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April 11, 2011
News Highlights
- Six Firefighters to be recognized for acts of valor that saved the life of a victim in an apartment fire on May 13, 2010.
- Two Paramedics to be recognized for acts of valor at a motor vehicle accident with subsequent vehicle fire on August 30, 2010.
- Alexandria Chamber of Commerce 2011 Valor Awards – April 26, 2011, Noon to 1:30 PM, Alexandria Hilton – Mark Center, 5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22311.
More Information
On April 26, 2011, eight employees of the Alexandria Fire Department will be honored at the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce's 25th Annual Valor Awards. These employees were honored not only for their bravery, but for their teamwork during one of the many incidents that took place throughout 2010.
The employees that are to be honored are:
Firefighter James Taylor – Bronze Medal
Captain Thurston McClain – Lifesaving Award
Firefighter Matthew Craig – Lifesaving Award
Firefighter Michael Faber – Lifesaving Award
Acting Lieutenant Doug Townshend – Lifesaving Award
Firefighter John M. Shaffer – Lifesaving Award
On the evening of May 13, 2010 at 11:24 pm, firefighters were dispatched to a two alarm apartment fire in a high-rise building located in the 500 block of Slaters Lane. The first 9-1-1 call reported an oven fire in an apartment on the 4th floor of the building. A second 9-1-1 call indicated that there was a report of smoke on the third floor of the same building.
Firefighters from Engine and Truck Company 204 were the first to arrive at the building where they climbed three flights of stairs to the third floor where smoke was reported. The firefighters opened the stairwell door and were met with heavy smoke conditions. Part of the crew commanded by Captain Thurston McClain separated from the main group and proceeded to the 4th floor where the first 9-1-1 call reported an oven fire. Firefighters on the 4th floor encountered less smoky conditions. Captain McClain radioed to the crew on the third floor that they were returning to assist them. On the third floor, Captain McClain's crew, and the second crew commanded by Lieutenant Doug Townshend began a search of the floor to locate the source of the smoke.
Captain McClain, Firefighter Matthew Craig and Firefighter Michael Faber located an apartment door that was hot to the touch. They forced open the door and entered the apartment with a fire hose, followed by Lieutenant Townshend, Firefighter John M. Shaffer and Firefighter James Taylor. Captain McClain's crew attacked a fire in the kitchen and provided protection for Lieutenant Townshend and his personnel to begin a search of the apartment. Lt. Townshend split his crew, and part went to the right and part to the left upon entering the apartment. The crew going to the left, found a male victim on the floor, unconscious and not breathing. The crew reported they were taking the lifeless body of a young man to the lobby to meet up with paramedics on Medic Unit 202. While carrying the patient down three flights of stairs, Firefighter James Taylor removed his face mask and forced fresh air into the mouth and lungs of the fire victim in an attempt to resuscitate him, meanwhile exposing himself to the smoke filled environment without the protection of his breathing mask.
The other part of the crew of Truck 204's crew that went right encountered two lifeless dogs due to heavy smoke conditions in the apartment. The two dogs were carried by firefighters to the hallway where resuscitation efforts were started but unsuccessful.
Because of the teamwork by the crews of Engine Company and Truck Company 204 and of the quick and selfless actions by Firefighter James Taylor, the victim of this apartment fire is alive today.
Paramedic Jason Cage – Lifesaving Award
Paramedic Elizabeth King – Lifesaving Award
On Monday August 30th, 2010 Paramedics Jason Cage and Elizabeth King were enroute non-emergency to Alexandria Hospital with a stable patient with a non-life-threatening condition. At the intersection of Howard Street and Seminary Road Paramedic Cage witnessed an automobile accident in which one sedan struck another causing one of the vehicles to cross the intersection and hit a telephone pole. The vehicle striking the telephone pole caught fire in the engine compartment which began to impinge upon the wooden pole.
Paramedic Cage informed his partner, Paramedic King, who was in the rear of the medic unit, of the situation and radioed for assistance. Paramedic Elizabeth King left the medic unit with her patient in the care of another caretaker and approached the vehicle on fire. She assisted the dazed driver out of the vehicle and safely away from the accident. Paramedic Cage grabbed a fire extinguisher from the medic unit and started to extinguish the fire in the engine compartment. At that time smoke had completely filled the passenger compartment, obscuring all visibility inside the vehicle. The driver assisted by Paramedic King turned and began yelling "My babies! My babies!"; and pointing to the back seat of the car. Paramedic King and Paramedic Cage, unable to see into the car due to the heavy smoke conditions due to the active fire, and believing there were infants still trapped inside the car decided immediate intervention was critical to the survival of anyone else inside the car. Approaching the car a second time, Paramedic King re-entered the smoke filled vehicle without any protective equipment or respiratory protection in search of the infants. Meanwhile, Paramedic Cage continued to attack the fire and prevent it from spreading into the passenger compartment where Paramedic King was searching. Paramedic King found two small dogs in the back seat of the car which were removed and placed them out of harm's way with the driver. No one else was located inside the vehicle. Paramedic Cage was able to fully extinguish the fire prior to the arrival of additional fire units.
For their actions in saving the driver of the vehicle and putting themselves in harm's way to conduct a search of the vehicle in an extremely hazardous environment without proper equipment for what were initially believed to be trapped infants these members are award the Lifesaving Award. The burning vehicle with a smoke filled passenger compartment was a potentially life threatening situation for both the occupants and the rescuers in this incident.
For more information, contact Robert B. Rodriguez, Chief Fire Marshal / Community Services Officer, Alexandria Fire Department, at 703.746.5217 or email@example.com


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Skip to comments.NH Sen. Ayotte cancels event with IN's Mourdock (RINO helps turn Mourdock quote into a larger story)
Posted on 10/24/2012 11:35:52 AM PDT by Windy City Conservative
New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte has cancelled her plan to campaign with Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock, who said that when a woman becomes pregnant during a rape, "that's something God intended."
Mourdock said on Wednesday said he abhors rape and meant only that God creates life.
But Ayotte's spokesman, Jeff Grappone, said that the senator disagrees with Mourdock's comments, which do not represent her views. Ayotte was scheduled to campaign with Mourdock on Wednesday, but canceled her trip and is in New Hampshire instead.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.com ...
Another 'dumb and scared' GOP politician, who doesn't stand up for her side against the evil forces that want to destroy this country.
Well...she's been hangin' with Graham and McCain...I knew Sarah was making a bad call with this one...
Was going to make the same comment - Rush's program is on many stations who use ABC radio news feeds so heard it a couple of times there already.
Mourdock mentioned G-d...that made Ayotte a tad uncomfortable; since she represents the 'least religious state in the union'.
Mourdock did that all by himself this time, and very likely gave away a longstanding GOP Senate seat as well.
The more the Mourdock statement on rape is out in the media gang better it will be for the GOP as his words fortify the GOP''s Pro Life stance.
Kelly Ayotte is no RINO. I have met her personally on several occasions. She is and has long been a solid conservative, both as New Hampshire state attorney general and as our junior Senator. Her American Conservative Union rating is 95%.
Maybe God "allowed", but theologically, I would not go so far as "intended". But God has a pretty good track record of turning unfortunate circumstances into great blessings. I do believe that Jesus has at least one, maybe two, prostitutes in his geneology. But Mourdock is correct that life is a gift and blessing of God . . . even one that is the consequences of rape. This is NOT a soundbite issue.
But why is that even with the public knowledge that the Media is our enemy, and that the Democrats are all-in on the GOP "War on Women" line, that we keep nominating absolute morons who walk right into the trap and give the Democrats and the media EXACTLY EVERYTHING they need right at the worst possible time, over and over again.
Do we need to start a different vetting process as Conservatives? Because it seems like we are nominating a lot of Faithful Christian, solid Conservatives who have a tendency to say really, really, really, really stupid things at the absolute worst possible times.
We might lose as many as three Senate seats in red states in an an election where the GOP wins the White House, mostly because of Conservative candidates with an epidemic of foot-in-mouth syndrome.
Did somebody think she was?
You can find her personal claims ~ when she "talks the talk" at http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/06/29/12482114-ayotte-stands-in-for-romney-at-pro-life-conference?lite
Unfortunately she is unwilling to "walk the walk" ~ just another RINO.
Another non-starter by the Dems and their pom pom flashing press. Murdock will take Indiana.
Even the Democrat in the Indiana race is more RTL than Ayotte.
What idiot invited her to speak in the first place?
If you read his full statement, instead of the deliberately misleading headlines in the leftwing press, it makes perfect sense.
The basic Christian view is that although the body of a new baby comes from the mother and father, the soul is created by God.
Maybe he'd have done better to have said that even a child of rape is an innocent human being, who does not deserve to be killed for the sins of his rapist father. But what he said was perfectly fine—except that it allowed the liars in the press to distort it.
Not me. (Thanks and a 'hat tip' to Bil Keane.)
Then somebody better start a near blood purge of the ACU committee that picks the issues for determining one's non-RINO-ness. Ayotte doesn't hack it. Not that she's not RTL, it's that she's lied about it and used it to raise funds, then when she's called ................... nope, not RTL at all! Not even a Social Con.
Isn't the GOP supposed to be the party of personal responsibility? Mourdock said something he knew with 100% certainty would reflect badly on him and hurt other members of the party. After what happened with Aking a little a couple months ago, it's not possible Mourdock did this by accident. The question is: what is his motive? I don't feel sorry for him a bit. He deliberately hurt himself and his party. I have no idea why.
The RINO's are always eager to help Democrats and the leftist media.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Dear Mr Ferrier,
We are contacting you as we would like your permission to use some video footage of you at the press conference yesterday for Fonterra's shareholder dividend announcement.
As we will be using the clip as an example of what not to say when pressured by the media we respectively suggest you book into our next media training course.
In the meantime we hope you will remember the following advice.
Whatever the circumstances do not say "we've got plenty of people in our comms department that can talk to you about that."
That is the answer you gave yesterday when asked if Fonterra supported deforestation (caused by the unsustainable palm products industry).
Next time stick to the script. It is never a 'yes' or 'no' answer. Then go back to listing your accomplishments as they relate to the policy or issue addressed in the question.
Out of interest: did you really have no idea what your company's line was on this? Or, were you not sure of how to avoid saying 'yes'? Or, is it only your communications department which is capable of delivering your company's spin on the issue, whilst keeping a straight face?
A number of global corporates have recently cancelled contracts for palm products from one of Indonesia's largest conglomerates, Sinar Mas due to its shocking environmental record. Companies like Nestle, Unilever and Burger King.
If Fonterra thinks it knows better it is obvious you will be heading into dangerous territory. It's going to take a lot of media spin to get you through this. Luckily for you, we have an experienced team and long list of clients (mostly in the investment sector) who have made a lot of money before the public has worked out what is really going on.
We await your reply.
Bluff & Associates Media


