing you in the position of each character. Why they decided to go out, why they stayed, and when they risked life to help others. It was a enjoyable, and when the memory of details in the story fade, I will listen to it again.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I was on the edge of my seat at times and couldn't put this story down. I loved the details in this story.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This is a good historical look at how difficult the weather made life in the past. I grew up with blizzards, but in a rural midwestern area. This looked at blizzards in the city. I liked it.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful


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Hartsville, SC- The Coker College Men's Soccer team fell to Pfeiffer University, 3-0 in their final game of the season on Saturday afternoon. The loss drops to Coker 6-12 overall, and 2-8 in Conference Carolinas play, while the Falcons improve to 10-6-1 overall and 6-3-1 in the conference.
Pfeiffer jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 37 minute mark, as Matthew Harris scored on a penalty kick. All though Coker controlled the first half of play, the score remained 1-0 entering the half.
In the second half the Falcons struck early, just three minutes into the half, as Matthew Denton found the back of the net with a jumping header off a corner kick from Wilver Menacho.
Pfeiffer held the two goal advantage until the 83rd minute when they put the nail in the coffin with a goal from Davi Lorenzo, assisted by Renato Barbosa.
Coker and the Pfeiffer had an even 10 shots apiece, but only two of those were on frame for the Cobras. Alex Moreneo earned the shutout for the Falcons, while Adam Danziger (Palmetto, FL) and Ryan Lewis (Satellite Beach, FL) combined for four Cobras saves.
Coker honored seniors, Jake Wyman (Bradenton, FL) and Olivier Harper (Orlando, FL) before the match, as they played in their final home game.
Soccer Game Summary (Final)
The Automated ScoreBook For Soccer
Pfeiffer University vs Coker College (Oct 27, 2007 at Hartsville, SC)
Pfeiffer University (10-6-1, 6-3-1) vs. Coker College (6-12, 2-8)
Date: Oct 27, 2007 Attendance: 100
Weather: partly sunny
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
Pfeiffer University. 1 2 - 3
Coker College....... 0 0 - 0
1. 37:00 PUMS07 Harris,Matthew Penalty kick
2. 48:57 PUMS07 Denton,Matthew (Menacho,Wilver) - header off corner into right corner
3. 83:04 PUMS07 Lorenzo,Davi (Barbosa,Renato) - faked out keeper in box
Shots: Pfeiffer University 10, Coker College 10
Saves: Pfeiffer University 2 (Moreno,Alex 2), Coker College 4 (Adam
Danziger 3; Ryan Lewis 1)


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Topic: Exhibitions
Wilhelm II and Anna Pavlovna with their family, 1832. Artist: Jean-Baptiste Van der Hulst (1790-1862)
In 2013, the Netherlands, Russia, and the city of Amsterdam will celebrate their special relationship. The two countries have been major trading partners since the Dutch Golden Age, and their ties grew stronger in the centuries that followed. When Napoleon was defeated in 1813, Russian Cossacks advanced as far as the gates of Amsterdam.
On 21 February 1816 at the Chapel of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the daughter of Emperor Paul I, Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna married Wilhelm the Prince of Orange, who would later become King William II of the Netherlands.
In honour of Russia-Netherlands Year, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg will host an exhibition dedicated to Anna Pavlovna and Wilhelm II, in the Armorial Hall of the Winter Palace. The exhibition will open on 25th September, 2013 and run until 12th January, 2014.
© Paul Gilbert @ Royal Russia. 05 February, 2013
Updated: Tuesday, 5 February 2013 5:30 AM EST
Permalink | Share This Post


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Words by Mr Jeremy Langmead
Sometimes you hear about a new show, catch an episode and then, almost instantly, you're hooked. It's annoying: not only is that yet another evening removed from your "let's go for a drink" roster, it's precious mind-time sacrificed to wondering how the characters are going to cope with the latest plot twists. And it means you're going to like your friends a little less if they don't share your enthusiasm. USA Network's hit TV series Suits, which first premiered in the US last June, is one of those shows: it's a slick, witty, intelligent and stylish legal drama that very quickly took the MR PORTER offices by storm.
A suit is a piece of sartorial armour that can serve a man through every battle and triumph he faces - from bar to boardroom
Fortunately, we're not the only ones to have succumbed to the show's charms: 24 million US viewers watched the first season - a season that aired in 42 territories internationally. So it seemed only right - and not too selfish of us - to dedicate an entire edition of The Journal to the show on the eve of the second season premiere on 14 June - and of course its array of suits and apparel. After all, a suit is a piece of sartorial armour that can serve a man through every battle and triumph he faces - from bar to boardroom. It is the easiest, most flattering item we can wear. A good piece of tailoring can straighten backs, flatten stomachs and mask hangovers, imbuing its wearer with confidence and clout. What's not to like?
star quality
on screen
From left: Mr Gabriel Macht as hotshot lawyer Harvey Specter and Mr Patrick J Adams as his understudy Mike Ross in Suits
off screen
From left: Mr Macht, Ms Gina Torres (who plays Jessica Pearson in Suits) and Mr Adams at the USA Network Upfront event in New York, May 2012
the red carpet
Mr Macht and his wife, Ms Jacinda Barrett, at the AFI Fest Opening Night Gala Screening of Love and Other Drugs, Los Angeles, November 2010
While there have been some momentously stylish suit wearers on television, the current prize has to go to Harvey Specter, one of the two main characters in Suits, played by the actor Mr Gabriel Macht. Mr Macht gets to wear impeccably tailored suits from Tom Ford, handsomely proportioned ties confidently fastened with a half Windsor knot, and the final flourish of a natty pocket square. It's a look that manages to be traditional and yet supremely contemporary. Mr Macht describes it as "Cary Grant meets Steve McQueen". But however superficial we may sometimes appear, ultimately it's the plotlines, not the hemlines, of this fictional New York law firm that have us gripped week after week. How will Mike Ross (played by the SAG-nominated actor Mr Patrick J Adams), the brilliant college dropout who accidentally inveigled his way on to the staff of one of the city's finest legal closers, keep the truth about his background a secret as he helps his boss battle and bluff his way through some of the toughest legal cases in the city?
We visited the show's set in Toronto and interviewed Mr Macht and Mr Adams about their own personal style, as well as that of the characters they play; we've also picked out our favourite suits of the season (and told you how to find one that suits you). In other words, we've brought alive, and together, the worlds of both Suits and MRPORTER.COM. Enjoy the ride!


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Dress It Up Cute as a Button Bulletin BoardBack to category
Dress It Up Cute as a Button Bulletin Board
This would look so cute hanging in your child's room!
Project Details
- Level:beginner
- Time:2 hours
Project Instructions
1Project time does not include the drying time for the Mod Podge.
2Take the glass and backing out of the frame and begin ripping your decorative cardstock.
3Coat an area of your frame with Mod Podge and stick your piece of cardstock to it, coating over the cardstock to flatten it out. Cover your entire frame. (Tip: its OK if the edges are not crisp and clean at this point.) Let Mod Podge dry.
4While waiting for the Mod Podge to dry, use the craft knife to cut your corkboard to the size of the frames opening.
5Put your fabric face down on your workspace and place the cork on top of your fabric. Cut the fabric around the cork, leaving at least an inch on all sides.
6Stretch and glue the fabric to the back of the cork, making sure the fabric stays tight all the way around.
7Cut strips of ribbon and lay them out on your fabric in desired pattern. Glue the ribbon to the edges of the cork/fabric. Once all of the ribbons are glued in place, flip it over and secure the ribbons to the back with glue.
8When the Mod Podge is dry, put the frame face down on your cutting mat and carefully cut any excess cardstock away from the edges of the frame.
9Place and secure the fabric and ribbon covered cork into the frame.
10Write desired sentiment (such as Cute as a Button) on a separate piece of second piece of decorative cardstock using marker.
11Cut fun shapes out of a third piece of decorative cardstock. Line the back of the cardstock with lace trim, securing with hot glue.
12Determine layout of buttons around frame.
13Glue cardstock//lace trim pieces and buttons to frame.


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Gov. LePage to unveil plan to repay Maine hospitals about $484M
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) � Gov. Paul LePage is ready to announce his plan to return nearly half a billion dollars owed to the state's hospitals.
The Republican governor has scheduled a news conference Tuesday at the University of New England's under construction dental school in Portland.
The governor says Maine hospitals are owed $484 million. If the state pays $186 million, that triggers a $298 million federal match.
The governor said in a statement that the federal match rate decreases the longer the bills go unpaid, so paying them is critical to the state economy.
The unpaid bills represent MaineCare payments that date to 2009.
The hospital payment plan is part of larger jobs plan LePage says will spur investment in the state economy.


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Alyeska Pipeline, the BP-led consortium that operates the 800-mile Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), has implemented deep budget cuts, deferred work on a number of important maintenance and upgrade projects, failed to study how relocating engineers would impact the safe operations and long-term integrity of the pipeline and is led by a chief executive who was described by the company's five vice presidents as "intimidating," "demeaning," "aggressive," "confrontational," "unpredictable," "polarizing," "withering," "edgy," "vulgar" and "inappropriate."
Those are just some of the critical findings contained in a closely-held report, obtained exclusively by Truthout, that was prepared by two attorneys hired by Alyeska to investigate widespread safety concerns raised by a senior employee in an anonymous letter to BP's Office of the Ombudsman alleging TAPS is vulnerable to a catastrophic spill.