text:
c.1400, from Latin aggregatum, neuter past participle of aggregare (see aggregate (adj.)). Related: Aggregated; aggregating.
"number of persons, things, etc., regarded as a unit," early 15c., from noun use of Latin adjective aggregatum, neuter of aggregatus (see aggregate (adj.)).
c.1400, from Latin aggregatus "associated," literally "united in a flock," past participle of aggregare "add to (a flock), lead to a flock, bring together (in a flock)," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + gregare "herd" (see gregarious).
aggregate ag·gre·gate (āg'rĭ-gĭt)
Crowded or massed into a dense cluster. n.
A total considered with reference to its constituent parts; a gross amount in a mass or cluster. v. ag·gre·gat·ed, ag·gre·gat·ing, ag·gre·gates (-gāt')
To gather into a mass, sum, or whole.


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Anyone interested in learning more about underwater photography?
"...Spend a week of diving on the Northern Hemispheres largest barrier reef. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Belize Barrier Reef consists of vast stretches of unexplored coral reef, three of the Caribbean's four offshore atolls, several hundred sand cays, mangrove forests, coastal lagoons and estuaries. The system a significant habitat for threatened species, including marine turtles, manatees, and whale sharks. ..."


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Classic Ivy League Battle at Reese Stadium
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Dylan Levings had the performance No. 15/16 Yale needed to knock off the No. 2 team in the nation when he won an amazing 22 of 25 face-offs during a cold Ivy League opener. The problem was his team's 19 turnovers, which ultimately led to a 12-10 loss to Cornell before 2,955 fans at Reese Stadium.
Levings, now with a .661 success rate on the X, had one of the most dominating face-off days ever for a Bulldog. His efforts helped the Blue enjoy the lead for most of the first half. Those possessions led to the home team getting goals from eight different players including three by Conrad Oberbeck, Yale's leader with 15 goals this season.
Brandon Mangan, who leads the Elis with 24 points in five games, also had a stong showing with a goal and four points, but it wasn't enough to keep the Yale record from falling to 3-2 overall.
None of those efforts could overcome the combined performances of Steve Mock (6 goals) and Rob Pannell (2-3-5), as the Big Red improved to 6-0 overall. A.J. Fiore stopped eight of Yale's 32 shots to earn the win in net.
"The team fought hard," said Andy Shay, the Ryan & Forst Family Head Coach at Yale. "We're proud of them for that. We didn't capitalize on our opportunities in the fourth quarter, which cost us. But Cornell is an excellent team, and when you play a great team like that, that's what happens."
Eric Natale, who faced 39 Cornell shots, made seven saves, including some point-blank attempts from a few very accomplished players.
The teams traded goals three times to start the contest before the visitors got two straight and their first advantage at 4-3 early in the second quarter. Kirby Zdrill and Oberbeck answered for Yale to grab the lead back. It took another Oberbeck tally before half to make it 6-6 heading into halftime.
Levings was good in the first half, but he stepped it up big in the second 30 minutes by going 10-for-12. Despite the hot hand from the X, the Big Red scored the only three goals of the third. Levings then captured six straight face-offs in the fourth while his teammates found the net three times to cut the margin to one goal at three different points.
"We still felt like it was a game when it was 9-6," said Shay. "Dylan [Levings] was awesome. He had a great effort. He knew it would be challenging and played really well."
Mock answered three of the Bulldog goals, including the clincher with 3:06 left off a rare Cornell face-off win.
Special teams could have changed this game one way or another, but both defenses stood up to the extra-man opportunities and were successful on five of six kills.
The Elis are next in action at Princeton on Friday night in a game that airs live on ESPNU.
Filed by Steve Conn, Yale Sports Publicity Director
dspics.com image
Watch the game for free on Yale All-Access on YouTube:


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Thomasville, NC- Conference Carolinas announced the All-Conference teams at the Honors Banquet Luncheon during this weekend's Conference Carolinas Championship Soccer Tournament. The banquet was held at the Murphy Regional Center on the Mount Olive College campus as they play host for the tournament championship for the second consecutive year. Head Coaches from conference member institutions nominate and then vote upon the award winners who represent the best of the best for the conference.
Men's All-Conference 1st-Team
Dale Parker, Lees-McRae
Chad Pinnick, Queens
Dirk Jansson, Belmont Abbey
Berin Boracic, Lees-McRae
Lee Squires, Lees-McRae
Matthew Harris, Pfeiffer
Ali Benson, Limestone
Matt Lacey, Lees-McRae
Tom Beattie, Limestone
Renoato Barbosa, Pfeiffer
Sean Paradise, Lees-McRae
Men's All-Conference 2nd-Team
Adam Ennis, Limestone
Kyle Fenner, Belmont Abbey
Brad Sisk, Pfeiffer
Justin Garton, St. Andrews
Luis Arrieta, Belmont Abbey
Michael McEmrson, Limestone
Lahnden Onger, Anderson
Aaron Doyle, Queens
Kyle McGimsey, Lees-McRae
Sean Boyle, Limestone
Dan Williams, Queens
Men's All-Conference 3rd-Team
Tom Brailsford, Lees-McRae
Evan Sprinkle, Queens
Jamin Ferris, St. Andrews
Kyle Bennett, Erskine
Franz Destin, Erskine
Brian Souza, Belmont Abbey
Doug McMahen, Coker
Jerry Momoh, St. Andrews
Paulo Passini, Anderson
Paul Goding, Belmont Abbey
Ryan Robinson, Limestone
Freshman of the Year
Michael McEmerson, Limestone
Player of the Year
Berin Boracic, Lees-McRae
Coach of the Year
Chris Whalley, Lees-McRae
Women's All-Conference 1st-Team
Danielle Kubinski, Belmont Abbey
Kristen Brahosky, Pfeiffer
Amanda Maddock, Belmont Abbey
Allie Wilkerson, Barton
Amanda Tinker, Erskine
Celene Molera, Belmont Abbey
Erin Kolb, Belmont Abbey
April Jacobs, Mount Olive
Megan Reaves, Pfeiffer
Gina Dos Santos, Mount Olive
Anna Wells, Belmont Abbey
Women's All-Conference 2nd-Team
Kristin Voirin, Belmont Abbey
Mandie Elieff, Converse
Amanda Lear, Limestone
Celia Walpole, Pfeiffer
Tara Davis, Barton
Kirsten Bartsch, Pfeiffer
Kerrie Brown, St. Andrews
Stephanie Leotti, Belmont Abbey
Jackie Groff, Queens
Kristina Silva, Limestone
Brittany Clark, Limestone
Women's All-Conference 3rd-Team
Ashley Vaughan, Limestone
Caitlyn Wright, Mount Olive
Sam Frazer, St. Andrews
Lindsay Palm, Belmont Abbey
Virginia Cates, Anderson
Tamara Diaz-Matosas, Queens
Alyecia Higgins, Mount Olive
Megan Blevins, Pfeiffer
Niki Reis, Pfeiffer
Hayley Pasko, Queens
Garrison Burton, St. Andrews
Freshman of the Year
Megan Reaves, Pfeiffer
Player of the Year
Allie Wilkerson, Barton
Coach of the Year
Sarah Denton, Pfeiffer


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Browsing by Subject "tail of distribution"
Now showing items 1-1 of 1
How Fast Can the Chord-Length Distribution Decay? (2009-09-21)The modelling of random bi-phasic, or porous, media has been, and still is, under active investigation by mathematicians, physicists or physicians. In this paper we consider a thresholded random process X as a source of ...


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COLUMBIA — The South Carolina gubernatorial election won't arrive for another 18 months, but the ad wars began Wednesday.
A new online and TV advertisement attacking likely Democratic gubernatorial nominee state Sen. Vincent Sheheen's support for Medicaid expansion began airing in markets across South Carolina.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Governors Association released an online clip slamming Gov. Nikki Haley's "gallery of corruption."
The spots represent some of the first shots in the expected 2014 rematch between Sheheen and Haley.
A political group run by supporters of Haley, The Movement Fund, is responsible for the 30-second anti-Sheheen ad.
The group has spent about $300,000 so far to air the ad on both network and cable television in the Greenville-Spartanburg, Florence-Myrtle Beach and Charleston markets, said consultant Tim Pearson, who advises the group and Haley.
The ad is set to run for 10 days.
The spot claims Sheheen, a Camden Democrat, wants South Carolina to be the only state in the South to accept "Obamacare," formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The spot goes on to say Obamacare would raise health care costs, squeeze out private coverage and cripple state budgets. "Tell your senator to reject the Sheheen-Obamacare disaster," the ad concludes.
In March, Sheheen said he supports a temporary expansion of Medicaid — the federal and state program that helps with health care for the needy, old or disabled — for the period when the federal government would fully cover that cost.
After three years, the state would have to cover a portion of the cost of the expansion, rising to a maximum of 10 percent in 2020. Accepting the expansion would provide health coverage to hundreds of thousands low-income South Carolinians.
Sheheen has said the state should revisit the issue after the first three years.
Haley's administration has long been opposed to an expansion, and the GOP-controlled General Assembly has so far rejected Democrats' attempts to accept the expansion.
Sheheen's campaign called the pro-Haley group's ad "patently false."
"It's a move that shows she's not only vulnerable, but also that she and her closest advisors know it," the Sheheen campaign said in an email to supporters.
State Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, came to Sheheen's aid, saying in a statement that accepting the Medicaid expansion would bring South Carolinians' tax dollars home and create tens of thousands of jobs.
Other Southern leaders support an expansion of Medicaid in their states.
Florida's Republican Gov. Rick Scott has said he supports expansion, but the Florida House has rejected it.
Arkansas Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe and the state's GOP-controlled legislature have reached a compromise that would have the state accept the federal cash meant for Medicaid expansion and instead use it to buy private insurance for low-income residents.
Other states are eyeing the approach, which must win federal approval. The DGA clip criticizes Haley for, among other things, coming under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for alleged illegal lobbying while a House member from Lexington. Haley successfully defended herself against the allegations last year, when the committee twice cleared her. Pearson dismissed the spot, saying Haley championed a wide-ranging ethics reform bill that passed the House this week. Washington Democrats concerned about ethics in South Carolina should focus on making sure Sheheen and his Democratic colleagues in the Senate pass a strong ethics reform measure this year, Pearson said in a statement.
Sheheen has announced a bid for governor, setting up a rematch of the 2010 race in which Haley bested him by about 4.5 percentage points.
Haley has not officially announced that she will seek re-election, but is expected to do so this summer after the conclusion of the legislative session.
Reach Stephen Largen at firstname.lastname@example.com and follow him on Twitter @stephenlargen.