Click here to listen to Jason Leopold discuss this report on Alaska Public Radio.
Charles Thebaud and Jane Diecker of the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, conducted the four-month probe and turned over their report in mid-June to TAPS' owners BP, ConocoPhillips Transportation Alaska, ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, Unocal Pipeline Company and Koch Alaska Pipeline Company.
Truthout documented some of the findings of Thebaud's investigation and the safety and integrity concerns raised by nearly a dozen Alyeska and BP officials in an investigative report published last month.
Alyeska has not shared a copy of Thebaud's report with its employees and the company downplayed many of the report's conclusions in a company-wide email distributed June 30 signed by TAPS' owners.
Thebaud's report paints a picture of a company where employees suffer from low morale, have a deep mistrust of senior executives and fear retaliation if they openly discuss or raise concerns about safety and integrity issues with them.
The harshest criticism was reserved for Chief Executive Officer Kevin Hostler, a BP executive "on loan" to Alyeska who admittedly uses "anger" to "obtain results," in violation of Alyeska's own code of conduct. Hostler announced his retirement from the company, effective in September, one day after the publication of Truthout's report last month.
"Although lawful, [Hostler's] leadership style and demeanor have affected the work environment," the report's executive summary says. "Employees at various levels of the organizations, in [Fairbanks, Anchorage and Valdez], have either witnessed or heard about [the CEO's] interactions with his executives. Their observations or perceptions have adversely affected some employees' willingness to raise concerns to [Hostler] and senior management, particularly for non-core issues."
Hostler's "conduct has had consequences, even among the executives," the report added. "The group is admittedly 'consciously cautious' and 'wary' in how they approach [Hostler] and in the topics they raise. In fact, some are hesitant to raise 'non-core' issues with [Hostler], given his unpredictability and demeanor."
The five Alyeska vice presidents who were critical of Hostler are: Mike Joynor, Greg Jones, Jordan Jacobson, the company's general counsel, Mike Muckenthaler, Alyeska's chief financial officer, and Kristi Acuff, who recently retired as senior vice president, employee external relations.
In his own defense, Hostler told Thebaud, "he can become particularly angry if he believes that 'safety has been ignored.'" That statement, according to a dozen senior BP and Alyeska officials who were interviewed for this story and reviewed Thebaud's report, said is "laughable" and "a flat out lie."
"It's when you discuss safety concerns that he lashes out," said one top Alyeska executive who has interacted with Hostler over years. "Raising safety concerns means Alyeska will have to spend money and Kevin Hostler and BP do not want to invest money to make sure this pipeline operates safely. That's a fact."
Prior to being named chief executive of Alyeska, Hostler spent 27 years with BP, most recently as senior vice president of BP's global human resources organization. Before that, Hostler was head of BP's subsidiary in Colombia.
The report said employees have been lodging complaints against Hostler since 2007, which senior officials in Alyeska's human resources (HR) department failed to address.
In fact, Thebaud's report also documented widespread problems in the human resources division.
Click here to sign up for Truthout's FREE daily email updates.
Interviews with employees "revealed a significant weakness in the quality of the work environment in [human resources]" and determined that the "majority of the [human resources] personnel interviewed do not believe that an open work environment [to express concerns] exists in HR."
"The HR Director, has a management style that her staff and peers view as aloof and ... confrontational," his report says. "Regardless of the factors giving rise to the current situation, the work environment in HR requires attention. A substantial segment of the workers mistrusts the organization's leader [Theresa Guim] and is reluctant to raise concerns. The situation ... must be addressed."
The report also said "morale is low" at the Valdez Terminal, where employees who respond to spills work. Thebaud's report said employees do not trust Kathy Zinn, Alyeska's Valdez Terminal director, because of her close ties to Hostler and her own brash management style. Numerous employees have left the Valdez Terminal in recent months and the report suggests that the departures may be directly related to Zinn's leadership.
Scrutiny Following Oil Spill
Alyeska has been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent months following a 4,500-barrel oil spill at one of its pump stations on the North Slope in May, which, according to a copy of a separate 17-page internal report into the circumstances behind that incident, was largely the result of the company continuously repeating past mistakes. The investigation was conducted by six Alyeska employees who have operational, maintenance, engineering and operational discipline experience as well as a process safety managment and Root Cause Analysis Subject Matter experct.
The spill at pump station 9, about 100 miles southwest of Fairbanks, resulted when oil started to flow back into the tank, after a backup battery system failed during a planned shutdown. Because the power was out and the facility was not manned with trained operators, no one recognized that the relief valves, which open during an outage, were discharging oil into the tank, which eventually overflowed and spilled. The incident forced Alyeska to shut down the pipeline for three days.
The facility is usually unmanned, another cost-cutting measure implemented by Alyeska as part of its long-delayed "strategic reconfiguration plan," an "efficiency" measure implemented by TAPS' owners to address declining oil production on Prudhoe Bay.
But a work crew was nearby at the time of the power outage because of the planned shutdown. The report said the pump station 9 was being shutdown in order to test the fire detection system, which includes isolation of primary power. During one of the tests, two uninterrupted power supply systems failed. The uninterrupted power supply was supposed to provide backup power, but when it failed, it caused critical station control systems to shut down.
When power is lost, five of the pump station's relief valves are supposed to kick into an open position to prevent pipeline overpressure and flow into tank 190. But according to the report, also lost along with the uninterrupted power supply failure were audible and visual alarms when relief valves open at 5 percent or more. The operators, according to the report, did not realize that a power failure causes the relief valves to open into tank 190. The tank then overfilled and spilled crude oil into the containment area.
The report noted that at least four serious incidents have occurred at pump station 9 since 2007, including one on March 22, 2007, that was nearly identical to the spill in May and almost caused an explosion at the facility, but the company has failed to learn from the operational mistakes that caused those accidents.
"A number of significant incidents on TAPS over the last several years, demonstrate a trend of operational discipline deficiencies similar to those at [tank 190]," the Root Cause Analysis and Post Accident Review report said.
Although Alyeska implemented recommendations from reports into past incidents, "there is recognition of a need for significant improvement in the organization's ability to effectively learn from these experiences and prevent recurrence. The previous incident actions have been completed, however, they did not result in the cultural and behavioral changes ... Reports and recommendations from previous incidents have not been communicated well throughout the organization."
A BP master root cause specialist with behavioral safety as well as business management experience reviewed the internal report into the spill and said the findings "indicate a deep and widespread problem that is likely to be reflective not just of the operating environment but also maintenance and integrity management discipline ... and highlights a clear and significant risk to the safe operation of TAPS."
The BP official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the uninterrupted power supply failure and the fact that the pump station is usually unmanned caused the operations control center located in Anchorage to lose all visibility with the facility and was unable to obtain crucial operational data about what unfolded.
"This is the inherent weakness of strategic reconfiguration: unmanned pump station," the BP official said. "This event could have been much worse if it had occurred when people were not there. Everything is dependent on no power failures, redundant power supplies to work and all equipment to set up in the right safe condition upon loss of power."
The BP official added that he believes the investigation into the spill "is fundamentally flawed because it does not identify the real root causes that resulted from a failed [uninterrupted power supply] breaker and the response of [Alyeska] personnel to the power outage.
"The recommendations resulting from this investigation as well as other investigations identified in the report lack specificity as to what [Alyeska] needs to do in order to prevent future failures of equipment and people," the BP official said. "Investigators were not able to replicate the breaker failure and therefore were not able to identify a root cause for the failure. This means that the device remains in service with the likelihood of a similar failure in the future."
The BP officials said the report's recommendations, that corrective action should focus heavily on communication and training do not "strongly influence or motivate behavioral changes.
"The condition described by the investigation report and its scale indicates a deep and widespread problem that is likely to be reflective not just of the operating environment but also maintenance and integrity management discipline," the BP official said. "What was described as an operating discipline issue is likely not to be an isolated condition but reflective of the entirety of [Alyeska's] operation including management of the TAPS mechanical integrity." The report underscores "a complete lack of management leadership to motivate personnel without fear of retaliation to perform their job duties with the highest degree of integrity and with rigorous discipline."
TAPS owners have "abdicated their responsibility for proper management of [the pipeline] to a BP executive [Hostler] who exhibits the same flawed management qualities that characterize the BP leadership culture which have led to numerous integrity incidents in the last five years," the BP official added. "You could describe TAPS as Alaska's ticking time bomb because of flawed leadership, flawed management, lack of rigorous operational discipline and loss of skilled and experienced staff. The numerous incidents preceding the [spill at pump station 9] are harbingers of a worse event that will happen unless an intervention by an owner with a stronger management culture occurs." (A detailed story on the circumstances that led up to the spill will be published later this week.)
The BP official said both the Thebaud and pump station 9 reports are cause for serious concern.
"The public, State of Alaska, Department of Transportation and Congress should be alarmed by the findings of the two reports," the BP official said. Alyeska "is a deeply distressed organization and has a serious systemic issue with operational discipline that is likely indicative of a bigger problem with serious integrity management implications."
Patricia Klinger, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), said in an interview last month that the circumstances behind the spill are still under investigation by federal regulators.