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I accepted a job in Tainan to teach English and the application process was going smoothly until finally the agency I was going through informed me that they couldn't take me on because taking care of my daughter's visa would be too complicated. While I completely understand the agency's decision to not hire parents I know there has to be a way around this, right? Any sage advice on this out there?
What schools will help you get visas for your children?


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HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Liam Kyle (Cleveland, Ohio) and Tom Wright (Sydney, Australia) scored 18 and 16 points respectively, but a late second half run by the Trojans of Mount Olive led to a 71-65 win for the Trojans on Tuesday night in Conference Carolinas men's basketball action.
It was a tightly contested ball game that saw 10 different lead changes over the course of the 40 minute game. The largest margin between the two teams was eight points and that was held by Mount Olive multiple times in the second half, but each time Coker was quick to respond.
The Trojans held a narrow six point lead (29-23) at the break thanks to some stellar three-point shooting. The Trojans were 7-for-11 (63.6%) from beyond the arc in the first half, but Coker answered with some physical play in the paint drawing fouls and head to the charity stripe 19 times, where they knocked down 17 of their attempts.
The Cobras looked to be within striking distance with the game tied with just four minutes left, but a 13-7 run down the stretch gave the Trojans just enjoy to seal the victory.
Mount Olive's Ewon Wright had a game high 21 points, 15 of those came from long range. Derek Staton added 16 points, while Brandon Allen and Mahamed Ibrahim had 13 and 10 points respectively. Allen grabbed seven rebounds and Dory Hines had a game high eight boards on the night.
In addition to Kyle's 18 points he pulled down seven boards for the Cobras, with Vatrick Thompson (Columbia, S.C.) netting 10 points.
The Cobras will return to action on Thursday in a road game against St. Andrews Presbyterian College at 7:30 p.m.


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Results 1 to 3 of 3
#1 BREAKING: Obama Campaign Implicated DIRECTLY in Election Fraud(Attention PUMAS) .
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Posts
- 22,891
Obama supporters complained of were acting in positions of authority at the caucus sites. Some of these reports are as follows:
þ Obama supporters wrongly informed Clinton supporters that they were not allowed to participate in the caucus if their names were not on the voter rolls. However, Obama supporters whose names did not appear on the voter rolls were permitted to register at the caucus site.
þ Obama supporters falsely informed Clinton supporters that no registration forms were available for them to register to vote at the caucus site.
þ Obama supporters wrongly told Clinton supporters who were attempting to caucus at the wrong precinct that they could not caucus at that site, while simultaneously permitting Obama supporters at the wrong precinct to participate.
þ Obama supporters were allowed to move to the front of the registration and sign-in line.
Voter Suppression and Intimidation
The Committee received a substantial number of disturbing reports from voters that they had been subject to harassment, intimidation or efforts to prevent them from voting. Some of the most egregious of these complaints are described below:
þ Voters at at-large caucus sites were informed that those sites were for Obama supporters only.
þ Clinton supporters at at-large caucus sites were told that their managers would be watching them while they caucused.
þ Workers were informed that their supervisors kept lists of Clinton and Obama supporters, and were told that they could not caucus unless their name was on the list of Obama supporters.
þ Many Clinton supporters were threatened with employment termination or other discipline if they caucused for Senator Clinton.
þ Workers were required to sign a pledge card to support Obama if they wanted time off to participate in the caucus.
þ Workers at one casino were offered a lavish lunch and permitted to attend and register to vote only if they agree to support Obama.
The complaints summarized above represent only a small sample of the complaints received by the Committee. With respect to each of these complaints and many more, the Committee has the names and phone numbers of those reporting these incidents and the specific precinct numbers where the incidents occurred. Upon request the Committee will share these with the Party with appropriate safeguards to protect these individuals from reprisal. On the whole, these reports show a troubling effort by the Obama campaign and its allies and supporters to advance their own campaign at the expense of the right of all Nevada Democrats to participate in the democratic process in a free, fair and open manner. snip
Obama screwed Hillary. No doubt about it.
To the PUMAs out there - Check this out.
If leftists didn't have double standards, they'd have no standards at all.
Someone pull blinkies hands - uncover his eyes and get the fool to read this. I'm lookig forward to his answer. What do you want to bet he tries to explain it all away and will prolly blame it all on sour grapes.Stand up for what is right, even if you have to stand alone.
|« Previous Thread | Next Thread »


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A sense of relief in Sulphur Springs Thursday night as a three day search for two Hopkins County jail escapees came to a close.
John King and Brian Tucker, who was put on the Texas Top 10 Most Wanted list hours prior to his capture, were found in Cooper, TX just before 5 p.m.
"They were hiding in a red barn on a pasture in Cooper," said Hopkins County Sheriff Butch Adams.
The men were back in Hopkins County before 7 p.m.
The black 2010 Saturn VUE, stolen by the escapees, was also recovered Thursday evening. Tucker and King face Escape while Confined charges. Two individuals in Delta County were arrested for Hindering Apprehension, after helping to hide the fugitives.
The Hopkins County Sheriff's Office parking lot was full of relieved and smiling East Texans Thursday evening as the ordeal came to an end.


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Forgetting your coupons at home isn't quite the inconvenience it once was — provided you have your phone with you.
A growing number of retailers, manufacturers and other businesses are delivering coupons and sales to shoppers' mobile phones.
"You're missing out if you're not looking for those deals," says Jill Cataldo, founder of the Super Couponing workshops. Target Corp. TGT, +0.15% Walgreen Co. US:WAG and Sephora all have signed on to offer deals through Apple Inc.'s AAPL, -0.36% new Passbook, a new iPhone and iPad feature that helps keep track of things like loyalty cards and coupons (as well as airline and event tickets).
In the year since its launch, Google Wallet, the search giant's GOOG, -1.13% mobile-payment feature, has built up a similar roster of offer partners, including Macy's Inc. M, +0.35% American Eagle Outfitters Inc. AEO, +0.74% and Jamba Inc.'s JMBA, -0.21% Jamba Juice. Plenty of businesses have partnered with smaller deal apps, or have branched out on their own. Last month, Best Buy Co. BBY, -0.67% began making special offers to shoppers via price-comparison app RedLaser, while MGM Resorts International MGM, +0.50% launched a loyalty program that texts deals to guests' phones.
Retailers' embrace of mobile deals is part sales grab, part self-preservation, according to Alison Paul, retail-sector leader for consulting firm Deloitte. "Everybody is walking around stores, using their smartphones," she says. Stores hope coupons will entice consumers who are using their phones to find the best price — and to stay and shop instead of going home to order online.
Experts also expect mobile to play a growing role in retail sales. Last year, 10% of all mobile-phone owners — and 20% of smartphone owners — redeemed mobile coupons; by 2013, those figures are expected to jump to 16.5% and 30%, according to Microsoft. Deloitte anticipates that shoppers' smartphone activity, including research, coupon use and purchases, could account for 5.1%, or $36 billion, in holiday sales this year. See: Holiday digital sales to grow at least 20%, says Citi.
Shoppers, however, may find that although mobile coupon-clipping requires just a few taps instead of scissors, staying organized is actually tougher than with a single old-fashioned coupon file. Companies have approached the mobile sector in a variety of ways, which requires juggling multiple systems and redemption methods, says Brad Spirrison, managing editor for app-review site Appolicious. Many — including United Airlines UAL, -1.54% Meijer, V.F. Corp.'s VFC, +0.14% North Face and Best Buy — are using a combination of apps and location-awareness technology.
In those cases, virtually checking in through the store's app or a broader one like Foursquare or RedLaser can trigger deals. If you set your phone to allow apps to monitor your location and push alerts to your phone, just walking near a store could be enough to get you a deal, Spirrison adds.
These apps can sometimes be a little clunky, though. Consumers on a slower Wi-Fi or cellular-data connection may find that it takes a long time to go through the motions of opening the app, looking for deals and then pulling up a screen for redemption. "The last thing you want to do when you're paying for something is to wait," Spirrison says. Cataldo also cautions shoppers to make sure that their coupons actually have been redeemed. Some technologies tie multiple coupons to your account, with eligible coupons being activated with one scan of your phone — but sometimes, there's a glitch and the discounts won't come off the final bill, she says.
On the lower-tech side, MGM Resorts and shoe retailer DSW Inc. DSW, +1.34% send deals via text message. MGM bases its offers on spending with a linked Visa card: Guests who buy show tickets might get texted an offer for a preshow restaurant special, a spokeswoman says. DSW offers exclusives to its Facebook and Twitter followers, who text the retailer to get a return message with the latest special. Plus, many retailers allow shoppers to pull up emailed and online coupons on their phone's Internet browser for redemption at checkout, Cataldo says.
Shoppers' best strategy is to diversify, Paul says. Compare prices and track down coupons while at home, and sign up for multiple apps to better spot check-in stores. Businesses often participate in multiple programs, resulting in varying deals by the app you use.
Target, for example, not only offers storable deals through Apple's Passbook, but also partnered this spring with shopping app Shopkick, which awards loyalty points and coupons just for walking in stores. Current Passbook coupons include $1 off a box of Post cereal, while Shopkick has an entirely different set, among them, buy-one-get-one-free Starbucks beverages at its in-store cafes.


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Submission + - Wicked Lasers Sells One-Watt Green Laser (wickedlasers.com)
cogent writes: "Wicked Lasers, famous for last year's 1000mW handheld blue laser, and infamous for its handling of six-month-long backorders, is now selling a green version. There are three power levels, each priced at $1/mW. Since the eye is far more sensitive to green than to blue, this is pretty much the state of the art in putting-dots-on-stuff technology. Wicked Lasers sent out an email, promising to handle backorders much better this time."


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lost dog...
it was cold
it was windy
it was approaching midnight cargo mike and i were pedalling head on into the wind after a pop in at max's house when a black dog danced across the street
mike dismounted and scrambled to gather the dog before it go caught in the grill of the cluster of on coming cars
not sure what to do mike and I walked for 5-10 blocks looking for the owner
the dog was on leash so it appeared that the dog may have just gotten out of the owner's hands
no person looking for a dog
no person walking a dog that may have known the owner of this dog
it was a happy go lucky labra-mutt
big head and stocky build
maybe 75 pounds
maybe a year and a half
a real good puller
very friendly
I was torn...
what to do... what to do?
we did a few loops
with no leads I took a glance into the future... it did not seem to be a good idea for me to bring the dog home
a few things could happen...
this dog and my dog could clash and I would have to keep them separated
worse yet... my dog gets along with the new puppy and my boys grow attached to the new dog
we do not locate the owner
then two months later we run into someone who claims to be the owner of the said dog
so we backtracked and I went into a neighborhood bar/restaurant
it was warm and cozy in Fire and Ice
the bar was packed and the kitchen was closed
I told my tale of woe the bartender and the hostess who was the mostess
they came outside the hostess fell weak to the affectionate big black dog
so I left the dog in her hands thinking that this problem was best to be solved locally
cargo mike and I got back on the bikes and pointed into the wind across town
I hope that this girl got the dog home alright
hopefully she can either find the dog's owner or offer the dog the home that it needs
when I told the story to my wife she responded as I feared...there was a "why didn't you bring him home?" sort of tone to her
a photo of my family from a few years ago
we had two dogs... now we have one
1 comment:
- Bradly Fletchall said...
And there's no such thing as a free dog or cat or any other pet for that matter. I would have handled the same way you did.
- 12/04/2007
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Yes, I know. And for 99.9% of CBs you are right. Not for Revis, though. Look at the talent on the Jets' D in '09 and '10. Oh right, there was none. Except for Revis. We had zero pass rush and yet somehow managed to have a top defense because half the field was gone - just like Deion did. No other CB in my lifetime has done that.
He took #1 WRs completely out of a game. Don't trivialize that, as though any Corner can do it. They can't. So acting like "avoiding" Revis in no way affects the other team's game is like saying scrambling away from JJ Watt has no effect either.


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Mount Union Hosts Higher Education Reform Meeting
September 10, 2013
ALLIANCE, Ohio – The University of Mount Union was selected as a location for an Ohio House of Representatives Higher Education Reform Study Committee meeting recently.
During the meeting, members of the committee, chaired by Rep. Cliff Rosenberger with Rep. Christina Hagan as vice chair, heard testimonies from area college and university officials as well as students. Mount Union President Richard F. Giese began the testimony, discussing affordability in higher education.
"For more than 165 years, the University of Mount Union has offered a high-quality education to our students while working diligently to keep our costs as reasonable as possible," Giese said. "At Mount Union, we have consistently ranked among the lowest in tuition and fees among comparable colleges and universities. In fact, our tuition is over 12% below the average of other similar private institutions in Ohio."
Giese shared that the fact that Mount Union provides an exceptional experience at a great value has been recognized by many external sources. For example, Mount Union was recently ranked the top college for the money in the Great Lakes Region, which includes all colleges and universities, public and private, in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, by collegefactual.com.
Giese noted that while keeping costs low, Mount Union continues to build a curriculum for the future with more than 60 undergraduate majors, including majors in high-demand fields such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering, nursing, criminal justice and public health. Mount Union has also expanded its offerings to include graduate programs in physician assistant studies and educational leadership as well as a potential new doctoral program in physical therapy.
"We are doing our part," Giese said. "At Mount Union, we are working to enhance efficiency on campus to decrease costs. We also have increased Mount Union funded financial aid in the form of grants and scholarships by over $5 million in the past six years to an annual cost of $26 million."
Despite efforts to be efficient on campus and provide institutional assistance, however, Giese noted that funding from the State of Ohio has decreased over the years. At one time, all Ohio residents attending an Ohio private institution full-time received support from the state. Today, only the most needy students in the state receive support and it is nowhere near the level where need-based funding used to be. Giese shared the impact of state funding cuts on Ohio students and Mount Union students in particular.
"We must work together to alleviate the additional financial burden that has been thrust onto our families to ensure a brighter future for our students, our institutions and our state," Giese said. "We need to keep Ohio students attending Ohio institutions. They then are far more likely to remain Ohioans and contribute to our state economy throughout their adult lives."
Mount Union senior writing major Nick Mock of Newton Falls, OH shared his gratitude for receiving the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG), which allowed him to attend a private university and become involved in numerous extracurricular activities and be involved in various groups on campus.
"I have made an identity for myself on this campus because of the countless opportunities that I have been fortunate enough to be given thanks to the help of the OCOG grant," Mock said.
Hannah Rothgery, a senior psychology major of Vermillion, OH, also shared about how the OCOG helped her attend college and discussed how she has become involved in numerous activities at Mount Union.
"Because of the experience I was able to receive, I have never been more excited to pay it forward upon graduation," Hannah said. "The Ohio College Opportunity Grant has given not only myself, but many students, an opportunity for their dreams to come true."
The Higher Education Study Committee is holding various meetings, open to the public, during August and September, to discuss a wide range of issues such as tax reform, health care and higher education.


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Submission + - Obama awards nearly $2 billion for solar power (skunkpost.com)
crimeandpunishment writes: President Obama says it's time to heat up solar power....and he's willing to spend a big chunk of federal money to do it. Saturday the president announced the government is giving nearly $2 billion to companies that are building new solar plants in Arizona, Colorado, and Indiana. The president says this will create thousands of jobs and increase our use of renewable energy.


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+ Breathe and relax. Breathe and let go. Breathing is calming.
+ Breathe and listen to your intuition.
+ Think of what would make you feel better and do this.
+ Do things that bring peace to your mind.
+ Move close to what feels good and away from what feels bad.
+ Take care of yourself. Drink plenty of water during the day. Water heals the cells and organs in your body. Water relaxes stress.
+ Eat healthy food that makes you feel good. Eat at regular intervals and avoid long periods of time without eating. This will help you to avoid low blood sugar levels, which can cause anxiety.
+ Avoid food that contains high levels of fat and grease. This type of food contains chemicals that cause anxiety in the body.
+ Avoid wheat flour. Most people are allergic to wheat flour and don't realize or understand this. Medical studies have shown that ingesting wheat flour can cause anxiety, panic, depression and illness.
+ Avoid caffeine, which creates a stress response in the body, and increases anxious feelings. It is helpful to avoid caffeine or have it in moderation if you are someone that may experience anxiety.
+ Avoid drugs and alcohol. They are chemicals that cause stress in your mind and body. This leads to feelings of anxiety, depression and exhaustion. It is healthy to avoid chemicals.
+ Appreciate quiet moments.
+ Sleep is important. Take care of sleep. Take a nap to refresh your mind and body. Establish healthy sleep habits so that you can feel healthy. Sleep as much as you need to feel better. Sleep relieves anxiety. Sleep is healing to your mind, body and emotions.
+ Write down your thoughts and feelings in a journal. Think of what you can do to improve a situation that is worrying you, and write it all down. Writing helps you to find solutions and lets you relax.
+ Positive action heals anxiety. Have faith and do something positive.
+ Exercise relieves stress. Exercise releases endorphins into your blood stream that help you to feel good. Exercise can help you to see the positive and a healthy perspective.
+ Distance yourself from toxic people. Take care of you.
+ Breathe and release negativity.
+ Place positive thoughts in your mind. Be positive with yourself and others. Positive thoughts create good feelings and health.
+ Help someone. This will make you both feel good.
+ Spend time with a friend. Friendship is healing to the mind, body and spirit.
+ Talk things over with a friend. Talking with a friend and listening to the good things they tell you, can help you to see the positive.
+ Spend time with nature. This will calm your mind and body. Spend time with children and animals too. They are healing and naturally dissolve anxiety.
+ Talk with your doctor about anxiety and any health problems you may have. Sometimes just knowing that you have talked with your doctor will let you feel relieved, because you will know that you are caring for this problem. A doctor can offer you help and guidance for dealing with anxiety and other health conditions.
+ Remember that occasional feelings of anxiety are normal. If you are experiencing anxiety you are not alone. This is something we all deal with. Reading and learning as much as you can about how to heal anxiety, will help you to feel better.


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Brownsville woman allegedly voted 5 times in 2012 election
Published 1:09 pm, Tuesday, August 20, 2013
A 54-year-old woman has been accused of casting more than one vote in last year's primary election in Cameron County, federal officials said.
Sonia Leticia Solis, 54, has been charged with voting more than once in connection with the primary runoff election on July 31, 2012. She was arrested Tuesday.
Officials said the indictment alleges Solis lived in Brownsville during the runoff election and cast five votes by absentee ballot in the names of five different people. Authorities did not release what candidate received the votes.
If convicted, Solis faces up to five years in prison and fine up to $10,000 fine.