Additionally, Klinger said a corrective action order was issued to Alyeska May 27, requiring the company to keep personnel on site 24-hours a day, seven days a week and perform inspections every 30 minutes for "leaks and any abnormal operations or activities."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, last week called on Alyeska to conduct its own internal review of the pipeline, in areas such as maintenance and leak detection, to ensure its operating safely.
Alyeska said the company would hire a third party to conduct an independent review of TAPS after Alaska State Rep. David Guttenberg (D-Fairbanks), who has been critical of the company's cost-cutting measures, said Alyeska could not be trusted to investigate itself.
Anonymous Email Sparks Probe
The investigation conducted by Thebaud and Diecker into the safety issues at Alyeska was sparked by an anonymous three-page email sent to BP's Office of the Ombudsman last December by an Alyeska employee identified as "Afraidaspill."
In that letter, Afraidaspill wrote that Alyeska's Employee Concerns Program (ECP) "is non functional" and that was one of the reasons BP's Office of the Ombudsman was initially contacted about the safety and budgetary issues. The email noted that BP's Deputy Ombudsman, Billie Garde, an attorney, had previously represented Alyeska whistleblowers. Garde also formerly worked for Alyeska.
Thebaud's report said BP's ombudsman's office then sent Afraidaspill's email to Alyeska's general counsel and, in February, attorneys for TAPS' owners directed Morgan, Lewis & Bockius "to conduct this privileged, independent investigation on behalf of Alyeska ... without guidance, direction, or oversight from Alyeska management."
Thebaud and Diecker conducted 66 interviews with Alyeska executives, directors, managers, supervisors and "individual contributors" during the course of their investigation and obtained 200 internal company documents from a senior research analyst in Alyeska's legal department. The questions asked were based on a review of the documents, says the report, which is marked "attorney-client privilege."
Afraidaspill's email raised concerns "in seven general topic areas affecting Alyeska personnel and operations," Thebaud's report says. "The allegations relate to all three major Alyeska locations - Anchorage, Fairbanks and Valdez."
The BP official said what's interesting about Thebaud's report is that it "narrowly examines [Afraidaspill's] concerns with exactness for substantiation of the concern exactly to the words used to define the concern."
For example, the email described Alyeska vice presidents as "neutered," "spineless" and "worn down." Thebaud's report said his probe determined that company officials are neither "neutered," "spineless" nor "worn down" and, therefore, the accusation was unsubstantiated.
"That is very unusual and a narrow viewpoint," the BP officials said. "To me this was deliberate so that [TAPS owners] could say that they could not substantiate the concerns rather than examine the meaning of the concerns."
Stanley Sporkin, BP's ombudsman, and Garde, were both said to be distressed by Thebaud's final report, which substantiated some of the initial concerns, but ultimately concluded that the issues in the Afraidaspill email and correspondence their office received from other employees had no immediate impact on the integrity of the pipeline.
Sporkin and Garde were in Anchorage last week meeting with BP officials to discuss the report and register their disapproval with the results of the investigation, Alyeska and BP officials said. Ironically, in 2006 and 2007, Garde was working with Alyeska on revitalizing their employee concerns' program and helped the company establish an open work environment, which Thebaud's report identified as areas of major concern for employees that contributed to the issues at the center of the Afraidaspill email.
Some senior Alyeska employees, who reviewed Thebaud's report, said they believed it ultimately amounts to a "whitewash" because it failed to absorb how low morale, poor leadership and a culture of fear has already affected the safe operations of a pipeline that moves anywhere from 600,000 to 700,000 barrels of oil per day and accounts for 15 percent of the country's oil supply. The employees pointed to the spill at pump station 9 as evidence of how these issues have affected pipeline safety and integrity.
Fears that the investigation would be whitewashed was a prediction Afraidaspill made in an email sent June 21 to Pasha Eatedali, an attorney who works in BP's Ombudsman's office, inquiring about the status of Thebaud's report.
"Concerned that the report will be whitewashed," the email said. "Since Alyeska is paying for [Thebaud's investigation], there's a belief that the concern report will not truly relate to the owners state of affairs at Alyeska and the irresponsible decisions that have been made by the President that will/have resulted in concern for safety and integrity," says the email, which was obtained by Truthout.
This wouldn't be the first time Thebaud has been accused of whitewashing a report concerning Alyeska. In 2006, Robert Glen Plumlee, an Alyeska financial executive, had accused Thebaud of covering up his claims of widespread financial malfeasance and retaliation by Hostler after he disclosed to Thebaud and federal investigators that he was pressured to boost estimates of how much Alyeska was spending to fight corrosion on TAPS. Neither Thebaud nor Diecker returned a call for comment.
"Bow Wave"
Although Thebaud's report downplayed the significance the issues raised in the Afraidaspill email would have on the integrity of the pipeline, he did find cause for concern in many of the allegations raised in the email.
One of the main issues alleged that Alyeska, at the direction of BP, implemented budget cuts "over the last couple of years" that has resulted in a "large 'bow wave' of deferred projects and program work," which can result "in an unsafe work place and potential for an environmental spill."
"The oversight of the integrity of the system is at risk," Afraidaspill's email said.
Thebaud's report said Alyeska slashed its 2010 budget by about $80 million last year due to the "global economic recession and other [unknown] circumstances" resulting in "significant reductions in almost all of the major programs."
However, "the reductions did not ... compromise Alyeska's safety, its environmental stewardship, or the integrity of TAPS," Thebaud's report said.
But a top BP official told Truthout last month "there is a cogent argument for closer TAPS attention because of its age and lower flow rate that create new and unique integrity concerns."
Still, "the Alyeska CEO and executives readily acknowledge that funding constraints and other circumstances have caused the deferral of some work," according to the report. "Thus far, however, the deferred work has been work that could be safely and lawfully deferred. But in time, deferral will cease to be an option as conditions or regulatory commitments compel completion of the work."
The report added that Alyeska officials are now "working with the Owners to develop a realistic, long-term budget that accounts for the timely performance of the previously deferred work" to address the potential safety issues from delaying work on the pipeline, which suggests the company never put together a long-term budget plan.
The report said, "In the past, the budget process focused primarily on whether work had to be done in the following year. Now, Alyeska is creating a five-year project plan to address the 'bow wave' with the intent of leveling the work over a three-year period and providing the needed funds. They are particularly concerned about the compression of work over the 2012-2015 period.
"Part of the new long-range planning process will be to identify the risk of not completing a project in any given future year so that the Company and the Owners can plan for when a project can (and must) be completed. Thus, the [Afraidaspill email] correctly notes the existence of a 'bow wave' and the potential consequences if the future work is not performed. Alyeska management and the Owners recognize both the condition and the consequences and are taking steps to address the situation."
The BP official who reviewed the report said the "bow wave" of "capital projects are also indicative of the flawed BP leadership culture because it arises out of the need to generate short-term performance goals."
"This is how it is linked to the CEO's performance - to deliver short-term financial results and deferring the long-term to his future replacement," the BP official said. "That is how the game is played within BP. It is the same type of practice of maintenance deferrals that ultimately led to the North Slope spills in 2006."
Little Regard for Emergencies
Thebaud's report said a controversial cost-cutting measure implemented by Hoslter last November, also identified in the Afraidaspill email, to relocate more than 30 Alyeska employees from Fairbanks to Anchorage - more than 300 miles away from the pipeline - was done with "surprisingly little consideration to the potential effect of the relocation on the company's emergency preparedness and response."
The relocation, which has been the subject of inquiries by Guttenberg, the Alaska state Representative and most recently, Congress, affects about 30 engineers, scientists and technicians, who are directly responsible for the monitoring and maintenance of the integrity, safety and environmental compliance of TAPS. If integrity management employees need to immediately respond to an incident on the pipeline, they will now have to travel by airplane to Fairbanks, then drive to the area of the pipeline that requires attention. The pipeline does not run through Anchorage.
Hostler's decision to relocate employees to Anchorage reverses a decision made in 1997 by then-Alyeska President Bob Malone, to move employees from Anchorage to Fairbanks to be closer to the pipeline so they could easily access it in the event of a spill or to perform monitoring and maintenance functions.
"You put your employees on the pipeline ... it will improve safety because you're right there," Malone said at the time. "It's clear communication; it's clear lines of authority; it's clear accountability, which is most important to me."
Since the relocation was announced last November, six integrity management engineers have resigned and Alyeska is finding it difficult to fill those vacancies with experienced personnel, according to employees, a warning that was raised in an internal relocation analysis describing the impact of the move.
Thebaud and Diecker were provided with the 39-page relocation analysis prepared by Alyeska integrity employees that documented the inherent risks and increased travel costs that would be realized from moving employees to Anchorage.
The analysis warned that the relocation "will likely result in the inability of the [integrity management] teams to focus attention on core business functions that are necessary to maintain regulatory compliance and leak/spill prevention ..."
At a hearing last month before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, Alyeska Senior Vice President Greg Jones testified that the integrity management officials who prepared the relocation analysis no longer stand by its conclusions.
That prompted Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minnesota), a member of the subcommittee, to demand Jones provide the committee with statements from the individuals who changed their position.
But that's not what the committee was told in a July 26 letter signed by Tom Webb, Alyeska's engineering integrity manager, who worked on the relocation analysis.
Webb said, "At the current time, I do not know of any Integrity or Safety risks resulting from the relocation," adding that the measure has resulted in "the loss of over 30% of Integrity Management's staff."