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We've all had bad hair days. But a controversial Amish leader who shares a last name with a notoriously unfashionable hairdo was sentenced to prison time after ordering hair cutting "attacks" that a judge ruled were hate crimes because of their religious nature. Samuel Mullet and 15 of his followers were given prison sentences after being convicted of the five attacks, during which the followers allegedly forcibly cut the hair of men and women.
The Amish forbid their female members to cut their hair and instruct men to grow beards after marriage.
While Mullet, 67, was not accused of directly participating in the attacks, he was charged with organizing and endorsing them – even recruiting four of his own children to take part.
"There is no doubt that Mullet wanted, agreed with and encouraged all of these attacks," reads a court filing from prosecutors in the case.
Mullet received the harshest sentence from Judge Dan Aaron Polster, 15 years in prison. The other convicted members received sentences ranging from one to seven years.
Citing his advanced age, Mullet claimed he was being singled out as a "cult leader" for allegedly leading a rogue group of Amish in the Bergholz, Ohio community. "I'm going to take the punishment for everybody," he told the courtroom. "I'm not going to be here much longer."
Court documents say the attacks were spurred by personal, religious disputes between Mullet's community and members of other Amish communities.
In an interview with the Associated Press before the verdict, one of Mullet's sons, Edward Mast, 19, said the group should not be charged with a hate crime.
"The beard, what it stands for me, what I know about it, once you're married, you just grow a beard. That's just the way the Amish is," Mast said. "They got their beard back again, so what's the big deal about it?"
However, court documents also allege that Mullet was physically abusive to male members of his community and participated in sexual "counseling" with married women.


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The Bendigo Basketball Association has moved to stamp out referee abuse and bad on court behaviour by its amateur players.
Bendigo Stadium sports and competitions manager Craig Green yesterday sent a strongly-worded email to players following 12 recent player reports.
In the email, Green described player behaviour as a "major issue", but when contacted by the Bendigo Advertiser, he said the email was more of a pre-emptive move.
"We've had a few reports recently and a bit of abuse, it's just something that I would send out probably every six months to remind everyone to behave – that's all," Green said.
Green said reports have increased since last summer and the early part of winter, but with 385 teams the amount of reports was still a relatively low number.
"We've only had around about 12 reports, during season there'd be about 1500 games – it's a very low percentage," he said.
"Some (reports are) with referee abuse. It's more about referee retention and also just being proactive in trying to stop anything happening before it escalates."
The BBA has increased its number of referees from 66 to 100 this season.
Referee abuse is not the only concern, though, with "offences on other players or sledging that goes past just good natured banter" warned against in the email.
"No players have (been reported for it) but it can just lead to misbehaviour or someone, obviously, retaliating which we don't want," Green said.
Obscene language around Bendigo Stadium and the courts has also been noticed, the email said.
Increased physicality in some matches has also become a problem due to some players joining basketball from contact sports.
"We get a few people that come from other sports that come in and think they play the same way," Green said.
The BBA has a tribunal system similar to the Bendigo Football Netball League's to deal with reports and has suspended players in the past.
The email said referees would be instructed to take a harsher view of indiscretions in the future.
Green said the BBA was aiming to promote good sportsmanship amongst is players.
"That's what it's all about. 99 per cent of the players behave themselves, it's just the one per cent," he said.


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Arsene Wenger has vowed to turn a deaf ear to unhappy Arsenal fans, as he made a staunch defence of his managerial record. (Daily Mirror)
The Gunners boss got a rough ride at Aston Villa on Saturday, as fed-up supporters voiced their frustration as they were held to a goalless draw.
Liverpool are hopeful the managerial chaos at Chelsea will not impact on their efforts to sign Daniel Sturridge in January. (Daily Telegraph)
The appointment of Rafa Benitez could complicate matters if he intends to utilise the striker more than his predecessor Roberto Di Matteo. But, with talks having already taken place between the two clubs, it may be too late for the Spanish coach to influence the decision.
Manchester City coach David Platt remains unconcerned by reports surrounding the future of Joleon Lescott. (Sky Sports)
The defender was left out of the City squad which travelled to Chelsea at the weekend, after losing his place to Matija Nastasic in Roberto Mancini's side.
Kevin Strootman's agent has confirmed Manchester United have enquired about the Dutch star - and revealed the PSV Eindhoven midfielder wants a move to the Premier League. (talkSPORT)
The 22-year-old is one of the hottest properties in Europe right now, and Sir Alex Ferguson is keen to bring him to Old Trafford.
And finally, Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has told predecessor Harry Redknapp to forget about signing Jermain Defoe. (Sky Sports)
The newly-appointed QPR manager has been linked with a move for the England striker, as he looks to save the Premier League basement boys from relegation.
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THE head of the royal commission into child sexual abuse has described the task facing the body as ''huge'' after the six commissioners met for the first time in Sydney on Wednesday.
Justice Peter McClellan said in order to run it as efficiently as possible, the government would amend the Royal Commission Act to allow hearings to take place without all commissioners present. Some hearings may need to be private to protect victims.
Speaking publicly for the first time since his appointment on Friday, Justice McClellan also sought to allay concerns some matters may be excluded from examination because of confidentiality agreements.
''We wish to emphasise that under the Royal Commission Act, the commission has powers to compel the production of evidence including documentation and we will not hesitate in appropriate circumstances to exercise those powers,'' he said.
Justice McClellan said there may be some instances where constraints would have to be placed on the reporting of matters before the commission.
However, the commission ''expects that those institutions which have entered into confidentiality agreements with individuals will co-operate with the commission in relation to the discovery of those materials''.
Justice McClellan met his fellow commissioners, the former Queensland police commissioner Bob Atkinson, the Family Court judge Justice Jennifer Coate, the Productivity Commissioner, Robert Fitzgerald, an Aboriginal health academic, Professor Helen Milroy, and the former West Australian senator Andrew Murray in Sydney. Most of them had not met previously.
Justice McClellan said it would take some time to hire staff and organise resources and it was impossible to know how long it would be before hearings would start. But the commission has set up a phone number where people can leave messages, which staff will follow up when they are hired.
Gail Furness, SC, will be counsel assisting the commission.
''The task before the commission is large,'' Justice McClellan said. ''However, until the commission has commenced its work and people come forward to give us an account of their personal circumstances, we can't gauge the full extent of that task.''
The commission would make arrangements for people living overseas to attend hearings where required, he said.
The commission was not a prosecuting body but would co-operate with local authorities in each state and territory, he said.
''It is also important to understand that the commission is not charged [with determining] whether any person is entitled to compensation.''


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Pablo Reyes-Morales' dream to serve in the United States military was stoked when he was in high school.
"Since I was in ninth grade, when I saw the slogan for the Navy, and it said, "a global force for good," I was instantly interested," he said.
But that dream shattered when Reyes-Morales attempted to enlist. He says it wasn't until that moment, that he learned he was undocumented, and therefore unable to serve the country.
"When I came out of the office of the Navy, I cried," he recalled. "My dad is a very proud person – I've never seen him cry, but that time, he cried with me, and he told me was sorry he'd never told me before."
Reyes-Morales counts himself among the ranks of the 'Dream Army' – or, young, undocumented people who are currently barred from serving in the U.S military. 'Dream' refers to the federal DREAM Act, which would permit certain immigrant students who have grown up in the U.S. to gain a path to citizenship, if they go to college or serve in the U.S. military. The bill was first introduced in Washington in 2001, but has failed to pass several times since then.
Reyes-Morales, now a student at West Hills College in Lemoore, recently spoke with reporters in Hanford. He explained that his interest in joining the Navy is not solely motivated by his desire to become a U.S. citizen.
"I'm not doing it because I want something for me, but I'm doing it because I want to give something back," he said.
He has already obtained a temporary work permit, through a federal policy called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. This policy, announced by the Department of Homeland Security last summer, allows certain young, undocumented people to remain in the country and work. But it doesn't provide a path to citizenship, and recipients can't join the military.
"I want to give back to the country that raised me, basically," he explained. "I want to make sure that they know that even though we weren't born here, we're patriotic and we want to serve the U.S."
Cesar Vargas says that's the case for thousands of other young, undocumented people, too. He is the director of the DRM Action Coalition, a national organization that advocates for the right to citizenship for immigrant youth.
"For many of us, it's about a commitment to the country that has given us so much," Vargas said.
Vargas came to the U.S. from Mexico when he was 5. Today, he is a law school graduate, and is interested in becoming a military lawyer.
"I live in New York City, and September 11 was very personal for me," Vargas explained. "It was so close to me, and I actually tried to enlist right after September 11, but of course I couldn't, because they told me I could not because of my status."
Reyes-Morales and Vargas, and other members of their grassroots army, are urging President Obama to sign an executive order that would update the military's enlistment policy, to allow those who have qualified for Deferred Action to be able to join the service. They are also pushing for comprehensive immigration reform.
A solution could also come through legislation.
"This really needs to be seen as a national security issue first, and an immigration issue second," said Republican Congressman Mike Coffman of Colorado. "It's a national security issue because, the fact is, we need more qualified applicants to apply for the military to strengthen our armed forces."
Last week, Coffman introduced a bill that would make it possible for young people who gain a work permit through the Deferred Action program – like Reyes-Morales and Vargas – to enlist in the military and gain a path to citizenship.
"I think the greatest expression of citizenship in a country, in this country, is serving in the military," Coffman said. " I think it's great to have these young people who are not yet American citizens who are willing to serve, so let's give them an opportunity to serve."
Last week, a group of senators and President Obama laid out separate plans for comprehensive immigration reform. Neither explicitly addressed whether young people who qualified for the Deferred Action policy could serve in the military. But the president's plan does propose that young, undocumented people who go to college or serve honorably in the Armed Forces for at least two years should be given "an expedited opportunity to earn their citizenship."


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East-West Center Research Program SeminarApril 8, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Mānoa Campus, East-West Center, Burns Hall Room 3012
Dr. Laura Brewington
Postdoctoral Researcher, Center for Galapagos Studies
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Monday, April 8, 2013 1–2 p.m.
John A. Burns Hall, Room 3012 (3rd floor)
In this presentation Dr. Brewington will describe the results of her work derived from six years of applied conservation in Galapagos, with a focus on three approaches to research across geographic and temporal scales. The first is a bottom-up approach to stakeholder engagement and active participation in research design and analysis, through a study of invasive species management in an agricultural zone and the surrounding protected area. Priority is given to local objectives and constraints, with positive implications for adaptive land management by land owners and national park employees.
The second project details a long-term approach to infrastructure development within the Galapagos inspection and quarantine system, with an emphasis on addressing existing structural problems within the cargo shipping system, fomenting political change at the regional and national levels, and collaborating across institutions to improve island biosecurity. Training courses for cargo inspectors and community education about the risks associated with imported goods link the users to the system, stimulating ongoing dialogue and project longevity.
Dr. Brewington will conclude with an overview of her recent postdoctoral work, which takes a local-to-global perspective on characterizing shoreline vulnerability to climate change and anthropogenic disturbances throughout the archipelago. In the Galapagos Islands, as well as other similar settings worldwide, data gathering and monitoring are needed at multiple scales to understand the processes and phenomena that cross disciplinary boundaries, especially between nature and society.
Laura Brewington is a postdoctoral researcher with the Center for Galapagos Studies at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, working in conservation research and environmental policy in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. Prior to returning to graduate school, she worked as a Biostatistician on NIH-funded studies linking environmental pollution and human health. Her interests are interdisciplinary, spanning the quantitative, spatial, and social sciences, and her dissertation focused on species invasions, agriculture, and participatory remote sensing. After she finished her PhD in Geography in 2011, she moved to the Galapagos to collaborate with WildAid, Inc. and the Galapagos Inspection and Quarantine Agency. In 2012 she returned to North Carolina to continue research and outreach through the Galapagos Science Center based on San Cristobal Island. Currently, she's involved with the following projects: 1) Social dynamics of environmental change; 2) Marine reserve policy and management; 3) Shoreline vulnerability and risk assessment.
Event Sponsor
East-West Center Research Program, Mānoa Campus
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Monday, April 8
The Wellness Center - Fitness Class ScheduleMaui Campus, Pilina Bldg., Wellness Center
HYDRUS groundwater modeling workshopMānoa Campus, Watershed Hydrology Laboratory at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
Biomedical Sciences & Health Disparities SymposiumMānoa Campus, 651 Ilalo St (JABSOM) Honolulu, HI 96813
A Discussion on Wrongful Convictions and DNA Evidence: The Case of Amanda KnoxMānoa Campus, Moot Courtroom, William S. Richardson School of Law
Special Microbiology SeminarMānoa Campus, Post 126
East-West Center Research Program SeminarMānoa Campus, East-West Center, Burns Hall Room 3012
German Club - KaffeestundeMānoa Campus, Paradise Palms
Bollywood Mondays: 'Gangs of Wasseypur' (2012)Mānoa Campus, Marine Science Building 114
Play In ClayWindward Campus, Hale Pālanakila 216
UH Opera Workshop in ConcertMānoa Campus, Orvis Auditorium


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September 25 2013
Denied again
Denied again
Still looking for funding for rail line
The third time was not a charm for the South Dakota Department of Transportation's application for funds through the TIGER V grant program. For the third time in three years, the state's request for funding to rehabilitate 42 miles of the MRC (Mitchell to Rapid City) Railroad line from Chamberlain west to Presho was denied.
Fifty-two TIGER V grants totaling $474 million were announced by the US Department of Transportation earlier this month. The only South Dakota project to receive funding through the federal program was an $8 million highway project to rebuild BIA 2 on the Pine Ridge Reservation .
"Very disappointing," said Brule Lindholm, South Daktoa DOT rail road program manager following the announcement of the 2013 TIGER grant recipients.
Lindholm had high expectations last spring when he completed the application request for $20 million to help fund the estimated $29 million rehab project.
"It's real competitive. There are some politics involved in the selection," said Lindholm as he explained that the current administration has an influence on the selection process.
For two years in a row, projects that involved walking or biking paths received the majority of the funding.
"They seemed to favor livability type projects," said Lindholm. "Projects that enhance the quality of life."
In the state's application, he tried to explain that rehabbing the rail line from Chamberlain to Presho would benefit the people who live in this area by adding jobs, and improving the per capita income for citizens by reducing the cost of grain transportation. Area businesses, governing bodies and individuals also submitted letters of support for the project, but, it effort was not enough to secure a grant.
"We're not giving up. We're still looking for ways to fund this project, said Lindholm. District 26B Representative Jim Schaefer of Kennebec has been asked to serve on a state Rail Planning Advisory Committee to study funding options.
"We have a meeting set for October 9th in Sioux Falls," said Schaefer. "Hopefully, we'll have some ideas presented."
Schaefer and Lindholm agree there is universal interest and support in the area for the rehab project.
The rail line from Mitchell to Chamberlain, operated by the Dakota Southern Railway, was rebuilt over the past couple of years with a $17 million TIGER grant awarded in 2010 in addition to other funding sources.
According to Lindholm, finish work will wrap up within the next several weeks on the 61-mile line between Mitchell and Chamberlain. Crews have been replacing mismatched ties to remove bumps in the track.
"We bought 2,400 new ties and 800 good used ones to fix the bumps in the line," said Lindholm.
Bids were recently let for the third time to sell salvage material and clean up along the track.
We'll continue searching for the means to fund this project," said Lindholm. "We just haven't landed on the right option yet."
- Presho Elementary celebrates last day of school
- Memorial Day observed Monday, May 28
- DENR recognizes Town of Kennebec for drinking water compliance
- Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline 5 pm Monday
- Dueling Duo gets the crowd going
- Herald and Sun win awards at SDNA Better Newspaper Contest
- GLF awards Eastern Star with check
- GLF UPDATE: Only $9,500 to go
- PFD Selects Officers
- PHS Reunion Coming Soon


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BRISTOL, Tenn. - King College placed four players on the NCCAA Mid-East Women's Volleyball first team with a second-team nod as well, the regional chair announced after the region tournament concluded.
Kaitlyn Musick (Weber City, Va.), Morgan Machen (Kingsport, Tenn.), Rachel Harding (Abingdon, Va.) and Shannon Earwood (Carson City, Nev.) were all first-team selections. Freshman Kelsey Griffitts (Bristol, Va.) earned a second-team honor.
Musick, a senior middle blocker, led the region and ranked third among NCCAA players with a .390 hitting percentage during the regular season. She collected 312 kills with just 45 errors in 675 attempts. Musick also ranked No. 10 in the Mid-East with 2.52 kills per set. She also had the No. 6 spot in the region's blocks per game average with 0.65. She collected 80 total blocks in the season.
Machen, a senior outside hitter, held the No. 9 spot nationally and led the region in kills per game with 3.56. Overall she had 438 kills before regional play started. Last season she was a NCCAA All-American Second Team selection after earning Mid-East All-Region honors.
Harding, a senior defensive specialist, had the second highest digs per game average in the region and the 13th best in the NCCAA. She accounted for 4.39 digs per game with a total of 544 for the season. She also had the third best aces pet set average in the Mid-East at 0.43. A season ago Harding made the Mid-East Region second team list.
Earwood, a sophomore setter, provided the ninth most assists per game nationally with 10.03. She was second in the region as well. During the regular season she gave King 1,173 assists. Her efforts helped King to not only rank second in the region for assists per set at 11.49, but fifth nationally.
Griffitts, a middle blocker, used a .343 hitting percentage to rank No. 6 nationally and second in the region. She had 247 kills in 542 attempts with 61 errors in the regular season. Griffitts also had 0.55 blocks per set to rank No. 10 in the Mid-East.
Overall King had four on the nine-member first team, the most from any school. The Mid-East Player of the Year award went to Caroline Martin, from Campbellsville (Ky.) University. Joining the Lady Tornado quartet and Martin were Monica Chernichan and Shannon Cahill, also from Campbellsville. Oakland City (Ind.) University's Allison Eads and Lindsey Ibold, from Asbury (Ky.) University rounded out the first team list.
Martin led the region in assists per set with 10.95 which also was the best mark of any NCCAA setter. She helped Campbellsville to the most assists per game as a team in the country as well.
Both King and Campbellsville had five players each on the first and second teams combined. Asbury placed three, with two from both Covenant and Oakland City on the squads.
The teams were selected by the coaches in the region.
King ended the region tournament in second with an overall record of 30-9. The Lady Tornado lost to defending national champion Campbellsville Saturday 3-1 after both teams won their respective pools on Friday. King will have to wait to see if an at-large bid will be coming for the NCCAA National Tournament.
NCCAA Mid-East Region
NCCAA Mid-East Region
Caroline Martin – Campbellsville
Samantha James - Campbellsville
NCCAA Mid-East Region
Caroline Martin - Campbellsville


text: Garland actively pursues grant funding opportunities to take advantage of optional funding sources both state and nationally. The Office of Environmental Quality oversees some of these efforts to not only acquire grants for city departments but to assist ongoing efforts as well as implementation and grant mandated reporting. More notable acquisitions are featured below.