According to several Alyeska officials, the committee has not yet spoken with the other integrity management personnel who worked on the report, but they accused Jones of misrepresenting the facts.
Thebaud noted that his "investigation found no written analysis of the effect of the proposed relocation" on the [incident management team], the individuals who respond to spills or emergencies, such as an earthquake, or "staffing levels, experience, response capabilities, logistics, training, or overall effectiveness."
"Moreover, [Alyeska's] Emergency Preparedness and Compliance Manager reported that management did not discuss with him, or request that he conduct an analysis of, the impact of the proposed relocation on the [incident management team]," the report said. "In light of these circumstances and the evolving personal decision-making by those selected for relocation, the investigation cannot conclude that the relocation will have no impact on the effectiveness of the [incident management team]" when it comes to responding to a spill or other emergencies.
Thebaud said the concerns raised by Afraidaspill surrounding the relocation are "substantiated in part" because it correctly predicted that it would "result in key engineers leaving the company," placing the "the integrity program at risk" and "reversing the significant progress made by the Company in integrity management in recent years."
"These losses will, in the near term, place added stress on the organization," Thebaud's report said.
But Thebaud's report then appears to be somewhat contradictory stating he has not found "compelling evidence to support a conclusion that either the loss of personnel or the new work location will have a significant adverse effect on the Company's performance of its integrity management program."
That last statement by Thebaud led a top Alyeska official to state: "Well of course not yet. This is an example of a statement being made by someone who has no concept of what Integrity Management for a pipeline is or looks like."
"This is a case in point that Thebaud was not qualified to perform this part of the investigation. You would not expect any 'evidence' to immediately crop up right after these events have occurred - it doesn't work that way," the Alyssa official said.
Michelle Egan, an Alyeska spokeswoman, told Truthout last month that the relocation was carefully planned by Hostler and Alyeska managers and that "staff [were being] transferred because of the efficiency and synergy that is gained when [employees] are co-located with the rest of the departments" in the "same building."
Thebaud's report said the relocation was actually supposed to be phased in over an 18-month period and finalized in spring 2011. The report further states that Hostler unilaterally made the decision to move up the relocation by a year. The change, coincidentally, came after a news report was published in the Fairbanks News-Miner that questioned the logic behind the relocation and reprinted a separate email written by Afraidaspill critical of the decision.
Disastrous Decision
Several Alyeska officials said the relocation has already proven to be a disastrous move and has neither resulted in "efficiency" nor "synergy."
Indeed, an email obtained by Truthout sent to senior Alyeska officials July 26 by David Hackney, one of Alyeska's integrity management engineers, said, "Even in the short time I have been relocated in the Anchorage office, it is already clear to me that moving our operations from Fairbanks puts the safety of operations at risk. As to business efficiency, I have already seen that there are none to be realized."
"No aspect of my job has become more efficient by being in Anchorage, my cubicle is simply in a geographic location far removed from the ground where most of my work is done," Hackney wrote, requesting to be transferred back to Fairbanks. "There have been no enhancements in communications, supervision, coordination, or scheduling as to my work. The required move to Anchorage has caused loss of skilled and experienced personnel that cannot readily be replaced ... This has a direct impact on the safety of our operations."
A day after the email was sent, Hackney, who had sued the company for unknown reasons after he raised safety concerns, entered into a settlement with Alyeska and was transferred back to Fairbanks.
Additionally, Truthout has learned that one of the company's integrity management supervisors is being transferred to Anchorage while the key engineers he's going to supervise will remain in Fairbanks, an exception the company recently made for those individuals. The decision further contradicts statements by Egan and other Alyeska officials that the transfer of integrity management employees to Anchorage was about "efficiency" and "synergy" and being located in the same building.
Flawed Survey
During the course of Thebaud's probe, Alyeska also commissioned Dittman Research & Communications to conduct an "open work environment survey" to try and get a sense of how employees felt about raising safety concerns, according to a copy of the 62-page report of the results of the survey Dittman provided to Alyeska in May.
But the survey was fundamentally flawed and designed specifically to shield Hostler from criticism, one of the most damning findings of Thebaud's investigation. Thebaud's report said "the 2010 Dittman survey missed a substantial opportunity to measure directly the workers' perception of [Hostler]."
According to Thebaud's report, the reason was due to the fact that a previous survey conducted in 2007 by a different research firm resulted in numerous employees complaining about Hostler's management style.
"In the 2007 survey, the Executive Summary provided eleven 'Areas of Needed Improvement,'" Thebaud's report said. "One specifically addressed the need [for Hostler] to improve the workers' perception of him: 'Some respondents indicated that certain behaviors and actions of the Alyeska President and CEO have been perceived as having a negative organizational effect.'