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Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Raised Their Kids Tech-Free — And It Should've Been a Red Flag
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of The Independent (One of the UK's leading newspapers)
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs Raised Their Kids Tech-Free — And It Should've Been a Red Flag
The Independent (One of the UK's leading newspapers), October 24, 2017
Posted: 2017-10-31 11:31:05
Psychologists are quickly learning how dangerous smartphones can be for teenage brains. Research has found that an eighth-grader's risk for depression jumps 27% when he or she frequently uses social media. Kids who use their phones for at least three hours a day are much more likely to be suicidal. And recent research has found the teen suicide rate in the US now eclipses the homicide rate, with smartphones as the driving force. But the writing about smartphone risk may have been on the wall for roughly a decade, according to educators Joe Clement and Matt Miles, coauthors of the recent book "Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse is Making Our Kids Dumber." It should be telling, Clement and Miles argue, that the two biggest tech figures in recent history - Bill Gates and Steve Jobs - seldom let their kids play with the very products they helped create. "What is it these wealthy tech executives know about their own products that their consumers don't?" the authors wrote. The answer, according to a growing body of evidence, is the addictive power of digital technology. Gates, the former CEO of Microsoft ... didn't let his kids get cell phones until they turned 14. Jobs, who was the CEO of Apple until his death in 2012 ... prohibited his kids from using the newly-released iPad. "It's interesting to think that in a modern public school, where kids are being required to use electronic devices like iPads," the authors wrote, "Steve Jobs's kids would be some of the only kids opted out."
Note: Silicon Valley uses "brain hacking" to make new products more addictive. Such techniques add to a vast arsenal of behavior modification technologies developed by government and industry to control people. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles on corporate corruption and health.
Explore our index to revealing excerpts of key news articles on several dozen topics.
Don't miss amazing excerpts from the 20 most revealing news articles ever published.
Below is a sample of just three of those 20 articles.
U.S. Military Wanted to Provoke War With Cuba
2001-05-01, ABC News
In the early 1960s, America's top military leaders reportedly drafted plans to kill innocent people and commit acts of terrorism in U.S. cities to create public support for a war against Cuba. Code named Operation Northwoods, the plans reportedly included the possible assassination of Cuban émigrés, sinking boats of Cuban refugees on the high seas, hijacking planes, blowing up a U.S. ship, and even orchestrating violent terrorism in U.S. cities. The plans were developed as ways to trick the American public and the international community into supporting a war to oust Cuba's ... Fidel Castro. America's top military brass even contemplated causing U.S. military casualties, writing: "We could blow up a U.S. ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba," and, "casualty lists in U.S. newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation." The plans had the written approval of all of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and were presented to President Kennedy's defense secretary, Robert McNamara, in March 1962. But they apparently were rejected by the civilian leadership and have gone undisclosed for nearly 40 years. The Joint Chiefs even proposed using the potential death of astronaut John Glenn during the first attempt to put an American into orbit as a false pretext for war with Cuba. Should the rocket explode and kill Glenn, they wrote, "the objective is to provide irrevocable proof … that the fault lies with the Communists." The scary thing is none of this stuff comes out until 40 years after.
Note: Why was ABC the only major news source to report on this highly revealing story? Read the shocking declassified documents on Operation Northwoods. Many military and political leaders look at the world as a grand chessboard. Sacrificing pawns (innocent civilians) is sometimes necessary to capture the queen. Explore revealing news articles on military corruption. Then check out eye-opening 9/11 news articles.
Former U.S. Air Force Officers Recount Experiences With UFOs at Nuclear Missile Bases
2010-10-27, ABC News
The U.S. government's official line may be that unidentified flying objects (UFOs) don't pose a national security threat, but a group of former Air Force officers gathered Monday in the nation's capital to tell a different story. During a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., seven former Air Force officers once stationed at nuclear bases around the country said that not only have UFOs visited Air Force bases, some have succeeded in disabling nuclear missiles stationed there. "I want the government to acknowledge that this phenomenon exists," said Robert Salas, a former U.S. Air Force Nuclear Launch Officer. Salas said he doesn't think the UFOs he claims to have encountered had any offensive intent, but he believes they wanted to leave an impression. "They wanted to shine a light on our nuclear weapons and just send us a message," he said. "My interpretation is the message is get rid of them because it's going to mean our destruction." Other former officers recounted similar stories of unexplained moving lights and odd-shaped flying objects during their time in the service. Leslie Kean, an investigative journalist and author of the new book "UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record," said thousands of pages of documentation support the officers' accounts. She spent the last 10 years researching UFOs and combing through thousands of pages of declassified government material. Kean said that one declassified document that she researched for her book, relating to the Salas incident, said, "the fact that no apparent reason for the loss of the 10 missiles can easily be identified is a cause for grave concern to this headquarters."
Note: Watch CNN coverage of this most fascinating testimony. This is not the first time government and military witnesses have testified at the National Press Club about a major cover-up of UFOs. Watch 22 witnesses testifying to remarkable personal stories in May 2001. A two-page written summary presents amazing UFO testimony from top officials. And don't miss these fascinating news articles on UFOs. What may be the best UFO documentary ever made, Out of the Blue, is also available for free viewing.
Inside the secretive Bilderberg Group
2005-09-29, BBC News
How much influence do private networks of the rich and powerful have on government policies and international relations? One group, the Bilderberg, has often attracted speculation that it forms a shadowy global government. Every year since 1954 [they have brought] together about 120 leading business people and politicians. At this year's meeting in Germany, the audience included the heads of the World Bank and European Central Bank, Chairmen or Chief Executives from Nokia, BP, Unilever, DaimlerChrysler and Pepsi ... editors from five major newspapers, members of parliament, ministers, European commissioners ... and the queen of the Netherlands. The chairman ... is 73-year-old Viscount Etienne Davignon. In an extremely rare interview, he played down the importance of Bilderberg. "I don't think (we are) a global ruling class because I don't think a global ruling class exists." Will Hutton ... who attended a Bilderberg meeting in 1997, says people take part in these networks in order to influence the way the world works, to create what he calls "the international common sense". And that "common sense" is one which supports the interests of Bilderberg's main participants. For Bilderberg's critics the fact that there is almost no publicity about the annual meetings is proof that they are up to no good. Bilderberg meetings often feature future political leaders shortly before they become household names. Bill Clinton went in 1991 while still governor of Arkansas, Tony Blair was there two years later while still an opposition MP. All the recent presidents of the European Commission attended Bilderberg meetings before they were appointed. Informal and private networks like Bilderberg have helped to oil the wheels of global politics and globalisation for the past half a century.
Note: Why is this meeting of top world leaders kept so secret? Why, until a few years ago, was there virtually no reporting on this influential group in the major media? Thankfully, the alternative media has had some good articles. And a Google search can be highly informative. Explore many other revealing major media news articles on powerful secret societies. And for those interested, check out reliable, eye-opening information covering the big picture of how and why these secret societies are using government-sponsored mind control programs to achieve their agenda.
The above three are excerpts from the 20 most revealing news articles ever published.
Below is a sample of the three articles most recently posted to this website.
EPA again blocks journalists from attending summit
The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday barred journalists for the second consecutive day from attending a national summit focused on water contaminants, telling reporters from CNN and other news organizations that they would not be permitted inside the venue. Carrie Budoff Brown, editor of Politico, said in a statement that her publication "would much rather be writing about the agency's efforts to address this health problem than about reporters being excluded. "The summit was focused on an important public health crisis that has affected drinking water supplies across the country, and chemicals that are present in the bloodstreams of nearly all Americans," she added. "We believe it is important that the news media have access to the entirety of this discussion to keep the public informed." On Tuesday, the EPA blocked several journalists, including those from CNN and the Associated Press, from entering the venue when Scott Pruitt, the agency's chief, was speaking. Only those journalists specifically selected by the EPA were permitted to enter the premises. Sally Buzbee, executive editor of the Associated Press, called the move to block journalists "a direct threat to the public's right to know about what his happening inside their government." Less than two weeks ago, CNN aired a special report, "Pruitt Under Fire: The Battle at the EPA," about the various scandals plaguing the federal agency.
Note: For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles on government corruption and the manipulation of mass media.
In harsh Saudi crackdown, famous feminists are branded as 'traitors'
2018-05-19, Washington Post
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has cast himself as a reformer, advocating equality for women and granting them the right to drive. But in the past few days, Saudi activists who called for exactly those things were arrested, accused by the authorities of undermining national security and branded "traitors" in pro-government newspapers. The unusually vicious state-led crackdown has targeted Saudi Arabia's most prominent women's rights advocates, including activists who led the first protests against the driving ban decades ago and were jailed for their defiance. The arrests have been puzzling for their timing — occurring just weeks before the driving ban is set to be lifted. But Saudis have also been stunned by the gravity of the charges and the deeply personal attacks on the activists, whose pictures were circulated in government-friendly media outlets in what human rights groups called a smear campaign intended to silence calls for women's rights. But the detentions of the women's rights advocates continue a pattern: Over the past year, as the crown prince has consolidated power, authorities have locked up dozens of dissidents and perceived enemies, including rights activists, clerics, businessmen and princes.
Note: Why is the US such close allies with such a repressive Muslim regime with almost total disregard for human rights? For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles on government corruption and threats to civil liberties.
U.S. cautions citizens in China after 'abnormal' sound incident
2018-05-23, Reuters
An American citizen working at the U.S. consulate in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou has reported suffering from "abnormal" sounds and pressure leading to a mild brain injury, the U.S. embassy said on Wednesday. China said it was investigating the incident. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was concerned about the "serious medical incident" and raised it with China's visiting State Councillor Wang Yi. Pompeo told a news conference with Wang, "We're working together to resolve [this] ... I hope we can figure it out." The unnamed American citizen ... had reported a variety of "physical symptoms" dating from late 2017. "The clinical findings of this evaluation matched mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI)," the embassy said. "We cannot at this time connect it with what happened in Havana, but we are investigating all possibilities," a U.S. embassy official [said]. The U.S. government ... issued a health alert to Americans in China. "If you experience any unusual acute auditory or sensory phenomena accompanied by unusual sounds or piercing noises, do not attempt to locate their source. Instead, move to a location where the sounds are not present," the emailed alert said. The U.S. government in October expelled 15 Cuban diplomats ... for what it said was Cuba's failure to protect staff at the U.S. embassy in Havana from mysterious health incidents at one point thought to possibly have been acoustic "attacks". The cause of those incidents remains unresolved.
Note: Could these sonic attacks possibly be false flag operations? Read more about the mysterious "sonic attack" incident in Cuba that injured American and Canadian diplomats. Sound weapons developed for war and increasingly used against civilian populations are well-documented. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing non-lethal weapons news articles from reliable major media sources.
The above three are excerpts from the news stories most recently posted to this website.
Explore our index to revealing excerpts of news articles on several dozen topics.
Don't miss amazing excerpts from the 20 most revealing news articles ever published.