"The 2007 survey results contain numerous examples explaining the data. For example, in response to a question about the Code of Conduct, the 2007 survey indicates, 'Of the 110 comments provided, 31 discuss the President's behaviors as a concern.'"
Guim, the human resources director, who Alyeska employees leveled numerous complaints about, was largely responsible for skewing the questions in the 2010 survey in such a way that it would not reflect poorly on Hostler or other Alyeska executives.
Guim told Thebaud that she did that because the "2007 survey results were filled with employees 'venting' against [Hostler] in highly personal and inappropriate ways, which provided no real insight or value to the survey."
Hostler appears to have had a say in the 2010 survey as well. He told Thebaud the" 2007 survey was filled with 'personal attacks' on individuals and executives. Consequently, [Guim] indicated that the Company did not provide the opportunity for similar unhelpful venting in 2010."
Thebaud said his investigation did not attempt to "validate or refute" any of the data in the 2007 or 2010 surveys. But the fact that Hostler's conduct was a major issue in the 2007 survey, caused Thebaud's investigation to seek information as to why the same questions weren't included in the most recent survey conducted by Dittman.
"Workforce surveys - particularly anonymous workforce surveys - almost always include some amount of emotional venting and personal challenges to the character and conduct of some managers," his report said. "Sophisticated survey analysts and reviewers recognize this reality and can properly dismiss or account for outlying information, personal attacks and other suspect information ...
"Alyeska's decision to design a survey that precluded the receipt of such data, creates a potential perception that it designed the 2010 survey to avoid the receipt of harmful information. By not addressing the issue specifically raised in 2007 about the effect of [Hostler's] conduct, the Company does not have survey data to describe or characterize the current perception in the workforce or to determine the effectiveness of any corrective actions taken during the past three years."
Alyeska has not decided who will replace Hostler when he leaves the company in September.


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Published: 2012/12/02
Carlos Malta Sits In With DMB
Brazilian flautist Carlos Malta joined Dave Matthews Band last night at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ. The guest appearance took place during "Jimi Thing," a song that has seen a number of sit ins over the years from artists like Trey Anastasio, Warren Haynes and Dicky Betts. It was the third time that Malta has played with Dave Matthews Band. The flautist joined the band on stage for "Say Goodbye" in his native Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 30, 2008. That concert was released as the DMB live album Live in Rio in 2010. Malta also sat in on "#41" during their August 10, 2010 show in Rio de Janeiro. You can watch a video of that collaboration above. The set list from yesterday's performance can be viewed below.
Last night's show was the second of the Dave Matthews Band's winter tour, which kicked off with a two night run at the IZOD Center. As previously reported, the band pledged $1 million for Hurricane Sandy relief and turned the first concert of their tour into a fundraiser for the Bama Works Sandy Relief Fund. Dave Matthews Band will make an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tomorrow night before making their way to Louisville, KY for a show at the KFC YUM! Center on December 4.
Dave Matthews Band, December 1, 2012, IZOD Center, East Rutherford, NJ setlist via dmband.com
Eh Hee, Improv Intro > Gravedigger, Rooftop, Proudest Monkey > Satellite, Belly Belly Nice, Lie In Our Graves, Broken Things, You and Me, Jimi Thing*, Snow Outside, Shake Me Like a Monkey, The Riff, Can't Stop, Warehouse, Country Blues Improv > Halloween, Tripping Billies
Some Devil^, Drunken Soldier, Pantala Naga Pampa > Rapunzel
Notes: *with Carlos Malta, ^Dave solo


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HATE: Missing Features
For desktop users, this one makes absolutely no sense. Microsoft will not include DVD codecs in Windows 8. Although it will include Windows Media Player, Microsoft will charge extra for Windows Media Center and the DVD codecs included therein. The thinking, as explained in Steven Sinofsky's May 3 blog post, was that it was too expensive and drained batter life, and media consumption in these formats is in decline anyway.
Other omitted or curtailed capabilities include file searching; Windows 8 offers no way to search for all files on a system (short of using the command prompt). Sure, the Charm bar's Search function looks for some files and apps, but it can't find Outlook messages or OneNote notes. Microsoft also has removed "Recent Documents" and no longer tracks the most frequently used apps. Also missing are Windows Desktop Gadgets, the Aero Glass theme and Aero Flip 3D. Oh, the tiled Start screen and WinRT apps are no longer called "Metro" but instead are now called Modern-Style or Modern UI apps. Too bad, too; it seemed like the industry was getting used to Metro.


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2002-11-27 / Front Page
Schools set to comply with defibrillator law
When high school students step on to the athletic field, the worst thing they can imagine is losing a game. When the story of Louis Acompora is recalled, however, the numbers on the scoreboard take on considerably less significance.
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