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March 28, 2004
Raleigh, NC - The men's and women's track & field teams competed at the Raleigh Relays at North Carolina State to open their spring training trip. Outstanding performances were turned in by those who competed despite the fact that the team is in heavy training.
On the women's side, Jennifer Donahue led the way with a throw in the hammer of 164' 2", a PR by over 17 feet! Throwing mate Laura Dudek made her college debut in the javelin with a mark of 137' 7", only a few feet away from her PR. Also in the javelin, on the men's side, Paul Rosiak debuted with a throw of 184' 10".
Senior Kate Cushing got things rolling on the track for the Bears. She ran the 1500 in 4:37.50, five seconds faster than she has ever opened an outdoor season. That set the stage for the women's relays to have success, too. In the 4x100, Lauren Linder, Julia Stevenson, Fara Kitton and Jaylon White combined to win their section in 47.92 despite shaky hand-offs. Stevenson returned to run the second leg of the 4x400 which had similar success. Kelly Powell led off and Stevenson blazed a 55.1 leg. Emily Lewis-LaMonica kept Brown in the hunt and Naja Ferjan anchored in 56.2 for a combined 3:49.13, one of the fastest openers ever for Brown. The men got in on the action, too, by running 3:16.54. David Owen led off in 48.9. El Gilbert and Christian Tabib ran the middle legs before Dallas Dissmore anchored in 47.4, his fastest 400 ever.
Both squads will spend the rest of the week training at Duke before competing in the Duke Invitational April 2 and 3. Their first meet back in the northeast will be a nine-team invitational at home on April 10.


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The vice president appears to have behaved like a teenager who thinks that if he keeps quiet about the wreck, no one will notice that the family car is missing its right door. The administration's communications department has proved that its skills at actually communicating are so rusty it can't get a minor police-blotter story straight. And the White House, in trying to cover up the cover-up, has once again demonstrated that it would rather look inept than open.So, slot it right in there with the lying liars material. Do Bush opponents really think that concentrating their attention on this story will help their cause? Joe Gandelman has some analysis:
Is the Cheney controversy going to help [Bush's approval ratings]? Some suggest YES — it's keeping the bad news about Katrina (that neither Michael Chertoff, the administration's Homeland and Security Chief, nor the President did a heck of a job on Katrina....according to House Republicans) off the front pages for a while. It also keeps a press seemingly unable to truly focus on several big issues off the warrantless domestic spying story. FALSE. The Cheney story provides of a GENERAL CONTEXT that shows an administration either in disarray or marked by incredible arrogance when it comes to obeying laws in a way that everyone else and even other politicians would be required to do. The Cheney story will NOT help Bush rise in the polls.Hmmm... so he's buying the NYT concept. Me, I think it's a distraction from more damaging stories. Whether it helps or hurts Bush is -- or should be -- less significant than whether we can concentrate on issues that matter as opposed to a freak accident.
IN THE COMMENTS: Icepick has perfect timing. Palladian wonders why no one at the NYT noticed that the car wreck analogy risked stirring up the wrong memories of a politician delaying to report an accident. John (classic) reveals the secret Cheney-Rove plot to distract America.
UPDATE: Victoria Spurs coins a word: Cheneyquiddick. Perfect. It even has the "dick."


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In the early 1970s, Dr. Alex Comfort's "The Joy of Sex" provided couples (and horny teen-aged boys!) with a thoughtful, thorough and explicit look at a wide variety of sexual topics. In many ways, it was the unofficial users manual of the Sexual Revolution. It was also the first of too many sex manuals to use the word "joy" in its title.
Plenty of sex guides have hit bookshelves since then, for both straight and gay readers. The latest, "Joyful Gay Sex: The Ultimate Pleasure Guide," from writer Sven Rebel, is a 192-page tome that explains many gay sexual subjects from masturbation to some of the more provocative fetishes. Rebel's simple, straightforward explanations are supplemented by plenty of hardcore photos from some of the leading gay porn studios for a little visual eye candy.
The book starts by readers on an exploration of cruising for men online, safe sex practices, oral sex, condoms, lube and cruising for play partners in city parks before eventually getting to "Stick It In," the section devoted to the ins and outs of anal sex.
In that chapter, he covers douching, prostate stimulation and several of the more common positions for doing the homo hokey-pokey. A more extensive list, or even some diagrams of more athletic positions, would have been a good inclusion.
Rebel then moves onto "Drugs: An Endless High," which discusses the pleasures and hazards of a variety of party drugs, from crystal meth and poppers to GHB and Special K. To his credit, Rebel discusses the effects of these substances while also stressing their potentially life-damaging side effects. Oddly, he offers no info on Viagra, Cialis and other erectile dysfunction treatments.
"Play with Me" addresses a variety of nightstand toys including dildos, fleshjacks, handcuffs and nipple clamps. "Warning: Contagious" gives some info on the major STDs and physical ailments that can result from sexual contact, including syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV, chlamydia, hepatitis and crabs.
Many readers might find Rebel's explanations too much of a primer, offering fairly rudimentary info on a variety of subjects to men apparently unfamiliar with gay sex. One passage about phone sex reads: "Phone sex is no longer very current. These days, it's more common to go online and chat. This is called cybersex."
The final section, "Fetish," covers a variety of special interests and proclivities, from leather and threesomes to S&M, breath control, mummification, felching, and those perennial Howard Stern favorites, the Dirty Sanchez and Bukkake. One new term for this reviewer was "figging" which apparently involves sticking a piece of peeled ginger inside someone's nether regions, where it produces a rapid and intense burning sensation. Something to try next time you're eating take-out sushi, I suppose.
"Joyful Gay Sex" will be helpful and informative for novices to the gay scene, but its erotic photos will likely make it a restricted access book, keeping it out of places like libraries and many bookstores where it could be a useful reference tool.
"Joyful Gay Sex"
Sven Rebel
Bruno Gmuender Verlag GmbH


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Travelers Cos., the New York City-based property and casualty insurer, helped lead the Dow higher on Tuesday following its report that core income categories for the company, including investments and premiums written, increased in the fourth quarter. Net income declined because of the volume of claims that were filed after Hurricane Sandy. Still, the stock shot up because Wall Street's expectations were muted to begin with. The stock had already hit a record high on Friday.
Market Movers


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After more than four decades, Bruce Davidson's black-and-white photographs of life in a Harlem tenement still smolder with his subjects' gritty humanity.
After more than four decades, Bruce Davidson's black-and-white photographs of life in a Harlem tenement still smolder with his subjects' gritty humanity.
For two years in 1966 and 1967, the white Midwesterner lugged his large-format camera almost daily through a single New York City block, chronicling the public and private moments of people who opened their doors and lives to him.
Acquired in 2011 by the Museum of Fine Arts, 43 of these striking photos are now showcased in "Bruce Davidson: East 100th Street.''
Organized by MFA by Curator of Photography Karen Haas, this revelatory exhibit should shatter enduring stereotypes about poverty, race and inner city blight.
However poor, unhealthy, aged or just unlovely, Davidson saw humans through his lens and photographed them with respect and compassion.
An elderly woman in a floral dress sits on her bed as her laundry dries from hangers on the wall. Leaning their heads together, a serious young couple gazes steadily into the lens.
A young boy flies a kite atop a tenement roof as the East River stretches behind him to the horizon. A muscular shirtless man jives with friends in a basement "shooting gallery'' for heroin users.
"These tenements might be crumbling but they are teeming with life,'' said Haas, opening the exhibit last week. "Davidson took to heart what an occupant once told him: Remember, what you call a ghetto, I call my home.''
Haas said the 43 photos on view at the MFA are the original prints of Davidson's photos that were displayed in a landmark 1970 exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
While not a household name, Davidson emerges through this exhibit as a remarkable craftsman who documented little-seen slices of American life in memorable images.
Born in 1933 in Oak Park, Ill., to a single mother who worked in a factory, Davidson began taking photos as a youngster and developing them in a home dark room.
He served as a photographer in the U.S. Army and befriended photojournalist Henri Cartier-Bresson while stationed in France. After joining Magnum Photo in 1957, Davidson shot several notable series in a documentary style, including the civil rights movement, a New York street gang and Central Park.
Now in his 70s, Davidson insisted his photos be displayed at the MFA without captions or accompanying text that described the image or circumstances in which they were taken.
This bold yet rewarding provision forces viewers to engage the people in the photos without the comforting – and obfuscating - medium of academic or scholarly explanation.
Instead of first reading "Youths at Stoop Posing with Girlfriends,'' museum visitors see two couples, nothing like themselves, embracing in front of a dingy building.
Davidson seems to be forcing viewers to confront their own fears and biases about people who look poorer, shabbier and tougher than they do.
Viewers might be surprised that many photos are quite small, sometimes just about 8 by 6 inches, and unusually dark.
Haas said the absence of captions forces viewers "to really look'' at the image where they'll discover "how rich in detail and how much information'' each photo really contains.
A bored young girl sprawls across a mattress, surrounded by four tough guys in a room without furniture except for a Valentine on the wall.
Children play on a fire escape overlooking a garbage- strewn alley. A couple slow dances in front of a jukebox next to an American flag and framed portrait of President Kennedy four years after his death.
These photos make viewers confront their unease about poverty and poor people. Are they victims? Will they overcome? Do they deserve their fate?
Davidson apparently didn't like to be called a "documentary'' photographer. Haas said a reviewer once described him as "a slowed down street photographer,'' which might be closer to the truth.
Rather than "grab'' surreptitious shots of unwitting subjects, she said Davidson went out of his way to interact with his subjects, seeking their permission and taking a sort of collaborative portraits that suggest complex stories that link viewers to their lives.
In one extraordinary image, Davidson photographed a skinny young girl in shorts, her bony torso leaning against the horizontal railing of a fire escape, her head and tangled hair cocked to a side.
Blink your eyes and this child could be Christ crucified or Saint Sebastian, pierced with arrows.
Or maybe just a skinny Latino child playing on a fire escape.
"Bruce Davidson: East 100th Street"
WHEN: Through Sept. 8
WHERE: Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston
INFO: 617-267-9300, www.mfa.org